商務信函用語.doc

　商務信函用語

　Expressions for Business Letters

　 1.

　如能盡快報你方產品最低價，我方將不勝感激。

　 We shall be obliged if you will quote us your rock—bottom prices for your products at your earliest convenience． 2.

　現報實盤：以我方時間 3 月 21 日下午 5 時前你方復到為準。

　We offer you firm subject to your reply here by 5p．m，March 21 our time． 3． 茲就你方要求用付款交單方式一事，現奉告，信用證支付為我方慣用方式，故不能對你方例外。

　 With regard to your request for D/P terms, we wish to inform you that payment by L/C is your usual practice, and we are not in a position to make you an exception. 上述例句打底線部分為典型的外貿信函程式化套語，用在信函中能使語言表達地道規范，語氣平和得當，、專業色彩濃，表現出鮮明的外貿信函用語行業特征。

　試分析下述各例：

　4.

　煩請貴方注意這一事實：標題貨裝運短重問題仍未解決。

　We would like to draw your attention to the fact that the question of short weight on the captioned shipment remains unsettled．

　 漢、英語在各自的語言表達中都有固定的套式，但 “draw”這一動詞還可用“call”和“invite”來替換，只是“invite”中詞更顯禮貌一些。

　5.

　提請賣方注意：我方定單拖欠至今尚未履行。

　 We brought to the knowledge of the Seller that our order had been outstanding for considerable time．

　 此例與上例基本屬同一類型，語氣委婉，但言辭莊重，為常見的商函客套用語。

　6.

　如蒙貴公司向我方提供該公司情況，將不勝感激。

　 We should be grateful if you should get for US some information about this company．

　 英語中除了“obliged”, “grateful”這兩個詞外，還可用“thankful”一詞來替換，或用其它的詞稍作句型變化：

　 It would be appreciated if．．． We should appreciate it if．．． 7.

　你方 9 月 8 日來函收悉。

　We are in receipt of your letter of Sept．8． 這一套語漢語還可簡化為“函悉’’，幾乎為信文開頭的常式。

　8.

　希望保險索賠一事不會給你方造成麻煩。諸多麻煩，容此申謝。

　We hope no difficulty will arise in connection with the insurance claim and thank you in advance for your trouble on our behalf． 這一套語不看譯文的確想不到它竟會是漢語“提前致謝”之意。按漢語思維，會譯成“Please allow me here to express to you our thanks for bothering you so much”，但這倒像老式的演講詞。再看一例：

　9.

　承蒙合作，容此申謝。

　Thank you in advance for your cooperation． 用套語一套即可成文，非常實用。

　10.

　隨函附寄我方價目單一式兩份，請查收。

　Enclosed please find two copies of our price list． 這一套語原是英語信函套型其實很簡單：“Please find two copies…enclosed”，把句中賓補提到句首。類似的還有：

　Please find enclosed two copies of．．． Enclosed are two copies of… We are sending you under cover two copies of．．．

　 當然，最后這一例形式略有不同，“under cover”表達了隨函的意思，若改用“under separate cover”、“by separate mail”或“by separate post”等套語，則是“另函”之意了。這一意義英語中還有更接近日常表達的方式：

　11. 現隨函附寄我方最新目錄和價格表，上有貴方所需行情。

　 We enc1ose our latest catalogue and a price list giving details you ask for. 12. 我方經營多種輕工產品，詳見附表。

　 We deal in a wide range of light industrial products as per list enclosed． 漢語“詳見附表”似乎還有另一習慣表達：

　“For particulars please refer to the list attached”，盡管這也是固定的套語，但較之“as per”，在商函卻不及后者地道。

　“詳見附表"這一套語還可更簡潔：

　 Details as per the attached list． 13. 謹告之裝船單證正本通過中國銀行寄送你方。

　 Please be advised that the originals of shipping documents are being sent to you through the Bank of China． “謹告之”不是“sincerely inform you that…”因為它不大合商函套式。除句中“advise”詞外，英語還可用“inform”代替它，或用“Please note that…” 和“Please see to it that…”句型來表達。

　14. 請隨時告之你方市場形勢動態。

　P1ease keep us informed of market situation at your end. 這與上例形式相近．但意義大不相同(上例是“告之于人”，此處則是“被告之”)，不可混用，名中“inform”一詞還可用“advise”和“post”代替。同時，英語“at your end”也是商函中的固定習語。

　15．請告之你方具體要求，以便我方另寄目錄和報價表。

　Please let us know your specific requirements in order for us to send you by separate mail our catalogue and quotation．

　 “請告之”英語不用“Please tell us”(當然也可這樣表達)而是用了更為常用的套語(打底線處)，就使得表達更顯商函特色了。

　16．承蒙中國銀行拉哥斯分行告之貴公司名稱和地址，我方得知貴公司為紡織品和棉布出口商。

　 We owe your name and address to the Bank of China，Lagos Branch，through whom we have learnt you are exporters of Chinese textiles and cotton piece goods．

　 “承蒙告之”、“得知”也是信函用語，英語“through the courtesy of…”(經由……的好意)“on the recommendation of”“introduced by…”(由……介紹)等都可在這一情景下使用。

　17. 現冒昧來函，以謀求與貴公司進行貿易。

　 We take the 1iberty of writing to you with a view to doing business with you．

　 “冒昧”一詞系初次交往時使用的禮貌用語，可使語氣委婉而不顯唐突，純粹出于客套，

　實際意義不大，但用與不用效果不同。當然，這里也可以用“take the liberty to write to…”來代替上面的“of”短語。類似的場合下還可使用“to take this opportunity to introduce ourselves as…”(借此機會自我介紹)、“to write to introduce ourselves as…”(現函告)和“This is to introduce ourselves as…”(茲介紹)等來代替它。

　18. 盼早復。

　We are looking forward to your early reply． 漢語言簡意賅，英語則句式相對長一些。類似的英語表達還有：

　·We are expecting your early reply． ·We anticipate your early reply． ·We are awaiting your immediate reply． ·We look forward to hearing from you soon. ·Let us have your reply soon． ·We are looking forward to your favorable reply． ·We look forward to hearing from you favorably． 到底用哪一種則須遵從個人習慣了。上述各例從一定程度上反映了部分信函用語的模式化特征，但在一些商貿術語和行話中，同樣也有一些模式化的固定搭配，它們不屬標準用語，但卻一樣在表達上形成了套式，對于套語，必須首先排除漢語思維的干擾，遵從英語的習慣進行表達，例如下例：

　19．請注意，我方現貨不多。

　Your attention is drawn to the fact that we have not much ready stock on hand. “現貨”是固定的專業術語，漢語只有一個，英語卻可根據不同上下文用多種形式表達(此句中的“請注意”也是可供現貨：

　·We can supply the goods from stock． ·We can supply the goods ex stock． ·The goods are in stock for supply． ·The goods are available for supply． 無現貨可供：

　·The goods are not available for supply． ·The stocks are exhausted． ·The goods are out of stock. 存貨不多或逐減：

　·Our stocks are running low． ·We have low(1imited)stock in(of)the goods． 20．此貨需求甚殷，故建議你方盡快惠賜試定單。

　We would suggest that you sent us your trial order as soon as possible，as there is a brisk demand for this article． 漢、英對照，英語既看不出“惠”(favour)，也看不出“賜”(grant)的意思，然而英語商函一直就這樣說。當然，也有客氣一些的說法：

　 ·Would you please send us．．． ·Be kind enough to send us．．． ·Favor us with．．． 另外，“需求甚殷”與譯文相比，一個文氣，一個俗白，類似的英語固定搭配還有：

　需求極大：There is a heavy demand for…

　接貨過多：There is a heavy commitment… 貨已接滿：—be fully committed with… 定單甚多：have received a large number of．． 定單接踵而至：the rush of order．．． 當然，上述譯法也并非一成不變，具體使用須視不同上下文而定。

　21．特此奉告，我方經營的電扇品種齊全。

　We are pleased to inform you that we handle a wide range of electric fans．

　“經營”一詞卻有多種說法: “deal in”、“trade in”、“be in the line of…”等習慣表達。與之相應的還有配，例如：

　22. 現奉告，我方專營工藝品出口。

　 We wish to inform you that we are specialized in the export of arts and crafts． 當然，“專營"還有另外的說法，“專營”一詞，同樣也有許多搭配：

　·We deal exclusively in the export of… ·We specialize in the export of．．． ·We—are specific in the line of the export of… ·We trade specially in the export of… 上述“專營”、“經營”在英語中的搭配方式都已相對固定。

　23．我公司為經營紡織品的大公司，產品暢銷海內外。

　We are large dealers in textiles，with our products well-sold at home and abroad． “暢銷”一詞為最常用商業術語，在英語中的說法不下十種，除個別與漢語“暢”字(fast)字面意義相符外，大多采用意譯法，且形成固定搭配：

　 ·The products are sold well at home and abroad． ·The products are good sellers at home and abroad． ·The products enjoy fast sales at home and abroad． ·The products enjoy popular sales at home and abroad．

　 ·The products have commanded a good market at home and abroad．

　 ·There is a promising market for the products at home and abroad．

　 ·There will be good prospects for the products at home and abroad． 類似的還有“深受客戶歡迎”：

　·The products are well received by the customers． ·The products are most popular with the customers．