How many countries are there?

世上到底有多少個國家?

Easy: just grab a map and start counting, yes? No.

簡單啦: 隨便找一張地圖數一下吧, 是嗎? 不.

Not all maps are created equal -- borders will differ depending on who you got the map

不是每一張地圖都做得一模一樣的 -- 視乎你問甚麼人拿的地國，國界會不一樣的

from.

.

So if individuals disagree, then surely a committee will save the day. Go to the United

那麼，如果有人不同意，應該 會有一個組織可以解決問題吧？ 去聯合國

Nations, find the room where countries sit -- each with a little name tag -- start counting

找那個坐滿不同國家的房間 -- 每個人都有一個小名牌 -- 然後開始數

and get an answer. Now of course, countries come and countries go, but at the time this

看看答案吧. 當然, 國家有來有去, 到這個影片

video was made the answer is 193.

製作的時候，答案是 193.

Fastest video ever, right? Except: you know this isn't over. The United Nations list is

這是最短的影片，對吧？ 你知道沒有完的 聯合國名單

less a complete class roster than a club membership that doesn't include everyone.

不像學生點名簿，反而更像會所成員 不是每個人都在內的

Take, Vatican City who is a country but is too cool for school when it comes to being

例如，梵蒂岡，是一個國家 但說到要做聯合國會員

a member of the United Nations.

對他們來說就太過新潮啦

And while Vatican City's exact situation is… complicated he's straightforward compared

梵蒂岡的情况可能是有點複雜， 其實已經算是容易理解

to other non-United Nations countries… or places -- the terminology is going to have

要是跟其他非聯合國加盟國… 或者 「地方」 -- 用詞上會

a be a bit, unclear here.

有點, 糢糊.

Take Kosovo, who want's to join the UN club, but membership requires none of these five

好像科索沃，她想加入這個聯合國俱樂部, 但入會的要求是這五個國家

countries to reject you. And while the United States, The United Kingdom and France think

裏面沒有人反對. 而美國、英國、法國認為

Kosovo is a country, Russia and China think she's just a rebellious part of Serbia and

科索沃是個國家，俄羅斯和中國卻認為 她只是塞爾維亞一個叛亂的部份

so veto her membership. As for everyone else, just over half recognize Kosovo as independent

所以否決了她的會藉。對其他人而言， 只有剛好過半的人承認科索沃獨立

and Kosovo, adorably, has a website where she thanks each one in their own language.

而科索沃，非常可愛地, 有一個網頁 用對方的語言去感謝每一個承認自己的國家。

But Kosovo, is not there only other… place that wants to be considered a real country.

不過科索沃，不是唯一一個其他...「地方」 想成為一個真正的國家。

There's Transnistria, Nagorno-Karabakh Republic, Abkhazia, and South Ossetia. Which might,

其他還有 【德涅斯特河沿岸】, 【納戈爾諾-卡拉巴赫共和國】, 【阿布哈茲】, 和 【南奧塞梯】. 視乎

or might not, be part of Moldova, Azerbaijan or Georgia depending on who you ask. Two of

你問甚麼人，她們可能，或可能不是【摩多瓦】, 【阿塞拜彊】 或者【格魯吉亞】 的一部份。 其中兩個

these… countries, no UN members recognize as countries, and other two have only five

… 國家， 沒得到任何聯合國成員國承認 為國家，其他兩個只有五個

supporters. Though all four of these... places recognize each other as countries. There's

支持者。 不過這四個...地方 都各自承認對方的國家地位。還有

also The Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic and Northern Cyprus each with their own supporters.

【西撒哈拉】 和 【北塞浦路斯】 各自有自己支持者。

At this point you might be thinking 'OK, srsly, what's the deal? I don't care who these guys

這時候你可能會想，「OK，老實講 怎麼搞的？我不管這些傢伙

think are countries, are these places countries or not?' If I fly to one for a Holliday, will

當不當這些是國家，這些地方 到底是不是國家？」 如果我去到其中一個渡假

it *look* like a country when I get there? The answer is, 'maybe'.

我抵步的時候她會「像」一個國家嗎？ 答案是，「可能吧」。

These... countries are all autonomous, to some extent, with governments that issue passports

這些... 國家都是自治的 (某程度上)， 有政府去發行護照

though these may be of rather limited use and depending on which ones you're visiting

雖然這些護照用途很有限 和視乎你去哪一個國家

they may have more or less control of the territory they claim as theirs. You won't

她們可能或多或少對自己聲稱的領土有控制。 你不一定

always find a clear border.

能找到明確的邊界。

What makes many of these places... fuzzy is they're *usually* born of conflict in the

令很多這些地方有點...模糊的原因是 她們*通常*是在

recent-ish past.

比較近期的歷史下誕生。

That answer is probably less helpful than you want so think of it like this: while The

這個答案可能沒有很大幫助 不過你可以這樣想: 現在

United States is clearly a country now, in 1776, not so much. Then she was just an idea

美國明顯是一個國家，在1776年呢， 不怎麼是。當時她只是一個

in minds of rebel scum. She wasn't recognized as a country instantly and without diplomatic

在一班反對派的混蛋心目中的概念。 她還沒有立刻被承認 為國家，如果沒有外交努力的話

effort to change that Young America would never have made it on her own. Much like what

年輕的美國可能沒有靠自己挺過來。

happened a century later when she got her own rebel who, unlike elder sister, failed

就很像一個世紀後她自己有一個反抗者 (譯註：指美利堅聯盟國)

in the diplomacy department so… yeah.

和她的姐姐不一樣 她在外交部門上輸了，所以... yeah.

And so it goes today with many of the maybe countries in the world. Maybe they're future

就這樣，今天有很多「可能」的國家 她們可能是未來的國家，像

United States and maybe they're future Confederacies -- but in the moment it's hard to say -- because

美國， 可能她們是未來的美利堅聯盟國 -- 不過現在很難說 -- 因為

these things can take decades to settle.

這些事情要幾十年去解決.

By the way, these maybe-countries are super awkward for countries to deal with. While

順帶一提，這些「可能國家」對 其他國家而言，處理起來超級尷尬

your tiny island nation might not want to get involved in the affairs of distant lands

你的小島國可能懶得理會 遙遠他方的土地事情

you still have to decide to send a diplomat, or not -- meaning even inaction forces you

你還是要決定派還是不派一個外交官去 -- 也就是說你的不作為

to pick a side in *every territorial skirmish in the world*.

已經是對 *世上每一個領土紛爭* 表了態。

A notably awkward case being: Taiwan… errr, sorry, Chinese Taipei which is *totally* part

一個最尷尬的case是.. 台灣… errr, 對不起, 中華台北，*完完全全*是中國的

of China and no one would ever think otherwise… Is China gone?

一部份，沒有人會質疑的… (中國走了沒有？)

OK: by any reasonable definition, Taiwan is a separate country and has been for years,

OK: 以任何合理的定義來看，台灣 是一個獨立國家，而且維持了很多年，

but China won't let go and insists you call her Chinese Taipei and don't forget who makes

但中國就是不肯放手，並堅持要你 叫她「中華台北」，還有不要忘記

all your clothing and utensils and TVs and phones and computers and everything.

甚麼人生產你的衣服，餐具，電視， 電話，電腦，和所有東西。

So almost all countries -- including the mighty United States -- plays along even though they

所以差不多所有國家 -- 包括偉大的 美國 -- 也順她意，雖然她

unofficially acknowledge Taiwan's independence and do things that wouldn't make any senses

非官方地認知台灣的獨立 而且做著一些沒有這種認知就毫不合理的事

otherwise -- like sending aircraft carriers to protect one part of China from another

-- 例如派航空母艦去 保護中國的一部份去免受中國的

part of China.

另一部份的威脅.

Thus the innocent question 'how many countries?' has led us straight to a big 'World War III:

因而，一條無辜的「有多少國家」問題， 帶領我們去到一個很大的 「第三次世界大戰' :

Press Here to Start' button which is getting depressing so lets move on to...

按這裡開始'」按鈕，這樣有點令人沮喪， 所以不如繼續去...

Ohhhh, right.

噢...., 對啦.

::sigh::

::唉～::

No more politics: on to higher ideas: The Olympics. Surely from their perch among the

不要再說政治: 談一下更高層次的概念: 奧運。　從眾神吃花生觀望的，

gods they have a disinterested view of the countries below. "How many are there, Olympics?"

對世界毫無興趣的角度去看。 「奧運，到底有多少個？」

Two hundred and four? Huh.

二百零四？嗯.

So Olympics is a bit… special. She defines Puerto Rico as a 'country' even though it's

不過奧運有點..特別。 她定義 【波多黎各】為一個國家，雖然

unambiguously part of the United States as well as Bermuda and Aruba which are connected

她毫無疑問是美國的一部份 還有【百慕達】和【阿魯巴】，跟

to the UK and The Netherlands along with a bunch of other places that are happy to play

英國和荷蘭有關聯，還有一堆其他地方樂意

in her Olympic Games as Nations but make no claims to independence.

作為一個「nation」去參加奧運卻沒有聲稱獨立。

Presumably, Olympics includes these to bump up the number so she can say 'more than 200

可以想像，奧運包括了這些去增加 參加數字，使得她可以講「超過200個

countries compete!' Though even her inflated list doesn't include Vatican City -- because,

國家競技!」 不過這張充了水的名單 並沒有包括梵蒂岡 -- 因為

given his demographics, divine intervention would be required to take home a gold.

以他的人口構成， 要取得金牌 恐怕沒有神助是不行啦。

And Vatican City brings us right back to the core of the difficulty with this question:

而梵蒂岡正正把問題帶回難題的核心:

a consistent definition of 'country' is impossible because your checklist needs to both include

對「國家」要有一致定義的不可能的 因為你的清單要包含

Vatican City the least country-like country that's still a country -- and that also exclude

梵蒂岡，一個最不像國家，但依然是國家 的國家， -- 同時要剔除

the Anti-Vatican City: Hong Kong: -- the most country-like country that isn't.

梵蒂岡的相反：香港，一個最像國家的國家，卻不能算是國家

Also don't forget from previous episodes the seemingly endless territories which look and

還有別忘記上回提到 一些看來無限的「領土」，看來

act like independent countries, but just sort of aren't.

像獨立國家，卻不怎麼算是。

And this isn't even brining up the various Nutters who plant a flag on an Island, or

而這還沒有去到那些 在島或者油台上插國旗

an oil rig, start printing currency on their fancy inkjet and declare Deludtopia a new

用家裏的噴墨打印機印鈔票 然後聲稱一個虛擬國度是

nation.

獨立國家的瘋子

So with no checklist to follow where does that leave us? The best answer to the question

那麼沒有清單去跟，那我們 在哪裏了？ 對這個問題最好的答案是：

'how many countries' for the forceable future is probably to say 'around 200' and leave

在可見將來，「世上有多少國家」的答案 或者可以說「大概200」，

it at that.

然後就這樣吧。

An answer with more significant figures implies more agreement than there really is -- because

要準確到多幾個位值，代表 要有比現實更多的合意 -- 因為

ultimately, what makes a country a country is if other countries think that country is

始終，一個國家之所以是一個國家 是取決於其他國家認為這個國家

a country.

是個國家。