People who marry tend to accumulate wealth much faster than those who are single, making it easier to ascend the social ladder.

结婚的人往往比单身的人更快地积累财富，从而更容易登上社会阶梯。

If you lived in Europe during the Middle Ages,   you would most likely have been a commoner with few opportunities to ascend the social ladder and  engage in scholarly activities.

如果你生活在中世纪的欧洲，你很可能是一个平民，几乎没有机会登上社会阶梯并从事学术活动。