問：英國新聞界報道前政要賀維去世，有以下一句：A statement issued by Lord Howe's family on Saturday said: "It is with deep sadness that the Howe family today announced that Geoffrey Howe died suddenly late yesterday evening. "句中的It is和died是不是應改為It was和had died？
答：謹先翻譯這一句如下：「賀維勳爵家屬發表訃告說：『賀維家人今以沈痛心情，宣布賀維昨日深夜溘逝。』」原句的文字，的確不妥當。
假如句子所引訃告，是賀維遺屬親述，那麼，最好改寫如下：It is with deep sadness that the Howe family has to inform you that Geoffrey Howe died suddenly late yesterday evening。按announce多用於轉述句（indirect speech）；如非轉述，用has to inform you之類說法，當較自然。
又假如句子所引訃告，是賀維家庭發言人轉述，那麼，用announce固然妥貼，但today announced的announced是過去式，和前文的現在式動詞 (It) is (with deep sadness) 並不一致，最好改寫如下：It is with deep sadness that the Howe family announces that...。原句today一字並不必要，因為句末的yesterday（昨天）已間接說明訃告是「今天」發的。
至於Howe died suddenly late yesterday evening的died，則不必改為had died，因為句子所說過去的事，只有一件，再無先後之分，只用簡單過去式動詞就可以。