The psychology of sleep
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CHAPTER I SLEEP

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 Sancho Panza says: “Now, blessings1 light on him who first invented sleep! Sleep which covers a man all over, thoughts and all, like a cloak; and is meat for the hungry, drink for the thirsty, heat for the cold, and cold for the hot. Sleep is the current coin that purchases all the pleasures of the world cheap, and the balance that sets the king and shepherd, the fool and the wise man, even.”—“Don Quixote.”
 
Sleeping is the one thing that everyone practices almost daily all his life, and that, nevertheless, hardly anyone does as well as when he began. We have improved in our walking, talking, eating, seeing, and in other acts of skill and habit; but, in spite of our experience, few of us have improved in sleeping: the best sleepers2 only “sleep like a child.” It must be that we do not do it wisely, else we should by this time do it well.
 
Even the race of mankind as a whole does not seem to be able to use sleep, to summon it, or to control it any better than primitive3 man did. We talk much of the need of sleep, and sagely4 discuss its benefits, but we know neither how to use the faculty5 of sleep to the best advantage nor how to cultivate it.
 
Yet for ages men have studied the mystery of sleep. We have acquired many interesting facts concerning its variation, and have formulated6 a number of theories concerning its cause and advantages; nevertheless, science has given us little real knowledge of sleep, and less mastery over it.
 
Mankind has had idols7 ever since consciousness began. Advancing knowledge has changed the nature and number of the idols, but it has not destroyed them. The idol8 of the present age is “Science,” and men worship it in the degree that it seems to fit their needs. They forget that Science is merely the knowledge of things and persons, arranged and classified, so as to make it available. In its nature it is fallible, for some new phase discovered to-day may show that yesterday’s conclusion was formed from a theory which itself was based on a mistaken

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1 blessings 52a399b218b9208cade790a26255db6b     
n.（上帝的）祝福( blessing的名词复数 )；好事；福分；因祸得福
参考例句：
  • Afflictions are sometimes blessings in disguise. 塞翁失马，焉知非福。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • We don't rely on blessings from Heaven. 我们不靠老天保佑。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
2 sleepers 1d076aa8d5bfd0daecb3ca5f5c17a425     
n.卧铺（通常以复数形式出现）；卧车( sleeper的名词复数 )；轨枕；睡觉（呈某种状态）的人；小耳环
参考例句：
  • He trod quietly so as not to disturb the sleepers. 他轻移脚步，以免吵醒睡着的人。 来自辞典例句
  • The nurse was out, and we two sleepers were alone. 保姆出去了，只剩下我们两个瞌睡虫。 来自辞典例句
3 primitive vSwz0     
adj.原始的；简单的；n.原(始)人，原始事物
参考例句：
  • It is a primitive instinct to flee a place of danger.逃离危险的地方是一种原始本能。
  • His book describes the march of the civilization of a primitive society.他的著作描述了一个原始社会的开化过程。
4 sagely sagely     
adv. 贤能地，贤明地
参考例句：
  • Even the ones who understand may nod sagely. 即使对方知道这一点，也会一本正经地点头同意。
  • Well, that's about all of the sagely advice this old grey head can come up with. 好了，以上就是我这个满头银发的老头儿给你们的充满睿智的忠告。
5 faculty HhkzK     
n.才能；学院，系；(学院或系的)全体教学人员
参考例句：
  • He has a great faculty for learning foreign languages.他有学习外语的天赋。
  • He has the faculty of saying the right thing at the right time.他有在恰当的时候说恰当的话的才智。
6 formulated cfc86c2c7185ae3f93c4d8a44e3cea3c     
v.构想出( formulate的过去式和过去分词 )；规划；确切地阐述；用公式表示
参考例句：
  • He claims that the writer never consciously formulated his own theoretical position. 他声称该作家从未有意识地阐明他自己的理论见解。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • This idea can be formulated in two different ways. 这个意思可以有两种说法。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
7 idols 7c4d4984658a95fbb8bbc091e42b97b9     
偶像( idol的名词复数 )； 受崇拜的人或物； 受到热爱和崇拜的人或物； 神像
参考例句：
  • The genii will give evidence against those who have worshipped idols. 魔怪将提供证据来反对那些崇拜偶像的人。 来自英汉非文学 - 文明史
  • Teenagers are very sequacious and they often emulate the behavior of their idols. 青少年非常盲从，经常模仿他们的偶像的行为。
8 idol Z4zyo     
n.偶像，红人，宠儿
参考例句：
  • As an only child he was the idol of his parents.作为独子，他是父母的宠儿。
  • Blind worship of this idol must be ended.对这个偶像的盲目崇拜应该结束了。
9 premise JtYyy     
n.前提；v.提论，预述
参考例句：
  • Let me premise my argument with a bit of history.让我引述一些史实作为我立论的前提。
  • We can deduce a conclusion from the premise.我们可以从这个前提推出结论。
10 utterly ZfpzM1     
adv.完全地，绝对地
参考例句：
  • Utterly devoted to the people,he gave his life in saving his patients.他忠于人民，把毕生精力用于挽救患者的生命。
  • I was utterly ravished by the way she smiled.她的微笑使我完全陶醉了。
11 catching cwVztY     
adj.易传染的，有魅力的，迷人的，接住
参考例句：
  • There are those who think eczema is catching.有人就是认为湿疹会传染。
  • Enthusiasm is very catching.热情非常富有感染力。
12 touching sg6zQ9     
adj.动人的，使人感伤的
参考例句：
  • It was a touching sight.这是一幅动人的景象。
  • His letter was touching.他的信很感人。
13 investigation MRKzq     
n.调查，调查研究
参考例句：
  • In an investigation,a new fact became known, which told against him.在调查中新发现了一件对他不利的事实。
  • He drew the conclusion by building on his own investigation.他根据自己的调查研究作出结论。
14 manifestations 630b7ac2a729f8638c572ec034f8688f     
n.表示，显示（manifestation的复数形式）
参考例句：
  • These were manifestations of the darker side of his character. 这些是他性格阴暗面的表现。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • To be wordly-wise and play safe is one of the manifestations of liberalism. 明哲保身是自由主义的表现之一。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
15 phenomena 8N9xp     
n.现象
参考例句：
  • Ade couldn't relate the phenomena with any theory he knew.艾德无法用他所知道的任何理论来解释这种现象。
  • The object of these experiments was to find the connection,if any,between the two phenomena.这些实验的目的就是探索这两种现象之间的联系，如果存在着任何联系的话。
16 dealing NvjzWP     
n.经商方法，待人态度
参考例句：
  • This store has an excellent reputation for fair dealing.该商店因买卖公道而享有极高的声誉。
  • His fair dealing earned our confidence.他的诚实的行为获得我们的信任。
17 tangible 4IHzo     
adj.有形的，可触摸的，确凿的，实际的
参考例句：
  • The policy has not yet brought any tangible benefits.这项政策还没有带来任何实质性的好处。
  • There is no tangible proof.没有确凿的证据。
18 gauged 6f854687622bacc0cb4b24ec967e9983     
adj.校准的；标准的；量规的；量计的v.（用仪器）测量( gauge的过去式和过去分词 )；估计；计量；划分
参考例句：
  • He picked up the calipers and gauged carefully. 他拿起卡钳仔细测量。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
  • Distance is gauged by journey time rather than miles. 距离以行程时间而非英里数来计算。 来自辞典例句
19 inevitable 5xcyq     
adj.不可避免的，必然发生的
参考例句：
  • Mary was wearing her inevitable large hat.玛丽戴着她总是戴的那顶大帽子。
  • The defeat had inevitable consequences for British policy.战败对英国政策不可避免地产生了影响。
20 purely 8Sqxf     
adv.纯粹地，完全地
参考例句：
  • I helped him purely and simply out of friendship.我帮他纯粹是出于友情。
  • This disproves the theory that children are purely imitative.这证明认为儿童只会单纯地模仿的理论是站不住脚的。
21 fleeting k7zyS     
adj.短暂的，飞逝的
参考例句：
  • The girls caught only a fleeting glimpse of the driver.女孩们只匆匆瞥了一眼司机。
  • Knowing the life fleeting,she set herself to enjoy if as best as she could.她知道这种日子转瞬即逝，于是让自已尽情地享受。

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