Prussia was a German state in northern Europe, not a country you can visit now. From the 1600s to the 1800s it was famous for a strong army and a stiff, ordered way of running things. It grew and grew, and in the 1800s it was Prussia that pulled many German lands into one Germany.

Prussia Prussia（普魯士）was a German state in northern Europe曾是北歐的一個德意志邦國，not a country you can visit now不是一個現在可以去玩的國家。From the 1600s to the 1800s從十七世紀到十九世紀，it was famous for a strong army and a stiff, ordered way of running things它以強大的軍隊和一板一眼、有秩序的治理方式聞名。It grew and grew它不斷擴張，and in the 1800s it was Prussia that pulled many German lands into one Germany十九世紀正是普魯士把許多德意志邦國統一成一個德國。

After the Second World War the name was taken off the map, and the land was split among Germany, Poland, and the Soviet Union. So when a book says “in Prussia,” it is pointing at that old state, or at that stretch of coast by the Baltic Sea, not at a place on today’s school map.

After the Second World War二戰之後，the name was taken off the map這個名字就從地圖上消失了，and the land was split among Germany, Poland, and the Soviet Union土地被分給了德國、波蘭和蘇聯。So when a book says "in Prussia,"所以當一本書說「in Prussia」時，it is pointing at that old state指的是那個古老的邦國，or at that stretch of coast by the Baltic Sea或是波羅的海邊的那一段海岸，not at a place on today's school map而不是今天課本地圖上找得到的地方。

Though actually, the name did not start as a German word. New Latin Prussia was a Latin way of writing a name a Baltic people used for themselves — Old Prussian, or perhaps Lithuanian or Latvian. In those languages the u sound is long. We do not know for sure what the name first meant.

Though actually不過其實，the name did not start as a German word這個名字一開始並不是德文字。New Latin Prussia新拉丁文的Prussiawas a Latin way of writing a name a Baltic people used for themselves是用拉丁文寫下一個波羅的海民族自稱的名字——Old Prussian, or perhaps Lithuanian or Latvian那個語言是古普魯士語，或者可能是立陶宛語或拉脫維亞語。In those languages the u sound is long在那些語言裡u的音是長音。We do not know for sure what the name first meant我們並不確定這個名字最初是什麼意思。

Some scholars point to old words for splashing and sprinkling, and they suggest “watery land,” but that is a guess, not a fact. Middle English called the place Pruce, and that old name is where the English words pruce and spruce come from.

Some scholars point to old words for splashing and sprinkling有些學者指出一些跟潑水、灑水有關的古字，and they suggest "watery land,"他們認為可能是「多水的土地」的意思，but that is a guess, not a fact但這只是猜測，不是確定的事實。Middle English called the place Pruce中古英文把這個地方叫做Pruce，and that old name is where the English words pruce and spruce come from這個古老的名字就是英文pruce和spruce這兩個字的來源。