prep(1)(时间)在……之后(following in time;later in time than)：(just)～dark/a sleep/classes/graduation/the war/sb's death(就在)天黑/睡一觉/下课/毕业/战争结束/某人死后;～three days/six o'clock/a while三天/6点/一会儿以后;～what had happened/taking a degree发生那事/获得学位后;He drinks wine～dinner.他饭后喝酒。Repeat the words～me.跟我读这些字。She was ill～a baby.生孩子后她病了。soon/shortly/long/two days～this (that)这(那)以后不久/不久/很久/两天;the day～tomorrow后天;the year/the week～next后年/下下周;half～two(AmE)两点半;year～year一年又一年;day～day一天又一天;night～night一夜又一夜;week～week一周又一周;Hour～hour went by.一小时又一小时过去了。time～time 屡次;shot～shot 连续射击;〖反〗before;

(2)(位置)在……之后，次于(following in place or order，arrangement or importance;next to)：A～a car came a bus.小汽车后面跟来一辆公共汽车。enter the room～sb 在某人之后进屋;(name/letter) come～...on the list/in the alphabet(名字/字母)在名单上/字母表中排在……之后;A～you，sir.先生，你先请!A～you with the salt.您请先用盐。one～another/the other 一个接一个/轮流地;mistake～mistake 一个接一个的错误;A～water，sleep is our most important need.睡眠对于我们来说是仅次于水的重要需求。〖反〗before;

(3)在身后(behind)：Shut the door～you.请随手关门。pull a bundle of wood～one 身后拽着一捆木柴;He always leaves a trail of confusion～him.他做事总是留下让人迷惑不解之处。run～sb into the courtyard 跟在某人身后跑进院子;〖同〗behind;

(4)由于，因为(following and as a result of;because of)：A～the way he treated me thus/his treating me thus/what he did to me，I hate him.他那样对待我， 我恨他。be tired～that long walk走了那么远的路累了;〖同〗because of ;

(5)虽然，尽管(following and in spite of)：A～all my care，the clock was broken.虽然我小心翼翼，钟还是碎了。A～all my advice，he still went his own way.尽管我劝了又劝，他还是我行我素。She still talks to him～the way he behaved last week.尽管他上周那样表现，她还跟他说话。It is said to have failed～all that work. 尽管做了那些工作，据说还是失败了。

(6)仿照，模仿(in the manner or style of;in imitation of)：a painting/portrait/satire～(the style of) sb 一件模仿……(风格)的画/画像/讽刺作品;a building/constitution～the American mode模仿美国样式的建筑/宪法;make sth～a style/a model 模仿一风格/式样做某物;The painting is～the great master.这幅画是模仿那大师画的。christen a child～his uncle 以其叔叔的名字给一小孩取教名;name a baby～his father 以其父的名字给孩子取名;a street named～a writer 以一作家的名字命名的街道;take～sb 像某人;

(7)合乎，与……一致(in accordance with)：You are a man～my own heart;we think and act alike nearly in all things.你和我很投合：咱们想事、做事几乎处处都很像。

(8)追(捕，求)(in search or pursuit of)：The Gestapo/police were～him.盖世太保/警察在追捕他。be(go/run)～a thief/a woman 追捕一个贼/追求一个女人; run～a ball/a bus追球/公共汽车;be/go～money 追求钱;be～a better job 追求更好的工作;I know what you're～.我知道你在追求什么。

(9)关于(concerning;about)：inquire (ask)～sb/sb's health 问候某人的情况/某人的健康状况;

→′afterbirth n 胎盘(膜);′after-damp n 矿井中爆炸后的浊气;′afterlife n 来世;′aftershave n 刮脸后用的润肤剂;

after all 1)毕(究)竟，终究：A～all，he's only a child.毕竟他还只是个孩子。He is right～all.他毕竟是对的。2)须知，记住：He has done well to pass the examination because，～all，he knew very little English when he came.他考及格了就够好的，因为要知道，他刚来时几乎不会英语。

adv(1)后来，以后(later;afterwards;following in time)：They had a drink and went home～.他们喝了一会儿酒，随后就回家了。I'll see you～.我以后会来看你的。the day～第二天;two days～两天后;a moment～过了一会儿之后;long/soon～很久/不久以后;forever～以后永远;ever～从那以后;just/immediately～随即;〖同〗afterwards，later;

(2)随后(behind;following in place)：Pride goes before，and shame follows～. 骄傲使人落后(骄必败)。follow on～随后跟着;A bus passed with several cars following～.一辆公共汽车开过去了，后面跟着几辆小汽车。And he came tumbling～.他仓惶地跟随而来。

→′afterglow n 夕照，余辉;′afterward(s) adv 后来;

conj在……之后(at or during a time later than)：The party broke up～the clock(had)struck twelve.时钟响过12点之后，聚会就结束了。A～he died they moved house twice.他死后他们搬了两次家。

adj(1)后来的(later in time;following)[作attrib]：in～years/days 在以后的岁月/日子里;the～results of the storm 风暴的后果;

(2)后面(部)的(in the back part，esp of a boat)[作attrib]：the～desk/cabins/quarter 后甲板/尾舱/船尾部;

→′aftermost adj 最后(末)的;′after-care n 病后护理和治疗;释放后的安置;′after-effect n(药之)后效;′after-image n 余象(感);′afterthought n 回想;反省;′after-taste n 余味;′after-sale adj 售后的;

【说明】after和before为一对反义词，都可以表示时间意义，此时都可用作1)副词(见于极不正式的语体中，此时与afterwards和later同义)，如：the week after/before(第二周/前一周);I will see him after-(wards)/had seen him before.(我以后将见到他/以前见过他。)2)介词，如：the day after/before his death(他死的第二天/前一天);3) 连词，如：He had a rest after/before I left.(他在我走之后/前休息了一下。)这两个词都可以表示先后顺序，如：be after/before sb in the queue(在队中排在某人之后/前);

【辨异】after、afterward(s)和later都可表示“后来”。在这一用法中，after不如afterward(s)常见;afterward(s)指紧接某事之后的一段时间;而later则不一定紧接其后，只是“晚(后)于”的意思，且指某一具体时间，如：We first went to the theatre，and two hours later we ate at a restaurant.(我们先去剧院，两小时后在一家饭店吃了饭。)