■ hardly

hardly... when/before...是“一…就…”。

• She had hardly come home when/ before she started to complain.她一回到家，就马上发起牢骚来。

但是有人误以 than 代替 when/ before，可能是受到了 no sooner... than... 的影响。这种误用，连一些大作家也难免。

• Hardly had she brought one gentleman into the little pantry behind the office on the ground floor and helped him off with his overcoat than the wheezy hall-door bell clanged again and she had to scamper along the bare hallway to let in another guest. (James Joyce, The Dead)她刚刚把一位先生带进楼下办公室后面的配餐室，帮他脱下大衣，大门那个门铃就呼呼地响起来，她只好匆匆跑过那空荡荡的走廊，去带进另一位客人。