新編大學英語第四冊unit3 Text B: Work Lovers or Work Addicts?

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Work Lovers or Work Addicts?

1 Most workers spend eight or nine hours on the job. They work because it's unavoidable. They need to make enough money for necessities: food, rent, clothing, transportation, tuition, and so on. They spend about one-third of their lives at work, but they hate it. They complain and count the minutes until quitting time each day or the days until their next vacation.

2 However, there are other workers that either love to work or are addicted to work. Sometimes it is not easy to distinguish between the work lover and the work addict or workaholic. Although the work lover may spend many extra hours on the job each week and often take work home, he or she does not regard work as the only source of self-esteem and satisfaction in life. Workaholics, on the other hand, become so emotionally dependent on their work that without it they are incapable of functioning.

3 Real workaholics would rather work than do anything else. They probably don't know how to relax; that is, they might not enjoy movies, sports, or other types of entertainment. Most of all, they hate to sit and do nothing. The lives of workaholics are usually stressful, and this tension and worry can cause health problems such as heart attacks or stomach ulcers. In addition, typical workaholics don't pay much attention to their families. They spend little time with their children, and their marriages often end in divorce.

4 In extreme situations, workaholics do not even know how not to work. Take, for example, the case of the hundreds of people in New York City who even tried to go to work in the famous blackout of 1977. There was no electricity no air conditioning, elevators, or lights but these workaholics went to their offices anyway. They sat impatiently on the steps outside their office buildings and did paperwork or had business meetings.

5 In some urban centers, workaholism is so common that people do not consider it unusual: they accept the lifestyle as normal. Government workers in Washington, D.C., for example, frequently work sixty to seventy hours a week. They don't do this because they have to; they do it because they want to.

6 Most of these work addicts are wearing themselves out, feeling out of control. So what is the solution? Decide what is really important in life and put that first. On a daily basis, that should include regular meals, adequate sleep and time with one's family. Exercise, leisure, friendships and hobbies should also be regular aspects of life. Take a nap. Take a walk. Take time to play the piano. Of course, you have to let go some of the things that are currently filling up the schedule to make room for the new priorities.

7 One phrase can be very helpful: it's the name of a book by Sot Gordon and Harold Brecher, Life Is Uncertain... Eat Dessert First! If the good stuff always gets left until last, it usually doesn't happen. Work before health and pleasure may become work instead of health and pleasure.

8 Is working too much always dangerous? Perhaps not. Whether they are workaholics or just work lovers, it appears that some people work well under stress. They are energetic and interested in life. Their work is so pleasurable that they are actually very happy. For these people, jobs offer a challenge that keeps them busy and creative. Other people retire from work at age sixty-five, but work lovers and work addicts usually prefer not to quit. They are still enthusiastic about work in their eighties and nineties.

9 Why do these people enjoy their jobs so much? There are several advantages to work. Of course, it provides people with paychecks, and this is important. But it offers more than financial security. It provides people with self-confidence; they have a feeling of satisfaction when they've produced a challenging piece of work and are able to say, "I made that." Psychologists claim that work gives people an identity; through participation in work, they get a sense of self and individualism. In addition, most jobs provide people with a socially acceptable way to meet others. In some cases, overworking seems to be a safe even an advantageous one.