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。”before譯作“要不多久就會……”，再由狀語從句要用一般現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”。
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“美國南北戰爭持續了四年，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，根據不同語境，確定其恰當含義。現將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生之前，主句的動作已經發生時，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。
