外贸信函的特点与翻译 June, 2015

Foreign Business Correspondence 外贸信函是公司、企业间商务往来最重要的沟通手段。 中、英外贸信函在格式、措辞方面都有着不同程度的差异。

一、外贸信函的格式 Indented Form Full-blocked Form Modified block Form 缩行式 （绝对）平头/齐头式 折中式/改良平头式

Indented style

Full-blocked style

Full-blocked? Indented?

Layout of a Letter Page 158 – 159, textbook Q：翻译外贸信函时如何处理格式？ 外贸信函汉译英时，应依照英文外贸信函正式格式； 外贸信函英译汉时，可保留英文信函正式格式，也可套用我国传统格式，具体依据各个公司或行业的习惯做法，保持一致。

二、称呼与结尾礼辞 称呼 （Salutation） “Dear …, /:” = “亲爱的……：”？ Some other tips, see Page 162 - 163

Dear…, Which one do you choose? 亲爱的XX先生/女士： 敬启者： 台鉴（杨先生台鉴）：

收信人若有头衔或职务名称 试译：李老师，李局长，李经理 Dear Mr. Li, 在英语信函中，只有少数几个头衔才用于称呼，包括Professor, Doctor, President, Mayor等。

Complimentary close Yours sincerely, Yours truly / faithfully / affectionately…, Questions: Is there any complimentary close in Chinese business letters? How to translate complimentary close in Chinese?

Complimentary close 敬上 “此致”和“敬礼”连用 ☼ 若中文信件中不出现信尾客套话，翻译成英文信件应如何处理？ 英文信函的结尾礼辞是不可缺少的组成部分。

三、措辞 外贸信函最大的特点就是行文庄重、措辞婉约，使用大量套语。翻译时，除了保证信息传达准确无误，译者还需要做到遣词运字得体，语气句调的相仿。 外贸信函翻译（写作）的7C原则：Courtesy, Conciseness, Clarity, Concreteness, Consideration, Completeness, Correctness

试译 Awaiting your immediate reply. It would be appreciated if you would send us a catalog of your products. 请即复。 请寄贵公司产品目录一份为荷。

Please let us know your delivery date and conditions of payment. 请告知我方交货日期与付款要求。 请告你方市场详情。 Please let us know your delivery date and conditions of payment. We shall be grateful / obliged if you can provide us with all possible information on your market. 套语“请”的不同处理方法，see page 166 - 168

套语：敬辞与谦辞 敬辞： 汉语：台鉴、您、惠顾、赐复、承蒙、贵方、阁下…… 英语：Dear, favor, kindly… 谦辞： 汉语：拙作、寒舍、敝人/鄙人、敝公司 英语： Be appreciated, be obliged, be grateful, your sincerely, …

方法一：套译 用一种语言里的套语来翻译另一种语言的套语，不必按原文句式逐词直译。 We should appreciate a prompt reply. 如蒙即复，不胜感激。 Your immediate attention would be appreciated. 请即办理为荷。

方法二、略译 根据贵方来函要求，现寄上敝公司产品目录一份。 承蒙惠函祝贺本人当选本公司董事长一事，特表谢忱。 请再惠顾。 汉译英时，遇到很难找到英文对应的敬辞与谦辞时，回避处理。（汉语的敬辞和谦辞比英语多） 根据贵方来函要求，现寄上敝公司产品目录一份。 承蒙惠函祝贺本人当选本公司董事长一事，特表谢忱。 请再惠顾。 We are looking forward to the pleasure of hearing from you.

方法三、译语气 请你在这签字。 请您在这签字。 Please sign here. Would you please sign here? （“您”没有体现在词汇上，而体现在语气上） More examples, see Page 171

外贸信函中婉转词语的运用 无论是英文还是中文的外贸信函，措辞都需要讲究分寸，得体礼貌。即使是抱怨、索赔，都必须在语言上显得有礼貌。彬彬有礼的语言可以将贸易摩擦减少到最低限度。 Examples, see page 172

Exercise Page 179 – 181 4, 5, 7, 8, 9 1, 3, 5, 6, 7

Page 179 Exercises We should appreciate it if you would inform us of your trade terms and conditions. We highly appreciate your effort in pushing the sale of our slippers. We shall appreciate it if you will forward the following to the above address at your earliest convenience.

We are pleased to advise you that the captioned goods were shipped yesterday per S.S. “Peace”. Enclosed please find our Sales Contract No. HN38 in duplicate. Shippers are requested to note particularly the exceptions and conditions of the Bill of Lading with reference to the validity of the insurance upon their goods.

We have the pleasure of sending you by separate post our latest catalog of manufactures with their price-list. We hope the prices and quality will be satisfactory. We appreciate your proposal of acting as our agent. However, as we are not yet thoroughly acquainted, we think it is better to discuss the matter sometime later when some practical transactions have been done.

We acknowledge with thanks the receipt of your fax dated August 31, 2005. We appreciate your interest and sincerity in cooperation with us. We will do what we can to bring about the arrival of cooperation between us at an earlier date. Enclosed is our Pro forma Invoice No. 5368 in duplicate covering 500 Forever Bicycles for shipment during October 1993. We wish to state that the Pro forma Invoice is valid till September 1, 1993.

Page 180, Exercises 感谢贵方12月22日来函，但遗憾的是，我们目前暂时不能提供苦杏仁。 如蒙告知贵行客户中可靠的进口商号及地址，并附其资信报告，我们将不胜感激。 3月2日来函及所附贵厂产品价目单均收悉。 兹通知，我方4265号化肥订单舱位订妥，由“和平”号装运，该轮预计5月15日抵达。 (ETA: estimated time of arrival 预计到达时间

该货起订量为1000码，根据订单大小，我们可提供高达25%的折扣。 随函附寄最新目录和价目单。请注意，我方货物系自己生产，且不通过任何中间商直接出口，故价格比其他竞争者均优惠。 兹寄上本公司订单，请立即发运100包“美利奴”羊毛。

万一发生索赔，必须于货到目的地后30天内提出，过期不予受理。 6月5日函、样品和价目单均收到，谢谢。我们业已选妥，并随附368号订单。 请寄橡胶鞋目录一份，并注明付款条件及最大折扣。

摘译 外贸信函的摘译

Types of Translation

A. Limited time for reading (efficiency) B A. Limited time for reading (efficiency) B. Publications market demand C. Information explosion D. Copy rights (detouring) E. Fast & efficient communication across different cultures

Materials that need partial translation A. Scientific reports B. Journalist articles C. Corporate and product/service brochures D. Tourists’ guidebooks E. Caption of pictures/photos F. Book reviews G. Business correspondence, etc.

A. Strategy -- what to translate - Main ideas - Subject-related details B. Main methods - Abridging/omitting - Condensing/merging - Summarizing/rewriting C. Processing - Reading for translation purposes - Decision making on what to retain (or omit) - Necessary adjustments

Sample study Ugly is only skin-deep. (Volkswagen) Page 270 Partial translation

Ugly Is Only Skin-deep It may not be much to look at Ugly Is Only Skin-deep It may not be much to look at. But beneath that humble exterior beats an air-cooled engine. It won’t boil over and ruin your piston rings. It won’t freeze over and ruin your life. It’s in the back of the car for better traction in snow and sand. And it will give you about 29 miles to a gallon of gas. After a while you get to like so much about the VW, you even get to like what it looks like. You find that there’s enough legroom for almost anybody’s legs. Enough headroom for almost anybody’s head with a hat on it. Snug-fitting bucket seats. Doors that close so well you can hardly close them. They’re so airtight, it’s better to open the window a crack first! Those plain, unglamorous wheels are each suspended independently. So when a bump makes one wheel bounce, the bounce doesn’t make the other wheel bump. It’s things like that you pay the $4985 for, when you buy a VW. The ugliness doesn’t add a thing to the cost of the car. That’s the beauty of it.

Partial translation: “大众”汽车（可能不中看，但）装在后部的气冷式引擎牵引力大、耗油低，不会烧毁活塞垫，也不会结冰。车内空间大、座椅舒适、封闭性好。独立悬挂式车轮能减少颠簸。售价只有 4985 美元。（爱上“大众”，便会爱上其外表。）(102 words)

外贸信函的摘译 摘译能够节省翻译人员和业务人员大量时间，给阅读者提供简介扼要的信件内容和主要信息。 摘译原则：内容完整，条理清晰，包括所有主要事实和细节。 摘译不必拘泥于原文词句，但务必与原文事实相符，语气吻合。

Case study Page 174 – 177: 比较例文的全译和摘译，体会摘译的原则。 摘译可以采用第一人称，语气真切；也可采用第三人称，以摘要形式译出。

Exercise 试用第三人称摘译174页例文。

来函时间：2001年11月15日 收件时间：———————— 主题：隐形眼镜情况咨询 罗宾.蕾德格雷夫女士咨询公司半硬式、可透气隐形眼镜的情况，问题如下： 是否为长戴型？ 目前的散光治愈率多高？ 零售价格； 是否为双焦设计？ 何处有售？在其居住区（德克萨斯州林顿市史特林大街320号，林肯草坪4号公寓）是否有经销商？

如何使用第三人称摘译？ Sample: Page 160 & 161 通读两份外贸信函实例，观察其摘译 （page 177 – 178）。 言简意赅，措辞婉约，不漏要点。

Exercise Page 154 试摘译此信函 （同课本练习3） 第一人称 (page 416) 第三人称

来函时间：———————— 收件时间：———————— 主题：XXX公司座钟销售 其公司已为奥伯曼女士留100只该座钟，全部包装整齐，随时代发。如决定订购，请于本周五前打受话方付费电话回复。