If something happens piecemeal, it happens slowly, in bits, and not as one clear plan.

If something happens piecemeal如果一件事以piecemeal的方式發生, it happens slowly, in bits就是說它發生得很慢、一點一點地, and not as one clear plan而不是照著一個清楚的計畫進行.

A piecemeal repair of a road is a patch here and a patch there, with no full rebuild. A piecemeal change to a school rule is one small fix after another, not a new system.

A piecemeal repair of a road一條路零星式的修補 is a patch here and a patch there是這裡補一塊、那裡補一塊, with no full rebuild而沒有整個重建. A piecemeal change to a school rule一項校規的零星式修改 is one small fix after another是一次次的小修小補, not a new system而不是一套新制度.

It can describe a thing (a piecemeal approach) or the way you do it (the work was done piecemeal).

It can describe a thing它可以形容一件事物 (a piecemeal approach)（像a piecemeal approach，零星式的做法）, or the way you do it或形容你做事的方式 (the work was done piecemeal)（像the work was done piecemeal，這件工作是零星地完成的）.

The feeling is often a little unhappy: the speaker thinks the bits do not add up, or that someone should have planned better. Though actually people also use it in a calmer way, just to mean “bit by bit” when doing the whole thing at once is too big.

The feeling is often a little unhappy這種說法帶的感覺常常有點不滿: the speaker thinks the bits do not add up說話的人覺得這些片段兜不起來, or that someone should have planned better或覺得應該有人做更好的規劃. Though actually不過其實 people also use it in a calmer way人們也會用比較平靜的語氣來說, just to mean 'bit by bit'單純表示『一點一點』的意思 when doing the whole thing at once is too big當一次做完整件事太龐大的時候.

It is grown-up language, more news and office than playground, and it is not about food.

It is grown-up language這是大人用的正式語言, more news and office than playground比較常出現在新聞和辦公室，而不是操場上, and it is not about food而且跟食物無關.