寄附在土地上的有闲阶级——中国士绅

On the Chinese Gentry Living off Land

在传统农业社会中,与西方贵族和现当代地方精英不同,中国士绅有其特性,他们是寄附在土地上的有闲阶级。他们拥有土地,却又远离土地,不直接在田地上耕作;他们依存于土地,并通过农民收取在土地上产生的有形物质财富;他们服务与作用于乡间,也间接地获得如权威、"活动费"等无形的回报。

In the traditional agricultural society, different from the western aristocrats and local elites, Chinese gentry possess their unique features, viz, they lived off land. Though Chinese gentry owned land, they seemed to be away from land in that they were not involved in field cultivation; they lived off land, and obtained intangible wealth. Their serviced and function in the countryside made them get some intangible rewards, such as power and'agent fee', etc.