商务英文介绍信(精选8篇)
E-commerce
With developments in the Internet and Web-based technologies, distinctions
between traditional markets and the global electronic marketplace-such as business capital size, among others-are gradually being narrowed down.The name of the game is strategic positioning, the ability of a company to determine emerging op-portunities and utilize the necessary human capital skills(such as intellectual re-sources)to make the most of these opportunities through an e-business strategy that is simple, workable and practicable within the context of a global information milieu and new economic environment.With its effect of leveling the playing field, e-commerce coupled with the appropriate strategy and policy approach enables
商务合同英语作为一种具有规约性的语言的分支, 有其独特的句式风格。它是以英语共同语为基础、在商务活动中形成和使用的, 既具有商务英语特点又具有法律英语特点的语言。商务合同英语属庄重文体 (frozen style) 或正式文体 (form al s tyle) , 即各种英语中正式程度最高的一种。那么如何练就快速, 准确理解, 翻译和制作英文商务合同?如何确保自己草拟, 翻译的英文合同既符合“法言法语”及突出合同英语的具体特点, 又不失英语的普遍的规律, 这就要求我们了解和掌握英文合同的文体特征, 以及英汉两种语言在思维方式和表达方式上的差异。本文将着重对英文商务合同的句式结构和用词特征进行分析, 进而探讨英文商务合同的文体特点。
一、英文商务合同的句式结构特点
首先, 由于英文商务合同是具有法律约束力的合约, 它不同于日常用语, 是一个专业性很强的语言, 其性质决定了其具有措辞缜密严谨、准确规范、条理清楚的文体特征。而合同语言句子的冗长而复杂最能体现这个特征, 如下句:
Should the Seller fail to make delivery on tim e as s tipulate d in the Contract, w ith the e xce ption of Force Maje ure caus e s s pe cifie d in Claus e 21of this Contract, the Buye r s hall agre e topos tponethede live ryonthe condition that the Se lle r agre e to pay a pe nalty w hich s hall be de ducte d by the paying bank from the paym e nt unde r ne gotiation.
在翻译英语这个长句时, 可先分析原句的逻辑层次关系, 然后再按照汉语商务合同的表达特点和表达方式, 将原句结构重新整合、调整, 把长句的从句或短语化成句子, 分开叙述。我们可以将句子翻译成:除合同第21条不可抗力原因外, 如卖方不能按合同规定的时间交货, 买方应同意在卖方支付罚款的条件下延期交货。
英文商务合同文体中完整长句的使用可以准确界定合同当事人的有关权利与义务, 排除被曲解、误解或出现歧义的可能性。句子的状语 (从句) 和定语 (从句) 等附加成分不仅多, 而且常居于明显的位置, 对逐句意义进行解释、限制或补充, 一则可以体现这种文体庄严的风格, 二则对方式、地点以及时间等进行了限制, 从而使商务合同不存在任何漏洞, 避免今后可能发生的争端, 以维护双方的合法利益。
其次, 合同文件旨在对人们的行为做出规定, 规范有关各方的行为。在没有具体人物执行某一动作, 或表达重点在于动作本身而不在动作执行者的情况下, 使用被动语态恰恰适合商务合同英语庄重刻板的文体特点。无人称性的使用突出了文本的内容而不是强调文本的产生者和接受者。因而在合同英语中被动语态的句子经常出现, 如下句:
Any dis pute aris ing from or in conne ction w ith the Contract s hall be s e ttle d through frie ndly ne gotiation.
译:凡因本合同引起的或与本合同有关的任何争议应协商解决。
再次, 在英文商务合同中, 经常会将否定提前, 或是否定词放在情态动词或助动词之前, 构成陈述语序, 或是否定词放在句首, 然后情态动词或助动词与主语位置调换, 构成倒装语序。
二、英文商务合同的用词特点
(一) 频繁使用专业术语
在商务合同英语中可以找到大量的专业术语 (technical terms) 。专业术语具有国际通用性, 意义准确, 无歧义。为了准确地描述和表达商务活动中的各种单据、条款、交易的环节和双方所要承担的权利和义务, 专业术语在商务合同中频繁使用。如:
Te rm s of Paym e nt:By confirm e d, irre vocable, trans fe rable and divis ible le tte r of cre dit in favor ofpayable at s ight w ith TT re im burs e m e nt claus e/days’/s ight/date allow ing partials hipm e nt and trans s hipm e nt.The cove ring Le tte r of Cre ditm us tre achtheSe lle rs be foreand is to re m ain valid in.China until the 15th day afte r the afore s aid tim e of s hipm e nt, failing w hich the Se lle rs re s e rve the right to cance l thisSale sContract w ithout furthe r notice and to claim from the Buye rs for los s e s re s ulting the re from.
在这个句子中, Terms of Payment (付款) 、confirmed, irrevocable, transferable and divis ible le tte r of cre dit (保兑的、不可撤销的、可转让的、可分割的信用证) 、tim e of s hipm e nt (装船日期) 等等都属于专业术语。
(二) 多用古体语
古体语在现代英语中, 甚至是书面语中都很少出现, 但在英文商务合同中却大量存在。古体语的使用不仅使英文合同显得庄重正式, 也体现了法律公文的结构严谨逻辑严密, 言简意赅等特征, 可以有效地避免歧义和误解。
古体语主要是由here, there或w he re加上in, by, afte r, unde r, upon, w ith等词构成的词语。如:
he re afte r=afte r this tim e;in the future今后;此后
he re by=by m e als of以此方式, 特此
he re in=in this docum e nt此种, 于此, 在此文件中
the re to=to that到那里
w he re by=by w hat;by w hich由此, 按, 靠那个
w he re on=on w hat;on w hich在那上面
(三) 使用同义词和相关联的词
在英文商务合同中, 为了体现法律公文的特点, 达到词意传达的准确性和完整性, 避免语义模糊现象引起的误解, 常出现同义词和词义相关联的词汇成对使用现象, 这种行文方式体现了经贸合同的严谨、表达正规的特征, 是商务人士沿袭传统的惯例而采用的约定俗成的表达方式, 在对这类同义词或近义词并列词组的理解时, 不能机械的等同对待, 不要将所有并列词组中的两个词语分别理解, 有的则只需将并列的两个词组看作一个整体来看。如:
Thisagre e m e ntism adeand e nte re d into by and be tw e e n Party A and Party B.
这个例句中的两个同义词“by and be tw e e n”意为“由某人, 且在两者之间”, 表示合同是有双方达成并签订的, “by andbe tw e e n”被视为一个整体, 通过并列使用两个具有相同含义的词语, 排除了一次多义的现象引起的歧义, 体现了经贸合同的严谨性和正式性。
又如:In accordance with the Agre e m e nt, both Party A and Party B prom is e to pe rform the contract.
译:甲乙双方同意按约定履行合同。
The contractor s hall fulfill all of its dutie s and obligations in carrying out its w ork and s e rvice s he re unde r.
译:承租人必须忠实守信和履行下列各项规则。
这两个例句中的perform, fulfill虽然都表示执行、履行的意思, 都可以用在contract之前, 表达“履行合同”。但是, 在具体选用时却要有区别:“perform”在法律上表述的含义是to do what one party is oblige d to do by a contract;fulfill的含义是to do e ve rything w hich is prom is e d in a contract。所以使用该词, 可以辨别合同方的义务和权责。
综上所述, 英文商贸合同是一种特殊文体, 从句式结构特点上看, 结构严谨、意蕴深刻、思维缜密、逻辑性较强;从用词特点来看, 合同英语用词精练、表意准确、规范严谨。英文商务合同的语言遵循了一般的语用原则, 但更侧重于语言的严谨、准确, 即质准则和量准则, 这就便于维护当事人的合法权益, 以免因为语用的不当而导致双方的纠纷。了解和分析英文商务合同的文体特点, 能够帮助我们正确认识语言现象, 而且对于提高语言运用的有效性、得体性和语言交际能力是大有帮助的。
参考文献
【1】宋国双商务合同英语的句式特点及其应用[J]商业视角2008 (7)
【2】陈丽英谈谈合同英语的几点用词特征[J]职业圈2007 (24)
【3】雷超国际商务合同英语的文体特色研究[J]黑龙江对外经贸2009 (2)
邮件开头
为保持结构上的清晰、简洁,方便收件人快速获取邮件的主要信息,商务电子邮件的开头部分不宜过长,以3~4行为宜。写开头部分时,可参照以下三种形式。
1. 直接点出邮件主旨。
一般而言,西方人喜欢开门见山的表达方式,因此他们常在邮件的开头部分直接点出邮件主旨。常见的直接表达邮件主旨的句型如下。
With reference to the proposal, I would like to ...
I am writing because …
I am writing about …
I wish to apologize/invite/complain …
I am very pleased/delighted to recommend …
2. 先提及与收件人之前的沟通情况(包括发邮件、发传真、打电话或见面等),然后再点出邮件主旨。
这种形式在商务电子邮件的开头部分比较常见,常用的句型如下。
Further to our telephone call/meeting this morning, I am attaching/sending …
Thank you for your fax/email/letter/inquiry/order … Now I am pleased to confirm …
It was a/my great pleasure to talk to you/meet you/receive … Now I am pleased to inform you that …
3. 先简要介绍写信人自身的情况或与邮件主旨相关的信息,然后再点出邮件主旨。
这种形式通常适用于首次进行商务沟通的人之间。具体来说,写信人需要介绍的内容大体分为三类:①介绍自身的情况(如姓名、工作地点、职位等);②说明自己是如何获取收信人的信息(如姓名、邮件地址等)的;③介绍与邮件主旨相关的信息。下面举例说明这一形式常用的句型。
I would like to introduce myself. My name is Michael Lee, and I work as an engineer at HDC. I have been appointed to be your service engineer with immediate effect (即时生效).
We have learnt from our factory in Ningbo City that you are looking for a supplier of paint brushes (油漆刷). As we have been dealing in (经营) this line for more than 30 years, we would like to enter into a business relationship with you.
On Saturday, 3rd March, I bought a BX Mountain bike from your shop. Since then I have had to return it eight times for repairs. I wish to apply for a replacement from you.
上述三种形式在商务电子邮件中都比较常见。无论采用哪种形式开篇,写信人都应尽量言简意赅地点出邮件主旨。
邮件结尾
商务电子邮件的结尾部分应力求简练,避免与上文的内容出现重复。在写这一部分内容时,写信人应注意措辞礼貌得体,语调积极乐观,尽量给收件人留下良好的印象。商务电子邮件常见的结尾方式有三种:①要求对方采取行动;②表示自己可以为对方提供帮助或反馈意见等;③感谢对方提供的帮助,或期待与对方开展合作。下面笔者一一介绍。
1. 要求对方采取行动。
这是商务电子邮件比较常见的结尾方式,通常要求收件人尽早采取行动,包括答复写信人的邮件、确认相关信息(如交货、付款等内容信息)等。以下为要求对方采取行动的常用句型。
I am looking forward to your early reply.
I am looking forward to meeting you soon.
I would appreciate it very much if you could confirm the order ...
I would be grateful if you could make the payment by the end of ...
2. 表示自己可以为对方提供帮助或反馈意见等。
为了保持与收件人更为顺畅的沟通和合作,写信人有时会在邮件结尾表明自己愿意为对方提供帮助,或声明自己会针对某一问题及时作出反馈。以这种方式结尾的常用句型如下。
If you need any more information, please feel free to contact me. You can reach me on my direct line: 86-21-53456677.
I will call you next Tuesday to discuss this matter.
We will give you a reply immediately after reviewing your proposal.
3. 感谢对方提供的帮助,或期待与对方开展合作。
在商务邮件的结尾,若无其他需要强调的实质性内容,写信人通常会采用这种方式来对对方提供的帮助表示感谢,或表示期待与对方开展进一步的合作。以这种方式结尾的常用句型如下。
I really appreciate your cooperation in solving this problem.
We would be extremely pleased to have you as a regular customer.
I am looking forward to cooperating with you.
We are looking forward to providing our service for you at an early date.
案例分析
下面我们以一封英文商务电子邮件为例,来具体分析撰写英文商务电子邮件常出现的问题和应注意的事项。
Dear Peter,
Mr. Jackson, our eBusiness Department head, will visit the Beijing subsidiary of ABC on April 12. He will hold a meeting regarding eBusiness communication and coordination between all ABC subsidiary companies. The estimated time for this meeting is two hours. I would like to set up this meeting with you: please confirm your availability for this date and time. Please also give me the names and phone numbers of anyone from your staff who you feel will benefit from this meeting.
Your prompt reply would be appreciated.
Best regards,
Jack Lee
ABC Building Shanghai
这封邮件的作者是某外企总公司商务部的一名助理。他写信的目的是通知北京分部的相关人士与他一起安排在北京分部召开的一次关于电子商务沟通的会议。上海总公司的电子商务部经理将出任会议主持人,并作一个主题演讲。写信人希望收件人确认会议的具体时间以及参会人员名单。这封邮件主要存在以下两个问题。
1. 没有在开头点出邮件主旨。
通过上述的介绍可知,这封邮件的核心内容是想通知北京分部的相关人士与写信人一起安排会议。但该邮件并没有在开头部分将这一主旨点出来,而是先介绍了一些次要信息。这一写法也体现了中西方的思维差异。根据美国学者Kaplan的调查,西方人的思维呈直线型,在进行语言表达时,他们喜欢直截了当、直奔主题,常采用先总后分、先重要后次要的表达方式;而东方人的思维呈螺旋型,在进行语言表达时,他们则比较委婉、含蓄,一般不直入主题,多采用先分后总、先次要后重要的表达方式。认识到中西方的这种思维和表达差异,我们在写英文邮件时就应该克服中式思维的影响,努力使自己的表达符合英文习惯。具体到这篇邮件中,写信人应该在邮件开头直接点出主旨。
2. 开头段落囊括了所有的信息点,层次混乱。
这封邮件的层次比较混乱,全文没有区分开头、主体和结尾段,而是将所有的信息都堆在了第一段中,容易给收件人造成阅读和理解障碍。另外,这篇邮件除了交代上文提到的核心内容外,还介绍了几点与会议相关的其他信息,包括会议的目的、主持人等。写信人在开头点明主旨后,应将这些相关信息放在主体段进行分段论述,以使邮件的结构更清晰,意思更明了。
邮件修改
Subject: Scheduling a Meeting in Beijing
Dear Peter,
I’m writing to set up a two-hour meeting with you in Beijing from 9:00 to 11:00 am on April 12.
The purpose of the meeting is better e-business communication and coordination between all ABC subsidiaries. Mr. Jackson, our E-business Department head, will come to Beijing to host the meeting and also make a presentation on the subject.
If you feel any of your staff will benefit from the presentation and would like to attend, please send me their names and phone numbers.
Please confirm whether you are available at the suggested date and time. I am looking forward to your prompt reply.
Best regards,
Jack Lee
在我们平凡的日常里,各种介绍信频频出现,介绍信适用于单位与单位之间的工作来往所需,是一种较为正规的具有一定凭证作用的信件。相信很多朋友都对写介绍信感到非常苦恼吧,下面是小编为大家收集的介绍信英文,仅供参考,希望能够帮助到大家。
介绍信英文1
introductiondear mr. / ms.xxx
this is to introduce mr. xxx, our new marketingspecialist who will be in london from april 5 to mid april on business.
we shall appreciate any help you can give mr. xxx and will always be happy to reciprocate.
yours faithfully,
xxx
介绍信英文2
dear mr. / ms.,
this is to introduce mr. frank jones, our new marketing介绍信格式specialist who will be in london from april 5 to mid april on business.
we shall appreciate any help you can give mr. jones and will always be happy to reciprocate.
yours faithfully,
yang ning
尊敬的先生/小姐:
现向您推荐我们的市场专家弗兰克·琼斯先生。他将因公务在四月15日到四月中旬期间停留伦敦。
我们将非常感谢您向琼斯先生提供的任何帮助,并非常高兴施以回报。
您诚挚的`杨宁
介绍信英文3
Haiteng People’s Republic of China Presents its compliments to the Embassy of Germany in Beijing and has the honor to request for the issue of entry visas of Germany for Minzhou, who is leaving China on October, 3, xxxx.haiteng avails itself of this opportunity to renew to the Embassy of Germany the assurances of its highest consideration.
介绍信英文4
介 绍 信(存根联) ﹝201 ﹞ 介字第 号
因 _____________, (必填项)律师,依据《中华人民共和国律师法》有关规定,前往 (写明去向和事由)
北京大成(武汉)律师事务所
年月日 有效期限截止 年 月日
领取人(签名): 批准人(签名):
——————————————齐缝章处—————————————裁剪线
北京大成(武汉)律师事务所
﹝201 ﹞大成武汉介字第号
介 绍 信
————————————————:
兹有我律师事务所 律师,依据《中华人民共和国律师法》有关规定,前往贵处 ,请予以协助支持
此致
律师事务所
年月 日
介绍信英文5
dear xxx:
this is to introduce mr.frank jones, our new marketing specialist who will be in london from april 5 to mid april on business. we shall appreciate any help you can give mr. jones and will always be happy to reciprocate.
yours faithfully,
xxx
介绍信英文6
(1)简单地介绍一下被介绍人的身份和情况。
(2)说明事由,并要求对方对被介绍人提供某种帮助。
(3)对对方的帮助预先表示感谢。
(4)如果是熟悉的业务往来或老的工作关系,也可以附带询问一下工作上的近况和向对方致以问候。
dearmr. smith,
itake great pleasure to introduce one of my students, kate lawrence to you. sheis going to pursue her further education as a postgraduate in september thisyear. now, i recommend her to do an internship in your company. in the lastfour years, she studied hard and got excellent grads in exams. besides, as themain membership of student union, she develops strongly comprehensive abilityto deal with various situations calmly. in addition, she has a very pleasantand favorable personality that helps her building good relationships withother. i strongly recommend this promising young lady without any reservation. willyou please consider my recommendation and offer her a position in your company? your favorable consideration andassistance to her would be appreciated.
sincerely yours,
英文版的公司推荐信【1】
To Whom It May Concern:
I thereby recommend Mr. XXX to study with your university for higher education quality.
Mr。 XXX has joined ____ (International Data Co. Ltd.) since . his present position is Executive Administration in charge of office management, logistics affaires, purchasing, finance and part of human resource management.
During the past 4 years work, her excellent performance brought her chances to get promotion constantly and now is the Executive Administration of our company. I believe her performance during the work proves her capability and coordination abilities. Her strong responsibility, communication ability as well as her good character all leave strong impression to me, but I specially impressed by her team-working spirit. She can create an atmosphere to make staff group work together efficiently to accomplish assignment. Her reliable and smart win a trust of her colleagues. We have confidence when we assign work to her. And her modest attitude is considered reliable to complex work and she did many good jobs.
Ms Kuang has her own idea and thought about her professional development. We have talked about her professional development direction, and she mentioned about her interest in HR Management work. With her constant study of practice, she has done a good job. But she is not satisfied with her present achievement and she start to think about further education for her future career. I support her idea and strongly recommend her to your university for HR Management course.
I believe that she will have good performance in your university. If you have any further enquires, please feel free to contact me.
Kind Regards,
Ken Xie /
General Manager
IDC China
Tel: +86 10 83913620 ext. 3333
Fax: +86 10 8391 3600
Email: kxie@idkap.com
Address: Rm. 611, Beijing Times Square
88 West Chang’an Avenue, Beijing, 100031, P. R. China /
单位推荐信 英文【2】
To Whom It May Concern:
This letter is my personal recommendation for Cathy Douglas. Until just recently, I have been Cathy’s immediate supervisor for several years. I found her to be consistently pleasant, tackling all assignments with dedication and a smile.
Besides being a joy to work with, Cathy is a take-charge person who is able to present creative ideas and communicate the benefits. She has successfully developed several marketing plans for our company that have resulted in increased revenue. During her tenure, we saw an increase in profits that exceeded one million dollars. The new revenue was a direct result of the plans implemented by Cathy.
Though she was an asset to our marketing efforts, Cathy was also extraordinarily helpful in other areas of the company. In addition to writing effective training modules for sales representatives, Cathy assumed a leadership role in sales meetings, inspiring and motivating other employees.
I highly recommend Cathy for employment. She is a team player and would make a great asset to any organization.
Sincerely,
What importance does this concept of a double messagehave upon our writing and translating?Considered in its most fundamental terms, a business letter may be defined as a message that attempts to influence its recipient to take some action or attitude desired by the sender.This desired result may be of immediate importance, such as the collecting of a bill, or just an intangible attitude like goodwill.Therefore, we must make sure that the business letter is usually more formal than the other social letters stylistically.Considerably, a translated business letter should first be clear, stating its purposes so directly that there is no possibility of its being misunderstood.Secondly, the translated version should be exact, containing every detail which is necessary for translating the business letters in hand.Thirdly, a translated business letter should be concise.And the finally, a well-translated business letter should be courtesy.Here are the details that how a qualified translator of business letters should abide by.
1 Clarity
Dear Ms.Rutt,
Mr.Liver yesterday called our agent David saying that the mistake was his.As a result, his insurance has acquiesced.Therefore, we shall be repaired the full amount of our subrogation interest in his matter.
If this is satisfactory to you, please sign the attached release and forward it along with the copy of our accident report.
Yours sincerely,
F.Middleman
Version One
Dear Ms.Rutt,
Mr.Liver yesterday admitted his blame for your accident on January12.As a result, his insurance company had agreed to repay us the full amount ($2, ooo) for your collision damage.We are quite pleased at their willingness to settle out of court.
If this offer sounds acceptable to you, please sign the enclosed release and return it to us, along with the copy of our accident report.
Yours sincerely,
F.Middleman
Version Two
A business letter, the original, is effective only when it communicates the necessary ideas to its reader with clarity, so is the translated version.This seems to be a simple quality, but it is often ignored in actual practice.Let’s take a look at the following sample rendered from the Chinese version, which are some sentences abstracting from the business letters. (Cao Ling, 2003:23)
(1) The statement in version one, “Mr.Liver yesterday called our agent David saying that the mistake was his.”who does this“his”refer to?Mr.Liver or David?Checking it again in the original, we find that rendering in version two“Mr.Liver yesterday admitted his blame for your accident on January 12.”is just the meaning.
(2) The last sentence is another example:“...and forward it along with the copy of our accident report.”But to whom?The insurance company or writer?So the first translated version is not clear at all.Then the second translated is much better.
(3) The most important event about how to compensate is left out in the first version, as we all know, if a writer or translator leaves out something the reader should know in doing something or forming certain opinion, the clarity of the business letter diminishes.In translated version one, Mr.Middleman did not mention the amount of money the insurance company will pay.So only the amount of compensation is laid out in version two, can Ms.Rutt accept it satisfactorily?
(4) Some others can also make the translated version not clear, just as quoting some jargon (e.g.subrogation interest) , which the reader may not understand easily;the irrelevant information (e.g.agent David) , which not only makes the letter less clear, also does the letter less concise.
2 Correctness
According to the characteristics of business letters (thesource text or language) , the diction must be neat, accurate and easily to read in order to attain success of business instead of some unnecessary frictions or lawsuits.The principle, correctness, is same as the criterion“faithfulness”for any other types of translation;i.e., “faithfulness”—to be faithful to the content of the original” (Liu Zhongde, 2003:24) , and it is the most important in the translation.So is for the translation of business letters.The ideas of the rendered version must be as exact as ones of the original, even more accurate than the latter.Let us see the examples:
(1) 相信阁下业已收到司徒先生的通知:须藤先生意同佐藤先生在原址组建东京商行, 并继续同类业务的合作。
译文1:You will probably have received a notification from Mr.Sudo, he will build a new company named Tokyo Shokai with Mr.Sato and continue in the same line of business in the old premises.
译文2:You will probably have received a notification from Mr.Sudo to the effect that he intends to continue in the same line of business in the old premises, forming a new partnership with Mr.Sato, under the title of the Tokyo Shokai. (qtd.Gong Xueping)
It is obviously to see that the first version can not express the exact ideas of“在原址组建”, the implied meaning which the formerly partnership has been dissolved;“并继续同类业务的合作”the partnership with Mr.Sato is under the title of the new company“东京商行”, not under the style of the other companies especially, the old company.
(2) 兹任命原大和商行的股东——山岛先生为该公司的帐务清算人, 他将负责清偿一切负债并收回该公司的所有欠款。
译文1:Mr.Yamagata, formerly a partner, who has been appointed the liquidator, will discharge all liabilities, and all accounts must be paid him.
译文2:Mr.Yamagata, formerly a partner, who has been appointed the liquidator of the late firm, will discharge all liabilities, and all accounts due to the late firm must be paid him. (qtd Gong Xueping)
A Chinese linguist points out“If you want to make the text concise, the pronouns can not be used any more;if you want to make the text accurate, the nouns should be repeated.”So the translator of the second version adding the phrases“of the late firm”and“due to the late firm”makes the idea more accurate closer to the original.Just as the mentioned above, the exactness is the most important criterion for the translation of business letters.Furthermore, using“big words” (archaism or the elegant and formal words) instead of the“small words”to limit the semantic meanings is still for the purpose of exactness. (Wang Zuoliang, 1987:290) “liquidator”, “liabilities”are more suitable than“receiver”and“debt”to express the business relationships, also prove the view.
3 Conciseness
To be conciseness is to express a message completely in as few words as possible.In business correspondence, this means increased effectiveness and decreased costs.Wordy expressions and redundancies are the major blunders to overcome to communicate concisely.Because English and Chinese are the two different languages, the former is hypotactic, like a tall tree with lots of branches and leaves;but the latter is paratactic, like a flourished flower with many petals.Thus, getting the conciseness, the translators should endeavor to convert the structure from a“flourished flower”into a“tall tree”during the translating of business letters by the means of avoiding wordiness and redundancies (except the repetition used for emphasize, redundancy should be avoided in business letters.
1. 他重复强调, 我们应该遵守规定。
译文1:He repeated again that we should follow the rules.
译文2:He repeated that we should follow the rules. (Sue Kay, 2003:65)
2. 请问误期会有什么后果。
译文1:Please be kind enough to advise us what will happen in the event of a delay?
译文2: (Could you) Please tell me what will happen if there is a delay. (Sue Kay, 2003:66)
3.我公司已召开了关于销售指数的会议。
译文1:Our company has called a meeting to hold a discussion about the sales figures.
译文2:We have called a meeting to discuss the sales figures.
(3) :兹通知阁下:经双方一致同意, 即日解散与贵公司合伙组织的大和商行。 (qtd.Gong Xueping)
译文1:After reaching the mutual agreement, we inform you that the partnership existed between us under the style of the Yamato Shokai has been dissolved.
译文2:We inform you that the partnership hitherto existed between us under the style of the Yamato Shokai has this day been dissolved by mutual consent.
Comparing the each two versions, we can be certain of that the second one is much better in keeping the characteristic of conciseness on the condition that the meaning must be accurate Because, particularly in business, people do not have the time to spend reading long, rambling letters or trying to decipher difficult writing (translated business letters) .And it is worthy to mention that it is better to use one sentence for each paragraph to lay out one subject although the original (Chinese) is full of short sentences of phrases to correct and concise information. (see the example3)
In one word, the principles for Chinese-English translation of business letters are the same as the ones for the other types:faithfulness and closeness, as well as more concise, correct and clearer in order to correspond to the features of the original.Of course, there still existed the other principles, like courtesy, consideration, and completeness, etc, for the translation of business letters.But the three discussed in the essay are basic principles.Only a translator does these well, can he reach the aim of helping people to communicating each other efficiently in the era of business transaction by the means of business letters.
4 Courtesy
To be polite is a basic principle for business letter, so is one of its translation principles.Wherever necessary, do not forget to say“thank you, ”“would you please...”, “we would appreciate it...”etc.however, courtesy in business translation is more than just a well-timed“thank you”or“would you please...”A welltranslated courteous letter should be polite, considerate and tactful.To accomplish this goal, several blunders during the translation should be avoided.
1.Avoid suspicion (避免怀疑)
Phrases like“if what you said is true...”, if...as you allege...”may result in the impression that you seem suspicious of reader’s integrity.This is no good to evoke a favorable reaction.Compare the following examples:
Version A:We received the letter in which you claimed that the timer was defective at the time of purchase. (poor)
Version B:We have noticed in your letter that the timer was defective at the time of purchase. (better)
Version A:If the goods were damage in shipment, as you allege, we... (poor)
Version B:As you mentioned the goods were damaged in shipment, we... (better)
2. Avoid accusation (避免指责)
Whenever you wish to evoke a favorable reaction from the reader, do not accuse or reprimand him or her.Phrases like“you neglected”, “you forgot”, “you omitted”may risk offending your reader with accusation.Try to compare the following pairs of examples and think about your possible reaction if you are the reader.
Version A:You obviously ignored our request that you return the report by registered mail. (Poor)
Version B:We did request that you return the report by registered mail. (Better)
Version A:You did not read the operating instruction for the machine carefully. (Poor)
Version B:To enjoy the full benefits of the new machine you should follow the operation instruction carefully. (Better)
3. Avoid talking down (避免居高临下)
In the translation of business letters, the tone of superiority usually has destructive effects, if the writer and the reader aim to cooperate on an equal basis.Please compare the following pair examples:
Version A:In an establishment as large as ours, we seldom.. (Poor)
Version B:Please notice that it is not our common practice to... (Better)
Version A:We shall allow you to... (poor)
Version B:We shall be glad to have you... (better)
Version A:You may call me at... (poor)
Version B:Please call me at...
摘要:加入世界贸易组织极大地刺激了我国与世界其他国家商务交易的一致性。因而, 商务信函的翻译越来越体现出它的重要性。商务信函的翻译也是一种语言转换, 要求翻译工作者不但要遵循其他文本翻译的标准, 而且更要注重精确、精练、清晰和礼貌等原则。该文作者试图探讨上述原则在商务信函汉英翻译中运用。
关键词:商务信函,翻译,原则
参考文献
[1] Cao Ling.English Business Letters[M].Beijing:Foreign Lan guage and Research Press, 2003.
[2] Chen Zhongcheng.Conciseness for Translation of Legislation [C]//Fang Mengzhi, Ma Bingyi.Chinese- English Translation. Tourism Education Press of Bejing, 1996.
[3] Gong Xueping.Translation of Business English[Z].Lecture handout.Sichuan Normal University, Chengdu, 7 September, 2012.
[4] Sue Kay.Practical Business writing: A Guide to Improving Writing in English[M].translated by Wang Xiaoming.Beijing: Beijing Institute of Technology Press, 2003.
关键词:商务;英文信函;写作;礼貌原则
礼貌是国际商务信函的一个重要原则。一封彬彬有礼的书信能使你在对方的心目中树起一种良好的职业道德形象。有时为了显示礼貌与人情味,加上一些语气和语句也属于商务书信写作的一种策略和技巧。
一、使用礼貌语言。
在商务英语书信交际中,经常使用的尊称语,亲呢语、祝颂语乃至含蓄委婉语等都体现了礼貌原则。礼貌语言的使用,不仅能传递给对方高兴、感激、愉悦等积极情感,同时还可以委婉的提出进一步的要求,这样可以对商务合作的成功起到积极的推动作用。
例如: a) Your order NO.85 for l00,000 yards of Cotton Prints Art.NO.1002 is rejected.
b) We regret to inform you that we have been unable to accept your order NO.85 for 100,000 yards of Cotton Prints Art.No.1002.
后一句比前一句恰当,因为后一句比较含蓄,前一句则比较直接、生硬。因此,后一句就是礼貌用语。
二、使用委婉的语气。
在商务交流中,双方难免会有分歧.为了不因直接话语而冒犯他人,建议在商务英文信函写作中尽量使用温和、委婉的语气。要想表达委婉的语气,在商务英文信函写作中,
1.模糊词汇的运用
可以适当使用语义模糊的词汇,如:We are afraid..., we would say..., we may say..., we think..., it seems to us..., we suggest..., as you are aware, as we need hardly point out..., please..., it will be highly appreciated that if you can…
例如:I m afraid we can’t accept “Cash Against Document on arrival of goods at destination”.
2.疑問句的运用
当我们要求对方做写与生意有关的事情时,我们用疑问句更好。句子听起来更礼貌。
例如:Make payment by confirmed irrevocable L/C.
We request you to make payment by confirmed irrevocable L/C.
Could you make payment by confirmed irrevocable L/C.
第一句不合适,因为听起来像命令。第二句在礼貌方面也不妥当。第三句值得推荐。原因很明显,它体现了礼貌,也表示了对对方的尊重。
请求对方做某事时,可以用问句来表示写信人的客气,如:Could you please send us recent updates of. 另外就是使用套句,如:We would be grateful if you could please send…
三、避免不和
避免不和在商务信函写作中,主要表现为当写信人不同意对方的观点或不愿满足对方的要求或请求时,为了不造成对对方的直接否定,维护对方的积极面子,在回信时写信人要避免直陈不同的意见。
例如:We sincerely recommend you to accept our proposal as our stocks are getting lower and lower day and day, and we are afraid we shall be unable to meet your requirements if you fail to let us have your confirmation by return. 在此句中,如果把recommend 该为advise 的话,就会不妥。因为advise 有一种居高临下的涵义,好象非接受我们的建议不可,其实对方接不接受得由自己作主,别人无权干涉。
再如:According to our records , you have not yet settled your account for electronic equipment supplied to you on 10th December and 20th January this year. 作者用According to our records 这个间接缓和模糊限制语来缓和对方未付款的事实。
特别要注意,当双方观点不能统一时,我们首先要理解并尊重对方的观点。如果对方的建议不合理或者对您的指责不公平时,您可以据理力争,说明您的观点,但注意要讲究礼节礼貌,避免用冒犯性的语言。
四、使用表示感谢的词语。
要善于及时并随时表达你的感谢之情。尤其有时候在批评对方工作不到位时,为避免对方过于没面子,可以先对对方所作出的努力给予肯定和感谢,而后再提及不足之处。
当然,写作时在应用礼貌原则时,很重要的一点就是要把握交际原则,掌握好“礼貌”与“卑恭”之间的度。在语气上既要显出你的热情,礼貌与周到,又要做到不卑不亢,从容自然。所以最关键的还是要把握好“度”,才能达到预期的效果。
参考文献:
[1]程润明.国际贸易交际技巧[M].上海:上海外语教育出版社,1995.
[2]陆墨珠.Communicating in International Business. [M].北京:中国对外经济贸易出版社,2004.
[3]王元歌.商务英语信函写作[M].北京:北京大学出版社,2007.
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