① by and by表示“沒(méi)多久,一會(huì)兒之后”,相當(dāng)于soon或after a while。
By and by the school year will be over. 不多久這個(gè)學(xué)年就要結(jié)束了。
He'll be back by and by. 他一會(huì)兒就會(huì)回來(lái)了。
② by the by表示“順便說(shuō)到”,相當(dāng)于incidentally,by the way。
By the by,what happened to the boy?順便問(wèn)一下,那個(gè)男孩后來(lái)怎樣了?
③ by and large表示“大體上,基本上”。
By and large,the plan is practicable. 這個(gè)方案大體上可行。
④ gradually表示“漸漸地”,相當(dāng)于slowly或little by little。
The baby is gradually learning to walk. 那個(gè)嬰兒漸漸地開(kāi)始學(xué)走路。