Lesson 5-2 Youth
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 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 clichés 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.
air of freedom 无拘无束
dreary /ˈdrɪri/ 沉闷的;阴郁的;令人沮丧的;
commitment /kəˈmɪtmənt/ 信奉，许诺;允诺承担;
mean 吝啬、小气
ambition /æmˈbɪʃn/ 追求的目标;夙愿
social climber 追求更高社会地位的人
devotion /dɪˈvoʊʃn/ 挚爱;关爱;
in some sense 在某种意义上
cosmic /ˈkɑːzmɪk/ 宇宙的;巨大且重要的
violent /ˈvaɪələnt/ 暴力的;强暴的;感情强烈的;激情的;
contrast / kənˈtræst/ 明显的差异;对比;对照;
suburban /səˈbɜːrbən/ 平淡乏味的;呆板的, 郊区的;城外的;
conceited /kənˈsiːtɪd/ 自负的;骄傲自大的
ill-mannered /ˌɪl ˈmænərd/ 无礼的;举止粗鲁的;不礼貌的
presumptuous /prɪˈzʌmptʃuəs/ 专横的;放肆的
fatuous /ˈfætʃuəs/ 愚蠢的;愚昧的
turn to ....for....为了。。而求助于
cliche /klɪˈʃeɪ/ 陈词滥调;陈腐的套语;
mere 仅仅的;只不过;
