社會學家專訪
Xiangmin have a special status in Taiwan as they are a counterculture that still has the power to change society, as they did during the 2008 Wild Strawberries Movement and 2014 Sunflower Student Movement.
鄉民的身分地位很特別，是台灣社會中的非主流，但卻又擁有足以改變社會的力量，例如2008年野草莓學運以及2014年太陽花運動，
counterculture(n.)反文化;反主流文化=counter-culturemainstream culture主流文化
Chengchi University’s Dr. Cao Jia-rong says that from a sociological perspective changes are normal and an essential part of the world we live in but most of the time they come out of unusual circumstances.
政治大學社會學博士曹家榮表示，從社會學角度來看，變遷是人類社會的本質，是一種正常現象，但變遷多數時候也都始於異常現象。
from a…perspective從…角度、觀點來看=from a…point of viewcircumstance(n.)情況;情境
As the Chinese saying goes, “Those long divided shall be united; those long united shall be divided.” Mainstream culture brings stability, but countercultures push for change.
就像中國人常講的合久必分，分久必合，借鏡歷史，主流的力量固然能帶來穩定，但推動社會變遷的，多半來自非主流邊緣的異質力量。
united(adj.)聯合的;統一的divided(adj.)分裂的;分歧的stability(n.)穩定
The book “From Counterculture to Cyberculture”, by Fred Turner, looks at how anti-establishment Americans were an important driving force behind the rise of personal computers and the Internet from the 1960s to 1980s.
弗萊德·泰納「尋找新樂園」這本書中，提到1960到1980年代之間，個人電腦及網際網路的出現，美國反主流文化扮演很重要的推手，
anti-establishment反體制的driving force驅動力;主要推手
These included hackers and communitarian engineers who converted military computers and networks into technology that everyone could use.
包括黑客及秉持社群主義理念的工程師們，他們把鎖在軍事工業複合體的大電腦及網際網路，從軍事基地與校園裡解放出來，普遍到讓人人皆可使用。
hacker(n.)駭客communitarian(adj.)社群主義的communitarianism(n.)社群主義convert…into…把…轉換成…;把…變成…=turn…into…
It might be an exaggeration to compare xiangmin to these pioneers as the online culture is still very new and it remains to be seen how it will develop over time.
也許將鄉民比作當初這群人，是過於高捧他們。畢竟鄉民文化仍屬萌芽階段，後續發展仍需長期觀察，
exaggeration(n.)誇張;誇大compare…to…將…比喻作it remains to be seen…某事仍有待觀察
However even in these early stages, we can already see how powerful xiangmin could become.
但我們還是可以看到鄉民力量的潛力。
Throughout the Agricultural, Industrial and Information ages, human evolution has continually sped up.
從農業到工業再到資訊社會的轉型，人類演進的核心元素之一是「加速」，
evolution(n.)演化;演進speed up加速
Industrialization allowed us to cover greater distances in shorter amounts of time, and the arrival of information technology put the world on our doorstep. Space may not have disappeared entirely, but we are being brought closer together as the world shrinks into a global village.
工業社會就是透過機械科技，縮短時間去征服空間，而資訊科技帶來的效應則是取消空間，但取消空間不是空間消失，而是我們會越來越靠近，在地球村的概念下，對全球範圍開始產生影響。
disappear(v.)消失shrink(v.)縮水;縮小global village地球村
Xiangmin should not be underestimated — for all their sarcasm, mockery, and online attacks, many are trying to do good.
鄉民中不乏臥虎藏龍，他們透過嘲諷、戲謔與攻擊，或也有部分關於善的力量的追求，
underestimate(v.)低估for all~儘管=despitesarcasm(n.)嘲諷mockery(n.)戲謔
Interestingly, they are like intellectuals who don’t speak out in the same way as their traditional counterparts.
有趣的是他們身為知識份子卻不選擇統傳統知識分子的身分發聲，
intellectual(n.)知識份子counterpart(n.)等量齊觀的對手
Dr. Cao suggests “If you see society as a kind of network of activism, then traditional intellectuals and xiangmin are two different forces that both propel it. They should work together to contribute to society in their own ways.”
曹博士建議: 「如果把社會看作是一種行動網絡，那麼傳統知識分子與鄉民兩種力量，何不互相結盟合作，也就是用不同的方式做同樣的事情，一起對社會做出貢獻。」
activism(n.)社會實踐主義;社會行動propel(v.)推動;推進contribute to~對…有貢獻
We may not be able to discern whether it is good or bad, but xiangmin culture is thriving.
鄉民文化目前雖然無法斷其好壞，但卻已邁入萌芽後發展的關鍵時期。
discern(v.)判斷;辨別thrive(v.)蓬勃發展、興旺、繁榮=flourish