One way to hold this word: the thing is already finished, and then something gets written underneath it anyway. The letter is signed; the story has its ending; the film has out. A postscript is whatever comes after that line — short, added on, not worked into the middle. Because it arrives once you thought you were done, it lands with its own small weight: it is the part the writer could not leave out.
From the word’s history
From Latin postscribere, post (after) plus scribere (write): literally the writing-after. The modern word still means exactly that.
來自拉丁文 postscribere，post 是「在…之後」，scribere 是「寫」，字面就是「寫在後面」。今天的用法幾乎還是照字面走。
Wiktionary, "postscript"
原始詞典資料3 筆記錄
以下是外部詞典記錄的用法，摘錄並精簡格式，我們還沒有寫成教學內容。上面的說明才是我們自己寫的；有些用法可能上面已經講過了。
postscriptnoun/ˈpoʊst.skɹɪpt/
- 1
An addendum to a letter, added after the author's signature.
- As a rule Julian dictated to secretaries, and so fast that Libanius says the "tachygraphers" were unable to keep pace with him, but certain postscripts are marked "with his own hand."
- 2
An addition to a story, play, etc. after its completion.
- In a moving post-script to the novel, Forster tells the reader that the book was inspired by a visit to the home of Edward Carpenter.
- And then a curious postscript: I share your dislike of the shortening of names but I must say that I'm not sure 'Alexandra' is entirely suitable for you. It seems to me that you require a name with rather more brio. I see you as a 'Lexie'. What do you think?
postscriptverb/ˈpoʊst.skɹɪpt/
- 1
To extend (a letter or another document) with additional remarks.
摘錄自 英文維基詞典 English Wiktionary，已精簡格式；依 CC BY-SA 4.0 授權使用，改動後的內容同樣以此授權提供。