Abpyoil英语六级阅读理解练习题(八).docVIP

生命是永恒不断的创造，因为在它内部蕴含着过剩的精力，它不断流溢，越出时间和空间的界限，它不停地追求，以形形色色的自我表现的形式表现出来。－－泰戈尔(八) 温馨提示：帮考网外语免费练习题，如需完整题库请登录 The origins of etiquette—the conventional rules of behavior and ceremonies observed in polite society—are complex. One of them is respect for authority. From the most primitive times， subjects（臣民） showed respect for their ruler by bowing， prostrating themselves on the ground， not speaking until spoken to， and never turning their backs to the throne. Some rulers developed rules to stress even further the respect due to them. The emperors of Byzantium expected their subjects to kiss their feet. When an ambassador from abroad was introduced， he had to touch the ground before the throne with his forehead. Meanwhile the throne itself was raised in the air so that， on looking up， the ambassador saw the ruler far above him， haughty and remote. Absolute rulers have， as a rule， made etiquette more complicated rather than simpler. The purpose is not only to make the ruler seem almost godlike， but also to protect him from familiarity， for without some such protection his life， lived inevitably in the public eye， would be intolerable. The court of Louis XIV of France provided an excellent example of a very highly developed system of etiquette. Because the king and his family were considered to belong to France， they were almost continually on show among their courtiers （朝臣）。 They woke， prayed， washed and dressed before crowds of courtiers. Even large crowds watched them eat their meals， and access to their palace was free to all their subjects. Yet this public life was organized so carefully， with such a refinement of ceremonial， that the authority of the King and the respect in which he was held grew steadily throughout his lifetime. A crowd watched him dress， but only the Duke who was his first valet de chamber （贴身男仆） was allowed to hold out the right sleeve of his shirt， only the Prince who was his Grand Chamberlain could relieve him of his dressing gown， and only the Mast