In the United States Monday is the beginning of the workweek;it is the day most Americans like least.It is not surprising then that the day they like most is Saturday.Saturday is the end of the workweek;it is the beginning of the weekend.
Life is different on the weekend;most Americans take care of their house,car or garden.They sleep later in the morning.They enjoy the feeling that the time seems to move more slowly.The week is for things you have to do;the weekend is for things you want to do.Some people may get in a car and go for a drive in the country.They like to take part in a sports activity outdoors.And on Saturday night they might go to a public eating place or a movie.
The idea of the weekend is a recent invention.In 1870s wealthy people began to speak of spending weekends in the country visiting friends.For most people back then,however,the work-day was six days long.It ended at about noon or later on Saturday.
Automobile maker Henry Ford was the first major employer in the United States to establish a workweek of 5days.He did that in 1926.Henry Ford thought that if the working people had more free time they would spend more money,something good for the economy.By 1940 it had become common for most Americans to work 8 hours a day,5 days a week.Today the lives of most Americans are organised that way:5days of work or school followed by 2 days of rest.For many people Saturday night is the highpoint of the weekend and the week.It is the night for going out and having fun.
Anything and everything can happen on Saturday night.People go dancing;they visit
friends and have parties.They drink too much alcohol.They get killed or kill other people.They sleep,watch television,and sometimes fall in love.People do these same things on other nights of the week too,but they do them more often and with more emotion and purpose on Saturday night.
On Saturday night movie theaters sell more admission tickets.It also is the biggest night for places that sell alcoholic drinks.That is one reason why Saturday night wit-nesses most murders,fights and deadly car accidents.
In a town in Indiana there is a Saturday night custom called “cruising”.Cruising means to spend the evening driving your car slowly up and down the town's main street.People who are cruising talk from car to car.They exchange greetings,jokes and friendly insults.Cruising is most popular in small towns where there is not much else to do.
Many people spend the Saturday night at home with friends.They have dinner together.Perhaps they watch a movie on a video cassette recorder.Other people go on a date.A date usually involves two people.People on a date might go to a public concert,yet they talk only to each other.
Is there anything people do not like about the weekend?A study of 1000Americans found that half would gladly trade a paid workday for an extra day of free time.The only thing wrong with the weekend,they think,is that it does not last longer.
美國的周末
在美國,星期一是工作周的開始;大多數(shù)美國人最不喜歡這一天。難怪他們最喜歡的一天是星期六,星期六是工作周的結(jié)束,周末的開始。
周末的生活不盡相同;大多數(shù)美國人料理他們的家、汽車和花園。早上他們起得比平時(shí)晚。他們喜歡那種時(shí)間好像比平時(shí)走得慢的感覺。一周里的事情是你必須做的;周末的事情是你想做的。有的人可能乘車去郊外兜風(fēng)。他們喜歡參加室外體育活動(dòng)。星期六晚上他們也許去一家餐館或電影院。
周末的概念是近期才出現(xiàn)的。19世紀(jì)70年代,有錢人開始談?wù)撊ソ纪舛戎苣?,看望朋友。然而對于?dāng)時(shí)的大多數(shù)人來說,工作日是6天。星期六中午或下午工作才結(jié)束。
汽車制造商亨利·福特是第一個(gè)創(chuàng)立5天工作周的美國大雇主。他是在1926年實(shí)施此法的。福特認(rèn)為如果工人有更多的空閑時(shí)間,他們就會花更多的錢,這對經(jīng)濟(jì)有好處。到1940年,大多數(shù)美國人一天工作8小時(shí),一周工作5天已經(jīng)變得司空見慣。如今多數(shù)美國人的生活都是依此來安排的:5天工作或上學(xué),然后是2天休息。對許多人來說,星期六晚上是一周和周末的高潮。此晚是外出和玩樂的時(shí)間。
星期六晚上任何事都可能發(fā)生。人們跳舞、訪友、舉辦聚會。他們喝過多的酒。他們被殺或殺人。他們睡覺,看電視,有時(shí)還相愛。這些事人們在一周的其他晚上也做,但在星期六晚上他們做得更勤,情感更投入,目的性也更強(qiáng)。
星期六晚上電影院賣出的票比往日多。對于賣酒的地方,這也是贏利最高的夜晚。這也正是星期六晚上謀殺、打架和惡性車禍發(fā)生率最高的原因之一。
在印第安納州的一座小城鎮(zhèn),有一個(gè)叫做“滑車”的星期六夜晚習(xí)俗?;嚨囊馑际钦麄€(gè)晚上在城鎮(zhèn)的主要街道上來來回回地慢速駕車行駛?;嚾伺c另一輛車?yán)锏娜肆奶?、相互寒暄、開玩笑、說俏皮話。滑車在沒有什么事情可做的小城鎮(zhèn)里十分盛行。
許多人星期六晚上和朋友一起呆在家里。他們共進(jìn)晚餐,也許看錄相電影。有的人則赴約會。約會通常有兩個(gè)人。約會的人可以去聽音樂會,但他們只是在兩人之間交談。
人們對周末有沒有不喜歡的地方呢?對1000名美國人的調(diào)查發(fā)現(xiàn),一半的人樂于用可以賺錢的一天去換一天自由的時(shí)間。他們認(rèn)為周末的惟一缺陷就是它太短暫。
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