He said that I wasn’t to open the door.
他叫我不要开门。
be+不定式结构特别常用于下列场合:
1如命令是由动词现在式引导的:
He says,‘Meet me at the station.’
他说:“在车站接我。”相当于:
He says that we are to meet him at the station.
他让我们到车站去接他。
(在这里使用 He tells us to meet him...形式的可能性要小得多。)
2如命令前有一个从句时(一般为时间从句或条件从句):
He said,‘If she leaves the house follow her.’
他说:“如果她离开这所房子,就跟着她。”
He said that if she left the house I was to follow her.
他说如果她离开这所房子,我就得跟着她。
He told me to follow her if she left the house(他让我在她离开这所房子时跟着她)同样也是可以的。但需注意,如果在这里用 tell+不定式结构,就必须首先改变从句的位置,将命令部分放在前面。有时这会使一个句子变得不顺或难解。如一个表示请求的句子If you see Ann tell her to ring me(如果你看见安,让她给我打个电话)可转述为He told me to tell Ann to ring him if I saw her。但为了避免不顺或难解,这种表示请求的句子只能用be+不定式结构来进行转述:
He said that if I saw Ann I was to tell her to ring him.
他说如果我见到安,我得告诉她给他打个电话。
B say/tell(+ that)+主语+should
1 ay/tell与 should结构连用,一般表示劝告而并不是命令:
He said,‘If your brakes are bad don’t drive so fast.’
他说:“如果你的刹车不灵,就别开得这么快。”相当于:
He said/told me that if my brakes were bad I shouldn’t drive so fast.
他嘱咐我如果我的刹车不灵,就别开得那么快。
He advised me not to drive so fast if my brakes were bad.
他忠告我如果我的刹车不灵,就别开那么快。(注意:这里的从句位置的变化与上面tell+不定式结构相同。)
2表示劝告也可以用advise,recommend和urge+that…should结构。这种结构的被动式形式用得更为广泛(参见第302节E):
‘I advise cancelling the meeting,’he said.
他说:“我建议取消会议。”
He advised that the meeting should be cancelled.
他建议会议应予取消。
3 command和order也可以与should或被动式连用:
‘Evacuate the area!’ordered the superintendent.
警务长命令说:“所有人员撤出这一地区!”相当于:
The superintendent ordered that everyone should leave the area/ordered that the area should be evacuated/ordered the area to be evacuated.
警务长命令所有人员撤出该地区/撤出该地区。
4 注意:如第320节所示,使用宾语+不定式结构表示间接命令时,通常是在对受命者直接发令。但像上面 A中所示用 be+不定式结构,或像上面B3中所示用should结构来表示命令时,那么就不一定是对受命者直接发令了,可能是由第三者把命令传达给受命者。
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[Amber demo]
322 let’s,let us,let him/them用于间接引语
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A let’s
1 let’s通常表示建议,在间接引语中用动词suggest转述:
He said,‘Let’s leave the case at the station.’
他说:“我们把箱子存在车站吧!”
可转述为:
He suggested leaving the case at the station./He suggested that they/we should leave the case at the station.
他建议他们/我们把箱子存在车站。
(关于与suggest连用的结构,参见第289节。)
He said,‘Let’s stop now and finish it later.’
他说:“现在停下来,以后再完成它。”
可转述为:
He suggested stopping then and finishing it later./He suggested that they/we should stop then and finish it later.
他当时建议(他们/我们)那时先停下来,以后再来完成。
否定式也是这样:
He said,‘Let’s not say anything about it till we hear the facts.’
他说:“在我们没有听到事情的真相之前,对这件事什么话也别说。”相当于:
He suggested not saying anything/saying nothing about it till they heard the facts./He suggested that they shouldn’t say anything till they heard the facts.
他建议他们在没有听到事实真相之前什么都别说。
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但如果单独使用let’s not对一个肯定的建议做出答复,那么在转述时常用下列短语:opposed the idea/was against it/ob-jected。因此:
‘Let’s sell the house,’said Tom.
汤姆说:“我们把这房子卖了吧。”
‘Let’s not,’said Ann.
安说:“我们别卖。”
可转述为:
Tom suggested selling the house but Ann was against it.
汤姆建议把房子卖了,但是安表示反对。
(关于其他表示建议的形式,参见第289节。)
2 let’s/let us有时表示对一种行动的号召,这时通常由urge/ad- vise+宾语+不定式结构表示(另参见第 320节):
The strike leader said,‘Let’s show the bosses that we are united.’
罢工领导人说:“我们给老板看看我们是团结一致的。”相当于:
The strike leader urged the workers to show the bosses that they were united.
罢工领导人鼓动工人们给老板们看看他们是团结一致的。
B let him/them
1从理论上讲let him/them表示命令。但实际上说话人对受命人时常并没有发号施令的权威:
‘It’s not my business,’said the postman.‘Let the government do some- thing about it.’
“这事与我无关。”邮递员说,“叫政府去想办法吧。”
这里说话人并不是在发号施令,而只是表示责任在谁身上,因此这类句子通常由ought/should来转述:
He said that it wasn’t his business and that the government ought to/ should do something about it.
他说这不关他的事,而是政府应该对这事想点办法。