美国人的工作伦理.doc

美国人的工作伦理美国人的工作伦理 The underworked American 偷懒的美国人 Jun 11th 2009 2009 年6月 11日 From The Economist print edition 译自经济学人印刷版 Children are exceptions to the country ’s work ethic 孩子们是美国工作伦理的例外 AMERICANS like to think of themselves as martyrs to work. They delight in telling stories about their punishing hours, snatched holidays and ever-intrusive BlackBerrys. At this time of the year they marvel at the laziness of their European cousins, particularly the French. Did you know that the French take the whole of August off to recover from their 35-hour work weeks? Have you heard that they are so addicted to their holidays that they leave the sick to die and the dead to moulder? 美国人总喜欢自诩自己为工作奉献一切。他们对自己饱受折磨的工作时间、被挤榨的假期以及时不时打扰黑莓手机津津乐道。在今年的这个时候, 他们就开始对他们欧洲特别是法国的表兄弟们的懒散表示惊讶。“你知道吗, 法国人是把整个八月份都用来休假, 以作为对他们‘每周 35 小时’工作的疗养?你听说吗,他们沉醉于假期,而把病的放到死,死的放到腐烂? ” There is an element of exaggeration in this, of course, and not just about French burial habits; studies show that Americans are less Stakhanovite than they think. Still, the average American gets only four weeks of paid leave a pared with seven for the French and eight for the Germans. In Paris many shops simply close down for August; in Washington, where the weather is sweltering, they remain open, some for 24 hours a day. 这其中当然有一定的夸张成分,不仅仅在于对法国殡葬习惯的曲解, 因为研究表明美国人并不如他们所自认的那么斯达汉诺夫式。不过一般美国人一年只有四周的带薪假期而法国人有七周,德国人有八周。在巴黎,很多商店八月份直接关门;而在华盛顿,尽管天气酷热,商店还是要