Using English at Work：52 Leaving Work(4)

（单词翻译）

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.