学习导读：
政治是永恒的主题，对于美国，总统的换届总是每四年一次的热门话题。现在演艺明星们都流行“脑残粉”“真爱粉”什么的，政治明星也不例外。每到一地演讲，总少不了当地狂热支持者的热烈欢迎。人们都以为青少年不再关心政治，本文却从另一个角度告诉大家，在互联网时代，少年们是如何凝聚起来关心政治和政治家的。文中涉及到了一些有关美国文化的词语，比如boomer，好在考场上都给了中文解释，不过不妨在平日学习中有意识地积累，在学习英语的同时了解背后的文化。
A new study (from the Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning and Engagement (CIRCLE) 原) [at Tufts University] shows that today’s youth vote [in larger numbers] [than previous 1generations], and a 2008 study (from the Center for American Progress) adds that increasing numbers (of young voters and activists) support traditionally liberal causes 2. But there’s (no) easy way [to see what those figures mean [in real life]]. [During the presidential campaign 3], Barack Obama assembled 4 (a racially 5 and ideologically 6 diverse 7) coalition 8 [with his message of hope and change]; [as the reality of life under a new administration settles in 9,] some of those supporters might become disillusioned 10. [As the nation moves [further] into the Obama presidency,] will (politically engaged young) people continue to support the president and his agenda 11, or will they [gradually] drift 12away?
由塔夫斯大学公民认知及参与信息研究中心（CIRCLE）的一项新研究表明，当今参与投票的年轻人的人数比过去几代大幅增加，而美国进步中心在2008年公布的一项研究进一步表明，越来越多的年轻投票者和活动分子支持传统的自由事业。但是，在现实生活中，理解这些数据背后的含义却不容易。在总统竞选运动期间，巴拉克·奥巴马凭借希望和变革的讯息集结了一股种族和意识形态均多样化的同盟军；但是随着新政府领带下生活现实的来临，支持者中的一些人梦想破灭。随着国家即将进入奥巴马的任期，那些参与政治的年轻人会继续支持这位总统和他的治国方针吗，还是将逐渐离他而去？
注：1. previous adj. 早先的，在前的。例：
I’d really like to have dinner with you, but I have a previous engagement.
我很想与你共进晚餐，可是我已经有约在先了。
adv. (to) 在...之前。例：
Previous to our being there, there was an earthquake in the area.
在我们去那之前，该地区曾发生过一场地震。
【派】previously (adv.先前，以前)
2. liberal adj.自由的，思想开明的；丰富的；慷慨的。例：
a liberal mind 开明的思想
The new measure are rational and liberal.
这些新举措很合理，也很开明。
I put a liberal amount of sun block on my skin.
我在皮肤上涂了大量的防晒霜。
liberal causes：自由事业。cause除了原因之意，还有事业、目标意。这里牵涉到了背景知识，补充如下：
“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that they are among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.” Excerpts from The Declaration of Independence
“我们认为下面这些真理是不言而喻的：造物者创造了平等的个人，并赋予他们若干不可剥夺的权利，其中包括生命权、自由权和追求幸福的权利。”节选自《独立宣言》
3. campaign n. 战役；活动，竞选活动。例：
Many young people are preparing to get involved in the campaign.
很多年轻人都在准备投入这场战役中。
The presidential campaign will last for mouths.
这次总统竞选将持续数月。
At a campaign event Monday, Clinton told the audience that she was proud of her fundraising.
在周一的竞选活动上，克林顿向公众表明那位女士对于她的资金募集感到非常骄傲。
[选自：CNN: Schneider: Show us the money]
4. assemble v. 集合，集会。文中此意。例：
We assemble at the square at 1:30 p.m.
我们下午1点半在广场集合。
Al-Maliki is attempting to assemble a national unity government to present to parliament for its approval.
努里·马利基在试图组织一个国家联合政府来向议会寻求批准。
[选自：CNN: Iraqi PM-designate: U.S. could start pullout in 18 months]
vt. 装配，组装。例：
It is difficult to assemble the miniature car.
组装迷你车非常困难。
5. racially adv.人种上；按人种地。例：
Racially, the two country are the same.
在人种上，这两个人国家是一样的。
6. ideologically adv. 意识形式上，思想体系上。例：
He has a vaunted personal story and a likeable personality, but he is hemmed in ideologically.
他的个人经历满是夸大，性格也浮夸，但他在意识形态上被限制了。
[选自：ECONOMIST: Bob Barr and the Libertarian challenge to John McCain]
7. diverse adj. 多种多样的，不同的。例：
The researchers must gather information from many diverse fields.
研究人员必须搜集来自不同领域的信息。
8. coalition n. 结合体，同盟；结合，联合。例：
Many countries joined the coalition against terrorism.
许多国家结成了反恐怖主义的同盟。
This politician is contemptuous of coalition statements about the result of the war.
9. settles in 安顿下来；在...中放稳，坐稳[躺倒]；（使）开始在...居住；盘踞。例：
They will arrive at Friday and settle in for a five-month stay.
他们将于本周五抵达并且在太空中驻扎5个月。
I enjoyed the life there, once I’d settled in.
当我在这里安顿下来后，我稀罕上这里的生活了。
10. disillusioned adj. 醒悟的；幻想破灭的，不抱幻想的。文中此意。例：
I’ve become very disillusioned with this job.
我对这份工作不再抱幻想了。
v. 使不再抱幻想，使理想破灭。例：
This work disillusioned me.
这份工作让我理想破灭。
11. agenda n. 议事日程，但在文中很明显是指治国方针、计划。
12. drift vi. 漂，漂流。例：
The boat drifted out to the sea.
The theory about drifting plates. 板块漂移学说
n. 漂，漂流。例：
The drift of current slowly slowly flowed into the sea.
水流缓缓汇入了大海。
【派】drifting（adj. 漂流的）
文中drift away渐渐疏远，慢慢散去。例：
If it falters, some of the Europeans could drift away.
如果北约停滞不前，一些欧洲国家就可能慢慢离去。
[选自：CNN: NATO: The Alliance Expands]
The writers of Generation O (short for Obama) 原, {a new Newsweek blog} (that seeks to 1 chronicle 2 the lives of a group of young Obama supporters,) want to answer that question. [For the next three months], Michelle Kremer and 11 other Obama supporters, ^ages 19 to 34^, will blog about life (across mainstream 3America), [with one twist 4]: [by tying all of their ideas and experiences to the new president and his administration], the bloggers will try to start a conversation [about what it means to be young and politically active] [in America today]. Malena Amusa, {a 24-year-old writer and dancer from St. Louis}, sees the project (as it happens.) Amusa, (who is traveling to India [this spring] [to finish a book],) then [to Senegal] [to teach English], has (ongoing 5) conversations [with her friends] [about how the Obama presidency has changed their daily lives and hopes to put some of those ideas, [along with 6 her global perspective 7], [into her posts].] She’s excited [because, ^as she puts it^, “I don’t have to wait [until 15 years from now]” [to make sense of 8 the world].] 奥（奥巴马的简写）代人是《新闻周刊》中新开的博客，以记述一群年轻的奥巴马支持者的生活为主要目的，其作者们想要给出上述问题的答案。在接下来的三个月里，年龄在19岁到34岁的Michelle Kremer和其他11位奥巴马的支持者，将利用博客介绍主流美国的生活，这是一个创新：将他们所有的想法和经历与新总统及他的领导连接起来，博主们将展开对话，讨论年轻和积极参与政治在今日的美国意味着什么。Malena Amusa，来自圣路易斯的24岁的作家兼舞蹈家将此项倡议视为记录发生中的历史的一种方法。Amusa今年春天为完成一部书的写作去了印度旅游，又到塞内加尔教授英语，现在她和朋友在不断讨论奥巴马的当选如何改变了她们的日常生活，且希望从全球的视角将她的很多想法写入她的博客中去。她很激动，因为“从现在起，我不必再等15年”才搞懂世界的意义，她写道。
注：1. seeks to 设法；企图，试图。例：
Both sides have to seek to adjust.
双方都必须设法进行调整。
2. chronicle n.编年史，记录。例：
The subscription chronicle could not be added.
无法添加订阅历史记录。
vt. 将（某事）载入编年史，记录。文中此意。例：
Because what you are doing for a living is attempting to chronicle the human experience.
因为你为生存所做的努力也是在试图编入人类的经验史。
[选自：FORBES: How Your Journalism Sausage Gets Made, Part Twelve: How to Be a Journa]
3. mainstream n.（思想或行为的）主流，主要趋势。例：
How did these ideas become mainstream?
这些思想怎么变成主流的呢？
4. twist n. 创新之举，新发展。含义中带有意外进展的意味。2008年6月听力中出现过twist my ankle扭伤了脚踝，这里作扭曲讲怎么都讲不通。
Along with WiMAX, the next twist in the wireless landscape is the mesh network.
除了WiMAX网络，无线网的下一次创新图景是网状网络。
[选自：MSN: The real wireless revolution is just beginning]
5. ongoing adj. 不断地，进行的；前进的。文中此意。例：
The maintenance of web server is ongoing.
正在进行网络服务器维护。
Ongoing and development is necessary to economic.
前进与发展是经济所必须的。
n. 前进，发展；行为，举止。例：
I worried about his ongoing.
我对他的行为感到担忧。
6. along with除...以外（还）；和...一起，随着。例：
Along with memoried, she came home with several memories.
除了美好的回忆外，她还带了一些纪念品回家。
Along with time, it will take effort.
随着时间的推移，一定会成功的。
7. perspective n. 透视画法，透视图；远景，前途；观点，看法。例：
Many students go to university to acquire a broader perspective of life.
许多大学生上大学是为了获得更广阔的人生前景。
I hope you can view the problem from a different perspective.
我希望你能以不同的观点来看待这个问题。
From their perspective, they want to know how we’re going to manage the situation.
从他们的角度看，他们想知道我们将如何应付这个局面。
[选自：WSJ: Managing in Asia: KPMG Audit Chief Benny Liu Faces China Risks]
8. make sense of v. 使...有意义；理解，弄清...的意思。例：
I can’t find any way to make sense of this argument.
我没有办法使这一论点有意义。
How does one make sense of this data?
到底该如何理解这些数据呢？
But, there is a fundamental problem: How do we make sense of all of it?
但这里有个原则问题：我们该如何理解这一切？
[选自：FORBES: There Are 200 Million People Tweeting: Are You Listening?]
Henry Flores, {a political-science 1 professor at St. Mary’s University}, credits 2 this younger generation’s political strength [to their embrace 3 of technology]. “[The Internet] 原 4 exposes 5 them [to more thinking],” he says, “and groups (that are like-minded [in different parts] (of the country)) start to come [together].” That’s [exactly] what the Generation O bloggers are hoping to do. The result could be a group of young people (that, ^like their boomer parents^, grows up [with a strong sense of purpose] and sheds the image (of apathy) (they’ve inherited 6 [from Generation X].)) It’s no small challenge [for a blog] (run [by a group of ordinary 7 – ^if ambitious 8^ – young people],) but the members (of Generation O) are up to 9 the task.
Henry Flores，一位圣玛丽大学的政治科学教授，将年轻一代的政治力量归功于他们对科技的利用。“（互联网）使他们接触更多思想”，他说，“来自国家不同地区有同样想法的人开始聚集在一起。”那正是奥代博主们希望做的事。结果很可能会产生这样一批年轻人，他们像二战后婴儿潮时期出生的父母一样，在成长的过程中有强烈的目标感，甩开了从X代人（60年代后期和70年代出生的美国人）那里继承来的不谈国是的冷漠形象。这对于一个由一群普通的——如果可以说有雄心的——年轻人所开的博客来说是个不小的挑战，但是奥代人成员能胜任这项任务。
注：1. political-science 政治科学
2. credit n. 信用，信任；信用贷款；名誉；学分。例：
credit card 信用卡
Tom’s credit card has been stolen together with his wallet.
汤姆的信用卡和钱包被偷了。
If you can’t afford to pay cash,buy it on credit.
如果不能支付现金，你可以赊账。
He is a credit to his country.
他是他们国家得光荣。
Bill hasn’t enough credits to get his degree.
比尔的学分不够，拿不到学位。
v. 相信，信任。credit to归功于。文中作动词。例：
From his condition, the police could hardly credit the story of his injury.
从他的状况看来，警方很难相信他受伤的说法。
3. embrace v. 拥抱。例：
Alice embraced her mother before going on the train.
在上车前，爱丽丝拥抱了她母亲。
vt. 包含。例：
The term “mankind’embraces man,women and children
“人类”包含了男人，女人和小孩。
n. 拥抱。文中为名词。
For the Financial Times it was a rare embrace of the West by an Arab country.
对于《金融时报》而言，这是阿拉伯国家跟西方的罕见合作。
[选自：BBC: Newspaper review: Arrest of UBS rogue trader dominates]
4. 原：这个中括号是原文中本身就有的。英语文章中，中括号在直接引语中经常出现，其作用有两个。①为所引用的句子补充主语等因上下文缺少的部分；②因为受到英语严格的语法规则，很多时候动词的形式在进行引用时会跟语法规则相冲突。所以中括号会补上相关的词语以使语法正确。
5. expose vt. 使暴露，受到；使曝光。例：
be exposed to 面临...，受到...；
expose ...to...使暴露于...，使...受（危险，风险）
As soon as men leave the aerosphere, they are exposed to the radiation.
人只要离开大气层就会暴露在辐射中。
One who tries to be a quack will be exposed finally.
试图冒充行内的人最终将会被揭穿。
6. inherit vt. 继承。例：
Jim has been living in the lap of luxury since he inherited his father’s money.
自从继承了父亲的钱之后，吉姆一直过着奢华的生活。
Sowing the seeds of tomorrow so that future generations can inherit a more sustainable world.
播种明日之种，子孙后代方能继承一个更持续发展的世界。
[选自：UNESCO: UK National Commission for UNESCO :: Education for Sustainable Development]
7. ordinary adj. 普通的，平常的；规定的，拙劣的。例：
It was just an ordinary weekend for us.
对我们来说，这只是一个平常的周末。
He seemed no ordinary mendicant.
他好像不是寻常的乞丐。
n. 普通，平常的人（或事）。文中此意。例：
This is indeed out of the ordinary.
这真是不寻常。
8. ambitious adj. 有雄心的，雄心勃勃的。例：
This is an ambitious agenda, one that needs a firm commitment from your administration and Congress.
这是个壮志雄心的计划，他需要政府和国会的坚定承诺。
[选自：CNN: AllPolitics - FDCH Transcript: Clinton Decries 'Heroin Chic']
9. be up to 胜任；该由…负责；轮到…；从事，忙于
It would be up to the government to decide whether to make the formal extradition request.
是否发出正式引渡请求将由政府来决定。
[选自：NPR: After 4-Year Ordeal, A Seattle Homecoming For Knox]
