Though it is a mere 1 to 3 percent of the population, the upper class possesses at least 25 percent of the nation’s wealth. This

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问题     Though it is a mere 1 to 3 percent of the population, the upper class possesses at least 25 percent of the nation’s wealth. This class has two segments: upper-upper and lower-upper. Basically, the upper-upper class is the "old rich"— families that have been wealthy for several generations — an aristocracy of birth and wealth. Their names are in the Social Register, a listing of acceptable members of high society. A few are known across the nation, such as the Rockefellers, Roosevelts, and Vanderbilts. Most are not visible to the public. They live in grand seclusion, drawing their income from the investment of their inherited wealth. In contrast, the lower-upper class is the "new rich". Although they may be wealthier than some of the old rich, the new rich have hustled to make their money like everybody else beneath their class. Thus their prestige is generally lower than that of the old rich, who have not found it necessary to lift a finger to make their money, and who tend to thumb their noses at the new rich.
    However its wealth is acquired, the upper class is very, very rich. They have enough money and leisure time to cultivate an interest in the arts and to collect rare books, paintings, and sculpture. They generally live in exclusive areas, belong to exclusive social clubs, rub elbows with each other, and marry their own kind — all of which keeps them so aloof from the masses that they have been called out-of-sight class(Fussel, 1983). More than any other class, they tend to be conscious of being members of a class. They also command an enormous amount of power and influence here and aboard, as they hold many top government positions, run the Council on Foreign Relations, and control multinational corporations. Their actions affect the lives of millions.

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答案 虽然只占到人口的1%~3%,贵族阶层却至少拥有25%的国家财富。这个阶层有两个组成部分:上上层与上下层。上上层基本上是“旧富”,无论从出生还是财富上讲都属于贵族,这些家族世代富贵。他们在登载上流社会认可的成员的目录《社会名册》上榜上有名。其中有几位名扬全美,如洛克菲勒家族、罗斯福家族和范德比尔特家族,而他们大部分人都隐匿于公众视线,过着高贵的隐居生活,从祖上留下的财富投资中获得收入。与之形成对比的上下层是“新贵”。尽管他们的财富可能超过那些旧富,新贵们的钱是像社会地位在他们之下的其他每个人一样努力挣来的。因此,他们的声望一般比旧富们低,后者不用抬一根指头就能挣到钱,对新贵旧富们通常不屑一顾。 无论财富怎样获得,贵族阶层非常非常富裕。他们有足够的钱和闲暇时间培养对艺术的兴趣和收集稀有书籍、绘画和雕塑。他们通常居住在专属的区域,参加专属的社交俱乐部,与同类交往和结婚,这一切使他们远离大众而被称为“隐形阶层”。他们往往比其他阶层的人有着更强的社会等级意识。因为身居政府部门的高层职位,掌控跨国公司以及管理着对外关系事务,他们也掌握着巨大的权力,在国内外都有影响。他们的行为影响着千百万人(无数人)的生活。

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