高州中学2016复读情况:你挤入中产阶级了吗

就在不久之前，大多数人对成功的定义还是：要有房子，房子外面有排白色的栅栏，能有两个星期的休假，有两个子女并有能力供他们上大学。然而今天，不管是最近的调查也好，还是相关的数据统计也罢，都显示中产阶级快要灭绝了。中产阶级要是真的玩完了，这对美国社会结构来说可不是一件小事，所以美国政府开始下令调查此事究竟。先别开别的不说，就光是定义“中产阶级”已经让人头疼，因为不过人们收入如何，大家都想在中间的等级晃悠。我们先别把重心放在讨论美金收入上，先看看中产阶级的生活水平应该是怎样的。（另外的背景知识请参看 losing the middle class 正在消失的中产阶级）

Have You Made it to the Middle?

A wide variety of numbers have been thrown around in an effort to define the middle. People earning 20% of the average income and people earning 80% all claim to be part of the middle class. More than a few millionaires make the claim too. While there is no official financial standard, the middle class as defined by the government task force is characterized in terms of six financial aspirations, which we can view as benchmarks.

为了定义中产阶级，人们开始滥用铺天盖地的数据。不管是占平均收入20%的，还是占80%的，都一律叫中产。还不止一两个有百万积蓄的人也说自己是中产。虽然确实没有官方在财富上的统计标准，但是政府的这个调查项目把中产阶级从6个财产愿望方面做了定义，我们可以以此为标尺。

•Home Ownership

一屋之主

Home ownership remains the American dream. The step up from renting to owning signifies prosperity and achievement. With median home prices ranges differing by so much in different cities across the United States, the ability to achieve this goal varies significantly by geographical location. Someone earning an income in the 50% range in Detroit may not be able to afford even a small house in Los Angeles. (Looking to leap into homeownership? Read Top Tips For First-Time Home Buyers.)

有自己的房子对美国人来说还是一种梦想。从租屋到有屋意味着成功和成就。美国的房屋均价在每个城市都有所不同，要想实现这个目标，还要看看你的地理位置到底在哪。有些人在底特律可能工资是中等水平，但就这个薪水甚至负担不起洛杉矶的一个小公寓。（具体可参看leap into homeownership？ 慢慢流走的屋主梦？还有read toptips for first-time home buyers 给首次买房者的首选建议）

•Automobile Ownership

一车之主

Owning an automobile provides freedom of movement and the luxury of avoiding the limited schedules and cramped quarters offered by mass transportation options such as buses and subways. Here again, the cost of cars varying widely, as does the kind of automobile required. For one driver, a used Hyundai will do the trick. For another, a new BMW signifies the achievement of this goal.

拥有一辆自己的汽车就意味着行动的自由，没有了限制，也不用为交通系统总让你投币感到头疼，比如公交车和地铁。这里一样要提，买车的花费相差甚远，人们对车的要求也不一样。对某个司机来说，现代就够用了。但对另一些人来说，一辆新的宝马才意味着他一车之主梦想的实现。

•A College Education for the Kids

子女们的大学教育

Helping children get ahead in life is a primary goal for middle class families. Paying for a college education for children can cost anywhere from the low tens of thousands of dollars to hundreds of thousands. Decisions about which university of college to attend can have a significant impact on the price tag. (Worried about footing the university bill? Check out 5 Ways To Fund A College Education.)

让子女们在生活中占有先机是中产阶级家庭的头等大事。子女的大学教育经费可以从数千美金到数万美金不等。你要付的学费很大程度上取决于你所选读的大学。（担心大学账单吗 参看 5种让你不愁大学学费的方法）

•Retirement Security

退休保障

Retirement is a goal nearly everyone wants to achieve. It demonstrates success and provides a reward for decades of hard work. Once again, definitions make a difference. The amount of gold required to support your golden years will vary significantly depending on whether you want a staff of 10 at your villa in the South of France or a townhouse in Peoria, Illinois.

退休几乎是每个人想要实现的梦想。这是一种成功，也是对数十年辛苦工作的回报。还是一样，对退休保障的要求会造成差异。有些人对晚年的要求是在伊利诺斯的郊外有所房子，有些人是想在法国南部的奢华别墅里有10个工人伺候，这些不同的要求意味着每个人的晚年开销也不同，

•Health Care Coverage

健康保障

The ability to obtain healthcare is an important goal for middle class wager earners and their families. The high and rising cost of medical care and prescription drugs make healthcare coverage an ever-increasing need, as going without it can have serious negative financial implications in the event of a severe illness or injury.

获得医保也是中产阶级和中产家庭非常重要的目标之一。日益增长的医疗开销和药品费用把医保需求放在了空前突出的位置上，如果没有医保，那么在你受伤或者有重大疾病的时候，你会有很大的债务压力。

•Family Vacation

家庭假期

The family vacation is a middle class staple. Vacations demonstrate that a family has disposable income and has been successful enough to take time away from work to focus on leisure. (Check out 3 Money-Saving Cruise Ship Tips and 7 Ways To Save On Summer Getaways for tips on how to have a fun and budget-friendly summer adventure.) 

家庭假期对于中产阶级来说非常重要。拥有各种假期证明这个家庭有消费能力，在工作之余，可以有自己的休闲时光。（参见3种旅游船省钱妙招和7招教你夏日玩得好，花的少，即如果用有限的开支来场夏日激情探险）

What Happened on the Way to the Dream?

圆梦之路缘何受阻？

Globalization and technological advances began to reverse the growth of the middle class. The manufacturing base in the United States changed, as good-paying jobs in factories and heavy industries went overseas to lower-paying markets and labor unions lost much of their ability to bargain for high wages and good benefits. Later, white-collar jobs from accounting and data entry to reading medical images and answering telephones in call centers were also sent offshore. Many jobs that remained in the U.S. were eliminated by computers and other technological advancements that increased productivity.

全球化和技术的进步开始阻挡中间阶级的壮大。美国的制造基础已经改变，因为以往工厂或者重工行业那些薪水不错的工作现在都流失到了海外低成本的国家。工会也没什么能力为高工资和好福利讨价还价。再过不久，一些白领行业，从财会和数据录入到解读医学图像和电话客服重心都会搬到海外。为了增加产出，美国的许多工作岗位都会被计算机或者其他先进科技替代。

To achieve or maintain a middle-class lifestyle, many households became two-income families. Achieving middle class goals became more difficult as employers eliminated their pension plans and defined-benefit plans, the cost of a college education continued to rise and the cost of healthcare jumped. For most of the 20-year period following 1990, the Commerce Department reports that real median income grew at a rate of about 20%, while the cost of a college education grew between 43% and 60%, the cost of housing rose 56% and healthcare costs jumped by 155%.

为了实现中产阶级的生活水平，很多家庭夫妻两个都要出去工作。但是老板开始降低福利和缩减人工，大学教育费用不断增加，医疗支出飞涨，这都使得时间中产阶级这个目标更加困难。商务部称，总体来说，在90年至10年的20年间，中产阶级的工资上涨了20%，但是大学教育费用的增长在43%-60%之间，房屋支出增长为56%，医疗支出则飞涨了155%。

How to Get There

如何圆梦

Although there are significant challenges to obtaining middle class status, there are some proactive steps that can help make the dream a reality. Budgeting is one of the most obvious. Understanding where your money goes each month can help you determine the exact makeup of the benchmarks you are trying to match. Are you looking for a Hyundai or a BMW? (Check out 6 Months To A Better Budget for some helpful tips.)

尽管要保住中产阶级的地位面临许多挑战，但还是有些积极的方法可是实现这个梦想。其中一个好方法很明显就是预算。要清楚知道你每个月的花销去向，可以帮助你计算收支平衡。你是想要现代呢？还是想要宝马呢？（可以参考《6个月让你精打细算》）

Planning is another crucial step. Are the kids going to a state university or a private college? Are scholarships an option? Some savvy families find money for college by participating in programs which can aide families with the costs related to sending a child to university.

做计划是另外一个重要方法。你的子女是去公立还是私立大学呢？有无奖学金？有一些有经济头脑的家庭参加了一些可以提供大学教育资金的项目，这些项目帮助许多家庭解决和孩子上大学有关的一些开销。

Working is another one of the requirements. A second job or a side business might be just what you need to boost your income and achieve some of your goals. Putting your money to work is also an important consideration. Investing has helped build wealth for generations. In fact, income earners ranked in the top 1% enjoyed significant increases in wealth even as the middle class fell into decline. Most of that wealth came from investments. Even if you don't have the means to invest for current income, you can take a few dollars from each paycheck and save for your retirement.

工作也是一种方法。搞个副业或者兼职就能增加收入，实现一些目标。把钱投资到工作当中也很值得考虑。投资还能为后代积累财富。实际上在金字塔尖上那1%的人财富还在不断增长，虽然中产阶级的财富降低了。他们大部分的财富都来自于投资。即使你不知道怎么把你现在的薪水用于投资，你也可以每个月存一些钱，退休之后享用。

The Bottom Line

底线

Don't underestimate the role of hard work and luck. Sometimes being in the right place at the right time or taking one particular course of action over another can make all the difference. So keep watching for opportunities and make the most of them when you find them. As motion-picture mogul Samuel Goldwyn said, "The harder I work, the luckier I get." (For a whole lot more on saving for the important things in your life, see our Investopedia Special Feature: Budgeting 101.)

不要低估努力工作和运气的作用。有些时候，在对的时间，对的地点，做出正确的抉择会让一切大为不同。所以，一定要继续寻找机会，并且抓住大多数机会。电影业剧透Samuel Goldwyn说过“我越努力工作，就越幸运”。