towards convincing people of your status and importance.

你高人一等与众不同
So for example, if you had any military service at all,

比如如果你服过兵役
even for the briefest moment you'd served in the military,

还当过军官
and you were an officer,

即使服兵役的时间很短
you would insist forever after to the end of your days that

那你在下半辈子也会一直强调
you be called always by your title like Colonel So-and-So

要称呼你是某某上校
or Captain So-and-So.

或是某某上尉
That military title counted for a lot.

军衔很重要
That was really a sort of unquestioned symbol of rank and authority.

这是种不容置疑的地位和权力的象征
And in fact some people joined the military

一些人之所以加入军队
just because they knew by doing so they would get

就是因为知道这样一来
a title and then they would be able to hang on to that title

可以拥有一个头衔然后靠着那个头衔