Lesson 50 New Year resolutions
新年的决心
一、【Text】课文
The New Year is a time for resolutions. Mentally, at least, most of us could compile formidable lists of 'dos' and 'don'ts'. The same old favorites recur year in year out with monotonous regularity. We resolve to get up earlier each morning, eat less, find more time to play with the children, do a thousand and one jobs about the house, be nice to people we don't like, drive carefully, and take the dog for a walk every day. Past experience has taught us that certain accomplishments are beyond attainment. If we remain inveterate smokers, it is only because we have so often experienced the frustration that results from failure. Most of us fail in our efforts at self-improvement because our schemes are too ambitious and we never have time to carry them out. We also make the fundamental error of announcing our resolutions to everybody so that we look even more foolish when we slip back into our bad old ways. Aware of these pitfalls, this year I attempted to keep my resolutions to myself. I limited myself to two modest ambitions: to do physical exercise every morning and to read more of an evening. An all-night party on New Year's Eve provided me with a good excuse for not carrying out either of these new resolutions on the first day of the year, but on the second, I applied myself assiduously to the task.
The daily exercises lasted only eleven minutes and I proposed to do them early in the morning before anyone had got up. The self-discipline required to drag myself out of bed eleven minutes earlier than usual was considerable. Nevertheless, I managed to creep down into the living room for two days before anyone found me out. After jumping about on the carpet and twisting the human frame into uncomfortable positions, I sat down at the breakfast table in an exhausted condition. It was this that betrayed me. The next morning the whole family trooped in to watch the performance. That was really unsettling, but I fended off the taunts and jibes of the family good-humouredly and soon everybody got used to the idea. However, my enthusiasm waned. The time I spent at exercises gradually diminished. Little by little the eleven minutes fell to zero. By January 10th, I was back to where I had started from. I argued that if I spent less time exhausting myself at exercises in the morning, I would keep my mind fresh for reading when I got home form work Resisting the hypnotizing effect of television, I sat in my room for a few evenings with my eyes glued to a book. One night, however, feeling cold and lonely, I went downstairs and sat in front of the television pretending to read. That proved to be my undoing, for I soon got back to my old bad habit of dozing off in front of the screen. I still haven't given up my resolution to do more reading. In fact, I have just bought a book entitled How to Read a Thousand Words a Minute. Perhaps it will solve my problem, but I just haven't had time to read it!
二、【New words and expressions】生词和短语
●resolution n. 决心
●mentally adv. 内心里
●compile v. 编辑，编制
●formidable adj. 令人畏惧的
●recur v. 再发生，又出现
●regularity n. 规律性
●accomplishment n. 成就
●attainment n. 达到
●inveterate adj. 根深蒂固的
●self-improvement n. 自我完善
●scheme n. 简单的计划，方案
●ambitious adj. 雄心勃勃的
●pitfall n. 意外的困难，易犯的错误
●modest adj. 要求不过分的
●assiduously adv. 刻苦地
●self-discipline n. 自我约束
●frame n. 躯体
●betray v. 暴露，显露
●troop v. 成群结队地走动
●unsettle v. 使不安
●taunt n. 嘲笑，奚落人的话
●jibe n. 嘲弄，挖苦
●good-humouredly adv. 和气地，心情好地
●wane v. 逐渐变小，变弱
●diminish v. 减少，缩小
●hypnotize v. 使欲睡，使蒙胧
●undoing n. 祸根，毁灭的原因
●screen n. 电视机屏幕
◆resolution n. 决心
resolution
1. the quality of being resolute / formal decision 决心，决议
take resolution to do sth. / make up one’s mind to do sth.
be determined to do sth. / decide to do sth.
resolve / resolve to do sth.
resolve sb. on sth. 使某人做某事
Eg: Before we came here, we resolved to learn English hard.
I resolved him on English study.
Nobody resolved him on this decision. 没有人使他做这样的决定。
resolute adj. 坚决的，果断的
resolution / resolve / resolute
Eg: We must be true in word and resolute in deed. 我们必须是言必信，行必果。
◆mentally adv. 内心里
◆compile v. 编辑，编制
compile
compile / edit vt.
editor
compile: collect information and arrange in a book (great book / dictionary )
edit: collect information and arrange in newspaper or magazine
Eg: The editor is busing editing the newspaper.
◆formidable adj. 令人畏惧的
◆recur v. 再发生，又出现
recur v.
occor: happen
occur to
A good idea occurred to me. / It occurred to him that he should open the door.
recur: occur again
incur: vt. 导致，招致，造成 （ lead to / result in / give rise to / cause）
Eg: Air pollution incurs some terrible dissease.
◆regularity n. 规律性
◆accomplishment n. 成就
◆attainment n. 达到
accomplish 成功地达到目的
accomplish one’s purpose / goal / dream / aim /work / task
He accomplished his journey.
attain:得到，获得（经过艰苦努力）
attain one’s ambition
get sccess / attain success
achieve : 达到一定目的时的表现及努力
Eg: This is what he achieved after ten years of hard work.
treasure / cherish / volue / prize 珍惜
Eg: We always cherish what we have achieved.
I feel very happy because you accomplish your dream.
accomplishment: 成就（修养，才艺，本领方面）
attainment 获得，得到
Eg: Such accomplishment is beyond your attainment.
His attainment is beyond my understanding.
His accomplishment is unexpected to me.
achievement / accomplishment
attain to / attain
attain to : 某人希望达到的成就
attain: 某人已经达到的成就
Eg: He has attained heights that I can never attain to.
This is the height that I hope to attain to.
This is the height that I have attained.
◆inveterate adj. 根深蒂固的
◆self-improvement n. 自我完善
◆scheme n. 简单的计划，方案
◆ambitious adj. 雄心勃勃的
ambition
Eg: Everybody in the modern society must be ambitious.
If you work hard, you can attain your ambition.
◆pitfall n. 意外的困难，易犯的错误
◆modest adj. 要求不过分的
Eg: I make New Year resolution and I think them modest.
Eg: Being modes is one of our virtues.
◆assiduously adv. 刻苦地
assiduously==diligently
Eg: If you study English assiduously, nothing is difficult.
◆self-discipline n. 自我约束
self-improvement 自我完善
◆frame n. 躯体
body
◆betray v. 暴露，显露
Eg: I don’t know who betrayed me.
Her face betrayed her nervousness.
◆troop v. 成群结队地走动
◆unsettle v. 使不安
◆◆◆taunt n. 嘲笑，奚落人的话
taunt vt.
taunt sb. with sth. 因为某事而讥笑某人
Eg: They taunt him with being poor / poverty.
make fun of / laugh at
Eg: He is wearing a strange hat, so we make fun of him.
jeer vi.
jeer at 嘲笑，戏弄
Eg: We know he is eccentric, but anyway don’t jeer at him
mock / mock at
Eg: Mocked (at ) by others, he had my sympathy.
When the teacher is writing on the blackboard, naughty boy student mocked at him.
scoff at / pour scorn on
Eg: Don’t scoff at those students who don’t have good accomplishment / mark.
gibe
gible at sb. / sth.
taunt: try to make sb. angry or upset by saying unkind remarks.
Eg: They taunted him with being poor, so he felt angry.
gibe: say sth. that is intended to make the person look silly.
Eg: I gibed at him because, in my opinion, he was dull.
◆jibe n. 嘲弄，挖苦
◆good-humouredly adv. 和气地，心情好地
◆◆◆wane v. 逐渐变小，变弱
wane: becoming less or weaker
Eg: He exerts suttle influence on his children, but his children are growing up, so his influence is waning.
wane: showing a decreasing bright area after full moon.
The moon will wax, the moon will wane. 月有阴晴园缺
◆diminish v. 减少，缩小
diminish: vt. make smaller in size, amout, number and so on.
Eg: The Second World War diminished the country’s wealth.
diminish vi.
Eg: Time will never cause our friendship to diminish. 我们的友谊决不会因时间的流逝而淡薄。
reduce
Eg: If you reduce the price to 10 dollars, I will take it.
reduce to / reduce by
The shop assistant reduced the price by 10 dollars.
lessen 数量，价值，可能性的降低
sharp / sharped wide / widen quick / quicken
Eg: I agree to your idea that you can climb the tree, but anyway, please lesson the rick of being hurt / injoured
I agree to your idea that you can climb the tree, but anyway, please lessen the risk of being hurt / injured.
increase / decrease
Eg: Our interest in English / clothes is increasing.
lessen 可能性的降低
wane 渐渐地衰退
◆hypnotize v. 使欲睡，使蒙胧
lull 催人欲睡
lull sb. to sleep
◆undoing n. 祸根，毁灭的原因
◆screen n. 电视机屏幕
三、【课文精析】
Key sentence:
The New Year is a time for resolutions.
a time for
The spring Festival is a time for gathering.
Mentally: at heart
We become illogical when we decide what can be eaten and what can not be eaten.
Key sentence:
The same old favorites recur year in year out with monotonous regularity.
favourite: resolution
recur: happen / take place
year in year out: one year after another / year by year
day by day / one day after another / day in day out
resolve to : 下定决心
Key sentence:
Past experience has taught us that certain accomplishments are beyond attainment.
It is hard for us to attain some certain accomplishment
inveterate: deep rooted
Key sentence:
If we remain inveterate smokers, it is only because we have so often experienced the frustration that results from failure.
Because we have too often experience the frustration, it means nothing to me.
result from : 由 ...... 产生的
result in: lead to / cause
Failure will result in frustration. 失败会导致挫败心理。
Key sentence:
Most of us fail in our efforts at self-improvement because our schemes are too ambitious and we never have time to carry them out.
carry out: carry off
fail in our efforts / attempt
Eg: We accumulate clutter in an attempt to avoid waste.
Key sentence:
We also make the fundamental error of announcing our resolutions to everybody so that we look even more foolish when we slip back into our bad old ways.
Eg: If you often make some common mistakes, you will get the frustration.
slip back into: return to the normal way
Key sentence:
Aware of these pitfalls, this year I attempted to keep my resolutions to myself.
keep my resolutions to myself: keep my resolutions secret
Eg: We arrived at our destination exhausted.
Exhausted, we arrived at our destination.
Aware of the importance, I attempt to carry it out. 由于意识到了此事的重要性，我竭尽全力来把它实现。
limit oneself to
ambitions: New Year resolutions
limit: 限定到点
restrict: 限定到范围
Key sentence:
but on the second, I applied myself assiduously to the task.
apply oneself to / apply one’s time to / apply one’s mind / energy to
be devoted / dedicated to
In 2002, I shall apply myself to learning English.
propose to do / I decided to do
The self-discipline required to study English hard is considerable as well.
nevertheless: however
Key sentence:
I sat down at the breakfast table in an exhausted condition.
in an exhausted condition:
exhausted
It...that... 句型
It was exhausted condition that betrayed my secret.
troop in: went / came into the room in group
unsettle: upset
fend off: defeat
wane: diminish step by step
argue: got a good excuse
keep one’s mind fresh for doing sth.
Key sentence:
Resisting the hypnotizing effect of television, I sat in my room for a few evenings with my eyes glued to a book.
the temptation to do
slip back into our bad old ways / I was back to where I had started from / got back to my old bad habit
dozing off: half sleep
I soon got back to my old bad habit of nodding.
a book entitled: a book which is entitled
We must be true in word and resolute in deed.
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