英国不是最讲阶级的国家: 何越

choi

何越, 英国不是最讲阶级的国家. 金融时报中文网, Feb 12, 2016 (available now).
http://www.ftchinese.com/story/001066141

Note:
(a) "许多下了台的政治家，或首相想安抚却无处安放的亲信，常会获得提名，被女王册封为终身贵族 [life peers]（又称一代贵族，不能传与下代），塞入上议院。而这种贵族只是名誉，完全不能与古时那种疆场立功、封功加爵、授地赏银的世袭贵族 [hereditary peers] 相提并论。"
(i) peerages in the United Kingdom
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peerages_in_the_United_Kingdom

"Under present custom, only members of the Royal Family are nowadays created hereditary peers; the last non-royal creations of hereditary titles being in the Thatcher era, since when Her Majesty's Government (HMG) (whether Conservative or Labour) has refrained from such recommendations. New Labour, elected to power in 1997, sought to eject all hereditary peers from Parliament but PM Tony Blair relented by allowing only 92 members to remain by legislation enacted in 1999 [House of Lords Act 1999; whereas the life peers retained their seats].
(ii) In UK: "The ranks of the peerage are duke, marquess, earl, viscount, and baron."  en.wikipedia.org

(b) "撒切尔受封为女男爵"
(i) She was a Conservative.
(ii) Margaret Thatcher
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Margaret_Thatcher
("After retiring from the Commons in 1992, she was given a life peerage as Baroness Thatcher, of Kesteven in the county of Lincolnshire, which entitled her to sit in the House of Lords. * * * [In 1970 her husband] Denis Thatcher was made a Baronet")
(iii) English dictionary:
* baroness
http://www.oxforddictionaries.co ... an_english/baroness
* baronet (n): "a member of the lowest hereditary titled British order, with the status of a commoner but able to use the prefix 'Sir' "
http://www.oxforddictionaries.co ... can_english/baronet
* Baronetcy (n): "The rank of a baronet"
http://www.oxforddictionaries.co ... n_english/baronetcy

(c) “保守党的梅杰只接受了爵士封号”
(i) In 2005 John Major was bestowed with a knighthood.
(ii) knight
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Knight
(section 6.4.3 British Baronetcies: "Since 1611, the British Crown has awarded a hereditary title in the form of the Baronetcy. Like knights, baronets are accorded the title Sir. Baronets are not peers of the Realm, and have never been entitled to sit in the House of Lords, therefore like knights they remain commoners in the view of the British legal system. However, unlike knights, the title is hereditary")

(d) “我一个月前曾采访过英国前商务大臣凯博 [Vince Cable (1943- )]（自由民主党）”

(e) "布莱尔普通人家出身 * * * 如果卡梅伦不从政，Elwen一定早就入读了私校。可他是民选首相，受缚于自己贵族出身的家庭背景，他必须在任何问题上尽量与大众保持一致：全英国约90%的孩子都入国立学校"
(i) family of David Cameron
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Family_of_David_Cameron
(section 2.2 Aristocracy and politics)
(ii) Cameron is married to Samantha Gwendoline Sheffield (maiden name). They had four children -- the oldest, a son, died at 6, having been born with a rare combination of cerebral palsy and epilepsy. They then had three more, the second being Arthur Elwin (born 2006; Elwin as the middle name).  A quick research shows that the son was referred to as either Arthur or Elwin, but not both (Arthur Elwin).