2013伊始应该要做的7件事

 　　Cleaning out your closet. Defragging your hard drive. Updating your resume.

　　收拾橱柜，整理硬盘文件，更新个人简历。

　　What do all of these have in common? They’re nagging¹ little jobs on most of our “to-do” lists that we keep putting off because they’re tedious and boring. They keep getting pushed to the back of the queue, gathering² dust and being neglected until we’re forced to take care of them for one reason or another, at which point we end up stressed, panicky, and resentful.

　　这些事情都有什么共同点？在我们的待办清单上，这些大多是烦人的小事情，又乏味又单调，所以我们总是不断推迟去做。它们被不断地推迟到清单的末尾，慢慢尘封被我们遗忘。而当我们因为这样或那样的原因不得不开始处理这些事情时，结果可能会使我们陷入充满压力恐慌和易怒的状态。

　　Fortunately, there’s no time like the present to finally get around to doing these tasks, and having them all over and done with for the New Year and allow yourself to start the next year with a clean slate³. Below are a few suggestions about some of the tasks you might like to tackle, if you have time to do so:

　　幸运的是，再也没有一个时间比现在更合适来让我们处理这些任务了。新年伊始我们把这些都圆满解决了，我们就能轻装上阵开始新的一年。下面是新年你可能需要处理的一些事情，如果有时间就开始做吧：

　　1. Clean out your email

　　清理电子邮件

　　Most of us have a plethora⁴ of unread emails lounging around in our in-boxes, as well as old drafts, spam, and various other sundries tucked into different folders⁵. Instead of just vegging out in front of the TV after supper, consider putting on some music and sifting⁶ through your folders to clear them out. Doing this for 20 minutes/night for just a few evenings will tidy things up nicely.

　　对于大部分人来说，可能都有太多的未读邮件安静地躺在收件箱里，还有一些旧的工作草案、垃圾邮件和各种待办杂事堆积在不同的文件夹里。晚饭后不要只是呆呆地坐在电视机前看电视，不如放上点音乐，仔细翻查下文件夹清理下电子邮件吧。每晚做上20分钟，可能只要几个晚上，就能把电子邮件里的东西收拾整齐。

　　2. Review and update your address book

　　查看并更新地址薄

　　Do you really need to hold onto the email addresses belonging to people you worked with in 2003? Take a few minutes to sort through your address book and cull⁷ those that you haven’t communicated with, along with old addresses that your friends/family don’t use anymore.

　　你不会真的还留着2003年和你共事的人的电子邮箱地址吧？花上几分钟，对地址簿进行一下分类整理，剔除那些你基本没怎么联系的人，顺便去掉那些家人朋友不再用的旧地址吧。

　　3. Clean your computer (inside and out) and tidy up your workstation彻底清洁电脑，收拾你的工作区

　　While you’re tidying up all those files, consider using this opportunity as a chance to clean up your desk (and your computer itself). If you have a CPU tower, take it apart so you can vacuum out all the dust and pet hair that might have accumulated in there. Toss away any take-out containers or empty energy drink cans around your desk, give everything a solid once-over with some spray cleaner, and be sure to clean your keyboard too-those things get nasty.

　　当你在整理这些文件夹的时候，不妨也利用这个机会收拾一下你的工作台（还有你的电脑）。如果你使用的是立式主机，记得把主机拆开，这样可以使用吸尘器整理里面堆积的灰尘和宠物毛发。把办公桌上的外卖盒子和空饮料瓶统统丢掉，用喷雾清洁剂将所有的东西都仔细清理一遍，别忘了也要清洁键盘，这些都特别容易脏。

　　4. File and organize papers, bills, statements, and receipts分类整理文件、账单、报表和收据

　　Keeping these in order can come in handy, especially since tax season is just around the corner. Try to organize them so your receipts and statements are together, with outstanding bills and invoices⁸ in another section.

　　把这些东西按顺序整理，早晚能派上用处，特别是即将到来的报税季节。好好整理下，收据和报表最好放在一起， 未偿付票据和单据归在另一类。

　　5. Update your personal budget, resume and bio更新个人收支预算和简历

　　As you go through your papers, take note of your spending habits over the last year. Have you gone overboard with spending? Been too frugal⁹? Compare your habits to your bank account, and then consider re-adjusting your personal budget to even things out a bit.

　　在处理上述文件时，可以记下去年的消费习惯。是不是过度支出了？还是太节俭了？将你的消费习惯与银行账户进行比较，考虑下重新调整你的预算，使收支更为平衡一些。

　　On that same note, if you find that you’ve struggled to make ends meet or that you’re not being paid what you’re worth, it might be time to update your resume and look for a new job. If instead you’re perfectly¹⁰ happy with where you are, but you’ve had some major life changes (moved to a new city/country, earned a degree, got married, etc.) then you might want to update your bio on various networking sites.

　　与此同时，如果你发现自己收入勉强维持生活，或是觉得自己工作并没有得到应有的工资报酬，也许是时候更新下简历找一份新工作了。如果你对自己目前的状况非常满意，但在过去的一年你经历了一些比较重大的生活改变（比方说搬到新城市/国家，获得学位，结婚等），那你也许需要去各种社交网站更新下自己的最新状态。

　　6. Reduce clutter¹¹, and give things away

　　减少杂乱，送掉你不需要的一些东西

　　You would not believe how much stuff can accumulate in cupboards and closets, particularly in the bathroom. Set aside an hour or so to sort through everything under the sink to see just how many unused soaps, creams, razors, and other sundries you’ve collected, and then decide whether you’re actually going to use them or not. If you will, think about displaying them in a basket or keeping them at hand so you’ll use them up. If you’ll never touch the things, give them away to friends who’ll use them, or donate them.

　　你可能想不到你的壁橱和柜子里到底能堆多少东西，特别是浴室里的柜子。空出大约一个小时的时间，清理水槽下的所有东西，你会发现自己到底搜集了多少从未用过的肥皂、面霜、刮胡刀和其他杂物，然后可以决定到底会不会用这些。如果要用的，就把它们放在篮子里，摆在显眼方便的地方，这样你才会想到去用；如果不打算用，就把它们赠送给需要的朋友，或者可以直接捐掉。

　　7. Clean out your closet, and donate your old clothes整理壁橱，把旧衣服捐掉

　　A good rule to stick to as far as clothing is concerned is to give away anything you haven’t worn in over 2 years. For each piece you give away, you can buy yourself something new that fits both your figure and your current fashion sense, but don’t hold on to something that will never fit or come back into style again.

　　关于衣物有一条很好的处理原则：把那些你超过两年没穿的衣服统统送给别人吧！每一件你送出去的衣服，你都可以去买一件更适合你现在身材和时尚感的新衣服，不过不要坚持买那些不适合也基本不会回归流行的款式了。

　　Once you’ve taken care of all of these tasks, all you really need to do is make some goals for 2013. If you find that you tend to self-sabotage official resolutions, consider just making some short-term goals that are easy to attain¹²: reaching them will boost your confidence, and might encourage you to pursue some more intense, longer-term goals in turn.

　　一旦你开始处理这些事务，你就真的需要为2013制定一些新目标了。如果你发现那些正式的新年目标可能都没法坚持到底，那不如考虑先制定一些容易达成的短期目标吧：实现这些可以增强你的自信心，也会鼓励你继续追求强度更大的长期目标。

 

1 nagging   

adj.唠叨的，挑剔的；使人不得安宁的v.不断地挑剔或批评（某人）( nag的现在分词 )；不断地烦扰或伤害（某人）；无休止地抱怨；不断指责

参考例句：

• Stop nagging—I'll do it as soon as I can. 别唠叨了—我会尽快做的。
• I've got a nagging pain in my lower back. 我后背下方老是疼。 来自《简明英汉词典》

2 gathering   

n.集会，聚会，聚集

参考例句：

• He called on Mr. White to speak at the gathering.他请怀特先生在集会上讲话。
• He is on the wing gathering material for his novels.他正忙于为他的小说收集资料。

3 slate   

n.板岩，石板，石片，石板色，候选人名单；adj.暗蓝灰色的，含板岩的；vt.用石板覆盖，痛打，提名，预订

参考例句：

• The nominating committee laid its slate before the board.提名委员会把候选人名单提交全体委员会讨论。
• What kind of job uses stained wood and slate? 什么工作会接触木头污浊和石板呢？

4 plethora   

n.过量，过剩

参考例句：

• Java comes with a plethora of ready-made types.Java配套提供了数量众多的现成类型。
• A plethora of new operators will be allowed to enter the market.大批新的运营商将获准进入该市场。

5 folders   

n.文件夹( folder的名词复数 )；纸夹；（某些计算机系统中的）文件夹；页面叠

参考例句：

• Encrypt and compress individual files and folders. The program is compact, efficient and user friendly. 加密和压缩的个人档案和folders.the计划是紧凑，高效和用户友好。 来自互联网
• By insertion of photocopies,all folders can be maintained complete with little extra effort. 插入它的复制本，不费多大力量就能使所有文件夹保持完整。 来自辞典例句

6 sifting   

n.筛，过滤v.筛( sift的现在分词 )；筛滤；细查；详审

参考例句：

• He lay on the beach, sifting the sand through his fingers. 他躺在沙滩上用手筛砂子玩。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• I was sifting the cinders when she came in. 她进来时，我正在筛煤渣。 来自辞典例句

7 cull   

v.拣选；剔除；n.拣出的东西；剔除

参考例句：

• It is usually good practice to cull the poorest prior to field planting.通常在实践上的好方法是在出圃栽植前挑出最弱的苗木。
• Laura was passing around photographs she'd culled from the albums at home.劳拉正在分发她从家里相册中挑选出的相片。

8 invoices   

发票( invoice的名词复数 )； （发货或服务）费用清单； 清单上货物的装运； 货物的托运

参考例句：

• Take the example of a purchasing clerk keying invoices into a system. 继续说录入员输入发票的例子，这个录入员是一个全职的数据输入人员。 来自About Face 3交互设计精髓
• Consular invoices are declarations made at the consulate of the importing country. 领事发票是进口国领事馆签发的一种申报书。

9 frugal   

adj.节俭的，节约的，少量的，微量的

参考例句：

• He was a VIP,but he had a frugal life.他是位要人，但生活俭朴。
• The old woman is frugal to the extreme.那老妇人节约到了极点。

10 perfectly   

adv.完美地，无可非议地，彻底地

参考例句：

• The witnesses were each perfectly certain of what they said.证人们个个对自己所说的话十分肯定。
• Everything that we're doing is all perfectly above board.我们做的每件事情都是光明正大的。

11 clutter   

n.零乱，杂乱；vt.弄乱，把…弄得杂乱

参考例句：

• The garage is in such a clutter that we can't find anything.车库如此凌乱，我们什么也找不到。
• We'll have to clear up all this clutter.我们得把这一切凌乱的东西整理清楚。

12 attain   

vt.达到，获得，完成

参考例句：

• I used the scientific method to attain this end. 我用科学的方法来达到这一目的。
• His painstaking to attain his goal in life is praiseworthy. 他为实现人生目标所下的苦功是值得称赞的。