使用引號,直接引用他人的話,在語法上叫直接引語;去掉引號,轉述他人的話,叫間接引語。由于間接引語是用引述人的語言把被引述的原話轉述出來,所以在轉述時有的內容要進行適當的變化,而有時卻不需要變化。現對這兩種情況歸納如下:
一、“變”的情況
1.人稱的變化
(1)直接引語是第一人稱,在間接引語中轉變為第三人稱。如:
He said, “I like reading.”
他說:“我喜歡看書。”
He said he liked reading.
他說他喜歡看書。
(2)直接引語是第二人稱,如果原話是針對轉述人說的,轉換為第一人稱;若是針對第三人稱說的,轉換為第三人稱。如:
“You should listen carefully,” the teacher said to me.
老師對我說:“你應該仔細聽講。”
The teacher said to me that I should listen carefully.
老師對我說我應該仔細聽講。
“You mustn’t play football in the street,” the policeman said to the boys.
警察對孩子們說:“不準在大街上踢球。”
The policeman said to the boys they mustn’t play football in the street.
警察對孩子們說不準他們在大街上踢球。
(3)人稱的轉換還包括形容詞性物主代詞和名詞性物主代詞的相應變化。如:
He said, “I have lost my backpack.”
他說:“我把雙肩背包弄丟了。”
He said that he had lost his backpack.
他說他把雙肩背包弄丟了。
She said, “The book on the desk is mine.”
她說:“桌子上的書是我的。”
She said that the book on the desk was hers.
她說桌子上的書是她的。
2.句子結構的變化
(1)直接引語如果是陳述句,變為間接引語時,用連詞that引導,在口語中that常被省略。如:
She says, “I will leave a message on the desk.”
她說:“我將在桌子上留下便條。”
She says (that) she will leave a message on the desk.
她說她將在桌子上留下便條。
(2)直接引語如果是一般疑問句、選擇疑問句或反意疑問句,變為間接引語時,常用連詞if或whether引導,語序要用陳述語序。如:
He said, “Has she come?”
他說:“她已經來了嗎?”
He asked if she had come.
他問她是否已經來了。
Her brother said, “Does she know it or not?”
她弟弟說:“她知道了嗎?”
Her brother asked whether she knew it or not.
她弟弟問她是否知道。
(3)直接引語如果是特殊疑問句,變為間接引語時,仍用原來的疑問詞引導,語序要用陳述語序。如:
He asked, “When will we arrive?”
他說:“我們將什么時候到達?”
He asked when they would arrive.
他問他們將什么時候到達。
He said, “What class are you in?”
他說:“你在哪班?”
He asked what class I was in.
他問我在哪班。
(4)直接引語如果是祈使句,變為間接引語時,一般用帶to的不定式做賓語補足語,謂語動詞常用ask, tell, order, advise, request等。如:
He says, “Close the door.”
他說:“關門。”
He asked you to close the door.
他讓你關門。
“Don’t go out,” she says to me.
她說:“別出去。”
She told me not to go out.
她告訴我不要出去。
3.時態的變化
(1)一般現在時變為一般過去時。如:
He said, “This book is yours.”
他說:“這本書是你的。”
He said that book was mine.
他說那本書是我的。
(2)現在進行時變為過去進行時。如:
She said, “The children are reading a text.”
她說:“孩子們正在讀課文。”
She said the children were reading a text.
她說孩子們正在讀課文。
(3)現在完成時變為過去完成時。如:
He said, “I have finished my homework.”
他說:“我已經做完作業了。”
He said he had finished his homework.
他說他已經做完作業了。
(4)一般將來時變為過去將來時。如:
He said, “I’ll wait for you outside the school gate.”
他說:“我將在校門外等你。”
He said he would wait for me outside the school gate.
他說他將在校門外等我。
(5)一般過去時變為過去完成時。如:
She said, “I returned the book to the library.”
她說:“我把書還給圖書館了。”
She said she had returned the book to the library.
她說她把書還給圖書館了。
4.時間、地點狀語及某些對比性的指示代詞和動詞等的變化,如:yesterday變為the day before;here 變為there;come變為go;this變為that;these變為those等。如:
He said, “I will stay here.”
他說:“我將待在這兒。”
He said that he would stay there.
他說他將待在那兒。
“I bought these flowers for you,” she said.
她說:“這些花我是為你買的。”
She said she bought those flowers for me.
她說那些花她是為我買的。
二、“不變”的情況
1.當主句的謂語為一般現在時,間接引語的時態不變。如:
He asks, “Where do you come from?”
他問:“你來自哪里?”
He asks where I come from.
他問我來自哪里。
2.直接引語部分有具體的時間狀語時,間接引語的時態不變。如:
“It happened in 2000,” he said.
他說:“那件事發生在2000年。”
He said it happened in 2000.
他說那件事發生在2000年。
3.直接引語是客觀事實、自然現象、諺語、格言等,間接引語的時態不變。如:
The boy asked, “Does water freeze at 0℃?”
男孩問:“水是否在0℃結冰?”
The boy asked if water freezes at 0℃.
男孩問水是否在0℃結冰。
The teacher said, “The earth turns around the sun.”
老師說:“地球圍繞太陽轉。”
The teacher said the earth turns around the sun.
老師說地球圍繞太陽轉。
4.如果是在當時、當地轉述,時間、地點狀語及某些對比性的指示代詞和動詞等也可不變。如:
He said, “I came here three days ago.”
他說:“我是3天前來這兒的。”
He said he came here three days ago.
他說他是3天前來這兒的。
5.如果是說話人自己引述自己的話,有關的人稱代詞不用變化。人稱代詞的轉換規則不是固定的,只要符合邏輯就行。如:
I said, “If you don’t keep quiet, I will get you out.”
我說:“如果你不保持安靜,我將讓你出去。”
I said to him if he didn’t keep quiet, I would get him out.
我對他說如果他不保持安靜,我將讓他出去。