Although economics is primarily concerned with the modus operandi of the market mechanism，an overview of premarket coordinative arrangements is not only of interest in itself but also throws a useful light on the distinctive properties of market-run societies．The earliest and by far the most historically numerous of economic systems has been that of primitive society with its central order-bestowing agency of tradition． Such economic forms of social organization must be far more ancient than Cr0Magnon man' and a few are still preserved in Eskimo tribes or bands of Kalahari hunters or Bedouin tribespeople．So far as is known，all tradition-bound peoples solve their economic problems today much as they did l0，000 years or perhaps 10，000 centuries ago--adapting by migration or movement to changes in season or climate，sustaining themselves by hunting and gathering or by slash-and-burn agriculture，and distributing their output by reference to well-defined social claims．①Elizabeth Marshall Thomas describes this distributive system in The Harmless People .
It seems verv unequal when you watch Bushmen divide the kill，yet it is their system，and in the end no person eats more than the other．That day Ukwane gave Gai still another piece because Gai was his relation，Gai gave meat to Dasina because she was his wife’s mother．…No one,of course,contested Gai’s large share，because he had been the hunter．…No one doubted that he would share his large amount with others，and they were not wron9，of course；he did．
Besides the inertial property that is perhaps the outstanding attribute of these primitive economic societies， two further aspects deserve attention．The first concerns their level of subsistence，long deemed to have been one of chrlnmic scarcity and want．According to the still controversial findings of the anthropologist Marshall Sahlins this is not true．His studies of several primitive peoples found that they could easily increase their Drovisioning if they so desired．The condition usually perceived by nonprimitive observers as scarcity is felt by them as satiety：Sahlins describes primitive life as the first affluent society．
A second attribute of interest in primitive economic systems is the difficulty of describing any part of their lire activities as constituting an“economy”．No special modes of coordination set the activities of hunting or gatherin9，or the procedures of distribution，apart from the rest of social life，so that there is nothing in Kalahari or Eskimo or Bedouin life for which there is needed a special vocabulary or conceptual apparatus called“economics”．④The economy as a network of provisioning activities is completely absorbed within and inextricable from the traditional mode of existence as a whole．[444 words]
1．The first two paragraphs of this passage are mainly about______．
A．the modus operandi of the market mechanism
B．an overview of primitive societies
C．the inertial property of primitive economic societies
D．the distinctive properties of market-run societies
2．The second paragraph，which is quoted from The Harmless People，is intended to illustrate______．
A．the fine tradition of the harmless people
B．how tradition-bound peoples sustain themselves
C．how tradition-bound peoples solve their economic problems
D．how the distributive system in the primitive economic societies works
3．Marshall Sahlins believes that the primitive people were______．
A．far from happy
B．of little intelligence
C．always in great need
D．generally satisfied with their life
4．In the author’s opinion，the primitive life is one of______．
A．coordination
B．affluent society
C．slash-and-burn agriculture
D．chronic scarcity and want
5．The proper title for this passage should be______．
A．Primitive Societies
B．Several Primitive Peoples
C．Primitive Economic Systems
D．The traditional Mode of Existence [NextPage]
参考答案：1．C 2．D 3．D 4．A 5．C
难句透析
①So far as is known，all tradition-bound peoples solve their economic problems today[-much as they did l0，000 years or perhaps l0，000 centuries ago]一”adapting by migration or movement to changes in season or climate，sustaining themselvesby hunting and gathering or‘”by slash—and—burn agriculture．and”distributing their out— put by reference to well—defined social claims．
【结构】在本句中，方括号所标示的部分是方式状语从句；破折号后面是三个并列的现在分词短语，用做伴随情况状语。
【释义】就我们所知，所有固守传统的民族现在解决经济问题的方法和一万年前或者说和一万世纪前一模一样。他们靠迁徙或转移去适应季节或气候的变化，他们靠打猎和采集或者刀耕火种的农业生存，他们根据社会明确规定的权利分配产品。
②It seems very unequal when you watch Bushmen divide the kill]，yet it is their system，and in the end no person eats more than the other．
【结构】本句中的“kill”是名词，意思是“猎物”。
【释义】当你观察布须曼人分配猎物时，你觉得他们似乎分得很不公平。不过，那就是他们的分配方法。最终，没有人比别人多吃多占。
③The first concerns their level of subsistence，[long deemed to have been one of chronic scarcity and want]．
【结构】在本句中，主语是“The first”，谓语动词是“concerns”。方括号所标示的部分是过去分词短语，用做后置定语，修饰“their level of subsistence”；代词“one”代替“level”。
【释义】第一方面涉及他们的生存水平。长期以来，人们认为他们的生存资料一直短缺。
④No special modes of coordination set”the activities of hunting or gatherin9，or the proceures of distribution，a— part from the rest of social life，[so that there is nothing in Kalahari or Eskimo or Bedouin life(for which there is needed a special vocabulary or conceptual apparatus called“economics”)]．
【结构】在本句中，主句的主语是“No special modes of coordination”；谓语动词是“set”；后面是两个并列的宾语。方括号所标示的部分是由“so that”引导的结果状语从句。圆括号所标示的部分是由“for which”引导的定语从句；在这个定语从句中，主谓倒装；主语是“a special vocabulary or conceptual apparatus called‘economics”’；谓语动词是“is needed”；关系代词“which”代替“nothin9”。
【释义】且不说社会生活的其他方面，在原始经济体系中没有什么专门的协调办法来协调打猎或采集活动，及其物品的分配程序。以至于在喀拉哈里人、爱斯基摩人或贝多因人的生活中，没有任何事情需要使用专用词汇或需要使用“经济”这样的概念。
全文翻译
尽管经济学最关心的是市场机制的运作模式，但是对市场经济之前的协调性经济形式的纵览不仅本身令人感兴趣，而且对认识有市场运作的社会的鲜明特点也很有帮助。最早的也是迄今为止历史上为数最多的经济体制，就是原始社会中根据传统而进行的集中秩序分配机制。这样的社会经济组织形式远比克鲁玛努人的制度要古老，其中,部分可能在爱斯基摩人的部落或者喀拉哈里沙漠猎人圈里又或者在贝多因氏族社会中还有保留。就我们所知，所有固守传统的民族现在解决经济问题的方法和一万年前或者说和一万世纪前一模一样。他们靠迁徙或转移去适应季节或气候的变化，他们靠打猎和采集或者刀耕火种的农业生存，他们根据社会明确规定的权利分配产品。伊丽莎白马歇尔托马斯在《无恶之人》这样描述其分配系统 当你观察布须曼人分配猎物时，你觉得他们似乎分得很不公平。不过，那就是他们的分配方法。最终，没有人比别人多吃多占。②那天，巫克望多给了盖伊一块肉因为盖伊是他的亲戚，盖伊则把肉给了达斯纳，因为达斯纳是他妻子的母亲。……当然，没有人对盖伊多得食物而起争议，因为他就是当时去捕猎的人。……没有人怀疑他会和别人分享他的高额分配，当然他们也没有看错人；他确实这样做了。
除了对财产的这种惯性分配是这些原始社会的明显的特性外，还有另外两个方面值得人们注意。第一方面涉及他们的生存水平。长期以来，人们认为他们的生存资料一直短缺。但根据人类学家马歇尔·萨林的发现，事实并非如此；不过萨林的发现目前仍然很有争议。他对几个原始社会的研究表明如果他们真的有需要的话，他们可以轻而易举地增加供给。被非原始社会的观察者们视为短缺的时候他们可能觉得已经过饱了：萨林将原始社会描述成第一个“富足的社会”。
原始经济系统中第二个值得注意的特性就是很难将它们生活活动中的任何部分描述为一个“经济体”的组成部分。且不说社会生活的其他方面，在原始经济体系中没有什么专门的协调办法来协调打猎、采集活动及其物品的分配程序。以至于在喀拉哈里人、爱斯基摩人或贝多因人的生活中，没有任何事情需要使用专用词汇或需要使用“经济”这样的概念。将一张供给网作为经济的全部，已经完全融合到传统的生存模式的整体当中并且不可分割了。
