People are always talking about' the problem of youth '. If there is one—which I take leave to doubt--then it is older people who create it, not the young themselves. Let us get down to fundamentals and agree that the young are after all human beings--people just like their elders. There is only one difference between an old man and a young one: the young man has a gloriousfuture before him and the old one has a splendid future behind him: and maybe that is where the rub is.
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. 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.
I find young people exciting. They have an air of freedom, and they have not a dreary commitment to mean ambitions or love of comfort. They are not anxious social climbers, and they have no devotion to material things. All this seems to me to link them with life, and the origins of things. It's as if they were in some sense cosmic beings in violent an lovely contrast with us suburban creatures. All that is in my mind when I meet a young person. He may be conceited, illmannered, presumptuous of fatuous, but I do not turn for protection to dreary cliches about respect for elders--as if mere age were a reason for respect. I accept that we are equals, and I will argue with him, as an equal, if I think he is wrong.

New words and expressions 生词短语

sb. take leave to do sth. 允许某人做某事，冒昧做某事
get down to sth.认真研究 get down to +名词／动名词
glorious 光辉灿烂的
rub 难题
teenager 青少年
for one thing 原因之一，有一点是…连接词… for another
identity 身份
air of freedom 无拘无束air:神态、气势
dreary 沉郁的
ambition 追名逐利
cosmic being 宇宙人 human being 人
violent 强烈的，暴力的
suburban 见识不广的，有偏见的
conceited 自高自大的
presumptuous 自以为是的，放肆的
fatuous 愚蠢的
cliché 陈词滥调
I take leave to say…
我冒昧地说…I take leave to be frank
恕我直言。口语：maybe I’m too bold… or .
say …
I’m bold enough… or.
Allow myself to
Take one’s leave = take leave 离开（正式用法）
Would you please take your leave?
我很烦的几种表示法：
What a bore. What a nuisance.
What a trial
What a jerk.
get down to + 名词/动名词
例：我开始学习了。 I get down to my studies.
to- 介词同义词： be engaged in
glorious
glory n. 光荣
（rosy ,shining , brilliant , magnificent , gorgeous）
in one’s glory: 在某人的鼎盛时期
in one’s dayin one’s golden days
in one’s prime timein the pride of one’s life
rub 摩擦
at odds 有矛盾
have words with sb. 和…拌嘴
Do you get the rub?Do you get the picture?
Do you catch me ?Do you get me ?
I get down to learning my book.
What’s the range?问年龄
Teenager 14 到 18Under thirteen.Adolescent: 13 到 16
Juvenile 青少年Youth 20 到 30
Air :神态（多用复数） He always puts on airs. 摆谱
Arrogant airs : 傲气 Bureaucratic airs : 官气Finicky airs 娇气
Dreary 同: drearisome a.无味，无聊
Sterile : 枯燥无味Monotonous: 乏味无聊
Gloomy：沉闷lifeless: 无生气的
I have ambition for going abroad/to gao abroad.
Fish …(wealth and fame)
Chase …(fame and gains)
Pursue …
Cosmic 宇宙
Cosmonaut 宇航员 = astronaut Astro-/aster 天体
Disaster Cosmic place :大都市 Metropolis: 大都市

Violentnonviolence 非暴力
狂风：violent wind暴死：violent death
vehement 猛烈的
同义词：turbulenttumultuous
suburb 郊区
urbane: 有礼貌的 short-sighted 目光短浅的
narroe-minded/small-mindedinsular 绝缘，目光短浅的 provincial
conceited 自高自大的
骄傲的 conceit(n.)pride 自豪
big-headed 头发胀的 cocky 自负的
chicken 胆小鬼 sweller 膨胀的over-confident
people are always talking about ‘ the problem of youth’.
Are talking _ 到目前为止一直讨论
‘the problem of youth ’ 加引号，引用。
-which I take leave to doubt 插入语 “我冒昧的说”，表示怀疑
-If there is any,同样表示怀疑
straight forward 开门见山
it is older people who creat it.—强调句
let us (speaker exclusive) – Let’s (speaker inclusive)
get down to fundamentals
fundamental = basic 基本的
fundamentalist 信奉正统基督教的人
after all – 退一步
like – (介词) 省略了谓语 are
people are just lije their elders
glorious future 光辉的未来
splendid future 光辉的未来（已过去的，对老年人而言）
where the rub is 症结所在，问题就出在这
hatred : 憎恨ironical 讽刺的，用反语的 uncertain 后面省略用法

I would have been 虚拟语气
Something 重要的东西You are somebody. 你是重要人物
So .. as … 后置定语
出色： outstanding
stand out 站出来，鹤立鸡群
cut figure 崭露头角
one of the things 正是其中之一
seeking = looking for exciting 令人激动的
air of freedom 无拘无束
= carefree , freedom from care
commitment 专注(to + 名词/动名词)
love = seek 追求 mean 意味着，小气卑鄙 = disgusting
anxious 虎视眈眈的
polish 擦，磨 apple polisher 溜须拍马
bootlicker 拍马屁者
to me 在我看来（插入语）
no devotion to 热爱（贬） material things 物质享受
life 生机
lifeless 没生机的，死气沉沉的
link with 把什么联系起来 origin 起源
as if 虚拟假设
in some sence 可以这么说吧（插入语）
in contrast with 与…比较
violent 强烈= strong
lovely 生动的，完美的
后置的同位语- suburban creatures
前面用得是 – cosmic beings
mediocre 平庸的
idol 偶像 idiot 傻瓜
conceited 自负
ill-mannered 粗暴
presumptuous 自以为是的
fatuous 愚蠢无比的
turn for protection to 寻求保护
dreary = boring cliché 沉郁的
cliché 陈词滥调，老生常谈
original 原本的
turn to 求助