浅谈商务英语函电在对外贸易中的作用英语论文毕设论文.docx
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浅谈商务英语函电在对外贸易中的作用英语论文毕设论文
1Introduction
Theearlyyearsofournewcenturyhavebeenaperiodofunprecedentedtechnologicaladvancement.Fromcell-phonesto3Gonline,fromtestmassagingtoPCfaxing,ourcommunicationstoolsandtechniquesarebecomingevermoresophisticated.Todayweareabletoorganize,transmit,anduseinformationatspeedsunimaginableonlyafewyearsagoandweanticipatefuturedevelopmentsthatareequallyunimaginabletoday.Nevertheless,the“informationsuperhighway”notwithstanding,communicationstechnologyhasnotsupplantedcommunicationsknow-how.Westillrequireinformationandideastobeexpressedinclear,completely,andthepersonwhocancomposesuchinformationisapartofbusinessorganization.Therefore,businesscorrespondencelanguagestillcontinuestobeahighlymarketableskillintoday’sworkplace.
Fromtheperspectiveoflinguisticcarrier,businesscorrespondenceshouldbeusedinabusinessenvironment.ItbelongstoESP①(Englishforspecialpurposes,theEnglishneedbyaparticulargroupoflearnerscouldbeidentifiedbyanalyzingthelinguisticcharacteristicsoftheirspecialistofworkorstudy.),andemphasizesthespecialcommunicationinthespecificcircumstances.ItisacomprehensivedisciplinewhichiscombinedwithEnglishwritingandforeigntradepracticewithcontent,difficultyandpracticabilityofnature.IthasaverydifferencefromthenatureofordinaryEnglishorotherspecializedEnglishincontentorformally.Itinvolvesforeigntradepracticeseachpart.Mainlyincludes:
Establishingbusinessrelations;EnquiriesandReplies;Quotations,SalesLetters,OffersandCounterOffers;Orders,Acceptances;SalesconfirmationandPurchasecontract;Payment;Packing;TransportandInsurance;Complaint,ClaimandSettlementetc.Thusitcanbeseenalthoughthebusinesscorrespondenceisnottheforeigntradepracticelesson,butinvolvestheoperationalmethodintheforeigntrade.Thispaperwillfromthelinguisticfeatures,thetextualstructure,andthelexisthreepartstoanalyzethecharacteristicsofbusinesscorrespondence.
2ThemeaningofBusinessEnglishCorrespondence
2.1ThemeaningofBusinessEnglishCorrespondence
BusinessEnglishcorrespondenceisElectronicslettersthathelppeoplecommunicateinthefieldofforeigntradeworkinglanguageinwriting,Intheforeigntradeknowledgeasthebackground,Languageasacarrierofforeigntrade。
BusinessEnglishcorrespondenceisoneofthemainwaysofforeignbusinesscommunication。
But,Intoday'shighlydevelopedinformationtechnology,Thelettersarenotlimitedtopaper,oritcanbeE-mail,faxorMSN。
Itisaletterissuedtoencodinganddecodingprocessofthereceiver。
Smoothencodinganddecodingprocessisusingthecorrespondencecommunicationprocess。
Themostcommonlyusedinclude:
Thepurposeofestablishingbusinessrelations、enquiries、Anoffer、reply、Thecontractofsale、Packing、insurance、compensation、arbitrationect.
2.2ThecharacteristicsofbusinessEnglishcorrespondence
BusinessEnglishcorrespondenceisfrequentlyusedininternationalbusinesscontacts,Iscarryoutforeigntradebusinessandrelatedbusinessactivitiesofthefoundationandimportanttool。
Therefore,BefamiliarwiththeuseandCorrectunderstandingofthenewcharacteristicsofbusinessEnglishcorrespondence,Ispremiseandconditionofbusinessactivitiessmoothly.
2.2.1LinguisticfeaturesofBusinessCorrespondence
Languageisameansofcommunication.Thismayseemlikeafoolishlysimpleobservationtomake,butrememberthatforcommunicationtobecompletedsuccessfullyasendermustconveyhisorhermessagesothatthereceivernotonlyreceives,butalsounderstands,themessage.Iflanguageisnotusedclearlyandaccurately,thecommunicationprocesscannotbesuccessfullycompleted.
AsimpleruletorememberisthattheEnglishyouuseinyoureverydaybusinessshouldbethesamegoodEnglishusedbypeopleinallwalksoflife.Granted,theremaybetermsintrinsictoyourindustry,butthereisnotaspecialtypeof‘‘businessEnglish’’tobelearnedandusedwhenwritingbusinessletters.GoodEnglishisgoodEnglish.
Businesscorrespondenceisoneofthecommonstylesintheinternationalbusinessactivities.Becauseofitsproductionandserviceinvariouscommercialbusinessscopes,reflectingtheprofessionalandbusiness-relatedcontent.Therefore,thewording,syntax,expressionstyle,meaningandcontenthasthestyleofthebusiness.Cooperationandcompetition,rightsandobligations,faithandclaim,goodsdeliveryandpaymentwillalwaysbetopicsforthebusinesspeople.Eachexpressionshouldbetriedtobeconciseandaccurate,strongandmild,firmbutnottough,rigorousandwithoutlosinghumorous.Itisusuallytobeusedstrictly“7Cs②”principlesofwriting,thatisClear,Complete,Concise,Concrete,Constructive,ConversationalandCorrect.
●Clear
Thegoalofclarityisthatthereaderunderstandspreciselywhatyouaresaying.Thelanguageofyourcorrespondenceshouldbeadaptedtotherecipient.Thismeansthatyouwriteinamatter-of-fact,conversationaltone.Usespecificexamplesthereadercanrelateto.Don’tassumethatyourreaderunderstandsthejargonofyourtrade.Remember,mostletterswillbereadbypeopleotherthantherecipientoftheletter.Thesepeoplemaybeunfamiliarwiththetechnicallanguageorjargonyouuse.Clarityalsomeansorganizingyourcorrespondenceorlettersoeachparagraphdealswithonlyonemainideaandpresentingyourideasinalogicalorder.Yourlettershouldnotbeacollectionofrandomideas.Itshouldbesingle-mindedinitspurpose.
Thisisthecornerstoneofeffectivecommunicationandrequiresconsiderableeffortonthewriter’spart.Itincludeswritingtothereader’slevelofunderstanding,butnotdowntothereader.Itmeansusinglanguage,words,andphrasesthatreaderunderstands,whileavoidingalljargonandunfamiliarwordsandphrases.Itinvolvescoherentlyandlogicallyorderingthoughtsandideasstructuringparagraphssothateachideahasitsownplaceinthecorrespondence.Goodnarrativesaredesignedtomakethedesiredimpact.Remember,itiswriter’sobligationtoclearlycommunicatesothatthereadercanunderstand,nottheotherwayaround.
Beclearandstraightforwardincorrespondences.Writewhatyoumean.Don’twriteincircles,makingreaderguesswhatyoumean.Takethefollowingexampleofawriterwhowantstotellacustomeraboutanimportantorganization:
MycorrespondencewasinitiatedtoinformyouofthehighcaliberofprogramsandactivitiesofanorganizationinwhichIhaveenjoyedbeinginvolvedoverthepastfewyears.TheCountyBusinessAssociationhasservedtokeepmeinformedof,andactivelyinvolvedin,thecurrentpoliticalandeconomicissuesaffectingsmallbusinessesthroughitsmonthlybreakfastmeetingswithinterestingandimpressivespeakers,itsnewsletteronlegislativeactivitiesinWashington,andseveralotherprogramsoutlinedintheattachedletter.
Therearemanyproblemswiththisexample.Let’sstartbyexaminingtheclarityanddirectnessofthestatement.Sincethewriteroftheletterwantstoinformthereaderaboutanimportantorganization,whydidn’tthewritercomerightoutanddosobywriting:
Iamwritingtoyouaboutthehigh-caliberprogramsandactivitiesofferedbytheCountyBusinessAssociation,anorganizationinwhichIhavebeeninvolvedforthepastfewyears.
Inthewriter’sversionoftheletter,itisnotuntilthesecondsentenceoftheparagraphthatweevenlearnthenameoftheimportantorganization.Ifyouarewritingaboutaparticularsubject,andthatsubjecthappenstobeanorganization,whynotgetitsnamerightupfrontsothereadermightenjoylearningaboutitthroughouttherestoftheletterinsteadofbeingleftinsuspense?
Insteadofusingmanywords(‘‘mycorrespondencewasinitiatedtoinformyouof...’’),whynotsaysimply,‘‘Iamwritingtoyouabout...’’?
Ifyoucomerightoutandsaywhatyoumeaninsteadofbeatingaroundthebush,notonlyareyougoingtograbyourreader’sattentionrightaway,butyoualsostandastrongerchanceofconvincingyourreaderthatheorsheshouldgoonreadingandfindoutmoreaboutwhatyouhavetosay.
●Complete
Goodwritingincludesalltheinformationnecessarytomakethepointandpromotewhateverthecorrespondencerequests.Thedatamustbedesignedwithapurposeinmind.Randomdetailsandthoughtshowevercolorfulandinteresting,onlyconfuseandthereaderiftheyarenotrelevanttotheissuesbeingraised.Stayontrackandmakesureyouhaveprovidedthereaderwithenoughinformationtoencouragetheactionyouseek.
Makesurealltheinformationwhatthereaderneedstoknow.(Donotincludedetailsthatareinterestingbutnotrelevant.)Thebiggestproblemwithleavingoutinformationisthatthereaderhastomakeassumptions.Forexample,donotsay,“Whenwelastspokeaboutthesituation,”whenyoucansay,“WhenwespokeonJune8abouthiringanewadministrativeassistant.”
Rememberthatthereadercannotreadthewriter’smind.Thereadercanonlyguessatwhatthewriterleftout.
Towritebusinesscorrespondenceshouldpayattentiontotheinformationoftheotherpartyneeded,andwhetheryouhavecompletelyansweredthequestion.Ifthebuyeracceptstheoffer,thesellershouldbequotedintherelevantcontentbybuyertowritethecorrespondenceofacceptingtheoffer
Generallyspeaking,use5Ws(who,what,when,where,why)and“1h”(how)tocheckwhatyouwrotelettersiscomplete,whoorders,andwhattheorderedgoods,whentheshipmentshouldbeeffected,andgoodsbeshippedtowhere,whattermsofpayment,ifyouhavespecial