  We calculate the quark flavor mixing matrix $V$ based on the Hermitian quark
mass matrices $M^{}_{\rm u}$ and $M^{}_{\rm d}$ with vanishing $(1,1)$, $(1,3)$
and $(3,1)$ entries. The popular leading-order prediction
$|V^{}_{ub}/V^{}_{cb}| \simeq \sqrt{m^{}_u/m^{}_c}$ is significantly modified,
and the result agrees with the current experimental value. We find that behind
the strong {\it mass} hierarchy of up- or down-type quarks is the weak {\it
texture} hierarchy of $M^{}_{\rm u}$ or $M^{}_{\rm d}$ characterized by an
approximate seesaw-like relation among its $(2,2)$, $(2,3)$ and $(3,3)$
elements.

High Energy Physics - Phenomenology;High Energy Physics - Experiment