A large region in central Romania, ringed and crossed by the Carpathian mountains, with thick forests, old towns, and a lot of heavy industry now — steel, chemicals, machinery. It is a real place where real people live, about seven million of them, and it has a long, complicated history: it was part of Hungary for centuries, then part of the Austro-Hungarian empire, and only became part of Romania after the First World War. That history is why many Transylvanians speak Hungarian or German as well as Romanian.

A large region大片地區 in central Romania在羅馬尼亞中部 ringed and crossed by the Carpathian mountains喀爾巴阡山脈環繞穿越其間 with thick forests有濃密的森林 old towns古老的城鎮 and a lot of heavy industry now現在也有很多重工業 steel, chemicals, machinery鋼鐵、化學、機械 It is這是 a real place where real people live一個真實存在、有人居住的地方 about seven million of them大約七百萬人 and it has有 a long, complicated history一段漫長複雜的歷史 it was part of Hungary曾是匈牙利的一部分 for centuries長達好幾個世紀 then part of the Austro-Hungarian empire接著成為奧匈帝國的一部分 and only after the First World War直到第一次世界大戰後 became part of Romania才成為羅馬尼亞的一部分 That history也因為這段歷史 many Transylvanians許多外西凡尼亞人 as well as Romanian除了羅馬尼亞語之外 speak Hungarian or German也會說匈牙利語或德語

But outside Romania, almost nobody thinks of any of that first. They think of vampires — because in 1897 an Irish writer named Bram Stoker set his novel *Dracula* there, in a castle in the Transylvanian mountains, and the name stuck to the idea forever. Stoker never visited; he picked the place off a map and out of library books because it sounded distant and wild to English readers.

But outside Romania但在羅馬尼亞以外 almost nobody幾乎沒有人 thinks of any of that first第一個會想到這些 They think of想到的是 vampires吸血鬼 because因為 in 1897在1897年 an Irish writer named Bram Stoker一位叫Bram Stoker的愛爾蘭作家 set his novel Dracula there把小說《德古拉》的故事設定在那裡 in a castle in the Transylvanian mountains在外西凡尼亞山區的一座城堡裡 and the name stuck to the idea forever這個名字從此和這個印象黏在一起 Stoker never visited史托克從沒去過那裡 he picked the place off a map他是從地圖上 and out of library books和圖書館的書裡挑中這個地方的 because it sounded distant and wild to English readers因為對英國讀者來說這聽起來很遙遠又蠻荒

So in ordinary English the word does double work. Used seriously, it names a region. Used loosely — and it very often is — it means "a spooky place where something supernatural happens," the way people say a dark old house "looks like something out of Transylvania," or joke that a friend with pale skin who never goes out in the sun is "from Transylvania." That second use is a joke, and it is worth knowing that Romanians are, understandably, a bit tired of it.

So所以 in ordinary English在日常英文裡 the word這個字 does double work有兩種用法 Used seriously認真使用時 it它 names a region指的是一個地區 Used loosely鬆散地使用時 and it very often is而這種用法很常見 it means它的意思是 'a spooky place where something supernatural happens'「有超自然現象發生的陰森地方」 the way people say a dark old house 'looks like something out of Transylvania'就像人們說一棟陰暗的老房子「看起來像從外西凡尼亞跑出來的」 or joke that a friend with pale skin who never goes out in the sun is 'from Transylvania'或開玩笑說一個皮膚蒼白、從不曬太陽的朋友「是外西凡尼亞來的」 That second use is a joke這第二種用法是個玩笑 and it is worth knowing that Romanians are, understandably, a bit tired of it值得知道的是，羅馬尼亞人可以理解地對這個玩笑有點厭倦了

The country does sell the Dracula connection to tourists — you can visit castles that claim the link — but the historical man behind the name, Vlad III, was a fifteenth-century ruler of Wallachia, a different region, and he was not a vampire, just brutal in the ordinary human way.

The country這個國家 does sell the Dracula connection to tourists確實會把德古拉的關聯賣給觀光客 you can visit castles that claim the link你可以參觀那些聲稱有這層關係的城堡 but the historical man behind the name但這個名字背後真實的歷史人物 Vlad III弗拉德三世 was a fifteenth-century ruler of Wallachia是十五世紀瓦拉幾亞的統治者 a different region那是另一個地區 and he was not a vampire他不是吸血鬼 just brutal in the ordinary human way只是以一般人性的方式殘暴而已