欢迎来到内华达州天堂市：英语精读讲义

Vegas baby, it's Paradise.

维加斯宝贝，这里是天堂镇（Paradise）。

Not metaphorically either,

这可不是什么比喻，

this literally isn't the city of Las Vegas.

这里字面上就不是拉斯维加斯市。

Look at a map and you'll see the name Paradise

看下地图，你会看到 Paradise 这个名字，

and when you visit and check the weather,

当你来游玩并查看天气时，

same thing.

也是一样。

Here is Las Vegas and here is Paradise

这里是拉斯维加斯，这里是天堂镇，

which contains nearly everything people associate with Las Vegas, 短語搭配

人们能联想到跟拉斯维加斯有关的几乎一切都在这儿，

including the sign.

包括那个著名的标志牌。

Now, you might think Paradise is just a relatively unknown city mistaken for its larger neighbor like elsewhere, 短語搭配

现在，你可能会以为天堂镇只是个相对不出名的城市，像其他地方一样被误认成了它旁边的大城市，

but Paradise isn't a city at all. 語法

但天堂镇根本就不是个城市。

It's an unincorporated place. 文化背景

它是非建制地区。

What's that?

这是什么意思？

Quick government recap.

快速复习一下政府运作。

Citizens living in a city have to follow the rules of the city

居住在城市的公民必须遵守城市的规定，

and also those of the county

以及县的规定，

and also the state

以及州的规定，

and also the nation.

以及国家的规定。

It's a government layer cake 習語

就像是政府千层蛋糕，

and each layer collects its own taxes to enforce its own rules.

每一层都征收自己的税来执行自己的规定。

If some folk find these layers oppressive,

如果有些人觉得这些层层管制太压抑，

they can hitch their wagons and head for open lands outside the borders of any city

他们可以套上马车，前往任何城市边界之外的开阔地带，

to live like the rugged individualists they are, 文化背景

像粗犷的个人主义者那样生活，

free of rules.

不受规矩束缚。

Well, except for those of the nation

呃，除了国家的规定，

and also the state and also the county.

以及州和县的规定。

But moving outside a city,

但搬出城市后，

there's one fewer and also layer because they are in an unincorporated place.

因为处在非建制地区，所以少了一层规定。

But if they make it nice and the population grows,

但如果他们把这里建设得很好，而且人口增长了，

inevitably people want police and sewers and schools and rules

人们不可避免地会需要警察、下水道、学校和规章制度，

and soon a charter is written, 語法

很快就会起草宪章，

a mayor elected and a city incorporated.

选举市长，并建制成为城市。

What makes Paradise weird is that unlike most unincorporated places that contain mostly blowing tumbleweeds 語法

天堂镇奇葩的地方在于，大多数非建制地区主要只有随风滚动的风滚草，

and perhaps a yurt where nobody wants to live,

也许还有个没人想住的蒙古包，

there are almost a quarter million residents in Paradise in a space the size of Disney World. 語法

但天堂镇在相当于迪士尼世界大小的空间里却有近25万居民。

That density is way past the point you'd expect people to incorporate a city 語法

这种密度早已超过了你认为人们会建制为城市的地步，

and it's not like Paradisians just couldn't bother. 語氣意圖

而且这并不是说天堂镇的居民就是懒得弄。

Paradise is almost unique in being officially unincorporated.

天堂镇作为官方认定的非建制地区，几乎是独一无二的。

So why?

那么为什么呢？

It started with the Mormons who first settled these lands in the 1880s.

这得从1880年代最早在这里定居的摩门教徒说起。

Actually, no. 表達脈絡

其实，并不是。

Jump cut to 1950 when we still tested out nuclear bombs in the open near population centers. 表達脈絡

画面跳转到1950年，当时我们还在人口中心附近的露天测试核弹。

Nevada recently legalized gambling and a casino empire grew in Vegas.

内华达州当时刚将赌博合法化，拉斯维加斯崛起了一个赌场帝国。

Well, just outside of it to avoid city taxes.

嗯，就在城市边界外面，为了避开城市税收。

As for necessary services, 表達脈絡

至于必要的服务，

the casinos were rich enough to provide their own, 語法

赌场有足够的钱自己提供，

notably using their security forces as de facto police, 用詞

比如直接用他们的保安力量充当事实上的警察，

which might not sound on the up and up, 習語

这听起来可能不怎么光明正大，

but this was the mob running things

但当时可是黑手党在管事，

and of course they don't anymore.

当然，他们现在不管了。

Actually, really they don't.

真的，现在完全不管了。

It's all run by about two companies now.

现在全由大约两家公司运营。

Anyway, the official city of Las Vegas in the 1950s

无论如何，20世纪50年代的拉斯维加斯官方城市

was on the verge of bankruptcy 短語搭配

正处于破产的边缘，

and with profitable casinos touching its border,

而旁边就是紧挨着边界的盈利赌场，

the mayor was all like, 語氣意圖

当时的市长就像是说，

"Who are you kidding? 語氣意圖

“你在逗我吗？

This is totally part of Las Vegas

这里完完全全是拉斯维加斯的一部分，

because I say so and you're going to pay Las Vegas taxes." 語氣意圖

因为我说是就是，你们得交拉斯维加斯的税。”

The casinos said no.

赌场说不。

There was a dispute that only the county,

这个纠纷只有上一级的政府，

the next level of government up, 文化背景

也就是县政府，

could resolve.

才能解决。

The casinos, by the way,

顺便说一句，赌场

paid taxes to the county direct.

是直接向县里交税的。

So, shockingly, the county told Vegas,

所以，令人震惊的是，县政府告诉维加斯，

"No, you can't annex this land and tax its businesses 文化背景

“不，你不能吞并这块土地并向这里的企业收税，

just because you want to." 語氣意圖

就只因为你想这么干。”

And to prevent Vegas from trying anything funny in the future, 習語

而且为了防止维加斯将来搞什么小动作，

the county created the officially unofficially unincorporated place named Paradise. 表達脈絡

县政府创立了这个官方名义上的未建制地区，命名为天堂镇（Paradise）。

Everything that happens within its borders,

在其边界内发生的一切，

the actual city of Las Vegas has no control over. 短語搭配

实际的拉斯维加斯市都无权管辖。

Here, the county rules and sets lower taxes of all sorts,

在这里，由县政府管理，并制定各类较低的税率，

which is why when new casinos are built, 表達脈絡

这也就是为什么建新赌场时，

it's generally in Paradise, not Las Vegas.

通常建在天堂镇，而不是拉斯维加斯。

But if this makes you think that the origin of Paradise was just some kind of city-sized tax dodge, 用詞

但如果这让你觉得天堂镇的起源只是某种城市规模的避税手段，

you're right.

你猜对了。

Now, before you go around correcting everybody that your vacation was in Paradise, 語法

现在，在到处去纠正别人说你的假期是在天堂镇，

not Las Vegas,

而不是拉斯维加斯之前，要知道，

Las Vegas city and Paradise are both in Las Vegas Valley.

拉斯维加斯市和天堂镇都位于拉斯维加斯谷（Las Vegas Valley）。

So, you can say you went to Las Vegas

所以，你可以说你去了拉斯维加斯，

while never setting foot in Las Vegas 習語

就算你从未踏入拉斯维加斯市一步，

and still be technically correct that you went to Las Vegas.

从技术层面上讲，你说去了拉斯维加斯依然是对的。