n. (pl.) (lit.) fits and starts; incoherent snatches,desultory and fragmentary representatio n,sepa-rate episodes （本義）一陣又一陣，時斷時續(xù)；不連貫的片斷，無條理而且片片斷斷的演出，不連接的插曲。 △H.V.5.2.406(Epil.4): “Mangling by starts the full course of theirglory.”用不連貫的片斷糟蹋了他們的光輝業(yè)績。