一到夏天，某些辦公室裡就開始掀起「空調大戰」，男士們堅持要把溫度開到20度甚至更低，而女士們則堅持開到25度。其實，辦公室溫度不僅和體感舒適度有關，還對工作有影響。
新研究發現，把空調溫度調高有利於提高女性工作效率，而低溫則有利於男性更好地工作。更重要的是，較高室溫給女性所帶來的效率增幅遠遠大於男性的效率降幅。
Scientists have raised the stakes in the battle of the sexes over office air conditioning by discovering women’s brains work better at higher temperatures.
科學家發現女性的大腦在室溫較高時能更好地工作。這一研究結果恐怕會引發辦公室空調的兩性之爭。
Men, on the other hand, work better when the temperature is cooler, according to a study published in the journal PLOS One.
根據發表在《科學公共圖書館·綜合》期刊上的這項研究，當溫度較低時，男性能更好地工作。
The study, conducted in Germany, tested the ability of 500 men and women to perform a series of tasks at a variety of temperatures.
這項在德國開展的研究測試了500名男性和女性在各種溫度下執行一系列任務的能力。
At higher temperatures, women perform better on maths and verbal tasks while the reverse is true for men.
在較高的溫度下，女性做數學題和文字題時表現更好，男性則正好相反。
For women, the increase in performance while working in warmer temperatures was 「significantly larger」 than the decrease in male performance.
對女性而言，較高室溫所帶來的工作效率提高的幅度比男性工作效率下降的幅度「明顯更大」。
"Our findings suggest that gender mixed workplaces may be able to increase productivity by setting the thermostat higher than current standards,」 the study found.
研究發現，「男女混合的工作場所中或許可以通過調高室溫來提高工作效率」。
thermostat['θɝməstæt]: n. 恆溫器;自動調溫器
The findings are cold comfort to women who have to carry extra layers – jumpers, shawls, socks, even blankets – to keep warm in their offices.
對於要在辦公室使用額外的保暖衣物——套頭衫、圍巾、襪子甚至毯子的女性而言，這一研究結果只是一個無用的安慰。
cold comfort: 無用安慰;不起作用的安慰
And perhaps it explains why men wearing suits and ties are determined to plunge their offices into an ice age.
不過，這項研究或許可以解釋為什麼那些穿西裝打領帶的男士決心讓辦公室溫度降到冰點。
According to an earlier study published in Nature Climate Change, women are suited to an average office temperature about 3C warmer than men. The study found that women had a significantly lower metabolic rate than men. Men are comfortable – neither sweating nor shivering – at about 22C. Women, on the other hand, find that a bit chilly.
早前一項發表在《自然氣候變化》上的研究指出，女性所適合的辦公室平均溫度大約比男性高3度。該研究發現，女性的代謝速率明顯低於男性。男性在室溫22度左右時感覺很舒適，既不會流汗也不會發抖，而女性則會覺得22度有點冷。
Another study from 2004 found that people working in warmer conditions – 25C, as opposed to 22C – make fewer typing mistakes and have increased productivity.
2004年的另一項研究還發現，當人們在較溫暖的25度，而不是22度的，室溫下工作時，發生的打字錯誤更少，工作效率更高。
綜上所述，辦公室的空調溫度應該誰說了算，再明白不過了!