In many industrial countries, people work five eight-hour days or 40 hours a week.
在许多工业国家,人们每周工作五天,每天工作八个小时,也就是每周四十个小时。
But some companies now want their employees to work just four days a week
但是有些公司现在希望员工每周只工作四天,
and still pay them for five.
并且仍旧支付他们五天的工资。
Is it too good to be true?
这是否美好得太不真实了?
Companies that reduced work hours have found
那些减少工时的公司发现,
that their employees like their jobs more and are more productive at work.
员工对工作的喜爱程度更高,工作更富成效。
In New Zealand, a company called Perpetual Guardian tested
在新西兰一家名为Perpetual Guardian的公司。
How its employee react to a 32-hour workweek earlier this year.
在今年早些时候,测试了员工对每周32小时工作制的反应。
It said the workers reported feeling less pressured and 【involved with】more the business.
参与；热衷于 be/get involved with
Eg: she is very much involved with her club activities.
该公司称,工人们表示他们感到压力减少了,对业务更加投入了。
In Japan, the government is 【urging companies to let】 their workers have Monday mornings off,
敦促/强烈要求某人做某事 urge sb. to do sth.
在日本,政府教促企业让员工周一上午休息。
Other attempts to reduce working hours, however,have had little effect
然而,其他减少工作时间的尝试都收效甚微，
since many Japanese continue to work extra hours anyway.
因为许多日本人无论如何都会继续加班。
Britain's Trades Union Congress (TUC) is pushing for the country
英国工会大会(TUC)正在推动英国
to move to a four-day week by the end of the century.
于本世纪末之前实行每周四天工作制。
The group argues that a shorter workweek is a way for workers
该组织认为,缩短每周的工作时间是
to 【share in】 the wealth made by new technologies like machine learning and robotics.
分享/分担
工人分享机器学习和机器人等新技术所创造财富的一种方式。
The union compared that to the time they won the right to have weekends off during the industrial revolution.
工会认为这可以与他们在工业革命期间获取周末休假权利这一举措相提并论。
TUC's Kate Bell noted,
TUC的Kate Bell指出，
"It would reduce the stress of 【juggling working】 and family life and could improve gender equality.“
同时应付（几分工作/活动） juggle sth. （with sth.）
Eg: Many parents find it hard to juggle children and a career.
"这将减轻人们兼顾工作和家庭生活的压力,并能促进两性平等。
Companies that have already tried it say it's better for productivity and staff well-being."
经当试过这顶米堪的公司表示它对生产力和员工的福利更有好处。"
A study of 3,000 employees found that
一项面向3000名员工的研究发现，
nearly half thought they could easily finish their work in five hours a day
近一半的人认为,如果中途不休息的话,
if they did not have to stop and re-start.
他们每天可以在五个小时的时间内轻松完成工作。
Many said they already are working more than 40hours a week anyway.
许多人表示他们每周的工作时间已经超过40个小时了。
The workers were from eight countries, including the United States, Britain and Germany.
这些工人来自八个国家,包括美国、英国和德国。
Dan Schawbel is with Future Workplace, which carried out the survey with Kronos.
Dan Schawbel是Future Workplace的一员,他与Kronos-一起开展了这项调查。
He observed, "Because you always have the technology,
他说“因为技术一直存在 ”
you are always working, so, people are 【getting burned out】.
精疲力竭 get burned out
你一直在工作,所以人们总是会精疲力竭。
Dan Schawbel expects more companies and countries will permit a four-day workweek,
Dan Schawbel预计,更多的公司和国家将允许每周工作四天,
but not in the United States,
除了美国。
He said, "I think America will be the last country to give us Monday mornings off
他说:“我认为美国将是最后一个给我们星期一上午休假的国家，
because we'【re so used to】 this way of working."
习惯于（做）某事 be/get used to （doing）sth.
因为我们已经习惯了这种工作方式。”
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