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。第五句至倒數第二句為一個意群，介紹了由于對神的崇拜而出現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致以大地母親神的敬意已經減少。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《創世記》中強調人類被創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的擁有者。因此詮釋神的意志并且控制城市經濟產品的分配的僧侶以他們超自然的以及在物質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事使軍事領導才能變得非常重要時，成為國王的軍隊首領占據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，他監督城市經濟生活的方方面面，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民;奴隸。