Recent studies of ancient Maya water management have found that the urban architecture of some cities was used to divert rainfall runoff into gravity-fed systems of interconnected reservoirs. In the central and southern May Lowlands, this kind of water control was necessary to support large populations throughout the year due to the scarcity of perennial surface water and the seasonal availability of rainfall. Some scholars argue that the concentration of water within the urban core of these sites provided a centralized source of political authority for Maya elites based largely on controlled water access. Such an argument is plausible, however, it is less useful for understanding the sociopolitical implications of water use and control in other, water-rich parts of the Maya region.
1. The author of the passage implies which of the following about the political importance of the type of urban water management system described in the passage?
A. Because the system was centralized, it allowed political control over a widely scattered population.
B. The knowledge required to design and maintain the system became the pretext for Maya elites’ political authority.
C. By selectively limiting access to water, Maya elites used the system to curb challenges to their authority
D. The system is not sufficient to explain the sources of centralized political power in all parts of the Maya region
E. The system’s continued maintenance required political authorities to exert control over an increasing proportion of economic resources.
答案：D
Consider each of the choices separately and select all that apply.
2. According to the passage, which of the following is true of the water management systems in the central and southern Maya Lowlands?
A. They were implemented in part because of the prevailing pattern of rainfall.
B. They were an integral part of lowland cities’ architecture.
C. They were needed because of insufficient resources such as ponds, rivers and lakes in the lowlands.
答案：ABC
解析見下。
Recent studies of ancient Maya water management have found that the urban architecture of some cities was used to divert rainfall runoff into gravity-fed systems of interconnected reservoirs.
第1句：最近對古代瑪雅水資源管理的研究發現，一些城市的城市建築被用來將降雨徑流引導到由相互連接的蓄水池構成的受重力作用的系統中。
rainfall runoff，降雨徑流，也就是雨水落下彙集成的水流。
一整套收集雨水的系統，包括一些連在一起的蓄水池——這就意味著一個地方不止一個蓄水池，而是修了很多蓄水池，用管道之類的方式連在一起；還包括引導降雨形成的水流流進蓄水池的裝置，很可能是一些管子、水渠之類的裝置。為什麼雨水能乖乖被引導進蓄水池呢？因為這個蓄水系統是gravity-fed，受重力作用的，意思很清楚，就是利用了重力。很可能是蓄水池修在比較低的地方，那麼水的重力會自然使得水順著流進池子。
“一些城市的建築被用來將降雨徑流引導到由相互連接的蓄水池構成的受重力作用的系統中”——這話有深意啊。意味著蓄水系統至少也算城市建築的一部分，甚至可能意味著這些城市沒有別的建築物了，就只有蓄水系統。
In the central and southern Maya Lowlands, this kind of water control was necessary to supportlarge populations throughout the year due to the scarcity of perennial surface water and the seasonal availability of rainfall.
第2句：在瑪雅的中部和南部低地，由於常年地表水的稀缺和降雨的季節性可用性，這種水控制對於支持大量人口度過整年是必要的。
這話內涵得很，需要仔細分析。
首先，瑪雅不同地方條件不同。中部南部有低地——地勢低；並且氣候不佳——常年地表水的稀缺+降雨的季節性可用性。這倆表達啥意思？
常年地表水的稀缺——常年地表水，意味著這種地表水常年都在地表，不是那種太陽一出來就曬沒了的的小水坑，不會消失。想明白常年地表水是啥了嗎？就是指地表的江河湖，常年都在。故而，常年地表水的稀缺指的就是，中部南部缺乏江河湖等常年可用的水源。
降雨的季節性可用性——倒不是沒有降雨，有降雨，但是其可用性是季節性的。也就是說，只有某些季節才有降雨可用；有的季節沒有降雨可用。那就意味著，降雨不能成為全年可用的穩定水源。
但是中部南部有大量人口，這麼多人天天都要喝水，這地方缺乏江河湖，又不是每個季節下雨，人不可能只在有降水的季節喝水，其他季節不喝吧。所以，必須建造儲存雨水的系統，把雨水管理起來，這樣才能全年都有水。
Some scholars argue that the concentration of water within the urban core of these sites provided a centralized source of political authority for Maya elites based largely on controlled water access.
第3句：一些學者認為，水資源被集中在這些地點的城市中心，為主要依靠被其控制的水資源使用權的瑪雅精英提供了政治權威的一箇中央集權的來源。
一些學者認為，水被集中在城市中心的意義不僅僅是給人口供水，還使得精英擁有了權力。Maya elites是based largely on controlled water access的，主要依靠被其控制的水資源使用權的瑪雅精英，也就是，瑪雅精英之所以成為精英，之所以能凌駕於普通瑪雅人之上，是因為他們控制了水。人沒水就會死，所以精英擁有了對其他人的權力。
另外，瑪雅精英擁有政治權威，其政治權威是中央集權的，也就是政治權力是集中的，被統治者掌握。這種權力的來源是什麼？就是來自於對水的控制。
這是這些學者的看法。他們通過對水的控制來解釋瑪雅的中央集權的權力來源。
Such an argument is plausible, however, it is less useful for understanding the sociopolitical implications of water use and control in other, water-rich parts of the Maya region.
第4句：這樣的觀點似乎是合理的，但是，它對了解瑪雅地區其他水資源豐富地區的水資源利用和控制的社會政治影響的用處不大。
上文學者的觀點只是對缺水的中部南部看起來還蠻有道理，但對水資源豐富的地方就解釋不通了。水資源豐富的地方不缺水，可能有江河湖，可能一年四季都有雨，在這樣的地方，精英無法通過控制水來獲得權力。在那些地方，控制蓄水系統有什麼政治意義、社會意義呢？不知道。這個觀點解釋不了。
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