Colombo is the big city and main port of Sri Lanka. Most English speakers still call it the capital.

Colombo is the big city and main port of Sri LankaColombo是斯里蘭卡的大城市，也是主要的港口。Most English speakers still call it the capital大多數英語人士還是把它叫做首都。

Though actually, the place where the laws are made is a nearby city with a long name, Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte. In everyday talk, news, and travel, people say Colombo — the port, the old centre, the name on almost every learner’s map.

Though actually不過話說回來, the place where the laws are made is a nearby city with a long name, Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte真正制定法律的地方，其實是附近一個名字很長的城市，叫Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte。In everyday talk, news, and travel在日常對話、新聞和旅遊資訊裡, people say Colombo大家還是說Colombo——the port, the old centre, the name on almost every learner's map那個港口、舊市中心，也是幾乎每個學習者地圖上都看得到的名字。

The city name did not start as “Columbus.” It comes, through Portuguese, from a Sinhalese name meaning something like “port on the Kelani river.” Portuguese spelling then leaned toward Colombo because that already looked like an Italian family name.

The city name did not start as "Columbus."這個城市的名字一開始並不是從「Columbus」來的。It comes, through Portuguese, from a Sinhalese name meaning something like "port on the Kelani river."它是經過葡萄牙文，從一個大概意思是「Kelani河上的港口」的僧伽羅語名字演變來的。Portuguese spelling then leaned toward Colombo because that already looked like an Italian family name後來葡萄牙文的拼法會偏向Colombo，是因為這個拼法看起來已經很像一個義大利姓氏。

That Italian name is a different story: in Italian, colombo is a dove or pigeon, and Colombo is a surname. Christopher Columbus is Cristoforo Colombo in Italian. So you may meet Colombo as a European family name, as the explorer’s Italian name, and as the Sri Lankan city. Same spelling, not the same origin.

That Italian name is a different story那個義大利名字是另一個故事: in Italian, colombo is a dove or pigeon, and Colombo is a surname在義大利文裡，colombo指的是鴿子，Colombo則是一個姓氏。Christopher Columbus is Cristoforo Colombo in Italian「克里斯多福·哥倫布」在義大利文裡就是Cristoforo Colombo。So you may meet Colombo as a European family name, as the explorer's Italian name, and as the Sri Lankan city所以你可能會遇到三種Colombo：一個歐洲姓氏、那位探險家的義大利名字，還有斯里蘭卡的這座城市。Same spelling, not the same origin拼法一樣，但來源不一樣。

It is a proper name; you do not say “a colombo” for the city.

It is a proper name這是一個專有名詞; you do not say "a colombo" for the city指這座城市時，不會說"a colombo"。