New Year resolutions

• New Year('s) resolutions

"Have you made any New Year's resolutions?" "
Yes, I'm going to eat more healthily and give up smoking."

resolution ^决议

• UN resolution ^{联合国决议}

The New Year is a time for resolutions.

It’s time for sth. ^{表达“到了该做某事的时候了”}

• It’s time for school / dinner / bed. 
• It's time for her bottle. ^{该给她用奶瓶喂奶了。}
• It's time for some straight talking. ^{现在该开诚布公地谈谈了。}

 Mentally, at least, most of us could compile formidable lists of 'dos' and 'don'ts'. 

mentally ^{at heart 在心中}

• Mentally, she is not very stable.^{她的心理状态不十分稳定。}
• He was found to be mentally unfit to stand trial^{.发现他精神状况不适合接受审判。}
• You may be physically and mentally exhausted after a long flight.^{长途飞行后你可能身心都很疲惫。}

compile a list ^{make a list 列清单}

• We are trying to compile a list of suitable people for the job. ^{我们在努力编制一份适合做这项工作的人员名单。}
• What I'll do is compile a list of suitable properties for you and send them via email. ^{我会为您编制一份合适房产的列表，然后通过电子邮件发给您。}
• Network traffic is filtered to compile a list of messages. ^{网络流量被过滤后汇编成一系列的消息。}

dos and don’ts ^{（名词）应该做和不应该做}

• Here are some dos and don'ts for exercise during pregnancy. ^{这是妊娠期间锻炼的一些注意事项。}
• Eg:Before you study foreign language, you should know dos and don'ts. ^{在你学习外语之前，应该知道注意事项。}
• You want to be taken seriously and look good at work. Some basic fashion Dos and Don'ts… ^{工作中希望受到重视又必须穿着得体，以下是一些基本的职场穿衣法则…}

The same old favourites recur year in year out with monotonous regularity.

same old ...^{（略贬义）司空见惯的、非常熟悉的}

• It’s the same old story.
• It’s the same old excuse.
• It’s the same old faces at the meeting. 

“How are you doing?” “Same old.”

 year in year out = year after year ^{年复一年的}

• day in day out = day after day  ^{一天又一天的}
• week in week out = week after week 
• month in month out = month after month 

with monotonous regularity ^{（贬义）老是}

• The little boy wets the bed with monotonous regularity. 
• History repeats itself with monotonous regularity.

The same old story recurs day in day out with monotonous regularity. ^{这个老问题总是日复一日地重复出现。}

We resolve to get up earlier each morning, eat less, find more time to play with the children, do a thousand and one jobs about the house, be nice to people we don't like, drive carefully, and take the dog for a walk every day.

decide to do ... ^{表达“决定做某事”}

• Students may decide to seek tutorial guidance.^{学生们可以决定寻求助教的指导。}
• At this point I don't care what you decide to do.到这个时候，^{我不在乎你决定要怎么做了。}
• When they decide to have a party they don't mess around.^{他们决定搞聚会，便会迅速操办起来。}

a hundred / thousand / million and one = very many ^非常多

• There are a hundred and one things to do before the event starts. ^{在活动开始前有非常多的事情要做。}

housework ^{[U] 表达“家务”及相关}

• I spent all morning doing (the) housework / household chores. ^做家务

take the dog for a walk = walk the dog ^遛狗 

• It's sunny outside, let's take the dog for a walk. ^{外面阳光灿烂，我们去遛狗吧。}
• Can we walk the dog in the park? ^{我们可以在公园遛狗吗？}
• Taken for a ride

Past experience has taught us that certain accomplishments are beyond attainment.

be beyond sth. ^{无法…；不容…}

• The car is beyond repair. ^无法修理
• The rumor is beyond belief. ^无法相信
• The situation is beyond my control. ^无法控制
• The results are beyond dispute / controversy. ^不容争辩 
• Her beauty is beyond words / description. ^无法形容
• His conduct is beyond reproach / criticism. ^无可指摘
• The pain is beyond human endurance. ^无法忍受
• Working with you is beyond my wildest dreams. ^{做梦都想不到}
• We might say that justice has been done when a man's innocence or guilt has been proved beyond doubt. ^{毫无疑问的}

be beyond sb. = be a mystery to sb.  ^{某人无法理解}

• Why people are prepared to tolerate a four-hour journey each day for the dubious privilege of living in the country is beyond me.
• It has always been a mystery to me why city dwellers, who appreciate all these things, obstinately pretend that they would prefer to live in the country.