投资 · 西方古典
托斯丹·凡勃伦：有闲阶级论·摘录 39
托斯丹·凡勃伦《有闲阶级论》· The Theory of the Leisure Class · 投资
After some considerable advance has been made in the practice of employing a special corps of servants for the performance of a conspicuous leisure in this manner, men begin to be preferred above women for services that bring them obtrusively into view. Men, especially lusty, personable fellows, such as footmen and other menials should be, are obviously more powerful and more expensive than women. They are better fitted for this work, as showing a larger waste of time and of human energy. Hence it comes about that in the economy of the leisure class the busy housewife of the early patriarchal days, with her retinue of hard-working handmaidens, presently gives place to the lady and the lackey.
出处：
https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/833
定位：Excerpt 39 · 核对日期：2026-10-19 · 核验：短摘录
白话
当用专门仆人来展示“ conspicuous leisure”（炫耀性有闲）成为习惯后，人们开始更愿意用男人而不是女人来做那些显眼的服务。为什么？因为健壮、相貌好的男仆，比如脚夫，明显比女人更有力量、更昂贵，也更能显示主人浪费了大量时间和人力。于是，早期父权家庭里忙碌的主妇和一群辛苦的女仆，渐渐被“贵妇”和“男仆”取代。核心是：炫耀性消费不在乎实用，而在乎谁更能“浪费”得显眼。今天请人、雇人时，我们是否也在为“看起来有排场”买单？
上下文
凡勃伦描述有闲阶级家庭中，显眼服务逐渐由男性仆役承担，以显示主人的地位和浪费能力。
今日一问
你最近一次花钱或雇人，是为了实际需要，还是为了看起来有面子？
公版作品；原文逐字取自 Project Gutenberg，仅摘录段落并附全书链接。
你的邮箱
只用于发送原典。不发广告，不卖名单。
本文本为公版；底本与原文链接见上。 版权