If we all worked a four-day week – and enjoyed a Bank Holiday-style three-day weekend – every week, the world might be a better place.
如果我们都能享有每周上班四天、休假三天的待遇，那么这个世界将会更美好。
We’d be healthier, happier – and probably not that much worse off, according to a City University Sociology expert writing for The Conversation.
“我们会因此更健康快乐，并且不至于让情况变得更糟糕。”——来自城市大学的社会学专家在接受The Conversation网站的采访的时候表示。
An experiment in Utah in 2007 saw state employees working a four-day week with extended hours – and the state saw a reduction of 12,000 tons of CO2 per year.
2007年美国的犹他州进行了一项实验，观察州内的上班族每周上班4天外加几个小时的情况。结果显示，这样的上班机制有助于每年减少12,000吨的二氧化碳排放量。
A Swedish study found that workers on reduced hours were happier – and, in some cases, more productive.
另外还有一项来自瑞典的研究发现，员工的工作时间减少了，会让他们更快乐，并且在某些情况下更有创造力。
Alex Williams of City University London says, ‘There would be other benefits too. Working less would improve the elusive “work/life balance”, and help to restore our mental health and physical well-being.
来自英国伦敦城市大学的Alex Williams表示：“4天工作制的好处可能还不止这些。减少工作时间也许还能改善工作与生活的平衡，恢复身心健康。”
‘It would also give us more time to spend on social activities, to care for children and the elderly, and to engage with our communities. Experiments with reduced working hours at select workplaces in Sweden in 2015 reduced sickness and even increased productivity.“
而且我们还可以有更多的时间参与社交活动，照顾孩子和老人，投入到社区生活中。2015年在瑞典通过对特定工作场所进行的实验，发现这种工作机制能有效减少疾病的发生，甚至还能提高创造力。”
‘Directing gains in economic efficiency towards increased free time and reduced energy consumption, rather than making more stuff, could create a better and more environmentally safe world.’
“与其提高生产数量获得直接的经济效益，还不如减少工作的时间和能源的消耗，这样还有助于营造一个更好更环保的世界。”