Modern Day Distractions 現代人分心的原因

Tim and Michelle are colleagues working at head office of a logistics company. They bump into each other by the coffee machine during their lunch break.

提姆和蜜雪兒是一家物流企業總公司的同事。某日午休時，他們在咖啡機前遇到對方。

Dialogue 對話

Michelle: You seem to be spending a lot of time in the office recently.

Tim: Tell me about it. Those financial reports have been in my pigeonhole for weeks now. I just can't seem to make much progress with them.

Michelle: Oh yeah, why is that?

Tim: Well, numbers have never really been my strong point so I guess I keep putting them off. I know they need to get done but I find myself actively looking for something else to do. That, or have a quick game of 2048 on my phone - it's really addictive.

Michelle: I know what you mean. The things you least enjoy doing can often really drag, can't they?

Tim: That's it. Also, after an hour of looking at a spreadsheet my brain turns to mush. With the deadline at the end of the week, I'm really pressed for time now. I've got two days to get all of them done.

Michelle: You are in a bit of a pickle, aren't you? Tell me to mind my own business, but I've always found mixing more interesting work with a little of the mundane stuff each day can help to break it down a bit. You know, not make it such a mountain to climb.

Tim: That makes sense.

Michelle: If you set yourself the unrealistic goal of doing it all in one go, you're likely to hit a brick wall.

Tim: I wish I had done that last month when they were first given to me. Isn't hindsight a wonderful thing?

Michelle: Don't beat yourself up about it. You'll get it done. Just put that phone away and get on with it.

Tim: Will do, I'll just finish this game. It's looking like I might beat my top score.

蜜雪兒：你最近似乎都在公司待到很晚？

提姆：就是說啊。那些財務報告已經卡在我的文件收發盒一段時間了，就是沒什麼進度。

蜜雪兒：是喔？為什麼？

提姆：處理數字一向不是我的強項，所以讓我不停的想避開它。我知道我必須趕快完成，但卻忍不住找其他事情來做。例如在財務報告或手機遊戲2048間抉擇，那遊戲真的很容易上癮。

蜜雪兒：我懂。最討厭做的事通常容易拖延很久，是吧？

提姆：沒錯。而且看了一個小時的圖表後，我的腦袋就變成一團漿糊了。週末就是最後期限，我現在時間很緊迫。要在兩天之內把它們全部解決。

蜜雪兒：你現在真的陷入困境了，是嗎？恕我多管閒事，但我一直覺得每一天把有趣的事融入比較無聊的工作一起做，可以讓事情輕鬆些。你知道的，就是讓眼前這座大山看起來小一點。

提姆：聽起來很合理。

蜜雪兒：如果你設定的目標太不切實際，想把所有事一次做完，那一定會踢到鐵板。

提姆：真希望我上個月剛拿到的時候，就能早點完成它。後見之明總是比較美好，對吧？

蜜雪兒：別苛責自己了。你會順利完成的。把手機放一邊，開始工作吧。

提姆：好的，讓我把這局結束就好。我快打破自己的最高紀錄了。

Vocabulary 字彙

1. pigeonhole ['p0dIDn`hol] 文件收發盒

= a set of small boxes, open at the front, in which letters and messages are left for different people

I’ll leave you a copy of the minutes in your pigeonhole.

2. turns to mush 變成漿糊

= changes to an unpleasant thick substance like mud

I cooked it too long and now it’s turned to mush.

3. actively ['$kt0vl0] 積極的

= in a way that involves positive action

He actively encouraged me to do it.

4. addictive [D'd0kt0v] 容易上癮的

= a drug, activity or food that you cannot stop taking, doing or eating once you have started

Cigarettes are very addictive.

5. pressed for time 時間緊迫，趕時間

= to be in a hurry

I’m sorry I can’t stop to chat, I’m really pressed for time.

6. be in a pickle 遇到困境

= to have a problem or dilemma

I will be in a pickle if I miss the next flight!

7. mundane ['mKnden] 平凡無趣

= ordinary and therefore uninteresting

Mundane chores such as ironing do not interest her.

8. unrealistic [`Knr0D'l0st0k] 不切實際的

= having a wrong idea about what is likely to happen; not based on facts

I think the sales targets are unrealistic, there’s no way we meet them.

9. brick wall 障礙

= a difficult situation or problem which stops progress

If we don’t plan ahead we may hit a brick wall.

10. hindsight ['ha0nd`sa0t] 後見之明

= the ability to understand an event or situation only after it has happened

With hindsight, I should have taken the job.