爭取獨立的奮鬥與重繪邊界的影響：英語精讀講義

The number of countries in the United Nations has grown over the decades

幾十年來，聯合國的成員國數量不斷增加，

from 51 states in 1945 to 193 today. 文法

從1945年的51個國家增加到如今的193個。

Many more places want to become independent,

還有許多地方想要獨立，

but national governments almost always oppose secession.

但國家政府幾乎總是反對分裂。

Catalonia's parliament declared independence from Spain in October 2017 片語搭配

加泰隆尼亞議會於2017年10月宣佈脫離西班牙獨立，

following a referendum deemed illegal by the central authorities in Madrid. 用詞

在此之前，他們舉行了被馬德里中央政府視為非法的公投。

Spain dismissed the region's government

西班牙解散了該地區政府，

and decreed that a fresh election should be held. 用詞

並下令重新舉行選舉。

Catalan politicians leading the independence movement

領導獨立運動的加泰隆尼亞政治人物

could be jailed for decades

可能會面臨數十年的監禁，

if found guilty of rebellion and sedition. 文法

如果被判叛亂和煽動叛亂罪名成立。

The autonomous Kurdish region in Iraq

伊拉克的庫德自治區

also held a recent independence referendum.

最近也舉行了獨立公投。

It outraged the government in Baghdad and neighboring countries,

這激怒了巴格達政府和周邊國家，

which also have Kurdish minorities.

因為這些國家也有庫德族少數民族。

The Baghdad government claimed the independence referendum was illegal

巴格達政府聲稱獨立公投是非法的，

and seized back the lands Kurds had taken beyond their region.

並收回了庫德人佔領的本該屬於該地區以外的土地。

The desire for secession is nothing new. 片語搭配

渴望分裂並不是什麼新鮮事。

There are estimated to be more than 8,000 ethnocultural groups in the world 文法

世界上估計有超過8000個民族文化群體，

with many independence movements demanding their homelands be recognized as countries. 文法

其中許多獨立運動要求自己的家園被承認是國家。

Jean-Claude Juncker,

尚-克勞德·榮克，

the president of the European Commission,

歐盟委員會主席，

said that if every region had its way, 講解

曾表示，如果每個地區都為所欲為，

the EU would become unmanageable.

歐盟將變得無法管理。

So who gets to form a state? 表達脈絡

那麼誰能建立一個國家呢？

There are no clear international rules.

國際上並沒有明確的規則。

The 1933 Montevideo Convention declared that a region needs four things to become a state. 文化背景

1933年的《蒙特維多國家權利義務公約》宣佈一個地區成為國家需要具備四個條件。

A permanent population,

固定的居民，

a defined territory,

明確的領土，

a government,

一個政府，

and the capacity to enter into relations with other states. 用詞

以及與其他國家交往的能力。

These are only guidelines.

這些僅僅是指導原則。

Ideally, 表達脈絡

理想情況下，

a region would also meet other conditions such as

一個地區還需要滿足其他條件，例如

show that a clear majority have freely chosen independence,

證明絕大多數人自由選擇了獨立，

respect its own minorities,

尊重其內部的少數群體，

have a viable state,

擁有一個可維繫的政府，

and settle terms with the state it leaves and its neighbors.

並與它離開的國家及鄰國達成協議。

In practice,

但在實務上，

all of these conditions are hard to meet.

所有這些條件都很難滿足。

Taiwan is a modern democratic state in all but international law. 慣用語

除了不具備國際法地位，台灣在各個方面都是一個現代民主政體。

It's an island off the southeastern coast of China,

它是中國東南沿海的一座島嶼，

which has its own constitution,

擁有自己的憲法，

functions as an independent state,

作為一個獨立政體運作，

has democratically elected leaders,

擁有民主選舉的領導人，

and was the first place in Asia to rule in favor of gay marriage. 用詞

並且是亞洲第一個裁定同性婚姻合法的地方。

Per head, it's around three times richer than mainland China. 講解

其人均收入約為中國大陸的三倍。

But China regards Taiwan as a renegade province. 片語搭配

但中國將其視為一個叛離的省份。

It insists that no country can have diplomatic ties with both itself and Taiwan. 片語搭配

並堅持任何國家都不能同時與中國和台灣建立外交關係。

Only 19 countries plus the Vatican officially recognize it. 用詞

只有19個國家以及梵蒂岡正式承認它。

Somaliland is another region seeking to be recognized as a country.

索馬利蘭是另一個尋求被承認為國家的地區。

The semi-desert territory on the coast of the Gulf of Aden

這個位於亞丁灣沿岸的半沙漠地區

declared independence from Somalia in 1991.

於1991年宣佈脫離索馬利亞獨立。

It has its own government,

它有自己的政府、

police force,

警察部隊，

and currency.

和貨幣。

But no foreign government recognizes it,

但沒有外國政府承認它，

perhaps for good reason. 語氣意圖

這或許是有充分理由的。

To recognize Somaliland would encourage other separatists in the region. 文法

承認索馬利蘭會鼓勵該地區的其他分離主義分子。

It would undermine the already weak federal government of Somalia,

這將削弱本已脆弱的索馬利亞聯邦政府，

and it would probably lead to war. 片語搭配

甚至可能會引發戰爭。

There have only been two major changes to African borders since the 1960s,

自20世紀60年代以來，非洲的邊界只發生過兩次重大變化，

and neither is a success story. 文法

但都沒有成功的結局。

Eritrea declared independence from Ethiopia in 1993.

厄利垂亞於1993年宣佈脫離衣索比亞獨立。

Today,

如今，

Eritrea has a despotic government, 用詞

厄利垂亞的政府專制，

and its people are mired in abject poverty. 慣用語

人民陷入了赤貧之中。

In 2011,

2011年，

South Sudan seceded from Sudan,

南蘇丹脫離蘇丹，

making it the world's newest country. 文法

成為世界上最年輕的國家。

Soon after South Sudan formed,

但南蘇丹成立後不久，

civil war broke out, 片語動詞

就爆發了內戰，

displacing 2.2 million people. 文法

導致220萬人流離失所。

Although a cease-fire was signed in 2015, 文法

儘管2015年簽署了停火協議，

the country lies in ruin,

但這個國家已是一片廢墟，

plagued by hyperinflation, 慣用語

飽受惡性通貨膨脹、

famine,

饑荒

and violence.

和暴力的折磨。

Independence has a romantic ring. 慣用語

獨立聽起來充滿浪漫色彩。

Many sympathize with the demand for freedom, 片語搭配

許多人同情對自由的追求，

but redrawing borders is dangerous

但重新劃分邊界是危險的，

and often causes as many problems as it solves. 文法

往往會帶來與它解決的一樣多的問題。