英語で討論会「Monthly Discussion in English」

今日のテーマは「新年の決意」

 

1. 参考にした文献

今、読んでいる「The Willpower Wisdom of Dr. Kelly Mcgonigal」という本の中に、ちょうど「The Perfect New Year’s Resolution」と題した項目があったので、以下に引用します。

 

Around now, many people, including myself, are thinking about our goals for 2014.

If you’re thinking of setting a resolution for the new year, I’d like to share a new way of approaching it.

 

Most people set a specific (spe・cif・ic / spɪsífɪk 明確な) goal, such as quitting smoking or getting up early to exercise.

Maybe you set a resolution like that last year.

But the best resolution aren’t about choosing  (下行のto不定詞との違いは?)  behavior to change or reaching a specific goal.

My favorite kind of resoluton is to choose an area in my life to focus my energy on.

It’s not about what I want to achieve. It’s about how I want to approach life.

Past resolutions have included prioritizing ( pri・or・i・tize / prɑɪˈɔːrətὰɪz …を優先させる) my health, finding more opportunities to mentor ( Men・tor / méntɔɚ 良き指導者、…を指導する)  others, and last year, welcoming new opportunities.

This kind of high-level resolution helps me make strategic choices.

If I feel like I’m not following through with my resolve, I can ask myself.

What is one thing I can do today that is consistent with my priority ?

I’m happy to report that this year’s resolution has been a success.

For example, it’s encouraged me to travel more, icluding two trips to Japan.

 

2. 私の主張

「具体的な行動ではなく、物事に取り組む姿勢を目標にすべき」という、Dr. Kellyの上記アドバイスを踏まえ、以下のとおり私の意見をまとめました。

Although I had made a resolution that I would drink less beer, but I easily had an excuse that the beggning of a new year is special so I can drink just the New Year’s Day.

When the second day arrived, I discovered a new excuse that I would vow to not drink tomorrow and the day after tommorow, instead of drinking today.
The cycle of procrastination ( pro・cras・ti・na・tion / prəkr`æstənéɪʃən / un 引き延ばすこと) began again.

How can I break this cycle?

 

In other situation, as I get older, I have become forgetful.

After having came upstair to do something in my house, I can’t remember why I came here.

So I will make resolution to keep to remember what I sould do, not to leave belongings .

But maybe I wil make same failures.

 

I think a human is made by his or her (英語ではいちいち彼・彼女と表記しなければならない?) habits.

I need to breake bad habit to change behavior to take new thinking into daily life to reach my goal.
I want to put these things to my resolution.

I think better resolution is not to focus on my goal but to focus on how I can approach my goal.

 

3. 「私の主張」で用いた英文法

「fewer」は「few」の比較形で、形容詞して使われ、後ろに名詞がきます。

ただし、その名詞は可算名詞（countable nouns）です。

Fewer people joined the festival this year than they did last last year. / 去年より今年の祭りの参加者が少なかった。

 

「less」は「little」の比較形で、不可算名詞（uncountable nouns）が後ろにきます。
Showering uses less water than taking bathes. / 湯船に浸かるよりシャワーの方が使う水が少ない。

 

4. 今日得た表現

おせち料理を食べる様子　kept eating litlle by little toward midnight

新年を迎える気持ちを “new” 以外に”I feel fresh” “reborn”  という単語で表現。
過去について語るときの表現 “it’s my memory” “old style”

アメリカ人の参加者は、「決意を実践しましたか?」と尋ねるとき “Did you practice?” と訊いていましたが、 “do” という単語はあまり使わないものなのでしょうか?

 

単語 “determine”　de・ter・mine  / dɪtˈɚːmɪn

tv 〔+to do〕〈人が〉〈…することを〉，決意する 《 decide より意味が強い》

He has determined to return home at once.  / 彼はすぐ故郷へ帰る決意をした 《 have determined は「決断する」行為の完了を表わすが, be determined は結果の心的状態を表わす》

〔+that〕〈人が〉〈…ということを〉決心する，決意する.

I determined that nothing (should) be changed. /  何も変えまいと決心した.

〔+目的語+to do〕〈物事が〉〈人に〉〈…するように〉決心させる 《また過去分詞で形容詞的に用いる; ⇒determined》.

That experience determined her to become a teacher. その経験で彼女は教師になる決心をした.

〔+目的語+against+(代)名詞〕〈物事が〉〈人に〉〔…しないことを〕決心させる.

Her letter determined him against seeing her again. 彼女の手紙で彼はもう二度と彼女に会うまいと決心した.

〈…を〉決定する.

Let’s determine the date for the meeting. 会合の日取りを決めよう.