可用 hardly, scarcely 和 barely 表示 刚...就...:We had hardly / scarcely / barely sat down at the table, when the phone rang.我们刚在桌子旁坐下,电话铃就响了。
在正式的书面语中,尤其在文学体中,上述各词可置于句首,然后将主语和 had 的位置倒装:Hardly /Scarcely had we sat down at the table, when the phone rang.我们刚在桌子旁坐下,电话铃就响了。
注意:在这类句子中通常用 when 而非 than,亦可用 before:I scarcely had time to ring the bell before the door opened. 我刚一按门铃,门就开了。
no sooner 与上述词相同,但总与 than 连用:No sooner had we sat down at the table than the phone rang. 我们刚在桌子旁坐下,电话铃就响了。(以上摘自《牛津高阶英汉双解词典》第9版p.993)