scarce adj
  make oneself scarce 离开,退避
  That bird has become scarce in this country. 
  Food and water are scarce and expensive in the flooded area.
  scarcely adv. 
  表示“几乎不,仅仅”,与when连用时,意思和“hardly…when”相同都表示“一…就”,置于句首
  时,用部分到状结构 
  He had scarcely escaped when he was recaptured 
  =Scarcely had he escaped when he was recaptured(重新捕获)