首页
外语
计算机
考研
公务员
职业资格
财经
工程
司法
医学
专升本
自考
实用职业技能
登录
外语
In the eighteenth century, Japan’s feudal overlords, from the shogun to the humblest samurai, found themselves under financial s
In the eighteenth century, Japan’s feudal overlords, from the shogun to the humblest samurai, found themselves under financial s
admin
2010-02-20
34
问题
In the eighteenth century, Japan’s feudal overlords, from the shogun to the humblest samurai, found themselves under financial stress. In part, this stress can be attributed to the overlords’ failure to adjust tog rapidly expanding economy, but the stress was also due to factors beyond the overlords’ control. Concentration of the samurai in castle towns had acted as a stimulus to trade. Commercial efficiency, in turn, had put temptations in the way of buyers. Since most samuri had been reduced to idleness by years of peace, encouraged to engage in scholarship and martial exercises or to perform administrative tasks that took little time, it is not surprising that their tastes and habits grew expensive. Overlords’ income, despite the increase in rice production among their tenant farmers, failed to keep pace with their expenses. Although shortfalls in over- lords’ income resulted almost as much from laxity among their tax collectors (the nearly invitable outcome of hereditary office holding) as from their higher standards of living, a misfortune like a fire or flood, bringing an increase in expenses or a drop in revenue, could put a domain in debt to the city rice-brokers who handled its finances. Once in debt, neither the individual samurai nor the shogun himself found it easy to recover.
It was difficult for individual samurai overloads to increase their income because the amount of rice that farmers could be made to pay in taxes was not unlimited, and since the income of Japan’s central government consisted in part of taxes collected by the shogun from his huge domain, the government too was con- strained. Therefore, the Tokugawa shoguns began to look to other sources for revenue. Cash profits from government -owned mines were already on the decline because the most easily worked deposits of salver and gold had been exhausted, although debasement of the coinage had compensated for the loss. Opening up new farmland was a possibility, but most of what was suitable had already been exploited and further reclamation was technically unfeasible. Direct taxation of the samurai themselves would be politically dangerous. This left the shoguns only commerce as a potential source of government income.
Most of the country’s wealth, or so it seemed, was finding its way into the hands of city merchants. It appeared reasonable that they should contribute part of that revenue to ease the shogun’s burden of financing the state. A means of obtaining such revenue was soon found by levying forced loans, known as goyokin; although these were not taxes in the strict sense, since they were irregular in timing and arbitrary in a- mount, they were high in yield. Unfortunately, they pushed up prices. Thus, regrettably, the Tokugawa shoguns’ search for solvency for the Government made it increasingly difficult for individual Japanese who lived on fixed stipends to make ends meet.
The passage is most probably taken from ______.
选项
A、an introduction to a collection of Japanese folktales
B、the memoirs of a samurai warrior
C、an economic history of Japan
D、a modem novel about eighteenth - century Japan
答案
C
解析
A、B、D都不一定会谈到本文内容,且与本文风格不符。故应选C。
转载请注明原文地址:https://jikaoti.com/ti/lV9YFFFM
0
专业英语八级
相关试题推荐
A、Sheappliedforthepositionontheadvertisement.B、Thedirectorofthecompanyofferedhertheposition.C、Shejoineditthr
Thebiggestdangerfacingtheglobalairlineindustryisnottheeffectsofterrorism,war,SARSandeconomicdownturn.Itisth
A、Brazilianchildrenusuallyhavelunchatschool.B、Brazilianwatchtelevisionalot.C、Braziliansarenormallyverybusy,sot
A、Therearetoomanybooksformetoreadwithinsuchashorttime.B、Althoughtherearetoomanybooks,Icanfinishingreading
Insize,Canadaisthesecondlargestcountryonearth.Intermsof【C1】______,itisamemberofBigSeven,theworld’sleading
Insize,Canadaisthesecondlargestcountryonearth.Intermsof【C1】______,itisamemberofBigSeven,theworld’sleading
A、Education.B、Medicine.C、Technology.D、Tertiaryindustry.C
Weoftenhearandreadaboutcontroversialissuesinscienceandtechnology.Forexample,willradiationfromelectronicequipm
Ateamofworld-leadingneuro-scientistshasdevelopedapowerfultechniquethatallowsthemtolookdeepinsideaperson’sbrai
ToparaphraseMartinLutherKing—hereatlast,hereatlast,hereatlast.Almostacenturyaftertheideawasfirstmootedbyb
随机试题
简述社区健康教育与健康促进的实施步骤。
关于腹股沟管的正确说法是:
《素问.生气通天论》所说的“味过于酸”则
入汤剂宜先煎的药物是()入汤剂宜布包煎的药物是()
附带民事诉讼赔偿的原则是:
在住宅建筑面积净密度控制指标中,是否计入地下层面积?[2008年第69题][2005年第55题]
具体来说,资本市场对经济发展的作用表现在()。
中国进入社会主义初级阶段的起点是
党的十九大对深化依法治国实践作出了新部署、提出了新要求。深化依法治国实践,必须坚持以中国特色社会主义法治理论为指导,在全面依法治国总目标统领下明确重点任务,在工作布局中推进重点任务。深化依法治国实践的重点任务包括
Johnregretted______tothemeetinglastweek.
最新回复
(
0
)