Week 48
DAY236
L50-1: New Year resolutions
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.
知识点：
单词：
formidable /fərˈmidəb(ə)l/ adj.
If you describe something or someone as formidable, you mean that you feel slightly frightened by them because they are very great or impressive.可怕的; 令人敬畏的; 难以对付的
eg. We have a formidable task ahead of us
monotonous / məˈnɑ:tənəs/ adj.
Something that is monotonous is very boring because it has a regular, repeated pattern which never changes. 单调乏味的;毫无变化的
eg. It's monotonous work, like most factory jobs
regularity /ˌrɛɡjəˈlærətɪ/ n.
A regularity is the fact that the same thing always happens in the same circumstances. 规律性;规律
eg. Children seek out regularities and rules in acquiring language.
词组：
year in year out年复一年
长难句、语法：
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.
主语是we，谓语是resolve to，其他都是并列结构的宾语。
精妙翻译：
The same old favorites recur year in year out with monotonous regularity.相同的决心以单调的规律年复一年地出现。
Past experience has taught us that certain accomplishments are beyond attainment.以往的经验告诉我们有些事是办不到的。
DAY237
L50-2: New Year resolutions
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.
知识点：
单词：
单词：
Inveterate /inˈvedərət/adjective
having a particular habit, activity, or interest that is long-established and unlikely to change.根深蒂固的
eg."he was an inveterate gambler"
synonyms: ingrained, deep-seated, deep-rooted, entrenched, congenital, ineradicable, incurable
eg."inveterate corruption"
(of a feeling or habit) long-established and unlikely to change.
synonyms: confirmed, hardened, incorrigible, addicted, habitual, compulsive, obsessive;
frustration/frəˈstrāSH(ə)n/noun
the feeling of being upset or annoyed, especially because of inability to change or achieve something.
eg."I sometimes feel like screaming with frustration"
synonyms: exasperation, annoyance, anger, vexation, irritation; More
an event or circumstance that causes one to have a feeling of frustration.
plural noun: frustrations
eg."the inherent frustrations of assembly line work"
the prevention of the progress, success, or fulfillment of something.
eg."the frustration of their wishes"
synonyms: thwarting, defeat, prevention, foiling, blocking, spoiling, circumvention, forestalling, disappointment, derailment;
self-improvement/ˈˌself əmˈpro͞ovmənt/noun自我完善
the improvement of one's knowledge, status, or character by one's own efforts.
scheme/skēm/ 简单的计划，方案
noun: scheme; plural noun: schemes
1.a large-scale systematic plan or arrangement for attaining some particular object or putting a particular idea into effect.
eg."a clever marketing scheme"
synonyms: plan, project, plan of action, program, strategy, stratagem, tactic, game plan, course/line of action;
a secret or underhanded plan; a plot.
eg."police uncovered a scheme to steal paintings worth more than $250,000"
synonyms: plot, intrigue, conspiracy;
a particular ordered system or arrangement.
eg."a classical rhyme scheme"
synonyms: arrangement, system, organization, configuration, pattern, format; technicalschema
eg."the sonnet's rhyme scheme"
2.(SCOTTISH informal)a public housing complex.
eg."the whole scheme is plunged into darkness, bar the light in Victor's house"
verb
verb: scheme; 3rd person present: schemes; past tense: schemed; past participle: schemed; gerund or present participle: scheming
1.make plans, especially in a devious way or with intent to do something illegal or wrong.
eg."he schemed to bring about the collapse of the government"
synonyms: plot, hatch a plot, conspire, intrigue, connive, maneuver, plan
eg."he schemed to bring about the collapse of the government"
ambitious/amˈbiSHəs/adjective 雄心勃勃的
adjective: ambitious
having or showing a strong desire and determination to succeed.
eg."his mother was hard-working and ambitious for her four children"
synonyms: aspiring, determined, forceful, pushy, enterprising, motivated, enthusiastic, energetic, zealous, committed, purposeful, power-hungry; More
antonyms: lazy, laid-back
(of a plan or piece of work) intended to satisfy high aspirations and therefore difficult to achieve.
eg."the scope of the book is very ambitious"
synonyms: difficult, exacting, demanding, formidable, challenging, hard, arduous, onerous, tough;
eg."an ambitious task"
antonyms: easy
fundamental/ˌfəndəˈmen(t)əl/adjective
adjective: fundamental
1.forming a necessary base or core; of central importance.
eg."the protection of fundamental human rights"
synonyms: basic, underlying, core, foundational, rudimentary, elemental, elementary, basal, root;
antonyms: secondary, unimportant
affecting or relating to the essential nature of something or the crucial point about an issue.
eg."the fundamental problem remains that of the housing shortage"
so basic as to be hard to alter, resolve, or overcome.
eg."the theories are based on a fundamental error"
noun
noun: fundamental; plural noun: fundamentals
1.a central or primary rule or principle on which something is based.
eg."two courses cover the fundamentals of microbiology"
synonyms: basics, essentials, rudiments, foundations, basic principles, first principles, preliminaries;
eg.a fundamental note, tone, or frequency.
pitfall/ˈpitˌfôl/ 意外的困难，易犯的错误
noun: pitfall; plural noun: pitfalls
a hidden or unsuspected danger or difficulty.
synonyms: hazard, danger, risk, peril, difficulty, catch, snag, stumbling block, drawback
eg."home schooling has its pitfalls"
a covered pit used as a trap.
词组：
Carry out 实行，照办，执行
Slip back into our bad old ways 滑回到那些坏的老习惯上
Keep... to oneself 将......秘而不宣，保密
句式：
We also make the fundamental error of sth. 我们还犯有一个根本性错误......
精妙翻译：
If we remain inveterate smokers, it is only because we have so often experienced the frustration that results from failure.
译文：如果我们烟瘾大，戒不掉，那是因为屡戒屡败，失去了信心。
赏析：这句中inveterate smokers直接翻译为烟瘾大，戒不掉，没有因为inveterate就说根深蒂固的烟民这种不太符合汉语表达习惯的句子。后面屡戒屡败失去信心，巧妙用了从句来衔接，词汇不是很复杂，但又没用经常见到的confidence等词汇，借鉴到写作中也可以这样描述。
DAY238
L50-3: New Year resolutions
I limited myself to two modest ambitions: to do physical exercises 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 11 minutes and I proposed to do them early in the morning before an
yone had got up. The self-discipline required to drag myself out of bed 11 minutes earlier than usual was considerable.
知识点：
单词：
limited 英 /ˈlɪmɪtɪd/ 美 /ˈlɪmɪtɪd/
adj. not very great in amount or extent. 有限的
eg. We are doing our best with the limited resources available.我们利用可获得的有限资源，尽最大的努力。
modest 英 /ˈmɒdɪst/ 美 /ˈmɑ:dɪst/
1．ADJ-GRADED （房屋等）不太大的，不算昂贵的，普通的 A modest house or other building is not large or expensive.
eg. ... the modest home of a family who lived off the land ... 靠土地过活的一户人家的简朴住房
2．ADJ-GRADED（数量、比率或改进程度）不太高的，适度的，适中的 You use modest to describe something such as an amount, rate, or improvement which is fairly small.
eg. Swiss unemployment rose to the still modest rate of 0.7% ... 瑞士的失业率上升到了0.7%，这个百分比仍然不算太高。
3．ADJ-GRADED 谦虚的;谦恭的;谦逊的 If you say that someone is modest, you approve of them because they do not talk much about their abilities or achievements.
He's modest, as well as being a great player. 他是一名谦虚而伟大的运动员。
eg. 'You really must be very good at what you do.' — 'I suppose I am,' Kate said modestly. “你的工作一定非常出色。”——“也许是吧，”凯特谦虚地说。
4．ADJ-GRADED （女性或其衣着）端庄的，保守的；（行为）正派的，检点的 You can describe a woman as modest when she avoids doing or wearing anything that might cause men to have sexual feelings towards her. You can also describe her clothes or behaviour as modest .
eg. Asian women are more modest and shy, yet they tend to have an inner force. 亚洲女性表现得更为端庄腼腆，却往往外柔内刚。
apply 英 /əˈplaɪ/ 美 /əˈplaɪ/
VERB 申请;请求 If you apply for something such as a job or membership of an organization, you write a letter or fill in a form in order to ask formally for it.
eg. I am continuing to apply for jobs. 我正在继续找工作。
VERB 使（自己）全神贯注于；使（注意力等）集中于 If you apply yourself to something or apply your mind to something, you concentrate hard on doing it or on thinking about it.
eg. Faulks has applied himself to this task with considerable energy. 福克斯为这项任务倾注了大量精力。
VERB 适用;适合 If something such as a rule or a remark applies to a person or in a situation, it is relevant to the person or the situation.
eg. The convention does not apply to us. 这条惯例对我们不适用。
VERB 应用;运用 If you apply something such as a rule, system, or skill, you use it in a situation or activity.
eg. The Government appears to be applying the same principle. 政府似乎是在运用相同的原则。
VERB 将（名字等）用于 A name that is applied to someone or something is used to refer to them.
eg. Connell said a new medical term should be applied to Berg's actions. He calls it 'medicide'. 康奈尔说应该用一个新的医学名词描述伯格的行为。他称之为“医生协助自杀”。
VERB 涂抹；敷用；施用 If you apply something to a surface, you put it on or rub it into the surface.
eg. The right thing would be to apply direct pressure to the wound. 正确的做法是直接按住伤口。
VERB 踩（刹车） When the driver of a vehicle applies the brakes, he or she uses them to slow the vehicle down or to stop it from moving.
eg. They forgot to apply the handbrake and the car rolled 60ft into the river. 他们忘了拉手刹，汽车翻滚了 60 英尺，掉进了河里。
assiduously 英 /ə'sɪdjʊəslɪ/ 美 /ə'sɪdjʊrslɪ/
ADJ-GRADED 刻苦的；勤奋的；兢兢业业的 Someone who is assiduous works hard or does things very thoroughly.
eg. an assiduous student 勤勉的学生
self-discipline英 /self 'dɪsəplɪn/ 美 /ˈsɛlfˈdɪsəplɪn/
N-UNCOUNT 自我约束;律己 Self-discipline is the ability to control yourself and to make yourself work hard or behave in a particular way without needing anyone else to tell you what to do.
eg. Exercising at home alone requires a tremendous amount of self-discipline. 自己在家锻炼需要很强的自我约束能力。
considerable英 /kənˈsɪdərəbl/ 美 / kənˈsɪdərəbəl/
ADJ-GRADED 相当多的;相当大的 Considerable means great in amount or degree.
eg. To be without Pearce would be a considerable blow. 失去皮尔斯将是一个巨大的打击。
词组：
apply oneself assiduously to do sth. 全力以赴做某事
长难句、语法：
The self-discipline required to drag myself out of bed eleven minutes earlier than usual was considerable.
这就要求我比平时早 11 分钟把自己从床上拽起来，这种自我约束是很艰苦的。
“required”引导的非谓语从句，在这里充当“self-discipline”的后置修饰语，限定其被修饰词的范围。
earlier than usual 是一个比较结构。
精妙翻译：
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.
新年除夕举办的一次通宵晚会，使我理直气壮地在新年头一天免去了这两项任务。不过，新年第二天，我全力以赴地照着去做了。
DAY239
L50-4: New Year resolutions
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.
知识点：
单词：
taunt /tɔnt/ n&v. If someone taunts you, they say unkind or insulting things to you, especially about your weaknesses or failures. 笑话;嘲笑;奚落;羞辱
eg. For years they suffered racist taunts.
jibe /dʒaɪb/
1 N-COUNT 嘲讽；嘲弄；讥讽 A jibe is a rude or insulting remark about someone that is intended to make them look foolish.
...a cheap jibe about his loss of hair...
2 VERB 嘲讽；嘲弄；嘲笑；挖苦 To jibe means to say something rude or insulting which is intended to make another person look foolish.
'No doubt he'll give me the chance to fight him again,' he jibed, tongue in cheek.
3 V-RECIP （数字、陈述或事件）一致，相符，相匹配 If numbers, statements, or eventsjibe, they are exactly the same as each other or they are consistent with each other.
The numbers don't jibe...
good-humouredly adv. 和气地，心情好地
wane /wen/
1 VERB 衰落;减少 If something wanes, it becomes gradually weaker or less, often so that it eventually disappears.
While his interest in these sports began to wane, a passion for rugby developed.
他对这些运动项目的兴趣开始减退，倒是对橄榄球开始有了热情。
2 PHRASE 减弱;衰落 If something is on the wane, it is becoming weaker or less.
He was nominally Deputy Prime Minister, certainly, but his influence was clearly on the wane...
当然，他名义上是副首相，但是显然他的影响力正在下降。
3 VERB (月)缺，亏 When the moon is waning, it is showing a smaller area of brightness each day as it changes from a full moon to a new moon.
The moon was waning, and each day it rose later.
月亮渐亏，每天出现的时间也越来越晚。
词组：
creep down 滑落，潜入
troop in 鱼贯而入
DAY240
L50-5: New Year resolution
The time I spent at exercises gradually diminished. Little by little the 11 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 from work. Resisting the hypnotizing effect of television, I sat in my room for a few evenings with my eyes glued to a book.
知识点：
单词：
diminish/dɪˈmɪn.ɪʃ/ v.
1.(cause sth to) become smaller or less; decrease 变小; 变少; 使（某事物）变小; 使（某事物）变少; 缩小; 减少; 降低:
eg. His strength has diminished over the years. 经过这许多年月, 他的体力不如从前了。
eg. diminishing hopes, supplies, funds 逐渐渺茫的希望﹑ 渐渐用完的物资﹑ 渐渐枯竭的资金。
2.make (sb/sth) seem less important than it really is; devalue 减低某人[某事物]的重要性; 贬低:
eg. The opposition are trying to diminish our achievements. 反对党企图贬低我们的成就。
exhaust BrE/ɪgˈzɔːst/ US /-ˈzɑːst/ v.
1.make (a person or an animal) very tired 使（人或动物）非常疲倦:
eg. The long cycle ride exhausted her. 她因长途骑车而疲惫不堪。
2.use (sth) up completely 用尽, 耗尽（某物）:
eg. exhaust one's patience, strength 失去耐性﹑ 用尽力气
3.make (sth) empty; take out the contents of 将（某物）弄空; 取出（所含之物）:
eg. exhaust a well 将井汲乾.
resisit/rɪˈzɪst/ v.
1.use force in order to prevent sth happening or being successful; oppose 使用武力以阻止某事物发生或取得成功; 抵抗; 对抗:
eg. He could resist no longer. 他再也抵抗不住了.
2.regard (a plan, an idea, etc) unfavourably 抵制, 抗拒（计划﹑ 主张等）:
eg. resist the call for reform 抗拒实行改革的号召.
3.succeed in not yielding to (sth/sb) 不屈从（某事物[某人]）; 经得住:
eg. resist temptation, chocolate 经得起诱惑﹑ 忍住不吃巧克力
hypnotize/ˈhɪpnətaɪz/ v.
1 produce hypnosis in (sb) 对（某人）施催眠术.
2 (fig 比喻) fascinate (sb); chaam 使（某人）精神恍惚; 使着迷:
eg. He was hypnotized by her beauty. 他见她艳丽动人而神魂颠倒.
glue/gluː/ v.
1.~ A (to/onto B); ~ A and B (together) stick or join a thing or things with glue 用胶水将物体粘合:
eg. glue wood (on) to metal 将木头粘到金属上
2.glued to sth: continually close to sth; unwilling to leave sth 紧附於, 不愿离开, 似胶般固着於（某事物）:
eg. He's glued to the television, watching it with close interest. 他目不转睛地看着电视.
词组：
little by little慢慢地
exhaust oneself at exercises耗费精力练习
keep one's mind fresh使头脑清醒
hypnotizing effect of television
glue to a book盯着书
句式：
I argue that... 我辩解说
精妙翻译：
By January 10th, I was back to where I had started from.
到了1月10日，我恢复了原来的作息时间。（结合原文，译文补充出了“作息时间”，没有生硬翻译where I 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 from work.
我辩解说，早晨少耗费精力锻炼，晚上下班回家看书时头脑更清醒些。（spend……exhuasting oneself翻译成“耗费精力”，keep mind fresh 让大脑清爽就是“保持清醒”）
Resisting the hypnotizing effect of television, I sat in my room for a few evenings with my eyes glued to a book.
有几天晚上，我极力摆脱了电视的诱惑，坐在自己房间里，两眼盯在书上。
（时间先翻译，这些动作都是同时进行的，译文中没有出现连词）
摘要写作：
I gradually reduced the time spending at exercises.
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