否定的惯用表现
1.He is by no means a fool. 绝非
=he is not a fool at all.
means 方法,手段 (单复同形)
I didn’t mean to say it. 我不是故意的
I didn’t mean it. 我不是故意的
Look at that mean guy. 卑鄙的家伙
By all means 务必,尽一切办法
2.Traveling to the moon is no longer a dream.
=Traveling to the moon is not a dream any longer.
3.You cannot be too careful when you drive at night.
再怎么小心也不为过
4.It was not long before the earthquake stopped.
long before很久以前,多用于完成时态
The story had happened long before.故事发生在很久以前
I had been there long before. 我很久以前就去过那里。

有时long before可分开理解，before作介词或连词，后接短语或句子。

It was not long before the earthquake stopped.
I had waited there long before he arrived. 他来之前，我
在那已等了很久。

before long是介词短语，在句中作时间状语，意为“不久之后，
立刻”，常用于将来时态，如：
I hope we'll meet again before long.我希望不久我们再见
面。

The bus is arriving before long. 汽车马上就到了
5.I didn’t graduate from university until I was twenty-five.
=It was not until I was twenty-five that I graduate from university.
6.Babies do nothing but cry.
7.I cannot help admiring his courage.
=I cannot but admire his courage.
8.There is no telling what may happen.
=It is impossible to tell what may happen.
9.He can ride a motorcycle, not to mention a bicycle.
10.The soldier got an order and lost no time in carrying it
out.
May I take you order now? 现在您要点菜吗?
Carry out 执行。