Right, this is gonna be a slightly more improvised video than normal for two reasons.
好吧 这段视频会比平时更即兴一些 有两个原因
Er, one, it is really cold here and I want to move on,
呃 首先 这里太冷了 我想快点拍完
but also because I didn’t know I was going to be passing through Schengen,
但也因为我今天才知道我要经过申根
a little town in Luxembourg on the borders with France and Germany, until today.
一个位于卢森堡 与法国和德国接壤的小镇
But here I am, standing next to the international border, the Moselle River,
但现在 我站在国际边界 摩泽尔河旁边
and that border is a little bit weird.
这条边界线有点奇特
And I wasn’t going to do another video about a weird border.
我本不打算再做一个关于奇特边界的视频了
Because I’ve done that.
因为已经做过了
Years ago I went to the towns of Baarle-Nassau and
几年前 我去了巴勒纳绍和巴勒赫克托
Baarle-Hertog in Belgium and the Netherlands,
位于荷兰和比利时境内
where the borders are incredibly complicated and twisted thanks to history.
由于历史原因 那里的边界极其错综复杂
But that’s an old video that I’m not really proud of,
但那个旧视频我不太满意
and frankly it’s not that interesting:
坦白说 它不怎么有趣
I only managed about a minute of script
我只按计划录了一分钟
before I had to go into a diversion on sovereignty
然后就不得不转向主权问题
and why we even have borders in the first place.
以及边界最初形成的原因
Strange borders often make for great video titles,
以奇特边界为视频标题确实吸引眼球
but there’s not really much to talk about other than “huh, that’s weird”.
但除了“哈 真奇怪”之外 其实没什么好说的
Which is also why I’ve never been to
这也是为什么我从未去过
the island that changes country every six months between France and Spain.
那个法国和西班牙之间每六个月换一次国籍的岛屿
Because once you’re there, what is there to say but,
因为一旦你去了 也只是说句
“huh, that’s weird”.
“哈 真奇怪”
But it turns out this border raises a different question.
但这个边界引发了一个不同的问题
If you look on the map, there is a tripoint just over there,
如果你在地图上看 那里有一个三边交界
to the west of an island:
位于这座岛的西侧
that’s where France, Germany and Luxembourg all meet.
法国 德国和卢森堡都在此交界
It was here – actually, on a boat out at that tripoint,
就在那里——实际上是在那处三边交界的一条船上
where the Schengen agreement was signed,
签署了《申根协定》
where most of the countries of the EU,
根据协议 大多数欧盟国
all the ones that have their flags here,
所有在这里有国旗的
decided to open their internal borders.
决定开放他们国家的内部边界
But that the tripoint out there is not strictly true.
但严格说来 三国交界并不真的沿着这个线
The border between Germany and Luxembourg
德国和卢森堡之间的边界
doesn’t follow the Moselle river, the border is the Moselle river.
并不沿着摩泽尔河 而是摩泽尔河就是边界
And that’s an important distinction.
这个区别很重要
In most cases, international borders that follow rivers
大多数情况下 沿着河流的国际边界
are defined as following the centre line,
被定义为沿着中线
which raises questions in itself,
这就引发了问题
because rivers can erode the banks and change paths sometimes,
因为河流有时会侵蚀河岸并改变河道
but borders are, at least, usually defined
但边界通常被定义为
as a line of theoretically zero width.
一条理论上宽度为零的线
Which is how mapmakers mark it.
就像地图上标示的那样
But here, Germany and Luxembourg share
但是在这里 这条河流的法国以北部分
the river north of France. It is a “condominium”.
为德国和卢森堡共用 这就是“共同管辖”
Under the treaties they signed, they both have full control over it.
根据两国签署的协定 双方都有管辖权
Which means that if you’re standing on the north tip of that island,
也就是说 如果你站在那座岛的北端
or on that bridge up there,
或者站在那座桥上
you are in both countries at the same time.
你就同时身处两个国家
Not just in terms of having a foot on each side,
这不仅是指脚各站一边
although that may well be how the locals treat it,
尽管当地人可能就是这样看待的
and that’s certainly how the signs mark it.
而且标志牌肯定也是这样标记的
But no:
但不止如此
standing on that bridge above the water,
站在水上的那座桥上
all of you is in both countries simultaneously.
你们所有人都同时在两个国家
This international border is a shape,
这个国际边界是一个区域
not a line, it’s two-dimensional.
不是一条线 它是二维的
Although, actually, I guess it’s three-dimensional if you count depth.
但实际上 如果算上深度 我想它是三维的
Half an hour of research,
经过半小时的调查
and I can’t tell you why they made that decision,
我无法告诉你他们为何会做出这样的决定
or what the legal result would be if you tried to commit a crime
也没法告诉你如果在那座桥上或那条船上犯罪
on that bridge or on a boat on the river.
要承担什么法律后果
I even asked the folks at the little European museum
我甚至问过那个欧洲小博物馆里的人
just over there,
就是那儿
and they didn’t know the answer.
但他们也不知道答案
Although they do have a lovely little display of
虽然那里确实有一个有趣的小型展览
all the border guard hats that the Schengen agreement made obsolete.
展出了所有在《申根协议》后被淘汰的边境警卫帽
I suspect that the answer would be
我想答案应该是
“treat it as if it’s a line, it’s easy”.
“就把它看成一条线 很简单”
And that’s what I mean when I say that there’s not much to talk about here.
这就是为什么我说这里没什么可谈的
Because that’s one of the wonderful things about borders like this:
因为这就是此类边界的奇妙之一
when you can walk between three countries
当你可以在三个国家之间行走
as easily as you can walk between counties or towns or neighbourhoods:
就像你可以在县 镇或社区之间行走一样容易
It’s a lot easier to say “huh, that’s weird”
也就很容易说出“哈 真奇怪”
and just get on with your life.
然后继续过你的日子