请将下面这段话翻译成英文：

四合院(courtyard)是一种历史类型住宅。它在中国很常见，最著名的则是在北京。在古代，一座四合院住着一个单一的大家庭。今天，许多现存的四合院还用作住房，但大都缺乏现代生活设施。四合院最早可以追溯到西周时期（the Western Zhou Period）,至今已有2000多年的历史。它们表现出中国建筑的优秀和基本特征。四合院还是北京的一个文化象征，也是探索古老生活方式的一个窗口。

参考翻译:

Courtyard is a historical type of residence.It was commonly found throughout China,most famous in Beijing.In ancient times,a courtyard would be occupied by a single large family.Today,many remaining courtyards are still used as houses,but most lack modem living facilities.Courtyards date back to as early as the Western Zhou Period,with a history of over 2,000 years.They exhibit outstanding and iundamental characteristics of Chinese architecture.Courtyard also serves as a cultural symbol of Beijing and a window into old ways of life.

1.在古代，一座四合院住着一个单一的大家庭:“在古代”可译为in ancient times。“住着”可以用occupy或者live来表示。occupy意为“占据，占领”，在此引申为“住着”;be occupied by/with译为“被某物占据；忙于”，例如:He was occupied with a novel.他忙于写小说。
2.今天，许多现存的四合院还用作住房，但大都缺乏现代生活设施:其中“现存的”可译为remaining。“用作”可译为be used as。“缺乏”可译为lack,此处lack为动词，作名词讲时，可用lack of来表示缺乏。
3.四合院最早可以追溯到西周时期:其中“追溯”可译为date back to。需要注意的是date back和date back to都表示追溯的意思，但是date back后跟时间段;date back to后跟时间点，表示追溯到某一时间点。