Bár már 6 napja új év van - azért ezt a szókincsbővítő feladatot érdemes mindenkinek átnéznie:)
New Year is a time when we often take stock of our life (think about what is good or bad about it). We may feel that we should draw a line under the past (finish with it and forget about it) and make a fresh start. This post looks at idioms and other phrases connected with this phenomenon.
If we decide to stop doing something we consider to be bad and to start behaving in a better way, we can say that we are going to turn over a new leaf. We might decide to kick a habit such as smoking (stop doing it), have a crack at (try) a new hobby, or even leave a dead-end job (one with no chance of promotion) or finish a relationship that isn’t going anywhere.
Of course, many of these things are difficult. You may have decided to give up sweets once and for all (definitely and for ever), but that’s easier said than done when you receive a birthday box of your favourite chocolates. If you have a bad day or two, it’s easy to feel that you are back to square one (have made no progress). However, people who advise on such things will tell you that it’s not all or nothing – if you break your resolution, it’s not the end of the world and you can soon be back on the straight and narrow (doing what you should be doing).
In order to stick to a resolution, there are some strategies you can use. First, you could put your money where your mouth is (pay money to show you are serious about something), for instance by taking out a gym membership to get fit. One common piece of advice is to take it one day at a time (not focus too much on the long-term goal). After all, as they say, Rome wasn’t built in a day.
Another is not to bite off more than you can chew (not try to do too much) – we all know someone whose New Year’s resolution to ‘renovate their house’ means that they and their family are still living in a building site ten years later. It’s also important to be realistic – with the best will in the world (even with a lot of effort), a chain-smoking couch potato (lazy person) isn’t likely to give up cigarettes and go running five times a week. It may be a good idea to get the ball rolling (start) with a more modest aim.
Some people are very successful in their resolutions. Once they’ve decided to bite the bullet (do something difficult), they get their act together (organize themselves effectively) achieving what they want to achieve. If they manage to stay the course (not give up), they will see their efforts bear fruit.
And finally, I could not leave this topic without one well-known proverb: the road to hell is paved with good intentions, which means that although people often intend to be good, they often fail at it.
Happy New Year!
source: dictionaryblog.cambridge.org
|
Idiom |
Meaning |
Hungarian translation |
|
to take stock of sy’s life |
to think about what is good or bad about it |
számbavenni, leltározni |
|
to draw a line under the past |
to finish with it and forget about it |
lezárni a múltat és új lapot kezdeni |
|
to make a fresh start |
an opportunity to begin something again |
új lapot nyitni, valami újat kezdeni |
|
to turn over a new leaf |
to start to act or behave in a better or more responsible way |
új életet kezdeni |
|
to kick a habit |
to stop doing it |
feladni egy szokást, leszokni valamiről |
|
to have a crack at |
to try |
kipróbálni, megpróbálni |
|
to leave a dead-end job |
to leave a job in which there is no chance of progressing to a better, more important job |
otthagyni az előléptetésre reményt sem nyújtó állást |
|
with no chance of |
it`s not at all possible |
esély sincs valamire |
|
it isn’t going anywhere |
it’s not your priority, it’s not advancing |
stagnál, nem megy előre |
|
once and for all |
definitely and for ever |
egyszer s mindenkorra |
|
easier said than done |
be more easily talked about than put into practice |
könnyebb mondani, mint megvalósítani |
|
to be back to square one |
to have made no progress |
újra elölről kezdeni |
|
it’s all or nothing |
relates to doing something either completely or not at all |
mindent vagy semmit |
|
to break sy’s resolution |
to not keep your promise |
nem tartja meg a fogadalmát |
|
it’s not the end of the world |
something bad is not really as serious as someone thinks it is |
ez még nem a világ vége |
|
to be back on the straight and narrow |
to do what you should be doing |
visszatérni a helyes/egyenes útra |
|
to stick to a resolution |
to not give up on sg you’ve promised to do |
kitartani az elhatározása mellett |
|
to put your money where your mouth is |
to pay money to show you are serious about something |
anyagilag is befektetni valamibe, hogy látsszon, hogy komolyan gondoljuk |
|
to take it one day at a time |
to not focus too much on the long-term goal |
csak kis időtávban/egy nappal előre gondolkodni |
|
Rome wasn’t built in a day |
important work takes time |
Róma sem egy nap alatt épült fel/ jó munkához idő kell |
|
to not bite off more than you can chew |
to not try to do something that is too difficult for you |
aki sokat markol, keveset fog – olyanba fogj bele, amit el is tudsz végezni |
|
with the best will in the world |
even with a lot of effort |
még, ha a legjobbat akarjuk, sem |
|
|
Vocabulary
|
phenomenon |
jelenség |
|
to consider |
valamilyennek tekinteni |
|
promotion |
előléptetés |
|
to give up |
feladni, abbahagyni |
|
progress |
haladás |
|
long-term |
hosszútávú |
|
goal |
cél |
|
New Year’s resolution |
újévi fogadalom |
|
modest |
szerény |
|
aim |
cél |
|
well-known |
jól ismert |
|
proverb |
közmondás |
|
to fail at |
kudarcot vallani |
