On again, off again這個(gè)習(xí)慣用語(yǔ)的意思是斷斷續(xù)續(xù)的。就好象我畢業(yè)后跟大學(xué)室友的聯(lián)絡(luò)一樣,on again, off again. 時(shí)斷時(shí)續(xù)。下面例子里的這個(gè)遠(yuǎn)足愛好者打算退出自己的遠(yuǎn)足俱樂部。讓我們聽聽他是怎么想的。
例句-1:I'm thinking of dropping out of my hiking club. It's not that I don't like getting out and exploring some of the great trails in the area. But one month there might be an outing every week, then the next there's only one. I'd prefer a schedule of hikes that's not so on again, off again.
這個(gè)人說(shuō):我正在考慮是不是要退出遠(yuǎn)足俱樂部,這樣做并不是因?yàn)槲也幌矚g跟大家一起去遠(yuǎn)足,探索這附近很多有意思的山間小道,但是有時(shí)候一個(gè)月每星期都有活動(dòng),下個(gè)月卻可能只有一次。我真希望,俱樂部的遠(yuǎn)足活動(dòng)不要這么時(shí)斷時(shí)續(xù)。
這倒讓我想起了我妹妹的那些男朋友,也許是因?yàn)樗≡诩又?,那里的男人更不愿意安定下?lái)吧。她每次交男朋友,都是幾個(gè)月的熱度,然后男方就會(huì)失去興趣,但又藕斷絲連,過(guò)一段時(shí)間又回來(lái)給她打電話。讓我妹妹十分苦惱。這種on again, off again時(shí)斷時(shí)續(xù)的交往方式并不適合她。
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顯然,連續(xù)性對(duì)很多事情來(lái)說(shuō)都很重要。我們一起來(lái)聽聽下面這位居民的看法:
例句-2:The last neighborhood committee never got much done. Perhaps it was because of all the on again, off again meetings they had. But now, the new leaders get together regularly. As a result, they've been able to improve public safety, organize civic events and accomplished a lot that's made our area a nicer place to live.
這個(gè)人說(shuō):上一屆居民委員會(huì)什么都沒干,也許是因?yàn)樗麄冮_會(huì)太少、太沒準(zhǔn)日子了吧。新一屆負(fù)責(zé)人走馬上任后,定期開會(huì),結(jié)果有效地改善了小區(qū)的公共安全,組織了各種活動(dòng),還做了很多其它事情,結(jié)果顯著改變了我們這片地區(qū)的居住環(huán)境。
這倒讓我想起了原來(lái)用的那家手機(jī)公司,信號(hào)特別不穩(wěn)定,我每次開車出去買東西、辦事情,手機(jī)的信號(hào)總是時(shí)斷時(shí)續(xù),絲毫沒有保障。這種情況持續(xù)了不到一個(gè)月,我就忍無(wú)可忍了,換成了現(xiàn)在的這家手機(jī)公司。
大家猜猜看,這個(gè)習(xí)慣用語(yǔ)是怎么來(lái)的?有些語(yǔ)言學(xué)家說(shuō), on again, off again這個(gè)習(xí)慣用語(yǔ)最早是指那些并不嚴(yán)重的火車事故,因?yàn)榛疖噭倓偝霈F(xiàn)的時(shí)候,經(jīng)常會(huì)脫離軌道,過(guò)一會(huì)兒又會(huì)自己重新回到軌道上去,因此就有了on again, off again的說(shuō)法。