Greenland has a population of about 56,000 people, many of them confused by the sudden interest of the most powerful nation in the world in their country.

格陵蘭島約有 56 000 人，其中許多人對世界上最強大的國家突然對自己的國家感興趣感到困惑。

Turns out, though, Trump is not the first American president to consider the strategic appeal of the world's largest island.

但事實證明，特朗普並不是第一位考慮世界最大島嶼戰略吸引力的美國總統。

NBC News foreign correspondent Raf Sanchez explains in our Sunday Focus.

NBC 新聞駐外記者拉夫-桑切斯（Raf Sanchez）在我們的 "週日焦點 "節目中解釋道。

Perched at the very top of the world, Greenland is best known for its endless expanse of ice, the majesty of its frozen fjords, and the stunning beauty of its northern lights.

格陵蘭島位於世界的最頂端，以其一望無際的冰原、冰封峽灣的雄偉壯觀以及北極光的迷人美景而聞名於世。

But on a warming planet, the remote Arctic territory is taking on new geopolitical significance.

但是，在地球變暖的背景下，偏遠的北極地區正具有新的地緣政治意義。

And Donald Trump says it should be part of the U.S.

唐納德-特朗普（Donald Trump）說，它應該是美國的一部分。

We need Greenland for national security purposes.

為了國家安全，我們需要格陵蘭。

He's refusing to rule out using military force to take it, even though the territory is run by Denmark, a NATO ally.

他拒絕排除使用軍事力量奪取該領土的可能性，儘管該領土由北約盟國丹麥管理。

People really don't even know if Denmark has any legal right to it.

人們甚至不知道丹麥是否擁有任何合法權利。

Denmark's prime minister this week saying Greenland is not for sale.

丹麥首相本週表示格陵蘭島是非賣品。

And local authorities insisting that an appearance by the president-elect's son is a private visit, not an official government trip.

當地政府堅持認為，當選總統之子的露面是私人訪問，而非官方出訪。

Here is tourists seeing it.

下面是遊客看到的情況。

Looks like an incredible place.

看起來是個不可思議的地方。

Trump's plans for Greenland have been much mocked.

特朗普的格陵蘭島計劃遭到了很多人的嘲笑。

Annexing Greenland was the craziest idea he had four years ago, and this time it's his first idea.

吞併格陵蘭是他四年前最瘋狂的想法，而這次則是他的第一個想法。

But U.S. interest in the island actually began long before him.

但實際上，美國對該島的興趣早在他之前就開始了。

On barren Greenland, at the very edge of the Atlantic war zone.

在貧瘠的格陵蘭島上，大西洋戰區的最邊緣。

U.S. forces took control during World War II, while Denmark was under Nazi occupation.

第二次世界大戰期間，美軍控制了丹麥，當時丹麥正處於納粹佔領之下。

After the war, President Truman offered to buy it for $100 million in gold.

戰後，杜魯門總統提出用 1 億美元黃金購買它。

Since then, the strategic value of Greenland and the wider Arctic has only increased.

從那時起，格陵蘭島和整個北極地區的戰略價值與日俱增。

James Stavridis is the former Supreme Allied Commander of NATO.

詹姆斯-斯塔夫裡迪斯是北約前盟軍最高司令。

The Arctic is crucial because of global warming.

由於全球變暖，北極至關重要。

As the ice melts, trade routes open, oil and gas become more exploitable, and what's left up there?

隨著冰雪消融，貿易路線開闢，石油和天然氣變得更容易開採，那裡還剩下什麼？

A thunderdome, seven NATO nations on one side, Russia on the other.

一個雷電穹頂，一邊是北約七國，另一邊是俄羅斯。

The U.S. already has a military base in Greenland, the northernmost American installation in the world.

美國在格陵蘭島已經有一個軍事基地，這是美國在世界上最北端的設施。

Its radar designed to give early warning of an incoming attack.

其雷達的設計目的是對來襲發出預警。

The shortest route for a ballistic missile fired from Russia could be over Greenland.

從俄羅斯發射彈道導彈的最短路徑可能是飛越格陵蘭島。

Climate change also means new routes by sea.

氣候變化還意味著新的海上航線。

Arctic ice is melting rapidly, driving up ocean levels and flooding worldwide, but also clearing new paths for global shipping.

北極冰層正在迅速融化，導致海平面上升和全球洪水氾濫，同時也為全球航運開闢了新的道路。

Right now, a voyage from Europe to Japan takes around 22 days.

目前，從歐洲到日本的航程大約需要 22 天。

The same journey via the Arctic could take as little as 10.

同樣的路程，經由北極只需 10 分鐘。

Whoever controls Greenland could protect or threaten those routes.

誰控制了格陵蘭，誰就能保護或威脅這些航線。

Greenland is also home to vast and largely untapped reserves of rare earth metals, critical for technology like smartphones and electric cars.

格陵蘭還蘊藏著大量尚未開發的稀土金屬，這些金屬對智能手機和電動汽車等技術至關重要。

But for now, Greenlanders showing little interest in joining the U.S., and experts warn American security would be harmed, not helped, by trying to force them.

但就目前而言，格陵蘭人對加入美國興趣不大，專家警告說，試圖強迫格陵蘭人加入美國，對美國的安全有百害而無一利。

I think the best thing we could do is to continue a strategy of robust engagement, working through Denmark, working directly with the Greenlanders.

我認為，我們能做的最好的事情就是繼續執行強有力的參與戰略，通過丹麥開展工作，直接與格陵蘭人合作。

An increasingly hot global competition now underway for this cold corner of the earth.

在地球這個寒冷的角落，一場日益白熱化的全球競爭正在進行。

And Raf joins me now live from outside of the Danish embassy in London.

拉夫正在丹麥駐倫敦大使館外接受我的採訪。

Raf, as you point out, Denmark is an American ally and a member of NATO.

拉夫，正如你所指出的，丹麥是美國的盟國和北約成員。

So is there really any chance Greenland changes hands?

那麼格陵蘭島真的有可能易手嗎？

Well, the Danish officials are saying the sale of Greenland is not something that's on the table, but pretty much everything else is.

丹麥官員說，格陵蘭島的出售問題還沒到討論的地步，但其他問題基本都在討論之中。

If the U.S. wants to expand its military presence beyond that one base, they say they're open to discussing that.

如果美國希望將其軍事存在擴大到該基地以外的地方，他們表示願意進行討論。

Denmark also saying it's prepared to bolster its own forces on the island as a way of deterring Russia.

丹麥還表示，它準備加強自己在島上的力量，以此威懾俄羅斯。

And of course, there's the question of what the people of Greenland themselves want.

當然，還有格陵蘭人民自己想要什麼的問題。

Their prime minister said Friday they're not interested in joining the U.S., but they are open to talking to Trump and that ultimately, one day, they hope to achieve their independence from Denmark.

他們的首相週五表示，他們對加入美國不感興趣，但願意與特朗普對話，並希望最終有一天能脫離丹麥獨立。

Willie?

威利？

Fascinating look at this question.

這個問題令人著迷。

Raf, thanks so much.

拉夫，非常感謝。

We appreciate it.

我們對此表示感謝。

Thank you.

謝謝。