【问】 before都有哪些译法?
 【答】 before有多种多样的译法。在翻译之前应首先弄清原文的含义，然后再找出确切的表达方式。下面提出若干翻译方法供参考：
 A.把before译为“……才”(当强调主句所表达的时间、距离很长或花费的力量相对比较大时)：
 1. It will be five years before we meet again. (ALD)
 要等5年我们才能再见面。
 2. And every science worker will have to make numerous accurate computations before hecan say that the results of his experiment are correct.(某大学研考英语试题)
 每个科学工作者必须作出大量的精确的计算之后才能说他的实验结果是正确的。
 3. (Because science is a special kind of activity，we cannot say it began when man firstthought or when he first looked at a rock，a tree，or the sun.) He may have done thesethings for many thousands of years before he thought or did something scientifically.
 (某大学研考英语试题)
 ……人类进行上述活动可能经过千万年之久，才开始用科学方法来思维和行事。
 4. Before these metals in their natural state can be converted into useful forms to be of ser-vice to man，they must be separated from the other elements or substances with whichthey are combined.
 ……这些处于天然状态的金属必须从跟其结合在一起的其它元素或物质中分离出来，才能转换成对人类有用的形式。
 5. We waited a long time before the train arrived.
 我们等了很长时间火车才到达。
 B.把before译为“……就”(当强调主句所表达的时间、距离很短或花费的精力相对比较小时)：
 1. I hadn’t waited long before he came.
 我没有等多久他就来了。
 2. I had not gone a mile before I felt tired.
 还没有走一英里路，我就觉得疲倦了。
 3. Once the existence of this wave-length had been discovered，it was not long before itsuse as the uniquely recognizable broadcasting frequency for interstellar communicationwas suggested. (New Concept English，Book 4，P. 179)
 这一波长一经发现，很快就被建议用作星际通讯的唯一可辨认的广播频率。
 4. They had not been married a month before they quarrelled.
 他们结婚还不到一个月就吵架了。
 C.把before译为“尚未”、“还没有”、“来不及”、“不要”、“别”：
 1. I slipped out before the lecture started.
 讲课尚未开始我就溜了出去。
 2. My father died before I was born.
 我尚未出世父亲就逝世了。
 3. I started my meal before Adam arrived.
 亚当尚未到达我就开始吃饭了。
 4. Catch him before he escapes.
 抓住他，别让他跑了。
 5. Take it before you change your mind.
 买了吧，不要三心二意了。
 6. He died before writting a will.
 他没有来得及写遗书，就死了。
 7. Before you say anything，you have the right to be silent.
 什么也不要说，你有权保持沉默。
 8. The hawks all had flown away before we fired a shot.
 我们还没有来得及发一枪，老鹰全都飞了。
 D.把before译为“在……的时候还没有”：
 1. I spoke to them before I ever heard any gossip about them. =At the time I spoke tothem I had not heard any gossip about them.
 我跟他们说话的时候还没有听到关于他们的闲话。
 2. He arrived there before it began to rain.
 他到达那里的时候天还没有下雨。
 E.把before译为“如果”、“否则”、“免得”：
 1. Pigs will fly before he’ll become a mathematician.
 如果他能当数学家，猪都会飞了。
 2. Go before I call the police.
 走吧，否则我叫警察了。
 3. Now let me tell you this before I forget.
 让我现在把此事告诉你，免得我以后忘了。
 F.把before译为“到”、“等到”、“没等……就”：
 1. The crop will die before the rains fall.
 等到天下雨，庄稼早枯死了。
 2. Before I could sit down，she offered me a cup of tea.
 没等我坐下，她就给我端上了一杯茶。
 G.把before译为“然后”：
 I shaved before I went to the party.
 我刮了脸，然后去参加宴会。
 H.把before译为“决不”“与其”：
 1. He would die before he would betray his country.
 他宁愿死，决不背叛祖国。
 2. I will die before I submit.
 我宁死不屈。
 3. I will starve before I give in.
 我宁愿饿死，也不投降。
 4. They will starve before they will surrender unconditionally.
 他们宁愿饿死，也决不无条件投降。
 5. He'd sit alone in the dark before he'd watch television. (CGEL)
 他宁愿一个人在黑暗里坐着，也不看电视。
 6. She'll use the telephone before she'll put pen to paper. (CGEL)
 她宁愿打电话，而不愿动笔写。
 从上面的例句我们可以发现，before从句(或before短语)所表达的情境有时是真实的，有时是非真实的：主句的情况阻止before从句或before短语情景的实现，如E，H以及C中的某些例句等。再如：
 Sally stopped Ted before he had a chance to reply.
 特德还没有找到机会回答，萨莉就制止了他(事实上，特德并没有找到机会回答)。
 这种非真实的before从句一般是不能译为“在……之前”的。因为汉语“在……之前”是表示真实情景的：不存在的或不会实现的情景，是无法“在它之前”的。下面的译文便犯了这个毛病。
 The meteor，rushing through the air，becomes intensely heated by friction and is usuallycompletely vaporised before it has penetrated within a distance of twenty miles from the surfaceof the Earth.(北大《英语》(三)，P.1)
 [原译]通过空气的流星，由于摩擦而变得炽热，而且通常在它穿过离地球表面不到20英里距离之前时就完全气化了。(教参)
 [试译]陨星穿过空气时，由于摩擦变得炽热，因而在尚未到达离地面二十英里的上空时，通常便完全气化了。