HOW TO DESIGN YOUR ENVIRONMENT FOR SUCCESS.During the energy crisis and oil embargo of the 1970s, Dutch researchers began to pay close attention to the country’s energy usage.In one suburb near Amsterdam, they found that some homeowners used 30 percent less energy than their neighbors—despite the homes being of similar size and getting electricity for the same price.It turned out the houses in this neighborhood were nearly identical except for one feature: the location of the electrical meter.Some had one in the basement.Others had the electrical meter upstairs in the main hallway.As you may guess, the homes with the meters located in the main hallway used less electricity.When their energy use was obvious and easy to track, people changed their behavior.Every habit is initiated by a cue, and we are more likely to notice cues that stand out.Unfortunately, the environments where we live and work often make it easy not to do certain actions because there is no obvious cue to trigger the behavior.It’s easy not to practice the guitar when it’s tucked away in the closet.It’s easy not to read a book when the bookshelf is in the corner of the guest room.It’s easy not to take your vitamins when they are out of sight in the pantry.When the cues that spark a habit are subtle or hidden, they are easy to ignore.By comparison, creating obvious visual cues can draw your attention toward a desired habit.In the early 1990s, the cleaning staff at Schiphol Airport in Amsterdam installed a small sticker that looked like a fly near the center of each urinal.Apparently, when men stepped up to the urinals, they aimed for what they thought was a bug.The stickers improved their aim and significantly reduced “spillage” around the urinals.Further analysis determined that the stickers cut bathroom cleaning costs by 8 percent per year.
During the energy crisis and oil embargo of the 1970s, Dutch researchers began to pay close attention to the country’s energy usage.
在20世纪70年代的能源危机和石油禁运期间,荷兰研究人员开始密切关注该国的能源使用情况。
crisis/ˈkraɪsɪs/
n. 危机
Ex: An economic crisis.
例句翻译:经济危机。 分析:名词,指极度困难或危险的时期。
embargo/ɪmˈbɑːrɡoʊ/
n. 禁运
Ex: An arms embargo.
例句翻译:武器禁运。 分析:名词,政府禁止与某个国家进行贸易的命令。
pay attention to/peɪ əˈtenʃn tuː/
phr. 注意,关注
Ex: Pay attention to the details.
例句翻译:注意细节。 分析:动词短语,指把注意力集中在某事上。
In one suburb near Amsterdam, they found that some homeowners used 30 percent less energy than their neighbors—despite the homes being of similar size and getting electricity for the same price.
It turned out the houses in this neighborhood were nearly identical except for one feature: the location of the electrical meter.
结果发现,这个社区的房屋几乎完全相同,除了一点:电表的位置。
turn out/tɜːrn aʊt/
phr. 结果是,证明是
Ex: It turned out to be a mistake.
例句翻译:结果证明那是个错误。 分析:动词短语,表示最终发现或产生的结果。
identical/aɪˈdentɪkl/
adj. 完全相同的
Ex: Identical twins.
例句翻译:同卵双胞胎。 分析:形容词,指在各个方面都一样。
meter/ˈmiːtər/
n. 计量器,仪表
Ex: A water meter.
例句翻译:水表。 分析:名词,测量和记录使用量的设备。
Some had one in the basement.
有些人的电表在地下室。
basement/ˈbeɪsmənt/
n. 地下室
Ex: A dark basement.
例句翻译:一个黑暗的地下室。 分析:名词,建筑物位于地下的部分。
Others had the electrical meter upstairs in the main hallway.
其他人的电表在楼上主走廊里。
hallway/ˈhɔːlweɪ/
n. 走廊,过道
Ex: Walk down the hallway.
例句翻译:走下走廊。 分析:名词,建筑物内连接各个房间的通道。
As you may guess, the homes with the meters located in the main hallway used less electricity.
正如你可能猜到的那样,电表位于主走廊的家庭用电量较少。
guess/ɡes/
v. 猜测
Ex: Can you guess my age?
例句翻译:你能猜出我的年龄吗? 分析:动词,在不确定的情况下推测。
When their energy use was obvious and easy to track, people changed their behavior.
当他们的能源使用变得明显且易于追踪时,人们改变了他们的行为。
track/træk/
v. 追踪,跟踪
Ex: Track your progress.
例句翻译:追踪你的进度。 分析:动词,记录或监控某事的发展。
Every habit is initiated by a cue, and we are more likely to notice cues that stand out.
每一个习惯都是由一个提示发起的,我们更有可能注意到突出的提示。
initiate/ɪˈnɪʃieɪt/
v. 发起,开始
Ex: Initiate a project.
例句翻译:启动一个项目。 分析:动词,指使某事开始发生。
stand out/stænd aʊt/
phr. 突出,显眼
Ex: She really stands out in a crowd.
例句翻译:她在人群中真的很显眼。 分析:动词短语,指比其他事物更容易被看到或注意到。
Unfortunately, the environments where we live and work often make it easy not to do certain actions because there is no obvious cue to trigger the behavior.
不幸的是,我们生活和工作的环境往往很容易让人不去做某些行动,因为没有明显的提示来触发该行为。
unfortunately/ʌnˈfɔːrtʃənətli/
adv. 不幸地,遗憾地
Ex: Unfortunately, I can't go.
例句翻译:遗憾的是,我不能去。 分析:副词,用于引出令人失望或不快的情况。
It’s easy not to practice the guitar when it’s tucked away in the closet.
当吉他被藏在壁橱里时,很容易不去练习。
closet/ˈklɒzɪt/
n. 壁橱,衣橱
Ex: Hang your coat in the closet.
例句翻译:把你的外套挂在壁橱里。 分析:名词,用于储物的封闭空间。
It’s easy not to read a book when the bookshelf is in the corner of the guest room.
当书架在客房的角落里时,很容易不去读书。
bookshelf/ˈbʊkʃelf/
n. 书架
Ex: Put it back on the bookshelf.
例句翻译:把它放回书架上。 分析:名词,放书的架子。
It’s easy not to take your vitamins when they are out of sight in the pantry.
当维生素在食品储藏室里看不见时,很容易不吃。
vitamin/ˈvaɪtəmɪn/
n. 维生素
Ex: Take vitamin C daily.
例句翻译:每天服用维生素C。 分析:名词,维持健康必需的营养物质。
out of sight/aʊt ɒv saɪt/
phr. 看不见,在视野之外
Ex: Keep it out of sight.
例句翻译:把它放在看不见的地方。 分析:介词短语,表示超出了能看到的范围。
pantry/ˈpæntri/
n. 食品储藏室
Ex: Food is in the pantry.
例句翻译:食物在储藏室里。 分析:名词,厨房附近用于存放食物的房间或柜子。
When the cues that spark a habit are subtle or hidden, they are easy to ignore.
当引发习惯的提示很微妙或隐藏起来时,它们很容易被忽视。
spark/spɑːrk/
v. 引发,触发
Ex: Spark an interest.
例句翻译:引发兴趣。 分析:动词,原意为产生火花,引申为引发某事。
subtle/ˈsʌtl/
adj. 微妙的,不易察觉的
Ex: A subtle difference.
例句翻译:细微的差别。 分析:形容词,指不明显、需要仔细观察才能发现的。
ignore/ɪɡˈnɔːr/
v. 忽视,不理睬
Ex: Ignore the distraction.
例句翻译:忽略干扰。 分析:动词,故意不注意或不理会。
By comparison, creating obvious visual cues can draw your attention toward a desired habit.
相比之下,创建明显的视觉提示可以把你的注意力吸引到想要的习惯上。
comparison/kəmˈpærɪsn/
n. 比较
Ex: By comparison, this is better.
例句翻译:相比之下,这个更好。 分析:名词,对比两个或多个事物的行为。
draw attention/drɔː əˈtenʃn/
phr. 吸引注意力
Ex: Draw attention to the problem.
例句翻译:引起对这个问题的注意。 分析:动词短语,让别人注意到某事。
In the early 1990s, the cleaning staff at Schiphol Airport in Amsterdam installed a small sticker that looked like a fly near the center of each urinal.