Actual problems, as they present themselves to the decision-maker, are always concerned with relative efficiencies, and no measure of absolute efficiency is needed.
2
一般说来,区别效率和绝对的时间投入很重要。
As a general rule, it's important to differentiate between effectiveness and absolute time commitments.
Improving efficiency is doable and industrial users have done it, cutting the amount of water needed to make each tonne of steel and each extra unit of GDP in most rich countries (see first chart).