1
人生
For decades, the 40-hour work week has been more or less the standard . Most people clock in at nine in the morning and leave around five in the afternoon. But why is 40 hours a week considered the right amount of time?
幾十年來，一週工作四十小時大致上都是標準工時。多數人都在九點打卡上班並大約在下午五點下班。然而，為什麼四十小時被認定是正確的工時呢？
- standard [ ˈstændɚd] n. 標準 & a. 標準的
It all goes back to the Industrial Revolution in the early 19th century. Back then, American factory workers routinely worked 80 to 100 hours a week. This was of course very tiring and unhealthy. By the mid-19th century, many were calling for a standard eight-hour workday.
這一切都要追溯到十九世紀初的工業革命。當時，美國工廠的工人經常每週工作八十到一百小時。這當然非常令人疲憊而且不健康。到了十九世紀中葉，許多人要求標準的一日八小時工作天。
- routinely [ ruˈtinlɪ ] adv. 日常地，經常地
- tiring [ ˈtaɪrɪŋ ] a. 令人疲憊的
- call for… 要求⋯⋯
In 1869, US President Ulysses Grant passed a law for an eight-hour day for government workers. Then, in 1926, auto manufacturer Henry Ford found that an eight-hour workday actually increased workers ’ efficiency. What ’ s more, he realized that for the economy to grow, people needed more free time to spend the money they earned . By 1940, the 40-hour work week was required by national law in America. Employees who worked longer than eight hours a day would receive a higher rate of pay for the additional hours.
在 1869 年，美國總統尤里西斯‧格蘭特通過一條法令讓政府員工每天工作八小時。接著，在 1926 年，汽車生產業者亨利‧福特發現一天八小時的工時其實提高了工人的效率。此外，他意識到如果經濟要有所成長，人們得有更多的休閒時間花他們賺到的錢。到了 1940 年，美國的法律已規範一週四十小時的工時。一天工作超過八小時的員工會因為額外的工時而獲得更高的工錢。
- earn [ ɝn ] vt. 賺得，獲得
- rate [ ret ] n. 費用；價格
- additional [ əˈdɪʃənl̩ ] a. 額外的
Our idea of what a perfect schedule looks like is still changing today. Some companies are experimenting with 32-hour weeks and three-day weekends. So far, the results are mixed , but as technology and people ’ s needs change, our work schedules will as well.
我們對於完美時間表的概念至今仍在改變。有些公司正在實驗一週三十二小時的工時和為期三天的週末。目前，實驗結果並不一致，不過隨著科技和人們的需求改變，我們的工作時數也會跟著變化。
- mixed [ mɪkst ] a. 混合的，參雜的
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