一个国家只能有一个首都？这些国家可不服

The wars, revolutions and fallen empires that transformed the world map in the 20th century have a surprising beneficiary: capital cities.

20世纪的战争、革命和帝国的瓦解改变了世界版图，各个国家的首都因此发生了令人意外的改变。

Only around 40 nations had capital cities in 1900, writes professor David Gordon in an introduction to the book, "Planning Twentieth Century Capital Cities."

大卫·戈登教授在《规划二十世纪的首都城市》一书的序言中写道：1900年只有大约40个国家有首都。

By 2000, that number would grow to more than 200, as new countries emerged out of the collapse of the British and French empires, the Soviet Union and Yugoslavia.

到2000年，随着新国家从英法帝国、苏联和南斯拉夫的解体中分裂出来，首都的数量增加到200多个。

Most countries chose a single city as their capital.

大多数国家只选择一个城市作为首都。

"This is a place where politicians get together to pass laws, where the central administrative apparatus of the country are generally located," says Gordon, a professor of urban planning at Queen's University at Kingston, Ontario. "There are very much synergies in locating these all together."

安大略省金斯顿皇后大学的城市规划教授戈登说：“这是一个政治家们聚在一起制定法律的地方，国家的中央行政机构也通常都设在这里。把这些机构设立在一起，会产生很大的协同效应。”

But some countries simply decided that when it comes to capital cities, more is more. From the shores of Benin to the Kingdom of eSwatini, there are nations across the globe with two or more capital cities.

但有些国家只是简单地认为首都越多越好。从贝宁海岸到埃斯瓦蒂尼王国，世界上有许多存在两个或以上首都的国家。

Their reasons vary. When countries are formed from distinct regions, as in the case of the United States or South Africa, Gordon notes that regional competition for power can be a factor.

存在多个首都的理由因国而异。戈登指出，当国家由不同地区的人们组成时，比如美国或南非，地区间的权力竞争可能是一个因素。

"None of them wants their rival to get the advantage of being the seat of government," says Gordon. "There's very complex politics involved with this sort of thing."

戈登说：“没有一个首都城市希望其他同级城市成为政府所在地。设立首都的事情涉及到非常复杂的政治问题。”

Sometimes, choosing a capital is easier said than done.

有时候，选择一个首都说起来容易做起来难。

The sunset in Dar es Salaam,Tanzania, is lovely to see./Pixabay

坦桑尼亚首都达累斯萨拉姆的日落景色宜人（Pixabay）

In 1973, Tanzania declared that a new capital would be established in Dodoma, hundreds of miles inland from the colonial-era capital of Dar es Salaam.

1973年，坦桑尼亚宣布将在多多马建立新首都，这一城市距殖民时代的首都达累斯萨拉姆数百英里远。

"Empires had central administrative places for each colony, which were typically on the coast, so they had good access by sea back to the imperial capital," says Gordon. "A trend in decolonizing countries is to move the capital into the center of the country to make it more accessible to all citizens."

戈登说：“殖民国家在每个殖民地都设有中央行政区域。这些行政区通常在海边，因此统治者可以通过海路返回帝国首都。而非殖民化国家的趋势是把首都迁到国家的中心，这样所有公民都能够往返首都。”

But the cultural pull of historic capitals can be hard to overcome. Dar es Salaam still hosts many government functions, and it wasn't until 2019 that the Tanzanian president moved his office to the "new" capital of Dodoma.

但是古都的历史积淀难以烟消云散，达累斯萨拉姆仍然承担许多政府职能。直到2019年，坦桑尼亚总统才把他的办公室搬到“新”首都多多马。

Tanzania isn't the only country where leaders dithered over where to put the capital.

除坦桑尼亚外，还有其他国家的领导人在首都选址问题上犹豫不决。

"Canada took years and years to decide on Ottawa," says Gordon. "The capital used to move every two years, because the Federation could not agree on where the capital should go."

“加拿大花了很多年才定都渥太华，”戈登说，“过去，因为联邦政府无法就首都选址达成一致，首都每两年迁移一次。”

As travelers wait out the coronavirus pandemic, armchair traveling and hopefully planning their next adventures, consider which capital of these countries to visit in future -- either or perhaps both?

在旅行者们等待疫情结束，在家畅想并满怀希望地规划他们的下一次旅行时，可以考虑一下将来要去这些国家的哪个首都参观——或者两个都去?

Politics aside, Gordon sees an upside to his own country's complicated geographical past, and to a world map whose nations maintain more than one capital city: "It's great for Trivial Pursuit."

抛开政治不谈，戈登认为，自己国家复杂的地理历史和存在多首都国家的世界也有一定积极意义。“这些‘冷知识’用来玩《全民猜谜大挑战》【1】再适合不过了。”

【1】《Trivial Pursuit》是上世纪80年代诞生的知名解谜游戏系列，曾在26个国家推出过17种语言的版本。Trivial Pursuit 包括一个棋盘，一枚骰子和一套问题卡片。棋盘以六种不同颜色的格子标记。每种颜色代表一种类型的问题。游戏者通过掷骰子决定移动格数，每次移动后都要回答颜色所对应的问题。答对可以得到一块这个颜色的“小蛋糕”，集齐六种颜色的蛋糕并率先到达终点的即为赢家。

Bolivia: La Paz and Sucre

玻利维亚:拉巴斯和苏克雷

Wrapped in the snowy peaks of the Andes Mountains, La Paz is a show-stopper of a capital city.

作为玻利维亚首都之一的拉巴斯被安第斯山脉的雪峰环绕，是一座引人注目的城市。

Cable cars drift above a tangle of downtown streets, and an independent populace fills historic squares during frequent protests. But while La Paz is the administrative capital of Bolivia, the constitutional capital is hundreds of miles away in the city of Sucre.

缆车从混乱的市区街道上空经过，由于频繁的抗议活动，历史悠久的广场常汇集大批观点独立的民众。虽然拉巴斯是玻利维亚的行政首都，但法定首都却是数百英里之外的苏克雷。

In the early days of colonial rule, silver from the mines surrounding Sucre turned the mountain city into an Andean powerhouse. A burgeoning tin industry helped make upstart La Paz a fierce rival for economic and political power, and it remains the seat of Bolivian government to this day.

在殖民统治早期，苏克雷周边矿井里丰富的白银资源就让这座山城成为了安第斯山区经济发展的强大动力。新兴城市拉巴斯依靠锡工业的蓬勃发展成为了苏克雷争取经济和政治权力的强劲对手。直到今天，拉巴斯仍是玻利维亚政府所在地。

Chile: Santiago and Valparaíso

智利:圣地亚哥和瓦尔帕莱索

The historic quarter of Valparaiso in Chile./Pixabay

智利瓦尔帕莱索的历史街区（Pixabay）

As members of Chile's national administrative and judicial bodies watch snow fall in the mountains around Santiago, the national legislature can enjoy a colorful Pacific Ocean sunset from the city of Valparaíso.

当智利国家行政和司法机构的成员在圣地亚哥附近的山上看雪时，国家立法机构的成员正在瓦尔帕莱索欣赏太平洋海面上的落日余晖。

The two spectacular cities are just 72 miles away from each other by road, but they're a world apart. In Santiago, the official capital, high-rise buildings glimmer a cool gray-blue against a backdrop of rocky summits.

从距离上看，这两座壮丽的城市仅相差72英里，但它们的建筑风格却迥然不同。在官方首都圣地亚哥，高楼大厦在岩石山峰的映衬下闪闪发光，呈清爽的灰蓝色。

In the national legislature's seat of Valparaíso, the UNESCO-listed historic center is a tumbledown gem with a rainbow palette and bohemian flair.

而被收录于联合国教科文组织古迹遗产名录，国家立法机构所在地的瓦尔帕莱索，则是以彩虹色的波西米亚风夺人眼球。

Czech Republic: Prague and Brno

捷克共和国:布拉格和布尔诺

The President of the Czech Republic is officially based in Prague Castle./Pixabay

捷克共和国的历届总统办公室均设在布拉格城堡。（Pixabay）

Gothic spires and Baroque rooflines line the Vltava River in Prague, a charismatic city that's a showpiece of Czech culture and history.

布拉格是一座魅力四射的城市。哥特式尖塔和巴洛克式屋顶的建筑群矗立在伏尔塔瓦河边，人们能够在这里见证捷克的文化和历史。

Among the most impressive sites is Prague Castle, part of the city's UNESCO-listed historic center. Founded in the 9th century, the sprawling castle remains the official office of the President of the Czech Republic.

在这些建筑中，最令人印象深刻的是布拉格城堡——它被收录于联合国教科文组织古迹遗产名录。这座建于9世纪的占地面积辽阔的城堡至今仍然是捷克共和国总统的官方办公场所。

But the Supreme Court of the Czech Republic is in the country's less-known second capital, the energetic Moravian city of Brno. Here, students fill stylish cafes, and adventurous visitors can go underground into an maze-like ossuary that holds tens of thousands of human skeletons.

但捷克共和国最高法院却位于该国鲜为人知的第二首都，充满活力的摩拉维亚城市布尔诺。在这里，时尚的咖啡馆中挤满了学生，喜欢冒险的游客可以深入地下迷宫般的人骨教堂——在这里藏有成千上万具人类遗骨。

Malaysia: Kuala Lumpur and Putrajaya

马来西亚：吉隆坡和布城

Putra Mosque in Putrajaya, Malaysia, is located at the edge of a manmade lake.

马来西亚的布城清真寺位于城中的一片人工湖——布特拉再也湖之上。（图源网络）

A jumble of minarets, futuristic towers and street markets, Kuala Lumpur is a maximalist immersion in Malaysian life and culture. Rooftop bars buzz through the night here, and rush hour brings traffic at a standstill.

吉隆坡完全就是马来西亚生活和文化的缩影，宣礼塔、未来主义的高楼和街头市场随处可见。在这里，屋顶酒吧通宵达旦，彻夜欢腾；高峰时段，交通也会陷入停顿。

It's the national capital, too, the seat of the legislature and the official home of Malaysia's monarch. But even governments need a break from big-city life.

它不仅是马来西亚的首都，也是立法机关所在地和该国君主的官方住所。但即便是政府，也需要从繁忙的大城市生活中解脱出来。

In 1995, the government began constructing Putrajaya, a quieter metropolis that wraps around a massive artificial lake.

1995年，政府开始建设布城，（将其打造成）一个环绕着巨大人工湖的更安静的大都市。

What the new capital lacks in heritage it makes up for in space. With plenty of room to grow, oversized landmarks have blossomed in Putrajaya, including the bubblegum-pink Putra Mosque, which has become a sightseeing touchstone.

虽然新首都缺乏历史底蕴，但更大的空间足以弥补其不足。由于拥有足够大的发展空间，超大型地标性建筑能够在布城遍地开花。玫瑰色的布城清真寺就是其中一个旅游胜地。

Netherlands: Amsterdam and The Hague

荷兰：阿姆斯特丹和海牙

Traditional houses line canals in Amsterdam, the official capital of the Netherlands./Pixabay

在荷兰的官方首都阿姆斯特丹，传统房屋沿着运河排列。（Pixabay）

With historic canals, ultrahip locals and a reputation as one of Europe's hottest party spots, Amsterdam has plenty of name recognition.

阿姆斯特丹有着很高的知名度：因为它历史悠久的运河，因为当地人的时髦，也因为它享有“欧洲最热门派对地点之一”的美誉。

But even though the Netherlands' constitution designates the city as the country's capital, the real work of governing takes place in The Hague.

然而，尽管荷兰宪法指定阿姆斯特丹为国家首都，真正的执政工作却在海牙进行。

The Netherlands' main governing bodies, including the states general, executive branch and supreme court, have been located in this dignified city for centuries.

几个世纪以来，荷兰的主要管理机构，如州议会、行政部门和最高法院，都坐落在海牙这座庄严的城市里。

To see the city's inner workings, join a guided tour of Het Binnenhof, a historic complex of buildings clustered around the Gothic Knight's Hall, where the King of the Netherlands still comes for his yearly speech from the throne.

要想了解这座城市的内部运作，可以参加由导游带领的国会大厦之旅，哥特式建筑风格的骑士厅【2】周围聚集着历史悠久的建筑群，荷兰国王也仍然会在这里发表他的年度演讲。

【2】骑士厅是荷兰海牙内庭的主要建筑，被用作每年9月第三个星期二的亲王日（Prinsjesdag）即国会开会日，荷兰君主乘金马车（Golden Carriage）莅临国会并发表王座演说的地方。

South Africa: Pretoria，Cape Town and Bloemfontein

南非:比勒陀利亚、开普敦和布隆方丹

This is the only country to have three capital cities, a unique arrangement designed to share power across regions.

南非是唯一拥有三个首都的国家。三个首都的设立实际上是一种跨地区分享权力的独特安排。

With a spectacular location between the shoreline and Table Mountain, Cape Town was the capital of Britain's Cape Colony and remains the legislative capital of South Africa.

开普敦位于海岸线和桌山之间，地理位置优越。它曾是英国开普殖民地的首都，至今也仍是南非的立法首都。

By dividing the remaining branches of government between Pretoria and Bloemfontein, the emerging Republic of South Africa helped distribute power across the new country.

新兴的南非共和国将政府的其余部门设立在比勒陀利亚和布隆方丹，以帮助整个新国家进行权力分配。【3】

【3】南非的3个首都分别为：行政首都茨瓦内（比勒陀利亚），立法首都开普敦，司法首都布隆方丹，分别位于南非的北部、南部和中部。

Each one has its charms: Pretoria is known for the exuberant jacaranda blooms that appear each September, while Bloemfontein exudes laid-back hospitality.

每一个首都都有其迷人之处：比勒陀利亚因其每年9月盛放的蓝花楹闻名，而布隆方丹则洋溢着好客的热情。