ESL露西的一天 第110期:准备上床睡觉讲解(5)

 Lucy checks her alarm, or her alarm clock, to make sure that it is on and then she lays down. 露西检查她的闹铃，或者闹钟，确定是开着的，然后躺下了。

To lay, "lay," down means to put your body onto the bed.   躺下的意思就是躺在床上。

To lay down can also be used when you are putting your body down on the floor. 躺在地板上也可以使用这个词。

Lucy says that she has "this same ritual¹ every night."  A ritual, "ritual," is similar to a routine².   露西说她每天晚上都做同样的事情。习惯，“ritual”，类似于惯例。

It's when you do the same things in the same way over and over again.   是你用同样的方式反复做同样的事情。

Every day you get up, you brush your teeth, you watch television, you go to work.   每天，你起床，刷牙，看电视，上班。

That could be your ritual - your routine - what you do on a regular basis. 这可能是你的习惯或者常规做法——定期做事。

Ritual can also refer to a religious ceremony - a religious event, but here it just means the things that Lucy does every night. 宗教仪式——一种宗教活动也可以称为“ritual”。但是在这里，是指露西每天晚上做的事情。

She thinks that doing this ritual in the same way every night helps her "fall asleep more easily."   她认为每天晚上用同样的方式做同样的事情有助于她“更容易入睡”。

To fall, "fall," asleep means to go to sleep.  "It's not long," she says, "before I am fast asleep."   入睡意思就是去睡觉。“不久”，她说，“我就睡着了”。

To be fast asleep, "fast," means that you are completely asleep - that you cannot be easily woken up.   睡着，意思是你完全入睡，不会轻易醒来。

You are very asleep, you might say.You are fast asleep. 你可能说，你睡的很熟。我睡着了。

Well, I hope you have not fallen fast asleep and are ready to listen to our story again, this time at a regular speed. 嗯，我希望你没有睡着，准备再次听我们的故事。这次是正常语速。

1 ritual   

adj.例行的，老规矩的，惯常的

参考例句：

• This was the monthly ritual.这是每月一次的例规。
• I realized that here the conventions required me to make the ritual noises.我意识到此时按照惯例我应该说些客套话。

2 routine   

n.例行公事，惯例；adj.例行的，常规的

参考例句：

• It is everyday routine.这是每天的例行公事。
• She found the hospital routine slightly dull.她感到医院的工作有点枯燥乏味。