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

 

我们被教导说早餐是中最重要的一餐，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？

 

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

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。

 

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.

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。

 

The development of technology hasn't done our eating habits much good either. We are constantly distracted by e-mail, social media, and 24-hour news.

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。

 

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

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。

 

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 it's up to them whether they do so or not.

超长的工作时间能够引发各种健康问题，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。

 

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.

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。

 

Writing in The Guardian, 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.

帕特诺伊在《卫报》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到更为开放的环境中。

 

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

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。研究表明，快餐对我们的思考方式也存在不良影响。

 

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

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，就足以加快我们的的反应。

 

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

而如果我们坐在一间真正的餐厅里，与同事们悠闲地聊天，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。

 

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

一份悠长的午餐对于单身男女也是大有裨益，因为他们可以有更充足时间去约会。

 

The two factors that matter most at the early stages of a relationship are chemistry and compatibility. Love at first sight rarely happens in real life, but an hour-long lunch is enough to get a sense of those factors. Furthermore, embarrassment and awkwardness can be avoided when both parties know the lunch will end in an hour.

恋爱初期最至关重要的两个因素便是相互吸引以及情投意合。尽管一见钟情在现实中很少见，但一小时的午餐时光足以感受到上述因素的存在与否。另外，如果约会双方知道这顿午餐只有一小时，便能避免尴尬和难堪了。

 

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

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。

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