有钱人的显摆是为了什么?

    The rage in the luxury world these days is 'back to basics.'
    Wealthy consumers don't want flash and sizzle, they want authenticity¹, low-key practicality and craftsmanship². Conspicuous³ consumption is dead, we hear. No one wants to be pay to be noticed anymore. They want stealth wealth and comfortable shoes.
    Or do they?
    A new study from the Affluence⁴ Collaborative and Agency Sacks finds that wealthy consumers (those with $500,000 or more in income) are far more likely than others to want respect and attention from their purchases. When asked what needs are met by their favorite brand, nearly a third of the wealthy consumers agreed with the statement that 'It allows me to feel a sense of accomplishment⁵.'
    Fully⁶ 28% agreed that their favorite brands 'allow them to stand out from the crowd' and 20% said the brands 'command respect from others.'
    Of course, that is a minority of respondents. But what is surprising is how the responses of the wealthy differ from the lesser-wealthy.
    The affluent⁷, or those with $200,000 to $499,000 in income (in light of the latest tax debates, we also could call them the 'Obama wealthy'), were far less likely to spend to stand out from the crowd or get respect. Only 8% of the affluent said they shopped to command respect from others, compared with the 20% for the wealthy.
    Across the board, the wealthy needed their favorite brands to fill far more needs in their life compared to the affluent-from 'providing me with a sense of adventure' to 'making me feel reassured⁸ in a changing world.'
    That is a tall order for a handbag or a watch.
    Andrew Sacks, president of Agency Sacks, said the reason is that the wealthy have become consumer 'separatists,' who want to be treated differently, need special products and special service, and crave⁹ very personal recognition.
    Even though many of them grew up middle class and built their own fortunes, they have quickly developed a strong sense of entitlement. Mr. Sacks calls it 'earned entitlement.'
    'Just because they have middle class values and may not dress the part of wealth of old, their needs and demands are every bit as intense, and perhaps even more so as the value of the dollar is that much more important to them,' he said.
    Why do you think the wealthy have so many emotional needs from the stuff they buy?
    奢侈界时下流行的东西可以说是返朴归真。
    富有的消费者不想摆阔了，他们想要的是可靠性、低调的实用性和体现技艺的东西。我们听说，炫耀式消费已经不再。没有人再想要通过花钱来获得关注。他们想要藏富，过实惠的日子。
    果真如此吗？
    Affluence Collaborative and Agency Sacks的一项新研究发现，有钱人（收入在50万美元及以上的人群）可能希望以购买行为来获得尊重和关注的程度要远远大于其他人。当被问到购买他们最喜欢的品牌令何种需要得到了满足时，近三分之一的有钱人认可下面这种说法：这让我感受到一种成就感。
    足足28%的人认为，他们最喜爱的品牌能够让他们“鹤立鸡群”，20%的人说这些品牌让他们得到了其他人的尊重。
    当然，这只是受访者中的一小部分。但令人吃惊的地方在于：有钱人和不那么有钱的人，他们的答案差别是何等之大。
    收入在20万至49.9万美元之间的这类生活宽裕人群，他们为了“鹤立鸡群”或是为得到尊重而进行消费的可能性远不如上述人群。只有8%的生活宽裕族说他们消费是为了获得别人的尊重，而有钱人的这一比例为20%。
    总体来说，有钱人要靠自己锺爱的品牌来满足的生活需要大大多过宽裕族，从“带给我一种冒险感”到“让我在变化的世界中感到安全”，不一而足。
    这对于一个手包或是一块手表来说是个苛刻的要求。
    Agency Sacks的总裁萨克斯(Andrew Sacks)说，原因在于有钱人已经成为消费者中的“分裂分子”，他们想获得不同的待遇，需要特殊的商品和服务，渴望一种极其私人化的认可。
    尽管他们中的许多都成长于中产阶级家庭，依靠自身努力获得了财富，他们却很快培养出了一种强烈的权利感。萨克斯将其称为“挣得的权利感”。
    他说，他们可能仅仅是因为拥有中产阶级的价值观，才没有像老派富人那般炫富，但他们的需求和需要与老派富人一样强烈，或许还更强烈，因为钱的价值对他们来说要更重要得多。
    你认为有钱人为何对他们所买的东西有如此多情感上的需求？

1 authenticity   

n.真实性

参考例句：

• There has been some debate over the authenticity of his will. 对于他的遗嘱的真实性一直有争论。
• The museum is seeking an expert opinion on the authenticity of the painting. 博物馆在请专家鉴定那幅画的真伪。

2 craftsmanship   

n.手艺

参考例句：

• The whole house is a monument to her craftsmanship. 那整座房子是她技艺的一座丰碑。
• We admired the superb craftsmanship of the furniture. 我们很欣赏这个家具的一流工艺。

3 conspicuous   

adj.明眼的，惹人注目的；炫耀的，摆阔气的

参考例句：

• It is conspicuous that smoking is harmful to health.很明显，抽烟对健康有害。
• Its colouring makes it highly conspicuous.它的色彩使它非常惹人注目。

4 affluence   

n.充裕，富足

参考例句：

• Their affluence is more apparent than real.他们的富有是虚有其表。
• There is a lot of affluence in this part of the state because it has many businesses.这个州的这一部分相当富有，因为它有很多商行。

5 accomplishment   

n.完成，成就，（pl.）造诣，技能

参考例句：

• The series of paintings is quite an accomplishment.这一系列的绘画真是了不起的成就。
• Money will be crucial to the accomplishment of our objectives.要实现我们的目标，钱是至关重要的。

6 fully   

adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地

参考例句：

• The doctor asked me to breathe in,then to breathe out fully.医生让我先吸气，然后全部呼出。
• They soon became fully integrated into the local community.他们很快就完全融入了当地人的圈子。

7 affluent   

adj.富裕的，富有的，丰富的，富饶的

参考例句：

• He hails from an affluent background.他出身于一个富有的家庭。
• His parents were very affluent.他的父母很富裕。

8 reassured   

adj.使消除疑虑的；使放心的v.再保证，恢复信心( reassure的过去式和过去分词)

参考例句：

• The captain's confidence during the storm reassured the passengers. 在风暴中船长的信念使旅客们恢复了信心。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
• The doctor reassured the old lady. 医生叫那位老妇人放心。 来自《简明英汉词典》

9 crave   

vt.渴望得到，迫切需要，恳求，请求

参考例句：

• Many young children crave attention.许多小孩子渴望得到关心。
• You may be craving for some fresh air.你可能很想呼吸呼吸新鲜空气。