《中英對照讀新聞》Overworked South Koreans ’forced to shut computers’ 過勞南韓人「被迫關掉電腦」

◎陳正健

The government in South Korea’s capital Seoul is introducing a new initiative to force its employees to leave work on time - by powering down all their computers at 20：00 on Fridays. It says it is trying to stop a "culture of working overtime."

南韓首都首爾市政府正推行一項新倡議，藉由在週五晚間8點前關掉所有電腦，強迫公務員準時下班。首爾當局表示，正試圖阻止「加班文化」。

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The shutdown initiative is set to roll out across three phases over the next three months. The programme will begin on 30 March, with all computers switched off by 20：00. The second phase starts in April, with employees having their computers turned off by 19：30 on the second and fourth Friday that month.

這項關機倡議預定在未來3個月分3階段推出。計畫將於3月30日開始，所有電腦將在晚間8點關機。第2階段於4月開始，所有公務員將於當月第二及第四週的週五晚間7點半前關機。

From May on, the programme will be in full-swing, with computers shut off by 19：00 every Friday. All employees will be subjected to the shutdown, though exemptions may be provided in special circumstances.

該計畫從5月開始全面實施，所有電腦都將在每週五晚間7點關閉。所有員工都必須關機，但在特別情況下可能予以豁免。

South Korea has some of the longest working hours in the world. Government employees there work an average of 2,739 hours a year - about 1,000 hours more than workers in other developed countries. Earlier this month, South Korea’s national assembly passed a law to cut down the maximum weekly working hours to 52, down from 68.

南韓的工時在世界上名列前茅。該國政府雇員1年平均工作2739小時，比其他已開發國家的勞工多出約1000小時。本月初，南韓國會才通過法律，將每週最高工時上限從68小時減至52小時。

新聞辭典

roll out：動詞片語，推出，鋪開。例句：An election campaign is expected to roll out soon.（一場選舉活動預計很快就會推出。）

in full swing：副詞片語，全面展開，蓬勃高漲。例句：The party is in full swing.（這場派對正全面展開。）

exemption：名詞，免除，豁免。例句：He was granted exemption from military service.（他獲准免服兵役。）