取录自《英语自学参考系列·句法手册》 第五章  第三节 时间状语从句

英语自学参考系列 句法手册   第五章   英语复合句及并列句

编者  川竹 樑翁

第三节  英语时间状语从句㈢

（续前：3. when、while与as用法比较）

4. 时间连词before、after与since

⑴before引导时间状语从句

①before的本意为“在…之前”，即使主从句同用一般时态，也可看出主句动作先于从句动作发生。如果主从句谓语所表动作都发生于过去，主句谓语动词也可用过去完成时态。记住，before引导的时间从句不宜用否定式谓语。

例：See me before you leave. 在你离开之前来见我。

Turn the lights off before you leave. 离开之前请关灯。

Close the door before you leave the room. 离开房间前关上门。

Be a pupil before you become a teacher. 先做学生，后做先生。

My father had left for Canada just before the letter arrived.  我父亲恰好在信到之前去了加拿大。

Mr. Brown had worked in a bank for a year before he came here. 布朗先生来这之前已经在一家银行里工作一年了。

 

②当before从句位于主句之后时，根据具体语境还可理解为“还没有…就…／还没来得及…就…／趁着还没…就…／不知不觉就…／…才…”等等意思，都表示主句的动作发生在从句动作之前，

例：I had not sat long before he came back. 我还没坐多久他就回来了。

It will be four days before they come back. 他们要过四天才能回来。

I’ll water the flowers before it gets dark. 我要趁着天还没黑把花浇好水。

Einstein almost knocked me down before he saw me.爱因斯坦几乎把我撞倒才看到我。

Before I could get in a word, he measured me. 我还来得及插话，他就给我量好了尺寸。

I will die before I will betray my country. 我宁可死也不会背叛我的国家。【此两will表意愿不表时态】

They had not been married four months before they were divorced.  他们结婚还不到四个月就离婚了。

Time passed quickly and three months went by before she knew it.

时间过得飞快，她不知不觉就在那里度过了三个月。

 

③“It be … before…”句式——主句中的be可以是将来时形式或过去时形式，before从句中谓语相应地用一般现在时态或一般过去时态。

a).“It will be +段时间+ before…”“(要过)…(多久的时间)之后才…”——主句用将来时，从句用一般现在时。

例：It will be two weeks before she comes here. 过两周她就会来。

It will be at least two weeks before they are available. 至少要两周才能取到货.

How long will it be before we meet here again? 过多久我们才能在这儿再见面？

It will be some time before we know the full results. 还要过一些时间我们才能知道全部结果.

“It will be years -- not in my time -- before a woman will become Prime Minister. ”—Margaret Thatcher, 1974.

还要过很多年女人才能当上首相，但我是看不到了。——玛格丽特·撒切尔(1974年)

【这是英国首相撒切尔夫人年轻时的话，后来她不仅看到了，而且是自己成了英国女首相。】    

 

b).“It may be +段时间+before...”“也许要过…才…” ——用may表示对未来事件发生时间的推测。

例：It may be many years before we meet again. 我们可能要好多年以后才能见面。

It may be several months before they are fit for the work.也许要过好几个月他们才能适应这项工作。

 

c).“It was +段时间+ before…”“过了…之后才…”——主从句均用一般过去时态。

例：It was a long time before I went to sleep again. 过了很长时间我才睡着。

It was an hour before【＝until】the police arrived. 过了一个小时，警察才来。

特别提示:“It was +时间点+ before…”表时间现象有所变化

before前常用表示较长一段时间的词组，表句意“…之后才…”“在…之前就…”；有时before前也用表某个“时间点”单词【而不是表一段时间的词组】，此时是为了突出表示动作完成时的时间，句意表达自然也不同了。

例：It was evening before we reached the little town  当我们到达那个小镇时，天已经黑了。【到达前天还没有黑】

It was noon before he finally abandoned his papers and got under way.

直到中午时分，他才终于放下报纸，动身出门。【中午之前没有到达】

 

d). 否定形式“It was／will／would not be +段时间+ before…”——“不久就…／过不了多久就…”

例：It won’t be long before I return to Beijing.  我很快就要回北京了

It was not long before his anger melted. 不久他的火气就消了。

It was not long before he realized the fact. 不久，他就意识到了这个事实。

It was not long before the news was widely circulated. 这个消息不久就哄传开了。

It was not long before he was born that his mother died. 在他出生后不久她的母亲死了。

【此句还属强调句句式：It was… that…】

 

⑵after引导时间状语从句

①after意为“在…之后”，引导时间状语从句时，表示主句的动作发生在从句动作之前，即after从句动作发生在主句之后。【主句和从句动作时间的先后关系正好与before从句相反：before从句动作发生在主句动作之前】

例：I will tell you after they leave. 他们走后我再告诉你。【主句将来时，从句一般现在时】

I saw them after I arrived. 在我抵达之后，我见到了他们。【先到达后看见】

I found his pen after he has left. 在他走后，我找到了他的笔。【先高开后找到】

I went to school after I finished my breakfast. 吃完早饭后我就上学去了。

He started the job soon after he left the university. 他大学毕业后就开始做这份工作。

After you think it over, please let me know what you decide. 你仔细考虑过以后，告诉我你是怎样决定的。

He left the classroom after he had finished his homework the other day. 前几天他做完家庭作业就离开了教室。

 

②一般说来，如果在过去某一时间内先后发生了两个动作，那么先发生的动作用过去完成时，后发生的动作用一般过去时。但若用了连词after来连接这两个动作，由于after本身已说明了两个动作的先后关系，所以两者均可用一般过去时。

例：After she wrote the melody, she asked us for criticisms. 她写好曲之后, 请我们提意见。【主从句均用一般过去时】.

He nestled down in bed shortly after he got home. 他回家后不久便上床休息了。

After she finished her conversation with flying colours, she hung up. 她出色地谈完之后, 就把电话挂了。

We brim over with sympathy after she told us her sad story. 她告诉我们她的悲苦身世后，我们对她深表同情。

After he (had) closed the door, he left the house. 关了门之后，他就离开了家。【after从句也可用过去完成时】

After he had committed the crime, his conscience was troubled.他犯罪后, 良心上感到很不安

After she’d overcome her initial shyness, she became very friendly. 她克服了起初的羞怯之后, 变得十分友善.

 

⑶since引导时间状语从句

时间关联词since引导的从句之谓语动词可以是延续性的动词，又可以是终止性动词。since引导时间状语从句时，基本词义是“自从…以来”还可译为“自从…的时候起／从此／…以后”等，其具体用意主要依since从句中所用谓语动词是延续性或是非延续性动词及其时态而定。

一般情况下，从句谓语动词用一般过去时，而主句的谓语动词用现在完成时；但也不尽然如此。尤其在“It is +时间+since从句”的句式中，主句多用一般现在时。下面分别例述。

①主句【现在完成时谓语】+从句【一般过去时终止性动词谓语】——照从句字面意思理解句意。

若since引导的状语从句其谓语动词是如come、go、leave、begin、start、see、part等终止性动词的过去时，则从句表示的时间是“从该动作开始的那一时刻起”。这是最常见的一种用法。【正面理解】

例：He hasn’t been home since he graduated. 他毕业以后就没回过家。

She has lived here since she got married. 她结婚后就一直住在这儿。

I have been in Beijing since you left. 自从你离开以来，我就一直在北京。

He’s been in bed since he broke his leg. 自从他摔伤了腿，他一直躺在床上。

We have both changed since we parted. 自从我们分手以来，我们都有了变化.。

He has grown an inch since I saw him. 我上次见到他以后他已长高了一英寸。

Where have you been since I last saw you? 自上次我和你见面以后，你到哪里去了？

What have you been doing since I last saw you? 自我上次和你见面以后，你在做什么？

She has had another baby since I saw her last. 从上次我见到她以来，她又生了一个孩子。

He has studied very hard since he came to our school. 自从来到我们学校， 他学习就非常努力。

Great changes have taken place in our school since you left. 自从你离开这里， 我们学校发生了很大变化。

I’ve been feeling down since I lost my job. 自从失去工作后，我的情绪一直处于低潮。【主句谓语完成进行时】

 

②主句【现在完成时谓语】+since从句【完成时延续性动词谓语】——自since从句动作发生持续到说话时刻【正面理解】。

主句用现在完成时态，since从句用be动词或其它延续性动词的现在完成时态，表示从句所表状态或动作的延续:——从句所表时间的起点应从动作发生之时算起，延续到现在【说话时刻】。若since从句谓语是be动词过去式，则表示是该动作或状态已经结束【即已不在某处或不呈某种状态了】。

比较：I’ve written her 20 letters since I have been here. 自从我来到这里，我已经给她写了20封信。【从开始算起】

I’ve written her 20 letters since I was here. 自从我离开这儿，我已经给她写了20封信。【从结束算起】

Since I’ve been at this school, we have had three headmasters. 自从我到这所学校，我们已换了三个校长。

Since I was at this school, they have had three headmasters. 自从我离开这所学校，他们已换了三个校长。

例：I have met him often since I have lived here. 自从我在这里住下之后，我常看见他。【持续性动词完成式】’

I have learned a lot from him since I have known him. 自从我认识了他，我向他学到许多东西。

Nothing has happened here since you’ve been away. 自你离开后，这里没有发生什么事。【状态be完成式】

Considerable time has elapsed since we have been here. 自从我们来到这里，相当长的时间过去了。

This is the first storm since you’ve been here. 自从你来到这里，这才是第一场暴风雨哩。

I haven’t seen you since I have been back. 我回来后就一直没见到你。【主句谓语否定式】

He has never been to see me since I have been ill. 我生病以来他从未来看过我。【have been表持续状态】

 

③主句【现在完成时谓语】+since从句【一般过去时延续性动词谓语】——照从句字面意思相反理解句意【反面理解】。

主句用现在完成时态，since从句用be动词或其它如live、stay、study、learn、smoke等延续性动词的过去一般时态，表示从句的状态或动作结束:。——从句表示的时间是“从该动作的完成或该状态的结束之时算起”。

比较：He has written to me frequently since I fell ill.  自从我生病以来， 他经常给我写信。【从句谓语终止性动词过去时】

He has written to me frequently since I was ill. 自从我病愈以来，他经常给我写信。【从句谓语状态动词过去时】

He has written to me frequently since I have been ill. 自从我生病以来，他经常给我写信。【从句谓语状态动词完成时】

He has never been to see me since I have been ill. 自从我生病以来，他从未来看过我。

He has never been to see me since I was ill. 自从我病愈以来，他从未来看过我。

例：He has made great progress since he was ill. 他自病愈以来取得了很大的进步。【不是生病而是从病愈算起】

I haven’t seen him since I was a student at school【=since I left school】.自从我毕业以后就一直没有见过他。

I haven’t heard any noise since I slept【=since I woke up】. 我醒来后一直没有听到任何声响。

I haven’t heard from him since he lived【=didn’t any longer live】there. 从他不住在那儿起，我一直没有收到他的信。

 

④since从句中一般过去时延续性动词表持续动作的特例——有个别时候，尤其是用于since I was a child或since we were young之类的表达时，延续性动词或状态动词的一般过去时也可以表示动作或状态持续到现在【since前多有ever修饰，当然也可能没有ever修饰】。

例：I’ve known her ever since I was a child. 自孩提时代起我就已经认识她了。【带ever修饰】

I have lived here ever since I was a child. 我从还是个孩子的时候就一直住在这儿。

They have been friends ever since they were in grade school. 他们从小学起就一直是好朋友。

We have known each other since we were children. 我们从小认识。【无ever修饰】

Tom hasn’t been home since he was a boy. 汤姆从小离家就没回去过。【主句否定式】

再比较：He has never been to see me since I was ill. 自从我病好以来，他从未来看望我。

He has never been to see me since I have been ill.  自从我生病以来，他从未来看望我。

He hasn’t seen me since I have lived here.  自从我住在这里以来，他还没有看望过我。

He hasn’t seen me since I lived here. =He hasn’t seen me since I left here.

自从我不住在这里以来，他就没有看望过我。

 

⑤主句与since从句中一些其它谓语动词时态用法。

a). 主句用现在完成时，since从句用一般现在时。

例：I have done translation since I know English. 我自从懂得英语，就已做过翻译。

b). 主句用系动词的一般现在时，从句用一般过去时：。

例：He feels much better since he took some medicine. 自从他吃了一些药之后就觉得好多了。

c). 主句用现在进行时，从句用一般过去时。

例：I am walking to work since my bike broke down.  自从我的自行车坏了，我就这样步行去上班。

d). 主句用现在完成进行时，从句用一般过去时。

例：She’s been playing tennis since she was eight.  她从八岁起就打网球了。【】

We have been missing them since they left here.  自从他们离开这儿，我们就一直想念他们。

Since we have owned a car, we have gone camping every year. 自从我们有车后，我们每年都出去野营。

 

⑥It is／was +段时词组+since从句【规范说法：】——表该动作结束已有多长时间。

It主句谓语常多用一般过去时的was，而since从句谓语对于表达句意起着关键作用。1).since从句谓语是延续性动词的现在完成时或终止性动词一般过去时，从句表示的时间段是从该动作开始时算起持续有多长时间，即“自从做…以来已经多久了”.2).反之，若since引导的状语从句其谓语动词是延续性动词的过去完成时，或是状态动词的一般过去时态时，则从句表示的时间是从“持续动作或状态结束的时刻”算起，即“自从不做…以来已经多久了”。

比较：It is three years since he smoked. 他不吸烟已有3年了。【持续性动词谓语一般过去时——动作结束后的时段长】

It is three years since he has smoked. 他吸烟已有3年了。【持续性动词谓语现在完成时——动作持续的时段长】

＝It is three years since he began to smoke. 他吸烟已有3年了。【从began to smoke算起】

比较：It is two years since he joined the army. 他参军两年了。【从句谓语为终止性动词：从参军那时算起】

It is two years since he was a soldier. 他退役两年了。【从句谓语为延续性动词：从不再是士兵算起】

例1)：It is three years since the two brothers sundered. 弟兄俩分开已经三年了。【终止性动词过去时】

It is a long time since Dr. Seth Crifford died. 塞思·克里福德医生已去世多年。

It is four years since my sister has lived in Beijing. 我妹妹在北京居住已有四年了。

例2)：It is half a month since Li Ming was a League member. 李明退团半个月了。【状态动词一般过去时】

It is five weeks since our boss was in Beijing. 我们老板离开北京有五周了。

It is a long while since I have been at home. 我自从离家已有好长一段时间了。【状态动词现在完成时】

 

⑦It has been +段时间+ since.从句【从句谓语用法与⑥同】

“It has been+段时间+ since从句”是“It is +段时间+ since从句”的口语强调表达法。

比较：It is／It has been two years since she came to our class. 她来我们班已经有两年了。

It is／It has been two years since she was in our class. 她离开我们班已经有两年了。

It is／has been 5 years since his father died. 他父亲逝世五年了。
It is／has been 5 years since his father worked here. 他父亲不在这里工作已五年了。

例：It has been four years since I last saw you. 自从我上次见到你已经四年了。【从句谓语是过去时终止性动词】

It’s been six years since we last saw each other, you know. 要知道，我们六年没见面了。

It has been quite some time since I was last in London.我上次离开伦敦至今颇有一段时间了。【“在某处”的反而即“高开”】

It has been so long since we were all together. 好久我们没有在一起团聚了。【“在一起”的结束就是“不在一起了”】

 

⑧“It is／has been +段时间+ since-clause”可以转换为“段时间+ has passed +since-clause【一般过去时谓语】”，转换中的since从句不变。

例：It is／has been 10 years since he came here. =Ten years has passed since he came here. 自他来到这里已经十年了。

It has been nearly five years since we moved here. = Nearly five years has passed since we moved here.

自从我们搬到这里来就已将近五年过去了.

It is over thirty years since Tangshan was hit by earthquake.  唐山遭受地震以来已经三十多年过去了。

=Over thirty years has passed since Tangshan was hit by earthquake.

 

⑨“It is／has been +段时间+ since-clause”为改变谓语时态为过去时，还可扩展为：“It was+段时间+ since-clause【过去完成时谓语】”。

例：It was years since he had arrived in China. 自从他来到中国已经是好几年了。【It was…since从句用过去完成时】、

It was four years since we had parted. 自从我们分开已经四年了。【终止性动词过去完成式】

It was six months since we had been here. 我们已有半年没来这了。【延续性动词过去完成时】

It was three years since Jack had been a teacher. 杰克不当老师已经三年了。

 

⑩在“It is／It has been … since-clause”这种句式中， since从句绝对不能用否定式的谓语动词来表示否定意义。

例： 他好久没学汉语了。

错译：*It is a long time since he didn’t study Chinese. 【“It is… since-clause”的从句中不可用否定式谓语动词】

需译：It’s a long time since he studied Chinese. 【studied为延续性动词，应从其动作结束时算起】

又例：你有两个月没来看我了。

若译：It’s two months since you didn’t come to see me. 【×】

应译：You haven’t come to see me for two months. 【√】

特别提示：since也常用作介词

介词since也表示“自从…以来”，其具体用法也有两种情况：

A主语+完成时谓语+ since+过去时间名词【如具体的年、月、日期、钟点等】.

例：She’s been skiing since childhood. 她从幼时起就开始滑雪。

They have been friends since childhood. 他们从幼时起一直是好朋友。

I have been there many times since the war. 自那次战争以来，我曾去该地多次。

B主语+ 完成时谓语+since+段时间词组+ ago.

例：I have been here since five months ago. 【从五个前到现在】五个月以来我一直在这里。

They haven’t been in touch with each other since four years ago. 四年以来他们彼此便无联系。

CSince介词短语有时也置于句首。

例：Since 1977 otter hunting has been illegal. 捕猎水獭1977年以后就被列为非法了。

Since 2000, I have been engaged in computer software work. 从2000年开始我一直从事计算机软件方面的工作。

（未完待续）