San set out to improve efficiency at the shirt factory but, as we find out later in this unit, his plans turned out not quite as he had expected.

Sam Adams, Industrial Engineer

Most curious of all, there was no quality control whatsoever. No one inspected the final product of the factory. As a result some of the shirts that were put in boxes for shipment were missing one or two buttons, the collar, even a sleeve sometimes!

The working conditions were poor. The tables where the workers sat were very high and uncomfortable. Except for a half hour at lunchtime, there were no breaks in the day to relieve the boring work. There was no music. The walls of the workrooms were a dull gray color. I was amazed that the workers hadn't gone on strike.

amaze
vt. fill with great surprise or wonder 使大为惊讶，使惊愕
curious
a. strange 奇怪的
whatever
a. of any kind, at all 任何的，丝毫的
inspect
vt. examine 检查
shipment
n. the act of wending, carrying or delivering goods 装运。运送
miss
vt. be without; lack
button
n. 钮扣
collar
n. 领子
sleeve
n. 袖子
relieve v. relief relief…of(from)
vt. make less or easier 减轻
boring
a. uninteresting and tiresome 令人厌烦的
workroom
n. a room specially kept for working in 工场（间） studio（作家，艺术家）工作室
dull
a. not bright or clear 阴暗的 迟钝的 无聊的
flow
n. a smooth steady movement or supply 流（动）
work flow
a. 工作流程