从高考题看连词before的用法，本文主要内容关键词为：连词论文,高考题论文，此文献不代表本站观点，内容供学术参考，文章仅供参考阅读下载。
请先看高考题：
1.—How long do you think it will be_______
China sends a manned spaceship to the moon?
—Perhaps two or three years.
A.whenB.untilC.thatD.before
2.—Why don't you tell him about the meeting?
—He rushed out of the room______I could say a word.
A.beforeB.untilC whenD.after
这两道高考题的答案均是连词before。连词before在中学英语课本中出现率高，在历年的高考题中备受青睐。本文拟将其用法和译法做一归纳，以供参考。
一、表示“……才”，强调从句的动作发生得太慢或太晚。如：
The film had been on for ten minutes before we got to the cinema.
我们到电影院之前，电影上映10分钟了，我们才到电影院。
The bus driver almost knocked me down before he saw me.
那位公交司机差点儿把我撞倒了，才看到我。
The fire lasted four hours before the firefighters could control it.
大火持续了大约4个小时，消防队员才得以控制住火势。
二、表示“还没来得及……就……”，“未………就……”，强调主句的行为阻止了before从句行为的发生。如果从句中含有情态动词can或could的话，则表示从句中的动作根本就没有发生。如：
He announced the ending of the meeting before l could get in a word.
没容得我插上一句话，他就宣布散会了。
The students rushed out of the classroom before the bell rang.
铃还没响，学生们就冲出了教室。
注意：before有时本身含有否定意义，从句不能再用否定词。如：
我们还没有完成任务，天就黑了。
误：It became dark before we didn't finish our task。
正：It became dark before we finished our task.
三、表示“刚……就……”，强调主句与从句动作紧密相连或几乎同时发生。这时，主句中常有scarcely，barely，hardly等副词。如：
I had hardly turned off the light before(=when) the telephone rang.
我刚关掉灯，电话铃就响了。
We had scarcely left our school before(=when)it began to rain.
我们刚离开学校，天就开始下雨了。
四、表示“与其……倒不如……”，“宁愿……也不愿意……”，相当于rather than。如：
He would be poor before he got money in this way.
他宁愿穷，也不愿意用这种方式挣钱。
The soldiers would fight to death before they surrendered.
战士们宁愿战斗到死也绝不投降。
五、表示做某事的程序，通常被译为“先……然后……”，“先……再……”，表达此意时，主句的动作可被理解成从句动作发生的前提或条件。如：
Be a pupil before you become a teacher.
先做学生再做老师。
One must sow before one can reap
先播种才能收获。
六、在before sb.know it的习惯用语中，常译为“不知不觉……就……”，“不知怎么……就……”等。如
Time passed quickly and three months went by before she knew it.
时间飞快地流逝，她不知不觉就过了3个月。
The girl fell off the tree before she knew it.
这姑娘不知道怎么就一下子从树上摔了下来。
七、在“It will be+一段时间+before－从句”和“It won't be long before－从句”中，若主句的谓语动词为一般将来时，则从句中的谓语动词为一般现在时。如：
It will be more than 100 years before the country begins once again to look as it did before.
一百年以后这个国家才会恢复当年的面貌。
It won't be long before we have the midterm examination.
过不了多久我们就要期中考试了。
八、掌握before热点句型用法：
It was not long before...（过去）没过多久就……。如：
It was not long before he returned to Beijing.
不久他就回到北京了。
需要特别注意下述结构的不同意义：It was long before...过了很久才……，It will not be long before...要不了多久就……，It will be long before...要过很久才……。long也可改为years，weeks，days等时间名词。
It was long before he married Wei Fang.
过了很久他才娶魏芳。
It will be long before he goes abroad.
要过很久他才出国。
Will it be years before he goes to school?
要过好几年他才能上学吗？