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America—Home to Workaholics 美國——工作狂之鄉

導讀

工作狂為工作而活，經常把工作帶回家，離開了工作就發現自己的生活無法正常運轉。美國盛產工作狂，原因何在？激烈競爭的現代社會，如何才能使忙碌的步伐放慢？

It is pretty likely that you—or someone you know—is a workaholic. Workaholics live for their work, often spending many extra hours at work, and often taking work home to complete. Americans live in a work-hard culture, but when work becomes the sole reason for a person's existence above more important things (such as family and friends), the issue becomes critical.

很可能你或你認識的某個人就是工作狂。工作狂為工作而活，往往在公司度過許多額外的時間，還常把工作帶回家去完成。美國人都生活在勤奮工作的文化氛圍之中，但是當工作成為生存的唯一理由，當工作勝過了家庭、朋友等許多重要的東西時，問題就變得尖銳了。

Part of the matter is societal. Americans are working more hours per week than in years past, and with all the downsizings and consolidations and lack of replacement hirings, more and more workers are putting in extra hours to complete the work previously completed by others. Some studies show that as many as 40 percent of workers don't even bother to take vacations, partly because of fears they may not have a job to come back to if they do.

工作狂的部分根源是社會性的，美國人的每周工作時數較之往年不斷增長，由于裁員、公司合并以及替補性聘用的缺乏，越來越多的員工在加班加點趕做原本該別人干的活兒。一些調查表明，高達40%的在職人員甚至從不度假，部分原因是害怕度假回來工作已被別人搶去。

Part of the matter is technological. We live and work in a connected environment—e-mails, instant messaging, fax machines, and cell phones—making it hard for workers to truly get time away from their work.

工作狂的另一根源是科技的發展。我們生活、工作在一個互相聯通的環境，電子郵件、即時信息、傳真機與手機等使人們很難真有時間脫離工作。

Part of the matter is financial. Whether it is how more and more of us mistakenly define success in terms of financial measures or the fact that many Americans simply must work multiple jobs to earn a living wage and keep their families out of poverty, we are working more and more for the financial results.

工作狂還與經濟原因有關。無論是因為我們越來越多的人錯誤地用金錢尺碼來衡量成功，還是因為許多美國人不得不身兼數職賺取一份生活工資以保證家庭脫貧，總之我們工作越來越大程度上是為了經濟目的。

Regardless of the reasons, workaholism can be a serious condition that can lead to the destruction of families, as well as to serious stress-re lated health problems. When work becomes the sole reason for being—when it becomes the only thing we think about, the only thing that truly makes us happy—then it is time to do something. And do not confuse hard work for workaholism. Hard workers know the boundaries between work and personal times and can function normally when not at work, while workaholics have no personal times and cannot function well outside of work.

無論出于什么原因，工作狂可以演變成一種嚴重的狀況，不僅導致家庭破裂，還造成與壓力有關的嚴重身體疾患。當工作成為活著的唯一理由——當其成為我們唯一的所思所想，唯一能令我們開心的事——那就到了該做點什么的時候。不要將勤懇工作與工作狂混為一談。工作勤勉者能分清工作時間與個人時間之間的界限，不工作時也能正常運轉；而工作狂沒有個人時間，一旦脫離工作就無法正常運作。

The key to reducing workaholism is making time away from work. It will take some effort to shift from a sole focus on work, but for your mental and physical health, you really should make the effort to do the following: spend time with family and (non-work) friends; call home often to stay connected; learn how to delegate work and learn to say no to new assignments; take time off and leave work behind; consider exercises to get your body back to a healthy shape; consider volunteering to help others and to meet new people; convince yourself it is okay sometimes to just sit and relax and do nothing; find a hobby or two; fight the urge that everything you do must be perfect to your standards.

減輕工作狂癥狀的關鍵在于抽出時間遠離工作。要改變單一的工作重心確實要花費一番工夫，但為了你的身心健康，你真應該作出以下努力：與家人及（非工作上的）朋友共度美好時光；經常給家里打電話保持與家人的聯系；學會分配工作；學會對新任務說“不”，抽時間休息，放下手中的活兒；考慮體育活動恢復健康的體型；考慮參加志愿者活動，幫助他人并結識新人；使自己確信有時坐下來放松一下無所事事沒什么不好的；培養一兩種愛好；一定要克制那種想把一切做得盡善盡美、一切要達到自己的標準的強烈愿望。

Cloze 選詞填空

The key 1 reducing workaholism is making time away from work. It will 2 some effort to shift from a sole focus on work, 3 for your mental and physical health, you really should make the effort to do the following: 4 time with family and (non-work) friends; call home often to stay 5; learn how to 6 work and learn to say no to new assignments; take time off and leave work 7; consider 8 to get your body back to a healthy shape; consider volunteering to help others and to meet new people; 9 yourself it is okay sometimes to just sit and relax and do nothing; find a hobby or two; fight the 10 that everything you do must be perfect to your standards.

Key

1. to 2. take 3. but 4. spend 5. connected 6. delegate

7. behind 8. exercises 9. convince 10.urge

Translation Practices 翻譯練習

Part of the matter is societal. Americans are working more hours per week than in years past, and with all the downsizings and consolidations and lack of replacement hirings, more and more workers are putting in extra hours to complete the work previously completed by others.

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Key

工作狂的部分根源是社會性的，美國人的每周工作時數較之往年不斷增長，由于裁員、公司合并以及替補性聘用的缺乏，越來越多的員工在加班加點趕做原本該別人干的活兒。