Lesson Two Four Choices for Young People 1.Jim Binns……wrote me about some of his misgivings. misgiving ：worry ，concern （常用复数）（对未来之事）疑虑不安，怀疑。如：I like your scheme in principle；my only misgiving is that it may require too large a sum of money.我原则上喜欢你的计划，唯一担心的是花销可能太大。
2 ……our generation views the adult world with great skepticism……
skepticism：doubt ，suspicion 怀疑（态度）；怀疑主义be skeptical about：对……持怀疑太度；不相信。如：He is skeptical about everything .他对一切事物都抱怀疑态度。
with a skeptical expression 带着怀疑的表情。
3.Apparently he speaks for a lot of his contemporaries. contemprary adj.同时代的，当代；n.同时代的人。如：our contemporaries和我们同时代的人同义词：peer同等的人，同辈。如：
without a peer无匹敌的
4.The people responsible are， presumably ， the adults who ……
a.responsible ：1 ）（放在名词后面）应负责任的。如：I hold you responsible for the safety of her family. 我就把她家的安全交给你了。2 ）（放在名词前面）（工作、地为等）责任重的，有责任的。
如：a responsible position要职。3 ）（人）可靠的，可信赖的，如：a responsible person有责任心的人。
b.presumably：perhpas 大概，推测起来，可能。
5.These conclusions strike me as reasonable ，……strike sb.+adj. （or n. ）：使…
…感觉（是）。如：At first the idea struck me as stupid.起初，这个主意让我觉得很愚蠢。
He strikes me as an houest man .他让我觉得是个诚实的人。
6.The relevant question for the arriving generation is not whether our society is imperfect （we can take that for granted），but ……
a.relevant：有关的。如：relevant information有关信息。若作表语，后面通常跟由介词to引导的短语。
如；The judge ruled that the evidence was not relevant to the case .法官认定证据与本案无关。
b. imperfect：不完美，由perfect （完美）加否定前缀im- 构成。
另如：pemissible-impermissible， possible-impossible， proper-improper， pureimpure，mobile-immobile， mortal-immortal. c. take for granted ：视……为当然。
如： You should not take his help for granted . 你不应该认为他的帮忙是当然的事。
7. For all is harshness and irrationality ， it is the only world we‘ve got . a. for all ……尽管。
如：For all his learning， he is not wise . 他尽管满腹经纶，处世并不聪明。 For all his efforts ， he didn‘t succeed .他还是个正派的人。
b. harsh：残酷的；无情的；刻薄的。
如：She was very harsh with her servant . 她对用人非常刻薄。
We have to face harsh realities . 我们得面对残酷的现实。
c. rational ：有理性的，通情达理的。
如：Man is a rational thing . 人是有理性的动物。
Do you consider it a rational explanation ？你觉得这种解释合理吗？
irrational：不理智， ir-为否定前缀。
另如：irreducible ， irrregular ， irreparble ， irreversible .
8. Choosing a strategy to cope with it， then ， is ……
a. strategy ：战略，与之相对的是tactics （战术）
b. cope with： to struggle or contend ， esp . with some degree of success应付，处理。
如：They proposed several possibilities for coping with the crisis. 他们提出了对付危机的几种可能方案。
He is unable to cope with the duties of her new position .他不能应付新岗位的职责。
9. So far as I have been able to discover ， there are four basic alternatives. a. so far as ： =as far as ， to the extent that 就……而言，从……来看。
如：His conduct ， so far as I can see， is unjustifiable . 就我看来，他凭一已之力将不可能完成这样巨大的项目。
b. alternative： one of more than two possibilities 数种可能之一，可代替的。
如：There are alternative answer to this question . 这个问题有几种可能的答案。
An alternative plan is to apply for a loan. 另一种可能的方案就是申请贷款。
10. Drop Out drop out ： to withdraw from 退出。
如：He has decided to drop out of politics .他已经决定退出政坛。
Seven students dropped out of university last year .去年有七个学生从大学里退了学。
11. This is one of the oldest expedient ，……=expedient： a temporary means to an end 权宜之计如：resort to an expedient采取权宜之计
12. In one way or another ， its practitioners batten on the society which……
a.（in） one way or another ：以这样或那样的方式；在某方面。
如：The project must be completed by the end of this month（in） one way or another。 不管用什么方式，这个项目必须在这个月底结束。
b. batten on： thrive ， or prosper ， or live in luxury（on）（esp. at the expoense of others ）
（靠他人牺牲而）兴旺，过奢侈的生活，（损人）肥饱私囊
13. Some of us find this distasteful -an undignified kind of life . distasteful ：
disagreeable； unpleasant 讨厌的，令人不愉快的。
如：Jazz is distasteful to me . 我讨厌爵士乐。（爵士乐不合我的口味）
14. But for the poor in spirit， with low levels of both energy and pride ， it may be the least intolerable choice available . avaible ： ready for use； readily obtainable a.（立即）可利用的；可得到的。
如：employ all means available采用一切可能的方法。
The dress is available in all sizes . 这种款式的服装大小尺寸都有。
b.（人）有空的。
如：I‘ll be available tomorrow morning .我明天早上有空。
15. This strategy has ancient antecedents . antecedent： preceding thing or circumstance ，esp.（pl. ）past history of a person前事，前情；（复数）身世，经历，人的过去历史。
如； a woman of shady antecedent一个来历可疑的女人
16. …… that is， the city ， with all its ugliness and tension . tension： mental strain紧张。
如：under extreme tension 处于极度紧张/ （复数-s）紧张（状态）。
如：the tension between labor and mangement 劳资间关系的紧张
17. The trouble with the solution is that it no longer is on a large scale . on a large scale ：大规模。
另如：on a tremendous scale 极大的规模。
The project was undertaken on a grand scale . 这个项目规模很大。
The reform is carried out on an enormous scale .改革的幅度极大。
18. Out planet， unfortunately， is running out of noble savages and unsullied landscapes. run out of： become short of， become exhausted 用完。
如； We ran out of petrol the other day . 那一天我们汽油用光了。
We are running out of time .我们已经没有时间了。
19. Plot a Revolution plot： plan secretly密谋。
如：They plotted how to kill him .他们密谋如何杀死他。
The criminals were plotting to rob the bank.犯罪密谋抢银行。
20. …… those who have no patience with the tedious workings of the democratic process and who believe that the institytion can only be changed by force . a. tedious： long and tiresome冗长乏味的。
如：a tedious lecture 冗长的演讲；tedious work乏味的工作b. working（s ）： action ，operation 工作，运作。
如：the workings of the mind， the workings of the nature 自然的运作
21. To them it offers a romantic appeal ， usually symbolized by some dashing and charismatic figure . a. a romantic appeal ： appeal n.： the power to attract the mind or emotions吸引力。
如：Such life has no appeal for me .这种生活对我没有吸引力。
That sort of music has lost its appeal for me . 这种音乐已经失去了对我的吸引力。
v. appeal to：吸引。
如：Does the menu appeal to me？菜单吸引我了吗？
The novel appeals to women .这本小说吸引女性读者。
b. dashing： vigorously lovely； brilliant or showy 精力充沛的；华丽的c. charismatic名词形式为charisma（使大众信服的）领袖魅力
22. Let‘s smash it and build something better on the ruins . on the ruins ： the remains of destroyed or decaying or town废墟，遗迹，残骸。
如：the ruins of a castle 一座城堡的废墟
23. These are the ones whose revolution did not come off，……
come off： happen ， occur发生。
如：The invasion came off last week . 入侵是上星期发生的。
To be effective or successful 生效，成功。
如：She didn‘t come off well in the interview . 她的面试不很成功。
24. I am not， of course， suggesting that revolutions accomplish nothing . accomplish： bring to a successful conclusion ； achievement完成。
如：accomplish something / a great deal / miracles实现某种目标/ 取得很大成就/ 实现奇迹accomplish： skilled， expert 熟练的，内行的。
如：an accomplish golf player 技术精湛的高尔夫运动员accomplishment（s ）修养，才艺。
如：a woman of many accomplishment多才多艺的女人
25. For at best their victory never dawns on the shining new world they had dreamed of， cleansed of all human meanness . cleanse ： make clean 清洗。
如：She cleansed the wound with alcohol . 她用酒精清洗伤口。
cleanse sin from the soul = cleanse the soul of sin 清洗灵魂的罪恶
26. At first glance ， this course is far from inviting. inviting ： temptingly attractive诱人的。
如：an inviting smile 迷人的微笑/an inviting dish 诱人的菜肴
27. It depends on the exasperting and uncertain instruments of persuasion ……
exasperate： annoy extremely令人怒不可遏如：Constant interruptions exasperate me .不断的中断让我怒火中烧。
28. It demands patience ， always in short supply . （be） in short supply：供应不足，短缺。
如：Food is in short supply . 食物供应不足。
Honesty is in short supply .缺乏诚实（的人）。
29. …… as soon as you capture one mountain range， another one looms just ahead。 loom： come into view in indistint and enlarged form忽隐忽现。
如：The iceberg loomed out of the mist .冰山在迷雾中忽隐忽现。
Dangers are looming ahead . 危险阴森森地逼近。
30. …… of coping with war in unfamiliar guises . guise： a false or assumed appearance or disguise 外貌，伪装。
如：an old idea in a new guise老观念新面貌（新瓶装旧酒）
in the guise of 打扮成……的样子。
如：the king in the guise of a beggar 装扮成乞丐的国王under the guise of以……为借口。
如：under the guise of friendship 以友谊为幌子
31. It dawned on us rather suddenly that……
dawn on ： begin to be known， or realized常用先行词it，表示“ 明白过来”。如：It has slowly dawned upon me that he will not lend a helping hand to us when we are in trouble.我慢慢明白，当我们碰到麻烦的时候，他是不会伸出援手的。