品读“午休文化”

学习繁忙的你是否无暇享受午休时间（lunch break）呢？研究表明，不管是对个人还是社会，午休都十分必要。赶紧养成良好的午休习惯吧！

We are told that breakfast is the most important meal of a day， and dinner the most enjoyable. It is an occasion to socialize and spend time with the family. But what about lunch？

In todays fast-paced society， few people take time to enjoy this midday meal. Most of us just rush right through it.

We grab a quick salad， or buy a sandwich and eat at our computers. Sometimes， if there is a deadline around the corner， we just skip lunch.

The development of technology hasnt done our eating habits much good either. We are constantly distracted by e-mail， social media， and 24-hour news.

Even when we do sit down for lunch， we are more connected to our hand-held electronic devices than ourselves.

Long working hours can cause all kinds of health problems， and many developed countries have put in place labor laws specifically regarding the lunch break. These regulations give employees the right to take a break during a long work shift， but its up to them whether they do so or not.

Frank Partnoy， a former Wall Street trader， says that employers should encourage workers to take time off for lunch. This is because long lunch breaks can benefit both individuals and society.

Writing in a newspaper， Partnoy says that one obvious reason to take a lunch break is to slow down and gain some perspective. A break from work allows us to think strategically and outside the box. It also puts our daily tasks into a broader context.

What we eat at lunch is also important. In Partnoys opinion， a fast food lunch is more harmful than not having lunch at all. And its not just about calories and unhealthy food. Recent studies show that fast food also has negative effects on how we think.

Researchers at the University of Toronto in Canada have shown that merely being exposed to a fast food logo speeds up our reactions.

However， if we sit down at a proper restaurant and chat leisurely with friends， we are more likely to slow down， something that hardly can be achieved in a noisy and over-packed fast food chain.

A long lunch also benefits single people， as it frees up time for them to go on a date.

Despite these benefits， some employees might still be reluctant to take time off for lunch. Partnoys suggestion？ Make skipping lunch difficult： Employers could ask workers to fill out a form stating their reasons for skipping the meal.

我们被教导说早餐是一天中最重要的一餐，而晚餐则是最愉快的一餐，它是一次进行社交联谊或与家人欢聚的良机。但是午餐呢？

在当今快节奏的社会中，很少有人花时间去享受午餐。我们中的大多数人只是凑合一下而已。

我们随便吃几口速食沙拉，或是买个三明治，然后在电脑前解决掉。有时，一旦工作大限将至，我们甚至都顾不上吃午饭。

科技的发展也没有对我们的饮食习惯起到什么好作用。我们不断被电子邮件、社交媒体和24小时新闻所烦扰。

甚至当坐下来吃午饭时，我们也无暇顾及自身，而是将更多的精力花在手持电子设备上了。

超长的工作时间会引发各种健康问题，许多发达国家已经实施具体保障员工午休时间的劳动法规。尽管这些法规赋予员工们在长时间工作间隙休息的权利，但是否选择享用这样的权利还要看员工个人。

曾在华尔街担任操盘手的弗兰克·帕特诺伊说，老板们应该鼓励员工抽出时间享用午餐。因为较长的午休时间对于员工个人和整个社会来说可谓益处多多。

帕特诺伊在某报纸上写道，午休的一个显而易见的好处是人们可以慢下来，获得一些新想法。工作之余的休息可以让我们打破常规、打开战略性思维；同时还可以将我们的日常工作纳入更为开放的环境中。

午餐吃什么也同样重要。帕特诺伊认为，午餐吃快餐比什么都不吃更有害。这不仅仅是卡路里和垃圾食品的事。最新研究表明，快餐对我们的思考方式也存在不良影响。

加拿大多伦多大学研究人员已经证明，仅仅看到快餐店标志，就足以加快我们的反应。

而如果我们坐在一间真正的餐厅里，与朋友们悠闲地聊天，我们更容易放松下来。这在喧闹拥挤的快餐连锁店里是无法做到的。

一份悠长的午餐对于单身男女也是大有益处的，因为他们可以有更充足的时间去约会。

尽管益处多多，一些员工也许仍舍不得抽时间享用午餐。对此帕特诺伊给出哪些建议呢？让不吃午餐变得更费事：用人单位可以要求员工填表，说明自己不吃午餐的理由。