货币上的面孔能告诉我们一个国家的什么信息?

As a tangible symbol of a nation’s identity, banknotes are a window into history—from South Africa’s reckoning with apartheid to the challenges of building a unified country after Bosnia’s civil war.

作为一个国家身份的有形象征，纸币是了解历史的窗口，从南非对种族隔离制度的反思，到波斯尼亚内战后建立统一国家的挑战，纸币是我们了解历史的媒介。

BY AMY MCKEEVER

作者：艾米·麦基弗

Emblazoned with mottos, emblems, and historical imagery, money is one of the most tangible symbols of a nation’s identity. As that identity evolves, so too does the design of the country’s coins and banknotes—and the process can be fraught.

印着格言、象征和历史意象的货币是一个国家身份最具体的象征之一。随着货币这种身份的演变，一个国家的硬币和纸币的设计也在发展，而这个发展过程可能会充满变数。

That has been the case in the United States with a plan to make abolitionist Harriet Tubman the face of the $20 bill, replacing former U.S. President Andrew Jackson. Although the U.S. Treasury had hoped to issue the design in time for the women’s suffrage centennial in 2020, the plan languished under President Donald Trump, who had criticized it as “political correctness.” Now, however, the Biden administration has announced it will move forward with the redesign.

美国的情况就是如此，那时候有一项用废奴主义者哈里特.塔布曼代替美国前总统安德鲁.杰克逊印制20美元纸币的计划。虽然美国财政部曾希望在2020年妇女选举权100周年纪念时发布这一设计，但在唐纳德·特朗普总统的任期内，这一计划被搁置，因为他批评这是“政治正确”行为。然而现在，拜登政府又宣布将重新推进这一设计。

But how do countries determine whose portraits to feature on their currency, and what does it tell us about their pasts? Here’s a look at banknotes from around the world and the stories behind their creation—from the delicate negotiations to create a Bosnian currency in the wake of civil war, to the nations that have used their currency as a way to move on from colonialism and reckon with racist pasts.

但是，国家是如何决定将谁的肖像印在货币上的呢?这些肖像又告诉了我们有关它们的过去的什么信息呢? 下面我们来看看世界各地的纸币以及它们被创造的背后的故事，从内战后波斯尼亚货币的微妙谈判，到那些将货币作为摆脱殖民主义和种族主义历史的一种方式的国家，他们的历史都体现在了货币上。

Many countries use their banknotes as a way to honor their earliest leaders. Seewoosagur Ramgoolam led the movement to end British colonial rule in Mauritius. In 1968, he became the country’s first prime minister and now appears on its 2000-rupee note.

许多国家用纸币来纪念他们最早的领导人。西沃萨古尔·拉姆古兰领导了结束英国在毛里求斯殖民统治的运动。1968年，他成为该国首任总理，现在出现在价值2000卢比的纸币上。

Celebrated as the “father of the nation,” Michael Somare was a politician who led the push for Papua New Guinea’s 1975 independence from Australia. Somare, who now appears on the 50-kina note, was the country’s first and longest-serving prime minister.

迈克尔·索马雷是一名政治家，被国民誉为“国父”，1975年他领导了巴布亚新几内亚从澳大利亚独立出来的运动。索马雷现在出现在价值50金纳的纸币上，他是该国第一位也是任期最长的总理。

United States
In 1866, controversy erupted when the U.S. Treasury issued a five-cent note bearing the portrait of Spencer Clark, the first chief of what is now known as the Bureau of Printing and Engraving. Clark was not well liked by some members of Congress, who had accused him years earlier of fraud and “gross immorality.” (A Congressional committee dismissed the charges.)

1866年，当美国财政部发行了一张印着斯宾塞·克拉克的头像的面值5美分的钞票时，争议爆发了。这位克拉克是现在被称为印刷和铸币局的首任局长。一些国会议员并不喜欢克拉克，他们早在几年前就指控他欺诈和“严重不道德”了。(不过一个国会委员会驳回了这些指控。)

Following public outcry, Congress passed a law on April 7, 1866, which prohibited depicting the “portrait or likeness of any living person” on the country’s currency. U.S. law still prohibits using the likeness of living people today, and even commemorative coins honoring a past president cannot be issued until two years after the president’s death.

在公众的强烈抗议下，国会于1866年4月7日通过了一项法律，禁止在国家货币上描绘“任何在世的人的肖像”。直到今天，美国法律仍然禁止使用活人的肖像，甚至纪念前任总统的纪念币也要在总统去世两年后才能发行。

In the modern era, the country has mainly celebrated past presidents and Founding Fathers on its currency—with portraits of George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln, Alexander Hamilton, Ulysses S. Grant, and Benjamin Franklin gracing its banknotes.

在现代，美国主要在其货币上纪念历任总统和开国元勋，比如乔治·华盛顿、托马斯·杰斐逊、亚伯拉罕·林肯、亚历山大·汉密尔顿、尤利西斯·s·格兰特和本杰明·富兰克林的肖像都出现在美元纸币上。
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Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina’s banknotes bear the images of the country’s famous writers, but that decision was driven more by conflict avoidance than literary admiration. In 1995, the Dayton Accords brought an end to years of civil war in Bosnia and created a single state with two parts, the Serb Republic and the Croat-Bosniak Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

波斯尼亚和黑塞哥维那的钞票上印有该国著名作家的肖像，但这一决定更多是出于避免冲突，而不是出于文学崇拜。1995年，《代顿协定》结束了波斯尼亚多年的内战，建立了一个由塞尔维亚共和国和波斯尼亚-黑塞哥维那克罗地亚-波斯尼亚联邦两部分组成的单一国家。
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Similarly, the new nation would have a single currency, the Bosnian convertible mark, but would issue two versions of each denomination to reflect the cultural identity of each side. The banknotes still had to be cohesive, however, and initial submissions were rejected for violating that requirement—including one controversial design featuring Serb hero Gavrilo Princip, famous for setting off World War I by assassinating Austro-Hungarian Archduke Franz Ferdinand.

和其他国家一样，这个新的国家需要设计一种单一的货币，即波斯尼亚可兑换马克，但每一种面额将发行两个版本，以反映双方的文化特征。然而，钞票必须是有连贯性的，最初的设计就因为违反了这一要求而被拒绝了，这其中包括一个有争议的设计，这个设计以因刺杀奥匈帝国的弗朗茨·斐迪南大公而闻名于世的塞尔维亚英雄加夫里洛·普林西普为主角。

Debates over banknote design dragged on for so long that the bank had to issue coupons instead when it opened in 1997, according to U.S. economist Warren Coats, who helped establish the bank. Ultimately, the two sides agreed on using portraits of writers—and even found some common ground as both sexted novelist Meša Selimović for their five-mark notes. That note has since been discontinued, but in 2002, the country created a new 200-mark note featuring the Nobel Prize-winning writer Ivo Andric.

据帮助建立该国银行的美国经济学家沃伦·科茨说，关于纸币设计的争论持续了很长时间，以至于该银行在1997年开业时不得不发行票券。最终，双方同意使用作家的肖像，甚至达成了共识，因为双方都选择了小说家梅亚·塞利莫维奇作为他们的五马克钱币的头像。后来这种纸币已经停止流通，但在2002年，英国创造了一种新的200马克纸币，其头像是诺贝尔奖得主作家伊沃·安德里克。

New Zealand

新西兰
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New Zealand’s banknote design has been “an unintentional litmus test of New Zealand’s evolving self-image” ever since it began issuing currency in 1934, according to historian Matthew Wright. The British dominion’s first banknotes reflected a split identity, bearing both British and local motifs. The earliest series bore a portrait of Māori King Tawhaio, whose image was replaced in 1940 with Captain James Cook, the British explorer who “discovered” New Zealand.

历史学家马修·赖特表示，自1934年新西兰开始发行纸币以来，其纸币设计一直是“对新西兰不断演变的自我形象的一次次无意识的试金石”。英国自治领的首批纸币既有英国的图案，也有地方的图案，这反映了一种分裂的身份。最早的系列是毛利族拓哈鸥（Tawhaio）国王的肖像，1940年，他的肖像被“发现”新西兰的英国探险家詹姆斯·锚点库克船长取代。

New Zealand became a self-governing nation in 1947—yet in 1967, more than 20 years later, it was still proud of its association with Britain. Queen Elizabeth II displaced Cook on all denominations, alongside indigenous plants and birds.

新西兰在1947年成为自治国家，但在20多年后的1967年，它仍以与英国的联系为荣。所以英国女王伊丽莎白二世取代了所有纸币面额上的库克船长以及当地的植物和鸟类。

By the late 20th century, however, New Zealand had begun to think of itself as a diverse and sovereign nation. In 1991, five years after winning full legal independence from Britain, New Zealand removed the Queen from all but its $20 bill and replaced her with prominent New Zealanders—including women’s suffrage leader Kate Shepperd, mountaineer Sir Edmund Hillary, Māori political and cultural leader Sir Apirana Ngata, and Nobel Prize-winning physicist Ernest Rutherford—who still grace the banknotes today.

然而，到了20世纪末，新西兰开始认为自己是一个多元化的主权国家。1991年,在从英国赢得独立的五年后,新西兰将女王肖像从除了20比尔以外的钞票上移除,取而代之的是一些杰出的新西兰人，这包括包括妇女选举权领袖凯特·谢泼德，登山运动员埃德蒙·希拉里爵士，毛利族政治和文化领袖阿皮拉纳·恩加塔爵士，以及新西兰诺贝尔奖得主、物理学家欧内斯特·卢瑟福，卢瑟福至今仍是纸币上的重要人物。

South Africa

南非
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Like New Zealand, the evolution of South Africa’s banknotes reflects the country’s reckoning with its colonial history. In 1961, it issued its first banknotes after gaining independence from Great Britain. In tribute to its colonial beginnings, however, each bill bore a portrait of Jan van Riebeeck, a Dutch explorer who in 1652 founded the trading station that would become Cape Town

和新西兰一样，南非纸币的演变反映了该国对殖民历史的反思。1961年，南非从英国获得独立后发行了第一张钞票。然而，为了纪念开普敦的殖民历史，每张钞票上都印有扬·范·里贝克的肖像。扬·范·里贝克是一位荷兰探险家，正是他在1652年创建了后来成为开普敦的贸易站。

Van Riebeeck remained the face of the nation’s currency for three decades. In 1992, however, as South Africa grappled with dismantling its racist apartheid system, he was finally replaced with its iconic “big five” animals—the rhinoceros, elephant, lion, Cape buffalo, and leopard—that were deemed more representative of (and acceptable to) South Africans.

在30年的时间里，范·里贝克的肖像一直在这个国家的货币上。然而，到了1992年，当南非努力废除种族隔离制度时，范·里贝克最终被标志性的犀牛、大象、狮子、野牛和豹这“五大动物”所取代，人们这些动物更能代表南非(并为南非人所接受)。

Twenty years later, South Africa made another big change. In 2012, the country unveiled new banknotes featuring the country’s first Black president and anti-apartheid activist Nelson Mandela. “A country’s currency is a fundamental component of its national identity,” said South African Reserve Bank Governor Gill Marcus, explaining that the new design “reflects South Africa’s pride as a nation.” Mandela remains the face of South African currency—and in 2018 the country even issued a commemorative series of banknotes depicting scenes from Mandela’s life to celebrate the 100th anniversary of his birth.

二十年后，南非又发生了另一个重大变化。2012年，南非推出了印有南非首位黑人总统、反种族隔离活动家纳尔逊·曼德拉头像的新纸币。南非储备银行行长吉尔·马库斯说:“一个国家的货币是其国家身份的一个基本组成部分。”他解释说，新设计“反映了南非作为一个国家的自豪感。” 曼德拉目前仍然是南非货币的形象，2018年，该国甚至发行了一系列描绘曼德拉生活场景的纪念钞票，以庆祝他诞辰100周年。

Mongolia

蒙古国

Mongolia traces its monetary history to the 13th-century rule of Genghis Khan. He transformed the nation from a pastoral economy to a global powerhouse, creating the largest contiguous empire in history. Although Genghis Khan introduced gold and silver coins to the empire, it would be his grandson, Kublai Khan, who would widely implement paper money.

蒙古的货币历史可以追溯到13世纪成吉思汗统治时期。那时，成吉思汗将这个游牧经济的国家转变为世界强国，创造了历史上最大的连片帝国。虽然成吉思汗向帝国引进了金币和银币，但真正广泛使用纸币的却是他的孙子忽必烈。

Mongolia has kept things relatively simple with just two prominent figures on its banknotes: its famous ancient ruler Genghis Khan, and revolutionary hero Damdin Sükhbaatar.

蒙古的钞票上只印了两个重要人物，一个是著名的古代统治者成吉思汗，另一个是革命英雄达姆丁.塞赫巴塔尔,。
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A portrait of Sükhbaatar first graced the country’s banknotes in 1939, commemorating his role in establishing the rule of the communist People’s Republic of Mongolia. The war hero would continue to dominate the currency for more than 50 years, until democracy swept Mongolia in the 1990s. Since 1993, Genghis Khan has been featured on the highest-value bills—from 500 to 20,000 togrogs—while Sükhbaatar still appears on smaller denominations.

1939年，为纪念他在建立共产主义蒙古人民共和国过程中所起的作用，蒙古国的钞票上首次印上塞赫巴塔尔的头像。这位战争英雄继续主宰了货币长达50多年，直到上世纪90年代蒙古实行民主才有所变化。自1993年以来，成吉思汗一直出现在从500到20000元不等的面值较高的纸币上，，而塞赫巴塔尔仍然出现在较小面额的纸币上。

Dominican Republic

多米尼加共和国

The Dominican Republic’s 200-peso note pays homage to three sisters who organized a resistance movement against dictator Rafael Trujillo—and whose murder kicked off a revolution.

多米尼加共和国的200比索纸币则是向三姐妹致敬，三姐妹组织了反对独裁者拉斐尔·特鲁吉洛的抵抗运动，正是她们的谋杀案引发了一场革命。

After rising to power in 1930, Trujillo ruthlessly ruled over the Dominican Republic. He imprisoned, tortured, or murdered anyone who spoke out against him. In the 1950s, the Mirabal sisters—Patria, Minerva, and María Teresa—became leaders in the resistance movement that sought to end the brutal regime. Trujillo repeatedly arrested and imprisoned them before ultimately ordering their assassination on November 25, 1960.

1930年上台后，特鲁希略无情地统治着多米尼加共和国。他监禁、折磨或谋杀任何公开反对他的人。在20世纪50年代，米拉巴尔姐妹帕特里亚、密娜娃和玛丽亚.特蕾莎成为抵抗运动的领导者，他们试图结束野蛮的政权。特鲁希略多次逮捕和监禁他们，最终于1960年11月25日下令暗杀他们。

Trujillo’s regime ended a year later with his assassination, but it would be decades before the government embraced the Mirabel sisters (also known as Las Mariposas, or the butterflies) as national heroes. Although they briefly graced a 25-centavo coin in the 1980s, the Mirabel sisters became the face of the 200-peso note in 2007. The UN has also designated the date of their murder as the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women.

一年后，特鲁希略被暗杀，特鲁希略的政权也随之终结，但直到几十年后，政府才将米拉贝尔姐妹(又名拉斯马里波萨斯或蝴蝶)奉为民族英雄。尽管米拉贝尔姐妹在20世纪80年代曾短暂地出现在25分硬币上，但在2007年，她们成为了200比索纸币的头像。联合国还将杀害她们的日期定为对妇女的暴力消除国际纪念日。