This word means “until now” or “up to this time”. You use it when you want to talk about everything that has been true before this moment — the way things were, the facts people had, the life someone had lived — right up to the point where you are speaking. After hitherto, something is often about to change, or a new fact is about to walk in.

This word means這個字的意思是 “until now” or “up to this time”「until now（到目前為止）」或「up to this time（截至此刻）」。 You use it when you want to talk about everything that has been true before this moment你用這個字，是想講在這一刻之前一直成立的所有事情——the way things were, the facts people had, the life someone had lived事情原本的樣子、人們知道的事實、某人過去的生活——right up to the point where you are speaking一直講到你說話的這個當下為止。 After hitherto在 hitherto 這個字之後，something is often about to change常常有件事就要改變了，or a new fact is about to walk in或是有個新的事實要出現了。

It is a rather old, rather formal word. You will meet it in books, in serious news, in university writing, and in legal language. You will almost never hear a young person say it while chatting; they say until now, so far, or up to now instead.

It is a rather old, rather formal word這是一個相當老派、相當正式的字。 You will meet it你會遇到它，in books, in serious news, in university writing, and in legal language出現在書裡、正經的新聞裡、大學寫作裡，以及法律用語裡。 You will almost never hear a young person say it while chatting你幾乎不會聽到年輕人在聊天時這樣說；they say until now, so far, or up to now instead他們會說 until now、so far，或 up to now。

It also sits comfortably in front of an adjective: a hitherto unknown island, a hitherto secret plan — that is still the same idea, just stuck in front of a describing word. The adjective use grew out of the adverb; it is not a separate life.

It also sits comfortably in front of an adjective它也常常自然地放在形容詞前面：a hitherto unknown island, a hitherto secret plan像 a hitherto unknown island（一座迄今不為人知的島）、a hitherto secret plan（一個迄今保密的計畫）——that is still the same idea, just stuck in front of a describing word還是同一個意思，只是黏在一個描述性的字前面。 The adjective use grew out of the adverb這個形容詞用法是從副詞長出來的；it is not a separate life不是另一條獨立的生命。

Be careful with time’s direction. Hitherto looks backward (up to now). Words like from now on look forward. They are not twins.

Be careful with time's direction要小心這個字的時間方向。 Hitherto looks backwardHitherto 是往回看的，(up to now)（到目前為止）。 Words like from now on look forward像 from now on（從現在開始）這樣的字，則是往前看的。 They are not twins它們不是雙胞胎。

Though actually, the hither inside it once meant “to this place”, so a student can feel it should mean “to here”. In this word the “here” has become “this moment in time”, not a place on the map.

Though actually不過其實，the hither inside it once meant “to this place”它裡面的 hither 曾經是「to this place（到這個地方）」的意思，so a student can feel it should mean “to here”所以學生會覺得它應該是「到這裡」的意思。 In this word the “here” has become “this moment in time”在這個字裡，「這裡」已經變成了「時間上的這一刻」，not a place on the map而不是地圖上的一個地方。