of art and history all contained within the borders of the world's smallest country: conveniently

收藏在了世界上邊界 最小的國家之中：

circumnavigateable on foot in only 40 minutes.

甚至小到可在40分鐘內徒步環繞其邊界一圈。

Just how did the world end up with this tiny nation?

到底這小到不能再小 的國家是如何形成的呢？

The short answer is: because Mussolini and the long answer is fiendishly complicated

短的答案是：因為墨索里尼， 而長答案則極端地複雜，

so here's a simplified medium version:

所以我現在會給你一個簡化的中長度答案：

The popes used to rule a country called the Papal States that covered much of modern day

教宗很久以前統治着一個叫 教皇國的國家，它的領土當時覆蓋着

Italy. It was during this 1,000+ year reign that the Popes constructed St. Peter's Basilica

現時意大利的一部分。正是在這長達一千年的統治下， 教宗們興建了現存最大的教堂，

the largest church in the world -- and also built a wall around the base of a hill known

聖伯多祿大殿 -- 以及於大殿 所在的山，名為梵蒂岡山

as Vatican upon which St. Peter's Stood.

的山基周圍建了一座城牆。

But the Kingdom of Italy next door thought Rome would be an awesome capital for their

然而在教皇國周圍的義大利王國 認為羅馬城對他們的王國而言會是一個

country and so conquered the Papal States.

超讚的首都，所以就滅了教皇國。

His nation destroyed the Pope hid behind the walls of Vatican and conflictingly refused

被滅國了的教宗就躲在梵蒂岡山的 城牆內避難，並矛盾地否認

to acknowledge that the Kingdom of Italy existed, while simultaneously complaining about being

義大利王國的存在， 並同時抱怨成為

a prisoner of the Kingdom of Italy -- which according to him didn't exist.

義大利王國的囚犯 -- 但他才剛說完這個國家不存在。

Rather than risk religious civil war by getting rid of the pope the Kingdom of Italy decided

而意大利的國王，不打算鏟除教宗並冒引發 一場宗教內戰的風險，他決定等教宗自己出來，

to wait him out assuming he'd eventually give up -- but religion is nothing if not obstinate

並認為教宗遲早會放棄 -- 但宗教若那麼容易屈服就不是宗教了

-- and 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 popes and sixty years later nothing had changed.

-- 在 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 任教宗和 六十年後，局勢也沒有甚麼變化。

Which brings us to Benito Mussolini the then prime minister of Italy who was tired of listing

而這就引我們來到了貝尼托·墨索里尼， 當時的意大利總理，

to the Pope complain to Italian Catholics about his self-imposed imprisonment so Mussolini

並被教宗不停地向意大利天主教徒抱怨 其自我強加的監禁之事煩得要命，

thought he could score some political points by striking a deal which looked like this:

因此墨索里尼想就此事為自己的政績加分， 於是他便與當時的教宗達成以下協議：

1) Italy gave the land of Vatican to the Pope.

一) 意大利把梵蒂岡的領地給了教宗；

and…

和...

2) Italy gave the Pope a bunch of apology money

二) 意大利給教宗一大堆的賠償金。

In return

作為回報

1) The Pope acknowledged that Italy existed and

一) 教宗承認意大利的存在；

and…

和...

2) The Pope promised to remain neutral in politics and wars.

二) 教宗承諾在政治和戰爭上保持中立。

On the off chance that, you know, Mussolini thought this might be a thing.

因為墨索里尼恐怕， 這可能會造成一些事端

The deal was signed and a new country, Vatican City was born.

協議簽定後，一個新的國家， 梵蒂岡城便誕生了。

And today the tiny nation on a hill has all the things you'd expect of a country: its

今天這個在山上的迷你國擁有所有 你預期會在國家裏見到的東西：

own government that makes its own laws that are enforced by its own police, who put people

她有制定自身法律的政府， 並由自己的警察執行法律，

who break them in its own jail.

並把違反他們法律的人監禁在他們自己的監獄內。

It also has its own bank and prints its own stamps and issues its own license plates,

她有自己的銀行，印製自己的郵票， 並發行自己的車牌，

though only its citizens can drive within its borders presumably because of terrible,

但只有她的市民才可在她的境內行駛， 這大概是因為他們十分可怕的

terrible parking -- and as the true mark of any self-respecting nation: it has its own

停車埸 -- 然而就像許多 自我尊重的國家一樣：她有自己

top-level domain: .VA

獨特的頂級域域名： .VA

But, despite all these national trappings Vatican City is not really like any other

但即使有這些國家的象徵， 梵蒂岡城與其他的國家又很大的分別。

country. Hold on to your fancy hat, because it's about to get weird:

拿好你精美的帽子，因為 接下來將會越來越奇怪：

To understand the Vatican: there are two people and two things that you need to know about:

要了解梵蒂岡城，你先要 了解兩種人和事：

the famous pope, the incredibly confusing Holy See, The Country of Vatican City and

著名的教宗，極奇混淆的 聖座，梵蒂岡城本身以及

along with that the almost completely unknown King of Vatican City.

和她一起基本上無人知曉的 梵蒂岡城國王。

But first the Pope: who gets a throne to sit upon and from which he acts as the Bishop

首先是教宗：他有一座王座可坐， 並在王座上成為羅馬城

for all the Catholics in Rome.

所有天主教徒的主教

Actually all Bishops in the Catholic Church get their own thrones but because the Bishop

其實所有天主教的主教都有 自己的王座但因為

of Rome is also the Pope his thrown is special and has it's own special name: The Holy See.

羅馬的主教就是教宗所以他有一座 特別的王座並有它的獨特名字：聖座。

Every time a Pope dies or retires there is a sort of game of thrones to see which of

每次教宗逝世或退休就會有一埸 王座的權力遊戲並決定哪位

the bishops will next get to occupy the Holy See.

主教可以接着進佔聖座。

So while Popes come and go the throne is eternal. As such the name The Holy See not only refers

所以雖然主教來了又去了，但聖座是永恆的。 因此聖座的名字不只是指

to the throne but also all the rules that make the Catholic Church the Catholic Church.

王座，而亦同時指所有令 天主教庭成為天主教庭的規則。

When Mussolini crafted that aforementioned deal, technically he gave the land of Vatican

在墨索里尼制定之前談到的協議時， 技術上他是把梵蒂岡的領地

City to The Holy See -- which, believe it or not, is a legal corporate person in international

給了聖座 -- 而且，信不信由你， 它在國際法律中是一個正規的法人。

law. Basically every time you hear the words The Holy See think Catholic Church, Inc of

基本上你每次聽到聖座這兩個字 就把它想像成天主教庭公司而

which the Pope is the CEO.

教宗就是董事長。

Now back to the King. The King of Vatican City has absolute, unchecked power within

現在我們談回國王。梵蒂岡城國王 於梵蒂岡城的邊界內

the country's borders and his presence makes Vatican City one of only six remanning absolute

擁有絕對、不可抑制的權力而他的存在使梵蒂岡城 成為世界上只剩六個的絕對君主集權國之一，

monarchies in the world, including Brunei, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and Swaziland.

包括汶萊、阿曼、卡塔爾、 沙特阿拉伯和史瓦濟蘭。

The King's absolute power is why Vatican City can't join the European Union because only

其國王的絕對權力就是梵蒂岡城為何 不能加入歐盟的原因，因為只有

democracies are allowed.

民主制國家才可加入。

Through Vatican City does, strictly speaking, have a legislative brach of government -- staffed

雖然梵蒂岡城，嚴格地說， 有一個立法機關 -- 由被教宗

by cardinals, appointed by the pope -- the King of Vatican City can overrule their decisions

任命的樞機主教組成 -- 但梵蒂岡城國王， 在任何時候因任何理由都可駁回其決定。

and at any time for any reason.

但為甚麼你從未聽說過梵蒂岡城 有個國王？因為雖然國王和教宗

So why do you never hear about the King of Vatican City? Because though King and Pope

是兩個不同的角色，但他們就剛好 是在同一時間由同一人所擔任，

are two different roles, they just happen to be occupied by the same person at the same

並因此造成一個奇妙的現象： 因為教宗是選出來的而國王

time -- which has the funny consequence that, because the Pope is elected and the King is

又有絕對的權力但他們是同一人，因此令 梵蒂岡城成為世上唯一由選舉決定、非世襲的

all-powerful but they're the same guy it makes Vatican City the world's only elected, non-hereditary

絕對君主集權。

absolute monarchy.

正是這樣的雙重身份令解開 梵蒂岡城的謎團如此困難因為教宗，

It's this dual-role that makes untangling Vatican City so difficult because the Pope,

隨着局勢變化可以是 梵蒂岡城的國王或

depending on the situation either acts as The King of the country of Vatican City or

教庭的教宗。

the Pope of the Holy See.

明白了嗎？不明白？好吧，我打個比喻：

Got it? No? OK, here's an analogy:

想像一個有大量權力的國際組織， 叫Grey產業，並有一個董事長，

Imagine if a powerful international company, say Grey Industries, had a CEO who convinced

他說服了美國把它的一個島給了 該產業，而它又把那個島轉為

the United States to give one of its islands to the Company which then made the island

一個新國家 -- Grey都市 -- 並由 絕對君主制作為其政府，同時

into a new country -- Greytropolis -- with an absolute monarchy as its government and

設定一條憲法定義Grey都市的國王 為Grey產業的董事長。

the law that the King of Greytropolis is, by definition, the CEO of Grey Industries.

明顯地，他現在應該 把他的產業總部搬至

It's pretty obvious at that point that the CEO should move his corporate headquarters

這個新國家 -- 並令該產業從 該國的法律得益而該產業的

to the new nation -- so that the laws of the country can benefit the company and the company's

國際性又可使該國得益。而作為 中間人有時做

global reach can benefit the country. As for the man in the middle sometimes it's good

董事長比較好；有時做國王比較好。

to the the CEO and sometimes it's good to be the king.

而這就與梵蒂岡城的情況一模一樣。

That is essentially Vatican City.

但若你仍然覺得困惑，不用擔心， 因為連其他國家都把它分析得亂七八糟。

But if you're still confused, don't worry even other countries can't keep it straight.

例如聯合國有聖座這個法人 作為其成員之一 -- 卻沒有

For example the United Nations has The Holy See the corporation as a member but not Vatican

梵蒂岡城這個國家本身。而教庭 給梵蒂岡城的市民發出的護照

City the actual country. And The Holy See gives passports to Vatican City citizens that

雖然是從一個公司，而非國家發出， 但卻被其他國家所接受。

other countries accept even though those passports come from a company, not a country.

而說起梵蒂岡城的市民，他們也許 是因為教宗的宗教領袖和國王的

And speaking of Vatican City citizens, they are perhaps the strangest consequence of the

雙重身份而導致的奇怪結果。

Pope's dual role as religious leader and monarch.

雖然其他國家通過着名的 人類繁殖來產生新市民，

While other countries mint new citizens with the ever popular process of human reproduction

但梵蒂岡城卻不是這樣。在梵蒂岡城內 沒有人是土生土長的市民 -- 而且那還不是因為，

Vatican City does not. No one in Vatican City is born a citizen -- and that's not just because,

在四捨五入下，那裏一個女性市民也沒有。

within a rounding error, there are no female Vaticans.

在城內想成為市民就必須 要國王指定你成為市民。

The only way to become a citizen is for the King of Vatican City to appoint you as one.

而國王只會在你為教宗 -- 同時也是國王 -- 工作的前提下才會指定你為市民。

And the King only appoints you a citizen if you work for the Pope -- who is also the King.

而因為國王的絕對權力你的國民身份 是完全在他的掌控之下。如果你辭掉為教宗

And because the King is all-powerful your citizenship is at his whim. If you quit your

服務的工作，國王 -- 同時也是 教宗 -- 會廢除你的國民身份。

job for the Pope, the King -- who is also the pope -- will revoke your citizenship.

這些規則令梵蒂岡城沒有一個 真正意義上的永久性居民：

These rules mean that Vatican City doesn't have a real permanent population to speak

那裏只有500名市民 -- 甚至少於一些國家內一幢

of: there are only about 500 full citizens -- which is fewer people that live in single

摩天大厦裏居住的人數 -- 而 這些市民作為樞機主教、

skyscrapers in many countries -- and all these citizens work for The Holy See as either Cardinals

外交官、教宗的保鏢或其他與 天主教有關工作等為教廷工作

or Diplomats or the Pope's bodyguards or other Catholic-related jobs.

所以對梵蒂岡城最好的比喻是 一種有主權獨立性的公司總部

So it's best to think of Vatican City as a kind of Sovereign Corporate Headquarters that

並給予其職員暫時性的公民身份； 而不是一個類似新加坡的真正城邦：

grants temporary citizenship to its managers rather than a real city-state like Singapore:

因其有一個自我繁殖的人口，並參予一系列的經濟活動。

which has a self-reproducing population of citizens engaged in a variety of economic

而梵蒂岡城兩樣皆無。

activities both of which Vatican City lacks.

但最後，世界關注梵蒂岡城的原因 不是因為它位於其城牆內的市民，

But in the end, the reason the world cares about Vatican City is not because of the citizens

而是因為在那城牆外的 數十億天主教徒。

within its walls but because of the billion members of its church outside those walls.