Prime minister Andy Burnham has hit the ground running(一上任就迅速投入), tackling head-on(正面迎击、直接处理) three of the public’s burning(紧迫的、亟待解决的) concerns: falling standards of living, failing public services and a remote(遥远的、疏离的), out-of-touch(脱离实际的、不了解民情的), over-centralised Whitehall(英国中央政府及公务员体系的代称). Now, this autumn, a fourth challenge, reversing the decades-long decline of civic engagement, is about to move centre stage to achieve his ambition to put citizens back in control of their communities.(今年秋天，第四项挑战——扭转数十年来公民参与的衰退——即将登上中心舞台，以实现他让公民重新掌控自己社区的抱负。)
首相安迪·伯纳姆一上任便雷厉风行，直面公众最迫切的三大忧虑：生活水平下降、公共服务失灵，以及遥远、脱离民众、过度集权的白厅。今年秋天，第四项挑战——扭转数十年来公民参与的衰退——即将登上中心舞台，以实现他让公民重新掌控自己社区的抱负。
For while there are tens of thousands of local champions(拥护者、积极推动者) bringing towns, cities and villages together, Britain is suffering a civic recession(公民社会衰退), a hollowing out(空心化、被掏空) of the associations, clubs and organisations that once were the beating hearts(跳动的心脏、核心命脉) of our communities.
因为尽管有成千上万的地方热心人士在凝聚城镇、城市和村庄，英国却正经历一场公民衰退——那些曾是社区跳动心脏的协会、俱乐部和组织正在被掏空。
It is a sobering(令人警醒的、发人深省的) fact that almost 50% of British adults are not members of any community organisation of any kind, neither a civic association nor church nor faith group, nor even a sports club.
一个令人警醒的事实是，近50%的英国成年人没有加入任何类型的社区组织——既不是公民协会，也不是教会或宗教团体，甚至连体育俱乐部都不是。