北愛爾蘭的旗幟問題：英語精讀講義

Poor no flag Northern Ireland.

可憐的北愛爾蘭沒有旗幟。

While England, Scotland, and Wales all have flags

雖然英格蘭、蘇格蘭和威爾斯都有旗幟

as countries in the United Kingdom,

作為聯合王國的組成國，

not her.

但她卻沒有。

But rather than a transparent skirt

但與其為了追求技術上的正確性

of technical correctness,

而給她穿上一條透明的短裙，

which would be weird,

那樣會很奇怪，

bam, these videos use this flag

砰！這些影片直接使用了這面旗幟

that's often used to represent Northern Ireland in the real world.

這面在現實世界中經常被用來代表北愛爾蘭的旗幟。

If it's good enough for sports, 表達脈絡

如果它足以用於體育賽事，

it's good enough for skorts.

那它也就足以用來當褲裙（skorts）了。

But why isn't this flag official?

但為什麼這面旗幟不是官方的呢？

And why do some people prefer not to use it?

為什麼有些人又不願意使用它？

To discuss this,

為了討論這個問題，

we must follow a narrow path through the forest of all knowledge. 慣用語

我們必須沿著知識森林中的一條狹窄小徑前行。

And be careful not to stray.

並小心不要偏離方向。

It's easy to get lost in these woods

在這片樹林裡很容易迷路

for there are always distractions and dangers to pull us aside.

因為總會有令人分心的事情和危險把我們引開。

Focus on the flag.

專注於旗幟。

Don't leave the path.

不要離開小徑。

This flag is the Ulster Banner,

這面旗幟叫阿爾斯特旗（Ulster Banner），

named after Ulster,

以阿爾斯特命名，

one of Ireland's traditional regions.

那是愛爾蘭的傳統地區之一。

The flag first flew above the Northern Irish Parliament in 1953

這面旗幟於1953年首次在北愛爾蘭議會上空飄揚

as part of a visit by the then newly coronated queen.

作為當時新加冕女王訪問活動的一部分。

But straight away, 片語搭配

但緊接著，

there was a bit of an asterisk 慣用語

就附帶了一個「星號說明」，

as quote "The Minister of Home Affairs announced that while the Union Flag was the only officially recognized standard,

引用如下：「內政部長宣布，雖然聯合傑克旗是唯一官方認可的旗幟，

those who wish to have a distinctive Ulster symbol might use the banner," 文法

但那些希望擁有獨特阿爾斯特標誌的人可以使用這面旗幟。」

which is a bit "Here's your new flag, 語氣意圖

這感覺有點像「這是你的新旗幟，

but not really."

但其實並不是。」

And the new flag wasn't new either,

而且這面新旗幟也不算新，

designed in 1923 along with the Ulster Coat of Arms.

它與阿爾斯特盾徽一起設計於1923年。

Coat of Arms are symbolic objects, 文化背景

盾徽是象徵性的物品，

so let's talk about the parts.

所以我們來談談它的組成部分。

The Irish elk represents the local Irish

愛爾蘭麋鹿代表當地的愛爾蘭人，

and the red lion represents the Ulster Scots.

而紅獅代表阿爾斯特的蘇格蘭人。

Wait,

等等，

why are there so many Scottish people in Northern Ireland

為什麼北愛爾蘭有這麼多蘇格蘭人

to warrant half the Coat of Arms? 用詞

足以佔據盾徽的一半？

Have we wandered off the path?

我們偏離小徑了嗎？

The shield design is a red cross,

盾牌的設計是一個紅十字，

which is totally not at all the Saint George Cross 語氣意圖

它「絕對不是」英格蘭使用的

England uses,

那個聖喬治十字，

plus the crown of the UK and this red hand,

加上英國的王冠和這隻紅手，

which is a defining Northern Irish element

紅手是北愛爾蘭的標誌性元素

as it's unique,

因為它是獨一無二的，

unlike the crown and the cross,

不像王冠和十字，

which are on everything.

到處都有。

The hand comes with a Lady Godiva -style story 文化背景

這隻手帶有一個「戈黛娃夫人」式的傳說

about how the first to touch the land of Ulster would own it. 文法

關於誰第一個觸摸阿爾斯特的土地，誰就能擁有它。

So, of course,

所以，當然，

in the race,

在比賽中，

someone cut off his own hand to win on technicality,

有人砍下了自己的手，靠鑽技術規則的空子贏了，

which can't possibly be true. 文法

這不可能是真的。

Not because people haven't been yelling first,

不是因為人們沒有為了搶第一而大喊大叫過，

technically, since the dawn of time, 慣用語

從技術上講，自從開天闢地起就有，

but because one,

而是因為，第一，

have you ever tried to cut off your own hand?

你試過砍下自己的手嗎？

It's a lot harder than it sounds. 文法

這比聽起來難得多。

And two,

第二，

while several important Northern Irish families claim creation of the hand,

雖然有幾個重要的北愛爾蘭家族聲稱創造了這隻手，

the stories go back to the 13th century where the paper trail runs cold. 慣用語

但這些故事可以追溯到13世紀，從那時起紙質記錄就中斷了。

So let's spin the wheel of historical claims and just say it was the O'Neills

所以讓我們轉動歷史主張的轉盤，就當是奧尼爾家族（O'Neills）吧，

because they're the easiest ones to pronounce

因為他們的名字最容易發音，

and they're going to show up briefly later. 片語動詞

而且他們稍後會短暫出場。

From creation until now,

從創造到現在，

there's been debate about if the hand switched from a sinister version, 用詞

一直有爭論，探討這隻手是否從一個「左（sinister）」版本

no seriously,

不，說真的，

that's what you're supposed to call the lefty version, 文法

紋章學裡的左手版本確實叫這個詞，

to a righty version.

變成了右手版本。

But any flip-flop might just have been the whimsy of individual flag makers.

但這其中的任何翻轉反覆都可能只是個別製旗人的心血來潮。

Same with the thumb position,

拇指的位置也是如此，

which is all over the place. 慣用語

到處都不一樣。

There wasn't exactly a vexillological standards board 講解

畢竟一千年前並沒有一個所謂的

a thousand years ago keeping consistency.

旗幟學標準委員會來維持一致性。

Anyway,

總之，

sometime after the 1300s,

在14世紀後的某個時候，

the hand of the O'Neills was added to the symbol of another important Northern Irish family,

奧尼爾家族的手被加到了另一個重要的北愛爾蘭家族的標誌上，

a red cross on a yellow background to form the Ulster Coat of Arms.

即黃底紅十字，構成了阿爾斯特盾徽。

Oh, it really is the Saint George Cross.

哦，它還真是聖喬治十字。

Earlier sarcastic remark withdrawn. 語氣意圖

收回剛才的諷刺性言論。

The designer of the new arms and flag 400 years later changed the color for reasons no one knows.

400年後，新盾徽和旗幟的設計師改變了它的顏色，原因無人知曉。

The flag was then modified with a crown and a star

隨後，旗幟被修改，加上了王冠和星星

and made sort of official from 1953 語氣意圖

從1953年起變成了一種半官方的旗幟

all the way until 1973

一直沿用到1973年

when the Northern Irish Parliament ceased to exist during the Troubles. 片語搭配

當時北愛爾蘭議會在「動亂期」（The Troubles）期間不復存在。

The Troubles were, 講解

這個「動亂期」過去是，

are, an irregular conflict around Northern Ireland. Is she part of Ireland

現在也是，一場圍繞北愛爾蘭的非正規衝突。她屬於愛爾蘭

or is she part of the United Kingdom?

還是屬於聯合王國？

The dispute started when Great Britain colonized Northern Ireland,

這場爭端始於大不列顛殖民北愛爾蘭，

confiscating the land from local families such as the O'Neills,

沒收了像奧尼爾等當地家族的土地，

with the goal to quote "pacify, civilize, and develop the land," 表達脈絡

目標引用原話說是「平定、開化和開發這片土地」，

redistributing it to English and lots of Scottish settlers.

並將其重新分配給英格蘭人和大量蘇格蘭定居者。

Oh, that's why the lion's there.

哦，這就是為什麼那裡會有獅子。

So, just like other places Great Britain colonized

所以，就像大不列顛殖民的其他地方一樣

there's a modern muddle of ownership and identity.

這裡存在著關於所有權和身分認同的現代混亂。

In these islands,

在這些島嶼上，

the conflicts build across them for so long that it's represented in Ireland's flag, 文法

衝突持續了如此之久，以至於體現在了愛爾蘭的國旗上，

with the white stripe being the hope for peace. 文法

白條代表著對和平的希望。

Huh, Ireland's flag still uses the 2:1 ratio of former UK places

咦，愛爾蘭的國旗仍然使用前英國領地2:1的比例

rather than the more common 3:2 ratio of most flags.

而不是大多數旗幟更常見的3:2比例。

Interesting, the US is a former UK place,

有趣的是，美國也是前英國領地，

but it goes with a 10:19 ratio. 片語動詞

但它採用的是10:19的比例。

Very unusual.

非常不尋常。

Ah, we got pulled off the path. 表達脈絡

啊，我們被扯得偏離小徑了。

We need to get out of here.

我們需要離開這裡。

So, though the flag is composed of traditional Northern Irish symbols,

所以，儘管這面旗幟由傳統的北愛爾蘭符號組成，

mostly, it's not official because it never really was 100% 用詞

在很大程度上，它並不是官方的，因為它從來沒有100%正式過

and the government that used it doesn't exist.

而且使用它的政府也不復存在了。

And when the most divisive issue in your land is

當你的土地上最具分裂性的問題是

should it be part of a kingdom,

它是否應該成為王國的一部分時，

having a crown on your flag isn't exactly neutral 語氣意圖

在旗幟上印個王冠就不太中立了

and is also why there are periodic calls for a new Northern Irish flag. 片語搭配

這也是為什麼定期會有人呼籲設計新的北愛爾蘭旗幟。

But the power of flags is less about if they're official or not 文法

但旗幟的力量與其說在於它們是否官方，

and much more about do people use them

不如說更多地在於人們是否使用它們

and do other people recognize them.

以及其他人是否認可它們。

And within these fair Isles, 表達脈絡

在這些美麗的島嶼內，

it's fair to say that,

可以公允地說，

at least currently,

至少在目前，

the flag is used and recognized.

這面旗幟正在被使用並且被認可。