# 第四册 Lesson 5 Youth 青年

## 一、课文原文

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 glorious future 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 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 and lovely contrast with us suburban creatures. All that is in my mind when I meet a young person. He may be conceited, ill-mannered, presumptuous or fatuous, but I do not turn for protection to dreary cliches about respect of 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.

— FIELDEN HUGHES from *Out of the Air*, The Listener

## 二、重点词汇详解

| 单词 | 音标 | 词性 | 释义 | 用法说明 |
|------|------|------|------|----------|
| fundamentals | /ˌfʌndəˈmentlz/ | n. | 基本原则，根本 | get down to fundamentals 回到根本 |
| glorious | /ˈɡlɔːriəs/ | adj. | 光荣的，辉煌的 | a glorious future 光辉的未来 |
| rub | /rʌb/ | n. | 难点，障碍 | where the rub is 症结所在 |
| identity | /aɪˈdentɪti/ | n. | 身份，认同 | a certain identity 某种身份认同 |
| dreary | /ˈdrɪəri/ | adj. | 沉闷的，枯燥的 | dreary commitment 沉闷的承诺 |
| commitment | /kəˈmɪtmənt/ | n. | 承诺，投入 | commitment to 对...的承诺 |
| mean | /miːn/ | adj. | 卑劣的，平庸的 | mean ambitions 卑微的野心 |
| conceited | /kənˈsiːtɪd/ | adj. | 自负的，骄傲的 | = vain, full of oneself |
| ill-mannered | /ɪlˈmænəd/ | adj. | 无礼的，举止粗鲁的 | well-mannered 反义词 |
| presumptuous | /prɪˈzʌmptʃuəs/ | adj. | 放肆的，自以为是的 | presumptuous behavior 放肆行为 |
| fatuous | /ˈfætʃuəs/ | adj. | 愚蠢的，荒唐的 | = silly and foolish |
| cliche | /ˈkliːʃeɪ/ | n. | 陈词滥调 | dreary cliches 老生常谈 |
| cosmic | /ˈkɒzmɪk/ | adj. | 宇宙的，宏大的 | cosmic beings 宇宙级存在 |

## 三、语法知识点

### 1. 强调句型 It is...who/that...

> ...**it is** older people **who** create it, not the young themselves.

| 结构 | 用法 |
|------|------|
| It is + 被强调部分 + who/that + 句子剩余部分 | 强调人用who，强调物用that |
| 原句 | Older people create the problem. |
| 强调主语 | It is older people who create the problem. |

### 2. 虚拟语气（as if）

> It's **as if** they **were**, in some sense, cosmic beings...

> ...**as if** mere age **were** a reason for respect.

- as if 引导的从句用虚拟语气（were），表示与事实不符的比喻
- 也可用陈述语气（如果可能性较大）

### 3. 插入语

> If there is one -- **which I take leave to doubt** -- then...

- 破折号之间的插入语表达作者态度
- take leave to doubt = 冒昧怀疑（委婉表达否定）

### 4. would have been 虚拟过去

> I **would have been** very pleased to be regarded as something so interesting as a problem.

- 表示对过去的虚拟：如果当时被当作"问题"，我会很高兴
- would have + 过去分词 = 本来会...

## 四、重点句型分析

### 1. take leave to 冒昧地

> ...which I take leave to doubt...

- = venture to, presume to
- 委婉表达否定意见，反讽语气

### 2. where the rub is 症结所在

> ...and maybe that is where the rub is.

- 出自莎士比亚《哈姆雷特》："There's the rub."
- rub = 困难，障碍
- 仿写：That's where the rub is — we lack funding.

### 3. engaged in 从事于，忙于

> ...that is one of the things the young are busily engaged in seeking.

- be engaged in = be involved in, be occupied with
- 注意：engaged to 订婚；engaged in 从事

### 4. link...with... 将...与...联系起来

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

- = connect...with..., associate...with...
- 仿写：Hard work is often linked with success.

## 五、课文翻译

人们总是在谈论"青年问题"。如果真的存在这个问题——对此我冒昧表示怀疑——那也是年长者制造的，而不是青年人自己造成的。让我们回到根本上来，承认青年人毕竟也是人——和他们长辈一样的人。老人和年轻人之间只有一个区别：年轻人面前有着光辉的未来，而老年人身后有着辉煌的过去：也许这就是症结所在。

我十几岁的时候，觉得自己年轻而迷茫——觉得自己像是一个大学校里的新生，如果被当作一个有趣的问题来看待，我会非常高兴。首先，作为一个"问题"给了你某种身份认同，而这正是年轻人忙于寻找的东西之一。

我觉得年轻人令人振奋。他们有一种自由的气质，他们不对卑微的野心或贪图安逸作出沉闷的承诺。他们不是急于往上爬的社会攀附者，也不迷恋物质。这一切在我看来把他们与生命和事物的本源联系在一起。好像在某种意义上，他们是宇宙级的存在，与我们这些郊区式的人物形成了强烈而美妙的对比。这些就是我遇到年轻人时心中所想的。他可能自负、无礼、放肆或愚蠢，但我不求助于那些关于尊敬长辈的陈词滥调来保护自己——仿佛仅仅年龄就是值得尊敬的理由。我承认我们是平等的，如果我认为他错了，我会以平等的身份与他争论。

## 六、语言点精讲

### 1. 写作手法：先破后立的议论文

- **先破**：否定"青年问题"是青年人造成的
- **再立**：从正面描绘青年的特质——自由、不功利、与生命本源相连
- **最后深化**：以平等态度对待青年，反对以年龄论尊重

### 2. 文化背景

- **"青年问题"**：西方社会长期存在的代际冲突话语
- **"suburban creatures"**：郊区式人物——暗喻中产阶级的平庸与循规蹈矩
- **respect of elders**：传统价值观"尊老"，作者对此提出质疑

### 3. 修辞分析

- **对比**：glorious future before / splendid future behind——精妙的对称
- **隐喻**：cosmic beings vs suburban creatures——宇宙级存在vs郊区式人物
- **反讽**：take leave to doubt——用礼貌措辞表达强烈否定
- **让步**：He may be conceited...but...——先承认缺点，再坚持立场

## 七、课后练习要点

1. **理解题**：How does the writer like to treat young people?（以平等身份，不靠"尊老"陈规）
2. **语法题**：强调句型 It is...who... 的变换练习
3. **词汇题**：区分 conceited/presumptuous/fatuous 的程度差异
4. **写作练习**：用先破后立的结构写一篇议论文

## 八、本课小结

本课是一篇关于**青年**的议论文，核心观点：所谓"青年问题"是年长者制造的，青年人具有自由、不功利、与生命本源相连的特质。语法重点包括强调句型（It is...who...）、as if虚拟语气、插入语、虚拟过去（would have been）。修辞手法上运用精妙对比（before/behind）、隐喻（cosmic vs suburban）和反讽，是议论文写作的典范。