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Albert Einstein’s breakthrough moments often came via thought experiments in which he let his imagination drift.
阿尔伯特·爱因斯坦的突破性时刻往往来自于他的思想实验，实验中他任自己的想象力漫游。
What would it be like to travel as fast as a light beam?
像光一样快地运动会是什么样子？
What happens if double lightning strikes are observed from different perspectives?
如果从不同的角度观察到两次闪电会怎样？
Einstein is admittedly a pretty high bar, but zoning out can help mere mortals, too.
诚然，爱因斯坦是一个相当高的门槛，但开小差也能帮到普通人。
Research published in 2021 found that tricky work-related problems sparked more daydreaming among professional employees, and that this daydreaming in turn boosted creativity.
2021年发表的一项研究发现，工作相关的棘手问题会引发专业员工产生更多幻想，而这种白日梦反过来又会激发创造力。
In similar vein, going for a walk is not just a break from work, but can be a form of it.
同样，散步不只是工作之余的一种休息，它也可以是工作的一种形式。
An experiment from 2014 asked participants to think of creative uses for a common object (a button, say) while sitting down and while walking.
2014年的一项实验要求参与者在坐着或走路的时候思考一个普通物体（比如说一个按钮）的创造性用途。
Perambulation was associated with big increases in creativity.
散步与创造力的大幅增长相关。
Being outside generally seems to improve lateral thinking.
一般来说，处于户外似乎能提升横向思维。
In another study, hikers who had been yomping away in the wilderness did much better on a problem-solving task than those who had yet to set off.
在另一项研究中，那些一直在野外负重跋涉的徒步旅行者在解决问题时的表现比那些还没出门的人的表现好得多。
Loafing has clear limits.
游手好闲是有明确限制的。
If you miss a deadline because you were staring soulfully out of the window, you still missed a deadline.
如果你因为深情凝视窗外而错过了任务最后期限，那么你就是没完成任务。
Not every problem requires a backpack and a journey into the countryside.
并不是每个问题都需要一个背包和一次乡村之旅来解决。
If you don’t much like your work in the first place, you are likely to daydream about other things.
如果你压根就不太喜欢你的工作，那你很可能会幻想其他事情。
But time to muse is valuable in virtually every role.
但是，几乎在每一个职位中，用来沉思的时间都很宝贵。
To take one example, customer-service representatives can be good sources of ideas on how to improve a company’s products, but they are often rated on how well they adhere to a schedule of fielding calls.
举个例子，客户服务代表可能会想到改进公司产品的好主意，但对他们的评定通常是基于他们对处理电话的流程的遵守程度。
Reflection is not part of the routine.
反思不是日常工作的一部分。
The post-pandemic rethink of work is focused on "when" and "where" questions.
后疫情时代对工作的反思集中在“何时”和“何处”的问题上。
Firms are experimenting with four-day workweeks as a way to improve retention and avoid burnout.
公司正在试行每周四天工作制，以提高员工留任率，避免出现工作倦怠。
Asynchronous working is a way for individuals to collaborate at times that suit them.
异步工作是一种让个人可以在适合自己的时间进行协作的方式。
Lots of thought is going into how to make a success of hybrid work.
人们对于如何让混合工作取得成功进行了大量的思考。
The "what is work" question gets much less attention.
“什么是工作”这个问题得到的关注要少得多。
The bias towards familiar forms of activity is deeply entrenched.
对熟悉的活动形式的偏向根深蒂固。
But if you see a colleague meandering through the park or examining the ceiling for hours, don’t assume that work isn’t being done.
但是，如果你看到一位同事在公园里闲逛，或者连续几个小时盯着天花板，不要认为他没有在工作。
What looks like idleness may be the very moment when serendipity strikes.
看似无所事事之时，可能恰恰是意外收获来临的时刻。
译文由可可原创，仅供学习交流使用，未经许可请勿转载。
