Name: 為什麼美國最具爭議的軍事基地依然存在？！ (Why America’s Most Controversial Military Bases Exist)
Uploaded: 2026-03-06T17:22:49.000Z
Duration: 53 min 6 s

反身代名詞

As of 2024, it's been estimated that the US military runs somewhere around 750 bases overseas beyond the sovereign territory of the United States itself, across about 80 or more different foreign countries that span every continent on the Earth, including Antarctica.

截至 2024 年，據估計，美國軍方在美國主權領土以外的海外營運約有 750 個基地，遍佈全球約 80 多個不同的外國，涵蓋地球上每一個洲，包括南極洲。

程度副詞

There are so many American military bases and so many places, and

有這麼多美國軍事基地，這麼多地方，

so many more are getting built or getting withdrawn from all the time.

而且一直都有更多基地正在興建或撤離。

And so many more are just top secret and not public knowledge that nobody even really knows exactly how many there are around the world at any given time.

還有很多根本就是最高機密，不為人知，所以沒有人確切知道任何時候世界上到底有多少個基地。

Apparently, because of this, the number usually given for how many overseas American military bases there are is around 750, with all of the known ones that exist today marked on this map that you see now stretched all across the world.

顯然，因為這樣，通常給出的海外美國軍事基地數量約為 750 個，而所有現存的已知基地都標示在這張你現在看到的、橫跨全世界的地圖上。

America's global military machine is so all encompassing today that it literally runs more overseas military bases than every single other country in the world does, by several times over.

美國的全球軍事機器如今無所不在，它實際營運的海外軍事基地數量，比世界上其他所有國家的總和還要多好幾倍。

Roughly 75 to 85% of all the overseas military bases run by all the countries in the world today are exclusively run by the United States, meaning that no other country's military runs anywhere near as comparable a global footprint as America's.

全世界所有國家營運的海外軍事基地中，大約有 75% 到 85% 是美國獨自營運的，這意味著沒有其他國家的軍隊擁有像美國這樣可比擬的全球足跡。

At any given time, there'll be around 170,000 active duty American soldiers deployed overseas to these hundreds of bases around the world, which is roughly comparable to the entire size of the German military, but

在任何特定時間，大約會有 17 萬名現役美國阿兵哥部署到世界各地的這些數百個海外基地，這大約相當於整個德國軍隊的規模，但是

The US Almost certainly controls more manned military outposts around the world today than any previous people, nation, or empire before it has in all of human history, which, along with America's technological advantages and massive budget, make the US Military the most formidable armed force that has ever existed in our planet's history.

美國軍方現在控制的海外軍事據點，幾乎肯定比人類歷史上任何過去的人民、國家或帝國都來得多。這點加上美國的技術優勢和龐大預算，讓美國軍方成為我們星球歷史上最強大的武裝力量。

But rather than America's technological, manpower or financial advantages, it is primarily the US military's logistical capabilities between all of these 750 or so bases around the world that make the American military so globally dominant and really impossible to challenge.

但與其說是美國的技術、人力或財力優勢，真正讓美國軍方在全球如此主導且難以挑戰的，主要是美國軍方在遍佈全球的這約 750 個基地之間的後勤補給能力。

The US Military takes logistics so seriously that within only a couple of years of invading the landlocked country of Afghanistan on the other side of the world, in the middle of Central Asia, and

美國軍方非常重視後勤，在中亞內陸國家阿富汗被入侵後短短幾年內，

after overthrowing the Taliban government there, the Air Force flew in a fully operational mobile Burger King to feed the American soldiers fighting there in the middle of hostile territory, and

並且推翻了當地的神學士政府，空軍就運來了一間功能齊全的行動漢堡王，讓在那裡敵對地區作戰的美國阿兵哥能用餐，

within time, the US Military had a fully operational Pizza Hut and Dairy Queen set up within the middle of Afghanistan as well.

隨著時間推移，美國軍方也在阿富汗境內設立了功能齊全的必勝客和Dairy Queen。

But nearly everywhere they're located, America's hundreds of military bases are also becoming increasingly controversial, both within the countries where they're located and Back at home within the United States itself, America's hundreds of overseas military bases can be broadly divided into two separate categories.

但幾乎所有這些基地，美國數百個軍事基地都變得越來越具爭議性，無論是在基地所在的國家，還是在美國國內。美國數百個海外軍事基地大致可以分為兩大類。

There are larger, more often permanently installed military bases that house more than 200 troops and typically cost more than $10 million to build, and

一類是較大、通常是永久性設立的軍事基地，駐紮超過 200 名阿兵哥，建造費用通常超過 1000 萬美元，

which represent about 60% of America's worldwide military bases.

這類基地約佔美國全球軍事基地的 60%。

And then there are smaller, more often less permanent military bases that are referred to as cooperative security locations or lily pads, that are set up to be less intrusive, less obvious forward operating sites that typically cost less than $10 million to get set up and have fewer than 200 military personnel staffed within them, which represent the remaining 40% of America's overseas bases worldwide and all across the world, there are some parts of it that have significantly higher concentrations of U.S.

另一類則是較小、通常較不永久的軍事基地，稱為合作安全據點或前進基地，設立的目的是為了更少幹擾、更不明顯的前進作戰據點，建造費用通常低於 1000 萬美元，駐紮的軍事人員少於 200 人，這類基地佔美國全球海外基地的剩餘 40%。

There are relatively fewer American bases present in Latin America, the Caribbean and Africa, and

在拉丁美洲、加勒比海和非洲的美國基地相對較少，

significantly more bases present in Europe, the Middle east and East Asia.

而在歐洲、中東和東亞的基地則顯著增多。

Germany is the country that's presently home to the highest concentration of American military bases and overseas servicemen in the world, a lasting legacy of Germany's crushing defeat during the Second World War, West Germany's geographic position as a frontline state against the Soviet backed Warsaw Pact during the ensuing Cold War, and

德國是目前擁有最多美國軍事基地和海外軍人駐紮的國家，這是德國在第二次世界大戰中慘敗、冷戰時期作為對抗蘇聯支持的華沙公約組織前線國家的地理位置，以及

the permanent American military presence in the country that has remained ever since.

美國永久駐軍至今留存的深遠影響。

At the end of the Cold War in 1990, the US had around 250,000 troops stationed all across Europe.

到了1990年冷戰結束時，美國在歐洲各地約有25萬名阿兵哥駐紮。

But after the Soviet Union disintegrated, the Clinton administration began shutting down dozens of bases on the continent and greatly reduced America's total troop presence there by more than half.

但蘇聯解體後，柯林頓政府開始關閉歐洲大陸的數十個基地，並將美國在當地的總兵力減少了一半以上。

By 2021, with Europe having remained fairly calm for decades and major crises having exploded elsewhere that distracted America's military attention to other continents, US Troop levels on the European continent had dwindled down to fewer than 64,000, with about half of that total being concentrated in Germany.

到了2021年，由於歐洲數十年來相對平靜，而其他地方爆發了 major crises，分散了美國軍方的注意力到其他大陸，歐洲大陸的駐軍人數已銳減至不到6萬4千人，其中約一半集中在德國。

But since Russia's full scale invasion of Ukraine was launched the following year, in 2022, Washington has begun surging tens of thousands of troops back to Europe once again, to the point where today there are around 100,000American troops deployed to the continent, with about 54,000 of them all being deployed to America's various bases in Germany and tens of thousands of others deployed to bases across Italy, the UK Poland, Spain, Romania, Kosovo and elsewhere.

但自從俄羅斯去年（2022年）全面入侵烏克蘭以來，華盛頓已開始再次向歐洲增派數萬名阿兵哥，至今歐洲大陸部署了約10萬名美軍，其中約5萬4千人部署在德國的各個基地，另有數萬人部署在義大利、英國、波蘭、西班牙、羅馬尼亞、科索沃等地的基地。

But by far America's single largest and most important permanently installed base in Europe is Ramstein Air Base here in Western Germany, the headquarters for the US Air Force in Europe that serves as the anchor for a sprawling American military complex that houses 54,000American soldiers and more than 5,400American civilian employees.

但迄今為止，美國在歐洲最大且最重要的永久性基地是位於德國西部的Ramstein Air Base，這裡是美國駐歐洲空軍的總部，也是一個龐大的美國軍事綜合體的中心，駐紮有5萬4千名美軍阿兵哥和超過5千4百名美國文職人員。

Ramstein has therefore featured very prominently in America's overseas military operations all throughout its history, serving as a major logistical center for US Aircraft flying from the mainland to pursue operations in Africa and the Middle East.

是以，Ramstein 在美國的海外軍事行動中一直扮演著非常重要的角色，它是一個主要的後勤中心，供美國飛機從本土飛往非洲和中東執行任務。

The Landstuhl Regional Medical center, located just outside of Ramstein, is the largest American military hospital outside of the US Itself, though is used extensively throughout the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq to treat wounded American soldiers.

Landstuhl 地區醫療中心就位於 Ramstein 外圍，是美國本土以外最大的美軍醫院，在阿富汗和伊拉克戰爭期間，它被廣泛用於治療受傷的美軍阿兵哥。

In 2021, when Afghanistan was evacuated, Ramstein was also used as a major transfer point for thousands of Afghan civilians and soldiers who'd been airlifted out of the country by American aircraft to start new lives and safety in the US mainland.

2021 年，阿富汗撤離時，Ramstein 也被用作一個主要的轉運點，將數千名阿富汗平民和阿兵哥從該國空運出來，讓他們能在美國本土開始新生活並獲得安全。

But Ramstein is also not without its many controversies.

In 2015, it was revealed that the US was using Ramstein as a logistical operations center to transport weapons and munitions to US Backed rebels in Syria fighting in the civil war there without the knowledge or consent of the German government.

2015 年，有報導指出，美國利用 Ramstein 作為後勤作戰中心，將武器和彈藥運送給在敘利亞內戰中作戰的美國支持的叛軍，而德國政府對此並不知情或未獲同意。

Well, even further, it was revealed in the same year that Ramstein was also being used by the Obama administration as a critically important control center for American drones being used to attack targets in Afghanistan, Pakistan, Yemen and Somalia.

同年，更有報導指出，歐巴馬政府也利用 Ramstein 作為一個極其重要的控制中心，用於操控在阿富汗、巴基斯坦、葉門和索馬利亞發動攻擊的美國無人機。

The German government claimed that it was not ever informed about America's usage of Ramstein as a major drone command center.

德國政府聲稱，他們從未被告知美國將 Ramstein 用作主要的無人機指揮中心。

And in 2019, three Yemeni citizens who lost family members during a 2012 US drone strike took legal action against the German government for having allowed the operation of the drones on their territory at Ramstein.

2019 年，三名葉門公民在 2012 年美國無人機襲擊中失去家人，他們對德國政府提起訴訟，指控其允許無人機在 Ramstein 的領土上運作。

But since the US has full legal jurisdiction over Ramstein Air Base, Berlin's ability to control what the US Actually does on the base, even without the knowledge or consent of the German government, is very limited.

但由於美國對 Ramstein 空軍基地擁有完全的法律管轄權，柏林即使在不知情或未獲同意的情況下，也難以控制美國在該基地的實際行動。

And this remains true across many of America's other military bases around the world as well, even in Europe.

這點也適用於美國在世界各地，甚至在歐洲的其他許多軍事基地。

America's second largest overseas troop concentration in Europe is in Italy, largely based around the headquarters of the U.S. 6th Fleet in Naples and the strategically located Naval Air Station Sigonella.

美國在歐洲第二大的海外駐軍集中地在義大利，主要集中在位於拿坡里的美國第六艦隊總部和戰略位置重要的錫哥奈拉海軍航空站。

With around 4,000 US troops and their aircraft positioned on Sicily, roughly in the center of the Mediterranean Sea, which serves as one of the primary stopover points for US airlifts and aircraft bound from the continental US towards the Middle east and the Indian Ocean, the US Also operates out of a major Air Force base in the north of the country at Aviano, home to the US Air Force's 31st Fighter Wing that is one of only a handful of overseas American military bases that is known to store nuclear weapons and underground storage systems.

在西西里島，地處地中海中心位置，約有四千名美軍及其飛機駐紮，這裡也是美軍從美國本土飛往中東和印度洋的主要中途停留點之一。美軍在該國北部的阿維亞諾也設有一個主要的空軍基地，是美國空軍第 31 戰鬥機聯隊的所在地，該聯隊是少數幾個已知儲存核武器和地下儲存系統的海外美軍基地之一。

One of the most controversial incidents concerning the American Military in Italy took place in 2003 when CIA agents abducted an Egyptian Islamist cleric named Abu Omar while he was in Milan while he was seeking asylum in Italy.

關於美軍在義大利最受爭議的事件之一發生在 2003 年，當時中情局幹員在米蘭綁架了一名埃及伊斯蘭教士 Abu Omar，當時他正在義大利尋求庇護。

He was then transported by the CIA to the U.S.

air Force base in Aviano and then transported to Egypt, where he was imprisoned for four years without any charges, secluded and brutally tortured by the then Mubarak regime.

位於阿維亞諾的空軍基地，然後被運往埃及，在那裡他被當時的穆巴拉克政權監禁了四年，沒有任何指控，並遭受了殘酷的折磨。

26 CIA agents operating in Italy at the time were later indicted by Italian prosecutors over the abduction, including the man who was the head of the CIA in Italy at the time, Jeffrey W.

當時在義大利活動的 26 名中情局幹員後來因綁架案被義大利檢察官起訴，其中包括當時擔任中情局駐義大利負責人的 Jeffrey W.

Ten years later, after the Omar Abu abduction in 2013, Castelli was convicted of seven years in prison for his role in the incident by an Italian court, along with three other CIA officials at the time.

十年後，在 2013 年 Omar Abu 綁架事件後，Castelli 因其在此事件中的角色被義大利法院判處七年徒刑，還有當時的三名中情局官員。

But none of them were physically present at the trial and none of them have ever been extradited by the US government back to Italy to serve out their sentences ever since.

但他們沒有一個人親自出庭受審，而且美國政府也從未將他們引渡回義大利服刑。

The next largest concentration of US forces present in Europe are in the UK, where over 10,000American troops are permanently based, the two largest concentrations being at the twin RAF bases of Laconheath and Mildenhall in the southeast of England.

歐洲下一個較大的美軍集中地在英國，有超過一萬名美軍常駐，其中最大的兩個集中地在英格蘭東南部的拉肯希斯和米爾登霍爾兩個皇家空軍基地。

The US has maintained a permanent military presence in the UK ever since the Second World War, and

美國自第二次世界大戰以來，就一直在英國維持永久性的軍事存在，

despite being officially an RAF station, Lakenheath currently only hosts the US Air Force and their own personnel.

儘管 Lakenheath 基地名義上是英國皇家空軍基地，但目前僅駐紮美國空軍及其人員。

And in recent history, these have been the American bases that have been instrumental in supporting US air operations in Libya and elsewhere in the Middle East.

在近代歷史上，這些美軍基地在支援美國於利比亞及中東其他地區的空戰行動中扮演了關鍵角色。

In 1986, a bomb blew up in a Berlin disco club that was known to be popular with American soldiers and killed three and wounded hundreds of others.

1986 年，柏林一家深受美軍阿兵哥喜愛的迪斯可舞廳發生爆炸，造成三人死亡，數百人受傷。

The bombing was quickly traced by American intelligence back to Muammar Gaddafi's regime in Libya.

美國情報單位迅速將這起爆炸案追溯到利比亞的格達費政權。

And then, nine days after the bombing later, under orders from President Ronald Reagan and with the airspaces of France and Spain all blocked off to them, 24 US fighters took off from Blackenheath Air Base to bomb Libya in a retaliatory strike and carried out the longest fighter combat mission ever attempted in the history of the US Air Force, in the process conducting a 14 hour round trip flight.

接著，爆炸發生九天後，在雷根總統的命令下，並且法國和西班牙的空域都被封鎖，24 架美軍戰鬥機從 Blackenheath 空軍基地起飛，對利比亞進行報復性轟炸，執行了美國空軍史上最長的戰鬥任務，來回飛行長達 14 小時。

The finders flew all the way around Europe, through the Strait of Gibraltar, and

飛行員們飛越整個歐洲，經過直布羅陀海峽，

then across the Mediterranean towards Libya, where they dropped 60 tons of bombs before turning back around and flying the same route back to Lachenheath again, while the US Sixth Fleet based in Italy, moved in just off of Libya's shores to support the attack.

然後橫越地中海飛往利比亞，在那裡投下了 60 噸炸彈，隨後原路返回 Lachenheath，同時駐紮在義大利的美國第六艦隊也開到利比亞海岸外支援這次攻擊。

This is how, within a matter of hours of the order being given by the President, the US military Machine, with its logistical infrastructure already in place abroad, can rapidly attack a target in a faraway location like Libya decades later.

這就是為何總統下達命令後，在短短幾個小時內，擁有海外後勤基礎設施的美國軍事機器，就能夠快速攻擊像利比亞這樣遙遠地點的目標，即使是幾十年後。

In 2011, US aircraft from Mildenhall and Lakenheath took part in attacking Gaddafi's regime in Libya once again when they sortied out to enforce a no fly zone over the country and bombarded Gaddafi's military on the ground during the Libyan civil war, which ultimately resulted in Gaddafi's overthrow and death.

2011 年，美國軍機再次從 Mildenhall 和 Lakenheath 基地出動，參與攻擊利比亞的格達費政權，當時它們出動執行禁航區任務，並在利比亞內戰期間轟炸了格達費的軍隊，最終導致格達費被推翻並死亡。

The US run airfields in the uk, like Washington's other military bases in Europe, are therefore a major part of America's global defense strategy.

美國在英國設有空軍基地，就像華盛頓在歐洲的其他軍事基地一樣，是以是美國全球防禦戰略的重要組成部分。

And like the rest of them, they're similarly not without their controversies.

而和其他基地一樣，這些基地也並非沒有爭議。

One of America's other military bases in the UK is located at RAF Crowdon, which is used by the US Air Force as a major communications station that processes roughly a third of all American military communications in Europe.

美國在英國的另一個軍事基地是位於 RAF 考羅登（Crowdon），美國空軍將其作為一個主要的通訊站，處理了歐洲約三分之一的美國軍事通訊。

In 2019, an American woman who was employed at the base and married to one of the base's CIA agents was driving her car near the base on the American side of the road, which of course was the wrong side of the road in the UK.

2019 年，一名在該基地工作的美國女子，她的丈夫是該基地的中央情報局幹員，當時她正開車經過基地附近，走在美國習慣的道路右側，當然這在英國是錯誤的車道。

As such, she struck and killed a 19 year old British man named Harry Dunne, who was riding his motorcycle on the correct side of the road.

是以，她撞上並撞死了一名 19 歲的英國男子哈利·鄧尼（Harry Dunne），當時他正騎著機車在正確的車道上。

Days after the incident, the American woman fled the country back to the United States and quickly claimed diplomatic immunity for herself with the support of the US government, where she has remained a free woman ever since.

事件發生幾天後，這名美國女子逃回美國，並在美國政府的支持下迅速為自己主張外交豁免權，從此她一直逍遙法外。

Which has all contributed to a tense diplomatic standoff between London and Washington.

這一切都加劇了倫敦和華盛頓之間的緊張外交對峙。

And the situation isn't very much different over on the other side of the world in East Asia, the other highest concentration of American overseas military bases in the world after Germany.

而世界另一端的東亞情況也差不多，這裡是繼德國之後，美國海外軍事基地第二多的地方。

The next two countries that have the highest concentration of American bases and troops are Japan and South Korea, home to roughly 50,000 and 28,500American troops and dozens of bases respectively.

接下來擁有最多美國基地和部隊的兩個國家是日本和韓國，分別駐紮著約 5 萬名和 2 萬 8 千 5 百名美軍，以及數十個基地。

In fact, the single largest overseas US military base anywhere in the world is at Camp Humphreys here in South Korea.

事實上，美國在海外最大的軍事基地就在韓國的漢弗萊營（Camp Humphreys）。

This base is a truly massive complex, costing nearly $11 billion to build, or about half of Brazil's entire annual military budget.

這個基地是個非常龐大的綜合設施，建造費用接近 110 億美元，大約是巴西全年軍事預算的半數。

It sprawls across roughly 14 square kilometers, or about a quarter the area of Manhattan.

它佔地約 14 平方公里，大約是曼哈頓面積的四分之一。

There are 500 buildings located within the base that are designed to accommodate a total population of 45,000Americans made up of soldiers and their spouses and children.

基地內有 500 棟建築物，可容納約 45,000 名美國人，包括軍人及其配偶和子女。

The base is designed to essentially function as an American military town in the middle of South Korea, complete with American run elementary schools, a middle school and a high school for the soldier's children.

這個基地被設計成一個實質上的美國軍事城鎮，座落在韓國中部，裡面有由美國人經營的國小、國中和軍人子女就讀的高中。

The base even has A suburban American looking water park, an American style gymnasium for children, a movie theater that plays the American editions of films, A massive US Post office to facilitate mail deliveries, and

基地裡甚至還有一個看起來像美國郊區的水上樂園、一個給孩子們玩的美國式體育館、一個播放美國版電影的電影院、一個大型美國郵局方便郵件遞送，還有

a huge food court within an American style shopping mall that contains American fast food classics like Popeyes, Burger King, Taco Bell, Pizza Hut, Starbucks and others.

一個位於美式購物中心內的超大美食廣場，裡面有 Popeyes、漢堡王、Taco Bell、必勝客、星巴克等經典美式速食。

It's designed to be as much of a slice of America as possible that's also home to thousands of American troops and their aircraft that can be rapidly deployed in the event of an emergency nearby with North Korea or China.

它的設計目標是盡可能地複製美國生活，同時也是數千名美軍及其飛機的家園，這些部隊能在北韓或中國附近發生緊急情況時迅速部署。

And while the government of South Korea is more than happy to host them there as a deterrent force against North Korea, their presence has often still been fairly controversial among some local South Korean citizens.

雖然南韓政府很樂意在這裡駐紮部隊，作為對北韓的嚇阻力量，但一些南韓當地民眾對他們的存在仍時常感到相當爭議。

Most notably in 2002, a US army armored vehicle that was returning back to its base on a public road after conducting training exercises out in the countryside hit and killed two 14 year old South Korean schoolgirls who were walking along the side of the road on the way to a birthday party.

最引人注目的是 2002 年，一輛美軍裝甲車在鄉間進行訓練演習後，於公路上返回基地時，撞死了兩名沿路走在路邊、正要去參加生日派對的 14 歲南韓女學生。

Initially, the two US Soldiers who were driving the vehicle were charged by the US military and military court with negligent homicide, but

起初，駕駛車輛的兩名美軍阿兵哥被美國軍方和軍事法庭以過失殺人罪起訴，但

the South Korean government sought to transfer the case and try them in South Korean civilian court instead.

南韓政府尋求將此案移交給南韓的民事法庭審理。

The US military refused to do so and the two soldiers were subsequently found as not guilty in the ensuing military run trial which sparked huge anti American protests among several South Koreans across various points in the country.

美國軍方拒絕這麼做，這兩名阿兵哥隨後在軍事審判中被判無罪，這在南韓各地引發了大規模的反美示威。

And America's parallel overseas military presence in Japan is arguably even more controversial.

而美國在海外的軍事存在，在日韓兩國的爭議程度可說是有過之而無不及。

The US military, like in European countries, has maintained a permanent presence in Japan since the end of World War II, after Germany.

美國軍方自第二次世界大戰後，就像在歐洲國家一樣，在日本維持了永久駐軍，僅次於德國。

Japan is these days home to the second largest concentration of overseas US forces worldwide.

現今日本是全球美軍海外駐軍第二多的地方。

About 50,000 total troops spread out across 85 different bases all across the country, including the headquarters of the U.S. 7th Fleet.

總計約有五萬名官兵，分佈在全國八十五個不同的基地，包括美國第七艦隊的總部。

That includes America's only permanently forward deployed aircraft carrier at Yokosuka, strategically near to the entrance of Tokyo Bay.

其中還包括美國唯一一艘常駐橫須賀的海外航空母艦，這裡策略性地靠近東京灣入口。

But the highest concentration of American forces in Japan for decades have always been within the small far southern Japanese island of Okinawa.

然而，數十年來，美軍在日本最集中的地方，始終是位於日本最南端的小島沖繩。

Despite making up only 0.6% of Japan's total land area, 62% of America's military bases in Japan are all concentrated here.

儘管沖繩僅佔日本總土地面積的百分之零點六，但美國在日本的軍事基地卻有百分之六十二集中在這裡。

The US military maintains a permanent presence of around 30,000 soldiers on Okinawa, which all on its own would be America's second largest overseas deployment of troops in the world, only behind Germany.

美國軍方在沖繩維持約三萬名官兵的永久駐軍，光是這個數字，就足以讓沖繩成為美國海外第二大的軍隊部署地，僅次於德國。

The small island of Okinawa is also densely populated with nearly one and a half million people who live there.

這個小小的沖繩島，人口也相當密集，住了將近一百五十萬人。

And yet roughly 25% of all the island's land is controlled exclusively by the US military and the 30,000American troops stationed there, and

然而，島上大約有百分之二十五的土地，是美國軍方以及駐紮在那裡的兩萬名美軍獨自掌控的，

their presence here is among the most controversial of any of America's overseas deployments worldwide.

而且他們在這裡的存在，是美國所有海外部署中最具爭議的之一。

For a period of 26 years, from Japan's surrender in 1945 up until 1971, Okinawa and the rest of the Ryukyu island chain that it's a part of were directly controlled by the United States government itself.

從日本在1945年投降到1971年的26年間，沖繩以及它所屬的琉球群島，都是由美國政府直接管轄。

During those 26 years of direct American administration on Okinawa, the military recognized Okinawa's highly strategic location as an unsinkable aircraft carrier directly on the edge of the East China Sea, roughly equidistant from major flashpoints in Korea and the Taiwan Strait and relatively nearby to Vietnam.

在這26年的美國直接管理沖繩期間，軍方認為沖繩的戰略位置非常重要，就像一個永不沉沒的航空母艦，就位在東海邊緣，距離朝鮮半島和臺灣海峽的衝突熱點大約等距，而且離越南也不遠。

So dozens of American military bases, airfields, logistics centers, and

是以，數十個美國軍事基地、機場、後勤中心，

other facilities were all constructed on the island over the decades that transformed it into America's most geopolitically valuable asset held in East Asia, an asset that has been used as America's primary forward operating base and staging area for the wars in Korea and Vietnam and as preparation for a potential war against China over the status of Taiwan ever since.

以及其他設施在幾十年間陸續興建在這個島上，讓它變成了美國在東亞最有地緣政治價值的資產，這個資產被用作美國在朝鮮戰爭和越南戰爭中的主要前線作戰基地和集結區，並且自此以來，也一直是為了準備一場可能針對中國在臺灣問題上的戰爭而做的準備。

After the islands were given back to Japan in 1971, the US just kept all of the military bases and facilities that it had built up on Okinawa over the past 26 years.

在1971年這些島嶼歸還給日本後，美國就保留了過去26年來在沖繩上建造的所有軍事基地和設施。

And so Okinawa, therefore continues to remain highly important to the US Military's ability to deter and counter threats in the region posed by China and North Korea, which benefits the Japanese government, who doesn't have to worry about those threats as much themselves.

是以，沖繩對美國軍方嚇阻和反制中國及北韓在該地區威脅的能力，仍然非常重要，這也讓日本政府受益，他們自己不必太擔心這些威脅。

While the bases are also far enough away from mainland Japan and most of Japan's citizens that they don't really cause too much controversy outside of Okinawa, but

而這些基地距離日本本島和大多數日本公民也足夠遠，所以除了沖繩當地，並不會引起太多爭議，但是