The magnificent Gothic Revival masterpiecemasterpiece n.杰作， 名着 you see today was built between 1840 and 1888， this was the work of Charles Barry who designed the buildings to blend with nearby Westminster Abbey. The two imposing towers， well known landmarks in London， are the clock tower， named after it，s thirteen ton bell called Big Ben， and Victoria tower， on whose flag pole the Union Jack flies when parliament is sitting. Much of the Victorian detail of the interior was the work of Barry，s assistant Augustus Pugin.
Entrance to Westminster Hall is permitted only as part of a guided tour， otherwise it can be viewed from St. Stephen，s porch above. The hall measuring 240 feet by 60 feet has an impressive hammerbeam roof of oak and is one of the most imposing medieval halls in Europe. In this noble setting coronationcoronation n.加冕礼 banquets were held until 1821. It was used as England，s highest court of law until the nineteenth century and it was here that Guy Fawkes was tried for attempting to blow up the House of Lords on 5th November 1605. The statue of Oliver Cromwell， which stands outside the hall， reminds us it was here in 1653 that he was sworn in as Lord Protector.
The route to the upper and lower houses takes you through the huge wooden doors into St. Stephen，s hall. The vaulted ceiling and murals were designed by Barry to replicate the medieval chapel where the commons met until 1834. From here you are ushered into the well known octagonaloctagonal adj.八边形的， 八角形的 Central Lobby， whose tiled walls are inscribed with Latin mottos. This is the central meeting place where constituents can meet or “lobby” their Members of Parliament. It is from here that you will be shown your direction either to the House of Lords or Commons.
House of Commons
An incendiary bomb destroyed the House of Commons in 1941. A reconstruction of Barry，s original design for the house， taken from St. Stephen，s chapel， the commons old meeting place， was completed in 1950. The seating arrangement in the house is reminiscent of choir stalls， the members of the cabinet sit on the front benches while opposition senior members sit directly opposite. The distance between the benches marked out on the floor in red lines， is exactly two sword lengths and one foot apart. Members are not allowed to cross these lines， thus ensuring that debates are kept orderly. In the centre of the floor stands the Table of the House， on which the mace is placed at the start of each parliamentary sitting； this is the Speaker，s sceptre. The speaker of the house presides over sittings， keeping order.
House of Lords
The House of Lords decorated in scarlet and gold has all the grandeur one would expect in this chamber. This is where Her Majesty the Queen comes to open Parliament each November. Placed beneath a regal canopy， the gold throne which dominates the house is where the Queen sits to deliver the traditional opening speech. The Lord Chancellor sits opposite， on the famous Woolsack， this is a large scarletscarlet n.猩红色， 鲜红色布 adj.猩红的， 鲜红的， 深红的 cushioncushion n.垫子， 软垫， 衬垫 v.加衬垫 filled with wool， a tradition dating back to the middle ages when wool was England，s largest export.
Buckingham Palace
白金汉宫
白金汉宫是英国的王宫，位于伦敦最高权力的所在地--威斯敏特区。东接圣·詹姆斯公园，西接海德公园，是英国王室生活和工作的地方。王宫初建于1703年，白金汉公爵、诺曼底公爵和约翰·谢菲尔德在这里建造了一座公馆，并以白金汉公爵的名字命名。白金汉宫经过多次修建和扩展，现已成为一座规模雄伟的三层长方形建筑。白金汉宫前的广场中央屹立着有伊丽莎白二世的高祖母维多利亚女王镀金雕像的纪念碑。白金汉宫以前是不对公众开放的。但是从1993年起，白金汉宫在每年的八九月间对外开放8周，游客可以参观女王接待国宾、举行国宴的国事厅、舞厅、东画廊以及后花园等处。
白金汉宫是英国王室生活和工作的地方。女王伊丽莎白二世常在这里召见首相，大臣、接见和宴请外国元首、接受外国使节递交国书等活动。19世纪30年代，国王乔治四世聘请英国最着名的建筑师进行了重建。1838年维多利亚女王继承王位后，白金汉宫成为历代君主的专用之地。主体宫殿朝向东方，中间是一块长方形院子，女王和外国元首检阅仪仗队就在这里举行.主体宫殿前的广场上，皇家卫队每天在这里操练，每天上午11点30分，举行换岗仪式。整个白金汉宫用铁栏杆围着，对着白金汉宫主建筑物的铁栏杆外，有一个广场，广场中央竖立着维多利亚镀金雕像纪念碑，它的四周有四组石雕群。
据说，开放白金汉宫的初衷被认为是英国王室安抚民众的举动，似乎以此可以联络王室与民众的感情。也有人说，更直接的原因是为了弥补白金汉宫的管理开支--要想参观白金汉宫，每个成年人要付13.5英镑的门票费。但是，白金汉宫如此受到游人青睐，有一点是可以肯定的：英国王室的地位和王室生活的神秘性是其中的重要因素之一。
进入白金汉宫，游人可以看到宝座厅，这里存放着女王伊丽莎白二世及其丈夫的宝座，两边还保存着女王父亲乔治6 世和王后以及维多利亚女王的宝座。当年查尔斯王子和戴安娜的结婚照就是在这里拍摄的。此外，女王宴请外国元首的宴会厅也是白金汉宫的舞厅，它长37.5米，宽18米，是白金汉宫内最大的一个厅，从维多利亚女王时代至今，它一直被用来举行诸如国宴和王室授勋仪式等重大庆祝活动。
白金汉宫还新增设了一个题为“白色衣橱”的展览，展出了女王的母亲、也就是王太后1938年随国王乔治6 世出访法国时所穿的礼服。由于当时恰逢王太后的母亲去世不久，所有礼服全部是白色系列。这些礼服全部是白色丝绸质地，加上各种蕾丝和珠宝装饰，以及设计师独具匠心的设计，既体现了王室的雍容华贵，又不失典雅大方的仪态。据说，这些礼服全部是为当年出访法国而专门设计的，当时为王太后共设计了6、7套礼服，适合不同场合穿着，这些衣服至今仍保存完好。
Buckingham Palace is the official London residence of the British monarch and the largest “working” royal palace remaining in the world. The expression “Buckingham Palace” or simply “The Palace” has become a common way of referring to the source of press statements coming from parts of the British Royal Family. In addition to being the London home of HM Queen Elizabeth II， Buckingham Palace is a setting for state occasions， royal entertainingentertaining adj.愉快的， 有趣的 n.招待， 款待 and base for all officially visiting heads of state， and is a major tourist attraction. It has been a rallying point for the British at times of national rejoicing and crisis.
The palace originally known as Buckingham House， a large townhouse built for the Duke of Buckingham in 1703， was acquired by King George III in 1762 as a private residence. It was enlarged over the next 75 years， principally by architects John Nash and Edward Blore， forming three wings around a central courtyard. Buckingham Palace finally became the official royal palace of the British monarch on the accessionaccession n.就职， 就任， 添加， 增加 of Queen Victoria in 1837. The last major structural additions were made in Victoria，s time， with the addition of the large wing facing east towards The Mall， and the removal of the former state entrance， Marble Arch， to its present position near Speakers， Corner in Hyde Park. The east front was refaced in Portland stone in 1913 as a backdrop to the Victoria Memorial， creating the presentday “public face” of Buckingham Palace， including the famous balconybalcony n.阳台， 包厢， (戏院)楼厅.
