It was Sunday before he saw Mouse again. He was painting the garden shed for his dad when Mouse came racing along on his bike.

根据以上句子提供的语境，请翻译黑体部分，并解释before的词义和用法。

解答如下

It was+时间名词+before sb did sth 与it was +时间段+before sb did sth区别非常之大，可以说是完全不一样，表现出来语义也很不一样。

(1)It was+时间名词+before sb did sth 某人还没有来得及作某事，时间就到了什么时候了（某人在做某事之间，就是到了什么时候了）(“在……之前就……属于正确翻译”)

It was Sunday before he saw Mouse again.

参考译文(1):在他再次看到Mouse之前时间就已经是星期天了。

参考译文(2):在我还没有来得及看Mouse就已经是星期天了。

参考译文(3)：在他再次看到Mouse之前就已经是星期天了。

It was+时间+when sb did sth结构和上面一样

It was past one o’clock when he came in. 

他回来时已经一点多了。

It was Sunday when he saw Mouse again.

当他再次看见mouse,时间已经是星期天了。

It was midnight before my brother came home.

我哥哥回来前已经是午夜了.

It was evening before we reached the little town of Winchester.

在我们达到Winchester小镇之前就已经是晚上了。

(2)It was +时间段+before sb did st，还要过多久某人才做某事。

It was three years before he finished the work.

过了3年他才完成这项工作。

It will be three years before he finishes the work.

还要过3年他才能完成这项工作。

It was some time before the door opened in response to his ring.  

他按完门铃后过了一会儿门才打开。

(3)A did sth until/before B did sth A做某事一直到B做某事为止

We discussed the problem until/before he came back.

我们一直讨论到他回来。

(4)A didn't do sth until B did sth 直到B做某事A才做某事

We didn't discuss the problem until he came back.

我们一直等到他回来后才讨论问题。

“他再次看到 Mouse 时早已是星期天了。”此用法强调所发生的情况比预计的要晚。

【评论】陈老师翻译得太好了!句子意思大家基本都能看懂，但翻译出句子的韵味，则需要真功夫。我很欣赏陈老师的翻译，谢谢陈老师。

这句话也可以这样翻译：“直到星期天他才再次看见Mouse。” 跟陈老师的翻译，有异曲同工之妙。（我看见陈老师最后一句也是这样的。）我再举个例子：

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。

来自英汉文学 - 嘉莉妹妹

总之，这句话的语气，暗示着“见面的时间晚”。还可以这样翻译：“到了星期天，他才又见到Mouse。”

整个语段翻译如下：

It was Sunday before he saw Mouse again. He was painting the garden shed for his dad when Mouse came racing along on his bike.

到了星期天，他才又见到Mouse。他正在为老爸粉刷花园小屋，这时Mouse 骑着单车飞奔而来。

【继续解答】

看见曹老师的追问，我尝试继续解答。

实际上，曹老师又追加了两个问题。

It was 4 pm before he saw Mouse again. He was painting the garden shed for his dad when Mouse came racing along on his bike.

请各位老师发表意见，Sunday换成点时间4 pm，before的意义和和翻译仍然一样还是有所不同？

【答】4 pm 和 Sunday，都是“时间点”。翻译原则不变：

直到下午四点，他才又见到了Mouse。他正在为老爸粉刷花园小屋，这时Mouse 骑着单车飞奔而来。

It was + 时间点 + before 从句与It was + 时间段 + before从句，before的理解和翻译方法一样吗？

【答】

相同点：都暗示before 从句的动作发生晚的意思。

不同点：

“时间点”表示“直到这个时间点，before 从句才发生；

“时间段”表示“过了这个时间段，before 从句才发生”。

又如：

It was many years before the city began to treat its sewage. 

很多年以后这个城市才开始处理污水。

来自柯林斯例句

It was three years before I knew the truth.

过了三年，我才了解真相。（三年后，我才了解真相。）

 It was Sunday before he saw Mouse again. = It was (on) Sunday before (that) he saw Mouse again.他是在前一个星期天再次看见Mouse的。这里的before是副词，意思“以前”，作定语，修饰Sunday。全句是“it is/was ... (that)...”强调句。