《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」
南韓首爾市政府近日推行一項倡議,強迫政府機構在週五下午8點前關閉電腦,讓所有員工準時下班。南韓的工時在世界上名列前茅,圖為南韓韓亞銀行員工在電腦螢幕前工作。(歐新社檔案照)
◎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」。
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。)