In Defense of the Long Lunch
為悠長午餐辯護
— English reading, C1
文章
It is no accident that the countries most proud of their cuisine are also those that guard their lunch breaks. In parts of France and Spain, a midday meal can last two hours.
最以自家料理為傲的國家，往往也最捍衛午休時間，這並非偶然。在法國和西班牙的部分地區，一頓午餐可以吃上兩個小時。
Elsewhere, by contrast, lunch is increasingly eaten at a desk, in under fifteen minutes. Productivity, we are told, demands it.
相較之下，在其他地方，午餐越來越常是在辦公桌前、不到十五分鐘就解決。我們被告知，這是生產力的要求。
Yet the evidence suggests otherwise. Employees who take a proper break return more focused, and shared meals strengthen relationships between colleagues.
然而證據顯示並非如此。好好休息的員工回來後更專注，一起吃飯也能加強同事之間的關係。
A long lunch, in other words, may be less of a luxury than a sound investment.
換句話說，悠長的午餐與其說是奢侈，不如說是一項明智的投資。
生詞
cuisine 料理；菜系
guard 守護
by contrast 相較之下
productivity 生產力
evidence 證據
proper 適當的；像樣的
luxury 奢侈品
sound 明智的；可靠的