深度工作 Deep Work — HSK 6 Reading

在zài信息xìnxī爆炸bàozhà的de时代shídài，注意力zhùyìlì已经yǐjīng成为chéngwéi最zuì稀缺xīquē的de资源zīyuán之一zhīyī。

In an age of information explosion, attention has become one of our scarcest resources.

许多xǔduō人rén整天zhěngtiān忙忙碌碌mángmáng lùlù，却què发现fāxiàn真正zhēnzhèng重要zhòngyào的de工作gōngzuò几乎jīhū没有méiyǒu推进tuījìn。

Many people bustle about all day, only to find that their genuinely important work has barely moved forward.

原因yuányīn很hěn简单jiǎndān：他们tāmen的de时间shíjiān被bèi邮件yóujiàn、会议huìyì和hé各种gèzhǒng通知tōngzhī切割qiēgē成chéng了le碎片suìpiàn。

The reason is simple: their time has been sliced into fragments by email, meetings, and endless notifications.

所谓suǒwèi“深度shēndù工作gōngzuò”，指的是zhǐ de shì在zài不受bú shòu干扰gānrǎo的de状态zhuàngtài下xià，长时间cháng shíjiān专注zhuānzhù于yú一项yí xiàng高价值gāo jiàzhí任务rènwù的de能力nénglì。

So-called "deep work" is the ability to concentrate without distraction on a single high-value task for an extended period.

一位yí wèi作家zuòjiā朋友péngyou的de做法zuòfǎ颇pō有yǒu启发qǐfā：他tā每天měitiān清晨qīngchén把bǎ手机shǒujī锁进suǒjìn抽屉chōuti，连续liánxù写作xiězuò三个sān ge小时xiǎoshí，之后zhīhòu才cái处理chǔlǐ琐事suǒshì。

A writer friend of mine has an instructive habit: every morning he locks his phone in a drawer, writes for three hours straight, and only then deals with trivial matters.

结果jiéguǒ，他tā一年yì nián完成wánchéng的de作品zuòpǐn，比bǐ过去guòqù三年sān nián加起来jiā qǐlái还hái多duō。

As a result, what he finished in one year exceeded the previous three years combined.

深度shēndù工作gōngzuò之所以zhīsuǒyǐ稀少xīshǎo，是因为shì yīnwèi它tā违背wéibèi了le大脑dànǎo追求zhuīqiú新鲜xīnxiān刺激cìjī的de本能běnnéng，需要xūyào刻意kèyì训练xùnliàn。

Deep work is rare precisely because it goes against the brain's instinct to seek fresh stimulation, and therefore requires deliberate training.

一旦yídàn你nǐ尝到chángdào了le全神贯注quán shén guàn zhù的de甜头tiántou，就jiù很难hěn nán再zài忍受rěnshòu浅薄qiǎnbó而ér零碎língsuì的de忙碌mánglù。

Once you have tasted the rewards of total absorption, it becomes hard to tolerate shallow, fragmented busyness again.

与其yǔqí抱怨bàoyuàn时间shíjiān不够bú gòu，不如bùrú问问wènwen自己zìjǐ：今天jīntiān有没有yǒu méiyǒu留出liúchū一段yí duàn完整wánzhěng的de、不bú被bèi打扰dǎrǎo的de时间shíjiān？

Rather than complaining that there is never enough time, ask yourself: did you set aside one whole, uninterrupted block of time today?

🔊 Audio uses your device's Chinese voice for now — teacher recordings are coming. Tap any word to see its meaning.

Key words 生词

稀缺xīquēscarce; in short supply

干扰gānrǎodisturbance; to interfere

琐事suǒshìtrivial matters; chores

本能běnnénginstinct

全神贯注quán shén guàn zhùto be fully absorbed; rapt concentration

零碎língsuìfragmentary; scrappy

Grammar note 语法点

之所以…，是因为…

A formal pattern that states a result first and then its cause: 'the reason why A is that B'. It puts emphasis on the explanation. 例：他之所以成功，是因为坚持。

深度工作之所以稀少，是因为它违背了大脑追求新鲜刺激的本能。 — Deep work is rare precisely because it goes against the brain's instinct to seek fresh stimulation.

一旦…，就…

'Once A happens, B follows.' 一旦 marks a hypothetical or future trigger event, and 就 introduces the inevitable consequence.

一旦你尝到了全神贯注的甜头，就很难再忍受浅薄而零碎的忙碌。 — Once you have tasted the rewards of total absorption, it becomes hard to tolerate shallow, fragmented busyness again.

与其…，不如…

A comparison of two options meaning 'rather than A, it would be better to B'. The option after 不如 is the one recommended.

与其抱怨时间不够，不如问问自己：今天有没有留出一段完整的、不被打扰的时间？ — Rather than complaining that there is never enough time, ask yourself: did you set aside one whole, uninterrupted block of time today?

Check yourself 小测验

1. Why do many people find their important work barely advances, according to the text?

2. What does the writer friend do every morning?

3. Why is deep work rare, according to the text?

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