VOA词汇掌故2022--Solving Problems with Sleep Expressions

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Solving Problems with Sleep Expressions

And now, Words and Their Stories, from VOA Learning¹ English.

A couple of years ago, we wrote a story titled "Ways We Sleep." We taught expressions such as catch a few z's, get some shuteye, nod off, and turn in ... just to name a few.

There are many, many sleep expressions in English. But today we talk about ones that deal with problem solving.

Now, it is common to sleep on a bed. When we go camping, we sleep on the ground, or we sleep on a cot. If we fall asleep watching television or when we visit a friend's house, we may sleep on a couch². And sometimes we may have to sleep on a floor.

But "to sleep on" has another meaning.

If I have a problem and cannot think of an answer, I can "sleep on it." Often an answer comes to me the next day.

Let's say some co-workers are working on a project together, and they run into a difficult problem. No one can think of a way to solve it. One person might say, "Look, we're not getting anywhere. So, let's sleep on it. Tomorrow we can try to figure this out."

To "sleep on" something means you give yourself time to think about a problem overnight³. You plan to make a decision about it later.

This does not have to mean that you are actively⁴ thinking about the problem. Your subconscious⁵ may be working on it. For example, if I am writing a story and run into a problem, I often sleep on it. I think about the problem before I go to sleep and hope that my sleeping self comes to the rescue!

Sometimes we use this expression when we just want more time to pass. We also use it when we want to look at a problem with a rested mind. We know that sleep is necessary to be healthy, both mentally and physically⁶. Sometimes a problem doesn't look so bad the next day after a good night's sleep.

Here is another sleep expression.

Some problems are not a big deal — they are not important. You can describe them as "nothing to lose sleep over." 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."

Let's listen while two friends use this expression.

Mark: Hey Tish, did you hear about the new apartment building coming to our neighborhood? It's going to have 100 units!

Tish: I did. Why do you ask?

Mark: It will mean a lot MORE people and a lot LESS parking. Aren't you upset?

Tish: Well Mark, we DO live in a city. And cities have lots of people. So, I'm not losing any sleep over it -- if that's what you're asking.

Mark: Good for you. I've lost A LOT of sleep over it.

Okay, who is upset by the new apartment building – Mark or Tish?

If you said Mark, you are right!

For our last expression, we talk about serious problems – problems in which your life might be at stake⁷!

If you "sleep with one eye open," you are too distrustful to fall asleep. You are suspicious⁸ of others around you. You are worried or even fearful⁹ that someone or something will hurt you in your sleep.

For example, once I took a friend camping with me. She was a city girl and had never been camping. While sleeping in a tent in in the woods, she heard animal sounds and movements in the woods all night. In the morning, I asked her how she slept. She said, "I didn't sleep a wink¹⁰. I slept with one eye open the whole night!"

And that's the end of this Words and Their Stories.

If you run into a problem with English, try sleeping on it! Maybe the answer will come to you with the morning sun.

Words in This Story

camping –n. the activity of sleeping outdoors in a tent or cabin¹¹ usually for fun

cot –n. a thin, light bed that can be folded

couch –n. a piece of furniture that a person can sit on or lie down on

cushion –n. a soft pillow or pad¹² to rest on

subconscious –n. the part of a person's mind that they do not consciously know about

unit –n. a single thing, person, or group forming part of a whole

at stake –n. in a position to be lost if something goes wrong

sleep a wink –v. to sleep for a very short period of time

1 learning   

n.学问，学识，学习；动词learn的现在分词

参考例句：

• When you are learning to ride a bicycle,you often fall off.初学骑自行车时，常会从车上掉下来。
• Learning languages isn't just a matter of remembering words.学习语言不仅仅是记些单词的事。

2 couch   

n.睡椅，长沙发椅；vt.表达，隐含

参考例句：

• Lie down on the couch if you're feeling ill.如果你感觉不舒服就躺到沙发上去。
• The rabbIt'sprang from its grassy couch.兔子从草丛中跳出。

3 overnight   

ad.前一天晚上，一夜间 a.前一天晚上的

参考例句：

• She stayed overnight in the hotel. 她在旅馆过了一夜。
• Our success is not won overnight. 我们的成功不是一夜之间得来的。

4 actively   

adv.积极地，勤奋地

参考例句：

• During this period all the students were actively participating.在这节课中所有的学生都积极参加。
• We are actively intervening to settle a quarrel.我们正在积极调解争执。

5 subconscious   

n./adj.潜意识(的)，下意识(的)

参考例句：

• Nail biting is often a subconscious reaction to tension.咬指甲通常是紧张时的下意识反映。
• My answer seemed to come from the subconscious.我的回答似乎出自下意识。

6 physically   

adj.物质上，体格上，身体上，按自然规律

参考例句：

• He was out of sorts physically,as well as disordered mentally.他浑身不舒服，心绪也很乱。
• Every time I think about it I feel physically sick.一想起那件事我就感到极恶心。

7 stake   

n.木柱；赌注，奖金；v.打赌，下赌注

参考例句：

• A wooden stake was driven firmly into the ground.木桩被牢牢钉进土地里。
• He put up a stake to support the newly planted tree.他竖了一根桩支撑新种的树。

8 suspicious   

adj.可疑的，容易引起怀疑的，猜疑的，疑心的

参考例句：

• A man was hanging about the house in a suspicious manner.一个男人在房子周围可疑地荡来荡去。
• He's so suspicious he would distrust his own mother.他这个人疑心太重，连自己的母亲也不相信。

9 fearful   

adj.惧怕的，担心的；可怕的，吓人的

参考例句：

• What a fearful waste of time!简直太浪费时间了！
• They are fearful of another business depression.他们担心会再次发生商业萧条。

10 wink   

n.眨眼，使眼色，瞬间；v.眨眼，使眼色，闪烁

参考例句：

• He tipped me the wink not to buy at that price.他眨眼暗示我按那个价格就不要买。
• The satellite disappeared in a wink.瞬息之间，那颗卫星就消失了。

11 cabin   

n.(结构简单的)小木屋；船舱，机舱

参考例句：

• They threw up a new cabin in a couple of hours.在几小时之内他们就建起了一座新的小屋。
• It's very hot in the cabin;let's go on deck.舱室内很热，我们到甲板上去吧。

12 pad   

n.垫，衬垫；便签本，印色盒

参考例句：

• She made a brief note on the telephone pad.她在电话通讯簿上记下简短的话。
• Each student should have a pencil and pad.每个学生应该有一支铅笔和一个便签本。