-
1
.
表示“在……之前”。说明两个时间或两个事件之间
的先
后关系。
They had
got everything ready before I arrived
．在
我到达之前他们已经把一切都准备好了。
She didn't
understand me
before I explained it to her
．在我向她解释之
前，
她不理解我的意思。
The train had left
before I arrived
at the station
.
在我到达车站之前火车已开走了。
.......
2 .
表示“
才……
”，强调从句的谓语动词所表达的时间、距离很长或
花费
的力量比较大。
The
workers worked long hours for two weeks
before everything returned to normal
.
工人们长时间地
工作了
两周，一切才恢复正常。
The big fire lasted four hours before
the firemen brought it under control
.
大火持续了四个小
时，
消防队员才把它控制住。
We waited a long time before
3.
表示
the train arrived
.
我们等了很长时间火车才到。
“还未来得及……就……” ，强调主句谓语动词所表达的时
间、
距离很短或花费的精力比较小。
Before I could figure out what
had
happened, he forced me into the car
.
我还不知道发
生了
什么，
他就强行把我推进了汽车。
He
jumped into the
water before I could
stop him .
我还没有来得及阻止他
,
他就
跳
进了水里。
Her father
died before she was born
.
她尚未
出世
父亲就去世了。
4 .
表示“趁着
.
.
”。
We
can
set
off
early