Definition
To march in place without advancing forward.
原地踏步
The soldiers could only mark time while waiting for orders.
士兵们只能原地踏步等待命令。
During the parade, the troops marked time in unison.
在阅兵期间，部队整齐划一地原地踏步。
He had to mark time to avoid falling out of step with the rest of the group.
他不得不原地踏步，以免与队伍其他成员步伐不一致。
To do little or nothing while waiting for something to happen.
指在等待某事发生期间无所事事。
She's just marking time before her new job starts.
她只是在新工作开始前无所事事。
They were just marking time while awaiting the outcome of the negotiations.
他们只是在等待谈判结果时无所事事。
He felt like he was just marking time, doing nothing of real value.
他感觉自己只是在无所事事，没有做任何真正有价值的事情。