y the time 有两个意思:
一:by the time可以翻译为:这时候,在此时.相当于at the/that time.
By the time he had lost contact with the Party.
这时他已和党失去联系.
By the time we had settled in the third bus.
这时我们已在第3辆大汽车里坐好.
二:by the time,意为:在.之前已经.
by the time our teacher came in ,we had started speaking English.
在老师进来前,我们都已经开始讲英语了.
by the time when got to the bus station,the bus had left.
在我们到达车站时,汽车早就开走了.
by+时间名词.意为：“到…时（已发生某事）,此时谓语多用完成时；最晚、不迟于…,在…之前”.如：by now/then/this time/next Friday/the end of/three o`clock等.
By the end of last year,another new gymnasium had been completed.(2003上海·春）到去年年底,又有一座新体育馆峻工了.
