十、蘇美爾人

　　All Sumerian cities recognized a number of gods in common，including the sky god，the lord of storms，and the morning and evening star.__1__the Sumerian worshipped the goddess of fertility，love，and war，she was evidently lower__2__status than the male gods，indicating that in a more urbanized society the__3__that the peoples of previous times had paid to the earth mother goddess had__4__. The gods seemed hopelessly violent and __5__，and one‘s life a period of slavery at their easy will. The epic poem The Creation emphasizes that__6__were created to enable the gods to__7__ up working. Each city moreover had its own god，who was considered to__8__ the temple literally and who was in theory the owner of all property within the city.__9__the priests who interpreted the will of the god and controlled the__10__ of the economic produce of the city were favored__11__ their supernatural and material functions __12__. When，after 3，000 B. C.，growing warfare among the cities made military leadership__13__，the head of the army who became king assumed a(n)__14__position between the god，whose agent he was，and the priestly class，whom he had both to use and to __15__. Thus king and priests represented the upper class in a hierarchical society.__16__them were the scribes，the secular attendants of the temple，who__17__every aspect of the city’s economic life and who developed a rough judicial system.__18__the temple officials，society was divided among an elite or__19__ group of large landowners and military leaders;a mixed group of merchants，artisans，and craftsmen，free peasants who__20__ the majority of the population;and slaves.

　　1. [A] Unless [B] As [C] Lest [D] Although

　　2. [A] on [B] in [C] with [D] about

　　3. [A] worship [B] reverence [C] admiration [D] gratitude

　　4. [A] vanished [B] recovered [C] declined [D] attained

　　5. [A] unpredictable[B] unforgivable[C] unlimited [D] unlikely

　　6. [A] creatures [B] animals [C] men [D] mortals

　　7. [A] use [B] turn [C] give [D] back

　　8. [A] inhabit [B] live [C] reside [D] lodge

　　9. [A] Hence [B] Thereafter [C] Somehow [D] Incidentally

　　10. [A] introduction[B] transaction [C] distribution[D] provision

　　11. [A] as [B] for [C] under [D] of

　　12. [A] along [B] anyway [C] afterwards [D] alike

　　13. [A] additional [B] vital [C] singular [D] exceptional

　　14. [A] alternative [B] secondary [C] intermediate[D] fundamental

　　15. [A] pacify [B] tempt [C] suppress [D] manipulate

　　16. [A] Beside [B] Beyond [C] Below [D] Before

　　17. [A] supervised [B] held [C] managed [D] presided

　　18. [A] Around [B] Under [C] Above [D] Outside

　　19. [A] leading [B] noble [C] controlling [D] principal

　　20. [A] consist [B] compose [C] compile [D] consume

　　答案

　　1. D 2. B 3. B 4. C 5. A 6. D 7.C 8.A 9. A 10. C

　　11. B 12. D 13.B 14.C 15. A 16. C 17. A 18. D 19. B 20. B

　　總體分析

　　本文介紹了蘇美爾人對神的崇拜及由此引起的社會階層的劃分。第一句至第四句為一個意群，主要介紹了蘇美爾人對神的崇拜，以及神凌駕于人之上。第五句至倒數(shù)第二句為一個意群，介紹了由于對神的崇拜而出現(xiàn)的社會上層階層及其職能。末句附帶說明了在宗教體系之外的社會階層。

　　全文翻譯

　　所有的蘇美爾城邦都認可很多共同的神，包括天空之神、風暴之王、晨星和昏星。雖然蘇美爾人崇拜代表繁衍、愛和戰(zhàn)爭的女神，但她在地位上卻明顯低于男性神。這表明在一個更趨都市化的社會中，過去時代的民族曾經(jīng)致以大地母親神的敬意已經(jīng)減少。神似乎都極其暴力且捉摸不定，人的一生成為任他們擺布和奴役的一生。史詩《創(chuàng)世記》中強調(diào)人類被創(chuàng)造出來是為了使神放棄勞動。而且每一座城邦都有它自己的神，該神被認為確實居住在廟宇里，理論上則是城邦里所有財產(chǎn)的擁有者。因此詮釋神的意志并且控制城市經(jīng)濟產(chǎn)品的分配的僧侶以他們超自然的以及在物質(zhì)方面享有的功能而受到青睞。公元前3000年以后，當城市不斷增多的戰(zhàn)事使軍事領(lǐng)導才能變得非常重要時，成為國王的軍隊首領(lǐng)占據(jù)了在神與僧侶階層之間的位置，他是神的代言人，對僧侶階層既利用又安撫。因此在一個等級社會中國王和僧侶代表了上層階級。居于他們之下的是書吏，即，廟宇世俗的侍臣，他監(jiān)督城市經(jīng)濟生活的方方面面，并制定粗略的司法體系。在廟宇官員之外，社會被劃分為四類人：大地主和軍事領(lǐng)導人這樣一群精英和貴族人群;商人、工匠和技工的混合群體;占人口大部分的自由農(nóng)民;奴隸。