火星文縱橫天下
I still remember my teachers telling me that using netspeak in exams could cost me marks.
還記得以前老師說考試不能寫「火星文」，否則會被扣分，
netspeak(n.)網路用語;網路詞彙chatspeak(n.)網路聊天用語internet slang火星文
Back then, the news networks only covered national affairs and squeezed lifestyle and gossip into a brief mention at the end of the broadcast.
以前新聞只會報導國家大事，趣談跟生活時事只在節目尾巴出現，
squeeze(v.)擠壓;塞
Life and language were clearly divided into what was “serious and adult” and “trendy and childish”.
生活也被分成「大人的正經」與「小孩的流行」，
divide(v.)切分;分割trendy(adj.)時髦的;受新潮思想影響的
What was popular among the younger generation was not considered decent enough to be seen in public.
時下年輕人的玩意兒，較難登大雅之堂。
decent(adj.)體面的;正經的;像樣的
But, one day, I suddenly realized that the slang employed by Taiwan’s xiangmin (netizens) was creeping into the curriculum of national exams and even into mainstream media.
但有天突然發現，國家大型考試納入了網路鄉民流行用語，甚至也開始出現在主流媒體上。
slang(n.)俚語netizen(n.)使用網路的人;網友curriculum(n.)課程;課綱
The same journalists that once controlled public discourse are now falling under the influence of xiangmin. They are eager to learn about xiangmin interests, and search for trending discussions that they can use for their next headline.
過去掌握話語權主流的記者，也正受到鄉民的影響，認識鄉民的喜好、探索社群上的最新話題，當作新聞題材。
discourse(n.)論述fall under the influence of~受到…的影響trend(n.)趨勢;時尚(v.)成為某一時刻在社交媒體或網站上被提到最多次的詞語、主題或名字trending topics or discussions時下流行的話題
Without us knowing, this exclusively young subculture has become the new mainstream.
專屬年輕人的網路次文化，已不知不覺成了大眾「顯學」。
without us knowing=before we realize不知不覺地exclusively(adv.)專門;單獨subculture(n.)次文化mainstream(n.)主流(adj.)主流的
Back in the early days of the Internet when the online population was still small, surfing the web was considered a “waste of time”.
早年網路人口不多，上網常與「荒廢時間」等畫上等號。
Today it is an inseparable part of our lives. Social media has eliminated barriers such as time and space, and traditional media are relying on xiangmin posts as a crutch for their own coverage.
如今線上、線下生活早已無可分割，社群媒體的力量更消弭了距離時差，許多第一手資訊還是靠著網路鄉民的分享，傳統媒體才得以進一步深掘。
inseparable(adj.)不可分割的indispensable(adj.)不可或缺的eliminate(v.)消除=erase=removebarrier(n.)障礙crutch(n.)支撐;支持;支柱
The dividing line between Internet and reality has been wiped out, and the tectonics of mainstream culture and subculture has shifted, not to mention how xiangmin represent public opinion.
人們只是擦去了過去「現實」與「網路」間的楚河漢界，重新調整了主流與次文化的版塊比例，更不用說網路鄉民還代表了具體民意，
The dividing line between A and B A與B之間的界線wipe out抹除;消滅=erase=remove(plate) tectonics板塊構造not to mention=let alone更不用說
Just look at how online marketing has become an increasingly important part of election campaigns at home and abroad over the past few years.
看看近幾年國內外打選戰的團隊有多麼重視網路行銷就知道了。
election campaigns競選活動
The Internet world has already overlapped with real life. Xiangmin have never left us. This has become our world!
網路世界早和現實生活重疊，鄉民也從沒離開我們身邊，這已經是我們的世界！
overlap with~重疊