by fits and starts ———— 断断续续

英文释义
To proceed intermittently; to move forward without consistent, regular progress.

例句
Since he was quite busy as a high school teacher and the father of two young children, the novelist wrote his first book by fits and starts.
这位小说家在写第一部小说时是位高中老师，又是两个小孩的父亲，平日相当忙碌，所以小说是断断续续写出来的。