soviet union
soviet union — 名詞
1. a vast Communist state that was formed from Russia and fourteen other republics,
蘇聯
共產主義共和國聯盟（1922–1991）
a vast Communist state that was formed from Russia and fourteen other republics, covering large parts of eastern Europe and northern Asia, which existed from 1922 until 1991
The Soviet Union sent the first human into space, Yuri Gagarin, in 1961.
蘇聯在 1961 年將人類史上第一位太空人尤里·加加林送入太空。
always preceded by 'the'
Olga's grandmother was born in Ukraine when it was still part of the Soviet Union.
Olga 的祖母出生在烏克蘭，當時烏克蘭還是蘇聯的一部分。
collocation: part of the Soviet Union
Schoolchildren in Kyiv, Tashkent, and Vladivostok used the same state textbooks under the Soviet Union.
基輔、塔什干與海參崴的學童，在蘇聯時期都使用同樣的官方審定課本。
The Soviet Union collapsed in 1991, and each republic became an independent country.
蘇聯於 1991 年解體，各加盟共和國紛紛成為獨立國家。
The Soviet Union stationed tank divisions in East Germany to counter NATO forces.
蘇聯在東德部署坦克師，以對抗北約部隊。
- USSR
the standard abbreviation, used in formal writing and on maps
- the Soviet bloc
broader term that includes the USSR and its allied Eastern European states such as Poland and Czechoslovakia
文法句型
the Soviet Union
用法筆記
Always write 'the' before the name: 'the Soviet Union'. This sense emphasizes the political structure of the state as a federation of communist republics bound by a single government in Moscow.
常見錯誤
2. the vast geographical expanse in Eastern Europe and northern Asia that was once
蘇聯版圖
橫跨歐亞大陸的廣大疆域
the vast geographical expanse in Eastern Europe and northern Asia that was once occupied by the Soviet state, stretching from the Baltic Sea to the Pacific Ocean
At over 22 million km², the Soviet Union covered more land than any other country.
以超過 2200 萬平方公里，蘇聯曾是全世界領土最大的國家。
geographical size: 22 million km²
The Soviet Union's Pacific coast lay eleven time zones from its capital, Moscow.
蘇聯的太平洋沿岸距離首都莫斯科有十一個時區之遙。
collocation: eleven time zones
Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania — three Baltic Soviet republics — each joined the EU in 2004.
愛沙尼亞、拉脫維亞、立陶宛這三個波羅的海蘇聯加盟國在 2004 年加入歐盟。
Tourists visiting Moscow in 1985 were entering the capital of the Soviet Union.
1985 年造訪莫斯科的遊客，踏足的是蘇聯的首都。
The Soviet Union's border with China followed the Amur River for thousands of kilometres.
蘇聯與中國的邊界沿著黑龍江綿延數千公里。
- USSR
geopolitical abbreviation, often used on historical maps
文法句型
the Soviet Union
用法筆記
Like sense 1, this always takes 'the'. This sense foregrounds the territory and physical geography rather than the political system. Common in atlas descriptions and historical geography.