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Unit 3
Attitudes Toward Work
After-Class Reading
PASSAGE I Work Lovers or Work Addicts?
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.
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.
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.
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.[1] 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.
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.
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.
One phrase can be very helpful: it's the name of a book by Sol 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.[2]
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.
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.[3] 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. (701 words)
Proper Names
Sol Gordon
（男子名）索尔.戈登
Harold Brecher
（男子名）哈罗德.布雷彻
Washington, D.C.
华盛顿（美国首都）( D. C. 即District of Columbia 哥伦比亚特区)
New Words
blackout
n. a loss of power or a period of failure of all electrical power, sometimes caused by an unusually heavy demand for electricity by those using the system 断电，停电
individualism *
n. the principle or habit of independent thought or action 个性（独立思考、行动的原则或惯）
e.g. Many people feel the need to prove that they are unique and capable of thinking for themselves. In other words, they want to express their individualism.
leisure
n. the time when you are not working or doing other duties 空暇；闲暇
e.g. I) Bill had little time for leisure because he worked two jobs.
II) The rest of the day may be spent at leisure.
paperwork
n. written work in an office, such as filling in forms, writing letters and reports, etc. 文书工作
e.g. The company I work for generates an enormous amount of paperwork.
pleasurable *
adj. causing pleasure; enjoyable
e.g. The pleasurable massage (按摩) helped the tense woman relax.
urban
adj. of or in a city or town 市镇的
e.g. I) The magazine had a special report about urban crime.
II) The spread of urban areas is harmful to wildlife.
workaholic
n. a person who works most of the time and finds it difficult not to work 工作狂，工作迷
workaholism
n. work addiction 沉迷于工作，迷恋工作
Phrases and Expressions
be incapable of doing something
not be able to do something 不能做某事
e.g. I) Mary is incapable of driving on the highway, without speeding.
II) The material we are looking for should be capable of withstanding very high temperatures.
fill up
make completely full 填满；装满
e.g. I) My family duties, my work and my evening course filled up my time.
II) I want to fill up the fuel tank before returning the car.
let someone/something go
release (one's hold of) someone/something 松开或释放某人/某事物
e.g. I) Take hold of the rope, and do not let go your hold.
II) Because they had no evidence, the police had to let the suspect go.
make room for
move something in order to provide space for something else 给......腾出地方
e.g. I) James took the books off the little table to make room for the television.
II) Can you make room on that shelf for more books?
on a(n)...basis
in a stated way or method 以某方式或方法
e.g. I) The secretary was hired on a temporary basis.
II) Most of our staff work for us on a voluntary basis.
III) The writing class was conducted on a twice-a-week basis.
wear someone out cause someone to become exhausted 使某人筋疲力尽
e.g. I) They wore us out with their constant screaming and crying.
II) The whole family was worn out after the overnight ferry(渡船)trip from Athens.
PASSAGE II Company Man
He worked himself to death, finally and precisely, at 3:00 A.M. Sunday morning.
The obituary didn't say that, of course. It said that he died of a heart attack-I think that was it-but everyone among his friends and acquaintances knew it instantly.[1] He was a perfect Type-A, a workaholic, a classic, they said to each other and shook their heads-and thought for ten minutes about the way they lived.[2]
This man who worked himself to death finally and precisely at 3:00 A.M. Sunday morning-on his day off[3]-was fifty-one years old and a vice-president. He was, however, one of six vice-presidents, and one of three who might conceivably-if the president died or retired soon enough-have moved to the top spot.[4] Phil knew that.
He worked six days a week, five of them until eight or nine at night, during a time when his own company had begun the four-day week for everyone but the executives. He had no outside interests, unless, of course, you think about a monthly golf game that way. To Phil, it was work.[5] He always ate egg-salad sandwiches at his desk.[6] He was, of course, overweight, by 20 or 25 pounds. He thought it was okay, though, because he didn't smoke.[7]
On Saturdays, Phil wore a sports jacket to the office instead of a suit, because it was the weekend.
He had a lot of people working for him, maybe sixty, and most of them liked him most of the time. Three of them will be seriously considered for his job. The obituary didn't mention that.
But it did list his "survivors" quite accurately. He is survived[8] by his wife, Helen, forty-eight years old, a good woman of no particular marketable skills, who worked in an office before marrying and mothering. She had, according to her daughter, given up trying to compete with his work years ago,[9] when the children were small. A company friend said, "I know how much you will miss him." And she answered, "I already have."
"Missing him all these years," she probably gave up trying to love him the way she used to. She would be "well taken care of".
His "dearly beloved" eldest of the "dearly beloved" children is a hard-working executive in a manufacturing firm down South. In the day and a half before the funeral, he went around the neighborhood researching his father, asking the neighbors what he was like; They were embarrassed.
His second child is a girl, who is twenty-four and newly married. She lives near her mother and they are close, but whenever she was alone with her father, in a car driving somewhere, they had nothing to say to each other.
The youngest is twenty, a boy, a high-school graduate who has spent the last couple of years, like a lot of his friends, doing enough occasional jobs to buy grass[10] and food. He was the one who tried to grab the affection of his father, and tried to mean enough to him to keep the man at home. He was his father's favorite. Over the last two years, Phil stayed up nights worrying about the boy.
The boy once said, "My father and I only board[11] here."
At the funeral, the sixty-year-old company president told the forty-eight-year-old widow that the fifty-one-year-old deceased had meant much to the company and would be missed and would be hard to replace. The widow didn't look him in the eye. She was afraid he would read her bitterness and, after all, she would need him to straighten out the finances-the stock options and all that.[12]
Phil was overweight and nervous and worked too hard. If he wasn't at the office, he was worried about it. Phil was a Type-A, a heart-attack natural.[13] You could have picked him out in a minute from a lineup.
So when he finally worked himself to death, at precisely 3:00 A.M. Sunday morning, no one was really surprised.
By 5:00 P.M. the afternoon of the funeral, the company president had begun, discreetly of course, with care and taste,[14] to make inquiries about his replacement. One of three men.[15] He asked around: "Who's been working the hardest?" (703 words)
Proper Name
Phil
（男子名）菲尔
New Words
Bitterness*
n. a feeling of pain and anger; resentment 怨恨
e.g. I) After a few drinks, all traces of bitterness between the opponents vanished.
II) Jimmy could not hide the bitterness toward the elderly woman.
conceivably*
adv. imaginably; possibly 想像中；可能
e.g. I might conceivably get a better job in Birmingham.
dearly*
adv. with strong feeling, especially of love 充满深情地
e.g. She will be dearly missed by her family and children.
deceased
adj. dead 已死的，死去了的
i.e. the deceased = the dead person
discreetly*
adv. in a careful way in order to avoid causing embarrassment or difficulties for other people （言行）审慎地，慎重地
e.g. I) I left the letter with him and went out discreetly.
II) Everyone worked to make him welcome, and, more discreetly, to find out about him.
instantly*
adv. immediately 立即，马上
e.g. They recognized him instantly.
lineup
n. a line or queue of people 一行人，一排人
monthly
adj. happening once a month 每月的；每月一次的
e.g. I) I subscribe (订阅) to a couple of monthly magazines.
II) The workers aired their problems at the monthly meeting.
obituary
n. a brief account of the life of someone who has recently died, usually including information about surviving relatives and the funeral 讣告
replacement
n. someone or something that takes place of someone or something else 替代人，替代物；接替者，接替物
e.g. I) The agency sent a replacement for the secretary who resigned.
II) The replacement lasted longer than the original part.
salad
n. raw or cooked food cut into small pieces and served cold 色拉
e.g. I haven't finished my salad.
Phrases and Expressions
look someone in the eye
look directly at someone 直视某人
e.g. Owen was burning with humiliation. He did not dare to look his father in the eye.
make inquiries about
ask questions about 询问
e.g. I've been making inquiries about the cost of a round-the-world ticket.
pick someone/something out
recognize someone or something in a group of people or things
e.g. I) Harry's car was indeed easy to pick out.
II) We could pick out different places in the city from the airplane.
stay up
remain awake; not go to bed 醒着；不去睡
e.g. He must have stayed up working all night.
PASSAGE III A Day in the Life of "Salaryman"
In Tokyo he is hailed as an "industrial warrior", the driving force behind Japan's economy. He is as much a part of the Japanese cityscape as neon signs and sushi bars.[1] He is found in a dark suit, imported necktie, short hair parted on the left. No beard or mustache. His accessories are standard, too-pocket calculator, leather briefcase, commuting pass, business cards,[2] and a pornographic comic book for long subway rides.
Most of all, he is mass-produced.[3] The "salaryman", as the male white-collar worker is called in Japan, is what most of the 280,000 young men who graduate from universities each year quickly become.
The good salaryman devotes himself body and soul to the company. If the company thrives, so will he.[4] He loves his wife and children, but if necessary he can be counted on to put his work first.
In few countries are such stereotypes so close to the truth. The Japanese joke endlessly about the salaryman and his lifestyle. But despite the jokes, the average young man in Japan wants a good job at a good company. In other words, he wants to be a salaryman. Here is a description of a day in the life of a typical salaryman. We join him as he rises from bed in the tiny bedroom of his house in the suburbs of Tokyo.
Salaryman's wife of 12 years has already been up more than an hour and gotten the two children off to school.[5] Our man was too late getting home the previous night to see them. On Sunday, he is planning to take his wife and children to an amusement park a half hour's drive from the house-it's been a while since the family had an outing together.
After a wash, shave and quick dressing, Salaryman wanders down the narrow stairs to the breakfast table where his wife has laid out eggs, thick toast and coffee. He digs in and they talk about the new car they are planning to buy. "You're still against the Crown?" Salaryman asks. His wife doesn't answer. The Crown is a type of Toyota that she feels is not only too expensive but too flashy for someone of his rank at the company.
His wife drives him to the train station, where he slips into a throng of other salarymen embarking on the 70-minute journey to central Tokyo, site of the company where he has been employed since he graduated from college 15 years ago.
He pushes his way into the train and manages to find a seat. He takes out his book on computer science. Salaryman is 37, a little too old to have grown up with computers. He is determined to catch up so that he won't feel so ignorant around his younger colleagues at the office. He turns to the first chapter, but soon is dozing, the book forgotten.[6]
At 9:10, he steps into his real home, the sales division, on the 11th floor of the company headquarters. There are 40 cluttered desks in this room, and no partitions. There is no privacy in a Japanese office. Every phone call, every coffee break, is communal knowledge. A certain amount of slacking off is permissible, but everyone does his or her best to look busy. No one, after all, wants a reputation for letting the section down.
Salaryman has risen to the rank of section manager. His job consists largely of analyzing sales data sent from field offices[7] and processed[8] by his subordinates before being passed his way. This morning, he must assemble material for a contract the company is after. Finishing right on time, he runs into a 10:30 meeting which lasts for over an hour.
Lunch today is noodles, grabbed[9] in a shop in the basement of the building. Salaryman eats with a fellow member of his "class" at the company. Salaryman, like most of his type, can never converse with a co-worker without marking unconsciously whether he is ahead or behind in seniority.[10] With this colleague, though, things are more relaxed. Over the noodles, they talk of their passion, golf. Neither has the money, or the time, to join a golf club. But both have bought complete sets of golf clubs[11] and imported clothes and shoes.
Talk then turns to their futures. Few people ever reach the rank of department manager and Salaryman is beginning to have doubts about his own chances. But neither Salaryman nor his colleague would consider doing what one classmate did. This man quit the company two years ago to set up his own consulting business. He has been successful, but in Salaryman's mind he lacks the most satisfying element of professional life, membership in a large and respected organization.
When the lunch is over, Salaryman leaves his colleague to go back to his office. Waiting for the elevator, Salaryman decides to run up the stairs instead. By the third floor, he is breathless and angry. Last year, he actually bought a membership in a sports center near the office, then used it only twice, wasting a lot of money. But how could he exercise when his colleagues remained behind to work?
Back at his desk, Salaryman groans. A new batch of sales orders was put on his desk during lunch and is waiting to be analyzed. His work is interrupted at 4 p.m. for another meeting, to which he has nothing to contribute but which he must attend just to appear part of the team. The meeting ends at 6 p.m.
By now most of the secretaries and tea-pouring women have gone home. By 7 p.m., Salaryman has finished his work. But he does not leave-in fact, the thought never occurs to him. None of the other men has. Besides, he has been included in a 7:30 dinner at a nearby restaurant, where the department is entertaining some people from the buying department[12] of a client company.
The dinner lasts two hours, through course[13] after course of raw fish and vegetables and rice. Women in kimonos glide discreetly to fuss over the men, flirt a bit and fill their beer glasses. Talk touches on the price of golf clubs, baseball, and the weather. Everything, in fact, except the equipment sale that has brought the men together.[14]
After their lavish[15] dinner, the men move on to an expensive hostess bar[16] where they sing and drink until 11 p.m. Tired after a hard day, Salaryman decides to leave the others and head for home.
As the train races into the suburbs, Salaryman pulls his pornographic comic book from his briefcase. The time passes quickly and the train soon reaches his station.
After waiting 20 minutes for a cab, Salaryman rides toward his home. In the early days of his marriage, his wife was always waiting at the station to drive him home. About two years ago, however, Salaryman's wife began developing interests of her own and became less willing to adapt her life to his. Now, if he telephones from a station, he is likely to wake her up and get little sympathy for the late-night shortage of taxis.
At home, he lets himself in the door, quietly. On the table his wife has left a meal of rice, pickles and fish. He turns on the TV to watch a talk show while eating the final food of the day. Ten minutes later, after opening his children's door for a sentimental gaze at them as they sleep, he scrubs himself down and eases[17] into a hot bath. (1251 words)
Proper Names
Crown
（日本）皇冠牌汽车
Toyota
（日本）丰田汽车
New Words
amusement*
n. the process of getting pleasure and enjoyment from being entertained or from spending time doing something 娱乐；消遣
e.g. I) He plays the piano only for his own amusement.
II) amusement park 公共游乐场
assemble
v. (cause things or people to) come together; collect 聚集；收集
e.g. I) The whole school (was) assembled in the main hall.
II) After assembling the things he needed. Bob baked a beautiful cake.
briefcase
n. a case used for carrying papers or documents 公文包
e.g. The college graduate received a briefcase as a present.
cab
n. a taxi 出租汽车
e.g. I) It will save time if we go by cab.
II) The cabs were lined up outside the railway station.
chapter
n. a division within a book; a section of a book(书等的)章，回，篇
e.g. I) Bill finished the last chapter of the book before going to bed.
II) Finding a new job opens a new chapter in her life.
cityscape
n. a view or picture of a city 城市风光，城市景色
clutter
v. crowd (something) untidily; mess up 使杂乱，乱堆放
communal
adj. shared by a group of people rather than used by an individual公有的，共有的
e.g. The fields are communal property and no one really owns them.
commute
v. travel regularly over some distance, as from a suburb into a city and back (尤指在城市与郊区之间上、下班的)定期往返，通勤
e.g. Mary commutes to school rather than living on campus.
dressing
n. action of putting on clothes 穿衣
embark
v. board a ship, aircraft, or other vehicle, as for a journey (使)上船（或飞机/汽车等）
e.g. I) Passengers with cars must embark first.
II) This ship embarked passengers and cargo at an Italian port.
flashy
adj. (flashier, flashiest) too big, bright, or expensive in a way that other people disapprove of 奢华的；炫耀的
flirt
v. behave as if sexually attracted to someone, although not seriously 卖弄风情，调情
fuss
1) v. pay too much attention or show too much concern or affection 过分关心；过分体贴
e.g. She's always fussing over that son of hers as if he were a little boy.
2) n. nervous or anxious behavior that is usually about unimportant things 大惊小怪；小题大做
e.g. I said I might be late for dinner but he made such a fuss that I thought I'd better arrive on time.
groan
v. make a loud, deep noise of pain, disappointment or disapproval 呻吟；叹息；抱怨
e.g. I) She groaned with pain.
II) The audience groaned when the comedian told a bad joke.
III) She was groaning about some essay she had to write.
headquarters
n. the main offices of an organization such as the army, police or a business company 总部；司令部
e.g. I) The company headquarters is/are on the East Coast.
II) The bank for which he worked had its headquarters in Paris.
ignorant
adj. having no knowledge either about a particular subject mentioned or about things in general 不知道的；无知的；愚昧的
e.g. I) She maintained that she was ignorant of her husband's activities.
II) Many teenagers are surprisingly ignorant about current politics.
import
v. bring in a product from a foreign country 进口；输入；引进
e.g. I) All the cooked meat in this area is imported from France and Italy.
II) They are refusing to buy imported fish.
kimono
n. a Japanese item of clothing that is long, with wide sleeves, and shaped like a coat 和服
mustache
n. (AmE) hair which a man grows above his upper lip髭；八字须
necktie
n. (AmE formal) tie 领带
neon
n. gas that produces a bright light when electricity is passed through it氖
e.g. neon light 霓虹灯
noodle
n. (usually plural) a long thin piece of food made from a mixture of flour, water and eggs, usually cooked in soup or boiling water 面条
e.g. Boil the noodles until they're soft.
outing
n. a short trip; an excursion 短途旅行；远足
e.g. My family went on an outing to the park.
partition
n. a thin wall or screen that divides a room or other indoor space 分隔物；隔墙；隔板
e.g. I) Glass partitions divided the room into individual offices.
II) At my office, the work areas of individual employees are separated by partitions.
pickle
n. a vegetable that has been preserved in salt water or vinegar 腌菜
pornographic
adj. showing or describing sexual acts and images that are intended to make people sexually excited 色情的；淫秽作品的
scrub
v. (scrubbed, scrubbed) clean thoroughly by rubbing hard, especially with a brush and soap and water 彻底擦洗
e.g. I) She scrubbed the kitchen table with warm soapy water.
II) She was down on her hands and knees scrubbing the floor.
seniority
n.
1) the quality of having been employed at one's place of work for a relatively longer period of time than someone else 资深；职位高
e.g. Those with the least seniority do most of the routine work.
2) the quality of being older than someone else 年长，年高
e.g. Because of Dave's seniority, everyone called him Grandpa Dave.
slack
v. make less of an effort than usual or be lazy in your work 懈怠；懒散
e.g. Everyone slacks off a bit at the end of the week.
sushi
n. a Japanese dish consisting of pieces of raw fish on top of cooked rice 寿司
throng
n. a large group of people in one place; crowd 一大群；聚集的人群
e.g. A throng of fans came to hear the popular band perform.
Phrases and Expressions
a batch of
a group of things or people dealt with at the same time or considered similar in type（人或物的）一批
e.g. The travel agency gave us a batch of holiday leaflets (活页) and brochures (小册子).
adapt (...) to something
change something/oneself to suit different conditions or uses （使）适应，（使）适合
e.g. I) People who are growing up have to adapt to society.
II) Their aim was to adapt the main house to their own taste, without restructuring it.
III) Many software companies have adapted popular programs to the new operating system.
body and soul
with all one's energies; completely 全心全意地；完完全全地
e.g. She threw herself body and soul into her work.
count on
rely on; depend on 指望；依靠
e.g. I) I can count on Bill to get the job done.
II) Can I count on this car to start every morning during the winter months?
dig in
(informal) start eating food 开始吃
e.g. Dig in! There's plenty for everyone.
embark on
start or engage in (especially something new or difficult) 开始；从事（尤指新的或困难的事）
e.g. I) Jimmy got on the bus and embarked on a short trip to the bank.
II) As new students, you are embarking on a journey of self-discovery.
III) In the 1950s the country embarked on a major program of industrialization.
fuss over
pay too much attention to or show too much concern or affection for 过分关心；过分体贴
e.g. I think his mother fussed over him a bit too much.
hail someone/something as something
praise (a person or an achievement) for their greatness 热情赞扬
e.g. I) The film was hailed as a masterpiece in its day.
II) The mayor hailed Jessica as a hero for saving a family from a burning building.
head for
move toward; go in a particular direction 朝......行进
e.g. I) Clouds are gathering; I think we'd better head for the zoo in case it starts to rain.
II) You're heading for disaster if you carry on smoking so much.
let someone down
disappoint someone 使某人失望
e.g. Don't let us down today; we're counting on you to help us.
push one's way
move forward using force 往前挤；挤
e.g. She pushed her way to the front of the crowd.
scrub ... down
clean thoroughly by rubbing hard, especially with a brush and soap and water 彻底擦洗
e.g. Scrub the walls down before painting them.
slack off
make less of an effort than usual or be lazy in your work 懈怠；懒散
e.g. The worker slacked off by reading a newspaper on the job.
touch on/upon
mention or deal with a particular subject briefly when talking or writing 提及或涉及
e.g. This is a topic which I touched on at the beginning of my talk.
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