無法投票選總統的美國人：英語精讀講義

The United States is shockingly a bunch of states that are united.

令人震驚的是，美國其實就是一堆聯合起來的州。

It was just 13 to start with,

一開始只有13個，

but as time marched on, the border marched west, 慣用語

但隨著時間的推移，邊界不斷向西擴展，

bringing us to today and the 48 contiguous states plus Alaska and Hawaii,

造就了今天的局面：48個相鄰的州加上阿拉斯加和夏威夷，

usually drawn in these little boxes not to scale 片語搭配

它們通常被畫在這些不按比例縮小的方框裡，

because Hawaii is in the middle of a vast ocean of deadly nothingness

因為夏威夷處於一片致命虛無的汪洋大海之中，

and Alaska is monstrous.

而阿拉斯加的面積又極其龐大。

Unlike other unions where members can leave if they so choose, 文法

與其他成員可以選擇離開的聯盟不同，

statehood is eternal, even for you, Texas.

美國的州地位是永恆的，即使對你德州也是如此。

Now, how the federal government works is a story for another time, 片語搭配

至於聯邦政府是如何運作的，那是後話了，

but at the moment all you need know is that Congress, 文法

但目前你需要知道的是，國會，

where national laws are written, is made of representatives sent from the states.

即國家法律起草的地方，是由各州派出的代表組成的。

Now, there are some non-state gaps not visible on this map.

這個地圖上還有一些看不見的非州缺口。

The first is Washington DC, the nation's capital,

第一個是美國的首都華盛頓特區，

which is a stateless limbo land between Maryland and Virginia. 慣用語

它是一個介於馬里蘭州和維吉尼亞州之間、沒有州地位的中間地帶。

As DC is a city without a state, it puts her under the control of Congress, 片語搭配

由於華盛頓特區是一個沒有州的城市，它受國會控制，

meaning that all the other states get the final say on how DC is run, 片語搭配

這意味著其他所有州對華盛頓特區的管理方式擁有最終決定權，

while she doesn't get a vote in anything.

而她自己在任何事務上都沒有投票權。

It didn't matter when this District of Columbia was basically uninhabited,

過去哥倫比亞特區基本無人居住時，這無關緊要，

but since more people live in DC now than do in a couple of states, 文法

但現在由於華盛頓特區的常住人口比好幾個州的人口都多，

it's an uncomfortable arrangement.

這樣的安排就顯得有些尷尬了。

The other gaps on this map are the American Indian reservations,

地圖上的其他缺口是印第安人保留地，

which are numerous.

數量有很多。

The United States kind of administers them while sort of treating them as foreign nations, 語氣意圖

美國在某種程度上管理它們，同時也把它們當做外國來對待，

which means you could draw the state boundaries to look like this

這意味著你可以把州邊界畫成這樣，

because the reservations are kind of apart from those states.

因為這些保留地跟那些州是有些分離的。

But the American Indian reservations are such a full of asterisks oh so sensitive situation, 慣用語

但是印第安人保留地充滿了各種附加條件，情況極其敏感，

it's also better as a story for another time.

這也最好以後再講。

Gaps aside, 表達脈絡

撇開這些缺口不談，

the continent and Hawaii is mostly straightforward,

北美大陸和夏威夷的情況比較明朗，

but there's more than just these United States.

但美國的版圖遠不止這些州。

When the US ran out of lands to manifest destiny, 講解

當美國耗盡了可以踐行「昭昭天命」的土地時，

she learned from the best and territorialized a whole bunch of islands.

她學著最強者的做法，把一大堆島嶼變成了領地。

First up,

首先，

Puerto Rico,

波多黎各，

an organized unincorporated territory of the US. 文化背景

一個美國的有建制未合併領地。

This means she's self-governing to some extent 片語搭配

這意味著她在某種程度上擁有自治權，

and that all of the US Constitution doesn't automatically apply on the island.

並且美國憲法並不全部自動適用於該島。

Now, 3.7 million people live in Puerto Rico,

目前有370萬人居住在波多黎各，

which is 91% of the people living on US territorial islands

佔居住在美國島嶼領地總人口的91%，

and more people than live in 21 of the states.

甚至比21個州的人口還要多。

And the US treats Puerto Rico as a state in almost all but name, 慣用語

美國幾乎在所有實質意義上都把波多黎各當作一個州來對待，

which possibly soon she will be anyway,

也許很快她真的會成為一個州，

bringing the number of stars to a nice even 51.

讓國旗上的星星數量變成湊整的51顆。

But Puerto Rico isn't the only organized unincorporated territory.

但波多黎各並不是唯一的有建制未合併領地。

There's also Guam,

還有關島，

which was acquired in the Spanish-American War along with Puerto Rico.

它和波多黎各一起是在美西戰爭中獲得的。

There's the Northern Mariana Islands taken from Japan during World War II

還有二戰期間從日本手中奪取的北馬里亞納群島，

and the US Virgin Islands taken from nobody.

以及沒有從任何人手裡奪取的美屬維京群島。

Denmark sold her.

那是丹麥賣給她的。

The people in these territories are American citizens.

這些領地的人民都是美國公民。

In most ways, the territories are just like DC.

在大多數方面，這些領地就像華盛頓特區一樣。

Congress can override their local governments and they don't have representation because no state-tation. 慣用語

國會可以否決他們的地方政府，他們沒有代表權因為他們不是州。

But otherwise, it's America.

但除此之外，那裡就是美國。

Actually, the territories and DC do get to elect congressional representatives 文法

事實上，這些領地和華盛頓特區確實可以選舉國會代表，

who attend all of the meetings, but just can't vote in any of them,

這些代表出席所有的會議，只是不能在會議上投票，

which is either the worst job in the world or the best job in the world, 文法

這要么是世界上最糟糕的工作，要么是世界上最好的工作，

depending on the kind of person who gets it.

這取決於擔任此職的是什麼樣的人。

Also,

此外，

since votes for president are based on state population,

由於總統選舉是按州人口計算選票的，

citizens in the territories can't vote,

領地的公民不能投票，

which,

這就，

as mentioned in a previous video,

就像之前的影片中提到過的，

leads to the weird situation

導致了一個詭異的情況：

that Americans who live in foreign countries can vote for president in the state where they last lived,

住在國外的美國人可以在他們最後居住的州給總統投票，

while Americans who live in America, just in a territory, cannot.

而住在美國（只是在領地）的美國人卻不能。

Along with these unincorporated organized territories, 文化背景

除了這些有建制未合併領地，

there are also unincorporated unorganized territories,

還有無建制未合併領地，

actually quite a few.

實際上還挺多的。

They are Howland Island, Navassa Island, Wake Island, Jarvis

它們是豪蘭島、納瓦薩島、威克島、賈維斯

Island, Johnston Atoll, Kingman Reef, Midway Reef,

島、強斯頓環礁、金曼礁、中途島、

Serranilla Bank, and Bajo Nuevo Bank.

塞拉尼拉淺灘和巴霍努埃沃淺灘。

Most of these were acquired under the delightfully named Guano Islands Act 文化背景

這些島嶼大多是透過名稱喜人的《鳥糞島法案》獲得的，

when the US decided she wanted a bunch of islands filled with bird poop.

當時美國覺得她需要一堆滿是鳥屎的島嶼。

No, really, the US just straight up wrote a law to declare that those islands were now hers. 講解

不，說真的，美國直接制定了一項法律，宣布那些島嶼現在是她的了。

Unorganized in this system means there's no local government on these islands

在這個體系中，「無建制」意味著這些島嶼沒有地方政府，

because no one lives in these places.

因為這些地方沒有人居住。

Some of them are barely above the waterline.

其中一些島嶼勉強露出水面。

Now, the weird category is unorganized incorporated territories,

真正奇怪的類別是無建制合併領地，

of which there is one, the Palmyra Atoll,

只有一個，那就是巴爾米拉環礁，

claimed by the US after the totally peaceful annexation of Hawaii. 語氣意圖

是美國在「絕對和平」吞併夏威夷之後聲稱擁有的。

They're currently an uninhabited nature reserve,

它們目前是無人居住的自然保護區，

but incorporated means the US Constitution applies here.

但「合併」意味著美國憲法適用於此。

To who?

適用於誰？

The Palmyra Atoll is like that question about a tree falling in the forest. 文化背景

巴爾米拉環礁就像那個「森林裡樹木倒下」的問題。

If there are no people for the Constitution to apply to,

如果沒有憲法適用的對象，

does the Constitution still apply?

憲法還適用嗎？

Yes.

是的。

This means if a foreigner gives birth on this uninhabited strip

這意味著如果一個外國人在這個無人居住的地帶生下孩子，

and doesn't die from the nature,

並且沒有死於自然環境，

their child would be an American citizen.

他們的孩子就將成為美國公民。

Now, this category is empty.

不過現在，這個類別是空的。

It's where territories go before they become states,

它是領地在成為州之前的過渡狀態，

when basically the Constitution fully applies

基本上憲法完全適用，

and it was last occupied by Hawaii.

上一個處於這種狀態的是夏威夷。

We've gone full circle, but there is one territory we've left out, 講解

我們兜了一圈，但我們遺漏了一個領地，

American Samoa, home to 55,000 people.

美屬薩摩亞，那裡有55000名居民。

Uniquely, American Samoans don't get to be citizens, but instead are American nationals. 文化背景

獨特的是，美屬薩摩亞人不能成為美國公民，而是美國國民。

They can live in the states, but can't vote in presidential elections

他們可以住在各個州，但不能在總統選舉中投票，

unless they go through the immigration process like any foreigner,

除非他們像外國人一樣通過移民程序，

even though in all other ways they're indistinguishable from citizens.

儘管在所有其他方面他們與公民完全沒有區別。

This is unique to American Samoa

這是美屬薩摩亞獨有的情況，

and there seems to be no reason for it other than that Congress hasn't gotten around to updating the system. 片語動詞

除了國會還沒來得及更新系統外，似乎沒有其他解釋。

American Samoa is in the no government category,

美屬薩摩亞原本屬於「無政府狀態」的類別，

like it's Lord of the Flies over there, 文化背景

彷彿那裡上演著《蒼蠅王》，

which it obviously isn't.

但顯然並非如此。

So, American Samoa with its organized government needs to go over here

因此，擁有建制政府的美屬薩摩亞需要移到這個類別，

and Puerto Rico, essentially a state, needs to go over here

本質上算作州的波多黎各需要移到這裡，

and the empty Palmyra Atoll needs to go over here.

而空無一人的巴爾米拉環礁需要移到這裡。

But don't hold your breath for the paperwork to make its way through Congress anytime soon. 講解

但別指望這些文書工作能很快在國會通過。

So, that's all the territory of the United States,

以上就是美國所有的領地，

but there is one final thing to talk about,

但最後還有一件事要談，

three tiny nations,

三個微型國家，

Palau, the Marshall Islands, and the Federated States of Micronesia.

帛琉、馬紹爾群島和密克羅尼西亞聯邦。

These are separate countries with UN seats and everything,

它們是有聯合國席位等一切的獨立國家，

but they have a quote Compact of Free Association with the United States. 文化背景

但它們與美國簽訂了一份所謂的《自由聯合協定》。

The deal is that the US provides economic support and military defense to the Compact Nations

協議內容是美國向這些協定國提供經濟支持和軍事防禦，

in return for being allowed to build military bases there. 片語搭配

作為允許美國在那裡建立軍事基地的回報。

Also, Compact citizens can live and work in the United States and vice versa. 片語搭配

此外，協定國的公民可以在美國生活和工作，反之亦然。

The Americans wanting to live abroad, you have three easy options.

想在國外生活的美國人，你們有三個輕鬆的選擇。

So, that's America, 表達脈絡

那麼，這就是美國，

50 states, many reservations,

50個州，許多保留地，

one district, lots of island territories,

一個特區，許多島嶼領地，

some even with people, and three tiny associated countries.

甚至有些還有人居住，以及三個微小的聯繫國。