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America—Home to Workaholics 美国——工作狂之乡

导读

工作狂为工作而活，经常把工作带回家，离开了工作就发现自己的生活无法正常运转。美国盛产工作狂，原因何在？激烈竞争的现代社会，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.

很可能你或你认识的某个人就是工作狂。工作狂为工作而活，往往在公司度过许多额外的时间，还常把工作带回家去完成。美国人都生活在勤奋工作的文化氛围之中，但是当工作成为生存的唯一理由，当工作胜过了家庭、朋友等许多重要的东西时，问题就变得尖锐了。

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会性的，美国人的每周工作时数较之往年不断增长，由于裁员、公司合并以及替补性聘用的缺乏，越来越多的员工在加班加点赶做原本该别人干的活儿。一些调查表明，高达40%的在职人员甚至从不度假，部分原因是害怕度假回来工作已被别人抢去。

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发展。我们生活、工作在一个互相联通的环境，电子邮件、即时信息、传真机与手机等使人们很难真有时间脱离工作。

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.

工作狂还与经济原因有关。无论是因为我们越来越多的人错误地用金钱尺码来衡量成功，还是因为许多美国人不得不身兼数职赚取一份生活工资以保证家庭脱贫，总之我们工作越来越大程度上是为了经济目的。

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.

无论出于什么原因，工作狂可以演变成一种严重的状况，不仅导致家庭破裂，还造成与压力有关的严重身体疾患。当工作成为活着的唯一理由——当其成为我们唯一的所思所想，唯一能令我们开心的事——那就到了该做点什么的时候。不要将勤恳工作与工作狂混为一谈。工作勤勉者能分清工作时间与个人时间之间的界限，不工作时也能正常运转；而工作狂没有个人时间，一旦脱离工作就无法正常运作。

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.

减轻工作狂症状的关键在于抽出时间远离工作。要改变单一的工作重心确实要花费一番工夫，但为了你的身心健康，你真应该作出以下努力：与家人及（非工作上的）朋友共度美好时光；经常给家里打电话保持与家人的联系；学会分配工作；学会对新任务说“不”，抽时间休息，放下手中的活儿；考虑体育活动恢复健康的体型；考虑参加志愿者活动，帮助他人并结识新人；使自己确信有时坐下来放松一下无所事事没什么不好的；培养一两种爱好；一定要克制那种想把一切做得尽善尽美、一切要达到自己的标准的强烈愿望。

Cloze 选词填空

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 翻译练习

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会性的，美国人的每周工作时数较之往年不断增长，由于裁员、公司合并以及替补性聘用的缺乏，越来越多的员工在加班加点赶做原本该别人干的活儿。