连词Before在中学教材中的几种用法

李清江

中图分类号：G633.41 文献标识码：B 文章编号：1006-5962（2013）07-0173-01

连词before 译成汉语有多种方法。这是由于英汉表达习惯不同而造成的。因此，在把before译成汉语时应结合具体情况，选择能忠实表达其含义而又符合汉语习慣的方法，下面归纳几种汉语的译法

1直译成"在……之前"。往往表示主句的动作先于从句的动作发

例1：Before I go out ， I must my homework ，

我必须在外出前完成我的回家作业。

注：在英语中往往把Before的从句放在主句后面，而译成汉语时一般将它提前。

例2：Be a pupil before you become a teacher 。

在你成为老师之前先做学生

2译成"（直到）……之后才"。副词"才"在汉语中的意思是发生得慢或晚

强调主句所表达的时间，距离很长或花费的力气很大 。常用的句式是：It be + 时间段 + before从句

例3： It seemed a long time before the wounded soldier came to himself.。 似乎过了好长时间，伤员才醒过来。

例4：It will be five years before he returns to his homeland.

得过五年他才能回国 。

注：翻译此类句子时，before 从句一般不提前。

3如果原文目的在于说明在从句动作发生之前，主句动作业已发生

一般可译为"末……就"或"还没有（来得及）……就"

例5：Before I could get in a word ， he got up and ran out of the room .

我一句话都未来得及插，他就在了起来，奔出了房间。

例6： She offered me a cup of coffee before I could sit down.

没等我坐下，她就给我端来了一杯茶。

注：原文中before 引导的从句的谓语动词用的是肯定形式，而译成汉语时却是否定式。

4如果主句中谓语动词用的是否定式，可译成"就""便"或"快"

一般来说，主句主语为名词·代词或it 。强调主句所表达的时间，距离短或花费的力气教小。

例7：The patient had not sat long before the doctor came back .

病人没坐多久，医生就回来了。

例8：It was not long before the river was in flood。

不久，河水便泛滥了。

5有些句子的连词 before 还可以译成"趁着"，"还没有……"，"免得"等 它所引导的从句可译成带有否定意义的语句。

例9：I'll water the flowers before it gets dark .

趁天还没黑，我要把花浇好。

例 10 ：He died before he wrote a will.

他还没来得及写遗嘱就死了。

6连词before 还可译成"刚……就"

在汉语中"就"强调事情发生得"早"或"快"，它着眼于强调主句和从句的动作紧接着发生，或几乎同时发生。一般来说，此类句子都还有否定副词 hardly ，scarcely ，barely等，此复合句中主句须用过去完成时态。

例 11： We had barely got to the school before we heard the bell for class

我们刚到达学校就听到上课铃响了。

例 12： I had hardly got home before it began to rain.

我刚到家天就开始下雨

注 ：hardly ， scarcely ， barely等否定副词在主句主语之前时，主句要出现助动词放在主语之前。此句中连词before和when可以互换。那么例11，12可以改写如下：

Barely had we got to the school when we heard the bell for class.

Hardly had I got home when it began to rain.

7某些习惯用语中的连词before 还可译成"先……后……"或"先……再……"，有时也可译成"宁（可）……（也）不……"

例13：Look before you air your view 。先看看再发表观点。

例14：The boy would die before he told the secret. 那男孩宁死也不肯讲出秘密。

以上浅谈了before 的几种译法。当然。英译汉的方法是多种多样的，

翻译时要视具体情况，灵活运用。

【练一练】

一.从A， B， C， D中选出正确答案。

1. You should go over your test paper _____you hand it in.

A. as soon as B. because C. before D. though

2. Scientists say it may be a few _______it is possible to test the medicine on patients.

A. because B. after C. since D. before

3. It was evening ______we reached the little town of Winchester

A. that B. until C. before D. since

4. I must write it down ______I forget

A. after B. when C. until D. before

5. John think it won't be long ______he is ready for his new job.

A. until B. before C. after D. since

6. Hardly had she lain down ______she fell asleep

A. before B. after C. though D. because

7. We waited a long time ______he came out.

A. after B. before C. until D. while

8. It will be two months ______he comes back.

A. that B. when C. before D. after

9. The little hero would fight to death ______he gave in to the enemy

A. before B. after C. as D .if

10. They hadn't known each other long ______they got married

A. until B. when C. because D. before

Key： 1——5. C D C D B. 6——10. A B C A D