in the distance区别|in a distance

in a distance意思是在一段距离内，这距离是具体的单位长度。in the distance意思是在远处在很远的那边，例如：

1、And we made a bid， because they were being done in a long distance， put the outline in the bid.我们做了一个报价。因为是打长途电话，所以只给出了报价的大概数。

2、In the distance we spied the Pacific for the first time.在远处，我们突然第一次看到了太平洋。