Upper-Intermediate - New Year's Resolutions (D0382)

哎，一年又过去了。我又整整浪费了一年！今年一定要好好计划。努力工作，快乐生活。
āi ，yī nián yòu guòqu le 。wǒ yòu zhěngzhěng làngfèi le yī nián ！jīnnián yīdìng yīdìng yào hǎohāo jìhuà 。nǔlì gōngzuò ，kuàilè shēnghuó 。
Wow, another year has passed. I have once again completely wasted a year. This year I have got to plan ahead. Work hard, enjoy life.

嗯，我也是！我今年最重要的计划就是一定要把英语学好。我决定参加英语辅导班，每天背字典，读英语报纸。我就不信学不好！因为语言的问题，我已经错过了好几个升职机会。
ng4 ，wǒ yě shì ！wǒ jīnnián zuì zhòngyào de jìhuà jiùshì yīdìng yào bǎ yīngyǔ xué hǎo 。wǒ juédìng cānjiā Yīngyǔ fǔdǎobān ，měitiān bèi zìdiǎn ，dú yīngyǔ bàozhǐ 。wǒ jiù bù xìn xué bù hǎo ！yīnwèi yǔyán de wèntí ，wǒ yǐjīng cuòguò le hǎo jǐge shēngzhí jīhuì 。
Yeah, me too. This year, my most important plan is to learn English. I have decided to join an English tutorial class, memorize words from the dictionary every day, and read the English newspaper. I just won’t believe I can’t learn it! Because of language problems, I have already missed out on several promotion opportunities.

哎哟，你别说得这么吓人！每年你都是雷声大雨点小。光嘴上说得漂亮有什么用？去年你不也这样下决心，可结果呢?三天打鱼，两天晒网，一年下来什么也没干成。瞧，我的计划就很简单，四个字??我要戒烟。每天少抽几口，一年下来，我就可以完全戒掉了。
āiyō ，nǐ bié shuō de zhème xiàrén ！měinián nǐ dōu shì léishēng dà yǔdiǎn xiǎo 。guāng zuǐ shàng shuō de piàoliang yǒu shénme yòng ？qùnián nǐ bù yě zhèyàng xià juéxīn ，kě jiéguǒ ne ?sān tiān dǎyú, liǎng tiān shàiwǎng ，yī nián xiàlai shénme yě méi gàn chéng 。qiáo ，wǒ de jìhuà jiù hěn jiǎndān ，sì ge zì -wǒ yào jièyān 。měitiān shǎo chōu jǐ kǒu ，yī nián xiàlai ，wǒ jiù kěyǐ wánquán jièdiào le 。
Yikes, don’t make it sound so terrifying! Every year you are all talk but no action. What is the use of only saying nice-sounding words? Last year didn’t you also make this kind of a resolution, and what was the result? You didn’t stick with it. A year went by and you didn’t accomplish anything. Look, my plan is very simple, just four words: I will quit smoking. I will smoke a little bit less every day. Over the year, I will be able to totally give it up.

算了吧！你根本就没决心嘛。要戒，就要彻底。说不抽，就不抽。还有你，嚷着学英语也不是一天两天了，你倒给我们露一手呀。反正我看你们两个都是口气大，没行动。
suànleba ！nǐ gēnběn jiù méi juéxīn ma 。yào jiè ，jiù yào chèdǐ 。shuō bù chōu ，jiù bù chōu 。hái yǒu nǐ ，rǎng zhe xué yīngyǔ yě bù shì yī tiān liǎng tiān le ，nǐ dào gěi wǒmen lòuyīshǒu yā 。fǎnzhèng wǒ kàn nǐmen liǎng ge dōu shì kǒuqì dà ，méi xíngdòng 。
Forget it! Yours is not a resolution at all. If you want to quit, you must give it up completely. If you say you’re not going to smoke, just don’t smoke. And then there’s you, going off about studying English. It’s not something you can do in just a few days. Show us any progress you’ve made! Anyhow, I think the two of you are just all big talk and no action.

晕，怎么这么说我们？我这次是一定说到做到。去年是没有意识到问题的严重性，可今年不一样了。学好了英语，不知道有多少好机会等着我呢！你嘛，只会泼冷水，你倒说说看你有什么计划？
yūn ，zěnme zhème shuō wǒmen ？wǒ zhècì shì yīdìng shuōdào zuòdào 。qùnián shì méiyǒu yìshidào wèntí de yánzhòngxìng ，kě jīnnián bùyīyàng le 。xuéhǎo le Yīngyǔ ，bù zhīdào yǒu duōshao hǎo jīhuì děng zhe wǒ ne ！nǐ ma ，zhǐ huì pōlěngshuǐ ，nǐ dào shuōshuo kàn nǐ yǒu shénme jìhuà ？
Hey, how can you say that about us? This time I’m really going to follow through on what I say. Last year it was that I wasn’t aware of the seriousness of the problem. But this year it’s different. Once I’ve learned English, who knows how many good opportunities are waiting for me. You’re just bashing our ideas. Why don’t you tell us what plans you have then?

我也怎么觉得你站着说话不腰疼？你说我们只说不做。可你自己呢？去年还说要存钱买房、结婚。现在呢，连你新房的影子都没看见？
wǒ yě zěnme juéde nǐ zhàn zhe shuōhuà bù yāoténg ？nǐ shuō wǒmen zhǐ shuō bù zuò 。kě nǐzìjǐ ne ？qùnián hái shuō yào cúnqián mǎi fáng 、jiéhūn 。xiànzài ne ，lián nǐ xīnfáng de yǐngzi dōu méi kànjiàn ？
And you know why I also think that you’re all talk? You say we only talk about it but don’t do anything, but what about you? Last year you said you wanted to save your money to buy a house and get married. Now, how come we don’t see even a trace of a new house?

这可不能怪我啊！我再会赚钱也赶不上猛涨的房价呀！不过还好，政府已经有了政策，今年房价有可能会回落。我今年再存一年的话，应该可以买了。不过悲惨的是，我又要艰苦一年了。哎，今年出来吃饭，你们两个可要自觉买单啊！
zhè kě bùnéng guài wǒ ā ！wǒ zài huì zhuànqián yě gǎn bu shàng měngzhǎng de fángjià yā ！bùguò hái hǎo ，zhèngfǔ yǐjīng yǒu le zhèngcè ，jīnnián fángjià yǒu kěnéng huì huíluò 。wǒ jīnnián zài cún yī nián dehuà ，yīnggāi kěyǐ mǎi le 。bùguò bēicǎn de shì ，wǒ yòu yào jiānkǔ yī nián le 。āi ，jīnnián chūlai chīfàn ，nǐmen liǎng ge kě yào zìjué mǎidān ā ！
You can’t blame that on me! No matter how much money I make I still won’t be able to keep up with the soaring housing costs. But, it’s all right. The government has already instituted a new policy, so maybe this year the housing prices will go back down. If I save up for another year this year, I should be able to buy one. But the horrible thing is that I have to tough it out for another year! Hey, this year when we go out to eat, you two can handle the bill.

我学英语很贵的！
wǒ xué yīngyǔ hěn guì de ！
My English studies are really expensive!

嗯，我戒烟也要花不少钱！
ng4 ，wǒ jièyān yě yào huā bùshǎo qián ！
Yeah, and to quit smoking I also have to spend a lot of money.

喂，你们俩太不够朋友了！再怎么着，也没有我买房下的血本大吧。
wèi ，nǐmen liǎ tài bù gòupéngyou le ！zài zěnmezhe ，yě méiyǒu wǒ mǎi fáng xià de xuèběn dà ba 。
Well! You two are not true friends! No matter what you have to spend, it still won't compare to the fortune I have to spend buying a house.

Vocabulary

升职	shēngzhí	promotion
雷声大雨点小	léishēng dà yǔdiǎn xiǎo	much talk but little action
三天打鱼，两天晒网	sān tiān dǎyú, liǎng tiān shàiwǎng	work by fits and starts
彻底	chèdǐ	thoroughly
嚷	rǎng	to shout about
露一手	lòuyīshǒu	show off one's skill
意识到	yìshidào	to be aware of
泼冷水	pōlěngshuǐ	to throw cold water on
站着说话不腰疼	zhàn zhe shuōhuà bù yāoténg	just talk while others do the work
猛涨	měngzhǎng	to rise suddenly
回落	huíluò	fall after a rise; drop (of prices, etc.)
血本	xuèběn	hard earned money; a big sum of money; a fortune
平安	píngān	safe and peaceful
平稳	píng wěn	steady
资讯	zīxùn	information
俗语	súyǔ	common idiom
捕鱼	bǔyú	catch fish
一根鱼竿	yī gēn yúgān	a fishing rod
渔夫	yúfū	fisherman
晾在太阳底下	liàng zài tàiyáng dǐxià	dry under the sun
拿手	náshǒu	good at
针对性	zhēnduìxìng	focus, focalization
震惊	zhènjīng	shock
贬义	biányì	derogatory meaning
迅猛	xùnměng	swift and violent
凶猛	xiōngměng	violent; ferocious