商務(wù)英語(yǔ)信函的寫作原則與技巧

1、河南科技學(xué)院新科學(xué)院2011級(jí)翻譯期末論文 The writing principles and techniques of Business English letters商務(wù)英語(yǔ)信函的寫作原則與技巧學(xué)生姓名： 李衛(wèi)芳 所在系別：_外國(guó)語(yǔ)言文學(xué)系 所在班級(jí)： 英 語(yǔ) 116 學(xué) 號(hào)： 2011080601 完成時(shí)間： 2014年6月 ContentsAcknowledgments iAbstract 1摘要 .2I. Introduction .3 II. Basic parts of a Business English letter . 3 2.1Letterhead .32.2 Dat

2、e 42.3 Inside address . .42.4 Salutation .52.5 Body 52.6 Complimentary close .62.7 Signature .6.III. The writing principles of Business English letters .6 3.1 Conciseness 6 3.2 Clarity 7 3.3 Completeness . 8 3.4 Concreteness . 8 3.5 Courtesy 9 3.6 Correctness 9 3.7 Consideration 10IV. The writing te

3、chniques of Business English letters 11 4.1 Simple words best 11 4.2 Adopt the right tone 11 4.3 Note the use of jargon . 12 4.4 Use active voice rather than passive voice . 12 4.5 Vary sentence length 12 4.6 Have suitable paragraphs length 13 4.7 Pay attention to first and last impressions 13 4.8 C

4、heck your letters 13V. Conclusion . 14Bibliography .15 AcknowledgmentsThe completion of this paper is definitely not the work of my own, but the collected effort and help of many other people. It is far from enough to just thank them here, but I will regret for all my life if I dont. First of all, m

5、y sincere and utmost gratitude goes to my translation teacher. Although I am very interested in Business English, it is so abstract that at first I failed to find it easy to write this essay, let alone the mastery of this subject. My gratitude also goes to all the teachers in the English Department,

6、 who have taught me in each different subject in English. Moreover, I want to thank my roommates for their persistent encouragement and deep trust in me. What they have done builds up my confidence and clears up my confusion, and I benefit quite a lot from their support. Last but not least, my deepe

7、st thankfulness goes to my parents for their love and education. Without their devotion, I can not enjoy my study in the university and receive so many peoples help in thesis writing and all other things. AbstractWith the development of the globe economic and the continuous enlargement of our foreig

8、n trade, business English letters become increasingly important in the international trade. Business English letters are the major means of written communication between two parties in the international trade, and their writing is very important to the business of the enterprise. Fortunately, some w

9、riting principles and techniques can be used. In order to make the business letters accurate, verbal fluency, easier communication and understanding for the trading parties, we should follow certain writing principles and use some writing techniques.Key words: Business English letters; writing princ

10、iples; writing techniques摘 要 隨著全球經(jīng)濟(jì)的發(fā)展及我國(guó)對(duì)外貿(mào)易的不斷擴(kuò)大， 商務(wù)英語(yǔ)信函在國(guó)際貿(mào)易中的地位也越發(fā)重要。商務(wù)英語(yǔ)信函是國(guó)際貿(mào)易雙方進(jìn)行書面商務(wù)信息溝通的重要手段,其撰寫的成功與否對(duì)企業(yè)的業(yè)務(wù)有著極其重要的影響。商務(wù)英語(yǔ)信函的寫作是有規(guī)律可循的,即應(yīng)遵循一定的寫作原則和采用一些寫作技巧,以使商務(wù)信函表意準(zhǔn)確,語(yǔ)言流暢,更易于貿(mào)易雙方的溝通與理解。關(guān)鍵詞：商務(wù)英語(yǔ)信函；寫作原則；寫作技巧 I. IntroductionNo one in this world can live without communication. Communication is

11、what we human beings are born with. Of all forms of written communication, letters are the most common, the most numerous, and the most personal. Correspondence is one of the chief means of keeping oneself in touch with those separated by distance. Despite the availability of modern means of quick a

12、nd convenient ways of communication, letters are as important as they were centuries ago. With the growth of commerce and industry, the usefulness of BC has also increased. When you enter a profession, you will have to write dozens of letters every day as part of your routine work. Many of these wil

13、l be written to persons you have never met and perhaps you can never hope to meet. You will be writing letters to other firms and companies, customers, suppliers, associate organizations, government officers, employees, etc. Such letters are business correspondence. There are 4 chapters in total in

14、this paper. Firstly, business letters have 7 standard parts. They are: letterhead, date, inside address, salutation, body, complimentary close, and signature. Secondly, this paper introduces The writing principles of Business English letters. We should be skilled in using some writing skills except

15、certain writing principles in Chapter 3.The last chapter is a conclusion arrived at based on the previous research.II. Basic parts of a Business English letterMost business letters have 7 standard parts. They are: letterhead, date, inside address, salutation, body, complimentary close, and signature

16、. We appropriate, any of the following optional parts can be included: attention, subject, enclosure, postscript.2.1 Letterhead The letterhead expresses a firms personality and is generally printed on the firms stationery. It helps to form the impression of the writers firm. Styles vary considerably

17、, but they all give similar information, usually containing all or some of the following elements: the companys name and address, postcode, telephone number, fax number, e-mail address, even web address. They may be positioned in the center, or at the left margin for the block style, or flush at the

18、 right margin for the style.2.2 DateBusiness letters should have the correct date typed under the letterhead. The date should be typed or written in full, not in abbreviated form since the date records when the letter is written and may serve as an important reference. It is usual to show the date i

19、n the order of date /month/ year/ (British practice), or month / day / year. (American practice).Regarding the date line, pat attention to the following points:A. Year should be typed in full. Avoid abbreviation. For example, 2003 cannot be replaced by 03.B. Month is preferably spelled out in letter

20、s, to avoid confusion. For example, 12/11 can be November 12 or December 11.C. Day either cardinal number or ordinal numbers can be used. So the recommended forms for the date are as followings: October 25, 2011 or 25 October, 2011.2.3 Inside address The inside address consists of the name and the c

21、omplete address of the receiver. We include the address in the letter although it already appears on the envelope because the envelope is usually thrown away. Then the letter itself, which is to be kept on file, can indicate for whom the massage was intended. It is usually placed two spaces below th

22、e date line, aligned with the left margin. If the letter is address to a group, the inside address includes only the address and the group name. If it is to a person, use either a courtesy title or a professional title. Care should be taken to address the recipient as exactly as it appears on the en

23、velope of the letter.2.4 Salutation Salutation is the complimentary greeting with which every letter begins. Salutation can be followed by a comma or a colon. Colon is formal in American business letters, comma in British. Be sure to salute to the correct addressee appearing in your inside address o

24、r in the attention line. The customary formal greeting in a business letter is “Dear Sir(s), Dear Madam (s), Dear Ms” or an official title like “President or Doctor”. If the receiver is known to the writer personally, a less formal and warmer greeting is used: “Dear Mr White, Dear Ms John”.2.5 Body

25、Body is the most important part of a letter since it contains the actual message. The body of the letter deserves special attention no matter how brief it may be. It is advisable to bear the following principles of “7Cs” in mind when writing this core part. Then careful planning and logical arrangem

26、ent are needed for the paragraphs. A typical 3-paragraph letter would like the following: The opening paragraph introduces the letter. Keep the first sentence short and easy to understand and keep the opening paragraph short, probably no more than two or three lines. A short opening paragraph is eas

27、ier to read, and it does not intimidate the reader. The middle paragraph supports the first paragraph and provides more information. Here, try to bring in your involvement or what service or information you can offer.The closing paragraph is the summary of the letter; it stresses the action that you

28、 want to the reader to take; it states exactly what you want the reader to do, and it leaves the impression of the courtesy. Like any goodbye, jog the readers memory if there is something that you want the reader to do, but keep the closing short and friendly.2.6 Complimentary close The complimentar

29、y close is simply a polite way to end a letter. The expression for the complimentary close should match the salutation. It appears in the middle of the page and two lines below the closing sentence for indented layout while it starts at the left- hand margin for fully blocked letters. Only the initi

30、al letter in the first word of any complimentary close is capitalized.2.7 SignatureThe signature is the signed name or seal of the writer. It is generally put two lines below the complimentary close. It should be signed by hand and in ink. Under the handwritten signature, the signers name and his or

31、 her position are usually followed. III. The writing principles of Business English lettersBusiness English letters play an important role in the development of goodwill and friendly trade relationship. They should be friendly and courteous, easy to read and easy to understand. In writing a business

32、 letter, there are certain principles for you to follow. Called “7Cs”, they are: conciseness, clarity, completeness, concreteness, courtesy, correctness and consideration.3.1 ConcisenessConciseness means to write the fewest possible words without sacrificing completeness and courtesy. A concise busi

33、ness English letter saves time and expense for both sender and receiver. Conciseness contributes to emphasis. By eliminating unnecessary words, you help make important ideas stand out. To achieve conciseness, try to observe the following suggestions： 3.1.1 Shorten or Omit Words or Expressions As few

34、 words as possible should be used to give complete and clear meanings. The expression of the long-winded plays no role in the sentence. For example, “at the present time”, we can use "now" to express the same meaning .As is clearly the latter better reflect the principle of conciseness.3.1

35、.2 Avoid Unnecessary Repetition Sometimes repetition is necessary for emphasis. But if the same thing is said several times without reason, the Business English letter becomes boring. For example , “Will you ship us any time during the month of December，or even November if you are rushed，for Novembe

36、r would suit us just as well.” In this sentence, what the writer want to express is the reader can ship by the end of November shipment, so we put the sentences into" Please ship us by the end of November", that will be able to clearly express the writer 's intention, and not have to c

37、onstantly repeat.3.2 Clarity Clarity means your purpose and the words are clear to your readers so that the reader will not misunderstand what you are trying to convey. Clarity is the most important principle of English Business Letter Writing. A business letter is effective only when it communicate

38、s the necessary ideas to its readers with clarity. Be certain about what you wish to say, express it in plain, simple words, and present it in well-constructed sentences and paragraphs, if necessary, in tables or graphs. Avoid ambiguity and expressions that are liable to misunderstand. Accurate, str

39、aight-forward, and simple English is preferred in business letters.3.3 CompletenessCompleteness means your message contains all facts that the receiver needs for the reaction you desire, so Business English letters are complete when they contain all the necessary information. The letters were sent b

40、efore audit expression information integrity is the most basic requirement. Keeping the following guidelines in mind will help you achieve completeness: Make all point detailed Evidence must be precisely stated .The significance of the facts in relation to the problem must be shown. The treatment of

41、 each section of the article must be complete or the reader may misunderstand that particular sections. The analysis is a basis for the conclusions, and the conclusions are a basis for the recommendations. 3.3.2 Answer all questions asked If you need to reply to an inquiry containing one or more que

42、stions, answer all questions clearly stated and implied. If you have no information on a particular question, you must say so clearly, instead of omitting an answer. If you have unfavorable information in answer one or more questions, handle our reply tactfully.3.4 ConcretenessConcreteness means bei

43、ng specific, definite, and vivid rather than vague and general. Concreteness is always stressed, especially for business letters calling for a specific reply, such as trade terms, shipment, packaging, specifications and characters of goods, figures and dates.The following guidelines can help us writ

44、e concretely:· Use specific facts and figures,· Put action in verbs,· Prefer active voice to passive voice,· Choose vivid, image-building words,· Pay attention to word order,· Putting modifiers in right place.For example, Poor: Please send your proposal to us as soon as

45、 possible. Better: Please send your proposal to us before October 10. 3.5 Courtesy Courtesy is not merely politeness with mechanical insertions of “please” and “thank you”. Rather, true courtesy needs to use tactful tone and respectful expression to show the honest attitude, and sincere politeness.A

46、nswer letters promptly, for punctuality will please your recipient who hates waiting for days for a reply.Adopt the right tone in the writing. Before you begin to write, think carefully about the way in which you want to influence your customer, and then express yourself accordingly, being persuasiv

47、e, firm, or apologetic.Avoid courtesy blunders in your letters. Discrepancy often occurs in business, but it should be handled and settled with diplomacy and tact without ill with on either side. Never show your anger in a business letter. Avoid suspicion, accusation and talking down. Never use irri

48、tating, offensive and belittling statements. For example,Poor: We are sorry you have misunderstood us.Better: We are sorry we did not make ourselves understood clearly. 3.6 Correctness The term correctness, in addition to proper grammar, punctuation and spelling, also means appropriate tone and accu

49、racy of information. Using the right level of language can help convey the real message without causing offence even if it is a letter of complaint or an answer to such a letter. For example, “Ill, were” seems too colloquial and no formal, we should change it as “I will, we are” in business letters.

50、 Accurate information is of primary concern to business writers since business letters involve the rights, the duties, and the interest of both parties. Accurate figures and exact terms are particularly important as they are the basis of all kind of business documents. Therefore, we should neither o

51、verstate nor understate, because overstatement might throw you in an awkward position while understatement would lead to less confidence and hold up trade development.3.7 Consideration The interrelationship between the sender and the receiver profoundly affects communicative effectiveness. Considera

52、tion means the writer prepares the writing with the reader in mind and tries to put yourself in his or her place. To indicate you are considerate, you can use the followings:3.7.1 Focus on “You” Instead of “I” and “We”Your readers are usually more concerned about themselves than about you. They are

53、more interested in your writing when they see the pronoun “you” rather than “I, we”. Try to give the consideration to the receivers wishes, demands, interest and difficulties by adopting their viewpoint. For example,Poor: I am happy to tell you Better: You will be happy to know 3.7.2 Use “Positive s

54、entence” instead of “Negative sentence” Usually, negation tends to sound critical of the reader and disappointed on the part of the writer, while positivism sounds encouraging to both parties. It would serve the function of effective communication if we sometimes turn negative messages into positive

55、 ones. Compare the following:Poor: We hope you wont be dissatisfied with the new range of our electric products. Better: We are sure you will be satisfied with the new range of our electric products.IV. The writing techniques of Business English letters Business letters are letters written between one firm and another to conv