牛津实用英语语法 322 let’s,let us,let him/them用于间接引
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。
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。
2但有时let him/them表示真正的命令,在转述时常用say+be+不定式结构(参见第321节):
‘Let the boys clear up this mess,’said the headmaster.
校长说:“这些脏乱的东西该由男孩子们去收拾。”相当于:
The headmaster said that the boys were to clear up the mess.
校长说那些脏乱的东西让男孩子们去收拾。
‘Let the guards be armed,’he ordered.
他命令道:“警卫人员要佩带武器。”相当于:
He odered that the guards should be armed.
他命令说警卫人员必须佩带武器。
3 有时let him/them更多地表示建议而不是表示命令。在这种情况下,常用suggest或say+should来转述(参见第 289节):
She said,‘ Let them go to their consul.He’ll be able to help them.’
她说:“让他们去找他们的领事,他会帮助他们的。”相当于:
She suggested their/them going to their consul.../She suggested that they should go to their consul/She said that they should go to their con- sul...
她建议他们去找他们的领事……
4 let him/them也可以表示说话人对某事不在乎:
‘The neighbours will complain,’said Ann.
安说:“邻居会抱怨的。”
‘Let them(complain),’said Tom.
汤姆说:“让他们(抱怨)去吧。”相当于:
Tom expressed indifference.
汤姆满不在乎。
Tom said he didn’t mind(if they complained).
汤姆说(要是他们抱怨)那他也不在乎。
C let there be
说话人这样说时可以表示命令、劝告、催促或请求:
‘Let there be no reprisals,’said the widow of the murdered man.
害者的遗孀说:“千万不要搞复仇。”相当于:
The widow urged/begged that there should be no reprisals.
遗孀敦促/祈求不要去搞复仇。
D let也是一个普通动词,意为allow/permit(允许):
‘Let him come with us,mother;I’ll take care of him,’I said.
我说:“妈妈,让他跟我们一起去吧,我会照顾他的。”相当于:
I asked my mother to let him come with us and promised to take care of him.
我请求妈妈让他和我们一起去,并保证我会照顾他的。