Lesson 50 : Direct & Indirect Speech

§ Direct and Indirect Speech

敘述可分兩種： 

  1. 直接敘述 Direct Speech
     依講者本來的口吻敘述出來。
  2. 間接敘述 Indirect Speech
     依另一人的口吻敘述出來。

例如：

  1. He said, "I am a teacher."
  2. He said that he was a teacher.

  * "I am a teacher" 是直接敘述； "he was a teacher" 是間接敘述。

A. 如果直接敘述是陳述句，那麼改為間接敘述時要注意：

(a) 根據意思，改變敘述中的動詞時態。

  * 從「過去」的觀點看「將來」。例如1985年已經過去，但從1984年看來，
    卻是將來，這個「將來」就是「過去將來」。動詞的一般過去將來時態的
    形態是：should / would + root form。

(b) 根據意思，改變敘述中的人稱代名詞、指示代名詞或所有格形容詞。

(c) 根據意思，改變敘述的時間副詞或地點副詞。

(d) 通常在間接敘述前加從屬連詞 "that"。

例如：

  1. John said, "I am very tired."
  2. John said that he was very tired.

  1. He said, "I am writing a letter.
  2. He said that he was writing a letter."

  1. They said, "We have learned a lot of knowledge from the 
     old man."
  2. They said that they had learned a lot of knowledge from 
     the old man.

  1. He said, "I have been studying English for three years."
  2. He said that he had been studying English for three years.

  1. She said, "I saw the film yesterday."
  2. She said that she had seen the film the day before.

  1. He said, "I shall go to America next month."
  2. He said that he would go to America the following month.

B. 如果直接敘述是疑問句，那麼改為間接敘述時還要注意：

(a) 若疑問句是一般疑問句，在間接敘述前要加 "whether" 或 "if"；
(b) 若疑問句是特殊疑問句，在間接敘述前仍用原來的疑問詞；
(c) 間接敘述要依陳述句的語序，即動詞放在主語後面。

例如：

  1. The teacher asked me, "Have you finished your exercises?"
  2. The teacher asked me whether I had finished my exercises.

  1. Mr. Lee asked him, "Do you know how to say it in English?"
  2. Mr. Lee asked him if he knew how to say it in English.

  1. He asked me, "Why do you not go home?"
  2. He asked me why I did not go home.

  1. She said to the man, "Where are you going?"
  2. She asked the man where he was going.

C. 如果直接敘述是祈使句，那麼改為間接敘述時還要注意：

(a) 敘述以外的動詞要改用含有祈使意義的 tell,ask,request,order。
(b) 間接敘述中的動詞要改用不定詞來表達。

  1. She said to him, "Do not talk nonsense!"
  2. She told him not to talk nonsense.

  1. He said to me, "Tell me something about her."
  2. He asked me to tell him something about her.

  1. He said to me, "Please lend me some money."
  2. He requested me to lend him some money.

  1. The leader said to us, "Run!"
  2. The leader ordered us to run.

D. 如果直接敘述是感嘆句，那麼改為間接敘述時還要注意：

    以其他詞代替敘述中的感嘆形容詞或感嘆副詞。

例如：

  1. He said, "How happy I am!"
  2. He said that he was very happy.

  1. He cried out, "Oh, what a big house it is!"
  2. He cried out that it was a very big house.

E. 特別情況：

(a) 如果直接敘述是報告普遍真理，那麼改為間接敘述時，動詞的
    時態不須改變。

例如：

  1. The teacher said, "The sun rises in the east."
  2. The teacher said that the sun rises in the east.

(b) 如果直接敘述是報告歷史事實，那麼改為間接敘述時，動詞的
    時態不須改變。

例如：

  1. He said, "Columbus discovered America."
  2. He said that Columbus discovered America.

(c) 如果直接敘述中的動詞使用虛擬語氣，那麼改為間接敘述時，
    動詞的時態不須改變。

例如：

  1. He said, "I would fly to you at once if I were a bird."
  2. He said that he would fly to you at once if he were a bird.

(d) 如果直接敘述中有 "must" 或 "ought to"，那麼改為間接敘述時，
    動詞的時態不須改變，但解釋時作「過去」解。

例如：

  1. I said, "I must go home."
  2. I said that I must go home.

  1. He said, "John ought to study harder."
  2. He said that John ought to study harder.

練習

試將以下的直接敘述轉為間接敘述：

1. David said, "I am really Copperfield."
2. The waiter said, "I will drink it if you like."
3. The landlady said to him, "Take care of that child."
4. Mr. Lee said to him, "Do you know that girl?"
5. He said to her, "Why do you not sign the form?"
6. Mr. Lee said, "I must leave."
7. She asked me, "Do you learn English in America?"
8. He said, "How beautiful she is!"
9. He asked me, "How high is that building?"
10. He said, "Lead is heavier than iron."