北京英語四級補習班

　一、可以用作介詞

　?、?指時間上早于，在……之前，如：

　　She has lived here since before the war.

　　她從戰(zhàn)前就一直在這兒住。

　?、?指位置在前面，如：

　　We knelt down before Grandma's grave.

　　我們在奶奶的墓前跪下。

　　⒊)指順序或排列在之前，如：

　　Your name comes before mine on the list.

　　名單上你的名字在我之前。

　?、?在某人面前，如：

　　She said it before the witness.

　　他是當著證人的面說的。

　　二、作為連詞

　　其基本含義是“在……之前”，又可以根據(jù)不同語境靈活翻譯成“才”、“還沒來得及就……”、“趁……”、“就”等。具體用法如下：

　　⒈)與情態(tài)動詞can/could連用

　　這時候從句雖為肯定形式，根據(jù)漢語表達習慣譯成“還沒來得及就”，如：

　　Before I could get in a word，he had measured me.

　　我還沒來得及插話他就為我量好了尺寸。

　　Before she could move，she heard a loud noise，which grew to a terribl eroar.

　　她還沒來得及邁步，就聽見一聲巨響，接著就是可怕的隆隆轟鳴。

　?、?用于肯定句中強調(diào)主句所表達的時間，距離長，或花費的精力大，譯成“才”

　　We had sailed four days and four nights before we saw lands.

　　我們航行了四天四夜才看到陸地。

　　We waited a long time before the train arrived.

　　我們等了很長時間火車才到。

　?、?用于否定句中，強調(diào)主句所表達的時間，距離短，或花費的精力小，譯成“不到……就”如：

　　We hadn't run a mile before he felt tired.

　　我們跑了還不到一英里他就累了。

　　⒋)主句含有hardly，scarcely等半否定副詞時可以譯為“剛……就”

　　這時候主句應(yīng)用過去完成時態(tài)，從句用過去時，還可以用when替代before如：

　　We had scarcely reached the school before/when the bell rang.

　　我們剛到學校鈴聲就響了。

　?、?有時還有“寧愿”的意思

　　I'd shoot myself before I apologized to him.我寧死也不向他道歉。

　　⒍)用于It+be/take+時間段+before句型

　　在這一句型中又可以根據(jù)主從句的時態(tài)分成兩種情況。

　　若主句是一般時將來時態(tài)，從句是一般現(xiàn)在時.若主句是肯定句意思是“要過多長時間才”;若主句是否定形式翻譯成“用不了多久就”。

　　It will be two weeks before everything returns to normal.

　　兩周之后一切才能恢復正常。

　　It will be many years before the situation improves.

　　這種狀況或許要過許多年才能得以改善。

　　It won't be long before we meet again.用不了多久我們就會再見面的。

　　這時若主句是一般過去時從句也是一般過去時。若主句是肯定句翻譯成“多長時間之后才”，若主句是否定形式翻譯成“沒過多久就”。如：

　　It was some time before I realized the truth.

　　過了很長一段時間我才了解到真相。

　　It wasn't long before she became a brave solider.

　　沒過多久她就成了一名勇敢的戰(zhàn)士。

　　After that it still took seven years before they got married.

　　他們又過了七年才結(jié)婚。

　　注意：當主句的謂語動詞為延續(xù)性動詞時，before與until有時可以互換。It was an hour before/until the police arrived.

　　鞏固練習

　?、?2004天津)It was evening ________ we reached the little town of Winchester.

　　Athat B.until C.since D.before

　　2.(2004全國)Several weeks had gone by ________ realized the painting was missing.

　　A.as B.before C.since D.when

　　3.(2005廣東)The America Civil War lasted four years ______ the North won in the end.

　　A.after B.before C.when D.then

　　4.(2005山東)It was some time _______ we realized the truth.

　　A.when B.until C.since D.before

　　5.(2006四川)-Why didn't you tell him about the meeting?

　　-He rushed out of the classroom _______ I could say a word.

　　A.before B.until C.when D.after

　　6.(2006福建)-How long do you think it will be __ china sends a manned spaceship to the moon?

　　-Perhaps two or three years.

　　Awhen B.until C.that D.before

　　參考答案：DBBDAD