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请病假越来越难(上)
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如果你正值高烧，或者刚做完心脏手术还在恢复，操作机床就会很困难。而如果你处于精神崩溃状态，最好就不要使用机床。
双语精读
It is becoming harder to take off a sick day
请病假越来越难（上）
If you have a high temperature or are recovering from heart surgery, it is difficult to use machine tools. And if you are having a nervous breakdown, machine tools are best avoided.
如果你正值高烧，或者刚做完心脏手术还在恢复，操作机床就会很困难。而如果你处于精神崩溃状态，最好就不要使用机床。
Sick days are the remedy. They are meant to prevent people from hurting themselves, their co-workers, customers or passers-by on the job.
病假才是良药。病假的存在，就是为了防止有人在工作中受伤，不管是他们自己、同事、客户还是路人。
Working from home has flipped this logic on its head. If you can work from the kitchen table, today's hybrid workers increasingly conclude, then why not from bed-so long as the brain is on and the Zoom camera off?
但居家办公却颠覆了这一逻辑。如今，越来越多的混合办公者得出了这样的结论：只要大脑醒着，摄像头关着，能在餐桌旁完成的工作，又为什么不能在床上处理呢？
The work-from-home revolution has raised the bar for what counts as being sick. At the height of the pandemic people worked from home even with nasty symptoms such as fever, shortness of breath or nausea. Many still do.
居家办公的革命提高了生病的门槛。在疫情最严重的时候，即使人们有诸如发烧、呼吸急促或恶心等严重症状，也会坚持带病居家办公。直到现在也有很多人还在这么做。
Nicholas Bloom of Stanford University has been tracking work-from-home habits since before the corona-crisis popularised them.
早在新冠危机让居家办公变得更为普及之前，斯坦福大学的尼古拉斯·布鲁姆就开始在研究这种习惯了。
In a recent working paper he presents the results of a randomised controlled trial at a large Chinese multinational company, where sick days fell by 12% for employees working from home two days a week relative to those coming in full time.
在最近的一篇研究报告中，他展示了在一家中国大型跨国公司进行的一项随机对照试验的结果：每周居家办公两天的员工病假天数比全职员工要少12%。
Your columnist, a guest Bartleby, can sympathise.
本文作者是巴托比专栏的客座作家，她表示这种现象可以理解。
In the past, while convalescing, she had no qualms about wrapping herself in a blanket with a hot toddy, toast and some tissues. When she got covid-19 early this summer, by contrast, she kept going with her phone and laptop sunk in the duvet.
之前养病的时候，她会心安理得地把毯子裹在身上，纸巾放在一旁，就着热棕榈酒吃吐司。但在今年夏初感染新冠肺炎时，她只能缩在羽绒被里，手机电脑忙个不停。
Her managers strongly urged that her work should be passed on to a colleague. For her, this was unthinkable, at least until she almost passed out. To be in bed not doing anything connotes not only physical discomfort but also cognitive impairment.
经理强烈要求她把工作转交给其他同事，但是对她来说，这简直无法想象，至少在她快要晕倒之前内心还是抗拒的。躺在床上无所事事不仅意味着身体不适，还暗含着认知障碍。
Salaried workers, who are often evaluated on the basis of their input rather than output, find it hard to say they are off the game for a few days now that they don't need to worry about spreading germs in the office.
对受薪员工的评估通常是基于其投入而非产出，既然现在毋须担忧办公室里会有病菌传播，他们往往很难能够好好休息几天。
For high-achievers, putting in the hours is not a chore but a way of life. Unplanned breaks are antithetical to the pervasive anxiety to perform. As recession looms and puts future job security into question, showing yourself to be useful becomes even more important.
对于成功人士来说，加班并不是完成任务，而是一种生活方式。无计划的休息与普遍存在的工作焦虑背道而驰。随着经济衰退慢慢逼近，未来的工作保障成了问题，因此展示自己的有用性就变得更加重要。
Hybrid-work etiquette is fluid and many companies have yet to update their sick-leave rules for the new era.
混合办公的规矩灵活多变，许多公司都还没有为新时代更新病假规定。
词汇预习
increasingly [高考]
美[ɪnˈkriːsɪŋli] | 英[ɪnˈkriːsɪŋli]
adv. 逐渐地；越来越多地
contrast [高考]
美[ˈkɑːntræst , kənˈtræst] | 英[ˈkɒntrɑːst , kənˈtrɑːst]
n. 对比；差别；对照物 v. 对比；成对照 n. [计算机] 反差
breakdown [高考]
美[ˈbreɪkdaʊn] | 英[ˈbreɪkdaʊn]
n. 崩溃；故障；衰弱；分类，明细；跺脚曳步舞
laptop [高考]
美[ˈlæptɑːp] | 英[ˈlæptɒp]
n. 便携式电脑；笔记本电脑
input [高考]
美[ˈɪnpʊt] | 英[ˈɪnpʊt]
n. 投入；输入信息；输入数据；信息输入端 v. 输入
surgery [高考]
美[ˈsɜːrdʒəri] | 英[ˈsɜːdʒəri]
n. 外科手术；外科；诊所；手术室；应诊时间
cognitive [高考]
美[ˈkɑːɡnətɪv] | 英[ˈkɒɡnətɪv]
adj. 认识的；认知的；有认识力的
logic [高考]
美[ˈlɑːdʒɪk] | 英[ˈlɒdʒɪk]
n. 逻辑；逻辑学；条理性；推理
unthinkable [高考]
美[ʌn'θɪŋkəbl] | 英[ʌnˈθɪŋkəbl]
adj. 不可能的；难以置信的；想像不到的
discomfort [高考]
美[dɪsˈkʌmfərt] | 英[dɪsˈkʌmfət]
n. 不便之处；不适 v. 使不适
columnist [高考]
美[ˈkɑləmnɪst] | 英[ˈkɒləmnɪst]
n. 专栏作家
remedy [高考]
美[ˈremədi] | 英[ˈremədi]
n. 治疗法；药物；补救 vt. 治疗；补救；矫正
colleague [高考]
美[ˈkɑːliːɡ] | 英[ˈkɒliːɡ]
n. 同事
conclude [高考]
美[kənˈkluːd] | 英[kənˈkluːd]
vt. 推断出；缔结；使结束 vi. 结束；总结；作决定；作协议
anxiety [高考]
美[æŋˈzaɪəti] | 英[æŋˈzaɪəti]
n. 焦虑；担心；渴望
security [高考]
美[sɪˈkjʊrəti] | 英[sɪˈkjʊərəti]
n. 安全；保证；证券；债券；抵押；防护措施
update [高考]
美[ˌʌpˈdeɪt , ˈʌpdeɪt] | 英[ˌʌpˈdeɪt , ˈʌpdeɪt]
v. 更新；升级 n. 更新
trial [高考]
美[ˈtraɪəl] | 英[ˈtraɪəl]
n. 审讯；试验；试用；尝试；预赛或选拔赛；讨厌的事；惹麻烦的人 v. 测试
revolution [高考]
美[ˌrevəˈluːʃn] | 英[ˌrevəˈluːʃn]
n. 革命；变革；重大改变；旋转
output [高考]
美[ˈaʊtpʊt] | 英[ˈaʊtpʊt]
n. 产量；输出功率；输出 vt. 输出(信息等)
blanket [高考]
美[ˈblæŋkɪt] | 英[ˈblæŋkɪt]
n. 毯子，毛毯；厚层，覆盖层；气氛，氛围；障碍，障碍物 v. 覆盖，盖住，笼罩；消除（声音），使（声音）模糊不清 adj. 总括的，全面的，通用的
on the basis of [高考]
美[ɑːn ðə 'beɪsɪs əv] | 英[ɒn ðə 'beɪsɪs əv]
根据； 在 ... 的基础上； 基于
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
basis [高考]
美[ˈbeɪsɪs] | 英[ˈbeɪsɪs]
n. 基础；根据；基底
era [高考]
美[ˈɪrə] | 英[ˈɪərə]
n. 纪元；时代；年代
fluid [高考]
美[ˈfluːɪd] | 英[ˈfluːɪd]
n. 液体；流体 adj. 流动的；流畅的；不定的
hybrid [高考]
美[ˈhaɪbrɪd] | 英[ˈhaɪbrɪd]
n. 混合物；杂种；混血儿 adj. 杂种的；混合的
nasty [高考]
美[ˈnæsti] | 英[ˈnɑːsti]
adj. 下流的；严重的；令人不快的；难懂的；危害的
where [高考]
美[wer] | 英[weə(r)]
adv. 在哪里；在那个地方 conj. 在 ... 地方
recession [四级]
美[rɪˈseʃn] | 英[rɪˈseʃn]
n. 后退；（经济）不景气
multinational [四级]
美[mʌltiˈnæʃənəl] | 英[mʌltiˈnæʃənəl]
adj. 多国的；多种国籍的 n. 跨国公司
relative to [四级]
美[ˈrɛlətɪv tu] | 英[ˈrelətiv tu:]
关于； 相对于
so long as [四级]
美[soʊʊ lɔːŋ æz] | 英[səʊ lɒŋ æz]
只要（多指否定）
in full [六级]
美[ɪn fʊl] | 英[ɪn fʊl]
全部地, 不省略地
fell [专四]
美[fel] | 英[fel]
vt. 砍伐；击倒 n. 丘原；沼泽地 adj. 凶残的；毁灭性的
pervasive [考研]
美[pərˈveɪsɪv] | 英[pəˈveɪsɪv]
adj. 普遍的；渗透的；遍布的
antithetical [考研]
美[ˌæntɪˈθɛtɪkəl] | 英[ˌæntɪ'θetɪkl]
adj. 对偶的；对立的
sympathise [考研]
美['sɪmpəˌθaɪz] | 英['sɪmpəθaɪz]
vi. 同情；共鸣；体谅
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
corona [托福]
美[kəˈroʊnə] | 英[kəˈrəʊnə]
n. 日冕；电晕；冠状物；飞檐的上部
重点讲解
It**** is**** becoming**** harder**** to**** take**** off a sick**** day
请病假越来越难（上）
If**** you have**** a high**** temperature or**** are recovering**** from**** heart surgery,**** it**** is**** difficult to**** use machine tools.**** And if**** you are having**** a nervous breakdown,**** machine tools are best**** avoided.****
如果你正值高烧，或者刚做完心脏手术还在恢复，操作机床就会很困难。而如果你处于精神崩溃状态，最好就不要使用机床。
Sick days are the remedy. They are meant to prevent people from hurting themselves, their co-workers, customers or passers-by on the job.
病假才是良药。病假的存在，就是为了防止有人在工作中受伤，不管是他们自己、同事、客户还是路人。
remedy n. & v.
1. 作名词
（1）解决办法
【例】The remedy lies in the hands of the government.
解决办法就在政府手中。
（2）治疗; 疗法; 药品
【例】There are many different kinds of natural remedies to help overcome winter infections.
很多不同种类的天然药物有助于克服冬季传染病。
2. 作动词，补救; 纠正; 改善
【例】A great deal has been done internally to remedy the situation.
内部已经采取了很多措施来挽救局面。
mean to do 打算做，想要做，有意做
（英文释义：To have the intention, desire, or obligation to do something.）
【例】I've been meaning to see that new movie everyone is talking about.
我一直想去看大家都在谈论的那部新电影。
Working from home has flipped this logic on its head. If you can work from the kitchen table, today’s hybrid workers increasingly conclude, then why not from bed—so long as the brain is on and the Zoom camera off?
但居家办公却颠覆了这一逻辑。如今，越来越多的混合办公者得出了这样的结论：只要大脑醒着，摄像头关着，能在餐桌旁完成的工作，又为什么不能在床上处理呢？
flip v.
1.（使）快速翻转，迅速翻动
【例】The plane flipped and crashed. 飞机猛地翻转，撞毁了。
2.（用手指）轻抛，轻掷
【例】They flipped a coin to decide who would get the ticket.
他们掷币决定谁得这张票。
3. 突然变得热情，突然极感兴趣
（英文释义：suddenly become very enthusiastic）
【例】I walked into a store, saw it on the wall, and just flipped.
我走进一家商店，看到它挂在墙上，一下子就被迷住了。
The work-from-home revolution has raised the bar for what counts as being sick. At the height of the pandemic people worked from home even with nasty symptoms such as fever, shortness of breath or nausea. Many still do.
居家办公的革命提高了生病的门槛。在疫情最严重的时候，即使人们有诸如发烧、呼吸急促或恶心等严重症状，也会坚持带病居家办公。直到现在也有很多人还在这么做。
raise the bar 提高标准或期望，尤其是通过创造更高标准的东西来实现
【例】The new product will raise the bar for the entire industry.
这个新产品将提高整个行业的标准。
at the height of 在…的顶峰时期
【例】At the height of the storm, the winds were blowing at over 100 miles per hour.
在风暴的顶峰时期，风速超过了每小时100英里。
Nicholas**** Bloom of**** Stanford**** University**** has been**** tracking**** work****-from****-home**** habits**** since before**** the corona****-crisis**** popularised them****.****
早在新冠危机让居家办公变得更为普及之前，斯坦福大学的尼古拉斯·布鲁姆就开始在研究这种习惯了。
In**** a recent**** working paper he**** presents**** the results of**** a randomised**** controlled**** trial at**** a large Chinese multinational company,**** where sick**** days**** fell**** by**** 12****%**** for employees working from**** home**** two days**** a week**** relative**** to**** those coming**** in**** full**** time****.****
在最近的一篇研究报告中，他展示了在一家中国大型跨国公司进行的一项随机对照试验的结果：每周居家办公两天的员工病假天数比全职员工要少12%。
Your columnist, a guest Bartleby, can sympathise.
本文作者是巴托比专栏的客座作家，她表示这种现象可以理解。
convalesce 逐步康复，身体恢复
（英文释义：to spend time getting your health and strength back after an illness）
【例】She is convalescing at home after her operation.
手术后她正在家休养康复。
qualms n. （尤指对自己行为的）疑惧、疑虑、担忧
（英文释义：un uneasy feeling of doubt, worry, or fear, especially about one’s own conduct; a misgiving）
【例】He had been working very hard so he had no qualms about taking a few days off. 他一直辛勤工作，所以休息几天他觉得心安理得。
In the past, while convalescing, she had no qualms about wrapping herself in a blanket with a hot toddy, toast and some tissues. When she got covid-19 early this summer, by contrast, she kept going with her phone and laptop sunk in the duvet.
之前养病的时候，她会心安理得地把毯子裹在身上，纸巾放在一旁，就着热棕榈酒吃吐司。但在今年夏初感染新冠肺炎时，她只能缩在羽绒被里，手机电脑忙个不停。
convalesce 逐步康复，身体恢复
（英文释义：to spend time getting your health and strength back after an illness）
【例】She is convalescing at home after her operation.
手术后她正在家休养康复。
qualms n. （尤指对自己行为的）疑惧、疑虑、担忧
（英文释义：un uneasy feeling of doubt, worry, or fear, especially about one’s own conduct; a misgiving）
【例】He had been working very hard so he had no qualms about taking a few days off. 他一直辛勤工作，所以休息几天他觉得心安理得。
Her managers strongly urged that her work should be passed on to a colleague. For her, this was unthinkable, at least until she almost passed out. To be in bed not doing anything connotes not only physical discomfort but also cognitive impairment.
经理强烈要求她把工作转交给其他同事，但是对她来说，这简直无法想象，至少在她快要晕倒之前内心还是抗拒的。躺在床上无所事事不仅意味着身体不适，还暗含着认知障碍。
connote v. 意味；暗示；隐含
（英文释义：If a word or name connotes something, it makes you think of a particular idea or quality.）
【例】The term "organization" often connotes a sense of neatness.
“组织”这个词常常给人一种整洁的感觉。
【拓展】connotation n. 含义；隐含意义
【例】The word ‘professional’ has connotations of skill and excellence.
professional这个词隐含着技艺和专长的意思。
impairment n. （身体或智力方面的）缺陷，障碍，损伤；某种缺陷
【例】visual impairments 视力受损
【拓展】impair v. 损害；削弱
【例】Consumption of alcohol impairs your ability to drive a car or operate machinery.
饮酒会削弱你驾驶汽车或操纵机器的能力。
pass out 昏倒
（英文释义：If you pass out, you faint or collapse.）
【例】He felt sick and dizzy and then passed out.
他感觉恶心，眩晕，接着就昏倒了。
Salaried workers, who are often evaluated on the basis of their input rather than output, find it hard to say they are off the game for a few days now that they don’t need to worry about spreading germs in the office.
对受薪员工的评估通常是基于其投入而非产出，既然现在毋须担忧办公室里会有病菌传播，他们往往很难能够好好休息几天。
put in
1. 投入 (时间、精力)
【例】They've put in time and effort to keep the strike going.
他们已投入了时间和精力使这次罢工继续进行。
2. 提出 (请求)
【例】I also put in a request for some overtime.
我也提出了支付加班费的请求。
loom v.
1. 赫然耸现；（尤指）令人惊恐地隐现
（英文释义：to appear as a large shape that is not clear, especially in a frightening or threatening way）
【例】A dark shape loomed up ahead of us.
一个黑糊糊的影子隐隐出现在我们的前面。
2. 显得突出；逼近
（英文释义：to appear important or threatening and likely to happen soon）
【例】There was a crisis looming. 危机迫在眉睫。
For high-achievers, putting in the hours is not a chore but a way of life. Unplanned breaks are antithetical to the pervasive anxiety to perform. As recession looms and puts future job security into question, showing yourself to be useful becomes even more important.
对于成功人士来说，加班并不是完成任务，而是一种生活方式。无计划的休息与普遍存在的工作焦虑背道而驰。随着经济衰退慢慢逼近，未来的工作保障成了问题，因此展示自己的有用性就变得更加重要。
put in
1. 投入 (时间、精力)
【例】They've put in time and effort to keep the strike going.
他们已投入了时间和精力使这次罢工继续进行。
2. 提出 (请求)
【例】I also put in a request for some overtime.
我也提出了支付加班费的请求。
loom v.
1. 赫然耸现；（尤指）令人惊恐地隐现
（英文释义：to appear as a large shape that is not clear, especially in a frightening or threatening way）
【例】A dark shape loomed up ahead of us.
一个黑糊糊的影子隐隐出现在我们的前面。
2. 显得突出；逼近
（英文释义：to appear important or threatening and likely to happen soon）
【例】There was a crisis looming. 危机迫在眉睫。
Hybrid-work etiquette is fluid and many companies have yet to update their sick-leave rules for the new era.
混合办公的规矩灵活多变，许多公司都还没有为新时代更新病假规定。
put in
1. 投入 (时间、精力)
【例】They've put in time and effort to keep the strike going.
他们已投入了时间和精力使这次罢工继续进行。
2. 提出 (请求)
【例】I also put in a request for some overtime.
我也提出了支付加班费的请求。
loom v.
1. 赫然耸现；（尤指）令人惊恐地隐现
（英文释义：to appear as a large shape that is not clear, especially in a frightening or threatening way）
【例】A dark shape loomed up ahead of us.
一个黑糊糊的影子隐隐出现在我们的前面。
2. 显得突出；逼近
（英文释义：to appear important or threatening and likely to happen soon）
【例】There was a crisis looming. 危机迫在眉睫。
课后练习
What do people think about sick leave now?
A. It prevents sick workers from hurting themselves.
B. It shows that the company cares about its workers.
C. It is unnecessary because sick people can work from home.
D. It allows workers to recover and to return to the office soon.
Nicholas Bloom’s working paper showed that ____.
A. sick workers had a lower productivity
B. working from home increased productivity
C. workers got sick less often when working from home
D. workers took fewer sick leave when working from home
What did the author do when she got covid-19?
A. She took sick leave and rested at home.
B. She passed her work to a colleague.
C. She continued working at home.
D. She fainted due to the heavy workload.
Workers may refuse to take sick leave because ____.
A. they don’t want to burden their colleagues with extra work
B. their salaries may be influenced by the absence from work
C. they want to prove their value to their employers
D. they face fierce compeitition with other workers