从外贸英语的写作要求谈汉英翻译
[摘 要] 外贸信函是商业联系的媒介,它的功能是传递信息,
使收、发函双方发生贸易往来。外贸英语有其自身的语言表达
规律和特点。国外教科书对书写外贸函电要求做到7个“C”,即
Clearness (清楚) ,Courtesy(礼貌) , Conciseness (简洁) ,
Correctness (正确) , Concreteness(具体) , Comp leteness
(完整) , Consid2eration (考虑周到) 。本文着重对前三个写作
要求进行分析论述,探讨这些写作要求在翻译上的表现形式。
[关键词] 外贸英语;礼貌;简洁;清楚;翻译
一、礼貌原则(Courtesy) :礼貌不仅是一个表面
上的礼节问题。它意味着一个诚心的心中有顾客
( you attitude)的态度问题。讲究礼貌的写信人必将
是诚心的,老练的和周到的。写作中有以下一些特
点:
1. 信函套语多。中外信函中,凡向对方提出某
种要求,常用“请”字。中文只用一个字。外贸英语
中,仅用p lease是不够的,习惯用其他更亲切,客气
的词语。“请”字表达主要有下面几种结构:
(1) 使用“We shall ( should) be grateful/”o2
bliged if you can /will/ could /would“. . . 结构。
请告你方市场详情。
We shall be grateful/obliged if you can p rovide us
with all possible information on yourmarket.
请迅速寄来备有存货的中、上品质棉花样品与
价格表,不胜感激。
We shall be glad if you would send us by return
pattern and p rices of good and medium quality cotton
available for stock.
(2)使用“We would app reciate⋯”,“It would be
app reciated + clause”结构。
请报五十吨花生实盘。
We shall app reciate it if you will make us a firm
offer for 50 tons of peanuts.
请寄贵公司图解目录一份。
Itwould be app reciated if you would send us an
illustrated catalogue of yourmanufactures.
(3) 使用“kindly”请将两份提单分别邮寄,同
时开来30天汇票以便承兑。
Kindly send us 2 Bills of Landing by separate
mail, together with your draft at 30 days for accep t2
ance.
(4) 使用“疑问句”。
这是我们的包装设计,请转给厂方,供他们参
考。
This is our design for the packing. Could you pos2
sibly give it to the manufactures for their reference?
2. 少用第一人称( I, we)作主语,采用第二人称
或第二人称物主代词+名词, 以突出“your atti2
tude”。汉译时,多采用谦辞,如称对方为“贵公司”,
称自己一方为“本公司”、“我公司”、“敝公司”等。
According to the request in your letter, we are
sending you a catalogue of our p roducts
根据贵方来函要求,现寄上敝公司产品目录一
份。
For your consideration and that of your end - us2
ers, we have taken this opportunity of enclosing two
sets of our literature.
借此机会附上两套资料,供贵方和用户参考。
If you are not interested in taking advantage of the
offerings on the list, p lease be good enough to forward
it to some of the firmswith which you have established
business relationship s.
如果贵方无意购买我方产品,烦请将货单转寄
给与贵公司有业务往来的其他商行。
3. 语言讲究婉转,遣词用字含蓄。即使是贸易
开展不利,或双方分歧较大,也不宜用生硬的、讨伐
式的语言。须知外贸中婉转的语言比强硬的措词更
有力量,句型上常选用:
(1) 用“it”作形式主语,强调客观性。
It is generally considered not advisable to act that
way.
这样做一般认为是不妥的。
It is self understood that any delay in shipment
would cause financial loss.
不言而喻,迟误发货势必会造成经济损失。
(2)用被动语态指出对方错误。
We are compelled to exp ress our surp rise and dis2
appointment at finding the goods contained in your last
shipment not up to the agreed standard.
我们必须要向贵方指出:贵方最后一批装运的
货物与所签协议标准不符合。我们对此感到惊讶与
失望。
The agreement has been kep t on our part but not
on their part.
我们这方面遵守了协议,而他们那方面却没有
遵守。
(3)用让步从句表示拒绝、分歧、妥协。
While we app reciate your order, we verymuch re2
gret that we cannot entertain any fresh business in this
line owing to heavy commitments.
感谢贵方订单,然而由于我方供货任务重,非常
遗憾,我们不能再承接新的业务。
We managed to squeeze for you one shipment of
Daqing crude in 10, 000metric tons, when we have
been committed with orders from our regular custom2
ers.
虽然我们把货都卖给了老客户,我们还是设法
给你挤了一船舶万吨大庆油。
(4)用双重否定,使语气减弱,避免商务磋商陷
入僵局,增加回旋余地。
The p rice is not unaccep table.
此价并不是不可接受的。
Itwill not be impossible for us to sell another car2
go of Shengli Crude Oil to you in the second half of the
year.
要我们在今年下半年再供贵方一船胜利原油并
不是不可能的事情。
(5)用if only. . . 从句使语气婉转, 避免直截了
当地表达后悔、遗憾的情绪。
If only the packing had been 5 - p ly kraft paper
bags with 1 - p ly inner polyethylene bag, we would nor
file a claim against you.
若包装是5层牛皮纸袋,内衬一层聚乙烯袋,我
们就不会向贵方提出索赔了。
二. 简洁原则(Conciseness) :简洁就是写东西、