英語聽力小短文走遍全世界42: 埃及的社會結(jié)構(gòu)和支付方式

英語聽力原文：

Egyptian society had a strictly organized class structure. The majority of people consisted of farmers and craftsmen who were led by the land-owning elite of officials and priests.

埃及社會有一套嚴(yán)格組織起來的社會等級結(jié)構(gòu)。大部分人都是農(nóng)民和工匠，他們由擁有土地的官員和牧師所組成的精英階級所領(lǐng)導(dǎo)。

Everyone belonged to a group and worked in a team, usually in huge workshops, or "Storehouses", which were controlled by the king and the temples.

每個人都隸屬于一個群體，在團(tuán)隊里面勞作，工作常常是在國王和神殿掌控下的大型的作坊里，或叫做“儲藏所”。

The organization of society was based on the master-servant principle: just as the king was the servant of the gods and was himself the master of his people, so was every Egyptian the master of one and the servant of another. At the top of this social ladder were the high officials, the intellectuals or "Scribes", and on the lowest rungs were those who did the simple but heavy work, such as kitchen staff and farm laborers. The heaviest work was done by prisoners-of-war and criminals.

整個社會的組織結(jié)構(gòu)是建立在主仆原則上的：正如國王是諸神的仆人同時又是他的臣民的主人，每個埃及人都同時是一個人的主人又是另一個人的仆人。在這個社會等級結(jié)構(gòu)頂端的是高級官員們、知識分子或者“抄書吏”，最底層的則是那些做著簡單卻繁重的工作的人們，比如在廚房里干活的人們和農(nóng)場的勞工。最重的活兒是由戰(zhàn)俘和罪犯來做的。

A working week lasted nine days and was followed by one day of rest. There was no work for almost half of the year, since nobody worked on festival days to honor the gods (and there were a lot of those in Egypt), or other special occasions.

一個工作周持續(xù)9天，休息一天之后另一個工作周又開始了。一年中大部分的時間都不用工作，因為不會有人在敬神的節(jié)日里(在埃及有許多這樣的節(jié)日)或其他特殊場合里工作。

Barter, rather than circulated money, was the means of payment. A basket cost so much grain, a stone coffin so many cows or other goods. Taxes were paid in products and grain, but also in work, such as compulsory work for the king. Economic depressions, often caused by famine, could result in social unrest and even strikes.

在埃及，支付方式是以物易物，而不是使用流通的貨幣。一個籃子值這么多的谷子，一座石棺值那么多的母?；蛘邉e的貨物。賦稅是用產(chǎn)品和谷物繳的，但也可以用勞務(wù)來繳稅，比如強(qiáng)制為國王干活。通常因饑荒而引起的經(jīng)濟(jì)不景氣會引發(fā)社會動亂甚至罷工。

英語詞匯整理：

1. elite n.精英，精華

eg: He is an educated and intellectual elite.

他是受過教育的知識分子精英。

短語：

elite education 精英教育，英才教育

2. intellectual n. 憑理智做事者，知識分子 adj. 智力的，聰明的

eg: High levels of lead could damage the intellectual development of children.

高含鉛量會損害兒童的智力發(fā)育。

詞語用法：

intellectual用作形容詞的意思是“智力的,善于思維的”,可用于人、人的言行或特性,側(cè)重于人的才華。在句中一般用作定語。

3. criminal n. 罪犯 adj. 犯罪的，刑事的，違法的

eg: Her husband faces various criminal charges.

她丈夫面臨多項刑事的指控。

短語：

loose criminal 在逃犯

criminal action 刑事訴訟

criminal act 罪行，犯罪行為

4. festival adj.節(jié)日的，喜慶的 n. 節(jié)日，歡宴，慶祝及祭祀

eg: Many towns hold their own summer festivals of music, theatre, and dance.

很多城市都舉辦自己的夏季音樂、戲劇和舞蹈節(jié)。

短語：

lantern festival 元宵節(jié)，燈節(jié)

music festival 音樂節(jié)

spring festival春節(jié)

5. circulated adj.流通的

eg: We should often open the windows to allow the air to circulate.

我們應(yīng)當(dāng)經(jīng)常打開窗戶以使空氣流通。

短語：

circulated usage 循環(huán)使用

circulated cheque 周轉(zhuǎn)支票

6. coffin n. 棺材，柩

eg: We draped the flag round the coffin.

我們把旗幟覆蓋在靈柩上。

短語：

drive a nail into someone's coffin 促使某人早死(或毀滅)

flying coffin 飛機(jī);滑翔機(jī)

coffin chamber 墓室

7. compulsory adj. 強(qiáng)制的，勢在必行的，義務(wù)的

eg: Chinese is a compulsory subject.

漢語是必修課。

短語：

compulsory contribution 強(qiáng)迫捐款

compulsory execution 強(qiáng)制執(zhí)行

8. depression n.沮喪，蕭條

eg: Many people were idle during the depression.

在那蕭條時期，很多人都無事可做。

短語：

fall into a (deep)depression 變得意志消沉，精神沮喪

9. famine n. 饑荒，極度缺乏

eg: Thousands of refugees are trapped by war, drought and famine.

成千上萬的難民陷于戰(zhàn)爭、干旱和饑荒的困境。

短語：

suffer from famine 鬧饑荒

die of famine 餓死

佳句采摘：

The organization of society was based on the master-servant principle: just as the king was the servant of the gods and was himself the master of his people, so was every Egyptian the master of one and the servant of another.

整個社會的組織結(jié)構(gòu)是建立在主仆原則之上的：正如國王是諸神的仆人同時又是他的臣民的主人，每個埃及人都同時是一個人的主人又是另一個人的仆人。