摸鱼也是工作(下)

阿尔伯特·爱因斯坦的突破性时刻往往来自于他的思想实验，实验中他任自己的想象力漫游。

双语精读

Albert Einstein's breakthrough moments often came via thought experiments in which he let his imagination drift. What would it be like to travel as fast as a light beam? What happens if double lightning strikes are observed from different perspectives?

阿尔伯特·爱因斯坦的突破性时刻往往来自于他的思想实验，实验中他任自己的想象力漫游。像光束一样快地运动会是什么样子？如果从不同的角度观察双重闪电会怎样？

Einstein is admittedly a pretty high bar, but zoning out can help mere mortals, too.

诚然，爱因斯坦是一个相当高的标准，但开小差对普通人也有帮助。

Research published in 2021 found that tricky work-related problems sparked more daydreaming among professional employees, and that this daydreaming in turn boosted creativity. In similar vein, going for a walk is not just a break from work, but can be a form of it.

2021年发表的一项研究发现，工作相关的棘手问题会引发专业员工产生更多幻想，而这种白日梦反过来又会激发创造力。同样，散步不只是工作之余的一种休息，它也可以是工作的一种形式。

An experiment from 2014 asked participants to think of creative uses for a common object (a button, say) while sitting down and while walking. Perambulation was associated with big increases in creativity. Being outside generally seems to improve lateral thinking.

2014年的一项实验要求参与者在坐着或走路的时候思考一个普通物体（比如说一个按钮）的创造性用途。散步与创造力的大幅增长相关。一般来说，处于户外似乎能提升横向思维。

In another study, hikers who had been yomping away in the wilderness did much better on a problem-solving task than those who had yet to set off.

在另一项研究中，那些一直在野外负重跋涉的徒步旅行者在解决问题时的表现比那些尚未出发的人做得更好。

Loafing has clear limits. If you miss a deadline because you were staring soulfully out of the window, you still missed a deadline. Not every problem requires a backpack and a journey into the countryside.

（但）摸鱼是有明确界限的。如果你因为深情凝视窗外而错过了任务最后期限，那么你就是没完成任务。并不是每个问题都需要一个背包和一次乡村之旅来解决。

If you don't much like your work in the first place, you are likely to daydream about other things. But time to muse is valuable in virtually every role.

如果你本来就不太喜欢你的工作，那你很可能会幻想其他事情。但是，几乎在每一个角色中，用来沉思的时间都很宝贵。

To take one example, customer-service representatives can be good sources of ideas on how to improve a company's products, but they are often rated on how well they adhere to a schedule of fielding calls.

举个例子，客户服务代表可能会想到改进公司产品的好主意，但对他们的评定通常是基于他们对电话处理流程的遵守程度。

Reflection is not part of the routine. The post-pandemic rethink of work is focused on "when" and "where" questions.

反思不是日常工作的一部分。后疫情时代对工作的反思集中在“何时”和“何处”的问题上。

Firms are experimenting with four-day workweeks as a way to improve retention and avoid burnout. Asynchronous working is a way for individuals to collaborate at times that suit them.

公司正在试行每周四天工作制，以提高员工留任率，避免出现工作倦怠。异步工作是一种让个人可以在适合自己的时间进行协作的方式。

Lots of thought is going into how to make a success of hybrid work. The "what is work" question gets much less attention. The bias towards familiar forms of activity is deeply entrenched.

人们对于如何让混合工作取得成功进行了大量的思考。（然而）“什么是工作”这个问题得到的关注要少得多。人们对熟悉的活动形式的偏见根深蒂固。

But if you see a colleague meandering through the park or examining the ceiling for hours, don't assume that work isn't being done. What looks like idleness may be the very moment when serendipity strikes.

但是如果你看到一位同事在公园里闲逛，或者连续几个小时盯着天花板，不要认为他没有在工作。看似无所事事之时，可能恰恰是意外收获来临的时刻。

词汇预习

• beam [高考]

  美[biːm] | 英[biːm]

  vi. 微笑；发光 vt. 播送；发射；用梁支撑 n. 桁条；光线；(光线的)束；(横)梁

• bias [高考]

  美[ˈbaɪəs] | 英[ˈbaɪəs]

  n. 偏见；偏爱；斜纹 vt. 使偏心

• tricky [高考]

  美[ˈtrɪki] | 英[ˈtrɪki]

  adj. 棘手的；狡猾的；巧妙的

• mere [高考]

  美[mɪr] | 英[mɪə(r)]

  adj. 仅仅的；只不过的 n. 小湖；池塘 n. (Mere)人名；(日)目连(姓)；(西)梅雷

• drift [高考]

  美[drɪft] | 英[drɪft]

  vi. 漂流；漂移；吹积；漂泊；偏离 vt. 使漂流；使堆积 n. 漂流；趋势；漂泊

• colleague [高考]

  美[ˈkɑːliːɡ] | 英[ˈkɒliːɡ]

  n. 同事

• routine [高考]

  美[ruːˈtiːn] | 英[ruːˈtiːn]

  n. 例行公事；常规；无聊 adj. 常规的；例行的；乏味的

• assume [高考]

  美[əˈsuːm] | 英[əˈsjuːm]

  vt. 假定；设想；承担；(想当然的)认为；假装

• via [高考]

  美[ˈviːə] | 英[ˈvaɪə]

  prep. 经由；通过

• breakthrough [高考]

  美[ˈbreɪkθruː] | 英[ˈbreɪkθruː]

  n. 突破，突破性进展；关键问题的解决

• lightning [高考]

  美[ˈlaɪtnɪŋ] | 英[ˈlaɪtnɪŋ]

  n. 闪电；意外的幸运 adj. 闪电般的；快速的

• at times [高考]

  美[æt taɪmz] | 英[æt taɪmz]

  有时；偶尔

• in turn [高考]

  美[ɪn tɜːrn] | 英[ɪn tɜːn]

  依次；轮流；反之；反过来

• in the first place [高考]

  美[ɪn ðə fɜːrst pleɪs] | 英[ɪn ðə fɜːst pleɪs]

  起初； 首先

• thinking [高考]

  美[ˈθɪŋkɪŋ] | 英[ˈθɪŋkɪŋ]

  n. 思考；思想 adj. 好思考的；有理性的

• bar [高考]

  美[ bɑːr] | 英[bɑː(r)]

  n. 酒吧；条；横木；栅 vt. 禁止；阻挠；闩上；在 ... 设栅栏

• hybrid [高考]

  美[ˈhaɪbrɪd] | 英[ˈhaɪbrɪd]

  n. 混合物；杂种；混血儿 adj. 杂种的；混合的

• vein [高考]

  美[veɪn] | 英[veɪn]

  n. 静脉；纹理；叶脉；岩脉 vt. 使有脉络；用脉络装饰

• where [高考]

  美[wer] | 英[weə(r)]

  adv. 在哪里；在那个地方 conj. 在 ... 地方

• would [高考]

  美[wʊd , wəd] | 英[wʊd , wəd]

  aux. 将；可能；大概；总会；愿意；will的过去式

• virtually [四级]

  美[ˈvɜːrtʃuəli] | 英[ˈvɜːtʃuəli]

  adv. 实际上；几乎

• rethink [四级]

  美[ˈriːθɪŋk , ˌriːˈθɪŋk] | 英[ˈriːθɪŋk , ˌriːˈθɪŋk]

  v. 再想；再考虑 n. 再思考；反思

• wilderness [四级]

  美[ˈwɪldərnəs] | 英[ˈwɪldənəs]

  n. 荒野；荒地

• collaborate [四级]

  美[kəˈlæbəreɪt] | 英[kəˈlæbəreɪt]

  vi. 合作；通敌

• adhere [四级]

  美[ədˈhɪr] | 英[ədˈhɪə(r)]

  vi. 遵守；坚持；粘附

• much less [四级]

  美[mʌtʃ lɛs] | 英[mʌtʃ les]

  更不必说； 何况； 更少

• adhere to [四级]

  美[æd'hɪr tu] | 英[əd'hɪə tu]

  坚持；依附

• idleness [六级]

  美[ˈaɪdlnɪs] | 英['aɪdlnəs]

  n. 懒惰；闲散

• out of [六级]

  美[aʊt ʌv] | 英[aut ɔv]

  prep. 离…一段距离；从…里；离开 ...；出于

• daydream [专八]

  美[ˈdeˌdrim] | 英[ˈdeɪdri:m]

  n. 白日梦 v. 做白日梦；幻想

• muse [专八]

  美[mjuz] | 英[mju:z]

  v. 沉思；冥想；沉思地自言自语 n.（作家、画家等的）灵感；创作冲动的源泉

• lateral [专八]

  美[ˈlætərəl] | 英[ˈlætərəl]

  adj. 侧面的；横向的；旁边的 n. 侧面；[语]侧音 vi. 完成横向穿越

• retention [考研]

  美[rɪˈtenʃn] | 英[rɪˈtenʃn]

  n. 保留物；保存；保持(力)；记忆力

• don [托福]

  美[dɑn] | 英[dɒn]

  n. 先生（西班牙用语）；(牛津、剑桥大学的)指导教师 v. 穿上

重点讲解

Albert**** Einstein****'s breakthrough**** moments often came**** via thought experiments in**** which he**** let his imagination drift.**** What**** would it**** be**** like**** to**** travel**** as**** fast**** as**** a light beam****?**** What**** happens if**** double**** lightning strikes are observed**** from**** different perspectives****?****

阿尔伯特·爱因斯坦的突破性时刻往往来自于他的思想实验，实验中他任自己的想象力漫游。像光束一样快地运动会是什么样子？如果从不同的角度观察双重闪电会怎样？

Einstein is admittedly a pretty high bar, but zoning out can help mere mortals, too.

诚然，爱因斯坦是一个相当高的标准，但开小差对普通人也有帮助。

admittedly   adv. （尤用于句首）诚然，无可否认

【例】Admittedly, it is rather expensive but you don't need to use much.

它的确很贵，但不需要用得很多。

high bar   高杠，高杆，单杠；高标准

【拓展】set a high bar   设立高标准

【例】German law sets a high bar for conviction.

德国法律对判处有罪设了很高的标准。

mortal   adj. & n.

1. 作形容词

1）不能永生的；终将死亡的

【例】We are all mortals.

我们都总有一死。

2）导致死亡的；致命的；非常危急的

【例】a mortal wound   致命伤口

2. 作名词，人；凡人；普通人

【例】old stories about gods and mortals

关于天神和凡人的古老传说

【拓展】

1. 反义词

immortal   adj. 不死的；流芳百世的; n. 神，永生不灭者；不朽的人物

2. 名词

mortality   n. 死亡人数

【例】The nation's infant mortality rate has reached a record low.

该国的婴儿死亡率已达历史最低。

Research published in 2021 found that tricky work-related problems sparked more daydreaming among professional employees, and that this daydreaming in turn boosted creativity. In similar vein, going for a walk is not just a break from work, but can be a form of it.

2021年发表的一项研究发现，工作相关的棘手问题会引发专业员工产生更多幻想，而这种白日梦反过来又会激发创造力。同样，散步不只是工作之余的一种休息，它也可以是工作的一种形式。

in similar vein   类似地，同样地

【例】The Obama statement was in a similar vein.

奥巴马发表了相似的看法。

An experiment from 2014 asked participants to think of creative uses for a common object (a button, say) while sitting down and while walking. Perambulation was associated with big increases in creativity. Being outside generally seems to improve lateral thinking.

2014年的一项实验要求参与者在坐着或走路的时候思考一个普通物体（比如说一个按钮）的创造性用途。散步与创造力的大幅增长相关。一般来说，处于户外似乎能提升横向思维。

have yet to   还没...／尚未...

（英文释义：It refers to an event that has not occurred so far but that might occur in the future.）

【例】The medical experts have yet to report in full.

医学专家们还得全面汇报。

set off

1. 启程，出发

【例】The president's envoy set off on another diplomatic trip.

总统特使再次踏上外交之旅。

2. 引爆(炸弹);触发(警报)

【例】Any escape, once it's detected, sets off the alarm.

逃跑一旦被侦察到，就会触发警报。

In another study, hikers who had been yomping away in the wilderness did much better on a problem-solving task than those who had yet to set off.

在另一项研究中，那些一直在野外负重跋涉的徒步旅行者在解决问题时的表现比那些尚未出发的人做得更好。

have yet to   还没...／尚未...

（英文释义：It refers to an event that has not occurred so far but that might occur in the future.）

【例】The medical experts have yet to report in full.

医学专家们还得全面汇报。

set off

1. 启程，出发

【例】The president's envoy set off on another diplomatic trip.

总统特使再次踏上外交之旅。

2. 引爆(炸弹);触发(警报)

【例】Any escape, once it's detected, sets off the alarm.

逃跑一旦被侦察到，就会触发警报。

Loafing has clear limits. If you miss a deadline because you were staring soulfully out of the window, you still missed a deadline. Not every problem requires a backpack and a journey into the countryside.

（但）摸鱼是有明确界限的。如果你因为深情凝视窗外而错过了任务最后期限，那么你就是没完成任务。并不是每个问题都需要一个背包和一次乡村之旅来解决。

muse   v. & n.

1. 作动词，揣摩，沉思

【例】I sat quietly, musing on the events of the day.

我静静地坐着，沉思一天中所发生的事。

2. 作名词，（作家、画家等的）灵感；创作冲动的源泉

【例】He felt that his muse had deserted him. 

他觉得他已失去了创作灵感。

If you don't much like your work in the first place, you are likely to daydream about other things. But time to muse is valuable in virtually every role.

如果你本来就不太喜欢你的工作，那你很可能会幻想其他事情。但是，几乎在每一个角色中，用来沉思的时间都很宝贵。

muse   v. & n.

1. 作动词，揣摩，沉思

【例】I sat quietly, musing on the events of the day.

我静静地坐着，沉思一天中所发生的事。

2. 作名词，（作家、画家等的）灵感；创作冲动的源泉

【例】He felt that his muse had deserted him. 

他觉得他已失去了创作灵感。

To**** take**** one example,**** customer****-service representatives can be**** good**** sources of**** ideas on**** how to**** improve a company's products****,**** but they**** are often rated on**** how well**** they**** adhere**** to**** a schedule**** of**** fielding**** calls.****

举个例子，客户服务代表可能会想到改进公司产品的好主意，但对他们的评定通常是基于他们对电话处理流程的遵守程度。

Reflection**** is**** not part**** of**** the routine.**** The post****-pandemic**** rethink of**** work**** is**** focused on**** "when"**** and "where****"**** questions.****

反思不是日常工作的一部分。后疫情时代对工作的反思集中在“何时”和“何处”的问题上。

Firms are experimenting with four-day workweeks as a way to improve retention and avoid burnout. Asynchronous working is a way for individuals to collaborate at times that suit them.

公司正在试行每周四天工作制，以提高员工留任率，避免出现工作倦怠。异步工作是一种让个人可以在适合自己的时间进行协作的方式。

retention   n. 保持；维持；保留

【例】The company needs to improve its training and retention of staff.

公司需要改进对员工的培训和留用工作。

【拓展】retain   v. 保持，保留

【例】to retain your independence 保持独立

Lots of thought is going into how to make a success of hybrid work. The "what is work" question gets much less attention. The bias towards familiar forms of activity is deeply entrenched.

人们对于如何让混合工作取得成功进行了大量的思考。（然而）“什么是工作”这个问题得到的关注要少得多。人们对熟悉的活动形式的偏见根深蒂固。

entrench   v. 使处于牢固地位；牢固确立

【例】Sexism is deeply entrenched in our society.

性别歧视在我们这个社会根深蒂固。

But if you see a colleague meandering through the park or examining the ceiling for hours, don't assume that work isn't being done. What looks like idleness may be the very moment when serendipity strikes.

但是如果你看到一位同事在公园里闲逛，或者连续几个小时盯着天花板，不要认为他没有在工作。看似无所事事之时，可能恰恰是意外收获来临的时刻。

serendipity   n. 意外发现美好事物的运气，机缘巧合

【例】Some of the best effects in my garden have been the result of serendipity.

我花园里最珍贵的几件物品是机缘巧合之下意外所得。

【拓展】serendipitous   adj. 侥幸的，凑巧的

【例】serendipitous discoveries 偶然的幸运发现

课后练习

• The example of Albert Einstein shows that ____.

  A. significant discoveries come from unusual experiments

  B. daydreaming can help promote imaginative thinking

  C. Einstein’s achievement has inspired normal people

  D. critical thinking is important in scientific research

• One of the characteristics about going for a walk is that ____.

  A. it is more common among professional employees

  B. it is good for the mental well-being of workers

  C. it is connected with better problem-solving skills

  D. it is likely to improve the ability of multitasking

• Which of the following is true about loafing?

  A. It often makes employees miss a deadline.

  B. It serves as an excuse for taking a journey.

  C. It is caused by doing meaningless work.

  D. It is often not valued by the company.

• The post-pandemic rethink of work ____.

  A. prioritizes quality over efficiency

  B. emphasizes work-life balance

  C. focuses on the benefits of collaboration

  D. fails to recognize new forms of work