/bɪ'fɔ:(r); bɪ`fɔr/
adv at an earlier time; in the past; already 以前; 过去; 已经
*You should have told me so before. 你早就应该告诉我.
* It had been fine the day/week before, ie the previous day/week. 前一天[一周]天气很好（以过去某时为准的前一天[一周]）.
* That had happened long before, ie a long time earlier. 那事老早就发生了（比过去某时早得多）.
* I've seen that film before. 我以前看过那部影片. =>Usage at before2 用法见before2. Cf 参看 after1, afterwards.

/bɪ'fɔ:(r); bɪ`fɔr/
prep
1 earlier than (sb/sth) 早于（某人[某事物]）; 在（某人[某事物]）以前
*before lunch 午餐前
* the day before yesterday 前天
* two days before Christmas 圣诞节的前两天
* The year before last he won a gold medal, and the year before that he won the silver. 他前年赢得一枚金牌, 大前年赢得一枚银牌.
* She's lived there since before the war. 她从战前就一直住在那里.
* He arrived before me. 他在我之前到达.
* He taught English as his father had before him. 他教过英语, 他父亲以前也教过英语.
* Something ought to have been done before now. 早就该采取措施了.
* We'll know before long, ie soon. 我们不久就会知道.
* Turn left just before (ie before you reach) the cinema. 在快要到电影院时向左拐. Cf 参看 after2 1.
2 (a) (with reference to position) in front of (sb/sth) （指位置）在（某人[某物]）前面
*We knelt before the throne. 我们在御座前跪下.
* (fig 比喻) The task before us is not an easy one. 我们面临的任务可不轻. Cf 参看behind2 1.
(b) (with reference to order or arrangement) in front of (sb/sth); ahead of （指顺序或排列）在（某人[某事物]）之前; 先于（某人[某事物]）
*B comes before C in the alphabet. B在字母表里排在C之前.
* Your name comes before mine on the list. 名单上你的名字在我之前.
* ladies before gentlemen 女士优先于先生
* He puts his work before everything, ie regards it as more important than anything else. 他把工作放在第一位（看得比任何事都重要）. Cf 参看 after2 3.
3 in the presence of (sb) 在（某人）面前
*He was brought before the judge. 他被带到法官面前.
* She said it before witnesses. 她是当着证人的面说的.
* He made a statement before the House of Commons. 他在下议院当众发表了一个声明.
4 (fml 文) rather than (sth); in preference to 与其..., 不如...; 宁可
*death before dishonour 宁死不受辱.
5 (fml 文) under pressure from (sb/sth) 被（某人[某事物]）所迫
*Our troops recoiled before the attack. 我部队迫于敌人的进攻而後撤.
* They retreated before the enemy. 他们迫于敌方压力而退却.
* The ship sailed before the wind, ie with the wind blowing from behind. 轮船顺风航行.

NOTE ON USAGE 用法
*
1 In front of and behind are prepositions and opposite in meaning *in front of和behind均用作介词, 但意思相反. They indicate the relative position of people or things 这两个词语都指人或事物的相对位置
*Johnny is in front of me in the photo. 照片中约翰尼在我的前面.
* The garage is behind the house. 车房在房子的後面.
* The dog ran in front of the bus. 狗在公共汽车前面跑.
* The mouse ran behind the cupboard. 老鼠在柜子後面跑.
2 In front and behind are also adverbs *in front和behind还可作副词
*I'd like to sit in front. 我愿意坐在前面.
* The taxi followed on behind. 计程车在後面跟着.
3 Before and after relate to time and can be *before和after可指时间, 可作
(a) adverbs 副词
*the day after/before 次 日[前一日]
* I had met him before. 我在那事之前就见过他.
* I'll see you after. (Here afterwards is more common.) 我以後再见你. （此处用afterwards更普通.）
(b) prepositions 介词
*the day after/before my birthday 我生日的次日[前一日]
* I'll see you after the meeting. 散会後我再见你.
(c) conjunctions 连词
*We had dinner after/before they arrived. 他们到达之後[之前]我们吃的饭.
4 Before and after can suggest place, especially when this is closely associated with time or order in a sequence. *before和after亦可指地点, 尤其用于所指的地点是与时间或先後顺序有密切关系时. I was before/after you in the queue. 我排队排在你前面[後面].
* C comes before E in the alphabet. 在字母表里C排在E之前.

/bɪ'fɔ:(r); bɪ`fɔr/
conj
1 earlier than the time when （指时间）在...以前
*Do it before you forget. 趁早动手, 免得忘了.
* It may be many years before we meet again. 大概要过许多年我们才能再见.
* Before the week was out (ie had ended), they were dead. 那个星期还没过完他们就死了.
* It will be a long time before we finish this dictionary. 我们需要很长的时间才能把这部词典编译完. Cf 参看 after3.
2 rather than 宁愿
*I'd shoot myself before I apologized to him! 我宁死也不向他道歉!