by and by
by and by — 慣用語
1. within a short amount of time; in the near future — used to say that something w
不久
經過一段短時間後；不久之後
within a short amount of time; in the near future — used to say that something will happen after a brief wait, often when a situation changes from an earlier state
Dr. Okafor assured the worried family that the test results would arrive by and by.
Okafor 醫生向擔心的家人保證，檢查結果不久就會出來。
idiom as temporal adverbial: 'would arrive by and by'
The children felt shy on their first day, but by and by they made friends and relaxed.
孩子們第一天很害羞，但過了一會兒他們就交到朋友，放鬆了下來。
contrastive pattern: initial state → 'by and by' → change
Wei bandaged the scrape on his knee and told himself the stinging would stop by and by.
Wei 包紮好膝蓋上的擦傷，告訴自己刺痛感過一會兒就會消失。
Lina planted the rose bushes in early spring, and by and by green shoots appeared above the soil.
Lina 在初春種下了玫瑰叢，不久後土壤裡就冒出了綠色的嫩芽。
contrastive pattern: past action → 'by and by' → result
Carlos left his phone on the nightstand, and by and by a new message lit up the screen.
Carlos 把手機放在床頭櫃上，不久螢幕就亮起，顯示一則新訊息。
- soon
more common and neutral; 'by and by' has a slightly old-fashioned or literary feel
- presently
more formal; similar meaning of 'in a short while'
- before long
interchangeable in many contexts, slightly more emphatic
- much later
direct opposite in terms of timing
用法筆記
This idiom functions as an adverb of time. It is often used to contrast a later state with an earlier one, giving a gentle or reassuring tone.