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WhyPeopleWorkEveryoneneedstoworkbutwhatdoesworkmeantohim?InthefollowingessayLeonardR.Saylesexplorestherelationshipbetweenworkandhumanbeings'well-being.每个人都必须劳动，可是劳动意味着什么？在下面这篇文章里，莱昂纳多·塞勒斯研究了劳动和人类幸福之间的关系。Jobsandworkdomuchmorethanmostofusrealizetoprovidehappinessandcontentment.We'reallusedtothinkingthatworkprovidesthematerialthingsoflife－thegoodsandservicesthatmakepossibleourversionofmoderncivilization.Butwearemuchlessconsciousoftheextenttowhichworkprovidesthemoreintangible,butmorecrucial,psychologicalwell-beingthatcanmakethedifferencebetweenafullandanemptylife.工作和劳动带来的幸福和满足感要比我们意识到的大得多。我们习惯于认为，劳动提供了生活的物质财富——它带来的商品和服务使我们的现代文明成为可能。可是，我们却很少意识到劳动带来的无形的、更关键的心理健康，它关系着我们的生活是充实还是空虚。Whyisitthatmostofusdon'tputworkandhumansatisfactiontogether,exceptwhenitcomestotheendproductofwork:automobilesandhousesandgoodfood?为什么大多数人除了劳动转化为其最终产品：汽车、房子和珍馐美味的时候，并不能把劳动和满足感结合起来？It'salwaysusefultoblamesomeoneelseandtheGreeksoftheancientworlddeservesomeblamehere.Atthattimeworkwasrestrictedtoslavesandtothosefewfreecitizenswhohadnotyetaccumulatedadequateindependentresources.TherealcitizensofGreece－whomPlatoandotherstalkedabout－expectedtospendtheirtimeinfreediscussionandcontemplation.责备别人总是有用的，而古老世界的希腊人负有一定责任。那时，劳动只局限于奴隶和少数没有积累到足够独立财富的自由民。柏拉图等人谈到的那些“真正”的希腊公民，只想把时间都花在自由辩论和冥想上。TheMiddleAgesdidn'thelpthereputationofwork.Itbecamemoreacceptabletoengageinwork.Infact,itwasassertedthatmanhadareligiousdutytofulfillhiscalling.Tofailtoworkwasimmoral－worse,workwasthoughtofasapunishmentforthesinsofman.中世纪时期劳动的声誉也没能提高，劳动开始更多地为人们接受。但事实上，当时强调的是人要履行自己“使命”的宗教义务。不劳动是不道德的——更糟糕的是，劳动被看作是对人类罪孽的惩罚。It'snotdifficulttounderstandthetarnishedreputation.Historically,workhasbeenassociatedwithslaveryandsin,compulsionandpunishment.Andinourowndayweareusedtohearingthetraditionalcomplaints:Ican'twaitformyvacation.IwishIcouldstayhometoday.Mybosstreatsmepoorly.I'vegottoomuchworktodoandnotenoughtimetodoit.Againstthisbackdrop,itmaywellcomeasasurprisetolearnthatnotonlypsychologistsbutotherbehavioralscientistshavecometoacceptthepositivecontributionofworktotheindividual'shappinessandsenseofpersonalachievement.Workismorethananecessityformosthumanbeings;itisthefocusoftheirlives,thesourceoftheiridentityandcreativity.因此，不难理解劳动声名狼藉。历史上，劳动一直同奴役、罪孽、强制和惩罚联系在一起。在我们的时代，我们习惯于听到这些传统的抱怨：“我简直等不及要放假。”“我真想今天能呆在家里。”“老板对我很苛刻。”“我要干的活儿这么多，却没有足够的时间干这些活。”在这种环境中，如果我们了解到，不仅心理学家，其它的行为科学家也都承认劳动对个人幸福和成就感的积极贡献，也许就会很吃惊。对大多数人来说，劳动不仅仅是一种必须，而是生命的焦点，是自我身份和创造力的源泉。Ratherthanapunishmentoraburden,workistheopportunitytorealizeone'spotential.Manypsychiatristsheadingmentalhealthclinicshaveobserveditstherapeuticeffect.Agoodmanypatientswholanguishinclinics,depressedorobsessed,gainrenewedself-confidencewhengainfullyemployedandlosesome,ifnotall,oftheirmostacutesymptoms.Increasingly,institutionsdealingwithmentalhealthproblemsareestablishingworshipswhereinthosetoosicktogetajobinoutsideindustrycanwork,whileeveryeffortisexertedtoarrangerealjobsforthosewellenoughtoworkoutside.劳动不是惩罚或负担，而是实现个人潜力的机会。很多主持心理健康诊疗所的精神病学家，都观察过劳动的治疗效果。很多病人在医院里郁闷憔悴、心情沮丧或被思绪困扰，当他们获得有益的工作时，就会找回自信，原来严重的症状也大都——如果不是全部的话——消失。越来越多的心理健康问题研究机构正在建立劳动场所，那些病情太重无法在“外部”产业中找到一份工作的人可以在其中工作，同时，他们也尽一切可能为那些可以在外面工作的人安排“真正的”工作。Andthereverseistrue,too.Forlargenumbersofpeople,theabsenceofworkisdebilitating.Retirementoftenbringsmanyproblemssurroundingthe“WhatdoIdowithmyself?”question,eventhoughtheremaybenofinancialcares.Largenumbersofpeopleregularlygetheadachesandotherpsychosomaticillnessesonweekendswhentheydon'thavetheirjobstogoto,andmustfendforthemselves.Ithasbeenobservedthatunemployment,quiteasidefromexertingfinancialpressures,bringsenormouspsychologicalmalaiseandthatmanyindividualsdeterioraterapidlywhenjobless.反过来也是一样。对许多人来说，不劳动会使人虚弱衰退。即使没有经济顾虑，退休也经常带来很多问题，问题的中心是“我该干什么？”很多人一到周末就犯头疼，或其它一些与身心相关的疾病，因为那时他们没有事可做，而不得不自己想办法消遣。我们发现，失业除了带来经济上的压力外，还带来巨大的心理不安，很多人失业后很快消沉下去。Butwhy?Whyshouldworkbesuchasignificantsourceofhumansatisfaction?Agoodshareoftheanswerrestsinthekindofpridethatisstimulatedbythejob,bytheactivityofaccomplishing.Afterall,largenumbersofpeoplecontinueworkingwhenthereisnofinancialorothercompulsion.Theyareindependentlywealthy;noonewouldbesurprisediftheyspenttheirtimeatleisure.Butsomethinginsidedrivesthemtowork:theuniquesatisfactionstheyderivefromit.可是为什么呢？为什么劳动会成为人类满足感如此重要的源泉？答案的一部分在于这份工作和完成的活动能引发骄傲感。毕竟，很多人在没有经济或其它压力的情况下仍然劳动。他们能够自立、富有，就是整日休闲也没有人会奇怪。但某些内在的东西驱使他们去劳动——一种从劳动中获得的独特满足感。PrideinAccomplishment成功的骄傲Thehumanbeingcravesasenseofbeingaccomplished,ofbeingabletodothings,withhishand,withhismind,withhiswill.Eachofuswantstofeelheorshehastheabilitytodosomethingthatismeaningfulandthatstandsoutsideofusasatributetoourinherentabilities.Thisextensionofourselves－inwhatourhandsandmindscando－fillsoutourpersonalityandexpandsourego.人们渴求成功的感觉，渴望运用自己的双手、智慧和意志去创造。我们每个人都希望自己有能力做些有意义的事，它是我们内在能力的外在标志。我们的双手和智慧所做的一切成为我们自身的延展——它能充实我们的个性，丰富我们的自我。Itiseasiesttoseethisinthecraftsmanwholovinglyshapessomebasematerialintoanobjectthatmaybeeitherusefulorbeautifulorboth.Youcanseethecarpenterorbricklayerordie-makerstandasideandadmiretheproductofhispersonalskill.这一点在手工艺人身上最容易见到。他充满感情地把原材料变成一件实用、美观或两者兼备的手工艺品