区别辨析afterward(s)与later

这两个副词均有“后来，以后”之意。

afterward(s) 与 later 的不同之处有两点。

1. afterward(s) 指一整段时间之后，一般不分具体时间连用，而 later 常指一个具体的时间点之后。

• Afterwards she was sorry for what she'd said.
  后来她后悔说了那些话。
• I met her again three years later.
  三年后我又遇见她了。

2. afterward(s) 强调事物的先后顺序，而 later 侧重“迟、推迟”。

• Let's go out now and eat afterwards.
  咱们现在出去，然后再吃饭。
• We're going to Rome later in the year.
  我们年内晚些时候要到罗马去。