50. scarcely / hardly.... before / when
- Scarcely had I crossed the bridge before it fell down.
- I had hardly crossed the bridge when it fell down. 「渡った途端に橋は崩落した」
「……やいなや……する」という意味の構文。scarcely の代わりに scarce が使われることもある。また、before や when の代わりに古い ere が使われることもある。
例文1
But scarcely had his army landed in Asia, when sultan Solyman attacked them, and made a terrible slaughter.
Samuel Griswold Goodrich, Peter Parley's Common School History
しかし彼の軍隊がアジアに上陸するやいやな、サルタンのソリマンは彼を迎撃して恐るべき殺戮を繰り広げた。
例文2
They took scarcely any notice when the twelve figures in female attire entered the hall.
Samuel Griswold Goodrich, Peter Parley's Common School History
彼らがほとんど気がつかぬうちに女の姿をした十二人の人がその部屋に入ってきた。
例文3
Little time was left to me for consideration, as the next moment a smart breeze began to agitate the taller trees. It increased to an unexpected height, and already the smaller branches and twigs were seen falling in a slanting direction toward the ground. Two minutes had scarcely elapsed, when the whole forest before me was in fearful motion.
Charles Joseph Barnes, New National Fifth Reader
考えるいとまもあらばこそ、烈風が吹き起こって高い木々を動かしはじめた。それは予想もしなかった激しさになり、すでに小さな枝が斜めに落下しているのが認められた。二分とたたぬうちに、目の前の森は見渡す
