He had hardly had time to settle down when he sold the house and left the country. (New Concept English, Book 2, L.38) [原译] 几乎还没有安顿下来就把房子卖了……[《新概念英语》(二), 朗文出版公司、世界图书出版公司, 1993, p.158] hardly 在这里是“几乎没”的意思吗?
hardly... when [before] 是英语里一个常用的句型。一般可译为“刚一……就”。
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He had hardly begun to speak when the audience interrupted him. 他刚开口发言，就被听众打断了。
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He had hardly arrived when it began to snow. (Evance) 他刚到,就开始下雪了。请记住这个句型的两个特点:
(1) hardly 分句中一般使用过去完成时,而 when[before]分句中使用过去时。
(2) 如果把 hardly 搁在句首, 则要求主谓语实行部分倒装。例如:
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Hardly had we got into the country when it began to rain. (ALD) 我们刚到农村, 就下雨了。
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Hardly had he arrived when she started complaining. (LDCE) 他刚到,她就开始抱怨。
你所提问的句子最好译为：
他刚刚住下来,就把那幢房子卖了……
应当补充指出,这个句型中的 hardly 可以换成 barely 或 scarcely:
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He had barely arrived when he had to leave again. (LDCE) 他刚到达, 就不得不离开了。
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Scarcely had he gone out when it began to rain. (ALD) 他刚出门, 就下雨了。