Barry+Neild

Funny things， flags. Essentially theyre just pieces of colored cloth， but run any of them up a pole and they become powerful talismans2） capable of making people behave in peculiar ways.

The stories behind national pennants3） can be inspiring， intriguing and often give an insight into the culture and history of the country. We talk about raising standards and we think some of the tales behind these patriotic pennants are worth saluting.

Say what you like about over-polite Canadians， at least theyve managed to ditch4） the Union flag of their former British overlords. Canadian leaders debated furiously before finally adopting the resplendent5） red maple leaf in 1965， an ensign6） pointedly7） free of colonial images. Good thing they did， because it gives Americans and Brits a useful flag to slap on their backpacks to stop people hating them.

One original proposal， rejected by parliament， featured blue stripes and a maple trefoil8） that almost completely failed to resemble a cannabis9） leaf.

隨便你怎么談?wù)摱Y貌過(guò)頭的加拿大人，至少他們?cè)O(shè)法丟掉了舊領(lǐng)主英國(guó)的聯(lián)合王國(guó)國(guó)旗。1965年，在經(jīng)過(guò)激烈的爭(zhēng)論后，加拿大的領(lǐng)導(dǎo)者們最終采用了華麗的紅色楓葉旗——一面徹底擺脫了殖民地形象的旗幟。他們做了件好事。因?yàn)檫@樣美國(guó)人和英國(guó)人就有了一面很有用的旗子，可以貼在雙肩背包上，讓人們不再討厭他們。

最初的一項(xiàng)提議是用藍(lán)色條紋和一片三瓣楓葉的圖案，但被議會(huì)否決了。這個(gè)三瓣楓葉的圖案和大麻葉子幾乎一點(diǎn)都不像。

Square flags are for squares. As the only country with an ensign that doesnt have four 90-degree corners， Nepal is in a league of its own10）. Its double triangle design symbolizes the mighty peaks of the Himalayas where foreign mountaineers have planted so many other national flags. The sun and moon symbols represent calmness and resolve—character traits needed to tolerate the Everest-sized egos of those flag-planting foreign mountaineers.

方形的旗幟是給古板守舊的人用的。作為唯一一個(gè)其國(guó)旗并非有四個(gè)直角的國(guó)家，尼泊爾是出類拔萃的。兩個(gè)三角形的設(shè)計(jì)象征著喜馬拉雅山的雄偉山峰，外國(guó)登山者們已經(jīng)在這些山峰上插滿了其他的國(guó)旗。太陽(yáng)和月亮的圖案則代表冷靜和堅(jiān)定的性格特質(zhì)。這一性格特征對(duì)于容忍那些亂插國(guó)旗的外國(guó)登山者們那如同珠穆朗瑪峰般膨脹的自我來(lái)說(shuō)是必需的。

Few flags evoke the nation they represent as well as Greeces. The blue stripes conjure11） the cobalt12） summer skies and azure13） seas that annually lure millions of vacationers； the white recalls spotless14） coastal buildings dotting its beautiful coastline. The nine stripes are said to represent ancient Muses or possibly the number of syllables in the battle cry15） “eleftheria i thanatos，” meaning “freedom or death，” used in wars against the Ottomans16）.

很少有國(guó)旗像希臘國(guó)旗那樣能讓人們想起其所代表的國(guó)家。藍(lán)色條紋使人想起盛夏碧藍(lán)色的天空和蔚藍(lán)色的大海，這樣的景色每年都吸引著數(shù)百萬(wàn)的度假者。白色條紋則讓人想起那些點(diǎn)綴在希臘美麗海岸線上一塵不染的海岸建筑。有人說(shuō)九道條紋代表古希臘神話中的繆斯女神，也有可能代表戰(zhàn)斗口號(hào)“eleftheria i thanatos”的九個(gè)音節(jié)。這是在反抗奧斯曼帝國(guó)的戰(zhàn)斗中使用的口號(hào)，意思是“不自由，毋寧死”。

Given Brazils skills on the pitch17）， youd be forgiven for thinking its flag symbolizes a blue soccer ball being booted into space from a grassy stadium. It doesnt. Less excitingly， the green harks back to18） Portuguese colonial-era royalty， while the slice of night sky represents， even more prosaically， federal regions. Its still a much-loved design， even among non-Brazilians.

考慮到巴西人在球場(chǎng)上的球技，如果你認(rèn)為巴西國(guó)旗象征的是一只藍(lán)色足球從鋪滿青草的球場(chǎng)被踢到空中，這也情有可原。但事實(shí)并非如此。其實(shí)沒(méi)那么有趣，綠色可追溯到葡萄牙殖民時(shí)期的皇室，而更加平淡無(wú)奇的是，那片夜空代表的不過(guò)是聯(lián)邦的各個(gè)地區(qū)。不過(guò)，這仍然是一面?zhèn)涫芟矏?ài)的國(guó)旗，即使不是巴西人也很喜歡它。

The simplicity of the Indonesian flag belies an interesting tale （if true）. The story goes that as they were shaking off the shackles of Dutch colonial invaders， Indonesian freedom fighters created their flag by tearing the blue strip off a Dutch tricolor.

Another version claims the flags colors are derived from those representing the archipelago19）s 14th century Majapahit Empire20）. Either way， it excuses the fact it resembles an upside-down Polish flag.

印度尼西亞簡(jiǎn)樸的國(guó)旗背后隱藏著一個(gè)有趣的故事（如果是真的）。據(jù)說(shuō)，在擺脫了荷蘭殖民侵略者的壓迫后，印尼的自由戰(zhàn)士們撕掉了荷蘭三色國(guó)旗上的藍(lán)色條紋，創(chuàng)造出了自己的國(guó)旗。

另一個(gè)版本則說(shuō)，這面國(guó)旗的顏色源自代表14世紀(jì)群島上滿者伯夷王國(guó)的那些顏色。無(wú)論哪種傳說(shuō)都為印尼國(guó)旗與波蘭國(guó)旗的相似找到了借口，它就是一面上下顛倒了的波蘭國(guó)旗。

Mozambiques flag features a gun！ Yes， theres a book， symbolizing education， and， yes， theres a hoe21） symbolizing agriculture. But theres also an AK-47 assault rifle symbolizing the countrys bloody struggle for independence.

The only national flag bearing a firearm， its the subject of intense debate in the now largely peaceful country. Many there feel its time to ditch the weapon.

莫桑比克的國(guó)旗上有把槍！沒(méi)錯(cuò)，國(guó)旗上有一本書，象征教育。對(duì)，還有一把鋤頭，象征農(nóng)業(yè)。不過(guò)，上面還有一把AK-47突擊步槍，象征著莫桑比克為爭(zhēng)取獨(dú)立而進(jìn)行的血腥斗爭(zhēng)。

作為唯一一面印有槍械的國(guó)旗，這面國(guó)旗在如今這個(gè)大體上和平的國(guó)家成了激烈爭(zhēng)論的話題。國(guó)內(nèi)很多人認(rèn)為是時(shí)候把武器丟掉了。

Given that its so widely displayed on ships using the countrys emblem as a flag of convenience22）， its fascinating to see what they almost used.

This rather alarming alternative version， designed by Frenchman Philippe-Jean Bunau-Varilla， is meant to resemble the countrys famous canal. Thankfully， then-president Manuel Amador Guerrero rejected it and hired his son to produce the current ensign， adopted in 1925. The colors represent the countrys main political parties.

有許多船都會(huì)懸掛巴拿馬國(guó)旗，將其作為“方便旗”?？紤]到這一點(diǎn)，考察一下這些船差一點(diǎn)就會(huì)使用的那一版國(guó)旗會(huì)很有趣。

國(guó)旗的另一個(gè)版本很令人震驚，是由法國(guó)人菲利普·讓·布諾·瓦里拉設(shè)計(jì)的，本意是想模仿巴拿馬的著名運(yùn)河。幸好時(shí)任總統(tǒng)曼紐爾·阿馬多爾·格雷羅否定了該設(shè)計(jì)，并聘用其子設(shè)計(jì)了現(xiàn)在這版國(guó)旗，并于1925年開(kāi)始使用。國(guó)旗上的顏色代表該國(guó)主要的政黨。

Granted home rule from Denmark in 1978， Greenlanders decided they needed something new to fly above their frosty territories. The result， adopted in 1985， is both an exercise in classically minimalist23） Scandinavian design， and a bold departure from other flags favored by Nordic nations.

Many in Greenland had hoped to emulate Denmark and its neighbors by using a Christian cross—preferably white on green—but from 555 submitted designs， a committee instead chose a red and white split circle on a contrasting background. The symbolism isnt too hard to read： a red sun sinking down into snow and ice.

1978年丹麥允許其自治后，格陵蘭人便決定他們需要有某個(gè)新的東西飄揚(yáng)在其滿是冰雪的領(lǐng)土上空。最終采用的旗幟于1985年啟用，既運(yùn)用了經(jīng)典的斯堪的納維亞極簡(jiǎn)風(fēng)格設(shè)計(jì)，又大膽地與備受北歐國(guó)家喜愛(ài)的其他國(guó)旗區(qū)別開(kāi)來(lái)。

在格陵蘭，許多人希望仿效丹麥及其鄰國(guó)，在旗幟上用基督教十字架，最好是綠底白色的十字架。但委員會(huì)卻從555份上交的設(shè)計(jì)中選擇了顏色對(duì)比鮮明的背景上有紅白兩個(gè)半圓的圖案。其象征意義并不難懂：一輪紅日正落入冰雪之中。

The UKs Union Flag has long lived a double life， serving both as national emblem and an erstwhile24） fashion icon—although its associations with the Swinging Sixties are these days just as likely to bring to mind Austin Powers25） underwear.

The flag itself is an exercise in nation building， originally combining the blue and white saltire26） of Scotlands patron Saint Andrew and the red cross on white of Englands Saint George when the two countries united in the 18th century. The red diagonal27） cross of Irelands Saint Patrick was added later.

Of course， all this could change again if Scottish people vote for independence in a referendum28） scheduled for 2014. In which case， perhaps Wales might finally get a mention.

長(zhǎng)期以來(lái)，英國(guó)國(guó)旗有著雙重身份，既是國(guó)家象征，又是以前的一個(gè)時(shí)尚符號(hào)。盡管如今談起這面國(guó)旗與“搖擺的60年代”之間的聯(lián)系，人們可能只會(huì)想起奧斯汀·保威的內(nèi)褲。

這面國(guó)旗本身體現(xiàn)了英國(guó)建國(guó)的過(guò)程。起初，在18世紀(jì)蘇格蘭和英格蘭兩國(guó)統(tǒng)一時(shí)，國(guó)旗就結(jié)合了蘇格蘭守護(hù)神圣安德魯?shù)乃{(lán)底白色X形十字架和英格蘭圣喬治的白底紅色十字架。愛(ài)爾蘭圣帕特里克的紅色斜十字架是后來(lái)加上的。

當(dāng)然，如果蘇格蘭人民在2014年舉行的公投中投票要求獨(dú)立，這一切都可能再次發(fā)生變化。那樣的話，威爾士最后也許會(huì)在國(guó)旗上得到體現(xiàn)。

國(guó)旗是有趣的東西。本來(lái)只是一塊塊染顏色的布，但把任何一塊掛到一根桿子上就會(huì)變成強(qiáng)大的法寶，能夠讓人們做出特殊的舉動(dòng)。

國(guó)旗背后的故事往往鼓舞人心、引人入勝，還常常能讓人深入了解該國(guó)家的文化和歷史。我們說(shuō)的都是拿起武器開(kāi)始反抗的故事，我們認(rèn)為這些愛(ài)國(guó)旗幟背后的某些故事值得人們致敬。