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Everytimeanewyearrollsaround, peoplesetouttobetterthemselves. Theypromisetheywillloseweight, findanewjob, ormaybeeventakethatvacationthey'vealwaystalkedabout. Butwhydowemakethesepromisestoourselves, andwheredidthistraditioncomefrom? Whydoesthistraditionliveonwhensomanypeoplefailtokeeptheresolutionstheymake? Well, wecanstartbyblamingtheancientBabylonians.
每当又一个新年来临，人们总要设定提升自己的目标。他们发誓要减肥，找一份新工作，或者去休那个心心念念的假期。但是，为什么我们要在新年下决心？这一传统从何而来呢？为什么这么多人都坚持不了新年决心，这项传统还是能延续下去呢？追根溯源，这要从古巴比伦人说起了。
Around 4000 yearsagoinBabylon, theearliestrecordedcelebrationhonoringthecomingofanewyearwasheld. Calendarsweren’tastheyaretoday, sotheBabylonianskickedthingsoffinlateMarchduringthefirstnewmoonaftertheSpringEquinox. ThecollectiveceremonialeventswereknownastheAkitufestival, whichlasted 11 days. ThefestivitieswerededicatedtotherebirthofthesungodMarduk, buttheBabyloniansmadepromisesinordertogetontherightsideofalloftheirgods. Theyfeltthiswouldhelpthemstartthenewyearoffontherightfoot.
大约在四千年前，古巴比伦举行了最早记载的新年庆祝活动。那时候的日历和今时不同，古巴比伦人的新年庆祝活动是在三月末，也就是春分后第一轮新月出现的那段时间。这种集体庆祝仪式被称作阿基图庆典，要持续11天。庆典的主题是太阳神马杜克的重生，但是巴比伦人会在庆典上许诺，以取悦诸神。他们觉得这会帮助他们顺利地开始新的一年。
ResolutionscontinuedonwiththeRomans. WhentheearlyRomancalendarnolongersyncedupwiththesun, JuliusCaesardecidedtomakeachange. HeconsultedwiththebestastronomersandmathematiciansofthetimeandintroducedtheJuliancalendar, whichmorecloselyrepresentsthemoderncalendarweusetoday. CaesardeclaredJanuary 1 thefirstdayoftheyeartohonorthegodofnewbeginnings, Janus. TheRomanscelebratedtheNewYearbyofferingsacrificestoJanus.
罗马人延续了新年决心的传统。当罗马早期日历不再与太阳同步时，凯撒大帝决定作出改变。他和当时最杰出的天文学家和数学家讨论后，推出了儒略历，这部日历更接近我们现在使用的现代日历。凯撒宣布（现代日历中的）1月1日是一年的第一天，以纪念起源神雅努斯。罗马人用向雅努斯祭祀的方式来庆祝新年。
Tothisday, thetraditionsoftheancientBabyloniansandRomanscontinueonaroundtheworld. SomuchsothatGooglelaunchedaResolutionMapin 2013 wherepeoplecouldaddresolutionsandseeothersaddingtheirsinrealtime. However, nomatterhowmanypeopleparticipatedinGoogle’sproject, thenumbersarebleakwhenitcomestotheamountofpeoplewhomaintaintheirresolutions; onlyeightpercentofpeoplearesuccessfulinstickingthemout.
直到今天，古巴比伦人和罗马人的传统依然在世界各地延续。谷歌还在2013年推出了新年决心地图，人们可以往地图上添加新年决心，还能实时看到其他人添加新年决心。但是，不论有多少人参加了谷歌的这一项目，最终坚持下来的人数量少得可怜；只有8%的人兑现了自己的新年计划。
LoseWeight
减肥
GetOrganized
变得有条理
SaveMoreMoney
攒下更多钱
EnjoyLife
享受生活
Get—andStay—Healthy
变得更健康，保持健康
LearnSomethingNew
学习新的东西
QuitSmoking
戒烟
HelpOthersPursueTheirGoals
帮助别人追求目标
FindLove
寻找真爱
SpendMoreQualityTimeWithFamilyMembers
和家人度过更多美好时光
Ifthosefailedresolutionsabovelookfamiliarandremindyouthatthewholeconceptisabust, oriftheyinspireyoutocreateyourownlistofpromisesfor 2021, justrememberthatthistraditionisdestinedtoliveon. Wehave 4000 yearsworthofhistorytellingusso, andthat'sastatisticthat'shardtoarguewith.
如果上面这些夭折的新年决心看起来很熟悉，让你想起所有失败的决心，或者激励你定下自己2021年的新年目标，那么，请记住这个传统注定是要世代流传的。过去四千年的历史就是这么传下来的，这个谁也无法辩驳。