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And now, Words and Their Stories, from VOA Learning English.
欢迎收听VOA慢速英语《词汇掌故》节目。
A couple of years ago, we wrote a story titled “Ways We Sleep.”
几年前，我们写了一篇名为《我们睡觉的方式》的报道。
We taught expressions such as catch a few z’s, get some shuteye, nod off, and turn in … just to name a few.
我们教了一些短语，比如catch a few z’s（睡觉），get some shuteye（小睡片刻），nod off（打瞌睡）和turn in（上床睡觉）……仅举几例。
There are many, many sleep expressions in English.
英语中有很多有关睡觉的短语。
But today we talk about ones that deal with problem solving.
但今天我们要谈论有关解决问题的短语。
Now, it is common to sleep on a bed.
现在，在床上睡觉是很常见的。
When we go camping, we sleep on the ground, or we sleep on a cot.
当我们去露营时，我们睡在地上，或者睡在折叠床上。
If we fall asleep watching television or when we visit a friend’s house, we may sleep on a couch.
如果我们在看电视时睡着了或者拜访朋友时在他们家睡着了，我们可能会睡在沙发上。
And sometimes we may have to sleep on a floor.
有时我们可能不得不睡在地板上。
But “to sleep on” has another meaning.
但“to sleep on”还有另一层含义。
If I have a problem and cannot think of an answer, I can “sleep on it.”
如果我有问题却想不出答案，我可以“把问题留到第二天再作决定”。
Often an answer comes to me the next day.
通常第二天我就会想到答案。
Let's say some co-workers are working on a project together, and they run into a difficult problem.
假设一些同事在一起做一个项目，他们遇到了一个难题。
No one can think of a way to solve it.
没有人能想出解决这个问题的办法。
One person might say, “Look, we’re not getting anywhere. So, let's sleep on it. Tomorrow we can try to figure this out.”
一个人可能会说，“喂，我们没有任何进展。我们把问题留到第二天再作决定吧。明天我们可以试着解决这个问题。”
To “sleep on" something means you give yourself time to think about a problem overnight.
“sleep on”的意思是你给自己一晚上的时间来思考一个问题。
You plan to make a decision about it later.
你打算晚些时候再作决定。
This does not have to mean that you are actively thinking about the problem.
这并不意味着你在积极思考这个问题。
Your subconscious may be working on it.
也许你会在潜意识里思考这个问题。
For example, if I am writing a story and run into a problem, I often sleep on it.
例如，如果我在写一篇报道，遇到了一个问题，我经常会把问题留到第二天再作决定。
I think about the problem before I go to sleep and hope that my sleeping self comes to the rescue!
我会在睡觉前想一想这个问题，希望熟睡的自己能帮上忙！
Sometimes we use this expression when we just want more time to pass.
有时，我们用这个短语来表示我们只是想要更多的时间。
We also use it when we want to look at a problem with a rested mind.
当我们想要在大脑休息好之后再思考问题时，我们也会使用它。
We know that sleep is necessary to be healthy, both mentally and physically.
我们都知道，睡眠是保持身心健康的必要条件。
Sometimes a problem doesn't look so bad the next day after a good night’s sleep.
有时候，在睡个好觉后的第二天，问题看起来就不那么糟了。
Here is another sleep expression.
下面是另一个有关睡觉的短语。
Some problems are not a big deal — they are not important.
有些问题并不是什么大事——它们并不重要。
You can describe them as “nothing to lose sleep over.”
你可以用“nothing to lose sleep over”来形容它们。
And if you want to say you are not going to worry about something, you can say you’re “not going to lose sleep over it.”
如果你想说你不会担心某事，你可以说你“不会为此失眠”。
Let’s listen while two friends use this expression.
我们来听一下两个朋友是如何使用这个短语的。
Hey Tish, did you hear about the new apartment building coming to our neighborhood?
嘿，蒂什，你听说我们社区要建一栋新公寓楼了吗？
It’s going to have 100 units!
它有100个单元！
I did. Why do you ask?
我听说了。你为什么这么问？
It will mean a lot MORE people and a lot LESS parking. Aren’t you upset?
这意味着将会有更多的人和更少的停车位。你不烦吗？
Well Mark, we DO live in a city. And cities have lots of people.
马克，我们是住在城市里。城市里有很多人。
So, I’m not losing any sleep over it -- if that’s what you’re asking.
所以，我不会因此而失眠——如果这是你想问的。
Good for you. I’ve lost A LOT of sleep over it.
真好。我为此失眠了好长时间了。
Okay, who is upset by the new apartment building--Mark or Tish?
好吧，谁对新公寓楼不满意——马克还是蒂什？
If you said Mark, you are right!
如果你说马克，那你就对了！
For our last expression, we talk about serious problems -- problems in which your life might be at stake!
我们的最后一个短语要谈论的是严重的问题——可能会危及你的生命的问题！
If you “sleep with one eye open,” you are too distrustful to fall asleep.
如果你“sleep with one eye open”，表示你太不信任别人而无法入睡。
You are suspicious of others around you.
你怀疑周围的人。
You are worried or even fearful that someone or something will hurt you in your sleep.
你担心甚至害怕某人或某事物会在你睡觉时伤害你。
For example, once I took a friend camping with me.
例如，有一次我带一个朋友去野营。
She was a city girl and had never been camping.
她是个城市女孩，从未露营过。
While sleeping in a tent in in the woods, she heard animal sounds and movements in the woods all night.
当她在森林里的帐篷里睡觉时，她整晚都能听到森林里动物的声音和动作。
In the morning, I asked her how she slept.
早上，我问她睡得怎么样。
She said, “I didn't sleep a wink. I slept with one eye open the whole night!”
她说：“我一夜没合眼。我一整晚都不敢闭上眼睛睡觉！”
And that's the end of this Words and Their Stories.
以上就是本期《词汇掌故》节目的全部内容。
If you run into a problem with English, try sleeping on it! Maybe the answer will come to you with the morning sun.
如果你在英语上遇到问题，试着睡一觉吧！也许当早晨的太阳升起时，你会找到答案。
Until next time … I'm Anna Matteo.
下次见…… 我是安娜·马特奥。
译文为可可英语翻译，未经授权请勿转载！
