你热爱自己的工作吗？一想到要工作一整天，你是无比期待，还是惴惴不安？对于有些人来说，从星期一开始就数着日子，盼着星期五能早早到来，好在周末时光逃离繁琐枯燥的日常事务。难道我们非要带着这种情绪工作吗？
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Do you enjoy working? Does the prospect of a day in the office fill you with excitement or dread? And when you're at your desk do you spend your time clock-watching – longing for the moment when it's time to switch off your computer and head for home? For some of us, we start the working week on Monday and count the days until Friday when the weekend begins and we have a break from the daily grind. But does it have to be this way?
Hopefully, working brings us some pleasure. And there's the chance of career development and a pay rise. But surely there is a life outside the office to be enjoyed. And if life is for living, then maybe we should get on living it! Maybe that's why some people are questioning whether a five-day working week is right for employees and employers alike?
It's something BBC journalist, Ashitha Nagesh has been investigating. She's said although technology is supposed to make our working lives easier, giving us more leisure time, "tech has arguably had the opposite effect - it's enabled an 'always-on' culture that means even when you go home, the work doesn't stop." It seems we need to do something to find a better work-life balance.
The company Prospect Guardian trialled a four-day week earlier this year and reportedly found workers were less stressed and had a better work-life balance when they had an extra day off in the week, but were still paid for five days. This, in turn, apparently meant they were more productive on the days that they were in the office.
In the UK, the Green Party is calling for a four-day week, which would help people's "well-being". Co-leader Sian Berry told the BBC work-life balance was "in crisis" and claims that "people with more fulfilling work and more free time could be more productive".
A shorter working week is also believed to be better for your health. Research has found that working long hours increases the chance of work-related stress, depression and anxiety. And a project by Project:Time Off and GfK found it was the millennial generation who felt particularly stressed and overworked but were reluctant to use up their annual leave.
So with evidence that we can be more productive and healthier then maybe a four-day week will become a reality for all of us. The next problem would be deciding what to do with your extra free time!
vocabulary
prospect 情景
clock-watching （盯着点）总盼着下班
the daily grind 枯燥乏味的日常工作 tedious chores 乏味的工作
head for sw. 回去
career development 职业发展
pay rise 加薪、涨工资
employee 员工 employer 雇主
leisure time 业余休闲时间
work-life balance 工作与生活的平衡
stressed 感到有压力的，紧张的
productive 富有成效的，生产率高的
have a day off 放一天假
well-being 安乐、安康
fulfilling 使人有成就感的
anxiety 焦虑
overworked 工作操劳过度的
annual leave 年假
arguably 可论证地;可争辩地
in crisis 陷入危机
the millennial generation 千禧一代
be reluctant to do sth. 勉强做什么，不情愿做
=be unwilling to do sth.
p.s.,discrimination:
long (v) 渴望
longing (n) 渴望
long for sth./sb.
=a /the longing for sb./sth.
make sentences
Employers need to do more to improve safety in the workplace for their staff.
I have been very productive and managed to complete four tests in just one hour!
I keep clock-watching because this lecture is so boring and I want to go home!
Being a volunteer at my local wildlife charity is very enjoyable and fulfilling.
My manager says I can work at home on Tuesdays so that is much better for my work-life balance.
