Inefficiency is when time, money, or energy is wasted because things are not set up well. The work may still get done — that is the messy truth — but it takes too long, costs too much, or burns more fuel than it should.

Inefficiency is when time, money, or energy is wasted because things are not set up wellinefficiency指的是因為事情沒有安排好，而浪費了時間、金錢，或精力。The work may still get done — that is the messy truth事情可能還是會完成——這是比較混亂的事實 but it takes too long, costs too much, or burns more fuel than it should但會花太久的時間、花太多的錢，或是燒掉比應該用的更多的燃料。

A factory that runs all night with half the machines idle has inefficiency. A meeting that could have been ten minutes but lasts two hours has it too.

A factory that runs all night with half the machines idle has inefficiency一間整晚運轉、卻有一半機器閒置的工廠，就有inefficiency。A meeting that could have been ten minutes but lasts two hours has it too一場明明十分鐘就能結束、卻開了兩小時的會議，也是一樣。

Business and government people love this word; they talk about cutting inefficiency.

Business and government people love this word商業界和政府的人很愛用這個詞 they talk about cutting inefficiency他們會談論要削減inefficiency。

It is not the same as failing. Failure is missing the job. Inefficiency is doing the job the long, wasteful way.

It is not the same as failing它跟failing（失敗）不一樣。Failure is missing the jobfailure是沒有把工作完成。Inefficiency is doing the job the long, wasteful wayinefficiency則是用又長又浪費的方式，把工作做完。

You can point to one inefficiency (a bad step in a process) or talk about inefficiency in general.

You can point to one inefficiency (a bad step in a process) or talk about inefficiency in general你可以指出某一個inefficiency（流程裡的一個不良步驟），也可以泛泛地談論inefficiency這個現象。