听播客学英语 190 新年愿望

 　　I have a poem for you today. It is called New Year Resolution, and it is by Edrey Allott. She does not tell us what her New Year resolution is. She just says that she knows that she should have done it a long time ago, but this year she really will.

　　Oh I could’ve, I would’ve, I should’ve,

　　Yes I should’ve

　　Done this or that.

　　But no, I didn’t,

　　I’m sorry, I didn’t.

　　I left it flat

　　But don’t despair,

　　I’m nearly there,

　　You virtuous¹ chaps.

　　This year I’ll do it,

　　I’ll really do it.

　　Perhaps.

　　In spoken English, we often shorten auxiliary² or “helper” verbs. For example, instead of saying “did not” we often say “didn’t”. When we write words that we have shortened, we write an apostrophe ( ’ ) to show that we have left some letters out. There are lots of examples of this in the poem.

　　Could’ve is short for could have.

　　And would’ve and should’ve are of course short for would have and should have.

　　Didn’t means did not.

　　Don’t means do not.

　　And I’m means I am, and I’ll means I will.

　　In the sixth line of the poem, “I left it flat” means “I left it (the thing she wanted to do) and did not do anything about it”. “I left it flat” is not really a normal English expression – but I think the writer needed to find something to rhyme with “that” in the third line!

1 virtuous   

adj.有品德的，善良的，贞洁的，有效力的

参考例句：

• She was such a virtuous woman that everybody respected her.她是个有道德的女性，人人都尊敬她。
• My uncle is always proud of having a virtuous wife.叔叔一直为娶到一位贤德的妻子而骄傲。

2 auxiliary   

adj.辅助的，备用的

参考例句：

• I work in an auxiliary unit.我在一家附属单位工作。
• The hospital has an auxiliary power system in case of blackout.这家医院装有备用发电系统以防灯火管制。