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WhyDoWeMakeNewYear'sResolutions
为什么我们会制定新年计划
Everytimeanewyearrollsaround, peoplesetouttobetterthemselves. Theypromisetheywillloseweight, findanewjob, ormaybeeventakethatvacationthey'vealwaystalkedabout. Butwhydowemakethesepromisestoourselves, andwheredidthistraditioncomefrom? Andwhydoesthistraditionliveonwhensomanypeoplefailtokeeptheresolutionstheymake? Well, wecanstartbyblamingtheancientBabylonians.
每当新的一年来临之际,人们都会决定改变自己。他们会决心减肥,找到一份新工作,甚至可能会过一个讨论已久的假期。但我们为什么要对自己定下这些目标呢?这个传统又从何而来呢?为什么很多人最终都没能实现新年目标,但这个传统依旧延续呢?我们可以从古巴比伦人开始谈起。
Around 4000 yearsagoinBabylon, theearliestrecordedcelebrationhonoringthecomingofanewyearwasheld. Calendarsweren’tastheyaretoday, sotheBabylonianskickedthingsoffinlateMarchduringthefirstnewmoonaftertheSpringEquinox. ThecollectiveceremonialeventswereknownastheAkitufestival, whichlasted 11 days. ThefestivitieswerededicatedtotherebirthofthesungodMarduk, buttheBabyloniansmadepromisesinordertogetontherightsideofalloftheirgods. Theyfeltthiswouldhelpthemstartthenewyearoffontherightfoot.
有记载的最早的庆祝新年的活动是在约4000年前的古巴比伦进行的。当时的历法和如今不同,所以巴比伦人在3月下旬春分后的第一个新月期间迎来新的一年。集体的庆祝仪式被称为阿基图节,这一节日会持续11天。虽然这一庆祝活动是为了纪念太阳神马杜克的重生,但巴比伦人为了被众神庇护,会做出承诺,他们觉得这将帮助他们开启新年的开门红。
ResolutionscontinuedonwiththeRomans. WhentheearlyRomancalendarnolongersyncedupwiththesun, JuliusCaesardecidedtomakeachange. HeconsultedwiththebestastronomersandmathematiciansofthetimeandintroducedtheJuliancalendar, whichmorecloselyrepresentsthemoderncalendarweusetoday. CaesardeclaredJanuary 1 thefirstdayoftheyeartohonorthegodofnewbeginnings, Janus. TheRomanscelebratedtheNewYearbyofferingsacrificestoJanus.
罗马人延续了这种做出承诺的做法。当早期的罗马日历不再与太阳同步时,凯撒大帝决定做出改变。他请教了当时最好的天文学家和数学家,并引入了儒略历,它更接近于我们今天使用的现代历法。凯撒大帝宣布1月1日为新年的第一天,以纪念善始善终之神雅努斯。罗马人通过向雅努斯献祭来庆祝新年。
Tothisday, thetraditionsoftheancientBabyloniansandRomanscontinueonaroundtheworld. SomuchsothatGooglelaunchedaResolutionMapin 2012 wherepeoplecouldaddresolutionsandseeothersaddingtheirsinrealtime. However, nomatterhowmanypeopleparticipatedinGoogle’sproject, thenumbersarebleakwhenitcomestotheamountofpeoplewhomaintaintheirresolutions; only 9.2 percentofpeoplearesuccessfulinstickingthemout.
直到今天,古巴比伦人和罗马人的传统仍在世界各地延续,以至于谷歌在2012年推出了一个“决心地图”,人们可以添加自己的目标,并看到其他人实时添加的目标。然而,无论有多少人参加了谷歌的项目,当涉及到坚持实现目标的人数时,数字很惨淡:只有9.2%的人能坚持到底。
Themostpopularresolutions:
最常见的新年目标:
Loseweight/eathealthier
减肥/健康饮食
Getorganized
有计划有条理
Savemoremoney
存钱
Quitsmoking
戒烟
Enjoylife
享受生活
Spendmorequalitytimewithclosefriendsandfamilymembers
多花些时间在亲密朋友和家人身上
Get—andstay—healthy
变得健康并保持健康
Learnsomethingnew
学些新东西
Helpotherspursuetheirgoals
帮助他人追求目标
Findlove
找到真爱
Ifthosefailedresolutionsabovelookfamiliarandremindyouthatthewholeconceptisabust, oriftheyinspireyoutocreateyourownlistofpromisesfor 2020, justrememberthatthistraditionisdestinedtoliveon. Wehave 4000 yearsworthofhistorytellingusso, andthat'sastatisticthat'shardtoarguewith.
如果以上这些失败的目标看起来很熟悉,并且这提醒你立flag注定会失败,或者如果它们激励你计划自己的2020年目标,一定要记住这个传统注定是会继续下去的。4000年的历史向我们展现了这一点,而且不容置疑。