摘要：He wrote to say they couldn't give me a job after all. (他写信说总之他们不能给我一份工作。)[朗文当代英语词典]???

after all字面义是“在一切之后”，它有两个典型义项。

义项1：表达“不管你怎么期待或坚信多么真实，在考虑一切相关要素之后，总之，到底”。

品读例句：

【例句1】He wrote to say they couldn't give me a job after all. (他写信说总之他们不能给我一份工作。)[朗文当代英语词典]???

【例句2】Union leaders announced that they would, after all, take part in the national conference. (工会领导人宣布，总之他们将参加全国会议。)[朗文当代英语词典]

【例句3】So you made it after all! (这样，你到底做到了！)[牛津高级学者辞典]

【例句4】The rain has stopped, so the game will go ahead after all. （雨停了，所以比赛还是会继续进行。 ） [剑桥高级学者辞典]

【例句5】The Social Democrats say they are ready after all to begin talks on joining a coalition government. （社会民主党表示，他们总之已经准备好开始就加入联合政府进行谈判。）[柯林斯高级学者辞典]

义项2：表达“某事应被记住或考虑在内，因为它有助于解释刚刚的陈述，毕竟”。

品读例句：

【例句6】Prisoners should be treated with respect – they are human beings after all. (囚犯应该受到尊重——毕竟他们是人。)[朗文当代英语词典]

【例句7】I don't know why you're so concerned – it isn't your problem after all. (我不知道你为什么这么担心——毕竟这不是你的问题。)[朗文当代英语词典]

【例句8】He should have paid. He suggested it, after all. (他应该付钱的。毕竟是他建议的。 )[牛津高级学者辞典]

【例句9】I thought you might know somebody. After all, you're the man with connections. （我原以为你可能认识某人。毕竟，你是有关系的人。） [柯林斯高级学者辞典]

【例句10】I do like her - after all, she is my sister. (我确实喜欢她——毕竟，她是我的妹妹。)[剑桥高级学者辞典]

来源：重回旧梦，