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
解析见下。
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：最近对古代玛雅水资源管理的研究发现，一些城市的城市建筑被用来将降雨径流引导到由相互连接的蓄水池构成的受重力作用的系统中。
rainfall runoff，降雨径流，也就是雨水落下汇集成的水流。
一整套收集雨水的系统，包括一些连在一起的蓄水池——这就意味着一个地方不止一个蓄水池，而是修了很多蓄水池，用管道之类的方式连在一起；还包括引导降雨形成的水流流进蓄水池的装置，很可能是一些管子、水渠之类的装置。为什么雨水能乖乖被引导进蓄水池呢？因为这个蓄水系统是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较低的地方，那么水的重力会自然使得水顺着流进池子。
“一些城市的建筑被用来将降雨径流引导到由相互连接的蓄水池构成的受重力作用的系统中”——这话有深意啊。意味着蓄水系统至少也算城市建筑的一部分，甚至可能意味着这些城市没有别的建筑物了，就只有蓄水系统。
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：在玛雅的中部和南部低地，由于常年地表水的稀缺和降雨的季节性可用性，这种水控制对于支持大量人口度过整年是必要的。
这话内涵得很，需要仔细分析。
首先，玛雅不同地方条件不同。中部南部有低地——地势低；并且气候不佳——常年地表水的稀缺+降雨的季节性可用性。这俩表达啥意思？
常年地表水的稀缺——常年地表水，意味着这种地表水常年都在地表，不是那种太阳一出来就晒没了的的小水坑，不会消失。想明白常年地表水是啥了吗？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。
降雨的季节性可用性——倒不是没有降雨，有降雨，但是其可用性是季节性的。也就是说，只有某些季节才有降雨可用；有的季节没有降雨可用。那就意味着，降雨不能成为全年可用的稳定水源。
但是中部南部有大量人口，这么多人天天都要喝水，这地方缺乏江河湖，又不是每个季节下雨，人不可能只在有降水的季节喝水，其他季节不喝吧。所以，必须建造储存雨水的系统，把雨水管理起来，这样才能全年都有水。
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：一些学者认为，水资源被集中在这些地点的城市中心，为主要依靠被其控制的水资源使用权的玛雅精英提供了政治权威的一个中央集权的来源。
一些学者认为，水被集中在城市中心的意义不仅仅是给人口供水，还使得精英拥有了权力。Maya elites是based largely on controlled water access的，主要依靠被其控制的水资源使用权的玛雅精英，也就是，玛雅精英之所以成为精英，之所以能凌驾于普通玛雅人之上，是因为他们控制了水。人没水就会死，所以精英拥有了对其他人的权力。
另外，玛雅精英拥有政治权威，其政治权威是中央集权的，也就是政治权力是集中的，被统治者掌握。这种权力的来源是什么？就是来自于对水的控制。
这是这些学者的看法。他们通过对水的控制来解释玛雅的中央集权的权力来源。
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：这样的观点似乎是合理的，但是，它对了解玛雅地区其他水资源丰富地区的水资源利用和控制的社会政治影响的用处不大。
上文学者的观点只是对缺水的中部南部看起来还蛮有道理，但对水资源丰富的地方就解释不通了。水资源丰富的地方不缺水，可能有江河湖，可能一年四季都有雨，在这样的地方，精英无法通过控制水来获得权力。在那些地方，控制蓄水系统有什么政治意义、社会意义呢？不知道。这个观点解释不了。
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