高中三年级课本第十五单元，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 mountainous 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的使用方法，下面就其使用方法进行概要。
1、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)指地方在前面，如：
We knelt down before Grandma’s grave.
大家在奶奶的墓前跪下。
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 witness.
他是当着证人的面说的。
2、作为连词
其基本含义是“在……之前”，又可以参考不同语境灵活翻译成“才”、“还没有来得及就……”、“趁……”、“就”等。具体使用方法如下：
⒈)与情态动词can/could连用
这个时候从句虽为一定形式，依据汉语表达习惯译成“还没有来得及就”，如：
Before I could get in a word，he had measured me.
我还没有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.
她还没有来得及迈步，就听见一声巨响，接着就是可怕的隆隆轰鸣。
⒉)用于一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.
大家航行了四天四夜才看到陆地。
We waited a long time before the train arrived.
大家等了很久火车才到。
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.
大家跑了还不到一英里他就累了。
⒋)主句含有hardly，scarcely等半否定副词时可以译为“刚……就”
这个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.
大家刚到学校铃声就响了。
⒌)有时还有“宁可”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参考主从句的时态分成两种状况。
若主句是通常时以后时态，从句是通常目前时.若主句是一定句意思是“要过多长期才”;若主句是不是定形式翻译成“用不了多长时间就”。
It will be two weeks before everything returns to normal.
两周之后所有才能恢复正常。
It will be many years before the situation improves.
这种情况可能要过很多年才能得以改变。
It won’t be long before we meet again.用不了多长时间大家就会再见面的。
这个时候若主句是通常过去时从句也是通常过去时。若主句是一定句翻译成“多长期之后才”，若主句是不是定形式翻译成“没过多长时间就”。如：
It was some time before I realized the truth.
过了非常长一段时间我才获悉真相。
It wasn’t long before she became a brave solider.
没过多长时间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.
■巩固训练
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 missing.
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
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