任务一 Essentials of Business Letter-Writing

➲ Teaching Goals

The purpose of communication is to obtain complete understanding between the parties involved, and elicit the responses required. this task aims at helping students to familiarize themselves with the characterics of business letters.

➲ Teaching Contents

Broadly speaking, the functions of a business letter may be said to be (1) to ask for or convey information; (2) to make or accept an offer; (3) to deal with matters concerning negotiation of business. In addition, there are letters with no other purpose than to remind the recipient of the sender's existence.

Letter-writing does not differ from any other form of creative writing. Good English is one of the important bases of good business letters. What you write should be free from grammatical blemishes, and also free from the slightest possibility of being misunderstood. There are certain essential qualities of business letters, which can be summed up in the Three C's, i.e. (1) Clearness;(2) Conciseness; (3) Courtesy.

1. Clearness

First of all, make sure that your letter is so clear that it can not be misunderstood. A point that is ambiguous in a letter will cause trouble to both sides, and further exchange of letters for explanation will become inevitable, thus time will be lost.

Next, when you are sure about what you want to say, say it in plain, simple words. Good, straightforward, simple English is what is needed for business letters.

2. Conciseness

Clearness and conciseness often go hand-in-hand and the elimination of wordy business jargon can help to make a letter clearer and at the same time more concise.

A concise letter is not necessarily a short one. sometimes a letter dealing perhaps with a multiplicity of matters cannot avoid being long. If conciseness conflicts with courtesy, then make a little sacrifice of conciseness. Generally speaking, you will gain in clearness and conciseness by writing short sentences rather than long ones.

A letter can be made clearer, easier to read and more attractive to look at by careful paragraphing. A paragraph for each point is a good rule.

3. Courtesy

It should hardly be necessary to stress the importance of courtesy in your correspondence. One of the most important things is promptness. Punctuality will please your customer who dislikes waiting for days before he gets a reply to his letter.

It is nearly always wrong to doubt a statement made in good faith by the other side and even worse to contradict it. Differences are bound to occur in business, but with diplomacy and tact they can be overcome and settled without ill will on either side.

Before we go on to the detailed structure of the business letter there is one general principle, on which the American writers lay great emphasis, that is, the “you” attitude. In our letters we should always keep in mind the person we are writing to, see things from his point of view, visualize him in his surroundings, see his problems and difficulties and express our ideas in terms of his experience.

➲ Key Points

1. Broadly speaking广义地说；泛泛地说；一般地说

frankly speaking坦率地说

exactly speaking准确地说

2. There are letters with no other purpose than to remind the recipient of the sender's existence.

有些信的目的仅仅是提醒收信人知道写信人的存在。

no other than除……外没有，只有；正是，就是

He has no other friends than you.他除你以外没有朋友。

It was no other than my mother.

这正是我的母亲。

We have no other ways out than to accept it.

除了接受，我们别无办法。

3. be free from免于……；没有……的，不受……影响的

Men are not saints, how can they be free from faults?

人非圣贤，孰能无过？

We maintain that no party central committee can be free from shortcomings and errors.

我们认为，没有缺点和错误的中央是没有的。

4. Good, straightforward, simple English is what is needed for business letters.

业务信函所需的是直接，简明而正确的英语。

5. hand-in-hand手拉手的，亲密的，并进的

Gossiping and lying go hand in hand.

搬弄是非者，必是撒谎人

6. It should hardly be necessary to stress the importance of courtesy in your correspondence.

在通信中注意礼貌其重要性实在毋庸赘述。

7. in good faith真诚地，诚意地

I doubt whether he is in good faith.

我怀疑他是否有诚意。

8. With diplomacy and tact they can be overcome and settled without ill will on either side.

圆通和外交手段可以克服并解决分歧而不损及双方的友好关系。

➲ Exercise and Thinking

※ What are the functions of a business letter?

※ What are the characteristics of business letter?