桐木舟地道英语学习 Now long before any of this happened

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Now long before any of this happened, young Xue had made arrangements for a journey to the capital. So after killing Feng and carrying off the girl, he set off with his family, calm as you please, on the appointed day. There was no question of his running away because of the killing. In his eyes a trifling matter like taking another man's life was something for his junior clansmen or the servants to clear up in his absence.

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The phrase "Now long before any of this happened" is a way to indicate that a certain event or series of events occurred well before the context being discussed or described. It's a temporal marker that emphasizes the significant time gap between the mentioned past events and the current point in the narrative or conversation. In simpler terms, it suggests that the events in question happened a considerable amount of time ago.

In the phrase "Now long before any of this happened," the word "now" is used as a temporal adverb to emphasize that the described events occurred a significant amount of time in the past. It helps to set the timeframe for the narrative or discussion. In this context, "now" doesn't refer to the present moment; instead, it serves to anchor the reader or listener in the past when the events being discussed took place.

Here are 10 examples using the phrase "Now long before any of this happened":

    Now long before any of this happened, he had already traveled to distant lands in search of adventure.
    Now long before any of this happened, she had established herself as a renowned artist in the local community.
    Now long before any of this happened, the small town was a bustling center of trade and commerce.
    Now long before any of this happened, they had laid the foundation for a lasting friendship during their school years.
    Now long before any of this happened, the ancient civilization had developed sophisticated agricultural techniques.
    Now long before any of this happened, the family had faced hardships that strengthened their bonds.
    Now long before any of this happened, the visionary scientist had proposed groundbreaking theories that would revolutionize the field.
    Now long before any of this happened, the quaint village was known for its traditional festivals and celebrations.
    Now long before any of this happened, he had honed his skills through years of dedicated practice.
    Now long before any of this happened, the wise elder had imparted invaluable lessons to the younger generation.


Here are the translations of the ten sentences into Chinese:

    在这一切发生之前很久，他已经前往遥远的地方寻找冒险。
    在这一切发生之前很久，她已经在当地社区建立起了自己的声望。
    在这一切发生之前很久，这个小镇是一个繁华的贸易和商业中心。
    在这一切发生之前很久，他们在学校时就奠定了持久友谊的基础。
    在这一切发生之前很久，这个古老的文明已经发展出了复杂的农业技术。
    在这一切发生之前很久，这个家庭已经经历了加强他们纽带的困境。
    在这一切发生之前很久，这位有远见的科学家已经提出了将彻底改变该领域的开创性理论。
    在这一切发生之前很久，这个宁静的村庄以其传统的节日和庆祝活动而闻名。
    在这一切发生之前很久，他通过多年的专注练习磨练了自己的技能。
    在这一切发生之前很久，这位智者向年轻一代传授了宝贵的教训。

更好的翻译： 早在这一切发生之前......

Certainly, your suggestion is accurate. Here are the improved translations with the suggested modification:

• 早在这一切发生之前，他已经前往遥远的地方寻找冒险。
• 早在这一切发生之前，她已经在当地社区建立起了自己的声望。
• 早在这一切发生之前，这个小镇是一个繁华的贸易和商业中心。
• 早在这一切发生之前，他们在学校时就奠定了持久友谊的基础。
• 早在这一切发生之前，这个古老的文明已经发展出了复杂的农业技术。
• 早在这一切发生之前，这个家庭已经经历了加强他们纽带的困境。
• 早在这一切发生之前，这位有远见的科学家已经提出了将彻底改变该领域的开创性理论。
• 早在这一切发生之前，这个宁静的村庄以其传统的节日和庆祝活动而闻名。
• 早在这一切发生之前，他通过多年的专注练习磨练了自己的技能。
• 早在这一切发生之前，这位智者向年轻一代传授了宝贵的教训。