核心问题
every so often 从字面看,应是 very often 的意思。《英华大辞典》、《最新高级英汉词典》均译为“时时”。汉语的“时时”即“常常”“任何时候”的意思,例如,“时时不忘自己是人民的勤务员。”但是,用“时时”来翻译下列句中的 every so often 似乎是不恰当的:
Every so often we stopped to look at our map. (GPU)
词典解答
英语的 every so often = every now and then(again) = now and again。它们的意思是:sometimes but not very often, from time to time(不时地,有时候)(见 LDCE)。EED 干脆解释为:occasionally (in expressions such as 'every now and then' in order to indicate that something happens occasionally)。
-
Every so often she spends a weekend in London. (EED) 她有时候在伦敦度周末。
-
I no longer see him regularly, but he drops in at my office every so often. 我现在已不再经常去看他，但他却不时地到我办公室来。