一夫多妻制（Polygyny）

 一夫多妻制（Polygyny）

● 字源

polygyny：希臘文 polys（多）+ gynē（女人），經新拉丁文進入英文。指一名男子同時有一位以上妻子。相關詞：polygynous（形容詞）、polygynist（實行者）。對立詞 polyandry（一妻多夫）。注意 polygamy（多配偶制）是上位詞，polygyny 與 polyandry 都是它的下位類型。

● 例句（80 字）

Although many modern observers have condemned, and occasionally ridiculed, the custom of one man marrying several women, those societies in parts of Africa and the Middle East that long accepted polygyny, the arrangement of having more than one wife at a time, did so not simply because custom demanded it, but because they believed that a family which is generously extended, once fairly arranged, secures every member against the hardship that no small household could easily relieve on its own.

● 排列為比較容易閱讀的方式

Although many modern observers

have condemned,

and occasionally ridiculed,

the custom of one man

marrying several women,

those societies

in parts of Africa and the Middle East

that long accepted polygyny,

the arrangement of having

more than one wife at a time,

did so

not simply because custom demanded it,

but because they believed

that a family

which is generously extended,

once fairly arranged,

secures every member

against the hardship

that no small household could easily relieve on its own.

● 分解為原初的短小句

Many modern observers have condemned the custom.

（現在完成式，表歷來累積的批評。）

They occasionally ridiculed it.

（and 並列兩個過去分詞，共用 have；occasionally 修飾 ridiculed。）

One man marries several women.

（the custom of one man marrying several women 中，marrying 的意義主詞是 one man，寫作「of + 意義主詞 + 動名詞」，修飾 custom。）

Some societies exist in parts of Africa and the Middle East.

（in parts of... 為地點修飾語，限定 those societies。）

Those societies long accepted polygyny.

（long 作副詞，「長期地」；accept 為「接受、容許」。）

Polygyny is the arrangement of having more than one wife at a time.

（同位語：the arrangement of... 補充說明 polygyny；more than one 後接單數 wife。）

Those societies did so.

（did so 代替 long accepted polygyny。）

Custom did not simply demand it.

（not simply... but... 對比結構；it 指 polygyny。）

They believed something.

（主句骨架，believed 後接 that 名詞子句。）

A family is generously extended.

（which is generously extended 為關係子句，修飾 family；extended family 即「擴大家庭」。）

The family is fairly arranged.

（once fairly arranged 為省略的時間子句，完整為 once it is fairly arranged。）

The family secures every member against hardship.

（secure A against B：保障 A 不受 B 之害。）

No small household could easily relieve that hardship on its own.

（relieve 的受詞是 hardship，原句以 that 作關係代名詞置於 hardship 之後；on its own 即「單靠自己」。）

● 文法解析

Although 讓步子句 + 長主詞 those societies... did so：

Although 子句交代「外界批評」，主句主詞 those societies 後面接了地點片語、that 關係子句、同位語三層修飾，讀者要追到 did so 才找到謂語。

not simply... but...：

兩個 because 子句平行。because custom demanded it 是表面原因，but because they believed... 才是真正動機，重點從「習俗要求」轉向「信念」。

that 名詞子句 + 關係子句 + 插入語：

believed 後的 that 子句主詞是 a family，其後 which is generously extended 與 once fairly arranged 兩層修飾，把主詞和動詞 secures 隔開。要確認 secures 的主詞是 family，不是 member。

secure... against... + 末端關係子句：

the hardship that no small household could easily relieve on its own 中，that 是 relieve 的受詞，no... could 為全面否定。

時態安排：

have condemned（現在完成）談歷來批評，accepted / did / demanded / believed（過去式）敘述社會的接受與動機，secures（現在式）是其信念所主張的通則。

● 參考譯文

雖然許多現代觀察者曾譴責，有時甚至嘲笑，一名男子娶數位女子的習俗；但在非洲與中東部分地區，那些長期接受一夫多妻制（即一名男子同時擁有一位以上妻子的安排）的社會，這麼做並不只是因為習俗要求，而是因為他們相信：一個慷慨擴大、又經公平安排的家庭，能保障每位成員免於困境，而這種困境是任何小家庭單靠自身都難以紓解的。

● 補充說明

貼合主題：

一夫多妻的常見理由包括勞動力、姻親結盟與寡婦照顧。句中 extended family 與 small household 正好對照「擴大家庭 vs. 小家庭」的邏輯。

句型亮點：

not simply... but... 凸顯真正動機

did so 代動詞避免重複

once fairly arranged 的省略插入

no... could 的全面否定收尾

核心字彙：

condemn（譴責）、ridicule（嘲笑）、custom（習俗）、arrangement（安排）、extended（擴大的）、secure（保障）、hardship（困境）、relieve（紓解）、household（家戶）。

提醒：

此制度雖在部分地區仍存在，但許多國家已禁止或限縮，且常因對女性的平等問題受批評。寫作時宜用 societies that long accepted 這類過去式，避免把它描述成普遍現況。

另外，我把 relieve 後面的 on its own 算進 80 字，全句經逐字計數剛好 80 字。