Using English at Work：52 Leaving Work(4)

We put our money in the bank for safekeeping, and you probably keep important documents in some place in your house or business for safekeeping;

we often put them in a "safe," which is a box, usually a metal box that is locked.

Next, I take the paper and files¹ from my outbox and put them in my coworker's inbox.

An "outbox" is a small rectangular² container made of metal, plastic, or perhaps wood that sits on the top of your desk and holds papers³ that need to be given to other people.

During the day, as I finish working on papers, I put them in my outbox and then at the end of the day I take those papers and I put them in the inbox of the people who need to see them.

In the story, after I do that, I get back to my desk and see that another coworker has emptied her outbox and put some new things into my inbox!

The "inbox" is where you put things that you need to work on - it's where other people put things that you need to work on.

This, of course, means⁴ that I now have more work waiting for me when I come back the following workday⁵.

I like to clear my desk as much as possible at the end of the week.

"To clear something" means to organize and remove objects that are on the table.

Parents may ask their children to clear their toys from the floor, or to clear their books from the table.

Clearing my desk at the end of the week helps me avoid clutter⁶.

"Clutter" (clutter) means many small things that are unorganized, not being used, or not where they're supposed to be.

The bedroom of a teenager is often full of clutter.

I don't like my desk being full of clutter, and that's why I cleared it off, or cleared it, but when I came back there were more papers in my inbox, so I guess everyone else likes to clear their desks to avoid clutter, also!

Finally, I look at my desk one last time to make sure that I haven't left anything behind.

1 files   

文件夹( file的名词复数 )； 卷宗； 纵列

参考例句：

• A stack of files awaited me on my desk. 我桌上有一堆文件正待我去处理。
• Files were strewn higgledy-piggledy over the floor. 文件乱七八糟地扔了一地。

2 rectangular   

adj.矩形的，成直角的

参考例句：

• He put a rectangular box on the table.他把一个长方形的箱子放在桌子上。
• The equations are written in rectangular coordinates.这些方程是在直角座标系中写出的。

3 papers   

n.文件，纸币，论文

参考例句：

• I want to check with my secretary before I sign the papers.在签署这些文件前，我要与我的秘书商议。
• The lawyer read all the papers relating to the case.律师阅读了与该案有关的全部文件。

4 means   

n.方法，手段，折中点，物质财富

参考例句：

• That man used artful means to find out secrets.那人使用狡猾的手段获取机密。
• We must get it done by some means or other.我们总得想办法把它干完。

5 workday   

n.工作日；上班时间

参考例句：

• Today is my workday.今天是我的工作日。
• I all will walk 25 miles in every morning of workday.每个工作日的早晨我都要步行2.5英里。

6 clutter   

n.零乱，杂乱；vt.弄乱，把…弄得杂乱

参考例句：

• The garage is in such a clutter that we can't find anything.车库如此凌乱，我们什么也找不到。
• We'll have to clear up all this clutter.我们得把这一切凌乱的东西整理清楚。