Belgium: A Cultural Crossroads(a)|多元文化的大熔炉

Belgium: A Cultural Crossroads

by Daniel Howard

Known for chocolate and French fries, Belgium is a naturally multicultural country.

　　Belgium is located between France, Luxembourg, Germany, and the Netherlands. Its location has certainly played a hand in its culture as each of the three official languages of the country, French, German, and Dutch, is the mother tongue of a particular region in Belgium. As such, most Belgians are multilingual to some degree.

　　Though it is a fairly small European country, with only about 11 million people, Belgium has a long and rich history. Many of its cities are still full of medieval architecture, and the royal family of Belgium dates back to 1830 when Belgium seceded from the Netherlands. Today, Belgium continues to be a constitutional monarchy, similar to the government in the United Kingdom. The country was also the site of many decisive battles in World War I and II, in which Belgium received brutal treatment at the hands of German forces.

　　Belgium knows a thing or two about mistreatment. In 1885, the Congo Free State in Africa was given over to King Leopold II of Belgium as his personal possession. He horribly mistreated the people, seeing the country as nothing but a source of income. Leopold II selfishly exploited the area's rubber and ivory trades. He was forced to give up control of the country in 1908, and Congo finally gained its independence in 1960.

　　Today, Belgium's political power comes from its role in the European Union (EU). The capital, Brussels, also acts as the home for many of the EU's main offices and institutions. It is also the headquarters for NATO, the military alliance made up of North America and Western Europe. But that is only the beginning of what Belgium is all about.

 

多元文化的大熔炉

比利时以巧克力和薯条著称，它是个天生的多元文化国家。

　　比利时位于法国、卢森堡、德国及荷兰之间。它的位置在其文化中无疑地扮演了很重要的角色，因为法语、德语和荷兰语这三种该国的官方语言是比利时各特定地区的母语。正因如此，某种程度而言，大部份比利时人都会说好几种语言。

　　虽然比利时是个相当小的欧洲国家，人口仅有一千一百万人，但它却拥有相当悠久而丰富的历史。该国的许多城市至今仍充满中世纪建筑，而比利时皇室可追溯至 1830 年，当时该国脱离了荷兰的统治。比利时至今仍沿用和英国类似的君主宪政体制。该国同时也是第一次和第二次世界大战中许多决定性战役的场所，两次世界大战中比利时都受到德国军队的残忍对待。

　　比利时对凌虐事件相当熟悉。1885 年，非洲的刚果自由邦被交由比利时国王利奥波德二世作为他的私人领地。他极其凌虐该国人民，而且只是把该国当作收入的来源。利奥波德二世自私地剥削该地区的橡胶和象牙贸易。1908 年，他被迫放弃统治该国，而刚果最终于 1960 年获得独立。

　　现今，比利时的政治势力来自它在欧盟所扮演的角色。该国首都布鲁塞尔也成为许多欧盟主要办事处和机构的所在地。布鲁塞尔同时也是由北美和西欧国家所组成的军事联盟北大西洋公约组织的总部。然而，这仅是了解比利时全貌的一个开端罢了。