First class.

頭等艙。

First class.

頭等艙。

Yeah.

是啊

I'm proud to be working class.

我為自己是工人階級而自豪。

Could you ever be upper class, do you think?

你覺得你能成為上流社會嗎？

I wouldn't want to be.

我也不想這樣。

If you're not white, you can never be upper class.

如果你不是白人，就永遠不可能成為上流社會。

Why would you say that you are working class?

為什麼說自己是工人階級？

Because I still work 50 hours a week in a shop at Aldi.

因為我每週還要在阿爾迪商店工作 50 個小時。

Do you have aspirations to change your class?

你有改變階級的願望嗎？

No.

不

I'd say it's education, it's upbringing, it's culture, and undoubtedly it's also money.

我想說，這與教育、教養、文化有關，毫無疑問也與金錢有關。

Probably more towards the working class side of it, because, well, I just lost my job.

可能更傾向於工人階級，因為我剛失業。

Our value system is going to be ingrained, isn't it?

我們的價值體系將根深蒂固，不是嗎？

I'm much more concerned about underprivileged people who do not have things they should have, like a home and a job.

我更關心的是那些沒有自己應該擁有的東西（比如住房和工作）的弱勢群體。

Or David Beckham. Good example.

或者大衛-貝克漢姆。 好例子

I mean, he's got more money than God, and he's certainly not going to be considered upper class.

我的意思是，他的錢比上帝還多，他肯定不會被認為是上流社會的人。

Would you not want to be upper class?

你不想成為上流社會嗎？

It sounds wonderful. No?

聽起來不錯。 不是嗎？

There's upper and everyone else.

有上層，也有其他人。

Hi, everybody.

大家好

Welcome to a new episode of Easy English.

歡迎收看新一期《輕鬆英語》。

So I'm on Brighton's Seafront today, and I want to approach the topic of class.

今天我在布萊頓的海濱，我想談談 "階級 "這個話題。

In the UK, we have a structure of social classes which look like this, starting at lower class and ending at upper class.

在英國，我們的社會階層結構是這樣的：從下層社會開始，到上層社會結束。

But today, I want to know what the people of Brighton think about this scale.

但今天，我想知道布萊頓人民對這一比例尺的看法。

I want to know which social class the people of Brighton think they categorise themselves into.

我想知道布萊頓人認為自己屬於哪個社會階層。

I want to know what categories can define you, and if just your state of mind can affect your social status.

我想知道哪些類別可以定義你，以及你的精神狀態是否會影響你的社會地位。

I want to hear about the stigmas attached to the upper and lower classes, and if the class system is a relevant or helpful structure.

我想聽聽上層階級和下層階級的烙印，以及階級制度是否是一種相關或有益的結構。

Before we get started, please don't forget to subscribe to Easy English to be notified for each and every new video that we publish.

在我們開始之前，請不要忘記訂閱《輕鬆英語》，我們發佈的每一個新視頻都會收到通知。

Let's go.

我們走吧

Do you know what class you are in the UK?

你知道自己在英國屬於哪個等級嗎？

Working class.

工人階級。

Yeah, OK.

好吧

Working class.

工人階級。

Working class.

工人階級。

Yes, definitely working class.

是的，絕對是工人階級。

Lower middle class, probably.

可能是中下層。

Traditionally, working class, in terms of my background, definitely working class.

傳統意義上的工人階級，就我的背景而言，肯定是工人階級。

Lower middle.

中下部

Lower middle, OK.

中下層，OK。

Lower, lower middle.

下層，中下層

I'll say I was born into the working class.

我說我出生在工人階級。

I'd say I'm lower middle class.

我想說我是中下層階級。

Then I'm working class.

那我就是工人階級了。

I would place myself in the middle class.

我認為自己屬於中產階級。

How about you?

你呢？

Middle class.

中產階級。

Why would you say that you are working class?

為什麼說自己是工人階級？

Because I still work 50 hours a week in my shop at Aldi.

因為我每週還要在阿爾迪的店裡工作 50 個小時。

Because I've worked all my life.

因為我一輩子都在工作。

OK.

好的。

OK, and how about you?

好吧，你呢？

Why would you say that?

你為什麼這麼說？

Well, I grew up in a country estate.

我是在鄉村莊園長大的。

I was born into the working class, and luckily, like, I got out of that, like, cycle because of, like, going to university.

我出生在工人階級，幸運的是，因為上了大學，我擺脫了這種循環。

Maybe lower middle.

也許是中下等。

Lower middle.

中下部

OK, and why did you change your opinion?

好吧，你為什麼改變了看法？

I'm a homeowner.

我是房主

As somebody who's been, had the good fortune to be able to go to a university and spend my professional life in higher education, I think that probably places me in the middle class.

作為一個有幸進入大學並在高等教育中度過職業生涯的人，我認為這可能讓我躋身於中產階級行列。

Why would you say that you are lower, lower middle?

為什麼說自己是中下層？

You think you are?

你以為你是？

Why is that?

為什麼會這樣？

Because of my income and my job occupation.

因為我的收入和工作職業。

I'd say it's education.

我會說是教育。

Yeah.

是啊

It's upbringing.

是教養。

Yeah.

是啊

It's culture.

這是文化。

Yeah.

是啊

And undoubtedly, it's also money.

毫無疑問，這也是錢的問題。

I mean, I don't know what the definition of middle class is, apart from if you own your own house, maybe.

我的意思是，我不知道中產階級的定義是什麼，也許除了你擁有自己的房子。

OK.

好的。

But I'm certainly not an aristocrat.

但我肯定不是貴族。

Have you always been lower, lower middle?

你一直是中下層嗎？

Possibly, possibly a bit higher.

有可能，也有可能更高一些。

Now, I think, and probably more towards the working class side of it, because, well, I just lost my job.

現在，我想，我可能更傾向於工人階級，因為，我剛剛失去了工作。

I've definitely changed, but it wasn't intentional.

我肯定是變了，但不是故意的。

It was just because, I suppose, I went into professions and became a manager and was able to buy a house.

我想，這只是因為我從事了職業，當上了經理，能夠買房子。

And I suppose that makes me call myself that, because if I was really still working class, I'd probably be in social housing or renting, I would imagine.

我想這也是我自稱 "工人階級 "的原因，因為如果我真的還是工人階級，我想我可能會住在社會福利房或租房裡。

If you move away from a rental market and you go and own your house, you become middle class.

如果你離開租房市場，擁有自己的房子，你就成了中產階級。

You're a working class person.

你是工人階級

Yeah.

是啊

You don't have to work to own your house.

擁有自己的房子不需要工作。

When you own your house, you're probably middle class.

當你擁有自己的房子時，你可能就是中產階級了。

What school is quite significant.

學校是相當重要的。

OK.

好的。

Because you went to a nice, fancy school?

因為你上的是一所不錯的高級學校？

I went to a private school when I was small, younger.

我小時候上的是私立學校，比較小。

OK, and how...

好吧，怎麼...

Junior school was private, yeah.

國中是私立學校

And how would you get into a private school?

那你怎麼進入私立學校呢？

Your parents pay.

你父母付錢

Before we carry on with this week's episode, if you're looking to level up and become fluent in English, then you should consider becoming a conversation member.

在我們繼續本週的節目之前，如果你想提高英語水平，讓自己的英語變得流利，那麼你應該考慮成為會話會員。

If you go to easyenglish.video forward slash membership and become a conversation member, then you'll be able to join myself, Easy, and other members in our regular conversation classes.

如果你訪問 easyenglish.video forward slash membership 併成為會話會員，那麼你就可以加入我、Easy 和其他會員的定期會話課程。

Our classes are for intermediate to proficient English speakers who are looking to become fluent in the English language.

我們的課程面向希望掌握流利英語的中級到熟練英語使用者。

Each week, we meet up in our Zoom-themed pub to talk about regular topics you'd talk about in a typical British pub to help you improve your speaking and listening skills.

每週，我們都會在以 Zoom 為主題的酒吧裡聚會，談論在典型的英國酒吧裡經常談論的話題，幫助您提高口語和聽力技能。

You'll be placed into breakout rooms with other conversation members to talk about hobbies, films, work, pets, and even more.

您將被安排到分組討論室，與其他談話成員一起討論愛好、電影、工作、寵物等話題。

So to become a conversation member to improve your English speaking and listening skills, just go to easyenglish.video forward slash membership.

是以，要成為會話會員以提高英語聽說能力，只需登錄 easyenglish.video forward slash membership 即可。

And we'll see you in our pub.

我們酒館見。

Now back to the episode.

現在回到這一集。

Is that how you define your class you are?

你就是這樣定義自己的階級的嗎？

How much money you have, your education, and where you live?

你有多少錢、受過什麼教育、住在哪裡？

I think all of those things are entwined.

我認為所有這些事情都是糾纏在一起的。

Why not upper class?

為什麼不是上流社會？

Okay.

好的

Well, in Britain, I wouldn't be...

在英國，我不會...

I'm not in the upper classes because, A, I'm not British and I'm not white.

我不屬於上流社會，因為 A，我不是英國人，也不是白人。

And, you know, those are defining characteristics, essential characteristics.

要知道，這些都是決定性的特徵，是基本特徵。

Could you ever be upper class, do you think?

你覺得你能成為上流社會嗎？

I wouldn't want to be.

我也不想這樣。

Okay.

好的

I wouldn't want to be.

我也不想這樣。

But could you be, to start off with?

但是，你能從一開始就這樣嗎？

I think if you're talking upper, upper class...

我認為，如果你說的是上層階級......

Yeah, yeah. ...then it's something you're born into.

是啊，是啊......那麼這就是你與生俱來的東西。

I can become working to middle, but I can never be upper.

我可以成為中層，但我永遠無法成為高層。

I don't think I'd ever want to be upper either.

我想我也永遠不會想成為上面的人。

Can someone who is in the upper class ever go down to lower, lower middle?

上層社會的人還能降到中下層嗎？

No, maybe not.

不，也許不是。

Probably not because their value system is going to be ingrained, isn't it?

可能不會，因為他們的價值體系將根深蒂固，不是嗎？

How come you can change when there is a restriction on how much you can change?

為什麼你可以改變，而改變的程度卻受到限制？

I think even if you start in middle class and you earn lots of money, I don't think you can tip into the upper class because I think what, maybe just here in England, that is a lot of generational wealth and it's got history towards it.

我認為，即使你從中產階級做起，賺了很多錢，我也不認為你能躋身上層社會，因為我認為，也許只是在英國，那也是世代相傳的財富，是有歷史淵源的。

You were born into upper class.

你出生於上流社會。

I don't know if you can move into upper class with the amount of money that you have.

我不知道以你的身家能否躋身上流社會。

I think class there is a culture thing.

我認為階級是一種文化。

I think nowadays, maybe in the past you couldn't go up to the upper class, but nowadays it seems that you can.

我認為，如今，也許過去你無法進入上流社會，但如今似乎可以了。

So, for example, the middle tenants would have been middle class, definitely middle class.

是以，舉例來說，中層租戶應該是中產階級，絕對是中產階級。

But perhaps their children and grandchildren now would be upper class if you see the circles that they move in and how they are accepted and how people aspire to be like them.

但是，如果你看看他們所處的圈子，看看他們是如何被接受的，看看人們是如何渴望成為他們那樣的人，也許他們現在的子孫會成為上層階級。

That's a great example.

這就是一個很好的例子。

You can't go up the ladder, it's just some money.

你不能往上爬，這只是一些錢。

So it's impossible to climb, but you climbed down that.

所以，這是不可能爬上去的，但你爬下來了。

You can think.

你可以這樣想

Okay, but then here's a good question to test your theory.

好吧，但有個很好的問題可以驗證你的理論。

Maybe I haven't sunk, maybe I haven't, maybe I'm just poor.

也許我沒有沉淪，也許我沒有，也許我只是太窮了。

Can an upper class person ever be lower than upper class ever?

上流社會的人會比上流社會的人低賤嗎？

Can they ever come down the pegs? I think when it comes to the upper class, it's a privilege.

他們能下來嗎？ 我認為上層階級是一種特權。

There's not a lot of choice there for anybody, whether you are or not.

對任何人來說，都沒有太多選擇，無論你是不是。

I think it's something that is given.

我認為這是一種天賦。

So it's a mindset.

所以這是一種心態。

It's a mindset, absolutely.

這絕對是一種心態。

And with middle class, I just don't think you can do that.

而對於中產階級來說，我不認為你能做到這一點。

I think middle and working are quite close to each other.

我認為中層和基層的關係非常密切。

I think there's not too much of a cultural difference.

我認為文化差異不大。

I think you can move that way and I agree.

我認為你可以這樣做，我也同意。

You can't really go to upper class.

你不能真的去上層社會。

You don't want to be part of that movement.

你不想成為這場運動的一部分。

Yeah, of course.

是的，當然。

Does privilege come into this?

特權與此有關嗎？

Oh my God, yeah.

哦，我的上帝，是的。

It's all the things I hate, really.

這是我討厭的所有東西，真的。

The key word really is the privilege part.

關鍵詞其實是特權部分。

So obviously the upper classes had privileges, whether they took advantage of them or not.

是以，上層階級顯然擁有特權，無論他們是否利用了這些特權。

They still had them.

它們還在。

So I think it's probably more difficult for them to go down the social scale than for people on the bottom of the social scale to go up the social scale.

是以，我認為對他們來說，社會等級的下降可能比社會底層的人上升社會等級更困難。

Do you have someone that is upper class, maybe, that you know?

你有認識的上層人士嗎？

Well, it's more comfortable than me, for sure.

嗯，肯定比我舒服。

But I wouldn't give a label.

但我不會貼標籤。

We know of people who, if you ask them what they do, they say, oh, I manage my father's estate.

我們知道有些人，如果你問他們是做什麼的，他們會說，哦，我管理我父親的遺產。

Which is very nice, if you can get it.

如果你能買到，那就太好了。

Not everybody who's upper class is wealthy any longer.

不是每個上層社會的人都是富人了。

I mean, there's also the issue of inheritance.

我的意思是，還有繼承權的問題。

You said comfortable, does that mean money?

你說舒適，是指錢嗎？

Do you think they have more money?

你認為他們有更多的錢嗎？

Probably more assets.

資產可能更多。

Ah, so they're not rich, they're wealthy, maybe.

啊，這麼說他們並不富裕，他們也許很富有。

Like inheritance.

比如繼承。

If you want to say that, no.

如果你想這麼說，那就不對了。

The prime example in recent years was, I believe it was when Boris was prime minister, that, you know, 90% of the cabinet had gone to Eton.

近年來最典型的例子是，我相信是鮑里斯擔任首相時，內閣中90%的人都上過伊頓公學。

So you can be extremely wealthy.

是以，你可以變得非常富有。

Yeah.

是啊

And be working class.

成為工人階級

Right.

對

For example...

例如...

Footballers?

足球運動員？

No, it's a good example.

不，這是一個很好的例子。

Is there stigma attached to certain classes?

某些班級是否存在恥辱感？

Not any longer.

再也不會了。

No?

不是嗎？

No, I don't think so.

不，我不這麼認為。

I've struggled growing up being working class.

作為工人階級，我在成長過程中一直在掙扎。

I've struggled with being working class, because I wasn't proud to be working class.

我一直為自己是工人階級而掙扎，因為我並不為自己是工人階級而自豪。

Actually, growing up, I was a bit embarrassed to be working class.

事實上，在我的成長過程中，身為工人階級的我還真有點不好意思。

I'm proud now where I've come from, because I've moved, not moved class, but I've got out of the cycle of not doing much, not leaving the hometown, not striving or achieving and doing everything I can, but growing up, and even now, I struggle with growing up working class, because there is...

我現在為自己的出身感到自豪，因為我改變了，不是改變了階級，而是擺脫了沒有做什麼、沒有離開家鄉、沒有努力或沒有取得成就、沒有盡我所能的循環，但在成長過程中，甚至是現在，我都在為成長為工人階級而掙扎，因為有......

I think you're made to feel a little bit ashamed to be working class.

我覺得你會因為自己是工人階級而感到有點羞愧。

Yeah, yeah.

是啊，是啊。

So somebody who has, you know, a country mansion, for example, that they've inherited and gone to Eton, would certainly, you know, I think, probably assume that somebody who has wealth from entrepreneurial activities, but, you know, didn't go to a private school, is still not upper class.

是以，那些繼承了鄉間豪宅，上過伊頓公學的人肯定會認為，那些通過創業活動獲得財富，但沒有上過私立學校的人仍然算不上上流社會。

In terms of, like, politics, you know, I think part of the problem is the lack of connection with the different classes, with the working class.

就政治而言，我認為問題的一部分在於缺乏與不同階層、工人階級的聯繫。

Way too many upper class candidates become, you know, represent a country that they don't really understand and maybe don't feel the compassion to understand or the wish to understand.

太多上層階級的候選人，你知道，代表著一個他們並不真正瞭解的國家，也許他們並沒有同情去了解或希望去了解這個國家。

I have a nice life now, because I've worked hard for it, but I'm never going to have that life, and I don't want that life, because you're too detached from the people that are going through the struggle and people that are trying to achieve what is normal life.

我現在的生活很好，因為我為之付出了努力，但我永遠不會擁有那樣的生活，我也不想要那樣的生活，因為你太脫離那些正在經歷奮鬥的人們，脫離那些正在努力實現正常生活的人們。

Providing you're working and you're not a burden on society needlessly, then that's OK.

只要你在工作，不給社會造成不必要的負擔，那就沒問題。

So is the class system dissolving, then, in the UK?

那麼，在英國，階級制度是否正在消解？

Is it as prevalent as it was a couple of decades ago?

它還像幾十年前那樣普遍嗎？

I think it is, but people probably don't...

我認為它是，但人們可能不...

It's not as acceptable to refer to it as it used to be.

這種說法已經不像以前那麼容易被接受了。

I'm much more concerned about underprivileged people who do not have things they should have, like a home and a job.

我更關心的是那些沒有自己應該擁有的東西（比如住房和工作）的弱勢群體。

That's the real value of moving up, is that your problems change, and we all have problems.

這就是晉升的真正價值，因為你的問題會改變，而我們每個人都有問題。

Your problems change.

你的問題會改變。

You go from, I need food, I need to survive, we can't turn the heating on, footjumpers on, I can't do my homework because my hands are cold, to, OK, well, what restaurant are we going to go to?

你會從 "我需要食物，我需要生存，我們不能開暖氣，跳腳，我不能做作業，因為我的手很冷 "變成 "好吧，那我們去什麼餐廳？

Oh, I've been to that restaurant last week, I don't want to go anymore, I don't like the food.

哦，我上週去過那家餐廳，我不想再去了，我不喜歡那裡的食物。

Your problems change, and that's a huge part of that change, is the problems that you have.

你的問題會發生變化，而這種變化的一個重要部分，就是你的問題。

If you can stand on your own two feet and provide for your family, then that's pretty good, whatever class you think you are.

如果你能自食其力，養家餬口，那就很不錯了，無論你認為自己屬於哪個階層。

Rather than class, much more important is how kind you are and what contribution you're making to society.

比起階級，更重要的是你有多善良，對社會有多大貢獻。