直接引语与间接引语

(一)定义

当我们转述别人的话时,可以引用别人的原话,被引用部分称为直接引语;也可以用自己的话转述别人的意思,被转述的部分称为间接引语。间接引语多数构成宾语从句。直接引语变为间接引语时，须在时态及代词、状语等方面作一些必要的调整。

(二)时态的变化

1.如果主句的谓语动词为过去时态，直接引语变间接引语时谓语动词一般按下列规律进行变化

例如：

“Shes preparing her lessons,” I said. 我说：“她正在准备功课。”

→I said (that) she was preparing her lessons. 我说她正在准备功课。

I said to them, “Hell get excited.” 我对他们说：“他会兴奋的。”

→I told them (that) he would get excited. 我告诉他们他会兴奋的。

He said to me, “Jane spent all her time doing that.”

他对我说：“简花了她全部的时间做那件事。”

→He told me (that) Jane had spent all her time doing that.

他告诉我简花了她全部的时间做那件事。

2.直接引语中的谓语动词为一般过去时，如果与一个具体的表示过去的时间(如in 2005, last week等)连用，在变为间接引语时时态可以不变

My father said to me, “I read the book in 1998.”

我父亲对我说：“我1998年读过这本书。”

My father told me (that) he read the book in 1998.

我父亲对我说他于1998年读过这本书。

3.直接引语表达的意思是客观真理或习惯性动作时，在变为间接引语时时态可以不变

The geography teacher said, “The earth turns around the sun.”

地理老师说：“地球绕着太阳转。”

The geography teacher told us (that) the earth turns around the sun.

地理老师告诉我们地球绕着太阳转。

(三)代词的变化

代词要根据句中的意义作相应的变化。例如：

“Sorry, Ive broken your CD player,” he said to me.

他对我说：“对不起，我把你的CD播放器弄坏了。”

→He told me (that) he had broken my CD player.

他告诉我他把我的CD播放器弄坏了。

[注意]this, these要相应地变为that, those。

(四)状语的变化

例如：

“Ill come and see you again this evening, Dave,” he said.

他说：“戴夫，我今天晚上再来看你。”

→He told Dave (that) he would go and see him again that evening.

他告诉戴夫他那天晚上再去看他。

[注意]动词come根据情况相应地变为go。有时，在间接引语的意义不会引起误解的情况下，状语也可以不变。

(五)直接引语为陈述句时的变化

当直接引语是陈述句时，间接引语常由that引导(口语中常可省略)，引述动词常用say, tell等。同时，根据主句的情况，间接引语应在人称、时态及其他方面作相应的变化。例如：

The teacher said, “John, you must bring your book to the class tomorrow.” 老师说：“约翰，你明天必须把书带到班上来。”

→The teacher told John (that) he must bring his book to the class the following day. 老师告诉约翰第二天必须把他的书带到班上去。

He said, “I like this book.” 他说：“我喜欢这本书。”

→He said (that) he liked that book. 他说他喜欢那本书。

He said, “I saw her yesterday.” 他说：“我昨天看见她了。”

→He said (that) he saw her the day before. 他说他前一天看见她了。

(六)直接引语为疑问句时的变化

当直接引语是疑问句时，除注意人称、时态和状语等方面的变化外，还要注意：间接引语中要用陈述句的语序；特殊疑问句用原来的疑问词引导从句；一般、选择和反意疑问句在间接引语前加连词whether/if引导。例如：

She asked, “What is it? Whats going to happen now?”

她问：“那是什么？又要发生什么事？”

→She asked what it was and what was going to happen then.

她问那是什么，又要发生什么事。

The boy was wondering, “How does the computer work?”

那个男孩想知道: “电脑是怎样工作的？”

→The boy was wondering how the computer worked.

那个男孩想知道电脑是怎样工作的。

“Why do you speak English so fluently?” I said to him.

我对他说：“你为什么英语说得那么流利？”

→I asked him why he spoke English so fluently.

我问他为什么他的英语说得那么流利。

“Is there anything wrong, Madam?” asked the policeman.

警察问：“夫人，出什么事了吗？”

→The policeman asked the woman whether/if there was anything wrong. 警察问那位妇女是否出什么事了。

“Its Mary, isnt it?” asked Jane. 简问道：“那个人是玛丽，对吗？”

Jane asked whether it was Mary or not. 简问那个人是不是玛丽。

(七)直接引语为祈使句时的变化

当直接引语为祈使句时，主句中的谓语动词在变化时往往根据直接引语中的语气而改用ask, tell, order等动词，直接引语中的谓语动词则要变成动词不定式。例如：

“Please explain why youre two and a half hours late,” the boss said. 老板说：“请解释一下你为什么迟到了两个半小时。”

→The boss asked him to explain why he was two and a half hours late. 老板要他解释一下为什么迟到两个半小时。

“Dont give up!” Father shouted to him. 父亲对他喊道:“不要放弃!”

→Father told him not to give up. 父亲告诉他不要放弃。

“Get everything ready in half an hour,” the teacher said to the students. 老师对学生们说:“半小时内把一切都准备好。”

→The teacher ordered the students to get everything ready in half an hour. 老师命令学生们在半小时内把一切都准备好。

对应练习

1. Where was Alices sister? →I dont know where ____.

A. was Alices sister B. Alices sister was

C. is Alices sister D. Alices sister is

2. What did he say? →I dont know what ____.

A. did he say B. he says C. he has said D. he said

3. I dont know ____.

A. the reason why can be B. why the reason may be

C. what the reason can be D. the reason may be

4. I wonder ____. Which of the following is not the right choice?

A. whether she will be fit for the job or not

B. whether or not she will be fit for the job

C. if she will be fit for the job

D. what she will be fit for the job

5. Is Mr Wu from Beijing? →I dont know ____.

A. where does he come from B. from where does he come

C. which city he comes from D. what city does he come from

6. Can you make sure ____?

A. that he will come here today

B. when he will come here today

C. will he come here today

D. whether will he come here today

7. Do you happen to know ____?

A. where is her address B. in which place is her address C. what her address is D. the place her address is

8. Excuse me, but can you tell me ____?

A. where can I get to the library B. where I can get to the library C. how can I get to the library D. how I can get to the library

9. John asked me ____ to visit his uncles farm with him.

A. how would I like B. if or not would I like

C. whether I would like D. which I would like

10. Id like to know ____ Chinese.

A. when he began to learn

B. when did he begin to learn

C. when did he begin learning

D. for how long he began to learnKey(2)

吴亚云 江苏如东教师进修学校