1. It wasn’t long ______ the police caught the thief.(MET92)
A. before B. since
C. until D. when
解析：答案為A。句意為“不久警察就抓住了小偷”。
2. Someone called me up in the middle of the night, but they hung up ______ I could an?鄄swer the phone. (2000全國)
A. as B. since
C. until D. before
解析：答案為D。根據(jù)并列連詞but可判斷出還沒來得及接電話，對方就把電話給掛了。
3. It ______ long before we ______ the result of the experiment.( 02上海春招)
A. will not be;will know
B. is;will know
C. will not be;know
D. is;know
解析：答案為C。句意是“要不了多久我們就會知道試驗的結果了?！眀efore譯作“要不多久就會……”，再由狀語從句要用一般現(xiàn)在時代替一般將來時的用法，可知C項為正確答案。
4. He made a mistake, but then he corrected the situation ______ it got worse. (03.北京)
A. until B. when
C. before D. as
解析：答案為C。句意為“他出了差錯，但是隨后他就調整了局勢，以免其進一步惡化”。
5. It was evening ______ we reached the little town of Winchester. (04天津)
A. that B. until
C. since D. before
解析：答案為D。句意為“到了晚上我們才到達Winchester的那個小城鎮(zhèn)”。
6. Scientists say it may be five or six years ______ it is possible to test this medicine on human patients. (04福建)
A. since B. after
C. before D. when
解析：答案為C。句意為“科學家說在五六年之后才有可能在人類患者的身體上實驗這種藥”。
7. The American Civil War lasted four years ______ the North won in the end. (05廣東)
A. after B. before
C. when D. then
解析：答案為B。句意為“美國南北戰(zhàn)爭持續(xù)了四年，北方才最終獲得了勝利”。
8. It was some time ______ we realized the truth. (05山東)
A. when B. until
C. since D. before
解析：答案為D。句意為“過了一段時間之后我們才了解了真相”。
9. — Why didn’t you tell him about the meeting?
— He rushed out of the classroom ______ I could say a word. (06四川)
A. before B. until
C. when D. after
解析：答案為A。句意為“沒等我說一句話，他就沖出了教室”。
10. — How long do you think it will be ______ china sends a manned spaceship to the moon?
— Perhaps two or three years. (06福建)
A. when B. until
C. that D. before
解析：答案為D。句意為“你認為中國多久才會將人造飛船送到月球?”
從以上高考試題不難看出，before含義頗豐。其基本含義是“在……之前”，但由于英漢表達方式的不同，在翻譯before從句時，一定要靈活理解before的意思，根據(jù)不同語境，確定其恰當含義。現(xiàn)將before的常見含義歸納如下：
1. 當強調從句的動作較主句動作發(fā)生得慢或晚時，before常譯為“……(之后)才”。例如：
It was a long time before I got to sleep again.過了好長一段時間我才入睡。
It will be five years before we meet again. 五年后我們才會再見面。
He had almost knocked me down before he saw me. 他幾乎把我撞倒才看見我。
2. 當強調從句的動作發(fā)生之前，主句的動作已經發(fā)生時，before常譯為“還沒有來得及……就……”。此時，從句動詞常與can/could連用。例如：
Before he could move, she heard a great noise, which grew to a terrible roar.她還沒有來得及邁步，就聽見一聲巨響，接著就是可怕的隆隆轟鳴。(人教高一Unit 4)
Before he had time to answer, she shut the door. 沒容他回答，她就把門關上了。
He beat me before I could say anything.我還沒有來得及說話他就把我打了。
3. 當強調主句動作不容遲緩或耽擱時，before常譯為“趁著……”、“免得”。此時，主句多為祈使句，暗含條件之意。例如：
Strike the iron before it is hot.趁熱打鐵
Go at once before I change my mind.馬上走，免得我改變主意。
4. 當強調主句的動作與從句的動作一先一后發(fā)生時，before常譯為“先……，然后……”。多用于某些習語中。例如：
Look before you leap.三思而后行。
Be a pupil before you become a teacher.先做學生然后做先生。
5. 當主句中含有表示意愿的情態(tài)動詞will/would時，before常譯為“寧愿……決不……”或“與其……毋寧……”。例如：
I’d shoot myself before I apologized to him.我寧死也不向他道歉。
He will die before he gives up.他寧死不屈。
6. 當從句為“before sb. realized/knew it.”時，常將before譯為“不知不覺就……”。例如：
Tom fell in love with Mary before he knew it.湯姆不知不覺愛上了瑪麗。
Time passed quickly and three months went by before Aqiao knew it.時間飛逝，不知不覺中阿巧度過了三個月。
7. 連詞before與barely，scarcely, hardly連用，強調主句與從句的動作一前一后緊接著或幾乎同時發(fā)生時，常譯成“剛……就”。例如：
We had hardly begun to walk before it began to rain. 我們剛一舉步就下起雨來了。
She had scarcely entered the room before the phone rang. 她一進屋電話就響了。
8. 譯為“(不多久)就”，主句多為否定句，尤其在“It + be + not + 段時間+before……”句式中。例如：
It wasn’t long before he told us about this affair. 沒多久他就跟我們講述了那件事情。
I hadn’t waited long before he came.我沒等多久他就來了。
I had not gone a mile before I felt tried. 還沒有走一英里路，我就覺得疲倦了。
