国中之国：英语精读讲义

When it comes to neighbors, 短語搭配

说到邻国，

most countries have several options like north to Canada or south to Mexico,

大多数国家都有几个选择，比如向北到加拿大或向南到墨西哥，

but there are countries that don't have this freedom of choice. 短語搭配

但有些国家却没有这种选择的自由。

Not because they're islands, 語法

这并不是因为它们是岛国，

but because they're trapped in another country. 習語

而是因为它们被困在另一个国家里。

For example, tiny Vatican City,

例如微小的梵蒂冈城，

which fits inside of not just Italy, but also just Rome. 語法

它不仅位于意大利境内，甚至整个就在罗马城内。

How Vatican City got surrounded is complicated, but not unique. 語法

梵蒂冈城如何被包围的历史很复杂，但这并非独一无二。

For there's also the Republic of San Marino,

因为还有圣马力诺共和国，

home to 30,000 citizens, 短語搭配

这里拥有3万名公民，

which Italy also completely surrounds.

它同样被意大利完全包围。

Italy, apparently,

显然，意大利

is a country that likes countries in its country.

是一个喜欢自己国内有其他国家的国家。

But trapping nations is not just Italy's thing, 習語

但是，包围其他国家并不只是意大利的专利，

for there's also Lesotho in South Africa,

因为在南非内部还有莱索托，

which is both the largest encircled country at 70 times Vatican City's size 語法

它是最大的国中国，面积是梵蒂冈城的70倍，

and the most populated with over 2 million citizens.

同时也是人口最多的，拥有超过200万公民。

The thing that makes these three countries' borders bizarre 語法

这三个国家的边界之所以奇特，

is that any path in or out

是因为任何进出的路线

must go through the one and only neighbor they have. 短語搭配

都必须穿过它们唯一的邻国。

But now take a look at the Gambia, 短語搭配

但现在来看看冈比亚，

which excluding that tiny ocean border,

如果不算那一点微小的海岸线，

is as surrounded as any nation can get. 語法

它的被包围程度堪称世界之最。

If we amend the previous rule to every land route, 用詞

如果我们将之前的规则修改为适用于所有陆路交通，

now we've made a category of single-neighbored nations,

现在我们就创建了一个“单邻国”的类别，

which includes all four of these

这不仅包括刚才提到的这四个国家，

and countries like Portugal,

还包括像葡萄牙这样的国家，

where the only way in or out is through Spain. 語法

进出葡萄牙的唯一陆路通道就是经过西班牙。

Who else is on this list?

名单上还有谁？

Well, there's Monaco, which must go through France,

嗯，还有必须穿过法国的摩纳哥，

Qatar through Saudi Arabia,

穿过沙特阿拉伯的卡塔尔，

Denmark through Germany,

穿过德国的丹麦，

South Korea through North Korea,

穿过朝鲜的韩国，

though South Korea might as well be an island nation for most practical travel purposes, 講解

尽管在实际旅行中，韩国几乎可以被看作是一个岛国，

East Timor and Papua New Guinea both through Indonesia,

东帝汶和巴布亚新几内亚都要穿过印度尼西亚，

Brunei through Malaysia,

文莱要穿过马来西亚，

and there are two sets of twins.

而且还有两对“双胞胎”。

There's the Dominican Republic,

第一对是多米尼加共和国，

whose only neighbor is Haiti,

它唯一的邻国是海地，

and Haiti,

还有海地，

whose only neighbor is the Dominican Republic.

它唯一的邻国是多米尼加共和国。

And the second set is Ireland through the United Kingdom

第二对是必须穿过英国的爱尔兰，

and the United Kingdom through Ireland.

以及必须穿过爱尔兰的英国。

A side note here, 表達脈絡

顺便提一句，

while there are tons of British places around the world, 用詞

虽然世界各地有很多英国的海外领地，

some of which border other nations, 語法

其中一些也与其他国家接壤，

these are not part of the United Kingdom.

但它们并不是英国本土的一部分。

It's complicated.

这有点复杂。

Though, if you wanted to, 語氣意圖

不过，如果你愿意的话，

you could argue that the United Kingdom technically

你也可以说英国在技术上

dug a land border under the Channel to the continent, 講解

在英吉利海峡下挖出了一条通往欧洲大陆的陆地边界，

presumably to be closer to France, 語氣意圖

大概是为了离法国更近一点，

her best friend ever.

毕竟法国是她“永远的好朋友”。

Finally,

最后，

there's one more country in this category,

这个类别里还有一个国家，

Canada,

加拿大，

the largest single-neighbored nation in the world. 語法

它是世界上拥有单一邻国中面积最大的国家。