Mayan civilization

2018-12-18

疯狂英语·新读写 2018年12期

背景介绍

美洲古代文明主要包括墨西哥的阿兹特克文明、中美洲北部的玛雅文明、秘鲁的印加文明和更古老的奥尔梅克文明。玛雅文明是其中的杰出代表，它于16世纪被西班牙殖民者摧毁，此后被长期湮没在热带丛林中。1839年，美国探险家约翰·斯蒂芬斯在洪都拉斯的热带丛林中发现了玛雅古文明遗址。

情景对话

Patricia:I just finished watching this great documentary about the Mayan people...I learned so much！I had no idea that the Maya were still a major cultural group in Mexico！Did you know that sizable populations of Maya and their descendants still maintain traditions and beliefs of their ancestors?Even today,millions of people speak Mayan languages.

Lionel:Really?Where in Mexico are they?

Patricia:Well,actually,it's not just Mexico.Before the New World was discovered by the Europeans,the Mayan civilization extended through out the present-day southern Mexican states of Chiapas,Tabasco,and the Yucatan Peninsula（半岛）states of Quintana Roo,Campeche,and Yucatan.In addition to these areas in Mexico,the Maya were also found throughout the northern Central American region,including Guatemala,Belize,Honduras,and El Salvador.

Lionel:Wasn't it the Maya who invented calendars?I remember hearing so much about the Mayan calendar predicting the end of the world...

Patricia:Actually,the calendar didn'toriginate withthe Maya,but their civilization fully developed it.They are the only pre-Columbian American civilizations to have a fully developed written language,and had amazing advancements in art,architecture,mathematics,and astronomy.They were also one of the most successful Mesoamerican（中美洲）civilizations in withstanding Spanish invasions （入侵）.

Lionel:Why were they able to do that?

Patricia:There are a few reasons.Unlike other groups,like the Aztecs or the Incas,the Maya had nocentralizedpolitical center.Therefore,conquistadors（西班牙征服者）had to fight the independent Mayan groups one by one...Another reason was that most of the Spanish forces were in it for the gold,but the land where the Mayan people lived weren't rich in precious metal resources.The Spanish were more motivated to seek riches in South America or central Mexico.

Lionel:So the Spanish never actually took control of Mayan land?

Patricia:Well,they did,but it took them 170 years for the conquest of the Yucatan.It was a very lengthy,costly,and lethal（致命的）effort for them.The Maya were able to avoid being subdued（征服）by the Spanish until almost the 18th century.And they never were able towipethem allout.They are still a major cultural force,even today.

Lionel:Amazing！