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SAT TEM8
外刊例句
- In Say’s time, as nowadays, the world economy combined strong technological progress with fitful demand, spurts of innovation with bouts of austerity.
萨伊所在的时代跟现在一样，世界经济在技术方面有长足的进步但需求时起时落，创新迸发而经济紧缩频现。
——《经济学人》 - The key to enjoying exercise after a fitful slumber is to start early and keep it simple.
在断断续续的睡眠之后享受锻炼的关键在于早点开始并保持简单。
——《纽约时报》
基本释义
[adjective] active or occurring spasmodically or intermittently; not regular or steady
[形容词] 阵发性或间歇性活跃或发生的；不规律或不稳定的
深入解读
Fitful 是一个由熟词 fit （发作、昏厥、痉挛；突发）+ 形容词后缀 -ful （富有……的、充满……的、具有……性质的、易于……的、可……的）构成而来的单词，最早出现于莎士比亚于1606年创作的悲剧《麦克白》（Macbeth）中，用来表示疾病“阵发性的”：
Duncan is in his grave;
After life's fitful fever he sleeps well;
Treason has done his worst: nor steel, nor poison,
Malice domestic, foreign levy, nothing,
Can touch him further.
邓肯现在睡在他的坟墓里；经过了一场人生的热病，他现在睡得好好的，叛逆已经对他施过最狠毒的伤害，再没有刀剑、毒药、内乱、外患，可以加害于他了。
不过发展到现在， fitful 则主要用来泛指“断断续续的、一阵阵的、间歇的”或者“反复无常的、不规则的”，强调变化性和间歇性，常意味着一种以断断续续为特征的不规则连续性，比如：
- 一阵阵的大风
a fitful gale - 忽明忽灭的闪光
a fitful gleam - 那个国家反复无常的好战姿态
the fitful militant stance of that country
名人名言
Fine friendship requires duration rather than fitful intensity.
良好的友谊需要的是持久，而非时断时续的热度。
出自古希腊哲学家亚里士多德（Aristotle）。
同近义词
- intermittent: occurring at irregular intervals; not continuous or steady
- spasmodic: occurring or done in brief, irregular bursts
- sporadic: occurring at irregular intervals or only in a few places; scattered or isolated
