Zanzibar is an island — really a small group of islands — in the Indian Ocean, just off the east coast of Africa, opposite Tanzania.

Zanzibar Zanzibar is an island是一座島——really a small group of islands其實是一小群島嶼——in the Indian Ocean位在印度洋上，just off the east coast of Africa就在非洲東岸外海不遠處，opposite Tanzania與坦尚尼亞隔海相望。

For hundreds of years it was one of the great crossroads of the Indian Ocean: Arab, Persian, Indian and African traders met there, and the town grew rich on cloves, ivory and, for a long and terrible period, the slave trade. Its old quarter, Stone Town, still shows all of that in its buildings and its carved wooden doors.

For hundreds of years好幾百年來 it was one of the great crossroads of the Indian Ocean它是印度洋上重要的十字路口之一：Arab, Persian, Indian and African traders met there阿拉伯、波斯、印度和非洲的商人都在那裡交會，and the town grew rich on cloves, ivory and, for a long and terrible period, the slave trade這座城鎮靠丁香、象牙致富，而在很長一段可怕的時期裡，也靠奴隸貿易致富。Its old quarter它的舊城區，Stone Town石頭城，still shows all of that in its buildings and its carved wooden doors至今仍能從它的建築和雕花木門上看出這一切。

In 1964 Zanzibar joined with Tanganyika, the country on the mainland, to make a new country. The new name was built from the two old ones: Tan- from Tanganyika and Zan- from Zanzibar, giving Tanzania. So Zanzibar today is not an independent country; it is part of Tanzania, though it keeps its own president and government for local matters.

In 1964在1964年 Zanzibar joined with Tanganyika尚吉巴與坦干伊喀，the country on the mainland這個大陸上的國家，合併 to make a new country組成了一個新國家。The new name was built from the two old ones新的國名是從這兩個舊名字組合而成：Tan- from Tanganyika Tan- 來自 Tanganyika and Zan- from Zanzibar 和 Zan- 來自 Zanzibar，giving Tanzania組成了 Tanzania（坦尚尼亞）。So所以 Zanzibar today is not an independent country尚吉巴現在不是一個獨立國家；it is part of Tanzania它是坦尚尼亞的一部分，though it keeps its own president and government for local matters不過它在地方事務上仍保有自己的總統和政府。

Today most English speakers meet the word as the name of a beach holiday place — white sand, blue water, spice tours.

Today今天 most English speakers meet the word as the name of a beach holiday place大多數英語使用者遇到這個字，是把它當成一個海灘度假勝地的名字——white sand, blue water, spice tours白沙、藍海、香料之旅。

It has also become a kind of word for "somewhere impossibly far away and exotic", the way Timbuktu is used. Someone might say "I'd follow you to Zanzibar" simply meaning "anywhere". Because English speakers hear it that way, the name turns up in song titles, restaurant names and shop signs all over the world.

It has also become a kind of word for它也變成了一種代表 'somewhere impossibly far away and exotic'（一個遠得不可思議、充滿異國風情的地方）的字眼，the way Timbuktu is used就像 Timbuktu（廷巴克圖）的用法一樣。Someone might say有人可能會說 'I'd follow you to Zanzibar''我願意跟你到天涯海角'，simply meaning 'anywhere'單純就是 anywhere（任何地方）的意思。Because English speakers hear it that way正因為英語使用者是這樣理解這個字的，the name turns up in song titles, restaurant names and shop signs all over the world這個名字才會出現在全世界的歌名、餐廳名和店家招牌上。