【英语时差8,16】改过自新；洗心革面；重新开始

In latitudes¹ that have four seasons, springtime means the rebirth of nature. Flowers bloom and trees grow new leaves. So it is easy to imagine this idiom, which indicates renewal², as having a springtime association. After all, isn't "trying to improve one's behavior or attitude" (which is the meaning of this idiom) similar to a tree growing new leaves? It turns out that is only part of the story. The reference to "turning over a new leaf" actually refers to a blank page in a book, such as a diary in which you write the story of your life. Long ago, book pages were called "leaves" because pages are flat and broad like the leaves of trees. A "new leaf" would be an empty page, not written on yet. "Turning it over" means that a fresh start is possible. An empty page indicates unlimited³ possibilities. to shake like a leaf 是指「吓得发抖」的意思。 fig⁴ leaf 是指「用来遮掩问题的东西」。 to take a leaf out of someone's book 是指「模仿某人的行为」的意思。

 

1 latitudes   

纬度

参考例句：

• Latitudes are the lines that go from east to west. 纬线是从东到西的线。
• It was the brief Indian Summer of the high latitudes. 这是高纬度地方的那种短暂的晚秋。

2 renewal   

adj.(契约)延期，续订，更新，复活，重来

参考例句：

• Her contract is coming up for renewal in the autumn.她的合同秋天就应该续签了。
• Easter eggs symbolize the renewal of life.复活蛋象征新生。

3 unlimited   

adj.无限的，不受控制的，无条件的

参考例句：

• They flew over the unlimited reaches of the Arctic.他们飞过了茫茫无边的北极上空。
• There is no safety in unlimited technological hubris.在技术方面自以为是会很危险。

4 fig   

n.无花果(树)

参考例句：

• The doctor finished the fig he had been eating and selected another.这位医生吃完了嘴里的无花果，又挑了一个。
• You can't find a person who doesn't know fig in the United States.你找不到任何一个在美国的人不知道无花果的。