評(píng)論
打印
Narrator:Listen to part of a lecture in an anthropology class.
獨(dú)白:聽(tīng)下面一段人類(lèi)學(xué)的課堂講解。
One of the big questions when we look at prehistory is why did the earliest states form?
當(dāng)我們審視史前歷史的時(shí)候，最大的一個(gè)問(wèn)題就是為何最早的城邦會(huì)形成。
Well, to begin we'd better define exactly what we mean when we talk about states.
呃，首先我們需要給“城邦”一個(gè)明確的定義。
The human groups that are the smallest and have the least social and political complexity, we call bands.
最小的、社交最少的，而且政治體系最不復(fù)雜的人類(lèi)群體，我們稱(chēng)之為群體。
The groups that are the largest and most socially and politically complex, we call states.
最大的、社交最多的，而且政治體系最復(fù)雜的，我們稱(chēng)之為城邦。
So, the level of complexity here refers to the organization of people into large, diverse groups, and densely populated communities.
這里指的復(fù)雜水平是說(shuō)人們?nèi)后w組織發(fā)展成龐大，群體多樣，人口密集的集體。
And there are four levels in total:bands, tribes, chiefdoms and states.
而總共有四種社會(huì)組織：群體、部落、酉幫以及城邦。
But, but back to my original question.
那么再回到我起初的問(wèn)題上來(lái)，
Why did early states form?
為什么早期的城邦會(huì)形成呢？
Why not just continue to live in small groups?
為何不繼續(xù)生活在小群體中呢？
Why become more complex?
為什么要變得更復(fù)雜呢？
One theory called the environmental approach hypothesizes that the main force behind state formation was population growth.
一種叫做環(huán)境法的理論推測(cè)人口增長(zhǎng)是城邦的形成的主要推動(dòng)力。
It assumes that centralized management was critical to dealing with issues caused by sudden population surges, like a strain on limited food supplies.
這種理論認(rèn)為集中管理對(duì)處理人口突然劇增引起的問(wèn)題是至關(guān)重要的，比如緊張有限的食物供應(yīng)。
At the least complex end of the spectrum, the few families living in bands are able to meet their own basic needs.
在社會(huì)復(fù)雜度最低的范圍內(nèi)，為數(shù)不多的家庭能夠自給自足。
They usually hunt together and forage whatever foods are available to them, instead of domesticating animals and planting crops.
他們通常一起打獵，尋找一切可以得到的食物，而不是馴養(yǎng)動(dòng)物或種植莊稼。
In order to efficiently take advantage of the wild foods available, bands are often nomadic and move around following herds of animals.
為了更有效的捕獵到野生動(dòng)物，他們通常是游牧民族，追隨著一群群動(dòng)物的遷徙而隨遇而安。
This strategy is feasible when you have a small population.
這種生活方式在人口小的群體中是可行的。
But when you have a large population, well, the whole population can't just get up and move to follow a wild herd of animals.
而當(dāng)人口很多的時(shí)候，就不可能所有人都隨時(shí)起身并跟著一群野生動(dòng)物四處游蕩。
So you need sophisticated technologies to produce enough food for everyone.
因此就需要復(fù)雜的技術(shù)來(lái)為每個(gè)人提供充足的食物。
And there is an increase need to resolve social problems that arise as people begin to compete for resources.
而且由于人們?yōu)橘Y源相互競(jìng)爭(zhēng)而引起的眾多社會(huì)問(wèn)題也都需要得到解決。
To manage intensified food production, to collect, store and distribute food, you need centralized decision-making, centralized decision-makers.
為了加強(qiáng)食物的生產(chǎn)、收集、儲(chǔ)藏及分配，你就需要一個(gè)中央的決策及一個(gè)決策者。
It's the same thing when it comes to maintaining social order.
同樣，維持社會(huì)秩序也如此。
You need to create and efficiently enforce a formal legal code.
你需要?jiǎng)?chuàng)建并有效的實(shí)施一項(xiàng)正式的法典，
It makes sense to have a centralized authority in charge of that, right?
那么有個(gè)中央權(quán)力機(jī)構(gòu)來(lái)負(fù)責(zé)就很說(shuō)得通了，對(duì)嗎？
So a hierarchy forms.
因此就形成了階級(jí)。
By definition, states had at least three social levels.
定義上看，城邦至少有三個(gè)社會(huì)等級(jí)。
Usually, an upper class of rulers, a middleclass comprised of managers and merchants, and a lower class of crop producers and agricultural laborers.
通常是上層由領(lǐng)導(dǎo)階級(jí)構(gòu)成，中層管理人員及商人構(gòu)成，下層則由農(nóng)作物生產(chǎn)者及農(nóng)業(yè)勞動(dòng)者構(gòu)成。
The environmental approach hypothesizes that states appear in certain environmental settings, settings which have a severe population problem or a shortage of agricultural land.
環(huán)境法推測(cè)城邦是在特定的環(huán)境條件中出現(xiàn)的，這樣的環(huán)境可能是存在嚴(yán)重的人口問(wèn)題或者是農(nóng)業(yè)用地短缺。
But not everyone agrees with the theory.
但并不是每個(gè)人都同意這個(gè)觀(guān)點(diǎn)。
It definitely has some weaknesses.
這個(gè)理論肯定是存在一些弊病的。
For example, states have developed in places like the mild lowlands of Mesoamerica and in Egypt's Nile River Valley.
比如在中美洲溫暖的低地及埃及的尼羅河畔就都有城邦的出現(xiàn)。
Both places had vast areas of fertile farmland, no shortage of agricultural land.
這兩個(gè)地方有廣闊肥沃的土地，并不是農(nóng)業(yè)用地匱乏。
And what about population increase?
那么人口增加這一點(diǎn)呢？
Well, there were some early states that formed where there wasn't any sudden population increase.
呃，有一些早期城邦是在沒(méi)有人口突然加劇的情況下產(chǎn)生的。
So it seems that these are valid criticisms of the environmental approach.
因此，看來(lái)這些都是對(duì)環(huán)境法的有力的批判。
