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微波炉真是个好东西，半分钟就能热好一杯牛奶，一分钟饭菜就能热气腾腾了。有微波炉相伴的我们似乎在生活的其它方面也开始要求速度了，而等待的耐心却慢慢不见了踪影。

Microwave ovens have been heating leftovers and popping popcorn for a generation, a daily bit of wizardry that makes waiting for anything seem obsolete. And the microwave mentality has spread far beyond the kitchen.

一直以来，微波炉都帮我们加热剩饭菜、做爆米花，这个能让日常生活变简单的神奇功能同时也让人们耐心渐失。这种“微波炉思维”也冲出厨房，影响到我们生活的各方面。

People want their popcorn in 3-1/2 minutes, dinner ready in 4 minutes, fast food, buy it now and we will pay for it later. Give me the big house on the lake, the gas guzzling hummer and put it all on credit. People with the microwave mentality tend to have the attitude that if something can't be done in 5 minutes or less, it's not worth doing.

人们希望爆米花能在3分半钟之内做好，晚餐能在4分钟内上桌，点的快餐能先送货后付钱。湖边的大房子和悍马车贷款就能马上到手。有“微波炉思维”的人们都觉得如果某件事不能在5分钟之内搞定，那么这件事就不值得动手去做。

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（中国日报网英语点津 Helen 编辑）

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