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夺回办公室午休时间
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夺回办公室午休时间
在如今这个压力更大的时代,界限清晰的午休已不再受欢迎。停下工作去吃午饭可能被视为懒散的表现。 ![]()
双语精读
Reclaiming the office lunch
重新夺回办公室午餐
The clearly delineated lunch break has fallen out of favour in these more pressured times. Knocking off for a midday meal could now be perceived as a sign of idleness. What was once called a "lunch hour" is now more likely to consist of a sandwich "al desko".
在如今这个压力更大的时代,界限清晰的午休已不再受欢迎。停下工作去吃午饭可能被视为懒散的表现。曾经的“午休时间”如今更可能变成“工位三明治”。
Some will mourn the decline of sybaritic three-course affairs with wine, perhaps bookended with cocktails and a cigar. Once these feasts regularly punctuated the working day for the likes of bankers, lawyers and journalists.
一些人会哀叹那种纵情享受的午餐一去不复返:三道菜配葡萄酒,或许还以鸡尾酒开场,雪茄作为收尾。这种盛宴曾经是银行家、律师、记者等的工作日中有规律的休止符。
Grabbing something fast and eating hunched over a laptop may result in crumbs on the desks and sticky keyboards, but that is far from the only drawback.
匆忙拿点食物,弓着背在笔记本电脑前吃东西可能会导致桌面上掉落食物碎屑、键盘变得黏腻,但这远非唯一的弊端。
Eating lunch at your desk also means staying seated longer, which can cause sore joints. Sitting for hours on end increases the risk of high blood pressure and even heart disease.
在办公桌前吃午餐也意味着坐着的时间更长,这可能导致关节酸痛。长时间久坐会增加患高血压甚至心脏病的风险。
What about the cognitive fatigue that accumulates when someone is "always on"? The need for a pause in the middle of the day has never been stronger. Monotony can lead to a dearth of fresh ideas and ultimately to reduced productivity.
当一个人“始终在线”时,不断累积的认知疲劳又该如何应对呢?中午暂停休息的需求从未如此强烈。单调会导致创意枯竭,最终降低工作效率。
Moreover, coming together to share food has been a ritual for millennia. Forming bonds with colleagues or clients with some informal chatter over a meal goes to the heart of the joys of having a job in the first place.
此外,数千年来,聚在一起分享食物一直是一种仪式。与同事或客户在用餐时随意闲聊并建立联系,这正是拥有工作的核心乐趣所在。
And there are measurable benefits to downing tools and joining colleagues over lunch. According to a study by Kevin Kniffin and co-authors at Cornell University, firemen who eat together are more co-operative and generally better at their jobs. Platoons that shared a meal during the working day were found to achieve higher marks for their teams' performance.
放下工作、与同事一起吃午餐还有显著的好处。康奈尔大学的凯文·尼芬及其合著者进行的一项研究表明,一起吃饭的消防员合作性更强,整体工作表现也更出色。研究发现,在工作日一起吃饭的一排消防员在团队表现上得分更高。
Bosses can also profit from a lunch break. N. R. Narayana Murthy, co-founder of Infosys, a giant Indian technology firm, ate lunch in the cafeteria with employees whenever he could, even standing in line for his meal.
老板们也能从午休中获益。印度科技巨头印孚瑟斯的联合创始人纳拉亚纳·穆尔蒂只要有机会就会在食堂与员工一起吃午饭,甚至会自己排队打饭。
Displaying a down-to-earth demeanour by dining with employees may not only cast bosses in a more favourable light with the rank-and-file. Managers may also find this a useful informal way of catching up with their teams.
与员工一起吃饭所展现的朴实姿态不仅能让老板在基层员工当中有一个更正面的形象。管理者或许也会发现,这是了解团队情况的一种很实用的非正式方式。
词汇预习
- fatigue [高考]
美[fəˈtiːɡ] | 英[fəˈtiːɡ]
n. 疲劳;疲乏;劳务杂役
v. (使)疲劳
adj. 疲劳的 - giant [高考]
美[ˈdʒaɪənt] | 英[ˈdʒaɪənt]
n. 巨人;巨物;大公司
adj. 巨大的 - laptop [高考]
美[ˈlæptɑːp] | 英[ˈlæptɒp]
n. 便携式电脑;笔记本电脑 - founder [高考]
美[ˈfaʊndɚ] | 英[ˈfaʊndə(r)]
n. 创立者
v. 摔倒;失败;沉没;弄跛 - informal [高考]
美[ɪnˈfɔːrml] | 英[ɪnˈfɔːml]
adj. 非正式的;不拘形式的 - productivity [高考]
美[ˌprɑːdʌkˈtɪvəti] | 英[ˌprɒdʌkˈtɪvəti]
n. 生产率;生产力 - cognitive [高考]
美[ˈkɑːɡnətɪv] | 英[ˈkɒɡnətɪv]
adj. 认识的;认知的;有认识力的 - sticky [高考]
美[ˈstɪki] | 英[ˈstɪki]
adj. 粘的;闷热的;困难的;令人不满意的 - ultimately [高考]
美[ˈʌltɪmətli] | 英[ˈʌltɪmətli]
adv. 最后;最终 - midday [高考]
美[ˈmɪdˌde] | 英[ˌmɪdˈdeɪ]
n. 正午;中午 - decline [高考]
美[dɪˈklaɪn] | 英[dɪˈklaɪn]
v. 下降;减少;变弱;拒绝;倾斜
n. 减少,衰退 - consist [高考]
美[kənˈsɪst] | 英[kənˈsɪst]
vi. 由 ... 组成;构成;在于;符合 - profit [高考]
美[ˈprɑːfɪt] | 英[ˈprɒfɪt]
n. 利润;收益;利益
vi. 得益;获利
vt. 有益于 - pause [高考]
美[pɔːz] | 英[pɔːz]
n. 暂停;中止;犹豫不决
vi. 停顿;中止 - cast [高考]
美[kæst] | 英[kɑːst]
v. 掷;抛;投;铸造;指定演员;加起来;投射(目光);投(票);预测
n. 演员阵容;投掷;[医]固定用敷料 - favour [高考]
美[ˈfeɪvər] | 英[ˈfeɪvə(r)]
n. 恩惠;支持;喜爱;偏爱
v. 支持;偏袒;有利于;长得像 - file [高考]
美[faɪl] | 英[faɪl]
n. 档案;卷宗;文件;锉刀,指甲锉
vt. 把 ... 归档;提出(申请书、议案等) - mourn [高考]
美[mɔːrn] | 英[mɔːn]
v. 哀悼;忧伤;服丧 - drawback [高考]
美[ˈdrɔːbæk] | 英[ˈdrɔːbæk]
n. 缺点;退税;退款;不利条件;弊 - cigar [高考]
美[sɪˈɡɑːr] | 英[sɪˈɡɑː(r)]
n. 雪茄烟 - result in [高考]
美[rɪˈzʌlt ɪn] | 英[rɪˈzʌlt ɪn]
导致;结果是 - consist of [高考]
美[kənˈsɪst əv] | 英[kənˈsɪst ɒv]
由 ... 组成 - in the first place [高考]
美[ɪn ðə fɜːrst pleɪs] | 英[ɪn ðə fɜːst pleɪs]
起初; 首先 - on end [高考]
美[ɑːn end] | 英[ɒn end]
竖着地; 连续地 - profit from [高考]
美[ˈprɑfɪt frɔm] | 英[ˈprɑfɪt frɔm]
从 ... 得益 - means [高考]
美[miːnz] | 英[miːnz]
n. 方法;手段;收入;财产
v. 意思是,意味(动词mean的第三人称单数) - sore [高考]
美[sɔːr] | 英[sɔː(r)]
adj. 疼痛的;痛心的;恼火的;严重的
n. 痛处;伤口 - measurable [四级]
美[ˈmeʒərəbl] | 英[ˈmeʒərəbl]
adj. 可测量的;重要的;可预见的;可察觉的 - favourable [四级]
美[ˈfeɪvərəbl] | 英[ˈfeɪvərəbl]
adj. 赞成的;有用的;良好的 - ritual [六级]
美[ˈrɪtʃuəl] | 英[ˈrɪtʃuəl]
n. 仪式;典礼;宗教仪式;固定程序
adj. 仪式的;老规矩的;惯常的 - chatter [六级]
美[ˈtʃætɚ] | 英[ˈtʃætə(r)]
v. 唠叨,喋喋不休;(牙齿)打战;发出咯咯声;(鸟)鸣叫
n. 喋喋不休的谈话,唠叨;(动物的)鸣叫声,啁啾声,吱吱的叫声,(小溪的)潺潺流水声;网上的交流 - 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 - operative [六级]
美[ˈɑːpərətɪv] | 英[ˈɒpərətɪv]
adj. 有效的;至关重要的;运作的
n. 技工;侦探 - standing [专八]
美[ˈstændɪŋ] | 英[ˈstændɪŋ]
n. 持续;地位
adj. 永久的;不动的;直立的;不流动的 - dearth [考研]
美[dɜːrθ] | 英[dɜːθ]
n. 缺乏;粮食不足 - co-operative [考研]
美['koʊ'ɒpərətɪv] | 英['kəʊ'ɒpərətɪv]
adj. 合作的;有合作意向的
重点讲解
Reclaiming the office lunch
重新夺回办公室午餐
out of favour 不被喜欢;失宠
【例】She was out of favour with her neighbors.
她不受邻居的欢迎。
【反义词】in favour with sb 得某人欢心;受宠
【例】Tim is back in favour with the boss.
蒂姆又重新赢得了老板的喜欢。
consist of 由......构成
【例】The group consists of ten people.
小组由十人组成。
【近义词】be made up of 由……组成
comprise v. 由……组成
be composed of 由……组成
【辨析】constitute v. 组成;构成
make up 组成;构成
【例】Ten people constitute/make up the group.
十个人组成了一个小组。
The clearly delineated lunch break has fallen out of favour in these more pressured times. Knocking off for a midday meal could now be perceived as a sign of idleness. What was once called a “lunch hour” is now more likely to consist of a sandwich “al desko”.
在如今这个压力更大的时代,界限清晰的午休已不再受欢迎。停下工作去吃午饭可能被视为懒散的表现。曾经的“午休时间”如今更可能变成“工位三明治”。
out of favour 不被喜欢;失宠
【例】She was out of favour with her neighbors.
她不受邻居的欢迎。
【反义词】in favour with sb 得某人欢心;受宠
【例】Tim is back in favour with the boss.
蒂姆又重新赢得了老板的喜欢。
consist of 由......构成
【例】The group consists of ten people.
小组由十人组成。
【近义词】be made up of 由……组成
comprise v. 由……组成
be composed of 由……组成
【辨析】constitute v. 组成;构成
make up 组成;构成
【例】Ten people constitute/make up the group.
十个人组成了一个小组。
Some will mourn the decline of sybaritic three-course affairs with wine, perhaps bookended with cocktails and a cigar. Once these feasts regularly punctuated the working day for the likes of bankers, lawyers and journalists.
一些人会哀叹那种纵情享受的午餐一去不复返:三道菜配葡萄酒,或许还以鸡尾酒开场,雪茄作为收尾。这种盛宴曾经是银行家、律师、记者等的工作日中有规律的休止符。
bookend v. 发生在开头和结尾
【例】He bookended the concert with his two most famous songs.
他在演唱会开头和结尾唱了两首他最出名的歌。
【拓展】bookend n. 书挡;书立
punctuate v. 加标点符号;打断
【例】He punctuated his speech with a few well-chosen jokes.
他在讲话中穿插了一些恰到好处的笑话。
【拓展】punctuation n. 标点符号
Grabbing something fast and eating hunched over a laptop may result in crumbs on the desks and sticky keyboards, but that is far from the only drawback.
匆忙拿点食物,弓着背在笔记本电脑前吃东西可能会导致桌面上掉落食物碎屑、键盘变得黏腻,但这远非唯一的弊端。
grab v. 匆忙地拿,吃,做等
【例】Let's grab a sandwich before we go.
咱们赶快吃个三明治就走吧。
I managed to grab a couple of hours’ sleep on the plane.
我在飞机上抓紧时间睡了几个钟头。
Can I grab you for a second?
我能占用你一点儿时间吗?
drawback n. 缺点;弊端
【例】The plan is perfect. But the only drawback is the cost.
这个计划很完美,但唯一的缺点就是成本太高。
【近义词】downside n. 缺点;弊端
【反义词】upside n. 优点;积极的一面
Eating lunch at your desk also means staying seated longer, which can cause sore joints. Sitting for hours on end increases the risk of high blood pressure and even heart disease.
在办公桌前吃午餐也意味着坐着的时间更长,这可能导致关节酸痛。长时间久坐会增加患高血压甚至心脏病的风险。
on end 连续地;不间断地
【例】He would disappear for weeks on end.
他常常是连续几周不见人影。
【近义词】in a row 连续地
straight adv. 连续地
at a stretch 连续地
fatigue n. 疲劳
【例】physical and mental fatigue
身体和精神的疲劳
【拓展】tired/exhausted/drained adj. 疲劳的
tire/wear sb out 使某人精疲力尽
drain one’s energy 掏空某人的精力
What about the cognitive fatigue that accumulates when someone is “always on”? The need for a pause in the middle of the day has never been stronger. Monotony can lead to a dearth of fresh ideas and ultimately to reduced productivity.
当一个人“始终在线”时,不断累积的认知疲劳又该如何应对呢?中午暂停休息的需求从未如此强烈。单调会导致创意枯竭,最终降低工作效率。
on end 连续地;不间断地
【例】He would disappear for weeks on end.
他常常是连续几周不见人影。
【近义词】in a row 连续地
straight adv. 连续地
at a stretch 连续地
fatigue n. 疲劳
【例】physical and mental fatigue
身体和精神的疲劳
【拓展】tired/exhausted/drained adj. 疲劳的
tire/wear sb out 使某人精疲力尽
drain one’s energy 掏空某人的精力
Moreover, coming together to share food has been a ritual for millennia. Forming bonds with colleagues or clients with some informal chatter over a meal goes to the heart of the joys of having a job in the first place.
此外,数千年来,聚在一起分享食物一直是一种仪式。与同事或客户在用餐时随意闲聊并建立联系,这正是拥有工作的核心乐趣所在。
measurable adj. 可测量的;显著的
【例】measurable improvements 显著的改进
【近义词】considerable adj. 相当多的
noticeable adj. 显著的;值得注意的
And there are measurable benefits to downing tools and joining colleagues over lunch. According to a study by Kevin Kniffin and co-authors at Cornell University, firemen who eat together are more co-operative and generally better at their jobs. Platoons that shared a meal during the working day were found to achieve higher marks for their teams’ performance.
放下工作、与同事一起吃午餐还有显著的好处。康奈尔大学的凯文·尼芬及其合著者进行的一项研究表明,一起吃饭的消防员合作性更强,整体工作表现也更出色。研究发现,在工作日一起吃饭的一排消防员在团队表现上得分更高。
measurable adj. 可测量的;显著的
【例】measurable improvements 显著的改进
【近义词】considerable adj. 相当多的
noticeable adj. 显著的;值得注意的
Bosses can also profit from a lunch break. N. R. Narayana Murthy, co-founder of Infosys, a giant Indian technology firm, ate lunch in the cafeteria with employees whenever he could, even standing in line for his meal.
老板们也能从午休中获益。印度科技巨头印孚瑟斯的联合创始人纳拉亚纳·穆尔蒂只要有机会就会在食堂与员工一起吃午饭,甚至会自己排队打饭。
in a favourable light 从正面的角度
【例】They want to present their policies in a favourable light.
他们想从正面的角度来介绍他们的政策。
【拓展】in a good/bad/negative light 从好的/坏的/负面的角度
【例】You must not view what happened in a negative light.
你千万不要从负面的角度来看待所发生的事。
catch up with sb
1. 赶上;追赶
【例】Go on ahead. I'll catch up with you.
你先走,我随后赶上你。
2. 叙旧;了解近况
【例】She spends hours on the phone, catching up with an old friend.
她打了几个小时的电话,和一位老朋友叙旧。
Displaying a down-to-earth demeanour by dining with employees may not only cast bosses in a more favourable light with the rank-and-file. Managers may also find this a useful informal way of catching up with their teams.
与员工一起吃饭所展现的朴实姿态不仅能让老板在基层员工当中有一个更正面的形象。管理者或许也会发现,这是了解团队情况的一种很实用的非正式方式。
in a favourable light 从正面的角度
【例】They want to present their policies in a favourable light.
他们想从正面的角度来介绍他们的政策。
【拓展】in a good/bad/negative light 从好的/坏的/负面的角度
【例】You must not view what happened in a negative light.
你千万不要从负面的角度来看待所发生的事。
catch up with sb
1. 赶上;追赶
【例】Go on ahead. I'll catch up with you.
你先走,我随后赶上你。
2. 叙旧;了解近况
【例】She spends hours on the phone, catching up with an old friend.
她打了几个小时的电话,和一位老朋友叙旧。
课后练习
What does today's lunch hour look like?
A. It is a social gathering with colleagues.
B. It is eating a quick sandwich at one's desk.
C. It is a long, leisurely meal of three courses.
D. It is a designated break for exercise or relaxation.What does the author think about eating lunch at the desk?
A. It is a sign of efficiency and diligent work.
B. It is a harmless habit that saves time for work.
C. It is a practical solution for busy professionals.
D. It has negative effects on health and productivity.The study by Kevin Kniffin and co-authors has found that ____.
A. sharing meals can enhance cooperation and performance
B. eating together can improve firemen’s job satisfaction
C. informal chatter during lunch reduces work efficiency
D. platoons that skip lunch show higher productivityHow can bosses benefit from a lunch break?
A. By avoiding formal meetings with employees.
B. By saving time and getting more important work done.
C. By fostering a friendly and competitive group dynamic.
D. By building a good image and communicating with teams.