商務英語寫作指南
商務英語寫作目前在生活中有越來越廣泛的應用,每個人都有必要了解商務英語的一些寫作知識和規范。下面小編為大家帶來商務英語寫作指南,希望的大家喜歡!
一、regards和respect
I regularly see mistakes with phrases using the words “regards”or “respect”. There are several of these phrases in English, but they are easily confused and mixed up. For example, phrases like in respect to and with regards to are incorrect.
人們在使用與“regards”和“respect”相關的詞組時經常會出現誤用錯用的情況。在英語里,的確有一些與這兩個詞相關的詞組,但很容易混淆。比如,人們經常會用“in respect to”和“with regards to”來表示“關于”的意思,但實際上這種用法是不正確的。
Here is a list of correct phrases (they all mean basically the same thing):
下面列出幾組由“regard”或“respect”組成的表達,它們的意思相近,都有“關于,至于,提到”的意思。
1.regarding
EX:I have received your letter of October 15 regarding the three letters of recommendation which you require.
例句:我已收到您10月15日的信,提到需要三封推薦信一事。
2.as regards (this is the only one with an s – “regards”)(這是唯一一個用到regards的詞組)
EX:As regards communication with colleagues, department meetings are held once a fortnight.
例句:關于員工間的交流溝通,每兩周會舉行一次部門會議。
3.in regard to (rare)(很少用)
EX:This is Bill Burton from Milford Insurance, I'm calling in regard to our meeting next Tuesday.
例句:我是米爾福德保險公司的比爾伯頓,我想問一下有關下周二我們見面的事。
4.with regard to
EX:With regard to the Middle East and North Africa, the U.S. and EU pledged to continue to support democratic transitions and economic development.
例句:關于中東和北非問題,美國和歐盟承諾將繼續支持其民主改革和經濟發展。
5.respecting (rare)(很少用)
EX:I must tell you that I have not come to any decided opinion respecting him, but I think him a Maltese.
例句:我只能告訴您,我對他還沒有什么明確的看法。但我認為他可能是個馬耳他人。
6.in respect of
EX:When a customer first opens an account, he instructs the bank to debit his account only in respect of cheques drawn by himself.
例句:儲戶首次在銀行開戶時,囑咐銀行他的存款只能憑本世人簽字的支票來提取。
7.with respect to
EX:With respect to your other proposals, I am not yet able to tell you our decision.
例句:談到你的其他建議, 我現在還無法把我們的決定告訴你。
二、According to的用法
Although these phrases are often used interchangeably they have slightly different meanings, so we should be careful how we use them.
在很多情況下,“According to”和“In accordance with”都可以互換,但是兩者之間還是有一些細微的差別的。所以,在使用這兩個詞組時,我們需要特別小心。
How to use “According to”?
“According to”的用法
“According to…” is usually used when you restate something someone told you or something you have heard or read somewhere. It is mostly used for reporting.
“According to”往往是用在重述別人的話,或者你在其他地方聽到或看到的內容,常用于報告的寫作中。
EX:According to the clerk we spoke to when we telephoned the supervisory authority this morning, the application was filed last week.
例句:根據今晨我們對員工進行的監督權調查的電話訪談所說,上周表格就已經歸檔了。
It may be used to introduce information that might not be true:
“According to”可以用于引用不確實的消息:
EX:According to the state news agency, the number of demonstrators did not exceed 1,000. However, the organisers of the protest say there were at least 100,000 people on the march.
例句:根據官方通訊社的消息,參與游行的人數不超過1000人,而游行組織者稱,參與游行人數超過了10萬人。
It may also be used to introduce hearsay:
“According to”也可以用來引用道聽途說的消息:
EX:According to Annabel, Tom wants to dump Sarah because he really fancies Emma.
例句:聽安娜貝爾說,湯姆要甩了薩拉,因為他被艾瑪給迷上了。
How to use “In accordance with”?
“In accordance with”的用法
“In accordance with…” is used in more formal contexts to introduce the notion of conformity. In a legal context it is used for stating what conforms to the law or a contract. It is never used to introduce information that may not be true.
“In accordance with”是用在比較正式的內容中,用來引述確實的信息。在法律文本中,這個詞組就是用來引述法律條文或合同中的規定的。“In accordance with”從來不會用于引用不確實的消息。
EX:In accordance with Article 72 of the Act, employees of the Company have the right to form a representative body.
例句:根據該法令第72條規定,公司員工有權組成代表團。
In some cases you can use “under…” instead of “in accordance with”, or where “in accordance with” seems too strong:
如果覺得用“in accordance with”語氣太強烈的話,也可以用“under…”來替換。
EX:Under / In accordance with a general rule of the Pharmaceutical law, the sponsor and the investigator are responsible for damage resulting from conducting a clinical trial.
例句:根據藥品管理法規定,臨床試驗的贊助者和研究者要對試驗所造成的后果負責。
Using a comma with this type of clause
在使用這類從句時,建議使用逗號區分
EX:According to recent government statistics, unemployment has risen from 3% to 5% over the last 12 months.
例句:根據政府近期公布的數據,在過去的12個月里,失業率從3%上升到了5%。
拓展:商務英語寫作技巧
Business English Writing Tips系列對商務和法律人士使用英語時的一些常見錯誤進行指正,請看以下商務和法律人士(商法人)英語寫作常見表達錯誤:
1. “well received with many thanks”
經常看見商法人回復客戶郵件時的這種表達方法,這其實是非常strange的一種表達。首先received就可以,加上well就和一般常見的英文表達方式相悖了。其次,thanks就行,加上many沒有必要,亦會看起來稍微有一點點過于polite,well received with many thanks是亞洲人會經常用的英語表達方法。所以,這個句子的正確說法應是email received with thanks,但其實這種表達方式老外是不常用的,這更多的是亞洲人對英語的一種發明并最終影響了英美人的使用方法,像Long time no see一樣。更正宗一點的表達是We have received your email and we will xxx accordingly或We acknowledge the receipt of your email and thank you for contacting us或者Thank you for sending xxx through and we will xxx accordingly等等。有的時候英文表達不一定是簡短的好,正如中文一樣,英文是一門存在了很長時間的語言,是有固定和讓人舒適的表達方式的,故意縮短不可取。
2. “captioned matter”
Captioned matter也是商法人在郵件中經常見到的表達方式,但對這種用法,沒有和亞洲人接觸過的外國人大都是看不懂的。想用captioned matter在郵件中表達的意思是the matter in the subject line。但在英語中這種表達方式是不存在的,正確的應是把subject line matter再敘述一遍,這樣也省去了客戶再回到subject line看郵件主題是什么的時間,是一種非常好的習慣。另一個選擇就是直接說subject line matter,這樣通俗易懂。
3. “it’s, can’t”
郵件中經常看到商法人這樣用縮寫,這是不要緊的。但是在各種正式的商法人memo中個人覺得還是越正式越好,最好直接用It has, it is 或cannot。要注意是cannot 不是can not,中間是沒有空格的,這個有時候有人會用錯。而且,個人認為應當摒棄memo中所有的英文動詞的縮寫,只用全稱,這樣顯得更嚴謹和專業。
4. “完整的句子,+完整的句子”
比如,這一個例句:the employee argued with his employer, the employee then left the employer’s office。這個句子在語法上是絕對錯誤的。因為這是兩個完整的句子,不能用逗號連接,要用一個句號終止第一句,然后再另起一句,如the employee argued with his employer. The employee then left the employer’s office。或要用連詞連接兩句話,比如the employee argued with his employer and the employee left the employer’s office。
實踐中還有一個常見的錯誤就是把therefore,however等詞當成連詞用,這在語法上也是錯誤的。如the employee argued with his employer, however, he controlled his anger。正確的語法應是the employee argued with his employer, however, and he controlled his anger。加上and之后,兩個本來獨立的完整句子在語法上就被連接起來了。或者干脆斷句:the employee argued with his employer. However, he controlled his anger。
總之,兩個完整的句子在一起,要么加連詞,要么用句號隔開,否則語法上就是錯誤的。
5. “分號的用法”
個人認為,在memo和email的寫作中,除非列舉一連串事項,否則要盡量避免使用分號。因為分號會使意思表達不清晰,不連貫,在語法上也比較難以控制兩個句子之間的連接,從而產生歧義。
FYI,分號多用于連接兩個緊密聯系的獨立句子時,如Call me in 30; I'll have what you are asking for. 但其所用之處表達不太正式,一般只在英文小說或文章中常見,故應盡量在商務memo中避免。
6. “i.e.和e.g.”
"i.e."的意思是 "that is" 或者 "in other words," ,"e.g." 的意思是 "for example." 前者是用來澄清你前面已經說的東西,后者是通過舉例的方式為你所敘述的事情添加色彩。他們是完全不同的,大多數商法人在實踐中分不清楚。
7. “比較級的使用”
有時會見到商法人這么用比較級,如employee A’s severance package is higher than employee B. 這在意思上是不成立的。不能說A的package比B高,而應該是A的package比B的package高。所以,正確表達應是employee A’s severance package is higher than employee B’s。
8. “xxx and I 的使用”
有時會看見商法人這樣的表達:could you please send the documents above to xxx and I? 這樣是不正確的,正確的表達應該是could you please send the documents above to xxx and me?因為I在這時候被放在了object的位置上,其要變形為me,才能符合其object 的定位,否則則是以subject的意思替代了object的位置。但如果主語是在句首,則要用I不用me,如xxx and I will send the documents through tomorrow.
9. “Farther 和Further的區別”
二者一般可以互換,但farther多指地理位置上的更遙遠,而further則多指抽象意義上的更遙遠,還是有細微差別的,我們有的時候不太注意。比如I think you deserve to go further in life,這時最好不用farther.
10. “between 和among”
Between的意思是在兩個不同的事物中,而among則是在一堆大致相同的物體中。比如,Mike needs to choose between incentive plan A and plan B以及Mike needs to choose among all the incentive plans,這個有時候商法人也容易混淆。
【商務英語寫作指南】相關文章:
商務英語寫作指南:如何撰寫詢盤信09-16
商務英語考試報考指南07-14
商務英語寫作套話02-20
商務英語寫作句型07-13
商務英語寫作經典句型01-22
2016商務英語考試報考指南05-16
商務英語寫作的講授技巧10-12
摘選商務英語寫作范文08-11
商務英語書信寫作09-30
商務英語寫作精品范文08-06