语言趣谈| 为什么漫画中要用“Zzz”表示睡眠呢？
在动画或是漫画中，我们经常可以看到一连串的“Z”表示一个人处于深度睡眠状态。你有没有好奇，字母“Z”是怎么和睡觉联系在一起的呢？
In cartoons and comics, it's not uncommon to see a series of Z's to indicate that a person is in deep slumber. How does the letter "Z" come to be associated with sleep?
关于“Zzz”的由来，有很多种解释。“Zzz”是打鼾声的拟声词（onomatopoeic words），在1918年美国方言协会的方言笔记中首次出现，用以表示嗡嗡声或呼噜声。
American Dialect Society's Dialect notes, Volume 5, 1918:
z-z-z (buzzing, or snoring)
也有说法称，“Zzz”与锯木头时形成的“Z”形和发出的声音有关。美国早期的动画经常用锯子切割木头来代表睡眠。在美国，“锯木头”也是打鼾的一种说法。
It is also related to the Z-shape and snoring sound made when someone saws wood. In fact, early cartoons often continued to show a saw cutting through a log to represent sleep. In America, to "sawing logs" or "sawing wood" is a term for snoring.
俚语常以zizz指睡觉，作名词、动词都可以。例如：
He felt refreshed after a good zizz.
好好睡了一觉后，他感到神清气爽。
在英国，“catch some zeds”也被用来表示睡觉。
关于睡眠，还有很多种其他的表达。
Fall asleep
Fall asleep侧重“无意识/不刻意地入睡、自然而然入睡”的含义。与be asleep 相比，前者更强调入睡的动作，后者指入睡的状态。
Snooze
Snooze作为非正式表达，可以指在白天的小睡或打盹儿。
Snooze: (informal) to have a short light sleep, especially during the day and usually not in bed.Nap
Nap和snooze类似，也指白天的小睡、打盹儿。例如午后小睡就是take a nap after lunch.
Doze
Doze 指短时间、较浅的睡眠。
Doze: to sleep lightly for a short time
For your safety, don't doze off while driving.
为了你的安全，开车时千万别打瞌睡哦。
Drowse
Drowse表示将睡未睡、迷迷糊糊的状态。
Drowse: to be in a light sleep or almost asleep
drowse away a hot afternoon
打着瞌睡度过炎热的下午
Slumber
Slumber作为一种文学表达，有安稳好眠的意思。
Slumber: (literary) sleep; a time when someone is asleep
She fell into a deep and peaceful slumber.
她睡着了，睡得又沉又香。
Repose
Repose 指躺着休息、静卧，也可表示长眠、安息。
Repose: (literary) a state of rest, sleep or feeling calm
The delightful sofa invites repose.
这舒适的沙发让人想躺下休息。
I prayed for the repose of his soul.
我祈祷愿他安息。
Lethargy
/ˈleθədʒi/
Lethargy有无精打采、死气沉沉的意思，也可以表示昏睡、嗜眠，与之相对的是则是失眠 (insomnia)。
Lethargy: the state of not having any energy or enthusiasm for doing things
He felt that he had to drag himself out of his lethargy and begin to write.
他觉得自己必须从昏沉中振作起来，开始写作。
最后，双语君祝你今晚睡个好觉哦。Sleep tight!
编辑：朱迪齐
本文源自：中国日报双语新闻