GRE 機經 中短文章

According to Hill and Spicer, the term “nation-state” is a misnomer, since the ideal model of a monolingual, culturally homogeneous state has never existed, not even among Europeans, who invented the nation-state concept and introduced it to the rest of the world. Modern European states, they argue, emerged after the Renaissance through the rise of nations (i.e., specific ethnic groups) to positions of political and economic dominance over a number of other ethnic groups within the bounded political territories. The term “nation-state”, Hill and Spicer argue, obscures the internal cultural and linguistic diversity of states that could more accurately be called “conquest states.” The resurgence of multiple ethnic groups within a single state, Hill says, is not “potentially threating to the sovereign jurisdiction of the state,” as Urban and Sherzer suggest; rather, the assertion of cultural differences threatens to reveal ethnocentric beliefs and practices upon which conquest states were historically founded and thus to open up the possibility for a “nations-state” in which conquered ethnic groups enjoy equal rights with the conquering ethnic group but do not face the threat of persecution or cultural assimilation into the dominant ethnic group.

The primary purpose of the passage is to

1. discuss issues relating to a form of political organization by raising doubts about the terminology used to refer to it
2. trace changes in a form of political organization by examining the evolution of the terminology used to refer to
3. justify the continued use of an established term for an evolving form of political organization
4. question the accuracy of a new term for a form of political organization
5. compare two terms for a form of political organization

The author of the passage quotes Urban and Sherzer most probably in order to

1. introduce a discussion of the legal ramifications of expanding the nation-state concept
2. summarize a claim about one possible effect of asserting cultural differences within a state
3. shift the focus of discussion from internal threats that states face to external threats that they face
4. point out similarities between the threats to states seen by Urban and Sherzer and those seen by Hill
5. describe one way an ethnocentric practice has affected attempts to assert cultural differences within a state

According to the passage, Hill and Spicer define nations as which of the following?

1. coalitions of distinct ethnic groups with similar concerns
2. Distinct ethnic groups
3. Culturally homogeneous states
4. Linguistically diverse states
5. Territorially bounded states

以下為自行作題檢討，如有疑問或錯誤歡迎討論

According to Hill and Spicer, the term “nation-state” is a misnomer, since the ideal model of a monolingual, culturally homogeneous state has never existed, not even among Europeans, who invented the nation-state concept and introduced it to the rest of the world.

根據 H 和 S 表示，"民族國家"這個詞是不恰當的，因為單一語言、同種文化的理想模型是不存在的，即使是在提出並傳播此概念至全世界的歐洲也是如此。

monolingual
/ˌmɑː.noʊˈlɪŋ.ɡwəl/
adjective 只使用一種語言的，單語的

Modern European states, they argue, emerged after the Renaissance through the rise of nations (i.e., specific ethnic groups) to positions of political and economic dominance over a number of other ethnic groups within the bounded political territories.

他們認為，當今的歐洲國家是在 R 之後，某些民族群體和其政治領地，隨著政治和經濟主導地位的提升而興起。

emerge
/ɪˈmɝːdʒ/
verb 出現，浮現；露出
verb （從困境中）擺脫出來，存活下來
verb （尤指經過審查或訊問後）為人知曉，顯露，暴露

ethnic
/ˈeθ.nɪk/
adjective 民族的；種族的
adjective 異族的；具有民族特色的；異國風味的
noun 少數民族的一員

territory
/ˈter.ə.tɔːr.i/
noun 領土；領域；領地；活動範圍
noun 領域；地盤（某一動物或人想控制的、或認為屬於其自己的區域）
noun （知識等的）領域，範疇（你瞭解或有經驗的學科）

The term “nation-state”, Hill and Spicer argue, obscures the internal cultural and linguistic diversity of states that could more accurately be called “conquest states.”

H 和 S 認為，"民族國家"這個詞彙模糊了國家內的文化和語言多樣性，更精確的稱呼可以是"征服國家"。

linguistic
/lɪŋˈɡwɪs.tɪk/
adjective 語言的；語言學的

accurate
/ˈæk.jɚ.ət/
adjective 準確的；精確的；正確的

conquest
/ˈkɑːŋ.kwest/
noun 征服；制服；攻克；駕馭
noun 性玩物，性獵物

The resurgence of multiple ethnic groups within a single state, Hill says, is not “potentially threating to the sovereign jurisdiction of the state,” as Urban and Sherzer suggest;

H 表示，一個國家內的多個民族群體復甦不是如同 U 和 S 所說的"對國家統治者管轄權的潛在威脅"。

resurgence
/rɪˈsɝː.dʒəns/ 
noun 復甦；復興；再次興起

threat
/θret/
noun 威脅，恐嚇

sovereign
/ˈsɑːv.rən/
noun 君主；元首；最高統治者
noun 金鎊（英國於1817-1914年之間使用的面值爲一英鎊的金幣）

jurisdiction
/ˌdʒʊr.ɪsˈdɪk.ʃən/
noun 司法權；管轄權；審判權

rather, the assertion of cultural differences threatens to reveal ethnocentric beliefs and practices upon which conquest states were historically founded

相反地，對文化差異的堅持反而會威脅到，顯露出"征服國家"在建立時透過民族中心主義的理念和實踐，

reveal 
/rɪˈviːl/
verb 揭露；洩露；透露
verb 使顯露；展現；顯示
noun （電視節目最後的）揭示

ethnocentric
/ˌeθ.noʊˈsen.trɪk/
adjective 有種族（或民族）優越感的

and thus to open up the possibility for a “nations-state” in which conquered ethnic groups enjoy equal rights with the conquering ethnic group but do not face the threat of persecution or cultural assimilation into the dominant ethnic group.

也因此開啟了"多民族國家"的可能性，在征服及被征服的民族族群享有相同的權利，但是卻無需面對迫害或文化需融入主要民族群體的威脅。

persecution
/ˌpɝː.səˈkjuː.ʃən/
noun （因種族、宗教、政治理念）迫害；虐待；煩擾，糾纏

assimilation
/əˌsɪm.əˈleɪ.ʃən/
noun 融入；加入；同化
noun 吸收
noun 語音同化（指某音因為其前或其後的另一個音而發生變化）

概要整理：對專有名詞提出質疑，並藉由此質疑來討論相關議題

The primary purpose of the passage is to

1. discuss issues relating to a form of political organization by raising doubts about the terminology used to refer to it O 討論議題
2. trace changes in a form of political organization by examining the evolution of the terminology used to refer to X 不是在追蹤型式的變化
3. justify the continued use of an established term for an evolving form of political organization X 不是在辯解，也不是在為持續使用既定的術語去發展政治組織，而且與題意相反
4. question the accuracy of a new term for a form of political organization X 不是在質疑一個新的形式
5. compare two terms for a form of political organization X 不是在比較兩種術語

Ans: A

The author of the passage quotes Urban and Sherzer most probably in order to

1. introduce a discussion of the legal ramifications of expanding the nation-state concept
2. summarize a claim about one possible effect of asserting cultural differences within a state
3. shift the focus of discussion from internal threats that states face to external threats that they face
4. point out similarities between the threats to states seen by Urban and Sherzer and those seen by Hill
5. describe one way an ethnocentric practice has affected attempts to assert cultural differences within a state

Ans: B

According to the passage, Hill and Spicer define nations as which of the following?

1. coalitions of distinct ethnic groups with similar concerns X 沒有提到相關問題
2. Distinct ethnic groups O 不同的民族群體
3. Culturally homogeneous states X 不是 同種文化的國家
4. Linguistically diverse states X 語言多樣性是國家的某項特徵沒錯，但是HS整篇重點是在強調族群
5. Territorially bounded states X 領土邊界是國家的某項特徵沒錯，但是HS整篇重點是在強調族群

Ans: B