Translation of Business Translation of Business LettersLetters

商务信函的翻译商务信函的翻译

Key PointsKey Points• Knowledge Expectations:• Ways of Expression, Format and Stylistic

features• 7 principles in writing business letters:

correctness, conciseness, clearness, courtesy, concreteness, consideration, completeness

• Skills Applied in Translating Business Letters• Ability Expectations:• Can correctly translate often used words

and sentence patterns• Can translate skillfully different kinds of

business letters

Language FeaturesLanguage Features

1.Courtesy, Accuracy, Brevity ， Clarify in using the words

2.Format sentence patterns3.Criteria of Translation of Business Letters• Faithfulness 忠实• Expressiveness 通顺 (Idiomaticness 地道 )• Consistency 统一4.ABCD---------------------Accuracy,Brevity,Clarif

y,Difference(Discrepancy)

Lay outLay out

1.Address line ：称呼语• 尊敬的…： / 敬启者： / 谨启者： / 执事先生： /尊鉴： / 台鉴：

2.Complimentary Close ：结尾敬语 谨上 / 敬上 / 谨启 / 顺致敬意3. Courteous Words 礼貌词贵 / 承蒙 / 冒昧 / 兹 / 谨 / 收悉 / 祈谅 / 见谅 / 为盼 /赐复

常见的开头、结尾以及表示感谢和歉意常见的开头、结尾以及表示感谢和歉意的英汉对照套语的英汉对照套语

• Your letter 贵函• Your company 贵公司• Our （ My) letter; This letter 本 /信函• The last letter/mail 前函• The next letter/mail 次函• We are pleased to in form you… 特此奉告/函告• In reply to your letter…, I… 顷阅贵函，特此致函

• We are writing concerning… 今来函有关……

• We send you … 兹寄上……• We are glad to answer… 兹答复……• Enclosed we hand … 随函奉上 / 兹随函附上• Your kind reply will greatly oblige us. • 如蒙答复，不胜感激。• We are looking forward to hearing from you

soon. 企盼早日赐复。

• Hoping you will favor me with an early reply.• 敬祈早日赐复为盼。• We shall appreciate your… if you… 如蒙…… ,我们将甚为感激。

• We would like to express our gratitude to you for… 承蒙您……我们谨致谢意。

• We thank you for… 对……谨致谢意。• Than you in advance for… 承蒙……谨先致谢。• We regret to in form you that… 非常遗憾，今奉告您有关……

• We are very sorry to hear /know… 获悉…… 我方甚感遗憾。

• We greatly regret that… 很遗憾……

PracticePractice• You are to identify the types of the letters

offered• and analyze the features of them:• (1) Dear Sirs,• We understand from the Peruvian

Consulate that you are one of the leading importers and wholesalers of Electric and Electronics Machinery and Equipment in Peru.

• We are exporters of the same lines of business, having a business background of some 30 years, and now are particularly interested in exporting to your country Electronic Products of all types, such as Desk-Top and Pocket-Size Calculating Machines.

• If you are interested in marketing these products in your territory, please let us know, and we shall be pleased to send you our latest catalog, together with a list of our quotations on CIF Callo basis.

• For our business and financial standing, we may refer you to our bankers, The Commercial Bank of Tokyo, Head Office, Tokyo.

• We look forward to hearing from you soon.• Very truly yours,• Mary Clinton• General Manager

• (2) Dear Sirs,• We have heard from China Council for

the Promotion of International Trade that you are in the market for silk garments.

• We are introducing ourselves as one of the leading exporters of the same line of business, and we would like to enter into trade relations with you on the basis of equality, mutual benefit and the exchange of the needed goods.

•

• Our silk garments are of super pure silk and in the traditional skills. They are magnificent and tasteful and have long enjoyed a great fame both at home and abroad. We enclose a catalogue for your information and trust some of these items will be of interest to you.

• We look forward to receiving your favorable reply.

• Yours faithfully,• G.B. Davis, Managing Director

• (3) Gentlemen,• We are sorry to say that our experience with

the company which you inquired about in your letter of June 17 has been unsatisfactory.

• It is true that we were in business relations with the firm of the last two years and several occasions we have had lots of trouble in effecting settlements.

• The Company still owes $1,400 US dollars for purchase made over seven months ago. The account is now in the hand of our attorneys for collection.

• May we ask you to treat this information as strictly confidential without responsibility on our part.

• Yours truly,

• Thank you !