1592.Teacher X’s basic premise is simple and hard to dispute: Libertarian philosophy amply justifies the limited role that government should play in the lives of the citizens of a free society. 信老师的最基本的出发点非常简单，难以辩驳：自由主义的哲学雄辩地证明，政府在一个自由的社会里不应过多地干预公民的私生活。Teacher X’s premise is strongly supported by facts. 事实强有力地支持了信老师的基本论点。
1593.You cannot really dispute with Teacher X’s on the values he espouses: charity, friendship, the rule of law, protection of minority rights, freedom of religion, private property, free markets, a free press, civilian control of the military, and an independent judiciary.你很难去批驳信老师所拥有的价值观：慈善、友谊、法治、对少数民族权利的保护、宗教信仰自由、保护自由财产、市场经济、出版自由、军队国有化以及独立的司法系统。
1594.While never calling the current government a dictatorship, Teacher X certainly connects many dots and sounds a clear warning against such a tendency. 虽然没有直截了当地把现政府称为独裁政府，信老师用了很多的证据，清楚地指出了它走向独裁的信号。connect dots, 把许多孤立的点连接起来，让事实更加显得清楚，sound a warning, 提出警告，
1595.The Chinese people should have some common sense that it is the state that poses the greatest threat to liberty. 中国人应该有点常识，国家才是对自由的最大威胁。
1596.Teacher X’s arguments and examples in most cases are incredibly strong and well documented. Maybe once a while there are some stretches.信老师的论点十分令人信服，而且例证十分翔实。或许有少数几处地方显得有些牵强。
1597.Teacher X simply asks his readers to consider the true meaning of patriot, someone who actively participates in and engages with their civic society. 信老师只是要求读者认真地考虑一下爱国者的真正含义，就是那些积极投入、维护公民社会的人。
1598.The truth is, it would be dangerous to sit back and rest easy. 事实是，如果坐在那里不闻不问，那才危险。
1599.So much of the Party’s activities were carried out in the shadows of a disinterested, and therefore uninformed, civic society. 这个党的很多活动都是在秘密状态下进行，公众既不关心，也就都蒙在鼓里。
1600.Teacher X’s articles are often yanked off his blog. So you’d better log on his blog fast. 信老师的文章常常被河蟹掉了，所以你得快点去他的博客。yank 给删掉了，= delete
与人辩论，或阐述自己的观点，有一个常用的方法就是先提出大家都能接受的前提，这个前提是不需要再证明。例如，你要说明年轻人应该自立，你可以这样开头，“一个孩童不能永远地吃奶，他总会有断奶吃干粮的一天。”“孩童不能永远吃奶”这是属于不言自明的道理。这里摘录10句常用的辩论语句。
1601.Different problems require different solutions. 不同的问题需要不同的方法解决。（这话为你提出你的方案打下伏笔。）
1602.You can’t please everyone all the time. 你不能让人人时时刻刻都高兴。（所以有人不喜欢我的观点是情有可原的。）
1603.Nobody should be compelled. 我们不能强迫人去做事。（所以你不能强迫我做事。）
1604. Everybody should be treated equally.人人待遇应该平等。（所以你不能亏待我。）
1605. You cannot turn the clock backwards. 你不能让时光倒流呀。（所以过去的事就让它过去吧。）
1606. Present generations cannot be blamed for the mistakes of past generations. 这一代人不能为上一代人的错误负责。
1607. The facts show … 事实证明，
It is self-evident that… 显而易见的是
All the evidence points to… 所有的证据都表明
Obviously….很显然
It leaves no doubt that… 毫无疑问
1608.Everybody can succeed if they try hard enough.只要努力，人人都可以有出头日。（鼓励大家都努力。）
1609.Minority opinion should not carry more weight than majority opinion. 少数人的意见不能盖过多数人意见。（鼓励少数服从多数。）
1610.We have to live in the twenty-first century. 我们得生活在二十一世纪。
1611.around the corner, 就在附近，快了My exam is around the corner. What should I do to get better result? 考试快要到了，我该如何准备才可以考得更好一点？
1612.Her treatment has neared its end, she is going to lose battle with cancer. Cancer is an insidious enemy. 很快就会要放弃对她的治疗，她马上就会被癌症夺走生命。癌症真是一个可恶的杀手。
1613.Pollution is pushing this animal to the very brink of extinction. 污染把这种动物推到了濒临绝种的边缘。 brink 边缘，on the brink of 将要, 濒于, 在…的边缘
1614.The company is close to the edge of chaos. 公司马上变得一团糟。
1615.She is on IVs. 她在打吊针。IV是intravenous的缩写。
1616.She’s rebounding. = She is recovering. 她在恢复。
1617.They are lying through their teeth. 他们满口谎言。
1618.fossil fuel = petroleum, coal, or natural gas,汽油，煤，天然气，这是环保分子喜欢用的词汇，因为，在环保分子看来，凡是碳氢化合物燃料都是是以前动物植物遗体变的，就像你看到的一块恐龙化石，你用掉了，就没有办法恢复了。Fossil fuel eventually will burn you and me. 碳氢化合物最终烧死的是你和我。（意思是这种燃料产生的废气会伤害人类。）Renewable energy is an alternative to fossil fuels. 再生能源可替代碳氢化合物。
1619.Actually it is quite easy to reduce carbon footprint.要减少废气并不难。footprint, 脚印，痕迹，这里指的是燃料污染。
1620.You can put a work of art at your fingertips. 你可以亲手艺术品。That tax bill had the senator’s fingerprints all over it. 此税收法案从头到尾都留有该议员的烙印。
1621.In this day and age, we are always looking to save money. 这个年代，我们总是想方设法搞节约。This is the way tradition and the modern day merge in this city. 传统与现代就这样在这个城市交汇在一起。
1622.Are you trying to give me a hard time? 你是不是想找我的茬？My wife will give me a hard time if I am home late. 我回去晚了。老婆会跟我过不去的。 Bureaucrats today have a hard time distinguishing the genuine public interest from the private interests of the Party.今天的官僚分不清什么是真正的大众利益，什么是共党之私利。注意比较复数hard times的用法，You need to learn how to manage your money during hard times. 经济萧条时，你得学会管理好自己的钱财。
1623.Hu Yaobang’s death signifies the end of an era. 胡耀邦的去世象征着一个时代的终结。
1624.Many students take a gap year after university. 许多学生大学毕业后会修整一年。a gap year, 大学毕业后，先不忙着找工作，而是花一年去旅游、作义工等活动。