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[摘要] 外贸信函是商业联系的媒介,它的功能是传递信息,使收、发函双方发生贸易往来。外贸英语有其自身的语言表达规律和特点。国外教科书对书写外贸函电要求做到7个“C”,即Clearness (清楚) ,Courtesy(礼貌) , Conciseness (简洁) , Correctness (正确) , Concreteness(具体) , Completeness (完整) , Consideration (考虑周到) 。本文着重对前三个写作要求进行分析论述,探讨这些写作要求在翻译上的表现形式。一、礼貌原则(Courtesy) :礼貌不仅是一个表面上的礼节问题。它意味着一个诚心的心中有顾客( you attitude)的态度问题。讲究礼貌的写信人必将是诚心的,老练的和周到的。写作中有以下一些特点: 1. 信函套语多。中外信函中,凡向对方提出某种要求,常用“请”字。中文只用一个字。外贸英语中,仅用p lease是不够的,习惯用其他更亲切,客气的词语。“请”字表达主要有下面几种结构: (1) 使用“We shall ( should) be grateful/”obliged if you can /will/ could /would“. . . 结构。请告你方市场详情。 We shall be grateful/obliged if you can provide us with all possible information on your market. 请迅速寄来备有存货的中、上品质棉花样品与价格表,不胜感激。 We shall be glad if you would send us by return pattern and prices of good and medium quality cotton available for stock. (2)使用“We would appreciate+”,“It would be appreciated + clause”结构。请报五十吨花生实盘。 We shall appreciate it if you will make us a firm offer for 50 tons of peanuts. 请寄贵公司图解目录一份。 It would be appreciated if you would send us an illustrated catalogue of your manufactures. (3) 使用“kindly”请将两份提单分别邮寄,同时开来30天汇票以便承兑。 Kindly send us 2 Bills of Landing by separate mail, together with your draft at 30 days for accep tance. (4) 使用“疑问句”。这是我们的包装设计,请转给厂方,供他们参考。 This is our design for the packing. Could you possibly give it to the manufactures for their reference? 2. 少用第一人称( I, we)作主语,采用第二人称或第二人称物主代词+名词, 以突出“your attitude”。汉译时,多采用谦辞,如称对方为“贵公司”,称自己一方为“本公司”、“我公司”、“敝公司”等。 According to the request in your letter, we are sending you a catalogue of our products. 根据贵方来函要求,现寄上敝公司产品目录一份。 For your consideration and that of your end - users, we have taken this opportunity of enclosing two sets of our literature. 借此机会附上两套资料,供贵方和用户参考。 If you are not interested in taking advantage of the offerings on the list, please be good enough to forward it to some of the firms with which you have established business relationships. 如果贵方无意购买我方产品,烦请将货单转寄给与贵公司有业务往来的其他商行。 3. 语言讲究婉转,遣词用字含蓄。即使是贸易开展不利,或双方分歧较大,也不宜用生硬的、讨伐式的语言。须知外贸中婉转的语言比强硬的措词更有力量,句型上常选用: (1) 用“it”作形式主语,强调客观性。 It is generally considered not advisable to act that way. 这样做一般认为是不妥的。 It is self understood that any delay in shipment would cause financial loss. 不言而喻,迟误发货势必会造成经济损失。 (2)用被动语态指出对方错误。 We are compelled to express our surprise and disappointment at finding the goods contained in your last shipment not up to the agreed standard. 我们必须要向贵方指出:贵方最后一批装运的货物与所签协议标准不符合。我们对此感到惊讶与失望。 The agreement has been kept on our part but not on their part. 我们这方面遵守了协议,而他们那方面却没有遵守。 (3)用让步从句表示拒绝、分歧、妥协。 While we appreciate your order, we verymuch regret that we cannot entertain any fresh business in this line owing to heavy commitments. 感谢贵方订单,然而由于我方供货任务重,非常遗憾,我们不能再承接新的业务。 We managed to squeeze for you one shipment of Daqing crude in 10,000 metric tons, when we have been committed with orders from our regular customers. 虽然我们把货都卖给了老客户,我们还是设法给你挤了一船舶万吨大庆油。 (4)用双重否定,使语气减弱,避免商务磋商陷入僵局,增加回旋余地。 The price is not unaccep table. 此价并不是不可接受的。 It will not be impossible for us to sell another cargo of Shengli Crude Oil to you in the second half of the year. 要我们在今年下半年再供贵方一船胜利原油并不是不可能的事情。 (5)用if only. . . 从句使语气婉转, 避免直截了当地表达后悔、遗憾的情绪。 If only the packing had been 5 - plykraft paper bags with 1 - plyinner polyethylene bag, we would nor file a claim against you. 若包装是5层牛皮纸袋,内衬一层聚乙烯袋,我们就不会向贵方提出索赔了。二. 简洁原则(Conciseness) : 简洁就是写东西、讲事情应用尽可能少的字句。一封简洁的商业信件必须扼要表达事物,但仍应是完整、清楚和有礼貌的。外贸英语段落短,概括性强,往往开头一段用一两句叙述信函的执要内容大意,待对方抓住头绪后立即进入主题,可谓“开门见山”。请看下面一些书信的起