This is not the confederate national flag:

當美國在內戰期間分裂為兩半時，這是美利堅聯盟國使用的

When the United States split in twain during the civil war this was the first flag her

第一面旗幟－The Bonnie Blue，這是她從西佛羅里達共和國抄襲而來

rebel half used: The Bonnie Blue which she copied from the Republic of West Florida.

真的，這國家實際存在過，在西班牙和美國正對路易斯安那州的購買有所爭議時，

No really.

當地一些叛亂份子趁機拿下了一座要塞，

This country existed: a border disagreement between Spain and the US over the Louisiana

宣佈了獨立，而且設立了國旗和政府，不過此狀態只維持了78天，

purchase gave some local rebels an opportunity take over a fort in 1810, declare independence,

然後就被美國給終結了

as required with a flag, and run a government -- for 78 days until The United States put

好，現在回到內戰的時候，當密西西比州脫離美利堅合眾國時，

an end to that.

她採用了這面曾在她境內出現過的西佛羅里達共和國的旗幟

*Anyway*, fast forward to the Civil War and when Mississippi seceded from the Union she

稍後這面旗成為了反抗軍的非正式旗幟，但沒有維持很久。藍色行不通的。

adopted the flag of the tiny country that had been within her borders.

這顏色太代表北方陣營了。

And it became the unofficial flag of the rebellion but not for long.

新建立的美利堅聯盟國政府徵求旗幟設計，收到了幾個方案

Blue wouldn't do.

其中一個方案是由一名阿拉巴馬州的德國/普魯士籍藝術家所設計，靈感應該是來自

That's a Yankee color.

奧地利帝國旗幟，以及Betsy Ross旗幟

The new confederate government asked for deigns submission and got several.

順帶一提，既然我們提到了錯誤命名的旗幟，Betsy Ross本人大概沒有設計Betsy Ross旗幟，

Including one from a German/Prussian artist in Alabama who possibly took design cues from

其實我們沒有任何證據支持這旗是Betsy Ross本人設計，我們有的只是一些她死後多年才流傳的故事，

the Austrian Empire.

就像Lady Godivia那樣的傳說。不過我們開始離題了。

And Betsy Ross.

美利堅聯盟國政府選擇了這面旗作為正式旗幟，並稱呼它為

(Side note: while we are talking about misnamed flags, Betsy Ross probably didn't design this

「星塊旗」，所以叫另外那面旗為「星塊旗」有兩個問題：第一，這本來就不是它的名字；

flag -- there's no evidence to support that she did, only stories from long after she

第二，它有的是一個交叉，不是條塊

died -- Lady Godivia style.

新的「星塊旗」在內戰時被採用，但這旗跟北方的美利堅合眾國旗幟過於相似，

But we're getting off track here.)

導致在充滿恐慌和煙霧的戰場上產生混淆

The confederate government selected this as her official flag and named it the "Stars

儘管如此，聯盟國陣營仍繼續使用「星塊旗」，不過陸軍部隊在作戰時為了避免誤中友軍，

and Bars" -- so calling this the stars and bars is wrong on two counts: that's not it's

所以採用了另一面早前被否決的設計，把它正方化，作為他們的戰旗

name, this is a cross.

海軍部隊也喜歡這個設計，換上這面旗幟，不過就改用了一種亮一些、比較不像

These are bars.

北方陣營的藍色

New flag adopted off to war, but on the battlefield, the flag's similarity with the Union's was

在聯盟國裏，「星塊旗」的受歡迎程度隨時間不斷減退，

confusing what with all the terror and smoke.

儘管旗上的星星數不斷增加，另一方面，戰旗卻越來越受大家歡迎

Nonetheless the Confederacy stuck with her flag, but her Army wanted to avoid friendly

所以在1863年聯盟國政府再次更換設計，把正式旗幟設為一面白旗，

fire and so took one of the rejected designs and squarified it into a battle flag.

再把戰旗黏在左上方

The navy too, liked this design and eventually switched, though using a brighter, presumably

這的確能夠減少旗幟跟北方陣營的相似度，

non-yankee blue.

不過現在旗幟的背景卻成為了國際投降標誌的白旗

The popularity of the official flag decreased in the confederacy as time went on (even as

陸軍部隊決定沿用原本的戰旗

they kept increasing the stars) while the popularity of the battle flag grew.

2年後，聯盟國政府再三更換設計，在旗上加上一條紅塊，

So in 1863 the Confederate Government tried again, and went with white sticking the battle

並且改了個沉重的名字（「血染之旗」）。此外，這設計稍為長方化了戰旗，

flag in the corner.

看起來不再像投降旗，它是聯盟國的最後的一面旗，因為聯盟國在36天後就

This was *better* in sense that the flag looked less like the Yankee's, but *worse* in that

投降了

the international symbol of surrender was now in the background.

故此這設計技術上從來不是聯盟國政府的旗幟，不過已經相當接近

The army stuck with theirs.

（IvanKT 粗疏翻譯）

Two years later, the confederate government *again* changed the flag, adding a red bar

and a new, tough name.

Also, the design *slightly* rectangularlified the battle flag.

This could no longer be mistaken for surrender and was the last flag as 36 days later the

confederacy surrendered.

So this design was never technically the flag of the confederate government -- but... close

enough.