托福古代文明文章翻譯第三篇：TPO8閱讀1—The Rise of Teotihuacan中美洲文明古城特奧蒂瓦坎的興起

學科詞匯總結words

大城市metropolis

宗教建筑religious edifice

圣殿shrine

行政中心administrative center

作坊workshop

建筑物綜合體complex

地理位置geographic location

自然資源natural resource

灌溉irrigation

商品commodity

外來的exotic

移民immigrant

居民inhabitant

文章翻譯translation

一、古代文明城市特奧蒂瓦坎城的繁榮景象

The city of Teotihuacán, which lay about 50 kilometers northeast of modern-day Mexico City, began its growth by 200-100 B.C. At its height, between about A.D. 150 and 700, it probably had a population of more than 125,000 people and covered at least 20 square kilometers. It had over 2,000 apartment complexes, a great market, a large number of industrial workshops, an administrative center, a number of massive religious edifices, and a regular grid pattern of streets and buildings. Clearly, much planning and central control were involved in the expansion and ordering of this great metropolis. Moreover, the city had economic and perhaps religious contacts with most parts of Mesoamerica (modern Central America and Mexico).

特奧蒂瓦坎城位于現(xiàn)在的墨西哥城東北約50公里處，起源于公元前200到100年前。在大約在公元150到700年間的鼎盛時期，特奧蒂瓦坎城可能有超過12.5萬的人口至少覆蓋20平方公里的范圍。它擁有超過2,000座公寓大廈、一座大型市場、大量的工業(yè)作坊、一個行政管理中心、眾多龐大的宗教建筑和規(guī)則的街道建筑網(wǎng)絡。很明顯，這座大城市的擴張過程中包含了很多的規(guī)劃和集中管理。此外，特奧蒂瓦坎城與中美洲的大部分地區(qū)都保持著經(jīng)濟和宗教的聯(lián)系。

二、特奧蒂瓦坎城崛起的因素：地理位置;灌溉;宗教圣殿

How did this tremendous development take place, and why did it happen in the Teotihuacán Valley? Among the main factors are Teotihuacán’s geographic location on a natural trade route to the south and east of the Valley of Mexico, the obsidian resources in the Teotihuacán Valley itself, and the valley’s potential for extensive irrigation. The exact role of other factors is much more difficult to pinpoint―for instance, Teotihuacán’s religious significance as a shrine, the historical situation in and around the Valley of Mexico toward the end of the first millennium B.C., the ingenuity and foresightedness of Teotihuacán’s elite, and, finally, the impact of natural disasters, such as the volcanic eruptions of the late first millennium B.C.這驚人的發(fā)展是如何完成的呢，它為何會發(fā)生在特奧蒂瓦坎山谷呢？其中主要的原因就是特奧蒂瓦坎坐落在通向墨西哥谷南部和東部的自然的貿(mào)易線路上，特奧蒂瓦坎谷本身擁有的黑曜石資源，還有特奧蒂瓦坎谷大面積灌溉的能力。而其他的因素的作用則很難準確的描繪，例如，特奧蒂瓦坎作為宗教圣地的重要地位，在公元前一千年末期墨西哥谷及其周圍地區(qū)的歷史情況，特奧蒂瓦坎精英們的聰明才智和遠見性，以及自然災害的沖擊，比如在公元前一千年后期的火山噴發(fā)。

三、特奧蒂瓦坎城崛起的其他原因：周邊城市火山爆發(fā)

This last factor is at least circumstantially implicated in Teotihuacán’s rise. Prior to 200 B.C., a number of relatively small centers coexisted in and near the Valley of Mexico. Around this time, the largest of these centers, Cuicuilco, was seriously affected by a volcanic eruption, with much of its agricultural land covered by lava. With Cuicuilco eliminated as a potential rival, any one of a number of relatively modest towns might have emerged as a leading economic and political power in Central Mexico. The archaeological evidence clearly indicates, though, that Teotihuacán was the center that did arise as the predominant force in the area by the first century A.D.特奧蒂瓦坎的崛起的最后一個因素比較隱晦。在公元前200年以前，有很多相對較小的城市中心在墨西哥谷和墨西哥谷周圍共存著。在此期間最大的城市中心Cuicuilco遭到火山爆發(fā)的嚴重影響，其大部分農(nóng)田被巖漿覆蓋了。隨著Cuicuilco這個潛在的競爭對手被淘汰，其他任何一個中等的城鎮(zhèn)都可能崛起成為墨西哥中部政治和經(jīng)濟的中心城邦。考古資料清楚的顯示出特奧蒂瓦坎就是在公元一世紀時在墨西哥中部崛起的政治和經(jīng)濟中心。

四、特奧蒂瓦坎城崛起的另外一個因素：黑曜石資源豐富

It seems likely that Teotihuacán’s natural resources, along with the city elite’s ability to recognize their potential, gave the city a competitive edge over its neighbors. The valley, like many other places in Mexican and Guatemalan highlands, was rich in obsidian. The hard volcanic stone was a resource that had been in great demand for many years, at least since the rise of the Olmecs (a people who flourished between 1200 and 400 B.C.), and it apparently had a secure market. Moreover, recent research on obsidian tools found at Olmec sites has shown that some of the obsidian obtained by the Olmecs originated near Teotihuacán. Teotihuacán obsidian must have been recognized as a valuable commodity for many centuries before the great city arose.

也許是因為特奧蒂瓦坎的自然資源以及其精英階層對這些資源的充分開發(fā)讓這座城市相對于周邊城市具有競爭優(yōu)勢。像墨西哥和危地馬拉高地的其他地區(qū)一樣，特奧蒂瓦坎谷也富產(chǎn)黑曜石。這種堅硬的火山石多年來一直是需求旺盛的資源，至少從奧爾梅克人(一個在公元前1200到400年間繁榮的民族)崛起之后是這樣的，很顯然黑曜石有著一個穩(wěn)定的市場。此外，最近對奧爾梅克遺址中發(fā)掘的黑曜石工具的研究表明，奧爾梅克人所獲得的一些黑曜石源自特奧蒂瓦坎地區(qū)。在這座偉大的城市崛起之前的數(shù)百年，特奧蒂瓦坎的黑曜石一定經(jīng)被視為貴重的商品了。

五、特奧蒂瓦坎的宗教影響力吸引人們遷移到特奧蒂瓦坎

Long-distance trade in obsidian probably gave the elite residents of Teotihuacán access to a wide variety of exotic good, as well as a relatively prosperous life. Such success may have attracted immigrants to Teotihuacán. In addition, Teotihuacán’s elite may have consciously attempted to attract new inhabitants. It is also probable that as early as 200 B.C. Teotihuacán may have achieved some religious significance and its shrine (or shrines) may have served as an additional population magnet. Finally, the growing population was probably fed by increasing the number and size of irrigated fields.

黑曜石遠離的貿(mào)易給特奧蒂瓦坎的精英階層的居民提供了接觸各種各樣的外來商品和相對繁榮生活的機會。而這也吸引了人們遷移到特奧蒂瓦坎。另外，特奧蒂瓦坎的精英階層也可能會有意去吸引新的定居者。早在公元前200年前特奧蒂瓦坎就有一定的宗教影響力，而其宗教圣地的地位也吸引了一定的人口。最后人們通過擴大灌溉土地的數(shù)量額面積來養(yǎng)活越來越多的人口。

六、特奧蒂瓦坎城崛起的幾個因素之間可以良性互動。

The picture of Teotihuacán that emerges is a classic picture of positive feedback among obsidian mining and working, trade, population growth, irrigation, and religious tourism. The thriving obsidian operation, for example, would necessitate more miners, additional manufacturers of obsidian tools, and additional traders to carry the goods to new markets. All this led to increased wealth, which in turn would attract more immigrants to Teotihuacán. The growing power of the elite, who controlled the economy, would give them the means to physically coerce people to move to Teotihuacán and serve as additions to the labor force. More irrigation works would have to be built to feed the growing population, and this resulted in more power and wealth for the elite.

這浮現(xiàn)在人們眼前的是一幅有關特奧蒂瓦坎的黑曜石采礦，加工，貿(mào)易，人口增長，灌溉，宗教旅游良性互動的景象。例如，黑曜石交易的繁榮帶來更多的礦工和更多的黑曜石工具制造商，以及需要更多的商人將商品運往新的市場。而所有的這一切都增加了人們的財富，而財富的增加又會吸引更多的人遷移到特奧蒂瓦坎。而那些掌控特奧蒂瓦坎經(jīng)濟的精英階層權力的增加為他們提供了各種手段以迫使人們遷移到特奧蒂瓦坎充當額外的勞動力。于是更多的灌溉工程得以建立來養(yǎng)活不斷增加的人口，而這又會進一步增加特奧蒂瓦坎精英階層的權力和財富。