Vanuatu is a country in the South Pacific Ocean, sitting east of Australia and north-east of New Caledonia. It is not one island but a chain of about eighty islands, most of them made by volcanoes, and some of those volcanoes are still active — on Tanna island you can walk up to the edge of one and look down into the fire.

Vanuatu isVanuatu是 a country in the South Pacific Ocean南太平洋的一個國家, sitting east of Australia位在澳洲的東邊 and north-east of New Caledonia新喀里多尼亞的東北邊。It is not one island它不是一座島，but而是 a chain of about eighty islands大約八十座島組成的島鏈, most of them made by volcanoes大部分是火山形成的, and而 some of those volcanoes are still active其中有些火山現在還是活的——on Tanna island在Tanna島 you can walk up to the edge of one你可以走到火山口邊緣 and look down into the fire往下看到火。

The capital is Port Vila. About 300,000 people live there, which is smaller than many single districts of Taipei.

The capital is首都是 Port VilaPort Vila。About 300,000 people live there大約有三十萬人住在那裡, which is smaller than many single districts of Taipei比台北很多單一行政區的人口都還少。

A few things worth knowing. Before 1980 it was not called Vanuatu — it was the New Hebrides, and strangely it was run by Britain and France at the same time, which meant two sets of police, two school systems, two courts. When the country became independent in 1980 it chose its own name.

A few things worth knowing有幾件事值得知道。Before 1980 it was not called Vanuatu1980年以前，它不叫Vanuatu——it was the New Hebrides它叫New Hebrides, and而且 strangely it was run by Britain and France at the same time很奇怪地，同時由英國和法國一起治理, which meant two sets of police, two school systems, two courts這代表有兩套警察、兩套學校系統、兩套法院。When the country became independent in 1980這個國家在1980年獨立時，it chose its own name選了自己的名字。

Vanuatu is a member of the British Commonwealth. People there speak Bislama, a language built out of English words with a Pacific grammar, and you can sometimes half-read it — "tank yu tumas" is thank you very much. English and French are also official.

Vanuatu isVanuatu是 a member of the British Commonwealth大英國協的成員。People there speak Bislama當地人講Bislama, a language built out of English words with a Pacific grammar一種用英文單字加上太平洋文法拼出來的語言, and而 you can sometimes half-read it你有時候可以半猜半讀懂它——"tank yu tumas"「tank yu tumas」 is就是 thank you very muchthank you very much。English and French are also official英文和法文也是官方語言。

Writing note: always a capital V, and no "the" in front of it. You go to Vanuatu, not to the Vanuatu. Someone from there is a Ni-Vanuatu.

Writing note書寫上要注意：always a capital VV一定要大寫, and也 no "the" in front of it前面不加「the」。You go to Vanuatuyou go to Vanuatu, not to the Vanuatu而不是to the Vanuatu。Someone from there從那裡來的人 is a Ni-Vanuatu叫Ni-Vanuatu。