商务信函写作中体现你的礼貌与体贴1

　　BEC剑桥商务英语证书在中国被认可的主要以外资企业居多，特别是英联邦和欧盟成员国家的企业。BEC在外企及外籍人士中认可度还是很高的。

　　BEC写作分为两部分，第二部分为商业信函。商业函件业务简称商函业务，它区别于具有个人通信性质的信件，是为社会各类用户提供迅速准确传递商用信息的业务。 商业函件是一种广告媒体，利用邮局点多面广的优势，以邮寄的方式，将广告客户要求寄发广告商品介绍、订货单、调查征函、通知单等投送到广告客户所希望的接收人手中。

　　COURTESY译成"礼貌"。但是根据西方国家函电书籍作者普遍的看法，所谓COURTESY是"客气而又体谅人"的意思。有的作者还把 COURTESY和POLITENESS这两个同义词做了比较，认为：POLITENESS的客气只是表现在文章的语句上，而COURTESY则表现在对对方的"体谅"，例如：

　　a) We have received with many thanks yourletter of Oct.7, and we take the pleasure of sendingyou latest catalog. We wish to draw your attentionto a special offer, which we have made in it. [polite]

　　b) you will be particularly interested in a specialoffer on page 5 of the latest catalog enclosed,which you requested in your letter of Oct. 7.

　　You ought to Perhaps you could…… Your letter is not clear at all; I can't understand it. If Iunderstand your letter correctly... Obviously, if you'd read your policy carefully, You'd beable to answer these questions yourself. Sometimes policy wording is a little hard tounderstand glad to clear up these questions for you. [courtesy]

　　怎样通过各种语言形式来表达COURTESY呢? 这样的形式很多，现在提供一些常见的供参考：

　　(一) 把命令变成请求的常用形式：

　　Please, Will you…….., Will you please……..,如：

　　a) Will you give us more detailed information on your requirement?

　　b) Will you please (kindly) let us hear from you on these two points?

　　(二) 虚拟式(Past Subjunctive From)如：

　　a) Would you compare our sample with the goods of other firms?

　　b) We would ask you to ship the goods by the first available vessel.

　　c) We wish you would let us have your reply soon.

　　d) This would seem to confirm our opinion.

　　e) We should be grateful if you would help us with your suggestion.

　　f) We think if advisable that you should accept this offer at this price.

　　g) We should(would) like you to let us know the exact amount.

　　h) Perhaps you might like to have a look at the actual goods.

　　i) We might be of some service to you in a similar case.

　　以上的b, f, g, 也可用 will, shall, may, 但是用Past Subjunctive Form则表示更客气和婉转些。

　　(三) 缓和用法(Mitigation)

　　为了缓和过分强调或刺激对方，常用: We are afraid, we would say, we may(or, might) say,we(would) think, it seems(or would seem) to us, we(would) suggest, as you are (or: may be)aware, as we need hardly point out等等表达法来缓和语气，如：

　　a) It was unwise of you to have done that. We would say that it was unwise of you tohave done that.

　　b) You ought to have done it. 　 It seems to us that you ought to have done it.

　　c) We cannot comply with your request. 　 We are afraid we cannot comply with yourrequest.

　　d) Our products are the very best on the market. 　 We might say that our products arethe very best on the market.

　　e) You must keep the matter to yourselves. 　 You must, we would add, keep the matter toyourselves.

　　f) You must cut off your order in half 　 We would suggest that you cut your order in half.

　　g) We have not yet had your reply. 　 It appears that we have not yet had your reply.