中世纪欧洲工资劳动者收入与饮食消费水平的变化

On the Changes of Income and Food Consumption Level of European Wage-earners in the Middle Ages

工资劳动者处在社会结构的下层,按雇佣期限和是否住在主人家里分为仆人与雇工。黑死病前劳动力过剩导致工资劳动者收入增长缓慢,黑死病后国王颁布《雇工条例》等以便阻止工资增长,但工资劳动者的收入大多超过国家规定的最高工资。中世纪中期工资劳动者饮食的数量和结构已开始改善,中世纪晚期他们的饮食结构发生显著变化,15世纪成为雇工的"黄金时代"。

Wage-earners were in the lower strata of social structure and could be classified into two types, servants and laborers, according to their duration of employment and whether they lived in the masters＇ houses. Labor surplus caused slow increase in wage-earners＇ income before the Black Death. After it the kings issued laws such as The Ordinance of Labourers to stop the increase of wage, yet the income of wage-earners mostly surpassed the ceiling income defined by the government. During the High Middle Ages, the amount and structure of food of wage-earners have begun to improve. There was a remarkable change in their food structure in the late Middle Ages and the 15^th century became a ＂Golden Age＂ of wage-earners.