08/10/21 17:34:34
和訳をお願いします
Thanks for asking how my novel writing is coming along. By way of answer, let me just
share with you something I read on the Internet the other day.
A ten-year research project conducted by a Canadian professor named Piers Steel
concludes that procrastination among Americans is getting worse and worse.
Professor Steel believes that by procrastinating, or putting things off, not only
are we becoming a nation of underachievers, we are also poorer, fatter, and unhappier
than we should be. Just 30 years ago, barely 5% of the American public thought of
themselves as chronic procrastinators. Today, that figure is over 25%.
College students are particularly bad―three out of four label themselves procrastinators
(your students should get a kick out of that bit of information!).
Why are there so many "putter-offers" among us today? Simply because there are so many
ways to kill time, so many distractions: TV and DVDs, online video and music, surfing
the Internet, cell phones, video games and iPods. "It's never been harder to be
self-disciplined in all of history than it is now," Professor Steel claims.
This has serious consequences, he goes on. By putting off filing our income texes or
doing our Christmas shopping or paying our bills, we Americans cost ourselves a lot of money.
By not getting down to business on the job, we negatively affect the nation's economy.
By delaying diets and fitness regimens, we put our health at risk. And just the fact
of not being able to discipline ourselves better makes us feel anxious, weak, and
guilty, and, as a result, more depressed and less satisfied with our lives.
So, how is my novel coming along? The above should give you a pretty good idea.