对于大多数人而言，无聊是很糟糕的。

正如法国伟大的作家Victor Hugo在其《悲惨世界》（Les Misérable，1862）中写到：
“There is something more terrible than a hell of suffering, a hell of boredom.”

01、人们相信勤劳是一种美德，而懒散则是那些碌碌无为的人才会有的状态。
原 文 

The wealthiest among us work longer hours while being busy has become a status symbol and a mark of prestige. Boredom and idleness, by contrast, are for the underachievers, the lazy, the loafers. It is something associated with mental dullness and lacking in aim or purpose. In a society where happiness and positivity are often linked to productivity, those who are bored must by extension be unhappy.
我们之中最富有的人工作时间更长，因而忙碌已成为身份的象征和声望的标志。相反地，无聊和懒惰则属于一事无成的人，属于懒惰、游手好闲的人，经常与精神迟钝、缺乏目标联系在一起。在一个把幸福和积极性与生产力联系在一起的社会里，推而广之，无聊的人也一定会不幸福。

prestige 
声望

idleness
n. idle（adj 懒散的）名词形式

by contrast 
与之相反的

dullness
n. 迟钝，dull（adj）

02、然而，有越来越多的研究证明，我们需要这些“无聊”时刻来激发自己的灵感和创造力。
原 文 

There is a growing body of research that suggests by not allowing ourselves to be bored once in a while, we may be missing out on something important. Many of our best ideas come to us during idle moments, such as while commuting to work, or taking a shower or a long walk. In fact, we may be at our most creative when we are bored.
越来越多的研究表明，不让自己时不时体会无聊，我们可能会错过一些重要的东西。我们的许多好主意都是在空闲的时候想到的，比如上下班、洗澡或长时间散步。事实上，当我们无聊的时候，我们可能是最有创造力的。

once a while 
偶尔

commute to work 
通勤

03、原 文 
The researchers say that being in a state of boredom encourages you to explore creative outlets because your brain is signalling that your current situation is lacking and you need to push forward. Letting your mind wander, especially with today's technological distractions, when there’s always another email to read and feed to scroll through, is crucial for creativity.
研究人员表示，处在一种无聊的状态会鼓励你去探索创造性的出路，因为你的大脑会发出信号，表明你现在的状态不佳，你需要努力往前走。尤其是在当今，每天都有科技干扰，比如总有邮件需要阅读，各种信息需要浏览，让自己的思绪游荡一下对创造力至关重要。

outlet
n. 出路

distraction 
分心

04、五分钟的休息时间也是至关重要的。
原 文 

The key to thinking more creatively is to make sure you have some downtime to allow your mind to wander. While most of us probably have some idle moments in our day, we probably fill them with social media and email. Instead, Mann suggests scheduling “daydreaming” time or do activities like swimming, where you mind is able to wander without electronic distractions.
创造性思维的关键是确保你有一些休息时间，让你的头脑漫游。虽然我们大多数人在一天中能有一些空闲的时刻，我们可能会用社交媒体和邮件来填满这些时刻。相反，曼恩建议我们安排“白日梦”时间，或者做一些类似游泳的活动，你的思绪可以在没有电子产品干扰的情况下漫游。

downtime
n. 空闲时间

05、原 文 
Intentionally allowing your mind to wander like this allows it to access memories and meaningful connections. When you’re bored, you’re tapping into your unconscious brain, picking up long-lost memories and connecting ideas.
It is this ability to fully access our knowledge, memories, experiences, and imagination that helps lead us to those precious “lightbulb” moments when we least expect them.
有意识地让你的意识漫游使得我们进入记忆和一些有意义的连接。当你感到无聊的时候，你正在进入你的无意识大脑，回忆起久违的记忆和充分联想。正是这种能力完全进入我们的知识、记忆、经验、和想象力，有助于使我们不经意间经历那些珍贵的“灯泡”的时刻。

access 
进入

06、无聊时刻不仅能激发我们的灵感，还能使得我们更高效。
原 文 

Boredom may also help us to be more productive. Boredom helps to restore the perception that one’s activities are meaningful or significant. Boredom acts as a “regulatory state” that can help to motivate us to complete projects.
无聊也会使我们更高效。无聊帮助我们重新意识到活动是有意义且重要的。无聊起着一种“调节状态”的作用，有助于激励我们完成项目。

restore
v. 重新恢复

regulatory 
调解作用的

07、原 文 
In the absence of boredom, one would remain trapped in unfulfilling situations, and miss out on many emotionally, cognitively, and socially rewarding experiences. Boredom is both a warning that we are not doing what we want to be doing and a ‘push’ that motivates us to switch goals and projects.
如果没有无聊，人会被困在不满意的情况下，而错过了许多情感上、认知上、和社交上的有益经验。无聊既警告我们没有做我们想做的事，也推动我们转换目标。

in the absence of 
缺少，没有

remain trapped in 
困在。。。

unfulfilling 
adj不满意的

switch 
转换

08、这么看来，无聊倒像是我们工作和学习中的一剂“灵丹妙药”。都说是药三分毒，我们当然也要警惕无聊的“副作用”。
原 文 
It seems boredom is nothing to be fearful of, but we should perhaps also be aware that not all boredom can be useful. While being under stimulated can lead us to greater creativity and productivity, chronic boredom is also found to have insidious effects that can slash years off your lifespan. For example, boredom can lead people to crave fatty and sugary foods because they are seeking stimulation. Being bored or not having enough stimulation is one thing. Feeling that things in your life are pointless is something more precarious. It’s that listless feeling that can be detrimental to both your physical and mental health.
无聊似乎并不可怕，但我们也应该意识到，并非所有的无聊都有用。在受到刺激的情况下，我们可以获得更大的创造力和生产力，而长期无聊也会产生潜在的影响，从而缩短你的寿命。例如，无聊可以导致人们渴望脂肪和含糖的食物，因为他们正在寻求刺激。无聊或没有足够的刺激是一回事。觉得生活中的事情毫无意义是更危险的。这种无精打采的感觉对你的身心健康都是有害的。

chronic 
长期的；慢性的

slash off
削减

insidious
adj. 潜在的（通常指不好的）

pointless
adj. 相当于meaningless和后面提到的listless，没有意义的，无精打采的

precarious 
危险的

be detrimental to 
对…有害的