the Beatles 是个个世纪60年代期间英国的一支摇滚乐队，由约翰·列侬、保罗·麦卡特尼、乔治·哈里森和林戈·斯塔尔四名成员组成，它通常表示复数意义，用作主语时谓语动词要用复数。如：

The Beatles were a bit before my time. 甲壳虫乐队早于我所处的年代。

The Beatles were before my time. 甲壳虫乐队风靡的时候，我还没有出生。

The Beatles were a bit before my time. 甲壳虫乐队风靡的时候我还不记事儿呢。

The Beatles were at the height of their fame. 当时正是披头士乐队最走红的时候。

The Beatles were discovered in the early 1960’s. 披头士乐队于20世纪60年代初为世人所知。

The Beatles are probably the most famous band in the world. 披头士乐队大概是世界上最有名的乐团。

The Beatles were a phenomenon—nobody had heard anything like them before. 披头士乐队真是个奇迹，在此之前人们从未听说过有像他们那样成功的乐队。