兩者的區(qū)別有點(diǎn)復(fù)雜，下面僅談?wù)剮讞l基本用法：

▲long ago?和long before都可表示“很久以前”，long ago通常與一般過去時(shí)連用。如：

it was abandoned long ago.?它很久以前就不用了。

Long ago, pirates carried daggers.?很久以前海盜隨身攜帶匕首。

而long before，則多用于過去完成時(shí)，表示比過去某時(shí)早得多的時(shí)間。如：

She said she had seen the film long before.?她說她很久以前就看過這部電影。

That had happened long before (ie a long time earlier).?那事老早就發(fā)生了（比過去某時(shí)早得多）。

▲除以上用法外，long before?中的?before?還可能是介詞（后接賓語，用于引出介詞短語）或連詞（后接句子，用于引導(dǎo)時(shí)間狀語從句）。如：

Trains were invented long before cars.??火車遠(yuǎn)比汽車發(fā)明得早。

The champagne gave out long before the end of the reception.?在招待會(huì)結(jié)束前很久，香檳酒就都喝完了。

The photograph in question was taken long before I met you.?提到的那張照片是在我遇見你很久之前拍的。

We used to live in Paris, but that was long before you were born.?我們?cè)≡诎屠瑁鞘悄愠錾昂芫玫氖铝恕?/p>