Should work be placed among the causes of happiness or be regarded as a burden? Much work is
exceedingly tiresome, and an excess of work causes stress and even disease. I think, however, that,
provided work is not excessive in amount, even boring work is less harmful than idleness. We sometimes
feel a little relief from work; at other times work gives us delight. These feelings arise according to the type
of work we are doing and our ability to do that work. Work fills many hours of the day and removes the
need to decide what one should do.
我们应该把工作当成快乐的源泉呢?还是视它为一种负担?大量的工作让人极为不
爽,超负荷的工作给人造成巨大压力,甚而积劳成疾。然而,我认为:如果工作量不是
很大,即便没什么乐趣,也比无聊空虚对身体健康有益。有时我们从工作中获得慰藉;
有时工作给我们带来快乐。这些感觉的产生取决于我们所从事工作的类型以及我们自身
的工作能力。工作占去了我们一天当中大部分的时间,也不允许我们需要决定应该做什
么。