Throughout much of our civilization's history and in various parts of the world, those with limited options (historically women) have been seeking wealthy partners who can provide for them, prioritizing financial security over other factors, like romance, love, looks, and/or compatibility. The term "gold digger" became popular during the American Gold Rush.

在我们人类文明发展的过程中，世界各地都会有这样一些生活选择很有限的人（从历史上来看多数为女人），她们一直在寻求物质上富足的伴侣，希望他们能够满足一切物质所需了；对她们来说，经济上的稳定比浪漫、爱情、长相或双方的融洽度都要重要。在美国“淘金热”时期，gold digger（“淘金者”，即以色相博取钱财的人，也就是我们俗称的“傍大款”）这个说法开始流行。

Times have changed, but the concept remains the same. Whether we like it or not, many people still wish (sometimes subconsciously or quietly) to find someone who can be a "breadwinner" for various reasons - so they can stay home to raise children, focus on a dream career that has yet to produce reliable income, or simply for material comfort. As more women become financially successful, fewer of them are interested in "gold digging", but male "gold diggers" are becoming more common.

时代不同了，但“淘金”的观念还是没有变。不管我们是不是喜欢，出于很多原因，很多人还是希望（有时是潜意识地或者偷偷地希望）能够找到一个“衣食靠山”，这样她们就可以待在家里看孩子，专注于一份还不能创造稳定收入的理想职业，或仅仅为了物质享受。随着越来越多的女性在经济上成功自立，有意于“傍大款”的女性就越来越少了，反而是男性当中“傍款”的人越发常见了。