1.sand的基本意思是“沙,砂”,指细小的石粒时,是不可数名词。“一粒沙”是a grain of sand。
2.sand还可作“沙滩”“沙洲”解,含有大片大片的意思,这时多用其复数形式sands。
3.sand还可用于表示地名,如the Goodwin Sands(古德温沙洲)。

the sands are running out
剩下的时间不多了 there is not much left
The sands are running out, we must have the money by tomorrow.剩下的时间不多了,我们明天得弄到这笔钱。
The politician said that the sands of time were running out for those who expected the state to support them, everyone must work harder!那位政治家说,对于那些期待政府供养的人来说,时间正在流逝,人人都得加紧工作才是!

The violent winds buried the village in sand.狂风把村子掩埋在沙中。
The box was full of sand.箱子里满是沙土。
Where can I lay this load of sand?这堆沙子我该放在哪儿?
He mingled soil and sand.他把泥土和沙混合在一起。
These tree belts effectively protect the farmland against shifting sand.这些防护林带有效地保护了农田,使之免受流沙侵袭。
The white sand reflected the sun's heat.白晃晃的沙地反射出太阳的热气。
The children shaped the wet sand.孩子们把湿沙子堆成各种形体。
There were grains of sand in her hair.她的头发上有沙粒。
The beach was smooth and firm, and the sand was yellow.海滩平坦而坚实,沙粒黄澄澄的。
The river is being choked with sand.泥沙正使河道淤塞。
The channel had chocked up with sand so that boats couldn't use it.航道被泥沙所堵塞,船只无法通行。
Climb into the hole in the sand and chuck the ball out, will you?爬进那个沙子洞里,把球扔出来好吗?
Try to compact the sand into the mold.设法把这沙土堆积到模子里。
Sands are a large area of sand.沙漠就是大面积的沙地。
One day, walking along the sands towards his boat,Crusoe saw in the sand the mark of a man's foot.一天,克鲁索沿着沙滩走向他的小船时,看到沙地上有人的脚印。

1.沙不溶于水。
［误］  Sand are insoluble in water.
［正］  Sand is insoluble in water.
［析］  sand表示“沙”或“沙地”时为物质名词,不可数。
2.我看见孩子们在沙滩上造城堡。
［误］  I saw children building castles on the sand.
［正］  I saw children building castles on the sands.
［析］  sand表示大片的“沙地”或“沙滩”时,常用其复数形式sands。

sand还可用作动词表示“用砂纸磨光”或“在某物上撒沙,用沙覆盖”。例如:
The bare wood must be sanded down.这个没有皮的木料得用砂纸磨光。
The floor has been sanded smooth.地板已用砂纸磨光。
The icy roads were sanded after the storm.暴风雪过后,冰冻的道路被撒上了沙。

［词源］  ＜古英语sand(沙)