英国国旗是如何发展成为米字旗的?

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland uses as its national flag the royal banner known as the Union Flag or Union Jack. It consists of the red cross of Saint George (patron saint of England), edged in white, superimposed on the Cross of St. Patrick (patron saint of Ireland), which are superimposed on the Saltire of Saint Andrew (patron saint of Scotland). Wales, however, is not represented in the Union Flag by Wales's patron saint, Saint David, as at the time the flag was designed Wales was part of the Kingdom of England.
大不列颠及北爱尔兰联合王国使用的国旗被称之为联合旗帜或联合杰克。它由代表神圣乔治(英格兰的守护神)的红色正十字、代表圣帕特里克(爱尔兰的守护神)的红色白边交叉十字以及叠加在上边代表圣安德鲁(苏格兰守护神)的白色十字组成。而威尔士的守护神圣戴维并没有在英国国旗上体现,因为国旗被设计时,威尔士是英格兰王国的一部分。

The earlier flag of Great Britain was established in 1606 by a proclamation of King James VI and I of Scotland and England. The new flag of the United Kingdom was officially created by an Order in Council of 1801, reading as follows: The Union Flag shall be azure, the Crosses saltire of Saint Andrew and Saint Patrick quarterly per saltire, counter-changed, argent and gules , the latter fimbriated of the second, surmounted by the Cross of Saint George of the third fimbriated as the saltire.
早期的大不列颠国旗的诞生可追溯至1606年,由苏格兰的詹姆士六世,即英格兰和苏格兰的詹姆士一世,宣告诞生。新版的英国国旗正式诞生于1801年,主要构成如下:底色为蓝色,代表圣安德鲁白色十字与代表圣帕特里克的红色十字交叉叠加,且后者以前者为边,最上边则为代表圣乔治的正十字,以圣安德鲁的银白色为边。

The Union Jack, the flag of the United Kingdom, is used a lot in fashion. The design crops up time and again in menswear, particularly with brands and looks that want to anchor themselves to British heritage. The name 'Jack' was probably adopted from naval/maritime usage. Ships of the age would run a small bow flag at the head of the vessel on ceremonial occasions. This was often called a 'Jack', hence the name 'Union Jack'.'Union Flag' is probably the correct name for the flag, but common usage is the 'Union Jack'.
联合杰克,即英国国旗,含有很多时尚的元素。男装设计尤其是大牌男装以及定位为英国遗产的品牌中屡次出现英国国旗元素。“杰克”这一名字很可能来自海上。古代,遇到嫁娶丧葬仪式,英国的船只都会在船头悬挂一面小旗帜。这面小旗帜通常被称为“杰克”,后被称之为“联合杰克”。英国国旗的准确名字很可能为“联合国旗”,但通常又称之为“联合杰克”。

The bright colors and eye-catching design of the flag has made it a popular choice for making a statement. Many notable front men and women in musical and popular culture have used the flag to great effect. As a design, it's featured in many UK clothing companies and has come to play an important role in the identity of many UK brands. It's possible that the adoration for this design is because it's a good combination of colors and shapes, rather than a pledge to queen and country. Youth culture has established that wearing a Jack is a semi-ironic nod to the Empire, rather than a celebration of conquest. There's also no copyright on the design, so it's open to use by anyone.
英国国旗明亮的颜色以及引人注目的设计使其成为在发表声明时深受大众欢迎的选择。许多音乐界或流行文化中的著名人士都曾用过英国旗帜来造势。作为一种设计元素,英国国旗已成为许多英国服饰公司的特征,并在使许多英国品牌确立其特色时发挥重大影响。人们喜欢这种设计的原因可能在于其颜色以及形状很好地搭配在一起了,而不是在于其象征着女王与国家。在青年文化中,身穿旗帜更像是对帝国的半嘲讽,而非庆祝它征服其他国家这一举动。英国国旗的设计没有版权,所以任何人都可以将其作为设计元素。