生活英语对话 Episode 26: Planning a menu

（单词翻译）

本单元是关于计划菜谱的对话

Michal: Alice was only helping¹ me!
Helen: I'm sorry Michal, I didn't mean to fly off the handle. What's wrong?
Michal: I was just telling Alice I wanted to eat better but that I didn't know how to cook any of my favourite dishes.
Helen: Mm, let's think about this. I know! Chinese New Year is coming up soon. Why don't we make a special Polish-Chinese dinner together! We'll both do research, find typical recipes, buy all the ingredients²?
Michal: And cook a meal together! You do the main course, and I'll make the pudding!
Helen: Sounds like a perfect second date, don't you think?

Vocabulary :

to fly off the handle (v, informal): to be very angry 发脾气

a pudding (n): a dessert or a sweet 布丁（西餐中的一种甜点心）

本单元的语言点是间接引语，间接引语是当我们告诉别人我们或他人说过什么的时候，我们可以用直接引语或间接引语来表述。

Reported speech 间接引语

When we want to tell someone else what we or someone else has said we can use either direct or reported (or indirect³ speech). 当我们告诉别人我们或他人说过什么的时候，我们可以用直接引语或间接引语来表述。

In Episode⁴ 25 Michal said to Alice "I don't know how to cook" using direct speech.

But in today's episode he said to Helen "I was just telling Alice I didn't know how to cook" using reported speech.


The reporting verb 引语动词

In reported speech, the first verb is usually in the past tense (在间接叙述中，第一个动词通常是过去时)for example:
He said that he was trying to give up fast food.
He told Alice he missed his mum's cooking.
He explained to Helen that he wanted to eat better.

However, if the reporting verb is in the present tense, it isn't changed in reported speech 然而，如果引语动词是现在时，那么它在间接引语中不会改变） .
Michal says "I want to make pudding."
He says he wants to make pudding.


Modal verbs 情态动词

Some model verbs change in reported speech （有些情态动词在间接引语中要发生变化）:

Direct speech Reported Speech
can could
will would
must had to


While some others don't （有些则不发生变化）:

Direct speech Reported speech
would would
should should
could could
must must
might might


That

You can leave out that in reported speech:
Michal said that he was trying to give up fast food.
Michal said he was trying to give up fast food.

He told Alice that he missed his mum's cooking.
He told Alice missed his mum's cooking


Pronouns⁵

Pronouns can change in reported speech depending on who the reported speech is directed to (直接引语变为间接引语时，须在代词人称方面作一些必要的调整)。 For example:
Michal said "I want to give up fast food" changes to:
"He said he wanted to give up fast food" when Alice is telling Helen what Michal said.

Alice (talking to Michal) said "I'll make you a cup of tea" changes to:
"She said she would make me a cup of tea" when Michal tells Helen what Alice said.

But pronouns don't always change (但代词人称不一定总是会变)。 For example:
Tim said "We're going to the pub⁶ later" talking to Michal (about Michal, Alice and Helen), changes to:
"He said we were going to the pub later" when Michal tells Helen what Tim said.