Bob 过去几天都睡不好,决定来问问好朋友 Sofia 有什么睡好觉的好办法。
Bob: I’ve had terrible trouble sleeping recently. As soon as my head hits the pillow I’m suddenly wide awake.
Bob:我最近都睡不好。一躺下来就发现我精神超好。
Sofia: It sounds like you’ve got insomnia.
Sofia:听起来你有失眠的困扰。
Bob: Yes… (yawning) I was up all night yesterday.
Bob:没错… (打哈欠) 我昨晚整晚没睡。
Sofia: No wonder you’ve got bags under your eyes.
Sofia:难怪你有眼袋。
Bob: (moaning) What should I do!?
Bob:(哀嚎) 我该怎么办! ?
Sofia: Well… have you tried counting sheep?
Sofia:你试过数羊吗?
Bob: Yes, but that didn’t help at all—it just gave me a headache.
Bob:有啊,但是一点帮助也没。数数反倒使我头疼。
Sofia: How about counting dogs then?
Sofia:试试数狗呢?
Bob: I think you’re missing the point Sofia.
Bob:Sofia,我想你搞错重点了。
insomnia (n.) 失眠
insomnia /ɪnˈsɑmnijə/ 意指「失眠」,常见和 suffer from (受…所苦) 搭配使用。这个字源自拉丁文,由字首 in- (意指「无法;不行;没有」,搭配字根 somnus (睡眠),后来字的组成又经过了一些调整,才变成了今日的 insomnia。所以 insomnia 字面上的意思其实就是「无法睡眠」,也就是「失眠」。
The patient has been suffering from insomnia for over a year.
该病患已受失眠所苦一年。
I’ve been up all night. 我整晚没睡
up 在这里指的不是「上面」,而是指「清醒的」,I’ve been up all night. 指的即是「我整晚没睡」。
Tommy is really tired today because he had been up all night.
Tommy 现在很想睡,因为他昨晚整晚没睡。
bags under your eyes (n.) 眼袋
在眼睛下面的袋子是什么呢?答案是「眼袋」。而黑眼圈则可以用 dark circles 或 panda eyes (熊猫眼) 表示。
Tommy didn’t get any sleep last night, and had bags under his eyes the next morning.
Tommy 昨晚都没睡,然后隔天早上眼袋就跑出来了。
Tommy’s panda eyes betrayed the fact he had been out all night carousing.
Tommy 的熊猫眼泄漏了他昨天整晚都在外面饮酒作乐。
count sheep (phr.) 数羊
count 的意思是「计算;数数」,sheep 则是「羊」,要注意的是,sheep 的单复数同形,很多只羊依旧为 sheep,不是 sheeps 哦!
I don’t believe that counting sheep helps you fall asleep.
我不相信数羊可以帮助入睡。
所以 Sofia 有什么对抗失眠的绝招吗?继续看下去!
Sofia: How about taking some sleeping pills?
Sofia:试看看吃一些安眠药如何?
Bob: No… I don’t want to rely on drugs.
Bob:不要…我不想依赖药物。
Sofia: Alright… well I suppose we’ll just have to get to the bottom of this. Do you drink any coffee or tea before bed?
Sofia:好吧。那我想我们应该先找出问题是什么。你睡前喝了咖啡或茶吗?
Bob: Not at all.
Bob:完全没有。
Sofia: Alcohol?
Sofia:或是酒精?
Bob: Not a drop.
Bob:滴酒未沾。
Sofia: Ah! I know! Have you been scrolling through your phone before you sleep?
Sofia:啊!我知道了!你是不是睡前在滑手机?
Bob: Yes, how come?
Bob:对啊,为什么这样问?
Sofia: I think we’ve found the problem. Blue light from a phone screen affects your body’s production of the sleep hormone melatonin. If you break the habit of scrolling through your phone at night you’ll sleep much better.
Sofia:或许这就是问题所在,因为萤幕的蓝光会影响身体产生褪黑激素。我想你如果摆脱华ˊ手机这个习惯,那样你就能有更好的睡眠。
原来 Bob 睡前都在滑手机!
难怪都会睡不好,手机屏幕散发出的蓝光对人体带来太多负面影响了。
不过学单字只会带来正面影响哦,来复习单字吧!
sleeping pill (n.) 安眠药
pill 指的是「胶囊」,sleeping pill 顾名思义即为「安眠药」,其他说法还有 hypnotic /hɪpˈnɑtɪk/ drug,字面意思为「使人昏昏欲睡的药」。另外提醒大家,「吃药」不是 eat medicine,而是应该用 take 这个动词哦!
The patient is in the habit of taking sleeping pills.
该病患习惯服用安眠药。
alcohol (n.) 酒精
alcohol 意指「酒精」或「酒精性的饮料」。
Those under 18 are not legally allowed to drink alcohol.
未满十八岁禁止饮酒。
scroll through one’s phone 滑手机
scroll 为动词,意思是「滚动」,因此 scroll through one’s phone 则是指「滑手机」这个行为。
Tommy didn’t pay attention to the teacher and kept scrolling through his phone.
Tommy 上课不专心,他一直滑手机。
break one’s habit 摆脱坏习惯
bad habit 意指「坏习惯」,break 除了「打破」还有「终结」的意思,因此 break one’s habit 指的就是「摆脱坏习惯」。
Tommy’s mom asked him to break his habit of biting his nails.
Tommy 的妈妈要他摆脱咬指甲的坏习惯。