Lesson 50 New Year resolutions新年的决心 强调句 状语从句

New Year resolutions

• New Year('s) resolutions

"Have you made any New Year's resolutions?" "
Yes, I'm going to eat more healthily and give up smoking."

resolution ^决议

• UN resolution ^{联合国决议}

The New Year is a time for resolutions.

It’s time for sth. ^{表达“到了该做某事的时候了”}

• It’s time for school / dinner / bed. 
• It's time for her bottle. ^{该给她用奶瓶喂奶了。}
• It's time for some straight talking. ^{现在该开诚布公地谈谈了。}

 Mentally, at least, most of us could compile formidable lists of 'dos' and 'don'ts'. 

mentally ^{at heart 在心中}

• Mentally, she is not very stable.^{她的心理状态不十分稳定。}
• He was found to be mentally unfit to stand trial^{.发现他精神状况不适合接受审判。}
• You may be physically and mentally exhausted after a long flight.^{长途飞行后你可能身心都很疲惫。}

compile a list ^{make a list 列清单}

• We are trying to compile a list of suitable people for the job. ^{我们在努力编制一份适合做这项工作的人员名单。}
• What I'll do is compile a list of suitable properties for you and send them via email. ^{我会为您编制一份合适房产的列表，然后通过电子邮件发给您。}
• Network traffic is filtered to compile a list of messages. ^{网络流量被过滤后汇编成一系列的消息。}

dos and don’ts ^{（名词）应该做和不应该做}

• Here are some dos and don'ts for exercise during pregnancy. ^{这是妊娠期间锻炼的一些注意事项。}
• Eg:Before you study foreign language, you should know dos and don'ts. ^{在你学习外语之前，应该知道注意事项。}
• You want to be taken seriously and look good at work. Some basic fashion Dos and Don'ts… ^{工作中希望受到重视又必须穿着得体，以下是一些基本的职场穿衣法则…}

The same old favourites recur year in year out with monotonous regularity.

same old ...^{（略贬义）司空见惯的、非常熟悉的}

• It’s the same old story.
• It’s the same old excuse.
• It’s the same old faces at the meeting. 

“How are you doing?” “Same old.”

 year in year out = year after year ^{年复一年的}

• day in day out = day after day  ^{一天又一天的}
• week in week out = week after week 
• month in month out = month after month 

with monotonous regularity ^{（贬义）老是}

• The little boy wets the bed with monotonous regularity. 
• History repeats itself with monotonous regularity.

The same old story recurs day in day out with monotonous regularity. ^{这个老问题总是日复一日地重复出现。}

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.

decide to do ... ^{表达“决定做某事”}

• Students may decide to seek tutorial guidance.^{学生们可以决定寻求助教的指导。}
• At this point I don't care what you decide to do.到这个时候，^{我不在乎你决定要怎么做了。}
• When they decide to have a party they don't mess around.^{他们决定搞聚会，便会迅速操办起来。}

a hundred / thousand / million and one = very many ^非常多

• There are a hundred and one things to do before the event starts. ^{在活动开始前有非常多的事情要做。}

housework ^{[U] 表达“家务”及相关}

• I spent all morning doing (the) housework / household chores. ^做家务

take the dog for a walk = walk the dog ^遛狗 

• It's sunny outside, let's take the dog for a walk. ^{外面阳光灿烂，我们去遛狗吧。}
• Can we walk the dog in the park? ^{我们可以在公园遛狗吗？}
• Taken for a ride

Past experience has taught us that certain accomplishments are beyond attainment.

be beyond sth. ^{无法…；不容…}

• The car is beyond repair. ^无法修理
• The rumor is beyond belief. ^无法相信
• The situation is beyond my control. ^无法控制
• The results are beyond dispute / controversy. ^不容争辩 
• Her beauty is beyond words / description. ^无法形容
• His conduct is beyond reproach / criticism. ^无可指摘
• The pain is beyond human endurance. ^无法忍受
• Working with you is beyond my wildest dreams. ^{做梦都想不到}
• We might say that justice has been done when a man's innocence or guilt has been proved beyond doubt. ^{毫无疑问的}

be beyond sb. = be a mystery to sb.  ^{某人无法理解}

• Why people are prepared to tolerate a four-hour journey each day for the dubious privilege of living in the country is beyond me.
• It has always been a mystery to me why city dwellers, who appreciate all these things, obstinately pretend that they would prefer to live in the country.

If we remain inveterate smokers, it is only because we have so often experienced the frustration that results from failure.

an inveterate smoker / drinker / gambler / liar ^{（指人） 老…（人）}

• old friend  ^老朋友
• regular / patron  ^常客
• hardened smuggler ^{老牌走私犯}
• maidservant ^老妈子

it is because …  ^{原因是…（主系表）}

• It is because my cousin makes me forget that she makes me better.^{因为我的表妹使我忘记那件事，所以她让我越来越好。}
• Maybe you would say it is because the teacher's class is boring.^{也许你会说是因为老师的课很无聊。}
• One of the reasons that I like it is because I love the bright colors of the characters.^{我喜欢它的原因之一是我喜欢字体的明亮色彩。}

The reason is because … × ^{表达错误（reason 已表达了逻辑关系，如果再用because就是逻辑重复）}

result from ...= be caused by  ^{由…导致的（接原因）}

• The accident resulted from the driver's negligence. ^{事故是由于司机的疏忽造成的。}
• The accident was caused by pilot error. ^{这场事故是飞行员的失误造成的。}

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.

fail to do ^{未能做成某事}

• If you receive a request like this, you cannot fail to obey it!
• The pirates would often bury gold in the cave and then fail to collect it.
• Cats never fail to fascinate human beings.

scheme ^{n. 1. 计划，方案；2. 阴谋诡计}

• schemes and intrigues ^阴谋诡计

never / not get round / around to sth./ doing ^{没时间做某事}

• It had broken down the previous summer, and though I promised to repair it, I had never got round to it.

carry sth. ↔ out ^{执行，实施}

• We carried out her instructions precisely.
• One is the general atmosphere of secrecy in which it is carried out, the other the lack of freedom of the individual research worker.

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.

fundamental ^{adj. 根本性的}

• fundamental error / mistake 
• fundamental change / difference

so (that)  ^{作连词时一般来说有两种用法}

1. 引导结果状语从句 ^{译为“所以”，从句谓语动词中一般没有情态动词。}
• We paid him immediately, so (that) he left contented. 
• The pie committee decided that the best way to transport the dish would be by canal, so they insured it for the trip.
• In the new country he became absorbed in making a new life for the two of us, so that he gradually ceased to grieve.
2. 引导目的状语从句 ^{译为“以便”= in order that …，从句谓语动词中多出现情态动词 can, could, may, might, should, would 等。}
• Drive carefully so that everyone can enjoy a long life.
• We paid him immediately, so (that) he would leave contented. ^（以便）
• It had been purchased by a local authority so that an enormous pie could be baked for an annual fair.
• This time they fixed heavy metal clamps to both sides of the dish so that they could fasten the chains.

slip ^滑到

• He was still mumbling something about hospitals at the end of the party when he slipped on a piece of ice and broke his left leg.
• I slipped and fell downstairs.
• carefully slip ^{小心地“滑”(滑冰时小心一点，不要摔跤了)}
• Caution! Wet Floor ^{小心“地滑”(地面是湿滑的)}

slip into … ^{to gradually start to be in a bad state or situation 渐渐陷入某种不良状态}

• slip into debt / unconsciousness … ^{渐渐陷入债务/昏迷}
• He had begun to slip into debt.
• She slipped into unconsciousness and died the next day. 
• The country is slipping into recession. ^{渐渐陷入萧条}

Aware of these pitfalls, this year I attempted to keep my resolutions to myself.

pitfall ^{n. a likely mistake or problem in a situation 易犯的错误，易出现的问题}

• the potential pitfalls of buying a house
• Her advice helped me avoid some of the common pitfalls. 

keep sth. to oneself = keep sth. secret ^保密

• I keep my love for Helen to myself.  ^{保持我对海伦的爱只给我自己（我暗恋海伦）}

keep sth. from sb. ^{向某人保密}

• The only other people who knew the secret were Joe and Bob. They did not even tell their wives. They even kept it from their wives.

I limited myself to two modest ambitions: to do physical exercises every morning and to read more of an evening.

modest ^{adj. 些许的；不太大（或贵、重要等）的}

• They made a modest donation to the charity.^{他们为慈善机构捐了一笔不太大的款项。}

limit oneself to sth. ^{给自己限定…}

• I limit myself to 2 glasses of beer a day.
• She limits herself to 1,000 calories a day to lose weight. 
• He limited himself to two cups of coffee a day. ^{他每天只喝两杯咖啡。}

do (physical) exercises ^锻炼身体

• She does physical exercises every morning. ^{她每天早晨做锻炼。}

of an evening / of a weekend ...= in the evenings / at weekends ...^{【英】【习语】}

• We usually go for a walk of an evening. ^{我们通常在晚上散步。}

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.

on … Eve ^{重要日子的前一夜}

• We always open one present on Christmas Eve. ^{我们总是在圣诞前夜打开一件礼物。}
• on New Year's Eve he was able to hobble along to a party.

provide sb. with sth. ^{为某人提供某事}

• The company provided us with all the necessary materials. ^{公司为我们提供了所有必要的材料。}

A long and arduous journey provided me with a good excuse for going to bed early. ^{漫长辛苦的旅程使我有借口很早去睡觉。}

plead ignorance / illness / a headache / tiredness / insanity  ^{以…为借口}

• He pleaded ignorance when asked about the missing documents. ^{当被问到丢失的文件时，他以不知情为借口。}
• He pleaded illness as the reason for absence. ^{他苦苦思索她缺席的原因。}

either of … ^{两个中任何一个……} 

• Either of the two options is fine with me. ^{两个选项中的任何一个我都可以接受。}

apply oneself to sth. = work hard at sth. ^{努力、致力去做}

• Recently I have been applying myself assiduously to studying English. ^{近来我一直在努力地学习英语。}
• People tend to work hard at this stage of life. ^{人在这个人生阶段往往发奋努力。}
• He began to work hard at it. ^{他开始为之努力。}

The daily exercises lasted only eleven minutes and I proposed to do them early in the morning before anyone had got up.

propose ^{v. (fml.) to intend to do something 打算}

• It's still far from clear what action the government proposes to take over the affair. ^{尚不清楚政府打算采取什么行动接手这件事。}
• How do you propose getting home? ^{你打算怎么回家？}
• What would you propose? ^{你想提什么建议？}

The self-discipline required to drag myself out of bed 11 minutes earlier than usual was considerable.

self-discipline ^{自律能力；自我约束能力}

• The self-discipline required to do physical exercises every morning for years on end is considerable. ^{连续数年每天早晨锻炼身体需要很强的自制力。}
• The self-discipline was considerable. ^{自律是相当重要的。}

Nevertheless, I managed to creep down into the living room for two days before anyone found me out.

nevertheless / nonetheless / still / all the same / just the same ^{尽管如此，还是…}

'You certainly did give me a surprise!' said the vicar. 'You've probably woken up everyone in the village as well. Still, I'm glad the bell is working again.'

• The girl is not beautiful. Nevertheless / Nonetheless / Still / All the same / Just the same, I like her very much.

creep ^{v. 蹑手蹑脚地走}

• One bad winter we watched the river creep up the lower meadows.

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.

about / around ^{adv. 各处, 到处}

• As there are so many people about, the dogs have to be kept in a special enclosure. 

twist ^{v. 转动，扭曲，缠绕}

• You always twist everything I say. ^{你总是歪曲我说的每一句话。}
• She gave the lid another twist and it came off. ^{她又拧了一下，盖儿开了。}
• Her hands began to twist the handles of the bag she carried. ^{她的双手开始拧她拎着的那个包的拎柄。}
• Just a twist of the handle is all it takes to wring out the mop. ^{只需旋转一下那个手柄就可以拧干拖把。}

frame ^{n. human or animal body（人或动物的）身体}

• Sobs shook her slender frame. ^{她抽泣着, 苗条的身体都在颤动.} 
• Their belts are pulled tight against their bony frames.  ^{他们的腰带紧裹着瘦骨嶙峋的躯体。}

语法：补足语 ^{课文写法替换}

I sat down at the breakfast table exhausted.
Inevitably you arrive at your destination almost exhausted.

It was this that betrayed me. §

• This betrayed me. → It was this that betrayed me.

The next morning the whole family trooped in to watch the performance.

troop ^{v. to walk somewhere together as a group 成群结队而行}

• The bell rings and they all troop into school. 

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.

unsettling = disturbing  ^{adj. 令人不安的} 

• Phil had several unsettling dreams every night.  ^{菲尔每晚都做好几个令他不安的梦。}
• There was something about him she found disturbing.  ^{她发现他身上有些东西让她觉得不安。}

fend sb. / sth. ↔ off ^{挡开，躲避开，抵御住}

• He tried to kiss her but she fended him off. 
• She managed to fend off awkward questions. 

taunt = jibe / gibe ^嘲笑

• taunts and jibes ^{讥笑和嘲笑}
• aches and pains ^这疼那疼
• schemes and intrigues ^阴谋诡计
• hustle and bustle ^忙忙碌碌

However, my enthusiasm waned.

wane ^{1.月亏；2.衰落；衰败；败落；减弱}

• While his interest in these sports began to wane, a passion for lacrosse developed.  ^{他对这些运动项目的兴趣开始减退的同时，对长曲棍球的兴趣却浓厚起来。}
• Something in the drip began to wane. ^{点滴里的药劲儿开始消退。}
• When the interest in art began to wane, the two fell to talking. ^{当对艺术的兴趣开始减退时，两人开始交谈起来。}
• We cannot let this momentum wane. ^{我们不能让这种势头减弱。}

【扩展】表达“热情减退”：

• ebb (away) ^{落潮；退潮}
• subside ^{回落；减退}

However, my enthusiasm ebbed (away) / subsided. ^{课文写法替换}

The time I spent at exercises gradually diminished.

diminish ^{[书]: reduce / decrease}

• Federalism is intended to diminish the power of the central state. ^{联邦制度旨在削弱中央政府的权力。}
• Deserts in sub-Saharan Africa will diminish gradually. ^{撒哈拉以南非洲的沙漠将逐渐减少。}
• In zones of increased turbulence, the planes' wakes will decay more quickly and the effect will diminish. ^{在湍流增强的区域，飞机的尾流会消失得更快，它的效果也会减弱。}

Little by little the 11 minutes fell to zero.

Little by little ^同义替换

• gradually / slowly / little by little / bit by bit / by degrees 

fall / drop to… ^下降到…

• The temperature drops to –30 〫 and very few people attempt to cross the Pass.

By January 10th, I was back to where I had started from.

be back to where … start from ^前功尽弃

• Now we are back to where we started. ^{现在我们回到我们的起点。}
• Let's go back to where we started. ^{让我们重回出发点。}
• One small step back to where we started. ^{一小步，重返初始之地。}

pick up where we left off ^{从中断的地方继续}

• After lunch shall we pick up where we left off?

老友记

• Chandler: Wait! I just want you to know that ... I'm so happy you're going to be here. 
• Janice: Oh, me too ...
• Chandler: Because ... that way ... we can pick up where we left off. 
• Janice: Huh?
• Chandler: I never stopped loving you.

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 from work.

fresh ^{adj. 精神饱满的}

• However you decide to spend your time, one thing is certain: you will arrive at your destination fresh and uncrumpled.

Resisting the hypnotizing effect of television, I sat in my room for a few evenings with my eyes glued to a book.

glue ^{vt. 粘住 & n. 胶水}

• Her eyes were fixed on her plate and in a short time, she was busy eating.
• I made a model out of paper and glue. ^{我用纸和胶水做了一个模型。}
• He felt light-headed, as if he'd sniffed glue. ^{他觉得头晕，好像吸了胶毒一样。}
• We used glue to stick the broken pieces together. ^{我们用胶把碎片粘到一起。}
• The smell of sawdust and glue pervaded the factory. ^{锯屑和胶水的气味弥漫在工厂里。}

Resisting the temptation to go to bed, I sat in my study with my eyes glued to ‘New Concept English’.^{抵制着去睡觉的诱惑，我坐在书房里全神贯注地看《新概念英语》。}

One night, however, feeling cold and lonely, I went downstairs and sat in front of the television pretending to read.

pretend to do ^{假装做某事}

• If a shop assistant told him she had not heard of it, he would pretend to be considerably put out.
• Many people pretend that they understand modern art. They always tell you what a picture is 'about'.
• ... obstinately pretend that they would prefer to live in the country.

That proved to be my undoing, for I soon got back to my old bad habit of dozing off in front of the screen.

undoing  ^{失败的原因}

• His lack of experience may prove to be his undoing.  ^{缺乏经验可能就是他失败的原因。}

downfall ^{n. 含义1. 垮台}

• Greed led to his downfall.
• A long-lost brother, who was presumed dead, was really alive all the time and wickedly plotting to bring about the hero's downfall.

downfall ^{n. 含义2.  失败，垮台的原因}

• eremy's honesty had been his downfall. ^{诚实是杰里米失败的原因。}

prove be one’s downfall ^{被证明是某人失败的原因}

• An addiction to gambling proved to be her downfall. 

doze off / nod off   ^{（无意的）打盹}

•  I closed my eyes for a minute and must have dozed off. ^{我闭了会儿眼，后来一定是睡着了。}
• The judge appeared to nod off yesterday while a witness was being cross-examined. ^{昨天当一名证人被盘问时，法官好像在打瞌睡。}

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.

entitle ^{v.给...命名，给...题名}

• ...a performance entitled "United States." ^{…一场名为“合众国”的演出。}

Perhaps it will solve my problem, but I just haven't had time to read it!

get round / around to sth./ doing ^{有时间做某事（多用于否定）}

• I'll get round to mending it eventually. ^{我最后会抽出时间来修理它的。}
• I meant to do the ironing but I didn't get round to it. ^{我本想熨衣服的，可就是抽不出时间。}
• I hope to get around to answering your letter next week. ^{我希望下周能抽出时间给你回信。}

…, but I have never got round / gotten around to reading it. ^{课文写法替换}