before

1. PREP If something happens before a particular date, time, or event, it happens earlier than that date, time, or event. 在 (某日、某时、某事件) 以前

Annie was born a few weeks before Christmas. 安妮在圣诞节前几个礼拜出生。

Before World War II, women were not recruited as intelligence officers. 二战前，女性不被征募为情报官。

2. CONJ Before is also a conjunction. 在 (某日、某时、某事件) 以前

Stock prices have climbed close to the peak they'd registered before the stock market crashed in 1987. 股票价格已经快爬升到了1987年股市崩溃前的最高纪录。

3. PREP If you do one thing before doing something else, you do it earlier than the other thing. 在 (做某事) 之前[PREP -ing]

He spent his early life in Sri Lanka before moving to Canada. 移居加拿大前，他早年生活在斯里兰卡。

4. CONJ Before is also a conjunction. 在 (做某事) 之前

He took a cold shower and then towelled off before he put on fresh clothes. 他穿上干净衣服之前，冲了个冷水澡，再擦干身子。

5. ADV You use before when you are talking about time. For example, if something happened the day before a particular date or event, it happened during the previous day. (某时、某事) 以前[n ADV]

The war had ended only a month or so before. 战争大约在一个月前才结束。

6. PREP Before is also a preposition. (某时、某事) 以前[n PREP n]

It's interesting that he sent me the book twenty days before the deadline for my book. 有趣的是，在距离我书的截止日期20天前他把那本书寄给了我。

7. CONJ Before is also a conjunction. (某时、某事) 以前

Kelman had a book published in the U.S. more than a decade before a British publisher would touch him. 科尔曼在美国已经出版了一本书，十多年后英国的出版商才愿意出版他的作品。

8. CONJ If you do something before someone else can do something, you do it when they have not yet done it. 在 (某人能做某事) 之前

Before Gallacher could catch up with the ball, Nadlovu had beaten him to it. 在加拉赫能接住球之前，纳德洛夫就已经比他先接到了。

9. ADV If someone has done something before, they have done it on a previous occasion. If someone has not done something before, they have never done it. 以前 (做过某事)[ADV after v]

I've been here before. 我以前来过这儿。

I had met Professor Lown before. 我以前见过劳恩教授。

10. CONJ If there is a period of time or if several things are done before something happens, it takes that amount of time or effort for this thing to happen. 经过 (一段时间或努力) 才

It was some time before the door opened in response to his ring. 他按过门铃后好一会儿门才打开。

11. CONJ If a particular situation has to happen before something else happens, this situation must happen or exist in order for the other thing to happen. 在 (某事发生) 之前 (另一情况必须发生)

There was additional work to be done before all the troops would be ready. 在全军准备就绪之前还有些事情要做。

12. PREP If someone is before something, they are in front of it. 在 (某物) 前面[正式]

They drove through a tall iron gate and stopped before a large white villa. 他们开车穿过一扇高高的铁门，然后停在了一幢白色大别墅前。

13. PREP If you tell someone that one place is a certain distance before another, you mean that they will come to the first place first. 在 (某地) 前方 (某距离处)

The station is on the right, one mile before downtown Romney. 车站在右侧，罗姆尼市中心前方一英里处。

14. PREP If you appear or come before an official person or group, you go there and answer questions. 在 (人或组织) 面前 (回答提问)

The governor will appear before the committee next Tuesday. 这名行政官员将于下周二面对该委员会回答提问。

15. PREP If something happens before a particular person or group, it is seen by or happens while this person or this group is present. (发生) 在 (某人、某组织) 面前

The game followed a colourful opening ceremony before a crowd of seventy-four thousand. 紧随一场精彩的开幕式，该比赛在7.4万名观众面前拉开了帷幕。

16. PREP If you have something such as a trip, a task, or a stage of your life before you, you must do it or live through it in the future. (必须经历的事情) 在 (某人) 面前[PREP pron]

Everyone in the room knew it was the single hardest task before them. 屋子里每个人都知道这是摆在他们面前的一项最艰巨的任务。

17. PREP When you want to say that one person or thing is more important than another, you can say that they come before the other person or thing. (重要性) 以…为先[v PREP n]

Her husband and her children came before her needs. 她的丈夫和孩子们比她的需要更重要。

18. before long→see long