Soon, No sooner… than 和 As soon as 的用法

一、副词 soon 作“不久”、“早”讲

1. We shall soon know the result. 我们不久（即将）知道结果。
2. What made you come so soon? 是什么原因使你来得这么早？
3. I will put the plan into practice sooner or later. 我迟早要实现这个计划。
4. We started soon after sunrise. 日出不久我们就出发了。（叙述往事）

注：有时 soon 和 fast 译成汉语时都表示“快”，但前者指时间的迟早中的早，后者指动作快慢中的快。例如：

1. You will soon go to the factory. 你们很快要下厂了。（指时间的早）
2. Speak to me as fast as you can. 你对我说话能多快就多快。（指说话速度的）

二、“no sooner… than”一般用于叙述过去事情，表示“一…就…”的意思。如果表示否定的短语 no sooner 位于句首，后面主、谓语就颠倒

1. No sooner had we reached this conclusion than they agreed to it. 我们一得出这个结论，他们就同意了。
2. No sooner had the words been spoken than he realized that he should have remained silent. 话一出口，他便意识到他本该保持沉默。
3. We had no sooner reached the station than the train was off. 我们刚到车站，火车就开走了。

注：than 后面的状语从句，常用过去时。主句动作一般发生在从句之前，只是否定式而已，故用过去完成时。

三、“as soon as”引导的是时间从句，作“一……就……”讲（详见第 15 节第 42 条）

1. As soon as I saw him, I told him what we needed. 我一见他，就告诉了他，我们需要什么。
2. I will let you fly to Shanghai as soon as we complete the work. 我们把这项工作一做完，我就让你飞往上海。

注 1：主句的动作是在时间状语从句的动作之后发生的，但主句和从句常用一般过去时。上面第 2 句由于用来叙述将来的动作，故主句用将来时，而时间状语从句像往常一样，只能用现在时代替实际上的将来时。由于从句动作毕竟是在主句动作之前发生，偶尔也有使用过去完成时的情况。例如：

1）As soon as she discovered her errors, she made the necessary corrections to her data. （那时）她一发现有错，她就对自己的数据作必要的修改。
2）He didn't arrive as soon as we had expected. 我们早就料到，他到不了。（as soon as 并非引出时间状语从句。）

四、注意都表示“一……就……”的几个同义句的表达式

1. a. She sent an e-mail as soon as she received a letter from you. 她一接到你的来信就发了一个电子邮件。同义的句子如下：
   b. She had no sooner received a letter from you than she sent an e-mail.
   c. She had scarcely (或 hardly) received letter from you when (或 before) she sent an e-mail.
2. a. As soon as I had done that, I realized I had made a mistake. 我一做完那件事就意识到我犯了一个错误。同义的句子如下：
   b. Directly (或 Immediately, The monment, The instant) I had done that, I realized I had made a mistake.
   c. Shortly after I had done that, I realized I had made a mistake.

五、注意“主语 + would (或 had) + as soon + … + as + 被弃事物或动作”这种句型，它表示“宁愿…而不…”之意

1. He would (just) as soon have an internet chat with net friends as go for a walk. 他宁愿和网友在网上聊天，而不愿出去散步。
2. He would (或 had) as soon you took a glass of tea as a glass of milk. 他希望你与其喝一杯牛奶，还不如喝一杯茶。
3. I’d go there as soon as not. 我更愿去那边。（由“我宁愿去那边而且不是不愿去那边”引申过来。）

注：这里用 would 或 had 表示虚拟语气。

六、注意“主语 + would + sooner + 原形动词… + than + 原形动词”这种句型，它表示“宁愿早点…而不愿…”之意

1. I would sooner leave than stay at home. 我宁肯离开，而不愿留在家里。
2. Sooner than do such a thing, I would stay here. 我宁可留在这里，也不愿做这样的事。
3. Wouldn't you sooner take this medicine than be sick? 你宁可不吃药而甘愿生病吗?

注：这里用 would 表示虚拟语气。