Lesson 5 Youth青年

People are always talking about 'the problem of youth'.

be always doing ^{老是做某事（贬义）}

If there is one -- which I take leave to doubt -- then it is older people who create it, not the young themselves.

which I take leave to doubt ^{对此我表示怀疑}

强调句 ^{it is/was … that/who …}

• It is older people who create the problem, not the young. ^{是老年人制造了问题，而不是年轻人。}
• It was she who inspired the team to succeed. ^{是她激励团队取得成功。}
• It is this book that changed my perspective on life. ^{是这本书改变了我的生活观。}

if … then … ^{条件句加强连贯性}

• If you study hard, then you will pass the exam. ^{如果你努力学习，那么你就会通过考试。}
• If we leave now, then we can catch the train. ^{如果我们现在离开，那么我们能赶上火车。}
• If there is a chance, then we should take it. ^{如果有机会，那么我们应该抓住。}

If …—which I take leave to doubt—then it is … that/who …, not … ^{条件句+强调句}

• If there is heaven—which I take leave to doubt—then it is the rich and powerful who can enter, not the poor themselves. ^{如果真有天堂—对此我表示怀疑—那么是有钱有势的人可以进入，而不是穷人自己。}
• If there is justice—which I take leave to doubt—then it is the honest who prevail, not the deceitful. ^{如果真有正义—对此我表示怀疑—那么是诚实的人胜出，而不是欺骗者。}
• If there is a solution—which I take leave to doubt—then it is the brave who find it, not the hesitant. ^{如果真有解决方案—对此我表示怀疑—那么是勇敢的人找到它，而不是犹豫不决的人。}

Let us get down to fundamentals and agree that the young are after all human beings -- people just like their elders.

get down to sth./doing ^{开始认真做某事}

• Let’s get down to business. ^{让我们开始认真谈生意。}
• Let’s get down to discussing the details. ^{让我们开始认真讨论细节。}
• It’s time to get down to studying for the exam. ^{是时候开始认真复习考试了。}

agree ^承认

• We must agree that everyone deserves respect. ^{我们必须承认每个人都值得尊重。}
• They agreed that the plan was feasible. ^{他们承认这个计划是可行的。}
• She agreed that mistakes were made. ^{她承认犯了错误。}

There is only one difference between an old man and a young one: the young man has a glorious future before him and the old one has a splendid future behind him: and maybe that is where the rub is.

just/merely/no more than/a single/solitary difference ^{唯一的区别}

• There is just one difference between the two plans: their cost. ^{这两个计划只有唯一的区别：成本。}
• There is a single difference in their approaches to the problem. ^{他们的解决问题方法只有一个区别。}
• There is no more than one difference between the two designs. ^{这两个设计之间仅有一个区别。}

antithesis ^对仗修辞

• When poverty comes in at the door, love leaps out at the window. ^{贫穷跨门而入，爱情破窗而出。}
• A mother takes twenty years to make a man of her boy, and another woman takes twenty minutes to make a fool of him. ^{母亲花二十年让儿子成为男人，另一个女人花二十分钟让他变成傻瓜。}
• Humility brings benefits, while pride leads to losses. ^{谦受益，满招损。}

that is where … ^那就是

• That’s where you and I differ. ^{那就是你我不同的地方。}
• That’s where I draw the line. ^{那就是我坚决不做的事情。}
• That’s where the problem lies. ^{那就是问题所在。}

When I was a teenager, I felt that I was just young and uncertain -- that I was a new boy in a huge school, and I would have been very pleased to be regarded as something so interesting as a problem.

teenager/teen ^青少年

huge school ^比喻社会

• Society is like a huge school where everyone learns from each other. ^{社会就像一个巨大的学校，每个人都在其中相互学习。}
• As a newcomer, I felt lost in the huge school of life. ^{作为一个新人，我在生活的巨大学校中感到迷失。}
• Navigating the huge school of society can be daunting for young people. ^{对年轻人来说，探索社会的巨大学校可能令人畏惧。}

regard/see/count A as B ^把A看作B

Being a problem is better than being a nobody ^{做问题总比默默无闻好}

• Being a problem gives you attention, unlike being ignored. ^{做问题会让你受到关注，而不是被忽视。}
• She believed being a problem was better than fading into the background. ^{她认为做问题总比默默无闻好。}
• Being a problem means you’re noticed, not overlooked. ^{做问题意味着你会被注意到，而不是被忽略。}

For one thing, being a problem gives you a certain identity, and that is one of the things the young are busily engaged in seeking.

for one thing … for another … ^{原因之一是… 另一个原因是…}

be engaged in sth./doing ^忙于某事

• The young are engaged in seeking their identity. ^{年轻人忙于寻找自己的身份。}
• She is engaged in writing a novel. ^{她忙于写一部小说。}
• They are engaged in developing new technology. ^{他们忙于开发新技术。}

I find young people exciting.

find ^{认为/感觉（书面语）}

• I find young people exciting. ^{我认为年轻人令人兴奋。}
• She finds learning new languages rewarding. ^{她觉得学习新语言很有回报。}
• We find his ideas inspiring and innovative. ^{我们认为他的想法鼓舞人心且富有创新性。}

They have an air of freedom, and they have not a dreary commitment to mean ambitions or love of comfort.

air ^{风度/气质}

• They have an air of freedom that inspires others. ^{他们有一种自由的气质，激励着他人。}
• She carries an air of confidence in every meeting. ^{她在每次会议中都带有一种自信的气质。}
• His air of calmness made everyone feel at ease. ^{他的平静气质让大家感到放松。}

dreary ^{单调的/无趣的}

• They have not a dreary commitment to mean ambitions. ^{他们没有对卑微野心的单调承诺。}
• The dreary routine of daily work bored her. ^{日常工作的单调例程让她感到厌烦。}
• The town’s dreary atmosphere made him want to leave. ^{小镇单调的氛围让他想离开。}

They are not anxious social climbers, and they have no devotion to material things.

social climber ^{追求社会地位的人}

• They are not anxious social climbers chasing status. ^{他们不是急于追逐地位的社会攀登者。}
• He avoided becoming a social climber and valued simplicity. ^{他避免成为社会攀登者，重视简朴。}
• Unlike social climbers, she prioritized genuine relationships. ^{不像社会攀登者，她优先考虑真诚的关系。}

devotion to ^{对…的奉献}

• They have no devotion to material things. ^{他们对物质没有奉献。}
• Her devotion to charity inspired many. ^{她对慈善的奉献激励了很多人。}
• His devotion to his work earned him respect. ^{他对工作的奉献为他赢得了尊重。}

All this seems to me to link them with life and the origins of things.

link … with … ^{将…与…联系起来}

• All this seems to link them with life and its origins. ^{这一切似乎将他们与生命及其起源联系起来。}
• Her speech linked the event with historical changes. ^{她的演讲将事件与历史变迁联系起来。}
• The study links diet with improved health outcomes. ^{这项研究将饮食与改善健康结果联系起来。}

It's as if they were in some sense cosmic beings in violent and lovely contrast with us suburban creatures.

as if/as though ^虚拟语气

• It’s as if they were cosmic beings. ^{仿佛他们是宇宙的存在。}
• Don’t act as if you were the only pebble on the beach. ^{不要表现得仿佛你是唯一重要的人。}
• It looks as if he were talking to someone invisible. ^{看起来他仿佛在和一个隐形的人说话。}

in some sense ^{在某种意义上}

cosmic being ^{宇宙的存在}

in/by contrast/comparison to/with ^与…对比

• They are cosmic beings in contrast with us suburban creatures. ^{他们是宇宙的存在，与我们郊区生物形成对比。}
• Her approach is innovative by comparison with traditional methods. ^{她的方法与传统方法相比是创新的。}
• Compared to last year, sales have improved significantly. ^{与去年相比，销售额显著提高。}

All that is in my mind when I meet a young person.

be in one’s mind ^记在心中

He may be conceited, ill-mannered, presumptuous or fatuous, but I do not turn for protection to dreary cliches about respect for elders -- as if mere age were a reason for respect.

ill- ^{不良的（非谓语动词作形容词）}

turn to … for … ^{向…寻求…}

• The child turned to his mother for comfort. ^{孩子向母亲寻求安慰。}
• The refugees turned to the embassy for protection. ^{难民向大使馆寻求保护。}
• I turned to my mentor for advice on the project. ^{我向导师寻求项目建议。}

age ^{老年/老化}

• An idle youth, a needy age. ^{少壮不努力，老大徒伤悲。}
• The age of the building made it less appealing. ^{大楼的老化使其吸引力下降。}
• With age comes wisdom, but not always respect. ^{随着年龄增长，智慧增加，但不总是有尊重。}

I accept that we are equals, and I will argue with him, as an equal, if I think he is wrong.

as an equal ^{作为平等的人}

• I will argue with him as an equal. ^{我将以平等的身份与他争论。}
• She treated everyone as an equal regardless of status. ^{她平等对待每个人，不论地位高低。}
• We should communicate as equals to foster mutual respect. ^{我们应以平等身份交流以促进相互尊重。}