If you want Times readers to look at something for 10 minutes, all you have to do is ask

In July, we ran an experiment challenging readers to look at the image of a painting for 10 minutes — as a way to train one’s ability to focus amid countless distractions. We were able to track how long our readers spent with the art.
The results? Plenty of people didn’t start. And a whole bunch dropped out quickly. But after that initial burst of impatience, the further our readers got, the more likely they were to stick with it. To our surprise, 25 percent finished.
We initially thought maybe 5 percent of readers at most would reach the 10-minute mark. The lesson, to us: Despite how harried our lives are, sometimes all we need to exercise our patience and focus is the opportunity.
That was a good excuse to run more art experiments. — Francesca Paris and Larry Buchanan

如果你想讓時報讀者看某件事 10 分鐘，你要做的就是詢問

全部入住

10分鐘！

即時

放棄者

7 月份，我們進行了一項實驗，要求讀者觀看一幅畫的圖像 10 分鐘，以訓練人們在無數幹擾中集中註意力的能力。我們能夠追蹤讀者花在藝術上的時間。

結果？很多人都沒有開始。很快就有一大群人退出了。但在最初的不耐煩爆發之後，我們的讀者越深入，他們就越有可能堅持下去。令我們驚訝的是，25% 的人完成了。

我們最初認為最多 5% 的讀者會讀到 10 分鐘。給我們的教訓是：儘管我們的生活多麼忙碌，有時我們需要鍛鍊耐心和專注的只是機會。

這是進行更多藝術實驗的好藉口。 — 弗朗西斯卡·帕里斯和拉里·布坎南

More Tech Start-Ups Call It Quits

The deepening recession is speeding up the shakeout in Silicon Valley, forcing droves of start-ups to shut down or sell themselves at fire-sale prices.

Welcome to 2009: Google’s Marissa Mayer to call it quits?
ZDNet Blogs - USA
Marissa Mayer, one of Google’s oldest employees (that is, in years of service), may be considering a departure to what Gawker thinks is a more suiting ...

A Hedge Fund Hits Bottom

John Devaney, who made and then lost a fortune trading mortgage investments, has finally called it quits. (12 comments) More»

drive

A strong organized effort to accomplish a purpose. See synonyms at campaign.

quits

(kwĭts)

adj.

On even terms with by payment or requital: I am finally quits with the loan.

quits Show phonetics
adjective INFORMAL
be quits to not owe money to someone or to each other now:
I paid for the tickets and you bought dinner so we're quits, I reckon.
Am I quits with you now?

call it quits INFORMAL
to stop doing something, or to agree with someone that a debt has been paid and that no one owes anything more:
I paid for last week's shopping and you paid for this week's, so let's call it quits.

double or quits UK (US double or nothing)
(in games where money is risked) an agreement that the player who owes money will owe twice as much if they lose, but will owe nothing if they win

A charity in the Saudi capital Riyadh has come up with a novel incentive to encourage young men to quit smoking-an all-expenses-paid wedding. Hundreds of men have expressed interest in the anti-smoking drive.

沙烏地阿拉伯首都利雅德的一個慈善團體，提出一種新奇的方法鼓勵年輕人戒菸：所有開銷都付清的婚禮。數百名男性已表示有興趣參加這個戒菸活動。◎鄭寺音

quit Show phonetics
verb [I or T] quitting, quit, quit
to stop doing something or leave a job or a place:
Would you quit your job if you inherited lots of money?
[+ ing form of verb] I'm going to quit smoking.
Quit wasting my time!
Press Q to quit the program.

quitter Show phonetics
noun [C] DISAPPROVING
a person who gives up easily instead of finishing something:
I'm no quitter.