英语阅读理解100篇(高级篇)-5
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Passage Five (Women’s Positions in the 17th Century)

Social circumstances in Early Modern England mostly served to repress women’s voices. Patriarchal culture and institutions constructed them as chaste1, silent, obedient, and subordinate. At the beginning of the 17th century, the ideology2 of patriarchy, political absolutism, and gender3 hierarchy4 were reaffirmed powerfully by King James in The Trew Law of Free Monarchie and the Basilikon Doron; by that ideology the absolute power of God the supreme6 patriarch was seen to be imaged in the absolute monarch5 of the state and in the husband and father of a family. Accordingly, a woman’s subjection, first to her father and then to her husband, imaged the subjection of English people to their monarch, and of all Christians7 to God. Also, the period saw an outpouring of repressive or overtly8 misogynist9 sermons, tracts10, and plays, detailing women’s physical and mental defects, spiritual evils, rebelliousness12, shrewish ness, and natural inferiority to men.

Yet some social and cultural conditions served to empower women. During the Elizabethan era (1558—1603) the culture was dominated by a powerful Queen, who provided an impressive female example though she left scant13 cultural space for other women. Elizabethan women writers began to produce original texts but were occupied chiefly with translation. In the 17th century, however, various circumstances enabled women to write original texts in some numbers. For one thing, some counterweight to patriarchy was provided by female communities—mothers and daughters, extended kinship networks, close female friends, the separate court of Queen Anne (King James’ consort) and her often oppositional14 masques and political activities. For another, most of these women had a reasonably good education (modern languages, history, literature, religion, music, occasionally Latin) and some apparently15 found in romances and histories more expansive terms for imagining women’s lives. Also, representation of vigorous and rebellious11 female characters in literature and especially on the stage no doubt helped to undermine any monolithic16 social construct of women’s mature and role.

Most important, perhaps, was the radical17 potential inherent in the Protestant insistence18 on every Christian’s immediate19 relationship with God and primary responsibility to follow his or her individual conscience. There is plenty of support in St Paul’s epistles and elsewhere in the Bible for patriarchy and a wife’s subjection to her husband, but some texts (notably Galatians 3:28) inscribe20 a very different politics, promoting women’s spiritual equality: “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Jesus Christ.” Such texts encouraged some women to claim the support of God the supreme patriarch against the various earthly patriarchs who claimed to stand toward them in his stead.

There is also the gap or slippage between ideology and common experience. English women throughout the 17th century exercised a good deal of accrual21 power: as managers of estates in their husbands’ absences at court or on military and diplomatic missions; as members of guilds22; as wives and mothers who apex23 during the English Civil War and Interregnum (1640-60) as the execution of the King and the attendant disruption of social hierarchies24 led many women to seize new roles—as preachers, as prophetesses, as deputies for exiled royalist husbands, as writers of religious and political tracts.

 

1.       What is the best title for this passage?

[A]. Women’s Position in the 17th Century.

[B]. Women’s Subjection to Patriarchy.

[C]. Social Circumstances in the 17th Century.

[D]. Women’s objection in the 17th Century.

2.       What did the Queen Elizabeth do for the women in culture?

[A]. She set an impressive female example to follow.

[B]. She dominated the culture.

[C]. She did little.

[D]. She allowed women to translate something.

3.       Which of the following is Not mention as a reason to enable women to original texts?

[A].Female communities provided some counterweight to patriarchy.

[B]. Queen Anne’s political activities.

[C]. Most women had a good education.

[D]. Queen Elizabeth’s political activities.

4.       What did the religion so for the women?

[A]. It did nothing.

[B]. It too asked women to be obedient except some texts.

[C]. It supported women.

[D]. It appealed to the God.

 

Vocabulary

1.       repress                       压制,镇压,约束

2.       patriarchy                    族长制,家长制

3.       chaste                       贞洁的,高雅的

4.       hierarchy                     等级制

5.       monarch                      君主,最高统治

6.       image                        象征,反映

7.       overtly                       公开的,明显的

8.       outpour                      倾泻

9.       sermon                       布道,说教

10.   tract                         政治宗教,小册子传单

11.   misogynist                    反对妇女

12.   shrewish                      泼妇似的,爱骂街的

13.   counterweight                  抗衡

14.   consort                       配偶

15.   masque                       化装舞会

16.   monolithic                    铁板一样的,磐石般的

17.   epistle                        圣经·新约中的使徒书

18.   Galatians                      新约圣经中加拉太书

19.   inscribe                       写,题写,铭记

 

难句译注

1.       Also, the period saw an outpouring of repressive or overtly misogynist sermons, tracts, and plays, detailing women’s physical and mental defects, spiritual evils, rebelliousness, shrewish ness, and natural inferiority to men.

[结构简析] 这是一种句型,年代,时间+see, find 等动词+宾语。

[参考译文] 这一时期出来许多约束或明显反对妇女的布道(教义),小册子和戏剧,详细地描述了妇女精神上和肉体上的缺陷,精神罪恶,叛逆,凶狠,天生低于男人的品性。

2.       Such texts encouraged some women to claim the support of God the supreme patriarch against the various earthly patriarchs who claimed to stand toward them in his stead.

[结构简析] in one’s stead     代替某人。

[参考译文] 这样的版本鼓励有些妇女去寻求最高家长,上帝的支持,以对抗各种各样凡间家长,他们声称替代上帝对付她们。

 

写作方法与文章大意

   文章论述了17世纪英国妇女的地位,采用对比写作手法。一方面(第一段)英皇詹姆士重新以法律形式确定:家长制的思想体系,政治上集权主义,性别等级制。而思想意识是上帝的绝对权威;最高等级制体现在绝对君主政权上,体现在家庭的父亲和丈夫身上。所以妇女先对父亲,后对丈夫的服从体现了英国臣民对君权,全体基督徒对上帝的服从。那时代造就的妇女都是贞洁,沉默,服从,低下。

另方面,某些社会和文化因素赋予妇女以力量,首先是女皇伊丽莎白统治的时期,她本身就是一个强有力的榜样。其次一些妇女亲情关系,以及安娜女皇的分庭抗礼统治活动和舞会。再则是大多数活动妇女都受过良好教育。最重要的是有些圣经文本鼓吹妇女精神平等。

最后一段论述了英国妇女实际上有的已经掌握实权,如丈夫公务,他们管理庄园田产。

 

答案祥解

1.        A. 17世纪英国妇女地位。见上面文章大意。

B. 妇女服从于家族制。        D. 17世纪妇女的反抗,都是A.内容中的一部分,不能作为最佳标题。      C. 17世纪英国社会形式,只能作为背景出现。

2.        C. 她没有做什么。英女皇伊丽莎白在位时期间在文化上并没有妇女做过什么。这在第二段讲得很清楚。伊丽莎白统治时期(1558——1603),文化领域为强有里女皇所控制,她本人确实树立了令人难忘的妇女形象,可是她并没有为其它妇女能够创作一些东西。见前面列出之原因和下一道题的A. B. C.

3.        D. 伊丽莎白女皇的政治活动。这文内没有提及。

A. 妇女亲情网对家长制进行抗衡。      B. 安娜女皇的政治活动。        C. 大多数妇女都受过良好教育。这三项在第二段中都提到。首先,妇女亲情关系,如母亲,女儿,他们的亲戚网,好友;安娜女皇单独的宫殿,她那对立的化装舞会和政治活动都和族长制予以抗衡。

4.        B. 除了某些文本外,它也要求妇女服从。第一段,见上述内容。第三段集中论述这一点。也许,最重要的是基督教固有潜在激进性。它坚持主张每个基督徒和上帝的直接关系,坚持人首先责任是服从她或他的良知。在圣·保罗使徒书以及在别的圣经中有许多对家长制,妻子对丈夫的服从支持。可是有些文本镌刻着一种完全不同的政治观点,鼓吹妇女精神平等:人没有犹太和希腊之分,没有束缚或自由之分,没有男女之分,因为在耶酥基督面前,你们都是一样。

A. 它什么也没有做。不对。         C. 它支持妇女。也不对,只有某些版本支持。     D. 它求助于上帝。它借上帝之名压制妇女。第一段:因此,妇女首先服从父亲,然后服从丈夫,体现了(象征)英国人民服从他们的君主,所有基督徒服从上帝。



点击收听单词发音收听单词发音  

1 chaste 8b6yt     
adj.贞洁的;有道德的;善良的;简朴的
参考例句:
  • Comparatively speaking,I like chaste poetry better.相比较而言,我更喜欢朴实无华的诗。
  • Tess was a chaste young girl.苔丝是一个善良的少女。
2 ideology Scfzg     
n.意识形态,(政治或社会的)思想意识
参考例句:
  • The ideology has great influence in the world.这种思想体系在世界上有很大的影响。
  • The ideal is to strike a medium between ideology and inspiration.我的理想是在意识思想和灵感鼓动之间找到一个折衷。
3 gender slSyD     
n.(生理上的)性,(名词、代词等的)性
参考例句:
  • French differs from English in having gender for all nouns.法语不同于英语,所有的名词都有性。
  • Women are sometimes denied opportunities solely because of their gender.妇女有时仅仅因为性别而无法获得种种机会。
4 hierarchy 7d7xN     
n.等级制度;统治集团,领导层
参考例句:
  • There is a rigid hierarchy of power in that country.那个国家有一套严密的权力等级制度。
  • She's high up in the management hierarchy.她在管理阶层中地位很高。
5 monarch l6lzj     
n.帝王,君主,最高统治者
参考例句:
  • The monarch's role is purely ceremonial.君主纯粹是个礼仪职位。
  • I think myself happier now than the greatest monarch upon earth.我觉得这个时候比世界上什么帝王都快乐。
6 supreme PHqzc     
adj.极度的,最重要的;至高的,最高的
参考例句:
  • It was the supreme moment in his life.那是他一生中最重要的时刻。
  • He handed up the indictment to the supreme court.他把起诉书送交最高法院。
7 Christians 28e6e30f94480962cc721493f76ca6c6     
n.基督教徒( Christian的名词复数 )
参考例句:
  • Christians of all denominations attended the conference. 基督教所有教派的人都出席了这次会议。
  • His novel about Jesus caused a furore among Christians. 他关于耶稣的小说激起了基督教徒的公愤。
8 overtly pmlz1K     
ad.公开地
参考例句:
  • There were some overtly erotic scenes in the film. 影片中有一些公开色情场面。
  • Nietzsche rejected God's law and wrote some overtly blasphemous things. 尼采拒绝上帝的律法,并且写了一些渎神的作品。
9 misogynist uwvyE     
n.厌恶女人的人
参考例句:
  • He quickly gained the reputation of being a misogynist.他很快地赢得了“厌恶女性者”的这一名声。
  • Nice try,but you're a misanthrope,not a misogynist.不错了,你讨厌的是世界,不是女人。
10 tracts fcea36d422dccf9d9420a7dd83bea091     
大片土地( tract的名词复数 ); 地带; (体内的)道; (尤指宣扬宗教、伦理或政治的)短文
参考例句:
  • vast tracts of forest 大片大片的森林
  • There are tracts of desert in Australia. 澳大利亚有大片沙漠。
11 rebellious CtbyI     
adj.造反的,反抗的,难控制的
参考例句:
  • They will be in danger if they are rebellious.如果他们造反,他们就要发生危险。
  • Her reply was mild enough,but her thoughts were rebellious.她的回答虽然很温和,但她的心里十分反感。
12 rebelliousness 537f11bb3c62f8ae000a7c144e7cf554     
n. 造反,难以控制
参考例句:
  • Any requirement that may be construed as 'compulsory' will evoke some rebelliousness. 任何可以解释成“必须做的”要求都会激起一些反动情绪。
  • Obstinate or contemptuous resistance to authority; stubborn rebelliousness. '叛逆'。''性顽固的或藐视性的反抗权威;顽固的''。'叛逆'。''性。
13 scant 2Dwzx     
adj.不充分的,不足的;v.减缩,限制,忽略
参考例句:
  • Don't scant the butter when you make a cake.做糕饼时不要吝惜奶油。
  • Many mothers pay scant attention to their own needs when their children are small.孩子们小的时候,许多母亲都忽视自己的需求。
14 oppositional cdcf923acc34a1ba5ec48ee0407e1fb6     
反对的,对抗的
参考例句:
  • I wish to forcefully grasp fragile and entirely oppositional poles, allowing them to coexist. 我想要强押起脆弱的、完全相斥的两端,让他们共存。
  • Robot Soccer game is an international and high-tech oppositional activity that develops rapidly in recent years. 机器人足球比赛是近年来在国际上迅速开展起来的高技术对抗活动。
15 apparently tMmyQ     
adv.显然地;表面上,似乎
参考例句:
  • An apparently blind alley leads suddenly into an open space.山穷水尽,豁然开朗。
  • He was apparently much surprised at the news.他对那个消息显然感到十分惊异。
16 monolithic 8wKyI     
adj.似独块巨石的;整体的
参考例句:
  • Don't think this gang is monolithic.不要以为这帮人是铁板一块。
  • Mathematics is not a single monolithic structure of absolute truth.数学并不是绝对真理的单一整体结构。
17 radical hA8zu     
n.激进份子,原子团,根号;adj.根本的,激进的,彻底的
参考例句:
  • The patient got a radical cure in the hospital.病人在医院得到了根治。
  • She is radical in her demands.她的要求十分偏激。
18 insistence A6qxB     
n.坚持;强调;坚决主张
参考例句:
  • They were united in their insistence that she should go to college.他们一致坚持她应上大学。
  • His insistence upon strict obedience is correct.他坚持绝对服从是对的。
19 immediate aapxh     
adj.立即的;直接的,最接近的;紧靠的
参考例句:
  • His immediate neighbours felt it their duty to call.他的近邻认为他们有责任去拜访。
  • We declared ourselves for the immediate convocation of the meeting.我们主张立即召开这个会议。
20 inscribe H4qyN     
v.刻;雕;题写;牢记
参考例句:
  • Will you inscribe your name in the book?能否请你在这本书上签名?
  • I told the jeweler to inscribe the ring with my name.我叫珠宝商把我的名字刻在那只戒指上。
21 accrual e249de9c52d96678cac672f1987b7771     
n.获利;利息;自然增长;自然增长物
参考例句:
  • But these accrual run a system and give due effectiveness without play. 但这些收益治理系统并没有发挥出应有的效用。 来自互联网
  • Article 5 The company employ the Accrual Basis Accounting principle. 第五条本企业应当根据权责发生制的原则记账。 来自互联网
22 guilds e9f26499c2698dea8220dc23cd98d0a8     
行会,同业公会,协会( guild的名词复数 )
参考例句:
  • View list of the guilds that Small has war on. 看目前有哪些公会是我们公会开战的对象及对我们开战的对象。
  • Guilds and kingdoms fit more with the Middle Age fantasy genre. (裴):公会和王国更适合中世纪奇幻类型。
23 apex mwrzX     
n.顶点,最高点
参考例句:
  • He reached the apex of power in the early 1930s.他在三十年代初达到了权力的顶峰。
  • His election to the presidency was the apex of his career.当选总统是他一生事业的顶峰。
24 hierarchies 363a3f0eb8ee21c582e96e99979801de     
等级制度( hierarchy的名词复数 ); 统治集团; 领导层; 层次体系
参考例句:
  • That's a trip of two hierarchies. 那是两个领导层之间的互访。
  • Hierarchies of authority, spans of control, long-range plans, and budgets. 等级森严的权力机构,控制范围,长期计划,预算。 来自英汉文学 - 廊桥遗梦
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