Part 3

精力充沛的人

2. Do you think there was more physical labour in the past than there is now?

答案:

Indeed, it can be argued that there was significantly more physical labor in the past compared to the present day. Historically, most occupations relied heavily on manual tasks, whether in agriculture, construction, or manufacturing. For example, before the advent of machinery, farming required intense physical effort, as crops were planted, tended, and harvested entirely by hand.

Moreover, the industrial revolution marked a pivotal shift, where labor was predominantly manual, and workers engaged in physically demanding roles. Today, however, advancements in technology and automation have transformed many industries, reducing the need for human physical labor. Many tasks that once required significant strength and endurance are now performed by machines or robots, allowing individuals to focus on more complex and less physically taxing roles.

That said, while the quantity of physical labor has diminished, it is essential to recognize that certain sectors still demand substantial physical effort, albeit in a different context. Thus, the nature of work has evolved, but the physicality of some jobs remains relevant.

助记: physical labor, past, present, occupations, agriculture, construction, manufacturing, manual tasks, industrial revolution, labor, technology, automation, machines, robots, complex roles, sectors, substantial effort

翻译:

确实可以说，过去的体力劳动明显多于现在。历史上，大多数职业都在很大程度上依赖于手动任务，无论是在农业、建筑还是制造业中。例如，在机械出现之前，耕作需要大量的体力，因为作物完全依靠人力进行种植、管理和收割。

此外，工业革命标志着一个关键转变，那时的劳动主要是手动的，工人们从事体力要求很高的工作。然而，今天，技术和自动化的进步已改变了许多行业，减少了对人工体力劳动的需求。许多曾经需要大量力量和耐力的任务现在由机器或机器人完成，使个人能够专注于更复杂和身体上不那么繁重的工作。

尽管如此，尽管体力劳动的数量有所减少，但重要的是要认识到某些行业仍然需要大量的体力付出，尽管在不同的环境下。因此，工作的性质发生了变化，但某些工作的体力性依然是相关的。

笔记:

  1. physical labor (/ˈfɪz.ɪ.kəl ˈleɪ.bər/) - work that requires physical effort, 体力劳动
  2. past (/pæst/) - the time before the present, 过去
  3. present (/ˈprɛz.ənt/) - the current time, 现在
  4. occupations (/ˌɒk.jʊˈpeɪ.ʃənz/) - jobs or professions, 职业
  5. agriculture (/ˈæɡ.rɪ.kʌl.tʃər/) - the practice of farming, 农业
  6. construction (/kənˈstrʌk.ʃən/) - the building of structures, 建筑
  7. manufacturing (/ˌmæn.juˈfæk.tʃər.ɪŋ/) - the production of goods, 制造业
  8. manual tasks (/ˈmæn.ju.əl tæsks/) - tasks done by hand, 手动任务
  9. industrial revolution (/ɪnˈdʌs.tri.əl ˌrɛv.əˈluː.ʃən/) - a period of major industrialization, 工业革命
  10. labor (/ˈleɪ.bər/) - work, especially hard physical work, 劳动
  11. technology (/tɛkˈnɒl.ə.dʒi/) - the application of scientific knowledge for practical purposes, 技术
  12. automation (/ˌɔːtəˈmeɪʃən/) - the use of machines to perform tasks without human intervention, 自动化
  13. machines (/məˈʃiːnz/) - devices that perform tasks automatically, 机器
  14. robots (/ˈroʊ.bɑːts/) - automated machines, 机器人
  15. complex roles (/ˈkɒm.plɛks roʊlz/) - jobs requiring advanced skills, 复杂角色
  16. sectors (/ˈsɛk.tərz/) - distinct parts of the economy, 行业
  17. substantial effort (/səbˈstæn.ʃəl ˈɛf.ərt/) - considerable physical work, 大量努力