必須廢除夏令時間：英語精讀講義

Every year, some countries move their clocks forward in the spring,

每年春天，一些國家會將時鐘撥快，

only to move them back in the autumn. 文法

到了秋天再把時鐘撥慢。

To the vast majority of the world who doesn't participate in this odd clock fiddling, 講解

對於世界上絕大多數不參與這種奇怪撥錶行為的人來說，

it seems a baffling thing to do.

這似乎是一件令人困惑的事情。

So what's the reason behind it?

那麼其背後的原因究竟是什麼呢？

The original idea, proposed by George Hudson, 文法

最初的想法是由喬治·哈德遜提出的，

was to give people more sunlight in the summer.

目的是為了讓人們在夏天擁有更多的陽光。

Of course, it's important to note that changing a clock doesn't actually make more sunlight. 片語搭配

當然，需要注意的是，調整時鐘實際上並不會產生更多的陽光。

That's not how physics works. 語氣意圖

物理學不是這樣運作的。

But by moving the clocks forward an hour, compared to all other human activity, 文法

但是，與人類的所有其他活動相比，把時鐘撥快一個小時後，

the sun will seem to both rise and set later.

太陽看起來就像是晚升起且晚落山了。

The time when the clocks are moved forward is called Daylight Saving Time 文化背景

把時鐘撥快的這段時間被稱為夏令時，

and the rest of the year is called Standard Time.

而一年中的其餘時間則被稱為標準時間。

This switch effectively gives people more time

這種轉換實際上給了人們更多的時間，

to enjoy the sunshine and nice summer weather after work.

讓他們在下班後能享受陽光和美好的夏日天氣。

Hudson, in particular, wanted more sunlight

哈德遜尤其渴望有更多的陽光，

so he could spend more time adding to his insect collection.

因為這樣他就能花更多時間擴充他的昆蟲收藏。

When winter is coming, the clocks move back,

當冬天來臨時，時鐘會被撥慢，

presumably because people don't want to go outside anymore.

大概是因為人們不想再出門了吧。

But winter doesn't have this effect on everyone.

但冬天並不是對所有人都有這種影響。

If you live in a tropical place like Hawaii,

如果你住在像夏威夷這樣的熱帶地區，

you really don't have to worry about seasons because they pretty much don't happen. 用詞

你真的不需要擔心季節更替，因為那裡幾乎沒有明顯的季節變化。

Every day all year is sunny and beautiful,

一年中的每一天都陽光明媚、風景如畫，

so Christmas is just as good of a day to hit the beach as any other. 講解

所以聖誕節去海灘玩和去其他任何地方一樣棒。

And so, Hawaii is one of two states in the Union that ignore Daylight Saving Time. 文化背景

因此，夏威夷是美國不實行夏令時的兩個州之一。

But the further you travel from the equator in either direction,

但無論你往哪個方向，距離赤道越遠，

the more the seasons assert themselves and you get colder and darker winters, 慣用語

季節的特徵就越明顯，冬天也會變得更加寒冷和黑暗，

making summer time much more valuable to the locals.

這就使得夏令時對當地人來說更有價值。

So it's no surprise that the further a country is from the equator, 文法

所以毫不奇怪，一個國家離赤道越遠，

the more likely it uses Daylight Saving Time.

使用夏令時的可能性就越大。

Hudson proposed his idea in Wellington in 1895,

哈德遜於1895年在威靈頓提出了他的想法，

but it wasn't well received and it took until 1916 講解

但並未受到熱烈歡迎，直到1916年，

for Germany to be the first country to put it into practice. 片語搭配

德國才成為第一個將其付諸實踐的國家。

Though the uber industrious Germans were less concerned 文法

不過，極度勤奮的德國人並不怎麼關心

with catching butterflies on a fine summer evening

能否在美好的夏日傍晚捕捉蝴蝶，

than they were with saving coal to feed the war machine. 慣用語

他們更關心的是如何節省煤炭來為戰爭機器提供動力。

The Germans thought Daylight Saving Time would conserve energy.

德國人認為夏令時能節約能源。

The reasoning goes that it encourages people to stay out later in the summer 講解

他們的理由是，這能鼓勵人們在夏天晚些回家，

and thus use less artificial lighting.

從而減少人工照明的使用。

This sounds logical and it may have worked

這聽起來合乎邏輯，而且也許在一百年前

in the more regimented society of a hundred years ago,

那個規矩森嚴的社會裡確實行得通，

but does it still work in the modern world?

但它在現代世界依然有效嗎？

That turns out to be a surprisingly difficult question to answer. 片語動詞

事實證明，這是一個驚人地難以回答的問題。

For example, take mankind's greatest invention, air conditioning. 表達脈絡

舉個例子，就拿人類最偉大的發明之一——冷氣來說吧。

The magic box of cool that makes otherwise uninhabitable sections 講解

這個神奇的製冷盒子，讓世界上原本無法居住的地區

of the world quite tolerable places to live.

變成了相當宜居的地方。

But pumping heat out of your house isn't cheap

但是，把熱量排到室外並不便宜，

and turning on one air conditioner is the

開一台冷氣就

same as running dozens of tungsten light bulbs.

相當於點亮幾十個鎢絲燈泡。

If people get more sunshine, but they don't use it to go outside,

如果人們獲得了更多的陽光，但並沒有用來進行戶外活動，

then Daylight Saving Time might actually cost electricity not save it.

那麼夏令時實際上可能會耗費而不是節約電力。

This is particularly true in a place like Phoenix,

這在像鳳凰城這樣的地方尤為真實，

where the average summer high is 107° and the record is 122. 用詞

那裡夏天的平均最高氣溫是107度（華氏），最高記錄曾達到122度。

If you suggest to an Arizonan to change their clocks in the summer

如果你建議亞利桑那人在夏天調整時鐘

to get more sunshine, they laugh in your face. 慣用語

來獲得更多陽光，他們會當面嘲笑你。

Sun and higher electricity bills are not what they want,

陽光和更高的電費帳單並不是他們想要的，

which is why Arizona is the second state that never changes their clocks. 表達脈絡

這就是為什麼亞利桑那州成為第二個從不撥鐘的州。

Another problem when trying to study Daylight Saving Time

試圖研究夏令時所面臨的另一個問題，

is rapid changes in technology and electrical use.

是技術和用電量的快速變化。

As technology gets better and better and better, 表達脈絡

隨著技術變得越來越好，越來越先進，

more electricity is dedicated to things that aren't light bulbs

越來越多的電力被用於燈泡以外的設備，

and the lure of a hot, sweaty, mosquito-filled day outside 用詞

而且在外面度過一個炎熱、流汗且滿是蚊子的一天的誘惑，

is less appealing than technological entertainment

比不上科技娛樂

and climate-controlled comfort inside.

和在室內享受恆溫的舒適感。

Also, the horrifically energy-inefficient tungsten light bulbs

此外，一百年來未曾改變過、

that have remained unchanged for a century

極其不節能的鎢絲燈泡，

are giving way to CFLs and LEDs, 片語動詞

正在讓位於省電燈泡和LED燈，

greatly reducing the amount of energy required to light a room.

大大減少了照亮一個房間所需的能量。

So even assuming that Daylight Saving Time is effective, 文法

因此，即使假設夏令時是有效的，

it's probably less effective with every passing year.

它的效果可能也會逐年遞減。

The bottom line is while some studies say Daylight Saving Time costs more electricity 講解

總而言之，雖然有些研究說夏令時更費電，

and others say it saves electricity,

而另一些研究說它能省電，

the one thing they agree on is the effect size. 用詞

但它們唯一達成共識的就是其影響的幅度。

Not 20% or 10%, but 1% or less,

不是20%或10%，而是1%甚至更少，

which in the United States works out to be about $4 per household. 片語動詞

在美國，這算下來大約每戶家庭只需4美元。

$4 saved or spent on electricity over an entire year

一整年節省或多花4美元電費，

is not really a huge deal either way. 片語搭配

無論怎麼看都不是什麼大不了的事。

So the question now becomes, 表達脈絡

所以現在的問題變成了，

is the hassle of switching clocks twice a year worth it? 片語搭配

每年兩次撥錶帶來的麻煩值得嗎？

The most obvious trouble comes from sleep deprivation,

最明顯的麻煩來自於睡眠不足，

an already too common affliction in the Western world

這在西方世界已經是太普遍的苦惱了，

that Daylight Saving Time makes measurably worse.

而夏令時讓這種情況明顯惡化。

With time-tracking software,

藉助時間追蹤軟體，

we can actually see that people are less productive

我們甚至能看到在時鐘調整後的那一個星期裡，

the week after the clock changes.

人們的工作效率降低了。

This comes with huge associated costs.

這帶來了巨大的相關成本。

To make things worse, 表達脈絡

更糟糕的是，

most countries take away that hour of sleep on a Monday morning. 片語動詞

大多數國家都是在週一早上剝奪這一個小時的睡眠。

Sleep deprivation can lead to heart attacks and suicides

睡眠不足會導致心臟病發作和自殺率上升，

and the Daylight Saving Time Monday has a higher than normal spike in both.

在夏令時開始的那個週一，這兩者都出現了異常的激增。

Other troubles come from scheduling meetings across time zones.

其他的麻煩來自於跨時區安排會議。

Let's say you're trying to plan a three-way conference

假設你正試圖籌劃一場

between New York, London and Sydney.

紐約、倫敦和雪梨之間的三方電話會議。

Not an easy thing to do under the best of circumstances, 片語搭配

在最好的情況下這都不是一件容易的事，

but made extra difficult when they don't agree

但當他們對夏令時應在何時開始和結束

on when Daylight Saving Time should start and end.

無法達成一致時，就變得格外困難了。

In the spring, Sydney is 11 hours ahead of London

在春天，雪梨比倫敦快11個小時，

and New York is 5 hours behind.

而紐約比倫敦慢5個小時。

But then New York is the first to enter Daylight Saving Time

但隨後紐約最先進入夏令時，

and moves its clock forward an hour.

將時鐘撥快了一小時。

Two weeks later, London does the same.

兩週後，倫敦也這麼做了。

In one more week, Sydney, being on the opposite side of the world, 文法

再過一週，位於地球另一端的雪梨，

leaves Daylight Saving Time and moves its clock back an hour.

結束了夏令時並把時鐘撥慢一小時。

So in the space of three weeks, New York is 5 hours behind London, 片語搭配

於是在短短三個星期裡，紐約和倫敦的時差從慢5小時，

then 4 hours, then 5 again,

變成4小時，然後又回到5小時，

and Sydney is either 11, 10 or 9 hours from London

而雪梨距離倫敦要麼是11、10或9個小時，

and 16, 15 or 14 hours from New York.

距離紐約則是16、15或14個小時。

And this whole crazy thing happens again in reverse 6 months later.

並且這所有瘋狂的事情，在6個月後又會反向重演一遍。

Back in the Dark Ages, this might not have mattered so much, 慣用語

回到黑暗時代，這可能不那麼要緊，

but in the modern interconnected world,

但在現代這個緊密相連的世界裡，

planning international meetings happens thousands and thousands of times daily.

規劃國際會議每天都在發生成千上萬次。

Shifting and inconsistent time zones isn't doing netizens any favors. 講解

不斷變化且不一致的時區對網民沒有任何好處。

And countries aren't even consistent about Daylight Saving Time within their own borders.

而且有些國家甚至在國界內的夏令時規則上都不一致。

Brazil has Daylight Saving Time, but only if you live in the south.

巴西實行夏令時，但只有你住在南部才行。

Canada has it too, but not Saskatchewan.

加拿大也有，但薩斯喀徹溫省不實行。

Most of Oz does Daylight Saving Time, 文化背景

澳洲的大部分地區實行夏令時，

but not Western Australia, the Northern Territory or Queensland.

但西澳州、北領地或昆士蘭州不實行。

And of course, the United States does have Daylight Saving Time

當然，美國也是有夏令時的，

unless you live in Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands,

除非你住在波多黎各、美屬維爾京群島、

American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands

美屬薩摩亞、關島、北馬利亞納群島，

or as mentioned before, Hawaii and Arizona.

或者前面提到的夏威夷和亞利桑那州。

But Arizona isn't even consistent within itself.

但亞利桑那州甚至其內部的規定都不一致。

While Arizona ignores Daylight Saving Time,

儘管亞利桑那州不實行夏令時，

the Navajo Nation inside of Arizona follows it. 文化背景

但在亞利桑那州內的納瓦荷族保留地卻實行夏令時。

Inside of the Navajo Nation is the Hopi Reservation,

在納瓦荷族保留地內是霍皮族保留地，

which like Arizona ignores Daylight Saving Time.

它和亞利桑那州一樣不實行夏令時。

Going deeper, inside of the Hopi 表達脈絡

更深入地說，在霍皮

Reservation is another part of the Navajo Nation,

保留地內還有另一部分納瓦荷族保留地，

which does follow Daylight Saving Time.

這一部份確實實行夏令時。

And finally, there's also a part of the Hopi Reservation

最後，還有一部分霍皮族保留地

elsewhere in the Navajo Nation, which doesn't.

位於納瓦荷族保留地的其他地方，不實行夏令時。

So driving across this 100-mile stretch

所以，在這100英里的路程上開車，

would technically necessitate seven clock changes, which is insane.

理論上需要調整七次時鐘，簡直瘋了。

While this is an unusual local oddity,

雖然這是一種不同尋常的地方怪象，

here's a map showing the different Daylight Saving and time zone rules

但這裡有一張地圖展示了不同的夏令時和時區規則，

in all their complicated glory. 慣用語

盡顯其複雜之處。

It's a huge mess and constantly needs updating

這是一個巨大的爛攤子，並且需要不斷更新，

as countries change their laws,

因為各國都在改變他們的法律，

which is why it shouldn't be surprising that even our digital gadgets

這也就不難解釋為什麼即使是我們的數位設備

can't keep the time straight occasionally. 慣用語

偶爾也會無法正確對時。

So to review, Daylight Saving Time gives more sunlight

所以回顧一下，夏令時在夏天

in the summer after work,

下班後提供了更多的陽光，

which depending on where you live, might be an advantage or not, 文法

這取決於你住在哪裡，可能是個優勢，也可能不是，

and it may or may not save electricity. 文法

並且它可能省電，也可能不省。

But one thing is for sure, it's guaranteed to make something that should be simple, 片語搭配

但有一點是肯定的，它必然會讓本該簡單的事情，

keeping track of time, quite complicated, 片語搭配

也就是掌握時間，變得極其複雜，

which is why when it comes time to change the clocks, 片語搭配

這也就是為什麼每當到了該撥鐘的時候，

there's always a debate about whether or not we should. 文法

總會引發一場關於我們是否應該這樣做的爭論。