Today we talk about the word “resolution”. Resolution is a word with more than one meaning.
resolution: decisión, resolución, acuerdo; meaning: significado;
However, when talking about a New Year, a resolution is a promise people make to themselves to be better. The person decides to make a serious effort to do something over the next 12 months.
promise: promesa (que); people make to themselves: la gente se hace; a serious effort: un esfuerzo formal; over: durante;
Many people use the start of a new year as a time to try something new or change something about themselves. This use of resolution dates back to the late 1700s. These earlier resolutions were usually of a religious nature.
the start: el comienzo; as a time to try: como el momento de probar; dates back: se remonta a; the late 1700s: los finales del siglo XVII; earlier: primeras; of a religious nature: de carácter religioso;
However, these days, New Year’s resolutions are usually about living healthier, having more success and finding greater satisfaction in life.
however: sin embargo; these days: hoy en día, en la actualidad; about living healthier: sobre vivir más sano; having more success: tener más éxito; finding greater satisfaction: encontrar mayor satisfacción; in life: en la vida;
So, some common New Year’s resolutions are to:
-- lose weight,
-- exercise more,
-- keep in contact with family and friends,
-- stop smoking,
-- save money,
-- go back to school,
-- cut back on alcohol,
-- or get more or better sleep.
common: populares; lose weight: perder peso (adelgazar); exercise more: realizar más actividad física; keep in contact with: mantenerse en contacto con; stop smoking: dejar de fumar; save money: ahorrar dinero; go back to school: retomar los estudios; cut back on alcohol: moderar el consumo de bebidas alcohólicas;
Some people may make a New Year’s resolution to improve only one area of their life. Others may feel they need to completely change everything. These people may use the New Year as a time to turn over a new leaf! Turning over a new leaf means to make a change and behave in a more responsible manner.
may make: es posible que hagan; to improve: para mejorar; may feel: es posible que sientan (que); to turn over a new leaf: hacer borrón y cuenta nueva (literalmente: dar una vuelta de página); behave: comportarse (bien); responsible manner: de manera responsable;
At the start of a New Year, you can wipe the slate clean. This means you can simply wash away all the mistakes you made from the past year, as one would remove chalk from a school black board.
at the start of: al comienzo de; wipe the slate clean: comenzar de cero (literalmente: limpiar la pizarra y empezar de nuevo); wash away: remover, desprenderse de; remove chalk: borrar lo escrito con tiza;
Just remember that before you start from a clean slate, learn from the mistakes you made. If not, you may find yourself going back to square one. Some word historians say this expression comes from a board game called Snakes and Ladders. In this game, you begin on square one and win by climbing the ladders to the last square. However, landing on a snake could send you back to the first square, or the very beginning.
start from a clean slate: empezar de cero (literalmente: empezar con la pizarra limpia); go back to square one: volver a empezar de cero (literalmente: regresar al comienzo del juego); snakes and ladders: serpientes y escaleras (antiguo juego de mesa indio); by climbing: subiendo, trepando; landing on a snake: posándote sobre una serpiente;
The expression back to square one could have come from the game Hopscotch. This game also begins on a box marked with the number “1”.
could have come from: podría haberse originado en; hopscotch: rayuela;
If your plans for the New Year are not working out at all, you may have to go back to the drawing board. This means that your plan or method is not working. So, you have to go back and develop a new solution to the problem. People who draw images, such as cartoonists, use a drawing board.
working out at all: funcionando para nada; go back to the drawing board: pensar en un nuevo plan (literalmente: volver al tablero de dibujo); develop: desarrollar; cartoonists: caricaturista, dibujante cómico;
The phrase go back to the drawing board comes from Peter Arno, who worked as a cartoonist for New Yorker magazine. In 1941, he made a cartoon showing military men running toward a crashed plane. The designer of the plane is seen walking away with his designs under his arm. The caption says, "Well, back to the old drawing board".
running toward: corriendo hacia; a crashed plane: un avión estrellado; designer of the plane: diseñador del avión; walking away: alejándose; caption: titular;
So, for many people the New Year is a good time for a fresh start. Still, many people do not make New Year’s resolutions. They do not want to put added pressure on themselves. Or they are happy with what they are doing and how their lives are progressing.
for a fresh start: para volver a empezar; still: aún así; added pressure: presión adicional; how their lives: cómo sus vidas;
And some people may think that there is no reason to try so hard to change yourself. They may agree with the old saying that a leopard never changes its spots. This means you are born as you are born and no amount of effort can change that.
there is no reason to: no hay motivo para; they may agree with: es posible que estén de acuerdo con; the old saying: el antiguo refrán; a leopard never changes its spots: no estar acostumbrado a comprometerse (literalmente: un leopardo no puede borrar sus manchas); no amount of effort: ningún nivel de esfuerzo;
After all, change can be hard. Getting up early to exercise every day is hard. Setting aside time every day to learn a new language or musical instrument is not easy.
after all: al fin de cuentas; hard: difícil; setting aside time: reservar tiempo;
As we get older, it might be even more difficult for people to change their behavior. Maybe that’s way we say, “You can’t teach an old dog new tricks”.
as we get older: a medida que envejecemos; it might be even: podría ser aún más; behavior: comportamiento; maybe that's way we say: quizás por eso se dice (que); you can't teach an old dog new tricks: loro viejo no aprende a hablar (literalmente: a un perro viejo no puedes enseñarle trucos nuevos);
I’m Anna Matteo. Have a Happy New Year!
Let’s turn over a new leaf. And baby, let’s make promises that we can keep and call it our New Year’s resolution.
let's make promises: hagamos promesas; that we can keep: que podamos cumplir.