more often than not, leave - one's own devices 뜻

Just a few decades ago, before everyone had access to seemingly limitless opportunities for entertainment, if children were bored, more often than not, they were left to their own devices. Being bored pushes children to use their imagination to learn to fill idle time on their own; they might create imaginary kingdom in their backyard or spend hours reading a book. In doing so, they transformed tedium of life into something meaningful. Children today, however, are protected from getting bored. Their spare time is filled with extracurricular activities, educators do all that they can to make school fun, and parents feel compelled to provide them with constant engagement. By not giving children to a chance to be bored, we’re depriving them of the chance to develop critical skills like patience, self-discipline, and innovation. This will leave them unprepared for the reality of work and adulthood, where most moments neither provide excitement nor offer immediate satisfaction. 

 

1. more often than not: 자주 '대체로' 라고 해석되는데, '자주'라는 표현이지만 아주 구체적인 횟수를 말해준다. 대개 일어날 일이 절반 이상일 확률 정도로, 'much more common'한 정도를 일컫는다. 

 

2. leave ~ to one's own devices: ~를 자신의 뜻대로 하도록 놔두다. (주로 예문에서와 같이 수동태로 쓰인다)

- The students were left to their own devices when the teacher failed to appear on time.