新年新生活·开拔！

新年带来新的期望与变化，万变的生活展现一个个惊喜，看看乔治在新的一年有什么好消息吧！

Joe: Good to see you! Happy New Year!

Lin Zhi: Happy New Year!

Joe: So, did you make any resolutions this year?

Lin Zhi: Oh, just to try and diet more. I really put on some weight over Christmas. All that delicious food. Do you remember the turkey dinner we went to? I think that put an inch on my thighs.

Joe: You're not showing it.

Lin Zhi: That's very kind of you, but I can see it on the scales, you know. What about you? You give up anything?

Joe: I promised myself I'd stop smoking, but that isn't going very well. Perhaps I should try and get some nicotine patches.

Lin Zhi: You should have a little self-discipline! It's not so hard to quit.

Joe: That's easy for you to say – you never smoked. It's tougher than it looks.

Lin Zhi: I guess so. So, big year for you, I suppose?

Joe: Yes, lots of changes. I start the new job on the twentieth.

Lin Zhi: Are you looking forward to it?

Joe: Kind of, though I'm very nervous. I've been at the old one so long that it feels like I was born there. It was hard to say goodbye to people - I really had a lot of friends there, and even though I promised I'd keep in touch, you always lose contact with some people. And the new one will be a lot of work at first. There's a whole bunch of new stuff to learn, and the company's a lot bigger.

Lin Zhi: Yes, I remember when I came to Beijing to start work here. Everything moved so much faster than in my hometown, and my boss was always calling me on my mobile to come in late.It was a nightmare!

Joe: It always takes a lot of getting used to. And this time I've actually got people underneath me, so that'll be new. Plus the work's a lot harder than before, even though the pay's better.

Lin Zhi: How far's your commute now? You were always grumbling about how long you had to spend on the subway before.

Joe: Oh, didn't I tell you? I'm moving apartments. About halfway across town.

Lin Zhi: Really? So you'll be closer to where I am, at least. That'll be nice – we can meet up for dinner more!

Joe: It took me a while to find the new place, but it's pretty cool. They showed me some really bad places first, though. One of them was very nice on the outside, very modern, but inside - there was a glass wall between the bedroom and the toilet! You could see right through.

Lin Zhi: Oh no! Really?

Joe: And they didn't even see anything wrong with this! All of the apartments in the building were like that, and they were wondering why they weren't selling!

Lin Zhi: I think sometimes Chinese builders just pick things randomly, you know.

Joe: Maybe you're right. All the lightbulbs in my apartment are different sizes, that really bugs me.

Lin Zhi: So what's the new apartment like? Solid walls, I hope.

Joe: It's two bedrooms, with a big sitting room in the middle. Bathroom's very good – even a real bath. That'll make a nice change; I was sick of just showering.

Lin Zhi: Yeah, in the winter it's good to sink into a proper bath instead. Especially with a book.

Joe: Or a friend …

乔：很高兴见到你！新年快乐！

林芝：新年快乐！

乔：你今年有没有下定决心要做什么？

林芝：哦，争取再减减肥。圣诞节期间我真的胖了不少，都是那些美食惹的祸。你还记得我们吃的那个火鸡晚餐吗？我觉得那顿饭让我的大腿肥了一英寸。

乔：可你一点儿也看不出来啊。

林芝：你太善良了，但我在磅秤上能看出来。你呢？决心要戒掉什么吗？

乔：我向自己保证要戒烟，但没什么进展，或许我应该用尼古丁贴片。

林芝：你应该要有点自控力！戒烟没那么难。

乔：你站着说话不腰疼,你又没抽过烟。这看起来容易，做起来就难了。

林芝：我想也是。那么，看来这一年对你来说很重要啊。

乔：是啊，好多变化啊。20号我要开始新的工作了。

林芝：你很期待吗？

乔：有点儿，但是我很紧张。我在以前的单位待了那么长时间，都觉得自己打出身就在那儿了。跟大家告别很难，我在那儿真的交了不少朋友，虽然我保证会跟他们保持联系，但你总是会与一些人失去联系。在新的单位一开始会有很多活儿，有很多新东西要学，而且那家公司比以前的也大很多。

林芝：是啊，我记得我刚来北京开始工作的时候，与我的家乡相比，一切运转得太快了，我的老板经常在深夜给我打电话让我过去，这真是噩梦啊！

乔：总是需要花些时间才能适应。这回我有下属了，所以这将是个新的开始。虽然薪水更多了，但工作比以前的难得多。

林芝：那你现在上班离家有多远？以前你总是抱怨坐地铁的时间太长。

乔：哦，我没跟你说过吗？我要搬家了，大概只需要穿过半个城了。

林芝：真的啊？那你至少离我住的地方更近了。太好了，我们有更多机会一块儿碰面吃饭了。

乔：我花了点时间才找到新的住处，不过那儿真的很不错。一开始他们给我介绍了一些真的很差劲的地方。其中有一处外面看上去很不错，很现代化，但是里面——卧室和厕所之间只隔着一块玻璃！透过玻璃什么都看得到。

林芝：哦不！不是吧？

乔：而且他们好像还觉得这很正常！整幢楼的房间都是这样，他们还奇怪为什么房子卖不出去。

林芝：我觉得有时中国的建房者只是随意地挑选材料，你知道吧。

乔：也许你说对了。我们家所有灯泡的大小都不一样，真让我崩溃。

林芝：那么新房子怎么样啊？我希望有结实的墙。

乔：两室一厅。浴室很好，有个不错的浴缸。这真是个好变化啊，我受够了淋浴。

林芝：对啊，冬天的时候泡个澡感觉真的很棒，特别是还可以看书。

乔：或跟一个朋友……

Notes

1. put on weight

意为“体重增加”，lose weight 则表示“体重减少”，节食减肥则是on diet。

例句：He has put on weight since I last saw him.

自从我上次见到他以来，他又长胖了。

2. go well

意为“进展顺利”，go well with则表示“与……搭配得好、相适合。”

例句：Things didn't go well for us at first, but everything is fine now.

我们起初不是很顺利, 但现在一切都好了。

This dish goes well with rice.

这道菜好下饭。

3. self-discipline

意为“自律、自我约束、自我修养”。

例句：Dieting demands self-discipline.

节食需要自我约束力。

4. look forward to

意为“期望、展望”。

例句：We look forward to the return of spring.

我们期待春天的到来。

We should look forward to the future.

我们应该展望未来。

5. contact with

意为“与……联系、交往”。

例句：In contact with the right people.

和正当的人来往。

That boy was in direct contact with their boss.

那个男孩儿与他们的头儿有直接联系。

6. meet up

意为“偶然地碰到、会面”。

例句：We met up at the supermarket.

我们在超市偶然相遇。

Let's meet up after the play.

看完戏，我们碰个头。

7. take a while to

意为“费了一小段时间才……”。

例句：It took me a while to figure out what he meant.

我寻思了一会儿才明白她的意思。

8. sick of

意为“厌烦、讨厌”。

例句：I'm sick of it.

我都腻了。