Which of the sentences below best expresses the essential information in the highlighted sentence in the passage? Incorrect choices change the meaning in important ways or leave out essential information.
A.
Scholars hypothesize that religious festivals have changed very little in history since the festivals that Mayans held at the times when they planted their crops.
B.
Through the study of historical and modern practices, scholars concluded that Mayans held religious festivals only at certain times of the year.
C.
Based on their knowledge of historical and modern practices, scholars suppose that peasants gathered in the centers at certain times of the year for religious festivals.
D.
Historical and modern evidence suggests that peasants were allowed to visit the centers only during the crop-planting period because of the religious ceremonies held at that time.
正确答案:C
译文
Prior to the beginning of the Late Preclassic period in 300 B.C., Maya ceremonial centers of relatively substantial size had already appeared in Central America. 在公元前300年的前古典时期晚期开始之前,中美洲已经出现了规模相对大的玛雅仪式中心。 取消收藏 收藏句子 The ceremonial center was a distinctive feature of Maya culture, acting as a focus for the community. 仪式中心是玛雅文化的一个特色,是社区的焦点。 取消收藏 收藏句子 Generally speaking, these centers were not what we would call cities. 通常来说,这些中心并不是我们所说的城市。 取消收藏 收藏句子 [■]Although they did consist of a number of large and varied buildings, they did not have a substantial resident population. 尽管它们确实由许多大型的、各种各样的建筑物组成,但是它们并没有大量居民。 取消收藏 收藏句子 Some scholars have even labeled these Maya centers “vacant towns.” 一些学者甚至将这些玛雅中心称为“空镇”。 取消收藏 收藏句子 [■]Their permanent population consisted mainly of rulers, priests, and their attendants plus a limited number of artisans. 他们的永久居民主要由统治者、祭司和他们的随从,以及少数的工匠组成。 取消收藏 收藏句子 [■]The elite lived in big houses or in palaces in and around the center. 精英们居住在市中心或周边的豪宅或宫殿里。 取消收藏 收藏句子 [■]The bulk of the peasant population lived in much more modest wood and thatch homes in the areas surrounding the centers. 大量农民住在中心周边地区简陋的茅草屋和木制房子里 取消收藏 收藏句子 At certain times of the year, on the occasion of major religious festivals such as the one at the time of the planting of their crops, scholars hypothesize, by analogy to historical and modern practices, that the peasants would flock to the centers to observe and participate in the ceremonies. 在一年中的某些时候,在重大的宗教节日,如种植庄稼时,学者们依据历史和现代的做法进行推测,认为农民会聚集到中心观看和参与仪式。 取消收藏 收藏句子 At other times of the year, some of the peasants would be called into the centers to help in the construction of new temples and palaces dedicated to the glory of the gods and to the comforts of their earthly representatives, the priestly rulers. 在一年中的其他时候,一些农民会被召集到中心去帮忙建造为神的荣耀和他们的世俗代表—祭司统治者的慰藉而建的新的庙宇和宫殿。 取消收藏 收藏句子 The peasants also would provide the food to help sustain the elite in the centers. 农民也会提供食物来帮助维持中心的精英阶层。 取消收藏 收藏句子 在公元前300年的前古典时期晚期开始之前,中美洲已经出现了规模相对大的玛雅仪式中心。仪式中心是玛雅文化的一个特色,是社区的焦点。通常来说,这些中心并不是我们所说的城市。尽管它们确实由许多大型的、各种各样的建筑物组成,但是它们并没有大量居民。一些学者甚至将这些玛雅中心称为“空镇”。他们的永久居民主要由统治者、祭司和他们的随从,以及少数的工匠组成。精英们居住在市中心或周边的豪宅或宫殿里。大量农民住在中心周边地区简陋的茅草屋和木制房子里在一年中的某些时候,在重大的宗教节日,如种植庄稼时,学者们依据历史和现代的做法进行推测,认为农民会聚集到中心观看和参与仪式。在一年中的其他时候,一些农民会被召集到中心去帮忙建造为神的荣耀和他们的世俗代表—祭司统治者的慰藉而建的新的庙宇和宫殿。农民也会提供食物来帮助维持中心的精英阶层。
What the peasants received from the elite was certainly not as tangible as the services they provided. 农民从精英那里得到的当然不如他们所提供的服务那么具象。 取消收藏 收藏句子 In return for food and labor, the peasants were offered a psychologically and spiritually secure and ordered world, as well as access to some trade goods. 作为食物和劳动的回报,农民们得到了一个心理上和精神上安全和有序的世界,同时也获得了一些商品。 取消收藏 收藏句子 Apparently, this was enough. 显然,这些就够了。 取消收藏 收藏句子 Agriculture in the tropical Maya lowlands was at best a chancy business: even slight shifts in the onset of the rainy season or the dry season could mean disaster for that year’s harvest. 热带玛雅低地的农业顶多是一项充满风险的业务:甚至是雨季或旱季轻微的变化,都可能对当年的收成造成灾难。 取消收藏 收藏句子 The religion of the ancient Maya helped the peasants cope with their precarious lives. 古玛雅的宗教帮助农民度过他们岌岌可危的生活。 取消收藏 收藏句子 If the gods were properly propitiated, the crops would be good—as would life in general. 如果神得到适当的供奉,庄稼和生活都会好起来。 取消收藏 收藏句子 农民从精英那里得到的当然不如他们所提供的服务那么具象。作为食物和劳动的回报,农民们得到了一个心理上和精神上安全和有序的世界,同时也获得了一些商品。显然,这些就够了。热带玛雅低地的农业顶多是一项充满风险的业务:甚至是雨季或旱季轻微的变化,都可能对当年的收成造成灾难。古玛雅的宗教帮助农民度过他们岌岌可危的生活。如果神得到适当的供奉,庄稼和生活都会好起来。
One archaeologist, William Haviland, argues that it was the centralizing effects of Maya religion that led to the rise of Classic Maya civilization. 考古学家威廉·哈维兰德(William Haviland)认为,正是玛雅宗教的集中作用导致了玛雅古典时期文明的兴起。 取消收藏 收藏句子 He believes that the religious centers acted as magnets to peoples living in the surrounding areas. 他认为这些宗教中心对居住在周围地区的人们很有吸引力。 取消收藏 收藏句子 To support the growing populations around the centers, Haviland argues, the agricultural systems became intensified. 哈维兰德认为,农业系统变得集约化来支持中心周围不断增长的人口。 取消收藏 收藏句子 This led to the evolution of a complex state. 这带来了一个复杂国家的演变。 取消收藏 收藏句子 Haviland believes that as early as 200 B.C., the “vacant” ceremonial centers at Tikal had begun transformation toward urban centers. 哈维兰德认为,蒂卡尔人员稀少的礼仪中心早在公元前200年就开始向城市中心转变。 取消收藏 收藏句子 Moreover, by this time or even earlier, other centers with huge, labor-intensive buildings had begun to emerge. 此外,这时甚至更早之前,其他拥有大型的劳动密集型建筑的中心也陆续出现。 取消收藏 收藏句子 Sites such as Nakbé, El Mirador, and Lamanai may have approached urban dimensions in the last few centuries of the first millennium B.C. 像Nakbé、El Mirador和Lamanai这些地方在公元前一千年的最后几个世纪可能已经趋于城市规模。 取消收藏 收藏句子 考古学家威廉·哈维兰德(William Haviland)认为,正是玛雅宗教的集中作用导致了玛雅古典时期文明的兴起。他认为这些宗教中心对居住在周围地区的人们很有吸引力。哈维兰德认为,农业系统变得集约化来支持中心周围不断增长的人口。这带来了一个复杂国家的演变。哈维兰德认为,蒂卡尔人员稀少的礼仪中心早在公元前200年就开始向城市中心转变。此外,这时甚至更早之前,其他拥有大型的劳动密集型建筑的中心也陆续出现。像Nakbé、El Mirador和Lamanai这些地方在公元前一千年的最后几个世纪可能已经趋于城市规模。
Other scholars attribute the growth of the ceremonial centers to trade. 其他学者把礼仪中心的发展归因于贸易。 取消收藏 收藏句子 William Rathje argues that the basic cause for the rise of Maya civilization was the necessity for the Maya, who lived in resource-poor lowlands, to trade with adjacent highlanders for materials such as obsidian (a rock used to make ornaments and cutting edges), salt, and hard stone for grinding implements. William Rathje认为,玛雅文明兴起的根本原因是,生活在低地的玛雅人资源短缺,他们必须与附近的高地人进行贸易来获得黑曜石(一种用来制作装饰品和切割的岩石)、盐和用于研磨的硬石等材料。 取消收藏 收藏句子 Rathje maintains that lowland sites such as Tikal, which were quite distant from the highland resource areas, were made bigger and architecturally magnificent to attract highland merchants and their trade. Rathje坚持认为,像Tikal这样的低地地区,距离高原资源地区相当遥远,它们被修建得更大、建筑更宏伟来吸引高原商人和贸易。 取消收藏 收藏句子 In order to undertake all the building, the elite had to attract more artisans and bring more laborers into the community to do the work. 为了承担全部的建设工作,精英阶层必须吸引更多的工匠,并把更多的工人带到社区来工作。 取消收藏 收藏句子 These population increases led in turn to even more building, population growth, greater population density, greater social differentiation, and occupational specialization. 这些人口增长反过来导致了建筑数量和人口的增加,人口密度的增长以及更细的社会分化和职业专业化。 取消收藏 收藏句子 Critics have argued, however, that there were local substitutes for the external “necessities” and that foreign trade was present well before the rise of complex architecture. 然而,批评者认为,外部“必需品”在本地能找到替代品,并且对外贸易在复杂建筑兴起之前就已经存在了。 取消收藏 收藏句子 其他学者把礼仪中心的发展归因于贸易。William Rathje认为,玛雅文明兴起的根本原因是,生活在低地的玛雅人资源短缺,他们必须与附近的高地人进行贸易来获得黑曜石(一种用来制作装饰品和切割的岩石)、盐和用于研磨的硬石等材料。Rathje坚持认为,像Tikal这样的低地地区,距离高原资源地区相当遥远,它们被修建得更大、建筑更宏伟来吸引高原商人和贸易。为了承担全部的建设工作,精英阶层必须吸引更多的工匠,并把更多的工人带到社区来工作。这些人口增长反过来导致了建筑数量和人口的增加,人口密度的增长以及更细的社会分化和职业专业化。然而,批评者认为,外部“必需品”在本地能找到替代品,并且对外贸易在复杂建筑兴起之前就已经存在了。
Yet other factors beyond ideology and trade must have been important in the emerging Classic Maya civilization. 在新兴的玛雅古典时期文明中,贸易和意识形态之外的一些因素肯定也发挥了重要作用。 取消收藏 收藏句子 Competition among the growing number of centers may also have played a key role in the growth of social, economic, and political complexity, as the organization of the centers grew to meet the pressures of other centers for new agricultural land and control of rising populations. 中心之间越来越多的竞争也会在社会、经济和政治复杂性的发展中发挥着重要作用,由于只有中心组织结构的不断发展才能应对其他中心对新型农业用地和控制不断增长的人口的压力。 取消收藏 收藏句子 在新兴的玛雅古典时期文明中,贸易和意识形态之外的一些因素肯定也发挥了重要作用。中心之间越来越多的竞争也会在社会、经济和政治复杂性的发展中发挥着重要作用,由于只有中心组织结构的不断发展才能应对其他中心对新型农业用地和控制不断增长的人口的压力。