TED演讲:如何帮助年轻人构建更好的未来(2)

They feel that they're facing a series of urgent crises.

他们感到自己面临着一系列紧迫的危机。

A crisis of demographics, a crisis of education, a crisis of employment, a crisis of violence and a crisis for girls.

人口危机，教育危机，失业危机，暴力危机，还有女孩们的危机。

If you look at these crises, you realize that they're urgent and they need to be addressed now.

如果你审视这些危机，就会认识到它们都迫在眉睫，需要立刻得到解决。

Because they tell us that they're worried.

因为他们告诉我们，他们很担心。

They're worried that they might not get the education that they need.

他们担心可能无法获得所需的教育。

And you know what? They're right.

而实际上呢？他们是对的。

Two hundred million adolescents are out of school worldwide, about the population of Brazil.

全世界有2亿青少年失学，相当于巴西的人口。

And those that are in school feel that they may not be getting the right skills.

而在学校中的人则觉得他们可能学不到实用的技能。

Globally, six in 10 children and young people do not meet the minimum proficiency¹ level for reading and mathematics.

放眼全球，10个儿童和年轻人中就有6个达不到阅读和数学的最低水平。

No country can be successful if nearly half of its population of young people are unable to read or write.

没有哪个国家可以繁荣--如果一半人口的年轻人不能够阅读或书写。

And what about the lucky few who are in secondary school?

那么中学里那些少数幸运儿呢？

Many of them are dropping out because they're worried that they're not getting skills that they can use to make a livelihood².

很多人正在辍学的边缘，因为他们担心无法学到可以用来谋生的技能。

And sometimes, their parents can no longer afford the fees. It's a tragedy.

而且有时候，他们的父母还支付不起所需的费用。这是个悲剧。

1 proficiency   

n.精通，熟练，精练

参考例句：

• He plied his trade and gained proficiency in it.他勤习手艺，技术渐渐达到了十分娴熟的地步。
• How do you think of your proficiency in written and spoken English?你认为你的书面英语和口语熟练程度如何？

2 livelihood   

n.生计，谋生之道

参考例句：

• Appropriate arrangements will be made for their work and livelihood.他们的工作和生活会得到妥善安排。
• My father gained a bare livelihood of family by his own hands.父亲靠自己的双手勉强维持家计。