研究:年過40的人最好每週只工作三天

A three-day-week gets the best performance from workers aged over 40, a study has found.
一項研究發現，40歲以上的人如果每週上三天班，工作表現最佳。

Researchers found the cognitive performance of middle-aged people improved as the working week increased up to 25 hours a week.
研究人員發現，當中年人每週工作時間達到25小時，認知表現將有所改善。

However, when the week went over 25 hours, overall performance for the test subjects decreased as "fatigue and stress" took effect.
然而，如果每週工作時間超過25小時，受試者的整體表現則將惡化，因爲“疲勞和壓力”開始產生影響。

The report, which was published in the Melbourne Institute Worker Paper series, invited 3,000 men and 3,500 women in Australia to complete a series of cognitive tests while their work habits were analysed.
發表在《墨爾本研究院工人報》的這篇研究報告邀請了澳大利亞的3000名男性和3500名女性來完成一系列認知測試，同時分析他們的工作習慣。

It was found those working 25 hours a week performed best while those working 55 hours a week showed results worse than retired or unemployed participants.
研究發現，每週工作25小時的人表現最佳，而每週工作55小時的人的測試成績比那些退休或待業的人還糟。

One of the three authors, Professor Colin McKenzie from Keio University told the Times: "Many countries are going to raise their retirement ages by delaying the age at which people are eligible to start receiving pension benefits. This means that more people continue to work in the later stages of their life.
該研究報告的三位作者之一、來自日本慶應義塾大學的科林•麥肯齊教授告訴《泰晤士報》說：“許多國家都預備提高退休年齡，讓人們延遲領取養老金。這意味着更多人在中晚年還要繼續工作。

"The degree of intellectual stimulation may depend on working hours. Work can be a double-edged sword, in that it can stimulate brain activity, but at the same time long working hours can cause fatigue and stress, which potentially damage cognitive functions.
“智力被激發的程度可能取決於工作時長。工作是一把雙刃劍，既能夠刺激大腦活動，同時過長的工作時間也會導致疲勞和壓力，並有可能損害認知功能。

"We point out that differences in working hours are important for maintaining cognitive functioning in middle-aged and elderly adults. This means that, in middle and older age, working part-time could be effective in maintaining cognitive ability."
“我們指出了不同工作時長的區別所在，這對於保持中老年人的認知功能具有重要意義。這意味着，在中晚年，從事兼職工作將能有效地保持認知能力。”

The research comes amid moves to edge the British state pension age closer to 70.
研究發佈正值英國計劃將法定退休年齡提高到將近70歲。

Currently for someone born in 1989, a state pension begins at the age of 68.
根據目前的法規，1989年出生的人要到68歲才能領到養老金。