【问】 He had hardly had time to settle down when he sold the house and left the country. (NewConcept English，Book 2，L.38)
 〔原译〕几乎还没有安顿下来就把房子卖了……(《新概念英语》(二)，朗文出版公司、世界图书出版公司，1993，P.158)
 hardly在这里是“几乎没”的意思吗?
 【答】 hardly...when〔before〕是英语里一个常用的句型。一般可译为“刚一……就”。
 1. He had hardly begun to speak when the audience interrupted him.
 他刚开口发言，就被听众打断了。
 2. He had hardly arrived when it began to snow. (Evance)
 他刚到，就开始下雪了。
 请记住这个句型的两个特点：
 (1) hardly分句中一般使用过去完成时，而when〔before〕分句中使用过去时。
 (2)如果把hardly搁在句首，则要求主谓语实行部分倒装。例如：
 1. Hardly had we got into the country when it began to rain. (ALD)
 我们刚到农村，就下雨了。
 2. Hardly had he arrived when she started complaining. (LDCE)
 他刚到，她就开始抱怨。
 你所提问的句子最好译为：
 他刚刚住下来，就把那幢房子卖了……
 应当补充指出，这个句型中的hardly可以换成barely或scarcely：
 1. He had barely arrived when he had to leave again. (LDCE)
 他刚到达，就不得不离开了。
 2. Scarcely had he gone out when it began to rain. (ALD)
 他刚出门，就下雨了。