要冲

yī gè jūn shì yào chōng

一个军事要冲

a strategic point

lán zhōu yī zhí shì xī běi jiāo tōng de yào chōng

兰州一直是西北交通的要冲。

Lanzhou has always been the communications hub of northwestern China.

tōng xiàng yào sài de yào chōng

通向要塞的要冲

communications hub leading to a fort

yī gè yào chōng chéng shì

一个要冲城市

a gateway city

tā dì chǔ yào chōng

它地处要冲。

It is at a communications centre.

zhè ge chéng shì dì chǔ lǐ xiǎng wèi zhi shì tōng wǎng ōu zhōu gè dà mào yì zhōng xīn de yào chōng

这个城市地处理想位置，是通往欧洲各大贸易中心的要冲。

The city was ideally situated at the crossroads to the great trade centres of Europe.

tā yǐ jīng chéng wéi dōng xī nán běi jiāo tōng de yào chōng nà ge xiǎo xiǎo de cūn zi yǐ jīng péng bó de fā zhǎn qǐ lai

它已经成为东西南北交通的要冲，那个小小的村子已经蓬勃地发展起来。

It had become the crossroads of travel north and south and east and west, and the little village leaped to life.