常春藤解析英語 49 Out with the Old, In with the New Year　除舊布新迎新年

Out with the Old, In with the New Year　除舊布新迎新年

by Levi King

"Three, two, one, Happy New Year!" Most people are familiar with the dropping of the ball of lights in New York City, along with the famous fireworks displays in Rio de Janeiro, Sydney, and Taipei. But here are a few lesser-known New Year's Day traditions from around the globe.

In Japan, people send postcards to friends and family. They also fly kites, play games, and read poetry. Some traditions related to Chinese New Year are banging gongs to drive away bad luck and spirits and giving money to children on January 1.

In Spanish-speaking countries around the world, wearing red underwear on New Year's Day is thought to bring good luck in love. In Ecuador, people burn dummies stuffed with paper and firecrackers to symbolize the death of the old year. In Spain and Mexico, people eat 12 grapes to ensure 12 lucky months.

In Scotland, home of the famous New Year song, "Auld Lang Syne," people bring gifts to neighbors just after midnight. In Denmark, people smash old plates to attract new friends. Dutch people believe that doughnuts are good luck because their ring shape symbolizes a complete year.

Around the world, it's common practice to give a loved one a kiss at midnight on New Year's Day. People of many countries also make resolutions, believing that the new year is a good time to leave bad habits behind. Common resolutions include dieting, exercising, or quitting smoking.

Throw a party, watch some fireworks, eat a special food, or make a resolution. No matter where you are, there are plenty of great ways to welcome the New Year.

1. Rio de Janeiro is known for its famous New Year's _____.

(A) resolutions

(B) fireworks show

(C) underwear

(D) ball drop

2. Which of the following is NOT a common New Year's resolution?

(A) Eating doughnuts.

(B) Working out.

(C) Giving up smoking.

(D) Going on a diet.

3. Some New Year's customs in Japan _____.

(A) are derived from Chinese New Year traditions

(B) bring bad luck in other countries

(C) are a closely guarded secret

(D) actually take place in July or August

精解字詞詞組

1. be familiar with...　　對……熟悉，熟悉……

be familiar to sb　　對某人而言很熟悉

例: Are you familiar with the head librarian at our university?

(你跟我們大學里的圖書館館長熟不熟?)

例: Rice paddies are familiar to me because I grew up in the countryside.

(我對稻田很熟悉，因為我是在鄉(xiāng)下長大的。)

2. along with...　　連同……(一起)

= together with...

例: James, along with Tina, went to Victor's wedding.

(詹姆斯和蒂娜一同參加維克的婚禮。)

3. display n. 展示 & vt. 展現(xiàn)

fireworks display　　煙火秀

on display　　展示中

= on exhibition

例: Linda's sculptures are on display in the lobby of this hotel.

(琳達的雕刻作品正在這間飯店的大廳中展出。)

例: The locals tend to display hostility toward strangers.

(當?shù)厝送鶎δ吧鷣砜驼宫F(xiàn)出敵意。)

4. be related to...　　與……有關

例: This TV series is related to the movie of the same name.

(這部電視影集與其同名電影是有關聯(lián)的。)

5. drive away...　　趕走……

例: This device is guaranteed to drive away mosquitoes.

(這種裝置保證能趕走蚊子。)

6. be stuffed with...　　塞滿……

例: Cindy's suitcase was stuffed with new clothes when she came back from Paris.

(辛迪從巴黎回來時，皮箱里塞滿了新衣服。)

7. symbolize vt. 象征

例: The red rose symbolizes love in most cultures.

(在大部分文化中，紅玫瑰象征愛情。)

8. attract vt. 吸引

be attracted by/to...　　被……所吸引

例: The bull was attracted by the bullfighter's red cape.

(公牛被斗牛士的紅色披肩吸引過來。)

例: Children are easily attracted to toys.

(小孩子很容易被玩具吸引。)

9. make resolutions/a resolution　　下決心

make a resolution to V　　 下決心做……

= be determined to V

= resolve to V

* resolution n. 決心

* resolve vt. 下決心

例: I made a resolution to quit smoking this year.

(我下定決心今年要戒煙。)

10. leave...behind　　將……拋在后面;遺忘……

例: James accidentally left his cell phone behind in the cab.

(詹姆士不小心把手機遺忘在出租車上了。)

11. work out　　運動，健身

例: Todd lost a few pounds by working out every day.

(托德藉由每天運動減輕了好幾磅。)

12. go on a diet　　節(jié)食，控制飲食

例: After a woman has a baby, she often needs to go on a diet.

(女人生完小孩后通常需要節(jié)食。)

13. be derived from...　　來自∕起源于……

例: The word "mother" is derived from the Latin word "mater."

("mother" 這個字源自拉丁文的 "mater"。)

14. take place　　發(fā)生;舉行

例: When did the Gulf War take place?

(波灣戰(zhàn)爭是何時發(fā)生的?)

單字小鋪

1.firework n. 煙火(常用復數(shù))

set off fireworks　　施放煙火

2.lesser-known a. 較不為人知的

3.postcard n. 明信片

4.kite n. 風箏

fly a kite　　放風箏

5.poetry n. 詩(不可數(shù)名詞)

poem n. 詩(可數(shù)名詞)

6.bang vt. 敲擊

7.gong n. 鑼

8.spirit n. 鬼魂

9.underwear n. 內(nèi)衣褲

10.dummy n. 假人

11.firecracker n. 鞭炮(常用復數(shù))

set off firecrackers　　放鞭炮

12.ensure vt. 確保

13.Auld Lang Syne n. 驪歌

注意:

auld lang syne 為蘇格蘭文，直譯成英文是 "old long since" 或 "times gone by"，意思是『逝去已久的日子』，在很多西方國家，這首歌通常會在除夕夜演唱，象征送走舊年，迎接新年的來臨。

14.smash vt. 砸碎

15.doughnut n. 甜甜圈

16.custom n. 習俗

17.guarded a. 受到守護的

詞組小鋪

1. throw a party　　舉行派對

= hold/have a party

2. be known for sth　　以某事物聞名

3. give up...　　戒除……;放棄……

中文翻譯&標準答案

『三、二、一，新年快樂!』大多數(shù)人對紐約市降下的燈球很熟悉，對里約熱內(nèi)盧、雪梨和臺北聞名的煙火秀也不陌生。但全世界還有一些較不為人知的新年傳統(tǒng)。

在日本，人們寄明信片給親朋好友。他們也放風箏、玩游戲并朗誦詩歌。他們與中國春節(jié)相關的一些傳統(tǒng)是敲鑼打鼓來趕走霉運和惡靈，并在元旦包紅包給小孩子。

在全世界的西語系國家，穿紅色內(nèi)衣褲被認為會帶來好的桃花運。在厄瓜多爾，人們焚燒塞滿紙張和鞭炮的假人，象征舊年的逝去。在西班牙和墨西哥，人們吃十二顆葡萄，確保十二個幸運月份。

在著名的新年歌曲《驪歌》的發(fā)源地蘇格蘭，午夜一過，人們便會送禮物給鄰人。在丹麥，人們砸碎舊盤子來吸引新朋友。荷蘭人則相信甜甜圈象征好運，因為圓圓的造型象征完美的一年。

在新年午夜時分給心愛的人一吻在世界各地都很常見。很多國家的人們也會訂下新年新希望，他們相信新的一年是摒棄壞習慣的好時機。常見的新年新希望包括減肥、運動或戒煙。

開派對、看煙火、吃某種特別的食物、訂定新希望。不論你在哪里，都會有很多很棒的方式迎接過年。

1. 里約熱內(nèi)盧以其新年的 _____ 聞名。

(A) 新希望

(B) 煙火秀

(C) 內(nèi)衣褲

(D) 球體落下

題解: 第一段提到人們對里約熱內(nèi)盧、雪梨和臺北聞名的煙火秀也不陌生，由此可知，應選 (B)。

2. 下列何者不是常見的新年新希望?

(A) 吃甜甜圈。

(B) 健身。

(C) 戒煙。

(D) 減肥。

題解: 根據(jù)第五段，常見的新年新希望包括減肥、運動或戒煙，只有 (A) 未被提及，故選之。

3. 有些日本的新年習俗 _____。

(A) 源自于中國春節(jié)的傳統(tǒng)

(B) 在其它國家會帶來厄運

(C) 是嚴格守護的秘密

(D) 實際上在七、八月時發(fā)生

題解: 根據(jù)第二段，日本的新年習俗有敲鑼打鼓來趕走霉運和惡靈，在元旦包紅包給小孩子，而這些是與中國春節(jié)相關的傳統(tǒng)，故選 (A)。

標準答案: 1. (B)　2. (A)　3. (A)