＝be alive 活下去
1.His job can hardly keep body and soul together .
他的工作简直不能维持生命.
2.I was earning hardly enough money to keep body and soul together.
我几乎挣不到足够的钱来维持生计.
3.He workedand night ,but could scarcely keep body and soul together .
他日夜不停地工作,却还是几乎不能维持生活.