People are always talking about 'the problem of youth'. 

人们总是在谈论“青年问题”。 

talk about  谈论,议论,讨论

problem[5prCblEm]n.问题, 难题

youth[ju:W]n.青春, 青年时期, 初期, 少年, 青年们

If there is one -- which I take leave to doubt –

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

如果这个问题存在的话 -- 请允许我对此持怀疑态度 -- 那么，这个问题是由老年人而不是青年人造成的。 

take leave to  冒昧, 请原谅

take leave to do sth. 是“擅自做”，“冒昧去做”的意思

take leave of  v.不辞劳苦,十分尽力v.向...告别,失掉

it is older people who create it, not the young themselves. 它是老年人而不是年轻人赞成的。

Let us get down to fundamentals and agree that the young are after all human beings -- people just like their elders. 

让我们来认真研究一些基本事实：承认青年人和他们的长辈一样也是人。 

after all   adv.毕竟

get down  v.(从...)下来, 吞下, 写下, 使沮丧

get down to  v.开始认真考虑

let us get down to fundamentals  让我们来认真研究一些基本事实

fundamental[7fQndE5mentl]adj.基础的, 基本的n.基本原则, 基本原理

fundament[5fQndEmEnt]n.基础, 基本原理, 臀部

fund[fQnd]n.资金, 基金v.支助, 投资

There is only one difference between an old man and a young one:

老年人和青年人只有一个区别：

the young man has a glorious future before him

青年人有光辉灿烂的前景，

and the old one has a splendid future behind him:

而老年人的辉煌已成为过去。

and maybe that is where the rub is.

问题的症结恐怕就在这里。

glorious[5^lC:riEs]adj.光荣的, 显赫的

splendid[5splendid]adj.壮丽的, 辉煌的, 极好的

rub[rQb]v.擦, 摩擦   

there is the rub = there is the problem  这就是问题所在

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.

我十几岁时，总感到自己年轻，有些事拿不准 -- 我是一所大学里的一名新生，如果我当时真的被看成像一个问题那样有趣，我会感到很得意的。 

teenager[5ti:n7eidVE]n.十几岁的青少年

regard as   v.把...认作

be regard as 被看作

uncertain[Qn5sE:tn]adj.无常的, 不确定的, 不可预测的, 靠不住的

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. 

因为这至少使我得到了某种承认，这正是年轻人所热衷追求的。 

for one thing  adv.首先

identity[ai5dentiti]n.同一性, 身份, 一致, 特性, 恒等式

the young are busily engaged in seeking

engage in  v.使从事于, 参加

I find young people exciting. 

我觉得年轻人令人振奋，

They have an air of freedom, and they have not a dreary commitment to mean ambitions or love of comfort. 

他们无拘无束。既不追逐卑鄙的名利，也不贪图生活的舒适。 

air of freedom 自由自在

dreary[5driEri]adj.沉闷的

commit[kE5mit]vt.犯(错误), 干(坏事), 把...交托给, 提交, 答应负责

commitment[kE5mitmEnt]n.委托事项, 许诺, 承担义务

love[lQv]n.爱, 热爱, 爱情vt.爱, 热爱, 爱好, 爱慕vi.爱

love of comfort  贪图舒适

ambition[Am5biFEn]n.野心, 雄心     ambit[5Ambit]n.范围

They are not anxious social climbers, and they have no devotion to material things. 

他们不热衷于向上爬，也不一味追求物质享受。 

anxious[5ANkFEs]adj.观念的, 担忧的, 渴望的, 盼望的

social climber   n.<美> 想法挤入上流社会者, 攀高枝者, 巴结权贵向上爬的人

devotion[di5vEuFEn]n.热爱, 投入

devote[di5vEut]vt.投入于, 献身

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

在我看来，所有这些使他们与生命和万物之源联系在了一起。 

origin[5CridVin]n.起源, 由来, 起因, 出身, 血统, [数]原点

It's as if they were, in some sense, cosmic beings in violent and lovely contrast with us suburban creatures. 

从某种意义上讲，他们似乎是宇宙人，同我们这些凡夫俗子形成了强烈而鲜明的对照。 

as if they were cosmic beings 他们似乎是宇宙人

as if   adv.好象

in some sense  在某种意义上

cosmic[5kCzmik]adj.宇宙的

violent and lovely contrast  强烈而鲜明的对照

violent[5vaiElEnt]adj.猛烈的, 激烈的, 暴力引起的, 强暴的

contrast[5kCntrAst]vt.使与...对比, 使与...对照vi.和...形成对照n.对比, 对照, (对照中的)差异

suburban creatures  凡夫俗子

suburban[sE5bE:bEn]adj.郊外的, 偏远的

suburb[5sQbE:b]n.市郊, 郊区

creature[5kri:tFE]n.人, 动物, 傀儡, 创造物

All that is in my mind when I meet a young person. 

每逢我遇到年轻人，脑子里就想到 

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. 

这些年轻人也许狂妄自负，举止无理，傲慢放肆，愚昧无知，但我不会用应当尊重长者这一套陈词滥调来为我自己辨护，似乎年长就是受人尊敬的理由。 

conceited[kEn5si:tid]adj.自以为是的, 逞能的, 狂想的

conceit[kEn5si:t]n.原义：想法, 意见, 自负, 幻想, 狂妄

ill-mannered   adj.态度恶劣的, 粗野的

presumptuous[pri5zQmptjuEs]adj.专横的

presume[pri5zju:m]vt.假定, 假设, 认为

presumption[pri5zQmpFEn]n.假定

fatuous[5fAtjuEs]adj.愚昧的, 昏庸的, 发呆的, 愚笨的, 自满的

cliche[5kli:Fei; kli:5Fei]n.陈词滥调, 铅版adj.陈腐的

respect of elders 尊敬老人

mere[miE]adj.仅仅的, 起码的, 纯粹的

I accept that we are equals, and I will argue with him, as an equal, if I think he is wrong. 

我认为我和他们是平等的。如果我认为他们错了，我就以平等的身份和他们争个明白。 

argue with  与某人议论

argue[5B:^ju:]vi.争论, 辩论vt.说服

Several cases have been reported in Russia recently of people who can read and detect colours with their fingers, and even see through solid doors and walls.

俄罗斯最近报导了几个事例，有人能用手指看书识字和辨认颜色，甚至能透过厚实的门和墙看到东西。

of people who can read and detect colours with their fingers, and even see through solid doors and walls. 是修饰主语cases的定语部分,由于太长,因此被移至谓语之后.

其中who can read and detect colours with their fingers, and even see through solid doors and walls. 是一个定语从句,修饰people.

who can read and detect colours with their fingers, 有人能用手指看书识字和辨认颜色

and even see through solid doors and walls. 甚至能透过厚实的门和墙看到东西

One case concerns an eleven-year-old schoolgirl, Vera Petrova, who has normal vision but who can also perceive things with different parts of her skin, and through solid walls.  

其中有一例谈到有一个名叫维拉.彼托洛娃的11岁学生。她的视力与常人一样，但她还能用皮肤的不同部位辨认东西，甚至看穿坚实的墙壁。 

concern[kEn5sE:n]vt.涉及, 关系到

vision[5viVEn]n.视力, 视觉, 先见之明, 眼力, 想象力, 幻想, 幻影, 景象vt.梦见, 想象, 显示

perceive[pE5si:v]vt.察觉v.感知, 感到, 认识到

skin[skin]n.皮, 皮肤, 兽皮, 皮毛, 外皮, 外壳v.长皮

different parts of her skin  皮肤的不同部位

This ability was first noticed by her father. 是她父亲首先发现她这一功能的。 

This ability