译文及生词短语整理：朗读者小组

早上好～

今天的内容是奥巴马演讲的选段，只有两段。

奥巴马给我留下最深刻印象的就是他出色的演讲能力，这大概是美国政客的标配。《纸牌屋》里木下也是这样的设定，有着颠倒黑白的天分，看到惊呆。

这些演讲稿都很不错，措辞得体，话写的漂亮，值得练上几遍。

Translation

Former President Obama

前总统奥巴马

Excerpts from first post-presidency speech

I'm spending a lot of time thinking about what is the most important thing I can do for my next job? And what I'm convinced of is that although there are all kinds of issues that I care about and all kinds of issues that I intend to work on, the single most important thing I can do is to help in any way I can prepare the next generation of leadership to take up the baton and to take their own crack at changing the world. Because the one thing that I'm absolutely convinced of is that yes, we confront a whole range of challenges from economic inequality and lack of opportunity to a criminal justice system that too often is skewed in ways that are unproductive to climate change to, you know, issues related to violence. All those problems are serious. They're daunting. But they're not insolvable.

在我已经不是总统的当下，我花了很多时间来思考我能为下一份工作做的最重要的事情是什么。我现在所坚信的是：虽然我们面对着眼前这所有的问题，但真正该做的事只有一个，而这件最重要的事就是扶持下一代的领导者，让他们挑起大梁，让他们用自己的力量去改变这个世界。因为我唯一能确定的事就是：我们面临的挑战是多种多样的。从经济不平等，到机会缺失，到常常被扭曲到不起作用的司法系统，到气候变化，到暴力问题。所有这些问题都很严重。它们很吓人，但并不是不能解决。

The only folks who are going to be able to solve that problem are going to be young people, the next generation. And I have been encouraged everywhere I go in the United States, but also everywhere around the world to see how sharp and astute and tolerant and thoughtful and entrepreneurial our young people are. A lot more sophisticated than I was at their age. And so the question then becomes what are the ways in which we can create pathways for them to take leadership, for them to get involved? Are there ways in which we can knock down some of the barriers that are discouraging young people about a life of service? And if there are, I want to work with them to knock down those barriers. And to get this next generation and to accelerate their move towards leadership. Because if that happens, I think we're going to be just fine."

唯一能解决这个问题的人，就是年轻人，是下一代。在美国，我不管走到哪都深受鼓舞，在全世界也是，我看见年轻人是如此的敏锐、机智、包容、有想法、有开创精神。他们比当年的我可强多了。那么，现在的问题就变成了：我们能做些什么来为他们的铺路、让他们获得领导力、让他们参与进来？我们有没有办法推倒那些阻止年轻人从事公共事业的障壁？如果有办法，我希望能和他们一起来推倒这些障壁，然后让这一代人加快他们获得领导力的速度。因为如果能做成这件事，我想我们的前景会很光明。

New words

1.baton 英[‘bætɒn] 美[bəˈtɑn] 

n. 指挥棒；接力棒；警棍；司令棒

e.g.The policeman used his baton to battle the rascal.

警察用警棍和歹徒搏斗。

2.confront [kənˈfrʌnt] 

vt. 面对；遭遇；比较

e.g.We must confront future with optimism.

我们必须乐观地面对未来。

3.skew 英[stju:] 美[stu:] 

vt. 使歪斜 vi. 偏离，歪斜；斜视

e.g.From the best practices perspective, the table data skew on every individual database partition should be no more than 10%.

从最佳实践的角度来看，各个数据库分区上的表数据倾斜应该不多于 10%。

4.daunting [dɔ:ntɪŋ] adj. 使人畏缩的；使人气馁的；令人怯步的

e.g.While this might be daunting to some, I love it.

即使它会使一些人沮丧，我还是热爱它。

5.folk 英[fəʊk] 美[foʊk]n. 民族；人们；亲属（复数） adj. 民间的

e.g.Folk art covers a wide range.

民间艺术包罗甚广。

6.sharp  英[ʃɑ:p] 美[ʃɑ:rp]adj. 急剧的；锋利的；强烈的；敏捷的；刺耳的 adv. 急剧地；锐利地；突然地 n. 尖头；骗子；内行 vt. 磨快；把音调升高 vi. 打扮；升音演奏

e.g.The road declines sharp at this point.

道路在这个地方突然倾斜。

7.astute 英[əˈstju:t] 美[əˈstu:t] adj. 机敏的；狡猾的，诡计多端的

e.g.The astute or the mathematicians will realize that what will happen here?

机敏的人或数学家将认识到,这里将发生什么？

8.entrepreneurial 英[ˌɒntrəprə’nɜ:rɪəl] 美[ˌɑntrəprə'nɜ:rɪrl] adj. 企业家的，创业者的；中间商的

e.g.When you run into an idiot in the entrepreneurial world, you can turn around and head the other way.

当你在一个创业者的世界里遇到了一个蠢货，你可以调转个头朝另一个方向前进。

9.sophisticated [səˈfɪstɪkeɪtɪd] adj. 复杂的；精致的；久经世故的；富有经验的

e.g.So there are more sophisticated approaches, some of them are mechanical.

那么这里还有更复杂的方法，有的人是无意识的。

Phrases

1.be convinced of 确信；认识到

2.economic inequality 经济不平等

3.knock down 击倒；拆卸

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