文化或成为英国新的伟大产业

British Culture May Be Our New Great Industr

“旧时王谢堂前燕，飞入寻常百姓家。”过去，文化为上层阶级所独享，只有他们才赏得了音乐，看得起话剧。现在，这些文化活动则为普通人所拥有。但是，在阶级不再重要的今天，对文化的品位和占有又开始反过来定义人们的身份。文化和阶级，究竟处在怎样的互动和博弈之中呢？二者的消长，又对一个国家的发展有什么启示呢？

Class has not slunk1 away from these islands. It never will. Too many people have an investment in it. But most would now describe themselves more happily by their taste, their private passions, what they like to do, rather than what an ancient three-part hierarchical system decrees that they were meant to be.2 Class is being bypassed3.