(单词翻译:单击)
听力文本
And now Words and Their Stories -- a weekly program from VOA Learning English.
Our show explores the roots and modern uses of expressions in American English.
Today we talk about the word "resolution." Resolution is a word with more than one meaning.
However, when talking about a New Year, a resolution is a promise people make to themselves to be better. The person decides to make a serious effort to do something over the next 12 months.
Many people use the start of a new year as a time to try something new or change something about themselves. This use of resolution dates back to the late 1700s. These earlier resolutions were usually of a religious nature.
However, these days, New Year's resolutions are usually about living healthier, having more success and finding greater satisfaction in life.
So, some common New Year's resolutions are to:
lose weight,
exercise more,
keep in contact with family and friends,
stop smoking,
save money,
go back to school,
cut back on alcohol,
or get more or better sleep.
Some people may make a New Year's resolution to improve only one area of their life. Others may feel they need to completely change everything. These people may use the New Year as a time to turn over a new leaf! Turning over a new leaf means to make a change and behave in a more responsible manner.
At the start of a New Year, you can wipe the slate clean. This means you can simply wash away all the mistakes you made from the past year, as one would remove chalk from a school black board.
Just remember that before you start from a clean slate, learn from the mistakes you made. If not, you may find yourself going back to square one. Some word historians say this expression comes from a board game called Snakes and Ladders. In this game, you begin on square one and win by climbing the ladders to the last square. However, landing on a snake could send you back to the first square, or the very beginning.
The expression back to square one could have come from the game Hopscotch. This game also begins on a box marked with the number "1".
If your plans for the New Year are not working out at all, you may have to go back to the drawing board. This means that your plan or method is not working. So, you have to go back and develop a new solution to the problem. People who draw images, such as cartoonists, use a drawing board.
The phrase go back to the drawing board comes from Peter Arno, who worked as a cartoonist for New Yorker magazine. In 1941, he made a cartoon showing military men running toward a crashed plane. The designer of plane is seen walking away with his designs under his arm. The caption says, "Well, back to the old drawing board".
So, for many people the New Year is a good time for a fresh start.
Still, many people do not make New Year's resolutions. They do not want to put added pressure on themselves. Or they are happy with what they are doing and how their lives are progressing.
And some people may think that there is no reason to try so hard to change yourself. They may agree with the old saying that a leopard never changes its spots. This means you are born as you are born and no amount of effort can change that.
After all, change can be hard. Getting up early to exercise every day is hard.
Setting aside time every day to learn a new language or musical instrument is not easy.
As we get older, it might be even more difficult for people to change their behavior. Maybe that's way we say, "You can't teach an old dog new tricks."
I'm Anna Matteo. Have a Happy New Year!
重点解析
1.work out 作出；拟定；制定；计划一下；解决；制定出；算出
When a hatter measures the circumference of your head, he's trying to work out what size of hat would fit you.
当一位制帽商测量你的头围时，他是为了找出适合你的帽子型号。
2.keep in contact with 保持联系；与保持联系；与……保持联络
How do you keep in contact with your core when connections are so easy to let slip away?
当那些联系容易从身边溜走时，你要怎样与你重要的人保持联系呢？
3.make a serious effort 认真努力
We have got to make a really serious effort.
我们必须作出十分认真的努力。
参考译文
现在是VOA学英语周更节目《词汇掌故》节目时间。
本节目探讨美式英语表达的来源与现代用法。
今天我们来探讨单词“resolution”，这是一个有多种含义的词。
然而，当说到新年的时候，“resolution（心望）” 是指人们为了让自己变得更好而做出的承诺，是一个人决定在接下来12个月里付出很大努力去做一件事情。
许多人会在新年之际试着尝试新事物或是改变和自己的某些事情。“resolution”的这种用法追溯于18世纪晚期。这些早期的“心愿”通常是带有宗教性质的。
然而，如今，新年的心愿往往和关于生活得更健康、更成功、寻找更大的生活满足感。
因此，一些常见的新年心愿有：
变瘦，
多运动，
和家人、朋友多联系，
戒烟，
存钱，
学业深造，
戒酒，
或是睡得更多或者更好。
一些人也许会许愿只提高他们生活的其中一个方面。其他人也许觉得他们需要彻底改变自己的一切。这些人也许会利用新年这个时机来翻开人生的新篇章（turn over a new leaf）！“turn over a new leaf”意思是做出改变并以更负责的方式行为处事。
新年伊始，你可以勾销一切过往（wipe the slate clean）。这意思是你可以把去年犯的错误抹去，就像一个人会擦除掉学校黑板上的粉笔迹。
只是要记得在你开始勾销过往之前，要从错误中吸取教训。如果不那样的话，你也许会发现自己回到原地（back to square one）。一些文字学家说这个表达源自一个叫蛇梯棋的棋类游戏。在这个游戏中，你从方格1（起点）开始出发，沿着梯子爬到最后一个方格就赢了。但是，走到蛇上会让你回到第一个方格，或者是起点。
“back to square one”可能源于跳房子游戏。这个游戏也是始于一个标记“1”的方框。
如果你的新年计划完全没有实行起来，你也许得从头做起（go back to the drawing board）。这意味着你的计划或者方法没起作用。所以，你得重新找个一个新的解决办法。画图的人，如漫画家，使用绘图板。
短语“go back to the drawing board”来源于漫画家阿诺，他是《纽约客》杂志的一名漫画家。1941年，他画了一幅漫画，漫画里军人跑向一座坠毁的飞机。飞机的设计师被人看见夹着他的设计作品走开了。标题上写着，“好吧，回到旧绘图板上吧。”
那么，对于很多人来说，新年是一个新的开始的好时机。
然而，许多人没有新年心愿。他们不想给自己施加压力。或者他们乐于自己正从事的事情以及他们生活上的进步。
一些人也许会认为没有努力改变自己的动机。他们也许同意老话“本性难移（a leopard never changes its spots）。”这意思是你就是你生来的那样，再多的努力也改变不了这一点。
毕竟，改变是很难得。每天早起锻炼是很难的。
每天留出时间学习一种新的语言或者乐器是一件不容易的事。
随着我们的年纪渐长，人们改变自己的行为举止会变得愈发艰难。也许这就是我们所说的：“老狗学不了新把戏（you can't teach an old dog new tricks）。”
我是安娜•马特奥。新年快乐！
