“The tropical island the empire forgot about, then remembered as a beach.”「帝国先遗忘、后想起作为度假沙滩的热带海岛。」
The pair配对
Hainan and Cyprus are the tropical-Mediterranean islands their civilizations sometimes forgot they owned. Both spent a long medieval period as places of exile or strategic outposts, both are now in a long economic conversion toward tourism, offshore finance, and (in Hainan's case) duty-free shopping. Both are at the very southern edge of their civilizational map and feel a little laid-back about it.海南与塞浦路斯，是各自文明偶尔会忘记自己拥有的热带／地中海海岛。两地都曾在漫长的中世纪期间扮演流放地或战略前哨；两地如今都在朝旅游、离岸金融与（海南）免税购物长期转型。两地都位于各自文明地图的最南端，并对此颇为悠然。
Parallels平行处
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Tropical / sub-tropical island in the south.南方热带或亚热带海岛。
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Historically exile or military outpost.历史上为流放或军事前哨。
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Modern conversion to tourism + offshore role.近代向旅游与离岸功能转型。
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A distinct local creole / dialect.鲜明的本地克里奥尔语或方言。
Where the mirror cracks镜面的裂缝
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Cyprus is sovereign + divided; Hainan is a Chinese province.塞浦路斯为主权国且分治；海南是中国一省。
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Cyprus has 1.3m people; Hainan has 10m.塞浦路斯 130 万人；海南 1000 万人。
Through history贯穿历史
- Ancient role古代角色CN
Han — exile destination for officials.汉——官员流放地。
EUMycenaean + Phoenician trading post.迈锡尼与腓尼基贸易站。
- Frontier age前哨时代CN
Song–Ming — naval outpost.宋至明——水师前哨。
EU1191 — Crusader Kingdom; 1571 — Ottoman.1191——十字军王国；1571——奥斯曼。
- Modern era近代CN
1988 — separated from Guangdong as a province; SEZ.1988——从广东分出，建省、设特区。
EU1960 — independent; 1974 — division.1960——独立；1974——分裂。
Today今天
Both islands today are tropical resort economies overshadowed by political proximity to a larger power.两座海岛今天都是热带度假经济体——并都因紧邻更大的大国而身处政治阴影中。
Further reading延伸阅读
- Cyprus: A Modern HistoryWilliam Mallinson · 2005
- Hainan: A Frontier ProvinceAnne Csete · 2001