第1616期:Working from bed

Our working lives are becoming more flexible. The coronavirus pandemic has made us rethink how and where we work. For many, working from home has become the new norm, with some people finding the cosiest place to do this is in bed! But is this really the best place for your mind and body to carry out your job?

我们的工作生活变得更加灵活。冠状病毒大流行使我们重新思考我们的工作方式和地点。对于许多人来说，在家工作已成为新常态，有些人发现在家工作最舒适的地方就是在床上！但这真的是您的身心开展工作的最佳场所吗？

A ‘duvet day’ used to be an informal way of describing taking a day off sick from work, but with improvements in technology, such as good wi-fi, you can now do most of your work tasks reclining in bed while still tucked under your duvet and maybe snuggled up in your pyjamas. The benefits are obvious: no travel time to work, no need to get dressed or even get out of bed – unless you want a cup of tea!

“羽绒被日”曾经是一种非正式的方式来描述请病假一天，但随着技术的进步，例如良好的无线网络，您现在可以躺在床上完成大部分工作任务，同时仍然蜷缩在床上你的羽绒被，也许依偎在你的睡衣里。好处是显而易见的：不需要上班时间，不需要穿衣服，甚至不需要起床——除非你想喝杯茶！

The trend seems to be growing. But for some, it’s not a matter of choice – it might be the only spare space in their home where they can work. According to a BBC online article “this is especially true of young workers; in the UK, workers aged 18 to 34 are the least likely to have a proper desk and chair and are twice as likely to work from bed than older workers.”

趋势似乎在增长。但对一些人来说，这不是选择的问题——这可能是他们家中唯一可以工作的空闲空间。根据 BBC 在线文章，“对于年轻工人来说尤其如此；在英国，18 岁至 34 岁的工人最不可能拥有合适的桌椅，而且在床上工作的可能性是年长工人的两倍。”

Online retailers have reported a huge increase in people searching for laptop stands and support pillows. Although they might make the bed-working regime more comfortable, the reality is that your long-term health, particularly your posture, could suffer. Your neck, back, hips and more are all strained when you’re on a soft surface that encourages you to slump or sprawl.

在线零售商报告称，搜索笔记本电脑支架和支撑枕头的人数大幅增加。尽管它们可能会使卧床工作更加舒适，但现实情况是您的长期健康，尤其是您的姿势，可能会受到影响。当您在柔软的表面上时，您的脖子、背部、臀部和其他部位都会感到紧张，这会促使您瘫倒或四肢伸展。

Working from bed can also affect your mental health. Sophie Bostock, founder of The Sleep Scientist, told the BBC: “If you don’t have a good day at work, you start to change your associations with your bed as being about stress, deadlines, an awkward conversation with your boss.” Stress, of course, can lead to insomnia and the only cure for that is a long Zoom work meeting to help you doze off!

卧床工作也会影响您的心理健康。The Sleep Scientist 的创始人 Sophie Bostock 对 BBC 说：“如果你一天的工作不愉快，你就会开始改变你对床的联想，因为它们是关于压力、截止日期、与老板的尴尬谈话。”当然，压力会导致失眠，唯一的治疗方法是召开长时间的 Zoom 工作会议，帮助您打瞌睡！

词汇表

new norm 新常态
cosy 温暖舒适的，惬意的
duvet day “卧被偷懒假”，员工在感到劳累或稍有不适时可享受的一天假期
recline 向后倚靠
tuck under 卧在、缩在…下面
snuggle up 舒适地躺，偎倚
pyjamas 睡衣裤
laptop stand 笔记本电脑支架
support pillow 支撑颈背等部位的背靠式枕头
bed-working 在床上办公的，卧床工作的
comfortable 舒适的，舒服的
posture （坐立的）姿势
strained （身体部位）使用过度的，负担过大的
slump 驼背弯腰地坐着
sprawl 摊开四肢坐，懒散地瘫坐
stress 紧张，压力
insomnia 失眠
doze off 打瞌睡，睡着