歡迎來到內華達州天堂市：英語精讀講義

Vegas baby, it's Paradise.

維加斯寶貝，這裡是天堂鎮（Paradise）。

Not metaphorically either,

這可不是什麼比喻，

this literally isn't the city of Las Vegas.

這裡字面上就不是拉斯維加斯市。

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

看一下地圖，你會看到 Paradise 這個名字，

and when you visit and check the weather,

當你來遊玩並查看天氣時，

same thing.

也是一樣。

Here is Las Vegas and here is Paradise

這裡是拉斯維加斯，這裡是天堂鎮，

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

人們能聯想到跟拉斯維加斯有關的幾乎一切都在這兒，

including the sign.

包括那個著名的標誌牌。

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

現在，你可能會以為天堂鎮只是一個相對不出名的城市，像其他地方一樣被誤認成了它旁邊的大城市，

but Paradise isn't a city at all. 文法

但天堂鎮根本就不是一個城市。

It's an unincorporated place. 文化背景

它是非建制地區。

What's that?

這是什麼意思？

Quick government recap.

快速複習一下政府運作。

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

居住在城市的公民必須遵守城市的規定，

and also those of the county

以及縣的規定，

and also the state

以及州的規定，

and also the nation.

以及國家的規定。

It's a government layer cake 慣用語

就像是政府千層蛋糕，

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

每一層都徵收自己的稅來執行自己的規定。

If some folk find these layers oppressive,

如果有些人覺得這些層層管制太壓抑，

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

他們可以套上馬車，前往任何城市邊界之外的開闊地帶，

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

像粗獷的個人主義者那樣生活，

free of rules.

不受規矩束縛。

Well, except for those of the nation

呃，除了國家的規定，

and also the state and also the county.

以及州和縣的規定。

But moving outside a city,

但搬出城市後，

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

因為處在非建制地區，所以少了一層規定。

But if they make it nice and the population grows,

但如果他們把這裡建設得很好，而且人口增長了，

inevitably people want police and sewers and schools and rules

人們不可避免地會需要警察、下水道、學校和規章制度，

and soon a charter is written, 文法

很快就會起草憲章，

a mayor elected and a city incorporated.

選舉市長，並建制成為城市。

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

天堂鎮奇葩的地方在於，大多數非建制地區主要只有隨風滾動的風滾草，

and perhaps a yurt where nobody wants to live,

也許還有個沒人想住的蒙古包，

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

但天堂鎮在相當於迪士尼世界大小的空間裡卻有近25萬居民。

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

這種密度早已超過了你認為人們會建制為城市的地步，

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

而且這並不是說天堂鎮的居民就是懶得弄。

Paradise is almost unique in being officially unincorporated.

天堂鎮作為官方認定的非建制地區，幾乎是獨一無二的。

So why?

那麼為什麼呢？

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

這得從1880年代最早在這裡定居的摩門教徒說起。

Actually, no. 表達脈絡

其實，並不是。

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

畫面跳轉到1950年，當時我們還在人口中心附近的露天測試核彈。

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

內華達州當時剛將賭博合法化，拉斯維加斯崛起了一個賭場帝國。

Well, just outside of it to avoid city taxes.

嗯，就在城市邊界外面，為了避開城市稅收。

As for necessary services, 表達脈絡

至於必要的服務，

the casinos were rich enough to provide their own, 文法

賭場有足夠的錢自己提供，

notably using their security forces as de facto police, 用詞

比如直接用他們的保安力量充當事實上的警察，

which might not sound on the up and up, 慣用語

這聽起來可能不怎麼光明正大，

but this was the mob running things

但當時可是黑手黨在管事，

and of course they don't anymore.

當然，他們現在不管了。

Actually, really they don't.

真的，現在完全不管了。

It's all run by about two companies now.

現在全由大約兩家公司營運。

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

無論如何，20世紀50年代的拉斯維加斯官方城市

was on the verge of bankruptcy 片語搭配

正處於破產的邊緣，

and with profitable casinos touching its border,

而旁邊就是緊挨著邊界的盈利賭場，

the mayor was all like, 語氣意圖

當時的市長就像是說，

"Who are you kidding? 語氣意圖

「你在逗我嗎？

This is totally part of Las Vegas

這裡完完全全是拉斯維加斯的一部分，

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

因為我說是就是，你們得交拉斯維加斯的稅。」

The casinos said no.

賭場說不。

There was a dispute that only the county,

這個糾紛只有上一級的政府，

the next level of government up, 文化背景

也就是縣政府，

could resolve.

才能解決。

The casinos, by the way,

順便說一句，賭場

paid taxes to the county direct.

是直接向縣裡交稅的。

So, shockingly, the county told Vegas,

所以，令人震驚的是，縣政府告訴維加斯，

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

「不，你不能吞併這塊土地並向這裡的企業收稅，

just because you want to." 語氣意圖

就只因為你想這麼幹。」

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

而且為了防止維加斯將來搞什麼小動作，

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

縣政府創立了這個官方名義上的未建制地區，命名為天堂鎮（Paradise）。

Everything that happens within its borders,

在其邊界內發生的一切，

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

實際的拉斯維加斯市都無權管轄。

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

在這裡，由縣政府管理，並制定各類較低的稅率，

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

這也就是為什麼建新賭場時，

it's generally in Paradise, not Las Vegas.

通常建在天堂鎮，而不是拉斯維加斯。

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

但如果這讓你覺得天堂鎮的起源只是某種城市規模的避稅手段，

you're right.

你猜對了。

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

現在，在到處去糾正別人說你的假期是在天堂鎮，

not Las Vegas,

而不是拉斯維加斯之前，要知道，

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

拉斯維加斯市和天堂鎮都位於拉斯維加斯谷（Las Vegas Valley）。

So, you can say you went to Las Vegas

所以，你可以說你去了拉斯維加斯，

while never setting foot in Las Vegas 慣用語

就算你從未踏入拉斯維加斯市一步，

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

從技術層面上講，你說去了拉斯維加斯依然是對的。