“你真農民！” 曾幾何時，“農民”竟成了時髦的形容詞。只是，恐怕連使用者都沒意識到，“時髦”的背后傷害了另一個群體的自尊。陜西省省長袁純清做客兩會特別節目《小崔會客》，共同探討“農民”本意：“農民”是樸實、勤勞的代名詞，如果誰把它理解成“眼界狹窄、心眼小”，那就是立場有問題。  背景音樂：歌詞《農民》 By Beyond

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Yuan Chunqing, Governor of Northwest China's Shaanxi Province, with emcee Cui Yongyuan on a CCTV talk show. [CCTV]

Peasant, the hardworking and simple, should not be considered aderogative word," said Yuan Chunqing, Governor of Northwest China's Shaanxi Province, on a nationally televised talk show.

The noun "peasant" has been using as adjective as part of aposh Chinese vocabularyfor many, describing those who are unstylish and ill-informed.

Yuan, who had been a peasant in the late 1960s, noted it is "uncivilized" to affix derogative connotations to peasant, which for him usually meansguilelessness, diligence, and the down-to-earth spirit.

He also said it's already unstylish and outdated to use the word "peasant" to refer to people with ill manners and narrow outlooks.

Thanks to the growth of sizzling Chinese economy, more and more peasants who were originally bound to their farmlands also begin to see the world. Of China's 900 million people from the country, it is estimated that 200 million of them go to the cities to become "migrant workers", who mainly engage in construction, manufacturing, and restaurant businesses.

According to a proposal in the ongoing 2007 NPC and CPPCC, migrant workers will also be represented in the National People's Conference next year.

Here is a song titled "peasant" by Hong Kong rock band Beyond. 

農民歌詞     byBeyond

（Chinadaily.com.cn） 

Vocabulary:    

derogative word: 貶義詞

posh vocabulary: 時髦詞匯，詳看詞海拾貝：Posh的來歷

guilelessness: 樸實

（英語點津陳蓓編輯）