I made several New Year's resolutions this year. Every year I make New Year's resolutions but I never keep them！ This year my New Year's resolutions are to exercise more and drink less red wine. I am a skinny (thin) guy but my tummy (slang for stomach) is getting big because I drink too much red wine and stuff myself with potato chips when I relax every evening. To feel down means to feel sad, depressed or dejected. A post-holiday period means after a holiday period. The opposite of post-holiday is pre-holiday, which means before a holiday period. A freelancer (noun) is a person who works for several companies instead of working full-time for one company.
Freelance (adjective) journalists are their own bosses but they do not receive a fixed monthly pay. They are only paid for what they do. A white Christmas means a Christmas with snow. To perk up means to become happy or lively again. The adjective lunar involves the moon. For example, a lunar calendar is based on moon cycles. To stuff yourself means to eat too much. Hong Kong people always stuff themselves at buffets. A New Year's resolution, common in Western culture, is a promise you make to yourself to do something important such as to stop smoking, to stop getting angry, to stop gambling, or to start saving money to buy a flat. But most people never fulfill their New Year's resolutions！ Have you made a New Year's resolution for 2013？
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聖誕和元旦假期都完結了，我因此而感到失落（feeling very down）。這個假期後（post-holiday）的日子總是令我感到低落（feel down）。身為自由（freelance）新聞工作者，假期裏我仍必須寫我的專欄和做電視節目，否則沒糧出！但我仍然喜愛聖誕的假日感覺。我更喜歡住在美國時的假日感覺，因為有時會遇上白色聖誕（White Christmas）。不過我肯定，我很快便又振作起來（perk up），因為中國新年，或說農曆（Lunar）新年，轉眼便會到。
今年我許下數個新年宏願（New Year's resolutions）。每一年我都會有新年立志（New Year's resolutions），但卻從沒實行！今年我的新年立志是做多些運動，喝少些紅酒。我很瘦削（skinny），但肚腩（tummy，肚子的俚語）卻愈來愈大，因為我喝得太多紅酒，每到傍晚休息時則以薯片填肚（stuff myself）。To feel down即是感到憂傷、難過或沮喪。A post-holiday period解作假日過後的時期，相反則是pre-holiday，就是假期前。A freelancer （名詞）是自由工作者，不為一家公司全職打工，而為好幾家公司工作。
Freelance（形容詞）新聞工作者是他們自己的老闆，但不會支取固定的月薪，工作多少便有多少收入。White Christmas就是下雪的白色聖誕。To perk up是重新振作或快樂。形容詞lunar與月亮有關，a lunar calendar就是陰曆。To stuff yourself即是吃得太飽，香港人就常常在自助餐中吃得肚滿腸肥的。A New Year's resolution在西方文化中很常見，你會立志做一些重要的事，例如戒煙、不再發怒、戒賭，或是開始儲錢買樓。但大部份人都不會落實他們的新年宏志（New Year's resolution）！你又為二○一三年立下了新年志願（New Year's resolutions）沒有？mickchug@gmail.com
中譯:七刻
Michael Chugani 褚簡寧