我们在小时候学习说话时，父母时常教导我们要学会“学舌”，有时候还会笑话我们“学不清舌”。我们现在用汉语学舌肯定没问题，但是如果用英语有把握吗？那么就让我们看看在英语中是如何“学舌”的。
14.1基本概念
引述别人的话语一般采用两种方式。
（1）原封不动地引用原话，把它放在引号内，称为直接引语（The Direct Speech）。
（2）用自己的话加以转述，称为间接引语（The Indirect Speech）。
14.2基本原则
直接引语必须放在引号内，间接引语则不用引号。直接引语改为间接引语时，不仅句式上要有变化，还必须对直接引语中的人称、时态、指示代词、时间状语、地点状语等进行改变。
1.引语转换时的句式变化
不同的直接引语句式，如陈述句、疑问句、祈使句和感叹句，转换成间接引语时要遵循一定的句式转换规则，还要注意根据句意使用适当的引述动词。
1）陈述句的间接引语
将陈述句转换为间接引语，通常用that 引导的宾语从句来表达。连词that 在不引起歧义的情况下可以省略。引述分句的动词常见的有say，tell 等。例如：
He said， “I caught a cold yesterday.”
他说：“我昨天感冒了。”
→ He said (that) he had caught a cold the day before.
他说他前天感冒了。
Helen said to me， “I"m tired of taking such exams.”
海伦说：“我讨厌参加这种考试。”
→ Helen told me (that) she was tired of taking such exams.
海伦说她讨厌参加这种考试。
2）疑问句的间接引语
直接引语如果是疑问句，变成间接引语后，称为间接问句。引述的动词常用ask， inquire，wonder， want to know等。间接问句的词序一般都用正常词序，句末不用问号，用句号。
（1）一般疑问句的间接引语：直接引语为一般疑问句时，用连词whether 或if 引导，某些表示请求的疑问句也可以转换成间接祈使句。例如：
I asked him， “Are you satisfied with the results？”
我问他：“你对这样的结果满意吗？”
→ I asked him whether he was satisfied with the results.
我问他对这样的结果是否满意。
“Did you go to the British Museum yesterday？” asked Kate.
凯特问：“你昨天有没有去大英博物馆？”
Kate asked me if I had gone to the British Museum the day before.
→ 凯特问我前天有没有去大英博物馆。
The old man said to a passer-by， “Will you tell me the way to get to the Great Wall Hotel？”
那位老人跟一位过路人说：“请问到长城饭店的路怎么走。”
→ The old man asked a passer-by to tell him the way to the Great Wall Hotel.
那位老人请一位过路人告诉他去长城饭店的路。
（2）选择疑问句的间接引语：直接引语为选择疑问句时，用连词whether … or … 引导。
例如：
He asked， “Are you interested in English or not？”
他问：“你是否对英语感兴趣？”
→ He asked (me) whether I was interested in English or not.
他问我是否对英语感兴趣。
“Do you like Chinese food or Japanese food？” he asked.
他问：“你喜欢中国食物还是日本食物？”
→ He asked whether I liked Chinese food or Japanese food.
他问我喜欢中国食物还是日本食物。
（3）特殊疑问句的间接引语：直接引语为特殊疑问句，转换为间接引语时，仍用原来的疑问词引导。例如：
“What do you do in your free time？” he asked me.
他问我：“你业余时间干什么？”
→ He asked me what I did in my free time.
他问我业余时间做什么。
“Why did she go to America？” Paul asked.
保罗问：“她为什么去了美国？”
→ Paul asked why she had gone to America.
保罗问她为什么去了美国。
3）祈使句的间接引语
直接引语如果是祈使句，变成间接引语后，叫做间接祈使句。
（1）祈使句表示命令时，要把直接引语的动词say 变成command， order， tell 等动词，被转述的部分改为动词不定式。否定祈使句要改为not to do 结构。例如：
“Stay where you are，” she said.
她说：“待在原地。”
→ She told me to stay where I was.
她告诉我待在原地。
“Don"t smoke in the room，” he said.
他说：“别在房间里抽烟。”
→ He told me not to smoke in the room.
她让我别在房间里抽烟。
（2）祈使句表示请求时，常把直接引语的动词say 变成ask， beg， request， urge 等动词，并去掉please。例如：
She said to me， “Please wait till I return， will you？”她说：“请你一直等到我回来，好吗？”
→ She begged me to wait till she returned.
她请求我一直要等到她回来。
（3）以Let"s 开头的祈使句，通常将引述动词改为suggest，然后再接that 从句。例如：
John said to Bill， “Let"s go hiking tomorrow.”
约翰对比尔说，“我们明天去徒步旅行吧。”
→ John suggested to Bill that they (should) go hiking the next day.
约翰向比尔提议第二天去徒步旅行。
4）感叹句的间接引语
直接引语是感叹句，变成间接引语后，叫做间接感叹句。间接感叹句多采用宾语从句结构，既可用what 或how 引导，也可用that 引导，还可以根据句子表达的不同感情选用适当的动词和状语来转换。例如：
He said， “What a beautiful view it is！”
他说：“多么漂亮的景色！”
→ He said that it was a very beautiful view.
他说景色非常漂亮。
→ He cried out what a beautiful view it was.
他大声说这景色是多么的漂亮。
She often says， “What a great country China is！”
她常说：“中国是一个多么伟大的国家啊！”
→ She often says that China is a very great country.
她常说中国是一个非常伟大的国家。
→ She often remarks with admiration (that) China is a great country.
她常常赞赏地说中国多么伟大。
5）并列句和复合句的间接引语
当转述的内容为并列句或复合句，或有两种以上的句子时，应根据不同的句式来选择不同的引述动词和连接词。例如：
He said， “I told her to wait， but she went away.”
他说：“我告诉她等一下，但她还是走了。”
→ He said (that) he had told her to wait but that she went away.
他说他已经告诉她等一下，但她还是走了。
She said， “It is cold here.Is the window shut？”
她说：“这儿很冷。窗户关了吗？”
→ She said that it was cold there and asked if the window was shut.
她说那儿很冷，并问窗户是否关了。
Fenwick said to me， “Go and see Robin.He will tell you everything you want to know.”
芬威克对我说：“去看看罗宾吧，他会告诉你你想要知道的事情。”
→ Fenwick advised me to go and see Robin， and said that he would tell me everything I wanted to know.
芬威克建议我去看看罗宾，因为他会告诉我我想要知道的事情。
2.引语转换时的各种相应变化
直接引语转换成间接引语除了有句式的变化外，还要掌握动词时态、人称代词、指示代词、时间状语、地点状语和词序的变化。
1）动词时态的变化
（1）如果引述动词为现在时态，间接引语的动词可以保持原来的时态。例如：
He says， “I have been writing a novel.”
他说：“我一直在写一本小说。”
→ He says that he has been writing a novel.
他说他一直在写一本小说。
（2）如果引述动词为过去时态，间接引语中的时间就要往后推，即现在时间推至过去时间，过去时间推至过去的过去，将来时间推至过去将来时间。
例如：
The teacher said， “You are doing OK.”
老师说：“你们干得很不错。”
→ The teacher said we were doing OK.
老师说我们干得很不错。（现在进行时变为过去进行时）
I asked her， “Where have you spent your holiday？”
我问她：“你去哪里度假了？”
→ I asked her where she had spent her holiday.
我问她去哪里度假了。（现在完成时变为过去完成时）
She said， “I went to Shanghai.”
她说：“我去过上海。”
→ She said that she had gone to Shanghai.
她说她去过上海。（一般过去时变为过去完成时）
He said， “I had finished my work before 10 o"clock.”
他说：“我在十点钟前就完成工作了。”
→ He said that he had finished his work before 10 o"clock.
他说他在十点钟前就完成工作了。（保持过去完成时不变）
The mayor said： “The people of Beijing will be preparing to light the Olympic torch to welcome athletes and fans from all over the world.”
市长说：“北京人民将准备点燃奥运火炬来迎接来自全世界的运动员和运动迷。”
→ The mayor said that the people of Beijing would be preparing to light the Olympic torch to welcome athletes and fans from all over the world.
市长说北京人民将准备点燃奥运火炬来迎接来自全世界的运动员和运动迷。（将来进行时变为过去将来进行时）
需要注意的是，在以下几种情况下，直接引语变为间接引语时，时态一般不变化。
（1）直接引语是客观真理。例如：
“The earth moves around the sun and the moon moves around the earth”， the teacher told me.
→ The teacher told me the earth moves around the sun and the moon moves around the earth.
（2）直接引语是过去进行时，时态不变。例如：
Jack said， “John， where were you going when I met you in the street？”
→ Jack asked John where he was going when he met him in the street.
（3）直接引语中有具体的过去某年、某月、某日作状语，变为间接引语时，时态不变。
例如：
Xiao Wang said， “I was born on April 20， 1980.”
→ Xiao Wang said he was born on April 20， 1980.
（4）如果直接引语中的情态动词没有过去时的形式（如ought to， had better， used to）和已经是过去时的形式时（如could， should， would， might），时态不再变。例如：
Peter said， “You had better come have today.”
→ Peter said I had better go there that day.
2）情态动词的变化
在直接引语中，有些情态动词没有过去式，转换为间接引语时仍用原来的形式，或用其他表示法。
3）人称代词的变化
直接引语变为间接引语时人称代词的变化可以遵循如下顺口溜：“一随主，二随宾，第三人称不更新。”
“一随主”是指在直接引语变间接引语时，如果从句中的主语是第一人称或被第一人称所修饰，从句中的人称要按照主句中主语的人称变化。例如：
She said， “My brother wants to go with me.”
她说：“我哥哥想跟我一起去。”
→ She said her brother wanted to go with her.
她说她哥哥想跟她一起去。
“二随宾”是指直接引语变间接引语时，若从句中的主语及宾语是第二人称，或被第二人称所修饰，从句中的人称要跟引号外的主句的宾语一致。如果引号外的主句没有宾语，也可以用第一人称。例如：
He said to Kate，“How is your sister now？”
→ He asked Kate how her sister was then.
“第三人称不更新”是指直接引语变间接引语时，如果从句中的主语及宾语是第三人称或被第三人称所修饰，从句中的人称一般不需要变化。例如：
Mr.Smith said， “Jack is a good worker.”
史密斯先生说：“杰克是名优秀的工人。”
→ Mr.Smith said Jack was a good worker.
史密斯先生说杰克是名优秀的工人。
4）指示代词的变化
在间接引语中，指示代词this 转换成that，these 转换成those。例如：
He said， “Please show me this one.”
他说：“请拿这个给我看一下。”
→ He asked me to show him that one.
他要我拿那个给他看一下。
He said， “I"d like to see these sunglasses.”
他说：“我想看看这些太阳镜”
→ He said that he wanted to see those sunglasses.
他说他想看看那些太阳镜。
5）时间状语和地点状语的变化
根据转述的时间和地点不同，时间状语和地点状语存在着较多的变化。
6）词序的变化
直接引语为疑问句时，间接引语要把倒装词序变为正常词序。例如：
He asked， “How did these differences come about？”
他问：“这些不同之处是如何产生的？”
→ He asked how those differences had come about.
他问那些不同之处是如何产生的。
“What is adventure travel？” he asked.
他问：“冒险旅游是什么？”
→ He asked what adventure travel was.
他问什么是冒险旅游。
将直接引语变为间接引语，每空一词。
1.“I never eat meat.” he said.
He said that never meat.
2.“I have found my wallet.” he said to me.
He me that he wallet.
3.“I took it home with me.” she said.
She said that it home with her.
4.The teacher said， “The sun rises in the east and goes down in the west.”
The teacher said that the sun in the east and down in the west.
5.“I met her yesterday.” he said to me.
He me that he met her the day .
6.“You must come here before five.” he said.
He said that I to go before five.
7.“I bought the house 10 years ago.” he said.
He said that he bought the house 10 years .
8.“Did you see her last week？” he said.
He I had seen her the week .
9.He said， “You can sit here， Jim.”
He Jim that he sit there
10.He asked， “How did you find it， mother？”
He asked her mother found it.
11.“Where have you been these days？” he asked.
He asked me been days.
12.“Do you know where she lives？” he asked.
He asked knew where she .
13.“Stop making so much noise， children.” he said.
He the children making so much noise.
14.“Don"t tell him the news.” she said.
She told me him the news.
15.“Are you interested in this？” he said.
He I was interested in .
Fun Time
让我们通过顺口溜来学习直接引语和间接引语的一些要点。
直接引语为祈使句，变成间接引语的“顺口溜”是：
去掉引号要加to，
ask/tell 须记住，
直接引语是否定，
not 加在to 前部。
直接引语为陈述句，变成间接引语的“顺口溜”是：
去掉引号加that，
人称时态要灵活。
直接引语为特殊疑问句，变成间接引语的“顺口溜”是：
直接去引号，
陈述莫忘掉，
小心助动词，
丢它最重要。
直接引语为一般疑问句，变成间接引语的“顺口溜”是：
去掉引号加whether/if，
陈述语序要记住，
时态人称和状语，
小心变化别马虎。