托福阅读材料之如何利用好周末的60个小时

Weekends always seem to go quickly, but they’re longer than we think. There are 60 hours between that 6 p.m. Friday beer and that 6 a.m. Monday alarm clock. Even if you sleep for 24 of those hours, that leaves 36 waking ones. That’s plenty of time for fun, relaxation and more importantly, recharging the batteries. In our competitive world, successful people know that great weekends are the secret to workday success. You want weekends that leave you refreshed, not exhausted or disappointed, so you can hit Monday ready to go.

周末似乎总是过得特别快，但其实周末远比我们认为得长。若从周五18:00到下周一6:00计算，周末一共有60个小时的时间；扣除24小时的睡眠时间，还剩下36小时——这段时间足够用来放松、玩乐或补充能量。当今社会竞争激烈，只有周末休息好，才能保证工作日精力充沛。周末就应该用来充电调息，这样下周才能精神焕发地投入工作。

Here are 10 tips for making the most of your days off:

怎样化利用周末？请看下面10个小贴士：

1. Do make a plan.

制定计划。

We’re all busy. When we hit the weekend, we think we want to do “nothing.” But it’s impossible to truly do nothing. Instead, you’ll do unconsciously chosen somethings, and you’ll hit Sunday wondering where the time went. As children staring at wrapped Christmas presents know, anticipation accounts for much of the pleasure we derive from any experience. So make a plan for how you want to spend the weekend and--even if all goes wrong in the moment--you’ll still derive pleasure from anticipating your fun.

我们都很忙，只想到了周末能啥事都不用干，但现实却不可能真让我们“无所事事”，因此很多人会无意识地瞎忙，一晃周末就这么虚度过去了。渴望圣诞礼物的小孩都知道，预先提出期望更能实现愿望。同理，你也应该制定“周末期望”，就算到时候有所变化也会充满乐趣。

2. Don’t fill every minute.

切忌时间太紧凑。

Just because you’ve got a plan doesn’t mean the weekends need to look like your weekdays, scheduled in 15-minute increments. Three to five “anchor” events--things you look forward to--can make for an excellent weekend. Go for a run, volunteer at a local food bank, and have dinner with friends and you’ll have done plenty.

定计划并不是要将周末搞得像工作日似的，每时每刻都高效运行。选定自己喜欢的三五件事，比如跑步、救济中心做义工或跟朋友喝两杯，也能把周末过得有滋有味。

3. Do stretch yourself occasionally.

偶尔舒展筋骨。

Weekends are great for exploring. Make a bucket list of activities you’d like to try within a two-hour radius of your house. Maybe it’s biking along the boardwalk. Maybe it’s camping in a nearby park. Whatever it is, remember that life can’t just happen on vacations, so invite in some serendipity.

周末是“探险”的好时光。列出清单，写出家附近两小时范围内你乐意尝试的事情，比如沿路骑游或在附近公园露营，随时给自己找点意外惊喜，谁说只有度假才算真正享受呢！

4. Don’t forget to exercise.

别忘了锻炼身体。

One famous study of Texas women’s days found that--after sex, eating, and relaxing--they were happiest when exercising, socializing, and engaging in spiritual activities. Why not aim for anchor events in all three categories?

一项针对德克萨斯州女性的调查发现，除了享受美食、放松和性生活，另外最令她们开心的就是运动、交际和充实内心。既然如此，何不全都付诸行动呢？

5. Do schedule downtime.

留出无聊时间。

In our distracted world, we have a tendency to putter around the house, turn on the TV, check email and otherwise fill time with things that don’t really relax us. If you want to take a nap on Sunday afternoon, figure out when that’s going to happen, if there are any logistical issues you need to solve, and then commit to doing it.

周围容易引起分心的东西太多，我们总忍不住在屋里随意乱晃、看看电视、查收邮件或干点别的打发时间，而这些事情往往并不能让我们放松。所以，如果你想周日下午打个盹，掐好时间，如果还有没搞定的琐事，还是先处理完再午睡吧。

6. Don’t give in to the Sunday-night blues.

警惕周日综合症。

Even if you like your job, it’s easy to feel weary by Sunday afternoon as you think about the next morning’s commute. One way around that? Schedule something fun for Sunday night. Knowing you’ve got a potluck dinner or a massage session coming up extends the weekend by keeping your mind focused on the fun to come.

就算你喜欢工作，周日下午一想到第二天得上班难免也会感到厌烦。那怎么办？周日晚上做点有趣的事情，多想想晚上的家常便饭或舒心按摩，想到周末仍在延续，心情自然会好起来。

7. Do make the most of other people’s schedules.

融通他人周末计划。

Read a novel instead of checking your email while waiting to pick up your 8-year-old at swim practice. If your spouse has a time-consuming hobby--like one that requires you to supply sports drinks at the 10-mile mark on her long run--make sure to combine it with something fun for you (catching a movie at a nearby theater?).

8岁儿子有游泳课？与其查收邮件，不如在等儿子时阅读小说；如果伴侣的爱好比较耗时间，比如需要你给远在10英里外跑步的她送饮料，你可以顺便给自己找点乐子，就近看场电影等等。

8. Don’t do too many chores.

别被家务缠身。

Chores expand to fill the available space. If you do them on weekdays, you’ll spend less time doing chores simply because you have less time. Better to spend your weekends checking out a new neighborhood cafe than chained to the washing machine.

家务放在边角时间做吧，工作日的时候也可以分担一点，这样周末就不用花太多时间忙家务了。周末大好时光，与其守着洗衣机，不如跟新邻居喝杯咖啡呢！

9. Do spend some time planning your week.

花点时间制定下周计划。

On Sunday night, or some other quiet time, glance at your calendar, and set goals for what you’d like to accomplish in your professional and personal life over the next 168 hours. Schedule these high-value activities in. Once Monday morning hits, you’re in a firefight. So figure out how you’ll advance your troops, rather than just hunkering down.

周日晚上或其他安静的时候，你需要翻开日历，为下周设定一些工作或生活目标，计划一些有意义的活动，然后一到周一立刻全身心投入。不要只躺在舒适区，赶紧考虑一下个人发展问题吧。

10. Don’t work every minute.

切忌分秒必争地工作。

Sure, successful people work a bit on weekends, but they know that weekends are mostly about giving the brain a break. Even if you’re not religious, challenge yourself to keep a Sabbath of sorts: one 24-hour period where you don’t do any of your usual work. You may find yourself so relaxed you’ll look forward to Monday.

当然，成功的人周末也会工作，不过他们也懂得周末最重要的是让大脑休息。就算你不信教，也可以腾出“安息日”之类的时间：在这段时间，不碰与工作有关的任何事情。这样做以后，你会发现自己完全得到了放松，甚至有点期待周一的到来呢！