2005年去了趟故宫，与十几年前去故宫时的感觉真是大不一样了。原先宁静、肃然、神秘的气氛全然消失，事实上什么也没看到，什么也没听到，什么也感觉不到，到此一游而已。在2008年北京奥运会之前，故宫和其它北京名胜一样要维修，我管这“维修”叫“刷新”。把故宫正在“刷新”时的状态拍下来也是一种情不自禁。

　　2006年差不多与上年相同的时间，按同样的路线走了一圈。上年看见的施工现场已基本粉刷一新;新的维修现场又搭起了高高的脚手架，太和殿被包的严严实实，巨大的修复效果图更是前所未见，可以想见势必被刷的崭新。

　　2007年3月再次故地重游，太和门前的残旧青砖已被一块块起掉，换上了新的青砖块。看着这景象，让人心烦而无奈。能让我流连忘返的，就只剩下那残留的片片旧墙陈迹了。

　　这组照片摄于2005年7月13日下午、2006年5月23日下午和2007年3月15日上午。我称这些景色是故宫的临时风景。

　　Section Four: Temporary Scenery in the Forbidden City

　　In 2005 I visited the Forbidden City, and found the experience to be greatly different than that of ten-some years ago. The former tranquil, solemn, and mysterious atmosphere had completely disappeared. Actually, this time I did not really see anything, hear anything, or experience anything—I just went there for awhile, as it were. In preparation for the 2008 Olympic Games, the Forbidden City and other scenic and historical sites in Beijing are being “repaired;” to me, this kind of “repair” should actually be called “renovation.” I couldn’t stop myself from photographing the Forbidden City in the midst of being renovated.

　　In 2006 at about the same time as the previous year, I walked through again, following the same route. The construction sites I’d seen before were newly repainted buildings; around new sites of repair towering scaffolds had been erected; and the Hall of Supreme Harmony was wrapped tightly. Enormous renovations produced vistas never seen before; you can easily gather that they looked brand new.

　　In March of 2007, I once more duplicated my route through the Forbidden City. The remaining old bricks on the front of the Gate of Supreme Harmony had already been removed piece by piece, and replaced with new bricks. Looking at this sight, I felt upset yet helpless. The only things that could cause me to want to linger on were the remaining sections of the old wall, all that was left of the past.

　　These photographs were taken on 13 July 2005 in the afternoon, 23 May 2006 in the afternoon, and 15 March 2007 in the morning.I would call them the temporary sceneries of the Forbidden City.

作者：夏小希