【问】 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)

【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 somethinghappens occasionally)。

1. Every so often she spends a weekend in London. (EED)

她有时候在伦敦度周末。

2. 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。