语法精讲："before"用法

 高三课本第十五单元，INTER GATING SKILLS 和 WORKBOOK READING部分有如下的句子：

　　⒈The shop was successful，but it was about sixty years before people started to buy jeans for fashion as well as for work.

　　⒉However，it probably will not be long before the other mountainous¹ areas of China such as Sichuan，Xinjiang and Yunnan are developed，and as more facilities become available，prices will almost certainly fall.

　　其中涉及到before的用法，下面就其用法进行总结。

　　一、可以用作介词

　　⒈)指时间上早于，在……之前，如：

　　She has lived here since before the war.

　　她从战前就一直在这儿住。

　　⒉)指位置在前面，如：

　　We knelt² down before Grandma's grave³.

　　我们在奶奶的墓前跪下。

　　⒊)指顺序或排列在之前，如：

　　Your name comes before mine on the list.

　　名单上你的名字在我之前。

　　⒋)在某人面前，如：

　　She said it before the witness⁴.

　　他是当着证人的面说的。

　　二、作为连词

　　其基本含义是“在……之前”，又可以根据不同语境灵活翻译成“才”、“还没来得及就……”、“趁……”、“就”等。具体用法如下：

　　⒈)与情态动词can/could连用

　　这时候从句虽为肯定形式，根据汉语表达习惯译成“还没来得及就”，如：

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

　　我还没来得及插话他就为我量好了尺寸。

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

　　她还没来得及迈步，就听见一声巨响，接着就是可怕的隆隆轰鸣。

　　⒉)用于肯定句中强调主句所表达的时间，距离长，或花费的精力大，译成“才”

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

　　我们航行了四天四夜才看到陆地。

　　We waited a long time before the train arrived.

　　我们等了很长时间火车才到。

　　⒊)用于否定句中，强调主句所表达的时间，距离短，或花费的精力小，译成“不到……就”如：

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

　　我们跑了还不到一英里他就累了。

　　⒋)主句含有hardly，scarcely⁵等半否定副词时可以译为“刚……就”

　　这时候主句应用过去完成时态，从句用过去时，还可以用when替代before如：

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

　　我们刚到学校铃声就响了。

　　⒌)有时还有“宁愿”的意思

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

　　⒍)用于It+be/take+时间段+before句型

　　在这一句型中又可以根据主从句的时态分成两种情况。

　　若主句是一般时将来时态，从句是一般现在时.若主句是肯定句意思是“要过多长时间才”;若主句是否定形式翻译成“用不了多久就”。

　　It will be two weeks before everything returns to normal.

　　两周之后一切才能恢复正常。

　　It will be many years before the situation improves.

　　这种状况或许要过许多年才能得以改善。

　　It won't be long before we meet again.用不了多久我们就会再见面的。

　　这时若主句是一般过去时从句也是一般过去时。若主句是肯定句翻译成“多长时间之后才”，若主句是否定形式翻译成“没过多久就”。如：

　　It was some time before I realized the truth.

　　过了很长一段时间我才了解到真相。

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

　　没过多久她就成了一名勇敢的战士。

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

　　他们又过了七年才结婚。

　　注意：当主句的谓语动词为延续性动词时，before与until有时可以互换。It was an hour before/until the police arrived.

　　■巩固练习

　　⒈(2004天津)It was evening ________ we reached the little town of Winchester.

　　Athat B.until C.since D.before

　　2.(2004全国)Several weeks had gone by ________ realized the painting was missing⁶.

　　A.as B.before C.since D.when

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

　　A.after B.before C.when D.then

　　4.(2005山东)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

　　参考答案：DBBDAD

1 mountainous   

adj.多山的，如山的，巨大的

参考例句：

• A mountainous country is one in which there are many mountains.山国是多山的国家。
• The Antarctic is a mountainous area.南极洲是一个多山的地区。

2 knelt   

v.跪( kneel的过去式和过去分词 )；(kneel的过去式与过去分词)

参考例句：

• They knelt down and prayed. 他们跪下来祷告。
• She knelt in supplication. 她跪地祷求。

3 grave   

n.墓穴，坟墓，雕刻工，抑音；adj.庄重的，严肃的，重大的，低沉的；vt.雕刻

参考例句：

• Marriage is the grave of love.婚姻是爱情的坟墓。
• This is a very grave matter indeed.这问题的确非常严重。

4 witness   

n.证人，目击者，证据，证明，证词；vt.目击，作证，证明，表明，经历；vi.作证人

参考例句：

• She was a witness of the incident.她是事件的目击者。
• A witness was examined by him in a court of law.他在法庭上质问一个证人。

5 scarcely   

adv.几乎不，简直没有，勉强

参考例句：

• He found the dullness of his work scarcely bearable.他觉得他的工作枯燥乏味，简直无法忍受。
• She scarcely earns enough money to make ends meet.她几乎挣不到足够的钱以维持开支。

6 missing   

adj.遗失的，缺少的，失踪的

参考例句：

• Check the tools and see if anything is missing.检点一下工具，看有无丢失。
• All the others are here;he's the only one missing.别人都来了，就短他一个。