VOA词汇掌故2023--Goal! Do You Have One for 2024?

Goal¹! Do You Have One for 2024?

And now, Words and Their Stories, from VOA Learning² English.

December 31, 2023, means³ the new year 2024 is nearly here! At this time of the year, many people set New Year's resolutions⁵. Many people want to make a change in life and others set a goal.

So, today we talk about the word goal. You may know this word because you shout "gooaaal" when your team scores. It is exciting! It is also exciting when we reach our personal goals⁶.

A goal is something we want to reach. It is something we work toward⁷. It is important to have goals in life and a plan to achieve them. A football player's goal is to score a goal, and a goalie's goal is to stop a ... goal.

Let's continue talking about sports. Many sports involve⁸ not only goals but also a goal line. A goal line gives the space on the field in which you can score or make a goal.

Let's talk about American football for a minute. That sport involves⁹ tall goal posts. To make a point, a kicker can kick a football between the posts and score. Now, imagine if you are kicking that ball. You have the goal posts in your sights. You kick! It looks good! It looks like the ball is going to go between the posts. But then, at the last minute, someone moves the goal posts, and your ball does not go through.

To move the goal posts as you are kicking the ball would not be fair. If someone moves the goal posts, they are changing the rules of the game or a situation to meet their own needs.

Let's say you are building a house for someone. Both of you agree on a design, plan and price to build the house, and a date to complete the building. As the date of completion arrives, the soon-to-be owner wants to change the design of the house. She says that she wants the new design for the same price.

You could say that she has moved the goal post! Or you could say that she has moved the goal line because some sports use a line and not a post. And some sports use both.

People who have the goal line or goal post moved on them may fall short of their goals. If you fall short of your goal you do not accomplish¹⁰ it. You do not succeed.

To reach your goals, it is a good idea to have a plan. Set out small steps you can do to reach your goals. And when you complete those small steps on your way to your end goal ... make sure to celebrate! And make sure no one moves the goal line on you.

And that's the end of this Words and Their Stories. Until next year ...

Words in This Story

resolution⁴ – n. a promise to yourself to do or to not do something

score – v. to win or get a point, goal, etc. in a competition, sport, or game

achieve – v. successfully¹¹ bring about or reach

accomplish – v. to bring about (a result) by effort

1 goal   

n.(足球)球门；得分

参考例句：

• I shot the ball into the goal.我把球踢进球门。
• That was his best goal.那是他最好的一次得分。

2 learning   

n.学问，学识，学习；动词learn的现在分词

参考例句：

• When you are learning to ride a bicycle,you often fall off.初学骑自行车时，常会从车上掉下来。
• Learning languages isn't just a matter of remembering words.学习语言不仅仅是记些单词的事。

3 means   

n.方法，手段，折中点，物质财富

参考例句：

• That man used artful means to find out secrets.那人使用狡猾的手段获取机密。
• We must get it done by some means or other.我们总得想办法把它干完。

4 resolution   

n.坚定，决心，决心要做的事，决定，决议

参考例句：

• You must stand to your resolution.你一定要坚守你的决心。
• I still haven't given up my resolution to do more reading.我仍然还没有放弃多看些书的决心。

5 resolutions   

n.决心( resolution的名词复数 )；解决；坚决；分解

参考例句：

• He's always making good resolutions but he never carries them out. 他决心经常下得很大，但从不实行。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• If she did all these things, maybe-maybe-Elizabeth's resolutions merged into fantasies. 她如果真按照这些做了，也许--也许--伊丽莎白的决心都溶在幻想之中。 来自辞典例句

6 goals   

n.球门( goal的名词复数 )；得分；进球得的分；努力的对象

参考例句：

• How many goals has he missed this season? 这个赛季他射丢了多少个球？
• a pacy winger who can also score goals 能射门得分的快速边锋

7 toward   

prep.对于，关于，接近，将近，向，朝

参考例句：

• Suddenly I saw a tall figure approaching toward the policeman.突然间我看到一个高大的身影朝警察靠近。
• Upon seeing her,I smiled and ran toward her. 看到她我笑了，并跑了过去。

8 involve   

vt.包缠；使卷入，使陷入；使专注；必须包括；包围

参考例句：

• Don't involve yourself with those people.不要和那些人混在一起。
• Don't involve me in your quarrel.不要把我卷进你们的争吵中。

9 involves   

表明（某人参与了罪行等）( involve的第三人称单数 )； 使参与； 牵涉； 使专心于

参考例句：

• The job involves gathering and analysing data. 这项工作包括搜集和分析资料。
• Most of our work now involves catering for weddings. 我们现在的工作多半是承办婚宴。

10 accomplish   

v.完成，实现，达到

参考例句：

• He can accomplish more in a day than any other boy in his class.他一天所完成的工作比他班上其他的孩子都多。
• They'll certainly accomplish something.他们会搞出名堂来的。

11 successfully   

adv.圆满地；顺利地；成功地

参考例句：

• The meeting passed off successfully.会议开得很成功。
• At last we successfully put through the business deal.最终我们成功地完成了这桩交易。