generation/͵dʒɛnəˋreʃən; ˌdʒenəˈreIʃ$n/n 1 [C also + plural verbBrE 英国英语亦用复数动词] all the people in a society or family who are about the same age 一代人﹐同代人: +of Three generations of the Lambe family have lived here. 拉姆家族已经在这里住了三代人。younger/older generation The younger generation don’t know what hard work is. 年轻一代不知道什么叫努力。first-generation/second-generation etc (=being of a member of the first people to live or be born in a particular country) 第一代/第二代等〔指生活或出生在某国的人〕first-generation immigrant families 第一代移民家庭Our generation has never known a war. 我们这代人从来没有经历过战争。2 [C] the average period of time between your birth and the birth of your children 一代人的时间〔指一个人出生至此人孩子出生之间的平均时间〕: A generation ago , no one had home computers. 一代人之前﹐没有人拥有家用电脑。Some families have lived here for generations . 有些人家祖祖辈辈都住在这里。3 [C] machines that are at the same stage of development〔机器等的〕一代: +of a new generation of cell phones 新一代的手机first-generation nuclear reactors (=the first ones built or made) 第一代核反应堆4 [U] the process of producing power or energy〔力量或能量的〕产生: +of the generation of solar power 太阳能发电