1、as soon as,它的意思相当于“A事情发生以后,就做B这件事”。
这个短语用的比较常用,口语和书面语都可以。它的特点是,在句子中的位置比较灵活,而且可以用于各种时态。
例如:I’ll write you as soon as I get there.
我一到那儿就给你来信。
2、no sooner…than
它的意思相当于“刚做完A这件事,就做B这件事”。
例如:He had no sooner returned than he bought a house.
他一回来就买了一套房子。
如果no sooner位于句首,主句要用倒装结构。
例如:No sooner had he arrived than he went away again.
他刚到就又走了。
3、hardly…when...
它的意思是“几乎未来得及做完A这件事,紧接着就开始B这件事。”
使用这个短语时,一般用于过去完成时;并且when有时可改用before。
例如:He had hardly finished the article when the light went out.
他刚写完文,灯就熄了。
另外,如果把hardly放于句首,主句要用倒装结构即谓语动词要提前。
如:Hardly had I finished eating when he came in.
我刚吃完他就进来了。
这三个短语都有“一……就”、“刚刚……就”的意思,它们的意思非常相近,因此有时可以互换。例如:
“我刚到公共汽车站,汽车就开了。”一句,就可以有如下几句译法:
As soon as I got to the bus stop, the bus started.
Hardly had I got to the bus stop when the bus started.
No sooner had I got to the bus stop than the bus started.
但他们之间也有一些差异,
例如:如果从两件事情的间隔时间来说,as soon as 较长,no sooner...than 居中,hardly...when 间隔时间最短。