2019年经济学人 缺勤的快乐(2)

 

After a while this can result in collective self-delusion that this pretence¹ is actual work.

一段时间后，这可能会导致集体的自我欺骗，认为这种伪装是真正的工作。

But presenteeism has more serious consequences. It is perhaps most prevalent in Japan,

但是出勤有更严重的后果。这可能在日本最为普遍，

where people attend the office even when they are in discomfort².

在日本，即使身体不适，人们也会出勤。

In doing so, they are doing neither themselves nor their employers any favours.

这样做对他们自己和雇主都没有任何好处。

As well as reducing productivity, this can increase medical expenses for the employer.

这么做会增加雇主的医疗开支，还会降低生产力。

According to a study in the Journal of Occupation and Environmental Medicine,

根据《Journal of Occupation and Environmental Medicine》中的一项研究，

these costs can be six times higher for employers than the costs of absenteeism among workers.

对雇主来说，这些成本可能是工人旷工成本的6倍。

To take one example, research published in the British Medical Journal found that

举个例子，发表于《British Medical Journal》一项研究发现

Japanese employees with lower-back pain were three times more likely to turn up for work than in Britain.

患有腰背痛的日本员工去上班的可能性是英国员工的三倍。

As a result, those workers were more likely to experience greater pain and to suffer from depression.

因此，那些员工有可能经历更加剧烈的疼痛并患上抑郁症。

What could be more dispiriting than being in pain while feeling trapped at work?

还有什么比在工作中陷入痛苦更令人沮丧的呢？

None of this is to say that employers are not entitled to expect workers to be in the office for a decent proportion of time.

但这并不是说雇主没有权利要求员工在办公室待适当比例的时间。

Inevitably³ there will be a need for some (preferably short) meetings.

公司不可避免地要举行一些（最好是时间较短的）会议。

Dealing⁴ with colleagues face-to-face creates a feeling of camaraderie⁵,

面对面地与同事相处能产生一种同志情谊，

allows for a useful exchange of ideas and enables workers to have a better sense of their mutual⁶ needs.

有助于有益的思想交流，还能让员工对彼此的需求有更好的感受。

In the grand sweep of humanity, presenteeism is a recent phenomenon.

在人类进程中，出勤是一个近期现象。

Before the industrial era, most people worked in their own farm or workshop and were paid for the amount they produced.

工业时期以前，大部分人都在自家农场或作坊工作，按照自己的生产量赚工资。

Factories emerged because new machines were much more efficient than cottage-industry methods,

由于新机器比家庭手工业更高效，所以工厂出现了，

and only a large employer with capital could afford them.

只有拥有资本的大雇主才能买得起新机器。

Suddenly, workers were paid not for their output but for their time, and were required to clock in and out.

突然，工人们工资不是看他们的产出，而是看他们的时间，同时还被要求按表上下班。

But modern machinery⁷ like smartphones and laptops is portable. It can be used as easily at home as in the office.

但是像智能手机和笔记本电脑这样的现代机器是便携式的。在家和在办公室都能轻松使用。

Turning an office into a prison, with inmates⁸ allowed home for the evenings,

把办公室变成监狱，允许犯人晚上回家，

does nothing for the creativity that is increasingly demanded of office workers as routine tasks are automated⁹.

这么做对创造力没任何好处，随着日常工作的自动化，对办公室工作人员创造力的要求越来越高。

To be productive you need presence of mind, not being present in the flesh.

想要富有成效，需要出席的是精神，而不是肉身。

1 pretence   

n.假装，作假；借口，口实；虚伪；虚饰

参考例句：

• The government abandoned any pretence of reform. 政府不再装模作样地进行改革。
• He made a pretence of being happy at the party.晚会上他假装很高兴。

2 discomfort   

n.不舒服，不安，难过，困难，不方便

参考例句：

• One has to bear a little discomfort while travelling.旅行中总要忍受一点不便。
• She turned red with discomfort when the teacher spoke.老师讲话时她不好意思地红着脸。

3 inevitably   

adv.不可避免地；必然发生地

参考例句：

• In the way you go on,you are inevitably coming apart.照你们这样下去，毫无疑问是会散伙的。
• Technological changes will inevitably lead to unemployment.技术变革必然会导致失业。

4 dealing   

n.经商方法，待人态度

参考例句：

• This store has an excellent reputation for fair dealing.该商店因买卖公道而享有极高的声誉。
• His fair dealing earned our confidence.他的诚实的行为获得我们的信任。

5 camaraderie   

n.同志之爱，友情

参考例句：

• The camaraderie among fellow employees made the tedious work just bearable.同事之间的情谊使枯燥乏味的工作变得还能忍受。
• Some bosses are formal and have occasional interactions,while others prefer continual camaraderie.有些老板很刻板，偶尔才和下属互动一下；有些则喜欢和下属打成一片。

6 mutual   

adj.相互的，彼此的；共同的，共有的

参考例句：

• We must pull together for mutual interest.我们必须为相互的利益而通力合作。
• Mutual interests tied us together.相互的利害关系把我们联系在一起。

7 machinery   

n.(总称)机械，机器；机构

参考例句：

• Has the machinery been put up ready for the broadcast?广播器材安装完毕了吗？
• Machinery ought to be well maintained all the time.机器应该随时注意维护。

8 inmates   

n.囚犯( inmate的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• One of the inmates has escaped. 被收容的人中有一个逃跑了。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The inmates were moved to an undisclosed location. 监狱里的囚犯被转移到一个秘密处所。 来自《简明英汉词典》

9 automated   

a.自动化的

参考例句：

• The entire manufacturing process has been automated. 整个生产过程已自动化。
• Automated Highway System (AHS) is recently regarded as one subsystem of Intelligent Transport System (ITS). 近年来自动公路系统(Automated Highway System,AHS)，作为智能运输系统的子系统之一越来越受到重视。