| 其他翻译 |
| before adv | (ahead, in front) | SCSimplified Chinese 在前 zài qián |
| | | SCSimplified Chinese 先 zài qián，xiān
TCTraditional Chinese 先 |
| | You go before and I'll follow. |
| | 你走在前，我跟在后。 |
| before conj | (rather than) | SCSimplified Chinese 宁愿…也不愿… nìng yuàn yě bú yuàn |
| | | SCSimplified Chinese 宁可…而不愿… nìng yuàn yě bú yuàn，nìng kě ér bú yuàn |
| | I would die before I would criticize her. |
| | 我宁愿去死也不愿意批评她。 |
| before prep | (in front of) | SCSimplified Chinese 在…前面 zài … qián miàn |
| | He stood before the crowd and raised his arms. |
| | 他站在人群前，举起双手。 |
| before prep | (awaiting, in future) | SCSimplified Chinese 有待于…去完成 yǒu dài yú qù wán chéng |
| | She has her whole career before her. |
| | 她有大好的职涯前景。 |
| before prep | (rather than) | SCSimplified Chinese 而不… ér bú / ér bù |
| | | SCSimplified Chinese （与其…）宁可… ér bú / ér bù，yǔ qí nìng kě |
| | Personally, I'd eat pizza before caviar or truffles. |
| | 就我个人而言，与其吃鱼子酱或者松露，我宁可吃披萨。 |
| before prep | (preceding in rank) | SCSimplified Chinese （等级上）在…之前，在…之上 děng jí shàng zài zhī qián，zài … zhī shàng |
| | | SCSimplified Chinese 先于… xiān yú … |
| | | SCSimplified Chinese 优于… yōu yú … |
| | Aces come before kings in this game. |
| | 这个游戏中，A比K大。 |
| before prep | formal (in sight of) | SCSimplified Chinese 当着…的面 dāng zhe de miàn |
| | | SCSimplified Chinese 在…面前 dāng zhe de miàn，zài miàn qián |
| | They performed an open-air concert before a huge audience. |
| | 他们当着许多观众表演了一场露天音乐会。 |
| before prep | (in the jurisdiction of) (法律) | SCSimplified Chinese 由…审判，提交…，呈现到…前 yóu shěn pàn，tí jiāo，chéng xiàn dào qián |
| | His case was brought before the International Court of Justice. |
| | 他的案子已经提交至国际法院审理。 |
| before prep | (in the face of) | SCSimplified Chinese 面对… miàn duì
TCTraditional Chinese 面對… |
| | | SCSimplified Chinese 面临 miàn duì，miàn lín
TCTraditional Chinese 面臨 |
| | He always backs out before a difficult task. |
| | 在面对艰难险阻时，他总是退缩。 |
| before prep | (in the presence of) | SCSimplified Chinese 在…面前 zài miàn qián |
| | Before God I declare that I will always tell the truth. |
| | 我在上帝面前起誓，我不会说假话。 |
| before prep | (without considering) | SCSimplified Chinese 在…前 zài qián |
| | | SCSimplified Chinese 在将…纳入考虑前 zài qián，zài jiāng nà rù kǎo lǜ qián |
| | Their earnings before tax have doubled this year. |
| | 今年，他们的税前收入翻了一倍。 |
复合形式：
|
BCE,
B.C.E. adv | initialism (Before the Common Era) | SCSimplified Chinese 公元前 gōng yuán qián |
| | Julius Caesar was born in the year 100 BCE. |
| before an audience adv | (in front of people) | SCSimplified Chinese 大庭广众之下 dà tíng guǎng zhòng zhī xià |
| | | SCSimplified Chinese 在人们面前 dà tíng guǎng zhòng zhī xià，zài rén mén miàn qián |
| | I hate speaking before an audience; I get stage fright and stammer over my words. |
| before its time adv | (prematurely) (胎儿) | SCSimplified Chinese 早产 |
| | The baby was born before its time. |
| before its time adv | (precociously) | SCSimplified Chinese 过早地 guò zǎo de
TCTraditional Chinese 過早地 |
| | | SCSimplified Chinese 比正常时间提前 |
| | Parents should not try to force a child to walk before its time. |
| before long adv | (soon) | SCSimplified Chinese 不久 bù jiǔ
TCTraditional Chinese 不久 |
| | | SCSimplified Chinese 在不久的将来 bù jiǔ，zài bù jiǔ de jiāng lái |
| | Spring should be coming before long. |
| | 不久，春天就要来了。 |
| before noon adv | (in advance of midday) | SCSimplified Chinese 午前 wǔ qián |
| | I'll take my walk before noon so I'll be home in time for lunch. |
| | I hope you can arrive before noon. |
| before now adv | (previously) | SCSimplified Chinese 早先 zǎo xiān |
| | | SCSimplified Chinese 早前 zǎo xiān，zǎo qián |
| | | SCSimplified Chinese 以前 zǎo xiān，yǐ qián
TCTraditional Chinese 以前 |
| | Before now, I had never really been in love! |
| before tax adv | (before tax is paid) | SCSimplified Chinese 纳税前 |
| | | SCSimplified Chinese 税前 |
| before that adv | (prior to a given occasion) | SCSimplified Chinese 在那之前 |
| | I started wearing glasses a couple of years ago; before that I wore contact lenses for 40 years. |
| Before the Common Era expr | (Before Christ: non-Christian equivalent) | SCSimplified Chinese 公元前 gōng yuán qián |
| before the court adv | (in front of a tribunal) | SCSimplified Chinese 在法庭上 zài fǎ tíng shàng |
| | | SCSimplified Chinese 在法官面前 zài fǎ tíng shàng，zài fǎ guān miàn qián |
| | I'm going to testify before the court on Wednesday. |
| before the fact adv | (beforehand) (法律) | SCSimplified Chinese 作案前 zuò àn qián |
| | By acting before the fact, a company can save time and money by anticipating problems. |
| before the Flood adv | figurative (long ago) (比喻) | SCSimplified Chinese 远古洪荒之前，很久以前 yuǎn gǔ hóng huāng zhī qián，hěn jiǔ yǐ qián |
| before the judge adv | (in court) | SCSimplified Chinese 在法庭上 zài fǎ tíng shàng |
| before the judge adv | (in front of a magistrate) | SCSimplified Chinese 在法官面前 zài fǎ guān miàn qián |
| before you know it expr | informal (rapidly, soon) | SCSimplified Chinese 不知不觉间 |
| | | SCSimplified Chinese 很快 hěn kuài |
| | Christmas will be here before you know it. |
before your eyes,
right before your eyes,
before your very eyes adv | (right in front of you) | SCSimplified Chinese 就在眼面前 |
| | | SCSimplified Chinese 当着…的面 dāng zhe de miàn |
| | His father was murdered right before his eyes. |
| before your time adv | informal (before your birth) | SCSimplified Chinese 在你出生前 zài nǐ chū shēng qián |
| | | SCSimplified Chinese 在你卷入某事之前 zài nǐ chū shēng qián，zài nǐ juǎn rù mǒu shì zhī qián |
| | I remember the day President Kennedy was shot - but that's before your time. |
| | 我记得肯尼迪总统被枪杀的那天，但是那发生在你出生前。 |
| before your time adv | informal (before your involvement) | SCSimplified Chinese 你来之前 |
| | He used to be Managing Director here, but that was a few years before your time. |
| before-tax adj | (profits, etc.: before tax is paid) | SCSimplified Chinese 税前的 shuì qián de |
| | | SCSimplified Chinese 未缴税前的 |
| best before [sth] adj + prep | (food: fresh until a specified date) (食物) | SCSimplified Chinese 在…前最佳 |
| | Milk is best before the expiration date. |
| best before expr | (warning on food packaging) (食物) | SCSimplified Chinese 保质期 bǎo zhì qī
TCTraditional Chinese 貨質期 |
| | | SCSimplified Chinese 最佳食用期 |
| | The label on the tin says, "Best before 09.09.2018". |
| best-before date n | (expiration) | SCSimplified Chinese 此日期前最佳，最佳食用日期 |
Blood is thicker than water,
Blood before water expr | figurative (family relationships are strongest) | SCSimplified Chinese 血浓于水 |
| | Neil will always support his brother's position on this matter because blood is thicker than water. |
| calm before the storm n | figurative (quiet period before [sth] turbulent) | SCSimplified Chinese 暴风雨前的平静 bào fēng yǔ qián de píng jìng |
| | | SCSimplified Chinese 大事件（如动荡等）之前的平静 bào fēng yǔ qián de píng jìng，dà shì jiàn （ rú dòng dàng děng ） zhī qián de píng jìng |
| | Mary's much too quiet. I fear it's the calm before the storm. |
cast pearls before swine,
cast your pearls before swine v expr | figurative (squander [sth] on [sb] who does not value it) | SCSimplified Chinese 明珠暗投 |
| | | SCSimplified Chinese 对牛弹琴
TCTraditional Chinese 對牛彈琴 |
| come before [sth] vi + prep | (precede) | SCSimplified Chinese 出现在…之前 |
| | The number 2 comes before 3, and 4 comes before 5. |
| come before [sth] vi + prep | figurative (be more important than) | SCSimplified Chinese 优先于 yōu xiān yú
TCTraditional Chinese 優先於 |
| | | SCSimplified Chinese 比…更重要 yōu xiān yú ，bǐ gèng zhòng yào |
| | The welfare of my family comes before anything else. |
count your chickens,
count your chickens before they are hatched expr | figurative (rely on [sth] prematurely) | SCSimplified Chinese 过早下定论 |
| | | SCSimplified Chinese 打如意算盘 |
| 备注: Often used with a negative, as a caution: "Don't count your chickens before they are hatched". |
dangle [sth] in front of [sb],
dangle [sth] before [sb] vtr + prep | figurative, informal (offer as incentive) | SCSimplified Chinese 拿某物来诱惑某人 |
| | | SCSimplified Chinese 用某物来吊某人的胃口 |
| | Dangle a raise in front of him and see what happens. |
| | The boss dangled extra overtime pay before the employees for working on the holiday. |
| | 用加薪来吊他的胃口，看看会怎样。 // 为了让雇员节假日上班，老板拿额外加班费来诱惑大家。 |
| day before n | (previous day) | SCSimplified Chinese 前一天 qián yì tiān |
| ever before adv | (at any point previously) | SCSimplified Chinese 以前 yǐ qián
TCTraditional Chinese 以前 |
| | | SCSimplified Chinese 从前 yǐ qián，cóng qián
TCTraditional Chinese 從前 |
| | Women are choosing to stay single more than ever before. |
| go before [sth/sb] vi + prep | (precede) | SCSimplified Chinese 走在…的前面 |
| | The travel guides go before the tourist group. |
| go before vi + adv | (exist or happen previously) | SCSimplified Chinese 发生（或存在）于过去 |
| | This discovery eclipses everything that has gone before. |
| go before the bar v expr | (appear in court) (法律) | SCSimplified Chinese 上法庭 shàng fǎ tíng |
| | The prosecutor in the Smith case will go before the bar on ethics charges. |
| just before prep | (a moment prior to) | SCSimplified Chinese 就在…之前 jiù zài zhī qián |
| | | SCSimplified Chinese 在…前刚刚 jiù zài zhī qián，zài qián gāng gāng |
| | I like to have a hot bath just before I go to bed. |
| look before you leap interj | figurative (be aware of the risks involved in [sth]) (谚语) | SCSimplified Chinese 三思而后行 sān sī ér hòu xíng |
| | Thinking of investing in a new business? Look before you leap! |
| old before your time adj | (seeming older than actual age) | SCSimplified Chinese 老得快的 |
| | | SCSimplified Chinese 看上去老的 |
| once before adv | (on one previous occasion) | SCSimplified Chinese 曾经，有一次 céng jīng，yǒu yí cì
TCTraditional Chinese 曾經 |
| Pride comes before a fall expr | (it is unwise to be arrogant) | SCSimplified Chinese 骄者必败 |
| Profit Before Tax n | (amount made prior to paying taxes) | SCSimplified Chinese 税前利润 |
| | | SCSimplified Chinese 税前盈余 |
| put [sth/sb] before [sth/sb] vtr + prep | (prioritize more highly than) | SCSimplified Chinese 比...更重视 |
| | | SCSimplified Chinese 将...放在比...更优先的地位 |
| | I will always put my children's welfare before my own desires. |
| put the cart before the horse v expr | figurative (act prematurely) (比喻) | SCSimplified Chinese 本末倒置，前后颠倒，不分主次 běn mò dǎo zhì，qián hòu diān dǎo，bù fēn zhǔ cì |
| | Sara insisted that having sex before marriage was like putting the cart before the horse. |
| right before prep | (just prior to) | SCSimplified Chinese 就在刚刚 jiù zài gāng gāng
TCTraditional Chinese 就在剛剛 |
| | I'll see you right before the big meeting. |
| set [sth] before [sb] vtr + prep | (place in front of) | SCSimplified Chinese 置于…之前 zhì yú zhī qián |
| 备注: Often used in the passive. |
| | At about 3 months, a baby begins to focus its eyes on objects set before him. |
| | He set the plate of cookies before his mother. |
| shortly before adv | (just before) | SCSimplified Chinese 前不久 qián bù jiǔ |
| | | SCSimplified Chinese 不久前 qián bù jiǔ，bù jiǔ qián |
| the day before n | (a day earlier, the previous day) | SCSimplified Chinese 前一天 qián yì tiān |
| the day before adv | (a day earlier, on the previous day) | SCSimplified Chinese 前一天 qián yì tiān |
| the day before yesterday n | (two days ago) | SCSimplified Chinese 前天
TCTraditional Chinese 前天 |
| | The day before yesterday was my birthday. |
| the day before yesterday adv | (two days ago) | SCSimplified Chinese 前天
TCTraditional Chinese 前天 |
| | I haven't seen him since the day before yesterday. |
| the night before n | (previous night or evening) | SCSimplified Chinese 昨天晚上 |
| the night before adv | (on the previous night or evening) | SCSimplified Chinese 昨天晚上 |
| the week before n | (the previous week) | SCSimplified Chinese 上周 shàng zhōu |
| | | SCSimplified Chinese 前一周 |
| the week before last n | (the week prior to last week) | SCSimplified Chinese 上上周 |
| the week before last adv | (in the week prior to last week) | SCSimplified Chinese 上上周的时候 |
think twice about doing [sth],
think twice before doing [sth],
think twice before you do [sth] v expr | (reconsider prior to doing [sth]) | SCSimplified Chinese 三思而后行 sān sī ér hòu xíng |
| | You should think twice about giving up a steady job to start a PhD. |
| | I'd advise you to think twice before you accept this man's proposal; you've only just met him! |
| two days before prep | (two days prior to) | SCSimplified Chinese 在…前两天 zài qián liǎng tiān |
| | Unfortunately, the hurricane struck two days before their wedding. |
| two days before adv | (two days earlier) | SCSimplified Chinese 两天前 liǎng tiān qián
TCTraditional Chinese 兩天前 |
| | I was waiting for her when she arrived, having got there two days before. |