The peasantry means all the peasants of a country taken together as one group — the poor farming people who worked the land, usually owning little or none of it. It is a collective noun, so it is one word for a whole class of people, and it normally takes 'the': 'the peasantry of eighteenth-century France'.

The peasantry peasantry means意思是 all the peasants of a country一個國家所有的農民 taken together as one group合起來當成一個群體 — the poor farming people那些貧窮的種田人 who他們 worked the land耕種土地, usually owning little or none of it通常擁有很少或完全沒有那塊地。It它 is是 a collective noun一個集合名詞, so所以 it它 is one word一個字 for a whole class of people指整個階級的人, and而且 it它 normally takes 'the'通常會加'the': 'the peasantry of eighteenth-century France'『十八世紀法國的peasantry』。

You will meet it almost only in history books, in writing about politics and revolutions, and in discussions of old social classes; it is not a word for the news or for chat. Because it names a class, it sits next to words like 'the aristocracy', 'the clergy', 'the gentry' and 'the working class', and it very often appears in that kind of list.

You你 will meet it幾乎只會在歷史書裡遇到它 almost only in history books, in writing about politics and revolutions在討論政治與革命的文章裡, and而且 in discussions of old social classes在討論舊社會階級的討論裡; it它 is not不是 a word for the news or for chat新聞或聊天會用的字。Because因為 it它 names a class指的是一個階級, it它 sits next to words跟這些字擺在一起 like 'the aristocracy', 'the clergy', 'the gentry' and 'the working class'像'貴族'、'神職人員'、'仕紳'和'工人階級', and而且 it它 very often appears很常出現 in that kind of list在那種列表裡。

Grammar note: it can take either a singular or a plural verb — 'the peasantry was heavily taxed' and 'the peasantry were starving' are both found, with the plural more common in British English when you are thinking of the people one by one.

Grammar note文法小提醒: it它 can take可以搭配 either a singular or a plural verb單數或複數動詞 — 'the peasantry was heavily taxed'『the peasantry was heavily taxed』 and和 'the peasantry were starving'『the peasantry were starving』 are both found兩種都找得到, with而 the plural複數形 more common in British English在英式英文裡更常見 when當 you are thinking of the people one by one你把這些人當成一個一個個體來想時。

A caution about feeling: 'peasant' used of a living person today is an insult, meaning rough and ignorant, and even 'peasantry' can sound as if you are looking down from above. Modern writers often prefer 'small farmers', 'farming families' or 'rural people' when they are describing people alive now.

A caution about feeling關於語氣的提醒: 'peasant' 'peasant'這個字 used of a living person today用在今天活著的人身上 is是 an insult一種侮辱, meaning意思是 rough and ignorant粗魯又無知, and而且 even 'peasantry'連'peasantry'這個字 can sound as if都可能聽起來好像 you are looking down from above你在高高在上地往下看。Modern writers現代作家 often prefer比較常選用 'small farmers', 'farming families' or 'rural people''小農'、'務農家庭'或'鄉村居民' when當 they are describing people alive now在描述現在活著的人時。