• adj. 断断续续的；散漫的；不连贯的，无条理的

de-, 向下，离开。-sult, 跳，词源同salmon, insult. 原指马戏团的驯马师玩把戏从一匹马跳到另一匹马，引申词义随意的。

desultory

desultory: [16] Latin dēsultor designated a circus trick-rider who jumped from the back of one horse to another while they were galloping along (it was a derivative of dēsilīre, a compound verb formed from dē- ‘down’ and salīre ‘jump’, source of or related to English assail, assault, insult, salacious, salient, and sally). From it was derived an adjective dēsultōrius ‘jumping from one thing to another like a dēsultor’, hence ‘superficial’, and eventually ‘unmethodical, irregular’, the sense which survives in English.
=> assail, assault, insult, salacious, salient

desultory (adj.)

1580s, "skipping about," from Latin desultorius "hasty, casual, superficial," adjective form of desultor (n.) "a rider in the circus who jumps from one horse to another while they are in gallop," from desul-, stem of desilire "jump down," from de- "down" (see de-) + salire "to jump, leap" (see salient (adj.)). Sense of "irregular, without aim or method" is c. 1740. Related: Desultorily; desultoriness.

1. I wandered about in a desultory fashion.

我漫无目的地四处游荡。

来自《权威词典》

2. Do not let the discussion fragment into a desultory conversation with no clear direction.

不要让讨论变得支离破碎,成为没有明确方向的漫谈.

来自《简明英汉词典》

3. Carrie followed up this desultory conversation with occasional interruptions from the Vances.

嘉莉继续这样随便地谈着,万斯夫妇偶尔也插上几句.

来自英汉文学 - 嘉莉妹妹

4. The constables made a desultory attempt to keep them away from the barn.

警察漫不经心地拦着不让他们靠近谷仓。

来自辞典例句

5. Judith now entered into a desultory discourse with Deerslayer.

尤蒂丝开始和打鹿将东拉西扯地闲聊起来.

来自辞典例句