根據最新研究,2000 年前不列顛群島上的社會關系主要圍繞著女性血緣構建,因此土地和財富主要由女兒們而非兒子們繼承。
The most legendary Celtic woman was Boudica, the warrior queen who led a revolt against the Romans almost 2,000 years ago. But new analysis suggests she might have been the norm, not the exception.
最赫赫有名的凱爾特女性是佈狄卡,這位女武士王後曾在近 2000 年前帶頭反抗羅馬人的統治。但最新的分析結果顯示,她所代表的女性統治者在當時可能是一種常態而非特例。
Archaeologists excavated 57 skeletons of people from the Durotriges tribe in Dorset. DNA sequencing of the genes passed from mother to daughter, compared to from father to son, revealed that most of the women were blood relatives. By contrast, the men were from lots of different communities, effectively outsiders. Dr Lara Cassidy, from Trinity College, Dublin, says this shows the society was matrilocal, meaning men moved to join their wives and families.
考古學傢在多賽特郡挖掘出瞭屬於杜羅特裡吉部落成員的 57 具骨架。由母親遺傳給給女兒的基因的 DNA 測序結果與父親遺傳給兒子的相比,顯示出大多數女性之間都具有血緣關系。而與普遍具有血緣關系的女性不同,男性則來自許多不同的傢族,實際上都是血緣關系中的外來人。都柏林大學聖三一學院的勞拉·卡西迪博士說,這個研究結果顯示出當時的社會有入贅的習俗,即男性會遷移以陪伴其妻子和傢庭。
Inheriting land and wealth did not mean the daughters were political rulers, but they would have had significant influence. The scientists discovered the same DNA pattern in other Iron Age cemeteries. Perhaps Boudica was just one in a land of powerful women calling the shots at a time of great upheaval.
雖然繼承土地和財富並不意味著女性後代會成為政治上的統治者,但她們可能有著顯著的影響力。科學傢們在其它鐵器時代的墓葬中發現瞭相同的女性血緣更普遍的 DNA 遺傳模式。也許在那段動蕩的歷史中,佈狄卡隻是在這片土地上做主的有權勢的女性中的一員。
詞匯表
warrior 戰士,武士
revolt 反叛,反抗
the norm 常態
excavated 挖掘出來的
tribe 部落,宗族
DNA sequencing DNA(脫氧核糖核酸)測序
blood relatives 血親,有血緣關系的親屬
outsiders 外來者
inheriting 繼承
cemeteries 墓地,墓園
calling the shots 掌控,做主
upheaval 劇變,動蕩
聽力練習
一、聽第一遍音頻,回答問題。
1. Write one sentence describing what has been discovered about women in Celtic times.
二、用一分鐘閱讀下列問題,然後聽第二遍音頻並回答問題。
1. Who was Boudica?
a. a skeleton the archaeologists excavated
b. the leader of the Durotriges tribe
c. a Celtic queen who led a revolt
2. Most of the women skeletons excavated were related to each other.
a. True
b. False
c. Not given
3. What does matrilocal mean?
a. women were outsiders compared to men
b. families were separated
c. men moved to join their wives and families
4. Men and women were allowed to be political rulers in Celtic times.
a. True
b. False
c. Not given
三、聽第三遍音頻,將句子補充完整。(提示:可以反復聽,直到聽清楚每一個詞)
1. DNA sequencing of the ________________ passed from mother to daughter.
2. Perhaps Boudica was just one in ________________ powerful women calling the shots at a time of great upheaval.
答案
一、聽第一遍音頻,回答問題。
1. Write one sentence describing what has been discovered about women in Celtic times.
They found that communities were built around women, rather than men.
二、用一分鐘閱讀下列問題,然後聽第二遍音頻並回答問題。
1. c. The most legendary Celtic woman was Boudica, the warrior queen who led a revolt against the Romans almost 2,000 years ago.
2. a. True. DNA sequencing revealed that most of the women were blood relatives.
3. c. The society was matrilocal, meaning men moved to join their wives and families.
4. c. Not given. Men or women being allowed to be political rulers is not mentioned.
三、聽第三遍音頻,將句子補充完整。(提示:可以反復聽,直到聽清楚每一個詞)
1. DNA sequencing of the genes passed from mother to daughter.
2. Perhaps Boudica was just one in a land of powerful women calling the shots at a time of great upheaval.
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