Answered by Simran Panwar
Simran Panwar的回复：
Ever wondered why there are three terms you commonly hear people saying when referring to England. Almost all people freely use the Great Britain and the United Kingdom as substitutes for England in general speech. So, is there any difference among the three terms?
你有没有想过，为什么人们提到英国时通常会有三种说法？几乎所有人在日常交谈中都会说大不列颠（the Great Britain）或者联合王国（the United Kingdom），而不是英格兰（England）。那么，这三种称呼有什么区别吗？
As a matter of fact, there is a big difference, and to understand it, the best way is to get help from the three respective flags. Let's go through a few flags and you will understand the meanings of all three terms.
事实上，它们之间有很大的区别，而要理解这一点，最好地办法就是从它们各自对应的旗帜入手。让我们来看一些旗帜，然后你就会理解这三种称呼的含义了。
Flag of England:
英格兰圣乔治十字旗（St. George's Cross）：
Flag of Scotland:
苏格兰圣安德烈十字旗（St. Andrew's Cross）：
Now, these two countries along with Wales constitute the Great Britain and the flag of GB is also an amalgamation of these flags.
现在，英格兰、苏格兰和威尔士一起构成了大不列颠，而大不列颠王国的国旗也是由这两面旗帜组合而成的。
Flag of Great Britain:
大不列颠王国国旗（注1）：
Add to these the Northern Ireland, and you get the United Kingdom. The same goes for the flag too.
大不列颠再加上北爱尔兰，就组成了联合王国。国旗同理。
Flag of Northern Ireland:
北爱尔兰圣帕特里克十字旗（注2）：
Flag of the United Kingdom - The Union Flag
联合王国国旗——米字旗
So, the next time you want to refer to England, just say England. :)
所以，下次如果你提到英格兰，直接说英格兰就可以啦。:)
I have been getting comments and messages regarding the current flag of Northern Ireland and the exclusion of the Wales flag from the Union Flag. Here goes:
我一直收到评论和短信，其中提到了北爱尔兰现在的旗帜，以及米字旗中没有威尔士旗帜的问题。要开始啦：
About Northern Ireland:
关于北爱尔兰：
The current flag for the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland was formed sometime before 1800. And up to that time, St. Patrick's Cross was the flag used to represent Northern Ireland. The flag of the Union Jack actually comprises three different flags viz. St. George's Cross (England), St. Andrew's Cross (Scotland) and St. Patrick's Cross (Northern Ireland). So, the Union Flag has, since, remained the same.
现在的大不列颠及北爱尔兰联合王国（the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland）国旗早在公元1800年以前就形成了。在那之前，北爱尔兰的代表旗帜是圣帕特里克十字旗。米字旗实际上是由三面不同的旗帜构成的，也就是英格兰的圣乔治十字旗，苏格兰的圣安德烈十字旗和北爱尔兰的圣帕特里克十字旗。于是，这种样式也就一直保留了下来。
The two flags in question are as follows:
存在疑问的两面旗帜如下：
The Ulster Banner, on which many are arguing is the real flag of Northern Ireland.
红手旗（the Ulster Banner），许多人认为它才是北爱尔兰真正的官方旗帜。
and St. Patrick's Cross
然后是圣帕特里克十字旗。
Now, the main point is Northern Ireland has not had a unique, government-sanctioned flag since 1972, when the Northern Ireland parliament and government were prorogued. During official events, The Northern Ireland government uses the Union Flag instead of both- the Ulster Banner and St. Patrick's Cross.
现在的主要问题在于，自1972年议会和政府休会以来，北爱尔兰并没有单独的官方旗帜。在官方活动中，北爱尔兰政府会使用英国国旗，而不用红手旗或者圣帕特里克十字旗。
According to law, neither Saint Patrick's Cross nor the Ulster Banner may be flown on government buildings in Northern Ireland. But, St. Patrick's Cross is still used on some occasions in the country. Although, in official occasions, like the British government, Union Flag is the only flag used by the government of the Northern Ireland.
根据法律，无论是圣帕特里克十字旗还是红手旗，都不能悬挂在北爱尔兰政府建筑上。然而在北爱尔兰的某些场合中，依然会使用圣帕特里克十字旗。不过在正式场合中，北爱尔兰政府和英国政府一样，只能使用米字旗。
Check: Flag of Northern Ireland
查看：北爱尔兰国旗
About Wales:
关于威尔士：
Simply put, Wales is a prinicipality.
简单地说，威尔士是一个公国。
(Check: Principality)
（查看：公国）
Informally saying, that means it is not a part of the Union of Great Britain and it is, or was, effectively a possession of England. Wales had no explicit recognition in the Union Flag as it had been a part of the Kingdom of England since being annexed by Edward I of England in 1282 and its full integration by the Laws in Wales Acts 1535–1542, and was therefore represented by the flag of England.When the first Union Flag was created in 1606, Wales was already united with England from the 13th century. In 1536, under Henry VIII, the Act of Union joined England and Wales officially. Thus, it didn't get a place in the Union Flag as it was considered a part of England back when the flag was created.
通俗地说，这意味着威尔士并不是大不列颠联邦的一部分，而其实是，或者说曾经是英格兰的一处领地。威尔士在米字旗中没有被明确地体现出来，是因为在1282年，威尔士被英格兰国王爱德华一世吞并，其后根据《1535年-1542年威尔士法案》，被完全并入英格兰。自此，威尔士就成为了英格兰王国（the Kingdom of England）的一部分，因此，英格兰国旗也就代表了威尔士。第一面英国国旗是在1606年诞生的，而威尔士早在13世纪时就已经被并入了英格兰。1536年，在亨利八世统治时期，《联合法案》（the Act of Union）正式将英格兰和威尔士合并到一起。因而英国国旗诞生时，由于威尔士已被认为是英格兰的一部分，所以并没有出现在国旗上。
Check: Union Jack
查看：英国国旗
译注：
- 1606年，詹姆斯一世统一英格兰和苏格兰时，将两国旗帜图案重叠起来，作为大不列颠的国旗。
- 爱尔兰的圣帕特里克的白底红色交叉型旗，最早是爱尔兰菲茨诺德家族的旗帜；1801年，爱尔兰与大不列颠联合组成王国后，这面旗帜又与大不列颠国旗重叠，最后形成了大不列颠及北爱尔兰联合王国的这面构图奇特的“米字旗”。20世纪中叶，爱尔兰独立之后米字旗并没有发生变化，因为圣帕特里克十字旗仍然代表着北爱尔兰自治区，而它至今仍是联合王国的一部分。
