There's gonna be some informal language today since I'd like you to take a look at one of the most famous New Year resolutions made by Bridget Jones herself. The resolutions come from the first chapter of Helen Fielding's "Bridget Jones's Diary".
Although the book is not serious literature and is a far cry from artistic, sophisticated or elaborate works of art, it is definitely worth reading if only because of the lively, honest and extremely funny language employed there.
If you are looking for an easy-reading book to practice your English this is a must-have!
Take a look at Bridget's resolutions, read thoroughly and if necessary- look up the expressions in bold. Next time I'll post a vocabulary exercise, so that you can check if you have comprehended everything well.
resolutions - postanowienia
is a far cry from - różni się diametralnie od
sophisticated - wyrafinowany
elaborate - wyszukany; skomplikowany
a must-have - coś co musimy mieć
thoroughly - dokładnie
look up - sprawdź w słowniku
in bold -wytłuszczone (o czcionce)
comprehended - zrozumieliście
Bridget Jones’s New Year Resolutions
I WILL NOT Drink more than fourteen alcohol units a week. Smoke. Waste money on: pasta-makers, ice-cream machines or other culinary devices which will never use; books by unreadable literary authors to put impressively on shelves; exotic underwear, since pointless as have no boyfriend. Behave sluttishly around the house, but instead imagine others are watching. Spend more than earn. Allow in-tray rage out of control. Fall for any of the following: alcoholics, workaholics, commitment phobics, people with girlfriends or wives, misogynists, megalomaniacs, chauvinists, emotional fuckwits or freeloaders, perverts. Get annoyed with Mum, Una Alconbury or Perpetua. Get upset over men, but instead be poised and cool ice-queen. Have crushes on men, but instead form relationships based on mature assessment of character. Bitch about anyone behind their backs, but be positive about everyone. Obsess about Daniel Cleaver as pathetic to have a crush on boss in manner of Miss Moneypenny or similar. Sulk about having no boyfriend, but develop inner poise and authority and sense of self as woman of substance, complete without boyfriend, as best way to obtain boyfriend. I WILL Stop smoking. Drink no more than fourteen alcohol units a week. Reduce circumference of thighs by 3 inches1 (i.e. 11⁄2 inches each), using anti-cellulite diet. Purge flat of all extraneous matter. Give all clothes which have not worn for two years or more to homeless. Improve career and find new job with potential. Save up money in form of savings. Poss start pension also. -Be more confident. Be more assertive. Make better use of time. Not go out every night but stay in and read books and listen to classical music. Give proportion of earnings to charity. Be kinder and help others more. Eat more pulses. Get up straight away when wake up in mornings. Go to gym three times a week not merely to buy sandwich. Put photographs in photograph albums. Make up a compilation ‘mood’ tapes so can have tapes ready with all favourite romantic/dancing/rousing/feminist etc. tracks assembled instead of turning into drink-sodden DJ-style person with tapes scattered all over the floor. Form functional relationship with responsible adult. Learn to programme video.
Do opisywania wydarzeń lub sytuacji, które często dzieją się regularnie i ich (zawsze takich samych) rezultatów. Nierzadko są to ogólne prawdy lub zależności, które są zawsze prawdziwe.
Condition
Warunek
Result
Rezultat
If I drink coffee in the evening,
I can’t sleep at night.
If you have learned for the exam,
you pass it easily.
If you press this button,
the gate opens.
If the product is past it’s sell-by date
Throw it away!
Budowa:
If you use a hot iron on nylon, it melts.(Jeśli potraktujesz nylon żelazkiem, to się roztopi)
If you heat water, it boils.(Jeśli podgrzejesz wodę, to się zagotuje)
If + Present Simple, Present Simple
CzęstoIF wymienne jest tutaj z WHEN:
If/When you press this key, the game starts.
Możemy użyć czasowników modalnych, w szczególności MAYiCAN, czasu Present Simple, Present Continuous lub Present Perfectw obu ze zdań:
If you can read this, you're driving too close to me!
If + CAN, Present Continuous
Prawns can be risky to eat if they haven't beenkept in the right temperature.
CAN + IF + Present Perfect
When she's travelling on business, she always phones me every day.
When + Present Continuous, Present Simple
Możemy całe zdanie cofnąć do przeszłości, stosując odpowiednio czasy Past Simple i/lub Past Continuous:
Sue got a lot more done if she was working from home.
Past Simple + IF + Past Continuous
When they went to the movies, they always sat at the back.
When + Past Simple, Past Simple
Możemy również zastosować tryb rozkazujący (IMPERATIVE), jeśli nasze zdanie ma być poleceniem lub instrukcją:
Check the eggs first, and if they stink, throw them away immediately!
One of my friends has said that Americans 'go big' at Christmas time. That's why today we're gonna have a closer look at the history of Xmas celebrations in America.
Nativity
The word CHRISTMAS comes from Old English Crīstesmæsse, meaning "Christ's Mass". Christmas is also called Nativity, Yule or Xmas. It is an annual commemoration (corocznym upamiętnieniem) of the birth of Jesus Christ generaly celebrated on December 25th . December 24th is Christmas Eve (Wigilia Bożego Narodzenia) and although in Poland it is probably one of the most important holidays, or evenings, in Anglo-Saxon countries it is of less importance (ma mniejszą wagę).
The pilgrims(pielgrzymi) who came to America in 1620 were very orthodox in their Puritan beliefs (purytańskie wierzenia), which meant not celebrating Christmas and therefore (zatem) it wasn't a holiday in early America. The Puritans made it illegal to mention(wspominać) St. Nicolas' name. People were not allowed to (nie było im wolno) exchange gifts(wymieniać się podarkami) or sing Christmas carols (kolędy bożonarodzeniowe). Between 1659 and 1681, the celebration of Christmas was actually outlawed (zakazana) in Boston. If you had showed the Christmas spirit(duch świąt Bożego Narodzenia) then, you would definitely have been fined (ukarany grzywną) for it. By contrast, it was reported that Christmas was enjoyed by all in the Jamestown settlemnet (osada).
In the 17th century Dutch immigrants brought with them the legend of Sinter Klaas and in 1773 Santa first appeared in the media as St. A Claus. It was also the Dutch who brought the custom(zwyczaj) of gift-giving to America.
After the American Revolution, English customs fell out of favour (wypadły z łask), including(włączając) Christmas. Christmas wasn't declared a federal holiday until June 26th , 1870.
Americans began to embrace (przyjmować; zostawać zwolennikiem) Christmas only in the 19th century. The beginning of century witnessed (było świadkiem) a period of turmoil (zgiełk; wrzawa) and conflict. During the time, the unemployment(bezrobocie) was high and during Christmas people often protested and rioted (buntowali się). In 1828, the New York city council instituted the city's first police force (służby policyjne)in response to (w odpowiedzi na) a Christmas riot. This in turn (w zamian) motivated certain members of the upper classes to begin to change the way Christmas was celebrated.
Washington Irving
In 1819, a best-selling author Washington Irving wrote "The Sketchbook of George Crayon", a series of stories about Christmas in an English manor house (rezydencja; dwór). The sketches(szkice) feature a squire (dziedzic; ziemianin) who invited the peasants (chłopi) into his home for Christmas. In contrast to what was happening in American society at that time, the two groups mingled (mieszać się) easily. Moreover, in "A History of New York" Irving included Saint Nicolas. In Irving's mind, Christmas should be a peaceful (spokojne), warm-hearted(serdeczne) holiday bringing groups together across lines of social status. Many historians say that Irving's account (sprawozdanie) of Christmas celebrations actually invented tradition and customs.
Clement Clarke Moore's
Santa
In 1822 dentist Clement Clarke Moore wrote a poem which later became known as "The Night Before Christmas". He portrayed Santa as an elf with sleigh (sanie)equipped with (wyposarzony w) eight reindeer (renifery): Blitzem, Comet, Cupid, Dancer, Dasher, Donder, Prancer and Vixen.
In the times before the Civil War (wojna domowa) the North and the South were divided (podzielone) on the issue (kwestia) of Christmas, as well as on the issue of slavery (niewolnictwo). Many Northerners saw sin (grzech) in the celebration of Christmas. It was more appropriate for them to celebrate Thanksgiving (święto Dziękczynienia). In the South, on the other hand, Christmas was an important holiday. The first three states to make Christmas a legal holiday were in the South: Alabama in 1836, Louisiana and Arkansas in 1938.
Our Popular Image of Santa was Created by Cartoonist Thomas Nast During the Civil War
Most people do not associate Santa Claus with war, but in fact the connection goes back to Santa’s very beginnings.. Nast’s first Santa illustrations, published in the January 3, 1863 edition of Harper’s Weekly, featured Santa visiting dejected Union soldiers.-New York Historical Society
What's interesting Abraham Lincoln used the image of Santa with some Union soldiers (żołnierze Unii) to demoralize the Confederate army (armia konfederacka), which seems to be an early example of psychological warfare (wojna psychologiczna).
After the Civil War, Christmas traditions spread (rozprzestrzeniły się) across the country. Sunday schools encouraged (zachęcać) the celebration of Christmas. Women's magazines were also very important in suggesting ways to decorate for the holidays, as well as how to make these decorations.
By the last quarter (ćwierć) of the 19th century, America eagerly (chętnie) decorated trees, caroled (śpiewali kolędy), baked and shopped for the Christmas season. Since that time, materialism, media, advertising and mass marketing has made Christmas what it is today. Today's traditions have been invented by blending (łączyć; mieszać się) together customs from many different countries.
The famous image of Santa present in Coca-Cola ads (reklamy) was invented in 1931 by Haddon Sundblom. The companyholds the trademark (znak handlowy) for this image and uses it in the ads to the present day.
Rudolph The Red-nosed Reindeer
In 1939 Robert L. May created a poem about Rudolph, the ninth reindeer which in 1949 became the protagonist (główny/tytułowy bohater) in one of the most popular Christmas songs ever made (the song was written by Johnny Marks, I wrote about this song in the previous post).
Some popular Christmas symbols:
Christmas Stockings
Christmas stockings are hung near the chimney on Christmas Eve for Santa to fill it with presents for children. The items that are believed to be left by Santa in stockings are called stocking stuffers. It is believed that a child who misbehaved during the year will not get a present in their stocking.
Mistletoe
Mistletoe was used by Druid priests 200 years before the birth of Christ in their winter celebrations. The ancient Celts believed mistletoe to have healing powers and used it as an antidote for poison, infertility and to ward off evil spirits.
Scandinavians associated the plant with Frigga, the goddess of love, and it may be from this that we derive the custom of kissing under the mistletoe.
Holly, Ivy and Greenery
Mistletoe
Holly, which was believed to have magical powers, was hung on the doors to drive evil away. Greenery, on the other hand, was brought indoors to freshen the air during the long winter time.
Poinsettias
Poinsettias
In 1828 a U.S. ambassador to Mexico Joel R. Poinsett brought the plant to America. One legend has it that a young Mexican boy, on his way to visit the village Nativity scene, realized he had no gift for the Christ. He gathered green branches from along the road and brought them to the church. When he left the leaves at the manger, a beautiful star-shaped flower appeared on each branch.
The Candy Cane
Candy Cane
The Candy Cane remains a favourite holiday treat and decoration. It's roots go back to the times when Europeans began using Christmas trees and one of the things they used to decorate the trees with were, among others, candy canes. Candy canes have also been given to children as gifts for Christmas till the present day.
Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree
The Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree is a large Christmas tree placed annually in Rockefeller Center in mid-town Manhattan in New York. The tree is erected and lit in late November or early December.
ABC News: Barbara Walters sits down with President Obama and the First Lady.
The English translation of the famous passage fromthe Gospel of Luke in the New Testament, Chapter Two, that is used to be read in many Polish homes before the Christmas Eve dinner:
Luke, Chapter TwoAnd it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus, that all the world should be taxed. (And this taxing was first made when Cyrenius was governor of Syria.) And all went to be taxed, every one into his own city. And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judaea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem; (because he was of the house and lineage of David:) To be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child. And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered. And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.
And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, “Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.” And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.”
A DECREE - rozporządzenie TAXED - opodatkowani
SHE SHOULD BE DELIVERED- nadszedł dla Maryi czas rozwiązania FIRSTBORN SON - pierworodny syn
WRAPPED - owinięty
A MANGER - żłobek/żłób KEEPING WATCH OVER - trzymając straż nad FLOCK - trzoda BEHOLD - ujrzycie GOOD TIDINGS OF GREAT JOY - dobre wieści
Z racji na to, że zbliżają się święta, na które czekają zawsze wszyscy, ale w szczególności ci najmłodsi, dzisiaj będzie trochę bożonarodzeniowych piosenek w wydaniu właśnie dla nich.
Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer, czyli Rudolf Czerwononosy Renifer
Ostatnio przeglądając BBC News (jeden z moich ulubionych serwisów informacyjnych;) natknęłam się na serię artykułów i materiałów filmowych (na przykład ten) na temat dwojga reporterów którzy zadzwonili do szpitala gdzie przebywała księżna Cambridge i podając się za samą królową uzyskali informacje na temat przyszłej matki następcy tronu. Niemal wszędzie reporterzy powtarzali iż są GUTTED...
GUT/gʌt/ to przede wszystkim JELITO, ale jest to nieco nieformalne określenie, termin bardziej medyczny to INTESTINE.
Meat stays in the gut longer than vegetable matter.
GUTSnatomiast jest niepoliczalne i oznacza FLAKI, ale bynajmniej nie takie w zupie! Są to po prostu BEBECHY:
He got a knife in the guts.
He had a pain in his guts.
GUTSto wnętrza nie tylko człowieka ale i również budynku, lub mechanizm wewnątrz maszyny:
He took the guts out of the old clock.
Jeśli powiemy:
That's basically the guts of Darwin's theory.
lub
The guts of his speech was simply save energy.
w tym wypadku GUTSoznaczaSEDNO lub SPROWADZANIE SIĘ DO CZEGOŚ.
Idąc dalej, GUT to też brzuch, szczególnie jeśli jest duży, czyli można by powiedzieć taki BEBECH lub BANDZIOCH. Ba!BEER GUTto nic innego jak BEBECH PIWOSZA jako że BRZUSZEK PIWNY (lub MIĘSIEŃ jak się go czasami określa) to już jestBEER BELLYi jest to zdecydowanie bardziej pieszczotliwe określenie ;)
He's got a huge beer gut.
GUTS to też ODWAGA, albo wolałabym powiedzieć JAJA:
He had the guts to ask her out. ( = miał jaja, żeby ja zaprosić na randkę)
We need a president with guts.
It takes a lot of guts to admit to so many people that you've made a mistake.
Z drugiej strony można być też GUTLESS, czyli tchórzem.
GUT FEELINGalbo GUT REACTIONto PRZECZUCIE:
I have a gut feeling that there are going to be problems. ( = mam przeczucie, że będą problemy)
My gut reaction was that he was lying.
GUTfunkcjonuje również jako czasownik i oznacza PATROSZYĆ, czyli ni mniej ni więcej wyciągać bebechy ;))
She gutted the fish and cut off their heads.
lub WYPALAĆ, WYWRACAĆ DO GÓRY NOGAMI, NISZCZYĆ:
A fire gutted the bookshop last week.
We gutted the house.
NO i w końcu GUTTED, czyli ZNIESMACZONY, taki w którym się wszystko przewraca:
We were all gutted over what happened. ( = wszystko się w nas przewracało na myśl o tym co się stało)
Kate Middleton hoax DJs "gutted and heartbroken" over nurse death
Kilka ciekawych wyrażeń:
hate somebody's guts
szczerze kogoś nienawidzić
I hate his guts after he lied to me.
work one's guts out
wypruwać sobie flaki
I'm working my guts out to make ends meet and you are just sitting doing nothing.
scream one's guts out
wydzierać się na całe gardło
Stop screaming your guts out! I can hear you.
misery guts
ponurak, smutas
gut-wrenching/ˈgʌtˌrent ʃ.ɪŋ/
coś co sprawia, że zbiera nam się na wymioty, takie ohydne
TUTAJ jest jeszcze 'plotkarski' artykuł z Daily Mail na temat poruszony na początku posta ;)
Sulk about having no boyfriend, but develop inner poise and authority and sense of self as woman of substance, complete without boyfriend, as best way to obtain boyfriend.
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