pinch

But the poorest people in the US were not the only ones to feel the pinch of increased inequality. 不过，受贫富差距加大冲击最大的，不仅仅是美国最贫穷的人。

well-off

The gap between the richest and the poorest in the US has widened dramatically since the late 1980s, while the incomes of the least well-off have fallen since the start of the decade, according to a report out on the 9 April .
4月9日发表的一份报告显示，20世纪80年代末以来，美国最富有与最贫困阶层之间的差距明显拉大。2000年以来，贫困者收入有所下降。