For years, it seemed news outlets were fixated on the millennial generation (aka Generation Y) and the many items and industries it supposedly “killed.”
多年来，新闻媒体似乎都把注意力集中在千禧世代（又称Y世代）以及据说被这一世代“扼杀”了的许多项目和产业身上。
Before that, there was Generation X, aka “the MTV Generation（known as people who were influenced by the television channel MTV，which launched in 1981）.” Now there’s a strong interest in Generation Z ― the mysterious “Euphoria” cohort. But what comes after X, Y and Z?
在Y世代之前，曾有X世代，又称“MTV世代（因受到1981年开播的电视频道MTV影响而得名）”。而现在，人们对Z世代——神秘的“欣快症”一代——产生了浓厚的兴趣。但在X世代、Y世代和Z世代之后的是什么世代呢？
As long as people are continuing to procreate, there must be a name for the generation that follows Generation Z and some sense of its defining characteristics.
只要人类继续繁衍，Z世代之后也肯定会产生一个专属名称来特指Z世代后面的一代人以及他们的某些特质。
“Alpha世代”登上舞台
Meet 'Generation Alpha'
“Just over a decade ago, when I was researching my first book ‘The ABC of XYZ: Understanding the Global Generations,’ it became apparent that a new generation was about to commence and there was no name for them. So I conducted a survey to find out what people think the generation after Z should be called.” social researcher Mark McCrindle said.
“就在十多年前，当我在研究我的第一本书《XYZ世代的常识：了解全球各世代》时，很显然，新一代人就要出生了，但他们却没有专属的名称。因此，我进行了一项调查，来了解人们对该如何命名Z世代之后的一代的想法。”社会研究者Mark McCrindle说。
While the survey produced many names, Generation A was the most commonly mentioned, but that term didn’t sit well with McCrindle. “It didn’t make sense that this new generation, the first to be fully born in the 21st Century, and which will see many of them live into the 22nd Century, to be labelled by going back to the beginning,” he wrote.
虽然调查列出了许多名字，但A世代是最常被提及的，但这个词McCrindle并不喜欢。他写道:“这一代人是首个完全出生在21世纪的世代，他们中的许多人将会活到22世纪，而他们被贴上以字母表首个字母命名的标签，这是没有道理的。”
Instead, he looked to the model of hurricane names. There were so many storms during the 2005 Atlantic hurricane season that the names ran through the usual Roman or Latin alphabet and had to use the Greek alphabet.
相反，他以飓风名称为模型。在2005年的大西洋飓风季节里，有太多的风暴，以至于名字用罗马和拉丁字母命名完后，不得不使用希腊字母。
“In keeping with this scientific nomenclature of using the Greek alphabet in lieu of the Latin, having got to Generation Z, I settled on the next cohort being Generation Alpha ― not a return to the old, but the start of something new,” said McCrindle.
“为了遵循希腊字母代替拉丁字母的科学命名法，我们已经到了Z世代，我决定下一代是Alpha一代——不是回到过去，而是从新开始，”McCrindle说。
Key Characteristics
‘Alpha世代’的独特之处
While the traits that come to define generations often don’t start to manifest until their members’ adolescence or early adulthood, it’s possible to identify certain notable features of Generation Alpha at this point.
虽然某些世代的独有特征往往直到他们的青春期或成年早期才会显现，但现在我们仍可以确定Alpha一代的某些显著特征。
1
There will be the most educated Generation in history
他们会是历史上受教育程度最高的一代人
Although most of them are still in infancy, by the time Generation Alpha comes to the age, they will be the most educated Generation of all time thanks to the technology and instantaneous information available to them. They will grow up learning more and deeper about the world than all of their predecessors.
虽然Alpha世代中的很多人都仍是婴儿，但多亏了科技发展和瞬间就能获得的即时信息，等他们到了一定的年龄，他们会是历史上受教育程度最高的一代人。他们会在成长的过程中比所有前人学习到更多、更深的知识。
2
They are tech-savvy
他们精通技术
Gen Alpha will be the first to have a seamless integration of technology into every aspect of their life. They will never know a world without the internet of things, smart technology, and virtual reality.
Alpha世代将是第一个体验到生活的方方面面都和科技无缝衔接的世代。他们永远没有办法想象一个没有互联网、智能、虚拟现实这些技术的世界。
3
Their learning is highly personalised
他们接受的教育是高度个性化的
Along with the classrooms, online learning modules and tutorials will facilitate their approach to education.They will learn at their own pace with personalised learning experiences targeted to keep up with them.
在传统的课堂之外，在线课程将会为Alpha世代的学习方式带来更多便利。他们能够按照个性化的教学进度来学习，确保学习成果。
4
Social media will be their dominant mode of interaction
社交媒体将成为他们的主导互动模式
Gen Alphas will interact with their friends and peers mostly through social media and they are connected throughout the day. Social acceptance also becomes a matter of how much they are liked online.
Alpha世代会主要通过社交媒体来和他们的朋友、同龄人交流互动。他们也会全天候在线。社会接纳度也演化成了他们在线上受欢迎的程度。
5
They are constantly changing
他们一直在变化
They tend to be more individualistic and, hence, do not fall into dominant categories of people. So by the time you come up with a way to predict them, they are already exhibiting new behaviors.
他们会变得更加注重个人。所以，他们不会落入主流的人群类别。当你想出办法来预测他们的行为时，他们已经开始有全新的行为了。
6
They will make a new type of employee at work
他们将成为一种新型员工
Their approach to work will be different as they come from a more diverse and open pool of thought. They would also prefer to work only for companies that align with their principles and embrace diverse work environments.
由于他们的思想更加多元化与开放，他们的工作方法将有所不同。他们也会更愿意只为遵循他们的原则并接受多元化工作环境的公司工作。
7
They live at the moment
他们生活在当下
As countries have prospered over the decades, the worry about adversities in the future has almost disappeared in the younger Generations. So the trend of living in the moment for the moment is popular with Gen Alpha.
由于国家几十年来的繁荣兴旺，年轻一代对未来逆境的担忧几乎消失了。因此，如今活在当下的趋势受到Alpha世代的欢迎。
“Alpha世代”下一代是什么？
What comes after 'Alpha'?
If the members of Generation Alpha are coming into the world today, it may also be time to look forward to what the following generation will be.
如今，Alpha世代的成员即将进入我们的视野了。也是时候期待下一世代将会是怎样的一代人了。
“Generational definitions are most useful when they span a set age range and so allow meaningful comparisons across generations,” said McCrindle.
“当一个世代中人群年龄差异过大时，给世代下定义是最有效的对代际差异进行有意义比较的方法。”McCrindle说。
“So it follows that Generation Beta will be born from 2025 to 2039,” he continued. “If the nomenclature sticks then we will afterwards have Generation Gamma and Generation Delta. But we won’t be getting there until the second half of the 21st Century, so there is plenty of time to reflect on the labels!”
“接下来，Beta世代会在2025年到2040年之间出生。”他接着说，“如果继续用这种命名法，之后我们会迎来Gamma世代和Delta世代。但这是21世纪后半段的事了，我们有足够的时间来考虑该用什么标签来给他们命名！”
重点词汇与表达
1）be fixated on：专注于 focus on
[例句]Nowadays, many newspapers seemed to be more fixated on celebrity and pop-culture rather than what is happening in the seats of government.
2）cohort：n.一群人 a group people having approximately the same age
[例句]The key “saving age” is the cohort of 35-54 year-olds.
3）commence：v. 开始发生; 开始; 着手 take the first step or steps in carrying out an action
[例句]The day commenced with a welcome from the principal.
4）nomenclature：n. 命名法a system of words used to name things in a particular discipline
[例句]Many organizations standardize on a nomenclature for release labels.
5）in lieu of：代替 replace
[例句]At this time, a bowknot was adopted to be worn in lieu of the medal.
6）manifest：v. 显示，表明provide evidence for; stand as proof of; show by one's behavior, attitude, or external attribute
[例句]If you take a look at his biography, you can get a good idea of how his life experiences manifest themselves in his theories of beauty.
7）seamless：adj.无缝的perfectly consistent and coherent
[例句]Some folks view alliances as a blessing to travelers, offering seamless travel, reduced fares and enhanced frequent-flyer benefits.
8）align with：与……一致 be in coherence with
[例句]Does your current work align with that?
原文链接：
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/generation-alpha-after-gen-z_l_5d420ef4e4b0aca341181574
https://parenting.firstcry.com/articles/generation-alpha-characteristics-and-parenting-tips/
编译 | 蒋祖儿 郝喜桓 黄怡涛 谢曈 周奕言
排版 | 黄怡涛
