it was+一段时间+before
是距离(发生某事)有多长时间的意思,但表达的是过去的事情.
其中before是从属连词,表示“……才;……就”,引导时间状语从句。
例如:1. It was 10 years before I left China.
我离开中国已经有10年了。
2. It was just 3 days before the book was published.
三天后那本书就出版了。
3. It was three months before he finished the work.
他花了三个月才完成这项工作.