平民是个新名词,大有取代原有城市贫民称呼之势。社科词典中解释城市贫民的特点是无固定职业、收入微薄、生活贫苦而社会地位低微的人。如今有些国营企业效益不好,一些人有固定职业而收入微薄;一些无固定职业的个体户,因经商有方而不再贫困,甚至腰缠万贯。虽然同样处于社会的低层,但职业、经济状况有了很大的变化,因而平民比之贫民的界定更为准确,也更具多样性。当然,人们更接受平民这个用语,是取平凡、普通之义,是从这个阶层 Civilians are a new term that has largely replaced the original urban poor call. The social sciences dictionary explains that the characteristics of the urban poor are those with no fixed job, low incomes, poor living conditions and low social status. Some state-owned enterprises nowadays have very poor returns. Some of them have a fixed job and their incomes are meager. Some unskilled self-employed people are no longer poor or even wealthy because of business. Although they are also in the lower social strata, their occupation and economic conditions have undergone great changes. Therefore, the definition of civilians is more accurate and diverse than that of the poor. Of course, people accept the term civilians more commonly than ordinary people, from this class