A New Year's resolution is a promise that you make to yourself at the start of a new year to stop your bad habits or do things that are good. Over the past years I've made countless （too many to be counted） New Year's resolutions. I am ashamed to say I've failed miserably in keeping most of them. The word 「miserable」 can be used in several different ways. To feel miserable means to feel very unhappy or uncomfortable. If it is cold and raining, you can say︰ 「The weather is miserable today.」 To fail miserably means to fail badly. For example, you can say︰ 「My girlfriend failed miserably in her driving test.」
Since I always fail miserably in keeping all my New Year's resolutions, I'll make just two this year. I'll again promise myself not to get angry so easily. My other New Year's resolution is to help Hong Kong's poor people by writing as often as I can about their miserable （unhappy and difficult） lives so that the government will do more to help them. I am making this resolution because on Christmas Eve I saw an elderly man rummaging （searching through） a rubbish bin to find things he could use or sell. I often see this man because he rummages through rubbish bins near my home. I felt so sorry for him because most other Hong Kong people were going to restaurants or Christmas Eve parties. Happy New Year to you all. I hope you will make a resolution to help poor people.
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明天就是元旦。每年之始，我都會許下數個新年宏願（New Year's resolution），但我從來都不曾成功地將它們一一兌現。許多人都會許下新年志願，但大部份人都失敗。我每一年都會希望達成的新年宏願，是不要那麼容易動怒，但這個志願很難達成，因為我很容易就動怒。有時我會在小事上動怒，例如遇到無禮的司機或是湧入港鐵車廂的人群。我今年的新年立志是，先深呼吸三下，再向那個激怒我的人微笑。
A New Year's resolution就是你在一年之始暗自立下的志願，摒除陋習而做好事。過去這些年我都許下過無數（countless）的新年宏願，我很慚愧，大部份的志願都很可悲地以失敗告終（fail miserably）。Miserable這個字可以有幾個不同的用法，To feel miserable即是感到很不快或不舒服。如果天氣又濕又冷，你可以說：「The weather is miserable today.」 To fail miserably即是徹底失敗，例如你可以說：「我女友在她的駕駛考試中徹底失敗（failed miserably）了。」
鑑於我總是慘淡地未能達成所有的新年宏願，我今年只會立下兩個志願：我會再次承諾自己，不那麼容易動怒；我的另一個新年宏願是，更多以寫作幫助香港的窮人，揭示他們的悲慘（miserable）生活，好讓政府可以對他們施予更多的幫助。我有這個立志，是因為我在平安夜當晚見到一個老人在翻找（rummaging）着垃圾箱，去尋找他可以拿去用或變賣的東西。我常常會見到他，因為他常常在我家附近翻（rummages）垃圾箱。我為他感到很難過，因為大部份的香港人，那夜都會去酒樓或平安夜派對。祝願你們每一位新年快樂，也希望你也會立志去幫助窮人。
mickchug@gmail.com
中譯:七刻
Michael Chugani 褚簡寧
Source: http://news.stheadline.com/dailynews/headline_news_detail_columnist.asp?id=268759§ion_name=wtt&kw=126