◎ 茅毅
Though 5 out of 10 South Koreans have moved up to a higher occupational level than their fathers’ generation, less than four are aware of this, a recent study found. This is thought to be the result of growing pessimism about social mobility, caused by the recent tendency for class structure in South Korean society to become locked in.
最近一項研究發現，南韓民眾當中，相較其父執輩，10個人就有5個人已晉升到較高的職業水準，但10人裡卻不到4人對此有感。如此現象被認為是對社會流動日益悲觀的結果，肇因於近來南韓社會中，階級結構變得封閉的傾向。
A paper called "An International Comparison of the Level of Social Mobility and Implications for Policy" found that half of South Koreans have moved to a higher occupational level than their parents’ generation. This was the highest percentage among the seven countries that were compared in the analysis. Finland had 45.4%, Denmark 44.6%, France 44.9%, the US 41.7%, Germany 38.8% and Japan 26.1%.
一篇名為「社會流動的水準及其政策意涵之國際比較」的論文發現，南韓半數民眾已移動至高於其雙親那代的職業水準。這是該分析中所比較的7國裡之最高比率， 居次的芬蘭有45.4%，再來是丹麥的44.6%、法國的44.9%、美國的41.7%、德國的38.8%和日本的26.1%。
The country in which the highest percentage of respondents said their level was higher than their father’s was France, with 53.3%, followed by Finland (48.2%), Denmark (46.8%), the US (45.8%), Germany (39.9%), South Korean (37.7%) and Japan (22.2%).
受訪者自認其職業水準高於其父親的比率最高國家是法國的53.3%，其次為芬蘭（48.2%）、丹麥（46.8%）、美國（45.8%）、德國（39.9%）、南韓（37.7%）和日本（22.2%）。
"During South Korea’s industrialization, there was a great deal of social mobility, so South Koreans have high expectations for moving up. As they are confronted with the present tendency for the social structure to become solidified, pessimism about upward mobility has become widespread," the researchers said.
研究人員指出：「在南韓的工業化期間，曾有大量的社會流動，因此南韓人民對出人頭地有著高度期望。隨著他們面臨當前社會結構變得僵固的趨勢，對向上流動的悲觀主義就蔓延開來。」
新聞辭典
move up：動詞片語，升級（職）。例句：I’ve been an office clerk for over a year. I had hoped that I would move up.（我已當了一年多的職員，原本希望自己會升職。）
lock in：動詞片語，禁閉、封鎖。例句：The ship was completely locked in ice.（這艘船整個遭冰封。）
confront with：動詞片語，使遭遇、使對質。例句：The police confronted him with the witness’s statement.（警方以目擊者的供述與他對質。）
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