With a New Year comes resolutions: a more strenuous gym routine, no more doughnuts and... waving goodbye to your partner.
The latest research has revealed that January is the prime break-up period for relationships, with a fifth of those polled citing it as the most common month to end a relationship.
每到新的一年，人人都許下新希望：做更多的運動、少吃點甜甜圈，以及…揮別舊愛。
最近一項調查發現，一月是『黃金分手潮』。受訪的人當中，有一半以上一致認為一月是「最容易分手的月份」。
- Prime time 黃金時間
That actor has been on five prime time programs. 那位演員已經上過五次黃金檔的節目。
- Resolution (n.) 決心；決定 = determination
Worst of all, he had no hope of shaking her resolution. 最糟的是，他知道無法動搖她的決心。
本文的 new year resolution 是指「新年決定」，也就是「新年新希望」的意思。
Ex: Have you made your new year resolution? 你定下你的新年新希望了嗎？
- Strenuous (adj.) 艱苦的；繁重的
It takes many years of strenuous training to be an outstanding athlete.
要成為一名傑出的運動員需要多年艱苦的訓練。
- Break up （婚姻或男女朋友）關係終止，分手
His heart is broken because his girlfriend broke up with him recently.
他很傷心因為他的女朋友最近和他分手了。
The second most common month to split is December, followed by March. Those who claimed to have broken up with a partner in January were asked by researchers whether or not the time of year influenced the breakdown of their relationship, to which 62 per cent said it did.
The top five reasons for this were revealed as the continued impact of Christmas stress, wanting a fresh start in the New Year, financial problems, depressing weather and family pressures pulling partners apart. The study also revealed that, of those polled, 48 per cent were already in a new relationship.
榮登「最容易分手的月份」第二名為12月，第三名則是3月。62%的已分手受訪者都表示月份的因素，確實影響了他們的感情關係。
到底為什麼一月會被灌上「最容易分手的月份」這項稱號呢？
前五大分手原因依序為：聖誕節時期的壓力、想要一個嶄新的一年、經濟困難、壞天氣以及家人的壓力，促使戀人們分道揚鑣。這項調查也顯示，其中48%已分手的受訪者已經開始另一段新戀情。
- Breakdown (n.) 破裂
- Pull apart 扯斷；撕開
You can easily pull it apart. 你很容易就能把它扯斷。
A spokesperson for Vouchercloud, who carried out the research, said: 'Christmas is a stressful time of year, which can often cause friction in relationships.
'Combine this with the January blues and a lot of couples may lose direction. It's no surprise that many struggle to get through this period. With fewer distractions, people may look closer at their relationship with their partner and decide that they’re not happy with what they find.
'The fact that it's a new year and a new start, may mean that some people go with the "out with the old, in with the new" approach and decide it’s time to move on and find somebody new.
'Whilst there's no ideal time of year to break-up, at least with it being January the optimists amongst us can accept that they've got a full year ahead to move on, although that might be hard to accept at the time!'
進行這項調查計畫的機構Vouchercloud發言人說道：「聖誕節期間特別會感受到壓力，而導致一段關係中產生摩擦破裂。再加上憂鬱的一月份，情侶之間感情容易迷失方向，所以戀人們在這段時期難熬並不意外。這段期間往往能使伴侶之間更加看清這段關係，也會覺得自己並不那麼幸福。隨著新的一年的到來，人們不得不同意『舊的不去，新的不來』的道理，於是決定是時候該向前看，發展下一段戀情。雖然一年當中完全沒有一個理想的時間點分手，但至少在我們之中的那些樂觀主義者，他們願意相信他們還有一整年的時間，可以繼續前進不回頭，不過，分手當時誰都還是會覺得難受吧！」
- carry out 實行，執行，進行
carry out a promise 實踐諾言
carry out a plan 實施計劃
carry out an order 執行命令
carry out an enquiry 進行查詢
carry out an investigation 進行調查
carry out a plan 實施計劃
carry out an order 執行命令
carry out an enquiry 進行查詢
carry out an investigation 進行調查
- friction (n.) 摩擦；爭執 = clash, conflict
Restrictions on trade have caused friction between these two nations.
貿易限制引起兩國之間的衝突。
- go with 同意 = agree
I can't go with you in that. 在這一點上，我不能同意你的看法。
- out with the old, in with the new 除舊佈新、舊的不去，新的不來
- optimist (n.) 樂觀主義者 ↔ Pessimist (n.) 悲觀主義者
