The old name of a Russian city on the Volga River. It was called Tsaritsyn before 1925, Stalingrad from 1925 to 1961, and Volgograd ever since — the Soviet government renamed it after Stalin, then took the name off again after Stalin's reputation collapsed. So if you meet 'Stalingrad' in a text, the text is either about that middle period or looking back at it.

The old name這是舊名稱 of a Russian city on the Volga River一座位在Volga River（伏爾加河）畔的俄羅斯城市的舊名稱. It was called Tsaritsyn before 1925這座城市1925年以前叫Tsaritsyn（察里津）, Stalingrad from 1925 to 19611925到1961年叫Stalingrad（史達林格勒）, and Volgograd ever since之後就一直叫Volgograd（伏爾加格勒）—— the Soviet government renamed it after Stalin蘇聯政府用史達林的名字為它改名, then took the name off again after Stalin's reputation collapsed後來在史達林的名聲垮台後又把這個名字拿掉. So if you meet 'Stalingrad' in a text所以如果你在文章裡看到『Stalingrad』, the text is either about that middle period or looking back at it那篇文章要嘛是在講那段中間時期，要嘛是在回顧那段時期.

Almost every time people say the word today, they mean the battle.

Almost every time people say the word today幾乎每次現在的人講這個字, they mean the battle指的都是那場戰役.

From August 1942 to February 1943 the German army tried to take the city and failed. The fighting went house by house, street by street, through winter, and the city was left in ruins.

From August 1942 to February 1943從1942年8月到1943年2月, the German army tried to take the city and failed德軍試圖攻下這座城市但失敗了. The fighting went house by house, street by street戰鬥是一間房一間房、一條街一條街打的, through winter一路打過整個冬天, and the city was left in ruins整座城市被打成了廢墟.

Enormous numbers of people died — soldiers on both sides and the city's own people; the usual figures run to something close to two million killed, wounded or captured in total, though counts differ a lot depending on who is counting. The German army that had gone in was surrounded and forced to surrender, and after that the Germans were mostly going backwards for the rest of the war. That is why the battle gets called a turning point.

Enormous numbers of people died死亡人數非常龐大—— soldiers on both sides and the city's own people包括雙方的士兵和這座城市自己的居民; the usual figures run to something close to two million killed, wounded or captured in total常見的數字加起來接近兩百萬人死亡、受傷或被俘, though counts differ a lot depending on who is counting不過依據不同的統計方式，數字差異很大. The German army that had gone in was surrounded and forced to surrender打進去的德軍被包圍，最後被迫投降, and after that the Germans were mostly going backwards for the rest of the war之後德軍在這場戰爭剩下的時間裡大多是節節敗退. That is why the battle gets called a turning point這就是為什麼這場戰役被稱為轉捩點.

Because of all this, 'Stalingrad' has picked up a second life as a comparison. If someone says a place or a fight 'became a Stalingrad', they mean a long, grinding, ruinous struggle that neither side can walk away from — often about politics or business, not war. That use is dramatic, and it is easy to overdo.

Because of all this因為這一切, 'Stalingrad' has picked up a second life as a comparison『Stalingrad』多了另一種用法，被拿來當作比喻. If someone says a place or a fight 'became a Stalingrad'如果有人說某個地方或某場戰鬥『became a Stalingrad』, they mean a long, grinding, ruinous struggle that neither side can walk away from意思是一場漫長、消耗、毀滅性的鬥爭，雙方都無法脫身—— often about politics or business, not war通常是在講政治或商業，不是戰爭. That use is dramatic這種用法很戲劇化, and it is easy to overdo也很容易用得過頭.

In Russia the word carries real weight and real grief, so it is not a light word there.

In Russia在俄羅斯, the word carries real weight and real grief這個字帶著真實的份量和真實的悲痛, so it is not a light word there所以在那裡這不是一個可以輕易拿來說的字.