问
Hibernation is more than sleep. It is a very deep sleep.
sleep 是不可数名词,怎么能与不定冠词连用呢?
答
见 sleep 。
sleep
原书 PDF 第 1388 页
sleep1
a sleep
sleep2
some sleep/some sleeps(?)
问
Well, I must stop and get some sleep.
我认为上句中的 sleep 应改为 sleeps, 因为它与 some 连用了。
答
作“睡眠”解的 sleep 是个不可数名词。some 与不可数名词连用是很常见的（见 some ）：
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He didn't get much sleep. 他睡眠不足。
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He reckons he only needs six hours sleep a night. 他认为他每夜只需要六个小时的睡眠。
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I must get some sleep — I'm exhausted. 我得睡一会儿——我已筋疲力尽了。
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As I was reading I went to sleep. 当我读书的时候睡着了。
但是,当指“一次睡眠”“一段睡眠时间”时,则可以说 a sleep:
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I think I'll go upstairs and have a sleep. 我想我要上楼睡一会儿。
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I was awakened from a sound sleep. 我从熟睡中被吵醒了。
sleep3
go to sleep/go to bed
问
On Christmas Eve — the night before Christmas Day—children all over Britain put a stocking at the end of their beds before they go to sleep.
句中的 go to sleep 是指“就寝”“上床”，还是指“入睡”“睡着”？
答
go to sleep 的本义是指“入睡”“睡着”“进入梦乡”（参见 go to bed）。把这个词用在上面的句子里似乎有些不大妥当：在圣诞节前夜……全英国的孩子们在“睡着”之前，都把他们的长统袜挂在床头。因此，最好是用 go to bed 来代替 go to sleep。此时句意为：在圣诞节前夜……全英国的孩子们在上床睡觉之前，都把……