Have you ever seen a big, red 'No Running' sign at a public pool?
你有见过公共游泳池区域里一个又大又红的“禁止奔跑”的标志吗？
For the most part, the pace on the deck reflects this statement.
在多数情况下，泳客的步速反应了这句陈述。
But while the sign accurately describes the patrons' movements,
虽然该告示牌精准地描述泳客的动作，
isn't it true that people are walking because the sign tells them no running?
但那是由于告示牌要他们不要跑，所以人们才用走的吗?
So, is this sign portraying the pool's environment, or is it doing something else, something more powerful?
所以，这个标志只是在描绘池的环境，还是它确有功能--有更强有力的职责？
The difference between a statement that describes and one that commands is an idea developed by British linguist J. L. Austin.
一个陈述句和一个命令句的区别，是由英国语言学家J. L.奥斯汀所提出的一个想法。
He defines this distinction as two separate parts of speech: constatives and performatives.
他将这种区别定义为两种不同的句型：述事句和述为句。
Constatives are sentences that describe something as true or false, and performatives are sentences that denote an action.
述事句就是描述东西是对或是错，而述为的句子就是表示一个动作。
In other words, a constative is, and a performative does.
换句话说，述事是“是什么”，述为是“做什么”。
To help us distinguish these two parts of speech, let's start by examining constatives around the park outside the pool.
为了进一步了解这两种词类，我们先来看看泳池周围公园里的述事句。
The first sign we encounter says, 'The park closes at 6 p.m.'
我们遇到的第一个牌子上写着：“公园在下午6点关门。”
After checking with a friendly park official that the park does, indeed, close at 6,
在与一位友好的工作人员确认公园确实在下午6点关门之后，
we can confirm that this statement is a true constative.
我们可以确认此句是真正的述事句。
Nearby, there's a man on a bench with a newspaper, and the headline reads, 'Heatwave!'
附近有一名男子在一条长凳上读报纸，其标题内容如下：“热浪！”
However, the sky is cloudy and it feels quite chilly.
然而，此时天空乌云密布，而且感觉有点冷。
Today's headline is a false constative as it has proven to be incorrect.
今天的头条新闻就是假的述事句，因为它已被证明是不正确的。
Before the rain starts to fall, let's throw away our can of soda at the blue trash bin that says, 'Recycle.' It's a performative.
在开始下雨前，我们可以把我们的苏打水扔在一个蓝色垃圾箱里，它上面写着：“回收”。这就是述为句。
Performatives are sentences that are meant to inspire actions.
述为句是为了激发行动的句子。
Rather than conveying a message, it acts upon the world, it does something.
与其说是传达信息，倒不如说它作用于世界，因为它“做”事情。
In this case, the performative of 'Recycle' is requesting people to put their trash into the proper receptacle.
在此情况下，这述为性的“回收”标志正在请求人把他们的垃圾放到适当的容器中。
Words not only bring about actions, sometimes words themselves are actions.
这些话不只带来行动，有时它本身就是行动。
This is what is known as speech acts.
这就是所谓的“言语行为”。

These actions include, but are not limited to, ordering, promising, apologizing, warning, sentencing, christening, and even marrying.
这些行动包括但不限于：订购，发誓，道歉，警告，判刑，洗礼仪式，甚至结婚。
Take a look at the wedding near the gazebo.
看看凉亭附近正在举行的婚礼，
The couple says the words, 'I do.' The speech act here are the words, 'I do.'
这对夫妇说：“我愿意”。在这里言语行为就是“我愿意”。
These words cause them to marry one another.
这些话使他们彼此共结连理。
'I do' has acted upon them and profoundly changed their world.
“我愿意”此时在他们身上已采取行动，并且深刻地改变了他们的世界。
However, performatives depend on context and reception. These are known as felicity conditions.
然而，述为句取决于语句的上下文和接收效果。这些被称为合适条件。
Imagine if the mayor showed up to the wedding and said,
想象一下，如果市长出现在这个婚礼现场并说：
'By the power vested in me as mayor of the city, I name this gazebo 'The Mayor's Pizza Palace.''
“由法律赋予我的权力，作为城市的市长，我命名此凉亭为市长披萨宫”。
His words would be a speech act by which he named the gazebo.
他的话就是言语行为，其中由他命名了此凉亭。
And because he's the mayor, the gazebo would be known by its new name.
因为他是市长，凉亭就会由它的新名称而闻名。
But if someone who isn't the mayor, just a normal passerby,
但如果一个人不是市长，只是一个普通的路人，
decides to name the gazebo after her favorite cat, the chances are the name would not change.
决定要用她最喜欢的猫的名字来命名凉亭，大多数情况下凉亭的名称是不会变的。
Felicity conditions are the rules under which the performative can be enacted. These are fairly logical.
合适条件就是在特定规则下，使得某些行为可以被实行。这些都是很有逻辑的。
The performative should have proper authority, it should be understood, it should be clear, and it should be able to be executed.
述为句应有适当的权力，应该被理解，应该是清楚的，而且它应该能够被执行。
If the performative doesn't meet these conditions, then it doesn't have the power to denote action.
如果述为句不满足这些条件，它就没有权力去激发行动。
But just because a performative meets its conditions and is clearly stated, doesn't mean that it's implicitly followed.
但只是因为述为句符合这些条件，而且是明确地指示，这并不意味着它会被无条件遵守。
Back at the pool, a rowdy group of teenagers races to the high dive.
再回到泳池这个例子，一组吵闹的青少年跑去高的跳水板。
'No running' does not seem to have power over them, and they'll have to face the consequences of breaking this performative.
“禁止奔跑”看来并没有约束他们的行为，他们要承受违反此述为句的后果。
They may even have to force out some performatives of their own,
他们甚至可能还要强迫着说一些自己的述为句，
such as apologizing to the life guard and promising to never run again.
例如向救生员道歉，并承诺不再在泳池边奔跑。
Maybe the life guard will respond with another performative,
也许救生员会通过另一个述为句作出回应，
sentencing them to be banished from the pool for the rest of the day.
命令他们被离开泳池一整天。
After all, these teenagers must learn to respect the power of words.
毕竟，这些青少年必须要学会尊重词语的力量。