直接引语和间接引语

一、直接引语和间接引语的定义

1. 直接引语：别人直接说的话，一般直接放在引号内。如：

(1) My mother told me, “You should finish your homework first, then you can play with your friends.”

(2) Our teacher said, “Class is over, we should have a rest.”

2. 间接引语：用自己的话加以转述，被转述的话不放在引号内。上面两个例句变成间接引语应该是：

(1) My mother told me that I should finish my homework first and then I could go out and play with my friends.

(2) Our teacher said class was over and we should have a rest.

二、直接引语与间接引语的变化

直接引语变成间接引语时，由于引述动词（said，told等）一般都是过去时形式，因此间接引语中的动词时态、人称代词、限定词、时间状语、地点状语等一般都要做相应的变化。有下面几种情况：

1. 现在时间推移到过去时间

所谓现在时间推移到过去时间指一般现在时变为一般过去时，现在进行时变成过去进行时，现在完成时变成过去完成时。例如：

She said, “I am hungry.” → She said (that) she was hungry.

Vince said, “I have found what’s wrong with the computer.” → Vince said he had found what was wrong with the computer.

在下列场合，尽管陈述动词为过去时形式，间接引语中的动词时态却不必改变，即：

(1) 当引述的是客观事实、科学真理、现在习惯工作以及格言等内容时：

He said, “The word ‘laser’ is an acronym(首字母缩略词).” → He said the word ‘laser’ is an acronym.

(2) 当动词所表示的状态或动作在引述时仍在继续时：

“I’m forty,” he said. → He said he is forty.

(3) 当谓语动词包含无过去时形式的情态助动词时：

He said, “It must be pretty late. I really must go.” → He said it must be pretty late, and he really must go.

He said, “You mustn’t smoke in the room.”→ He said I mustn’t smoke in the room.

2. 过去时间推移到过去的过去

这里需要注意以下几点：

(1) 当强调动作或状态先于引述动词时，一般过去时要变成过去完成体。例如：

He said, “I didn’t know you.” → He said he hadn’t known me.