Minsk is the capital city of Belarus, a country in eastern Europe. It stands on the Svisloch River.

Minsk明斯克 is是 a country in eastern Europe東歐國家 Belarus白俄羅斯的 the capital city首都，It它 stands on坐落在 the Svisloch River斯維斯洛奇河畔。

It is a place name, so it takes a capital M: you are naming that city, not a kind of thing.

It is a place name這是一個地名, so所以 it takes a capital M開頭要用大寫的M：you are naming that city你是在為那座城市命名, not a kind of thing而不是在說一種普通事物。

During the Second World War the city was terribly damaged — large parts of it were destroyed — and then built again.

During the Second World War二戰期間, the city was terribly damaged這座城市遭到嚴重破壞——large parts of it were destroyed大部分地區被摧毀——and then built again然後又重建起來。

People say Minsk when they mean this city (government, trains, news), not when they mean Belarus as a whole. In older English writing you may also meet the city through Russian history, because for a long time it sat inside larger Russian or Soviet states; though actually it is the capital of Belarus, not of Russia.

when they mean this city當人們指的是這座城市時（government政府、trains火車、news新聞）, People say Minsk就會說Minsk, not而不是 when they mean Belarus as a whole指整個白俄羅斯的時候。In older English writing在較舊的英語文獻裡, you may also meet the city through Russian history你也可能透過俄國歷史認識這座城市, because因為 for a long time it sat inside larger Russian or Soviet states它長期屬於更大的俄羅斯或蘇聯國家; though actually不過實際上 it is the capital of Belarus它是白俄羅斯的首都, not of Russia不是俄羅斯的首都。