forty winks，它的字面意思是“四十次眨眼”，但它用来比喻“打盹或是午睡”，是一个习语，寓意： 1、sleep for a while, mostly during the day 睡一会儿，主要是在白天
2、a small sleep 小睡 3、a short slumber 短暂的睡眠 4、a snooze 打盹 5、a nap 午睡 6、catnap 小睡 例如： 1、The bank manager caught the security guard while taking forty winks on duty. 银行经理在值班时抓住了在打盹的保安。 解析：while 引导的时间状语从句，状语从句的主语和主句的主语都是 the security guard，可省略状语从句的主语和 be 动词。
2、I have to get my forty winks today since I didn't sleep well since couple of days. 我这几天没睡好觉，今天得睡个好觉。 解析：as 和 since 用来说明听众已经知道的原因，since 更正式。 3、Being on the duty of a security person, catching forty winks is strictly prohibited. 保安值班，严禁打盹。 解析： a、现在分词短语 Being on the duty of a security person 在句中作状语，用来表示原因。 b、动名词短语 catching forty winks 在句中作主语，谓语动词用单数。 4、John generally has forty winks going to work early in morning on the bus. 约翰一大早在公共汽车上上班，一般都会眨上四十下眼睛。 5、Robert always like to catch forty winks after the lunch. 罗伯特总是喜欢在午饭后午睡。 6、When the pilot was catching forty winks, the plane was about to be crashed. 当飞行员正在打盹的时候，飞机就要坠毁了。
解析：be about to do sth 表示“即将，行将，正要”做某事。 7、I wonder how the people can get forty winks when they are on the plane. 我想知道人们在飞机上是如何能打盹的。
