Unit 07
Why do we celebrate New Year?
海外生活/節日習俗
Overseas Life/Holiday Customs
BRAIN STORM
Share your ideas with your teacher and try to make sentences.
Why do you think do we celebrate New Year?
VOCABULARY
Repeat these sentences after your teacher.
1. consuls (n.) （古羅馬的）執政官;領事
The history goes back to the Roman consuls.
歷史可以追溯到羅馬領事。
2. signifying (n.) 表示，意味著
Red is signifying war.
紅色象徵著戰爭。
3. the sands of time (n.) 時間的流逝
My childhood had passed by in the sands of time.
我的童年在時光流逝中流逝。
4. ceremonial (adj.) 儀式的;禮儀的
The weddings today are always ceremonial.
今天的婚禮總是儀式性的。
5. cultural artifacts (phr.) 文化傳統;文化藝術品
Do not touch the cultural artifacts please!
請不要碰文化文物！
6. Auld Lang Syne (n.) 文化傳統;文化藝術品
Do you know how to sing Auld lang syne?
你會唱Auld lang syne嗎？
7. reminisce (v.) 追憶，回憶，緬懷
We often reminisce about our college days
我們經常緬懷我們的大學時光。
8. touché (int.) 一針見血；說得對
“You say we should support British industries, but you always drink French wines.” “Touché.”
「你說我們應該支持英國的工業，可是你一直在喝法國葡萄酒。」「說得好。」
Dialogue
Read the dialogue aloud with your teacher.
Hey, Paul! It’s almost midnight!
嗨，Paul！ 馬上就十二點了！
Exciting! You know, don’t you wonder why January 1st is when we mark the New Year?
開心！ 你知道我們為什麼要把1月1日定為新年嗎？
Actually, it goes back to the Roman consuls. Their terms began on January 1st, signifying the start of the year.
那這就要追溯到羅馬執政官時期了。 他們的任期始於1月1日，這也標示著一年的開端。
Wow, that was sure lost to the sands of time! Now it’s purely ceremonial.
哇，這真是隨著時間的流逝被遺忘了！ 現在純粹就是個形式了。
That’s okay. Cultural artifacts like this bring meaning to our past and present relationships.
還好啦。 這樣的文化傳統讓我們的過去和未來都充滿意義。
Reminds me of the New Year’s song Auld Lang Syne: reminiscing about old times with friends, closing a chapter of life.
這讓我想起了《友誼地久天長》這首新年歌曲：和朋友一起追憶往事，為一段人生篇章畫上句點。
And opening another! Temporal landmarks help us plan for the future.
然後開啟新的篇章！ 這些重要的時間節點能幫我們規劃未來。
Ah, like a birthday. We see our future selves as distinct from the present.
啊，就像生日一樣。 我們會覺得未來的自己與現在完全不同。
Exactly, so it gives us the pretense of control to ease anxiety and motivate us to be better.
沒錯，我們就會產生掌握未來的假像，以減輕焦慮、激勵自己變得更好。
Pretense or not, 2020 was a doozy, so I’m ready to wipe the slate clean!
不管是不是假像，2020年都太艱難了，所以我已經準備好重新開始了！
At least until we break our New Year’s resolutions!
這個狀態至少能保持到放棄新年目標之前！
Touché! Oh, and Happy New Year!
說得好！ 噢，新年快樂！
Grammar
the pretense of
In today’s lesson, the noun “pretense” was introduced in the phrase “it gives us the pretense of control.“ Pretense is a way of behaving that’s intended to deceive. An easy way to remember it is that it almost looks like the word “pretend.“
When we “keep up the pretense” or “make a pretense” of something, it’s like we’re pretending, whether or not we’re trying to deceive others or ourselves. In this lesson, the speaker means that seeing our future self as distinct from our present self allows us to deceive ourselves – gives us the pretense – into thinking that we’re in complete control of our future.
Just remember that “pretense” is followed by “of” when we include the object of our pretense (what we’re pretending). It can also be followed by a “that” relative clause. Here are some common collocations with “pretense”:
•make no pretense
•keep up the pretense
•give up any pretense
•give the pretense
1. She made no pretense of being interested, which some found rude, but others thought was honest.
2. I can’t keep up the pretense that everything is okay, because everything is not okay!
3. Her friendship was a mere pretense.
DISCUSSION
Make a conversation with your teacher.
1.What are the family traditions that you practice during the new year? What do you and your family do to celebrate a new year?
