The Netherlands and Belgium signed a formal treaty Monday for a peaceful land exchange involving the Meuse River.

　　荷兰和比利时于本周一签署了一项正式协议，根据这项协定，双方将和平交换领土，其中包括默兹河部分河段。

　　The signing occurred during a three-day visit to the Netherlands by Belgium’s King Filip and Queen Mathilde.

　　比利时国王菲利普和王后马蒂尔德在荷兰进行为期三天的访问时签订了该协议。

　　The Netherlands will grow by 24.7 acres in the nations’ the first land swap in 175 years.

　　这是两国国界划定175年以来首次进行的土地交换，荷兰将得到24.7英亩的国土。

　　"You do not see so often that changing borders without firing a shot, but there was an excellent collaboration," Netherland’s Limburg Gov. Theo Bovens said to broadcaster NOS.

　　在接受荷兰广播联盟(NOS)的采访时，林堡省省长西奥·博文斯说：“改变国界而不费一兵一卒,这种情况很少见的，却是一次非凡的合作。”

　　Belgium’s Presqu’ile de L’llal and Presqu’ile d’Eijsden are being swapped for Dutch land called Presqu’ile Petit-Gravier.

　　比利时的日安半岛(Presqu’ile de L’llal)和艾斯登半岛(Presqu’ile d’Eijsden)与荷兰的Petit-Gravier半岛进行交换。

　　The meandering Meuse river was straightened in 1961, putting the three pieces in the wrong country.

　　1961年,蜿蜒的默兹河在疏浚工程之后实际地貌发生改变，将这三块领土划到了对面的国家。

　　NOS said the situation had led to "isolated enclaves of illegality." Belgian police could only access islands by boat and by permission of the Netherlands. Although no one lives on the islands, illegal parties by drug dealers and sex tourists occurred.

　　NOS称，这种情况使得两国产生了“飞地”，比利时警方要想前往该区域岛屿，必须先得到荷兰的许可并且只能乘船前往，虽然在这些岛上并没有居民，但是贩毒非法团伙和性旅游者不时出没于此。

　　"It was a tough job because there are many parties involved," Bovens said. "Not only the ministries of both countries, but also water states, the Land Registry, the provinces, three municipalities and states. You can imagine what it involves."

　　博文斯说，“对这里的管理工作非常繁杂,因为得涉及多个部门,不仅要惊动两国部长，还有水利局、土地登记局、省、三个自治区和州…可以想见，这里面有多复杂。”

　　The land swap will take place in January 2018 if both nations’ parliaments approve the treaty.

　　如果该条约得到两国议会批准，那么两国将于2018年1月正式交换土地。

（编辑：何莹莹）