Japan is a so hardworking the Japanese has a term for working oneself to death.

日本以其勤劳著称，这种文化深深植根于其社会与经济生涯中。在日本，太过事情甚至有了一个专门的词汇——“过劳死”，反应出该国对事情的高度重视。

Now, the is trying to deal with a labor shortage.

现在，政府正在起劲解决劳动力欠缺问题。

One is to get more people and companies to four-day workweeks.

一个解决计划是让更多的人和公司接受四天事情制。

The Japanese government first supported a shorter working week in 2021.

日本政府于2021年首次支持缩短事情周。

Few companies have signed on, however.

然而，很少有公司签约。

The Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare said only about of companies permit three days off a week,

厚生劳动省体现，只有约8%的公司允许每周休息三天，

while seven percent give their workers the required one day off.

而7%的公司给员工划定的休息一天。

Hoping to get and medium-sized businesses to change, the government started a “work reform” campaign.

为了让中小企业有所改变，政府启动了一场“作风刷新”运动。

It pushes shorter hours and other flexible plans for work along with paid time off and limits on overtime.

它推动缩短事情时间和其他无邪的事情妄想，以及带薪休假和限制加班。

The labor ministry started offering free services and resources to help companies make the change.

劳动部最近最先提供免费效劳和资源来资助企业做出改变。

A ministry website explains the “hatarakikata kaikaku” campaign, which means “innovating how we work.”

一个部分网站诠释了“hatarakikata kaikaku”运动，意思是“立异GA黄金甲事情方法”。

It says that when workers can how they work, they will have a better outlook on the future and the will grow.

它说，当工人可以选择事情方法时，他们将对未来有更好的展望，经济也将增添。

The handling the new services for businesses says only about three companies have asked for their advice.

认真为企业提供新支持效劳的部分体现，只有约莫三家公司征求了他们的建议。

Such changes will not come easily in the Japanese culture, where being a “workaholic,” or frequently working overtime, has long been highly valued.

在日本文化中，这样的转变不会容易爆发，恒久以来，“事情狂”或经常加班一直受到高度重视。

That is credited for the country’s national and fast after World War II.

这被以为是该国在二战后国家苏醒和经济快速增添的缘故原由。

There is great to be the same as the others in one’s work group.

与事情组中的其他人坚持相同的压力很大。

People usually take vacations at the same time of year as their co-workers.

人们通常和同事在一年中的统一时间度假。

Although the and labor agreements overtime, some work longer hours without pay.

只管执法和劳动协议限制加班，但有些人在没有人为的情形下事情时间更长。

A recent government report dealt with “karoshi.”

最近的一份政府报告涉及“过劳死”。

That is the Japanese term meaning “death from overwork.”

这是日语术语的意思，意思是“太过劳累而殒命”。

The report said Japan has at least 54 such deaths a year, from heart attacks.

报告称，日本每年至少有54人殒命，其中包括心脏病爆发。

Tim Craig wrote a called Cool Japan: Case Studies from Japan’s Cultural and Industries.

蒂姆·克雷格写了一本书，名为《酷日本：日本文化和创意工业的案例研究》。

“Work is a big deal here.

“事情在这里是一件大事。

It’s not just a way to make money, although it is that, too,” said Craig.

这不但仅是一种赚钱的方法，只管它也是云云，”克雷格说。

Some officials think it is time to change that way of thinking to save the workforce.

一些官员以为是时间改变这种头脑方法来拯救劳动力了。

Japan’s birth rate continues to fall, and the work culture is said to be one reason for that.

日本的出生率一连下降，听说事情文化是缘故原由之一。

Government reports expect that, at the rate, the working age will drop by 40 percent to 45 by 2065.

政府报告预计，凭证现在的速率，到2065年岁情年岁生齿将下降40%，抵达4500万。

Supporters of the three-days-off model say it helps people in the workforce longer.

三天休息模式的支持者体现，它有助于人们在劳动力市场停留更长时间。

It give more time to children and care for older relatives.

这将让他们有更多的时间抚育孩子和照顾年长的亲戚。

For retirees living on retirement pensions, it would additional income.

关于靠退休养老金生涯的退休职员来说，这将提供特另外收入。

Akiko Yokohama works at Spelldata, a that lets employees work a four-day work week.

横滨秋子在Spelldata事情，这是一家允许员工每周事情四天的手艺公司。

She takes Wednesdays off along with Saturdays and Sundays.

她每周三、周六和周日休息。

The day off allows her to get her hair done, go to other appointments or go shopping.

特另外一天假期让她可以做头发、去其他约会或去购物。

Her husband works in real estate.

她的丈夫从事房地产事情。

He also gets Wednesdays off but works weekends, which is in his industry.

他周三也休息，但周末事情，这在他的行业中很常见。

Yokohama said that it lets her and her husband go on midweek family outings with their elementary-school age child.

横滨说，这让她和丈夫可以在周中带着他们小学年岁的孩子一起出去远足。

But there are signs of change.

但也有转变的迹象。

A few companies, including Uniqlo, Ricoh and Hitachi have begun offering a four-day workweek.

包括优衣库、理光和日立在内的几家公司已经最先实验每周四天的事情制。

A recent Gallup public opinion measured employee engagement.

盖洛普最近的一项民意研究权衡了员工的敬业度。

Gallup said Japan has among the least engaged workers of all nationalities it has studied.

盖洛普体现，在其研究的所有国籍中，日本工人是最不敬业的工人之一。

Only six percent of the Japanese who answered described themselves as engaged at work compared to the worldwide of 23 percent.

在回覆问题的日自己中，只有6%的人体现自己专注于事情，而全球平均水平为23%。

That means relatively few Japanese workers felt and highly involved in their workplace.

这意味着相对较少的日本工人感应快乐并高度加入事情。

Most were putting in their hours without investing passion or energy.

大大都人投入时间却没有投入热情或精神。

Kanako Ogino is of Tokyo-based NS Group.

小野香子是总部位于东京的NS Group的总裁。

She thinks offering flexible hours is needed for filling jobs in the industry, where women are most of the work force.

她以为，为填补效劳业的事情岗位，需要提供无邪的事情时间，而女性占劳动力的大部分。

The company offers 30 different scheduling patterns, including a four-day workweek, but also taking long periods off in between work.

该公司提供30种差别的日程安排模式，包括每周事情四天，但也会在事情间隙长时间休假。

To none of the NS Group’s workers feel out of place for choosing a different schedule,

为了确保NS集团的员工不会因选择差别的时间表而感应不对适，

Ogino asks each of her 4,000 employees twice a year how they want to work.

小野每年两次询问她的4000名员工中的每小我私家想要怎样事情。

Voicing your own needs is disapproved in Japan, where you are to sacrifice for the common good.

在日本，表达自己的需求是不被允许的，由于在日本，你应该为配合利益做出牺牲。

“The view in Japan was: You are cool the more hours you work, putting in free overtime,” Ogino said with a laugh.

“日本的看法是：事情时间越多，你就越酷，免费加班。”小野笑着说。

“But there is no dream in such a life.”

“但这样的生涯没有梦想。”

I’m Jill Robbins.

我是吉尔·罗宾斯。

And I’m Mario Ritter, Jr.

我是小马里奥·里特。

重点词汇

hardworking 起劲的 ; 勤劳的

a term 术语 ; 学期

deal with 处置惩罚，应付 ; 涉及 ; 讨论 ; 与…打交道 ; 叙述 ; 榨取 ; 与…做生意 ; 和…有生意往来 ; 冷静面临

labor shortage 劳动力欠缺 ; 用工荒 ; 劳工欠缺 ; 劳动力缺乏

get more 更多 ; 获得更多 ; 获取更多

working week 事情周 ; 一周的事情时间

Ministry of Health 卫生部 ; 国家卫生部 ; 康健部 ; 省卫生厅

a week 一周;一星期

one day 一天;一日