起先我对这个地方不熟悉。

At first the place was strange to me.

《牛津词典》

起先我以为他腼腆，后来才发现他对别人没兴趣。

At first I thought he was shy, but then I discovered he was just not interested in other people.

《牛津词典》

起先我们说话时压低声音，走路蹑手蹑脚的，以免惊动他们。

At first we spoke in hushed voices and crept about in order not to alarm them.

《柯林斯英汉双解大词典》

Now the word "first" begins to take on a much bigger range of significances than we might at first think.

现在看来，“初/先“一词,比我们起先所想的有更加重大的意义。

耶鲁公开课 - 弥尔顿课程节选

Milton participated with extraordinary enthusiasm and considerable zeal in the establishment of England's new, non-monarchic government, initially a commonwealth and then what we can think of as a republic.

弥尔顿带着极大的热情,参与了组建英国的非君主制新政府的过程，这一政府起先是联邦制,后来可认为是共和制。

耶鲁公开课 - 弥尔顿课程节选

So, the first part, Little Albert's fine with the white rabbit.

起先，小阿尔伯特并不害怕小白兔。

耶鲁公开课 - 心理学导论课程节选