中間段落 敘述信函的主題。必要時可以分成數段展開議論。 ●敘述事情 我們被告知…… We are told that... 我們從青木先生那兒了解到…… We understand from Mr. Aoki that... 我們察覺到…… We observed that... We found out that... We discovered that... 我們希望提醒貴方注意…… We would like to call your attention to... *用於必須說出很嚴重的事情時。 我們想利用這次的機會就……事提醒您。 May we take this occasion to remind you that... *有禮貌但語氣嚴厲。用於欠款到期不還等情況時。 May we take this opportunity to remind you that... ●轉達希望 我們希望您能…… We hope that you will... 我們希望收到…… We hope to receive... 我對……很感興趣。 We are interested in... *適用於索取資料時。 我們渴望知道…… We would be interested to learn... 如果您能告訴我們……,我們將不勝感激。 We would appreciate it if you will let us know... We would appreciate it if you would let us know... We shall appreciate it if you would let us know... 我們能麻煩您將……寄給我們嗎? May we ask you to send us...? ●致謝 非常感謝您為我們提供的一切。 We thank you for your offer. 您……,我們不勝感激。 I appreciate very much that you... 對貴方的大力合作我們萬分感激。 We appreciate your cooperation and... *cooperation “合作”。 We thank you for your cooperation and... ●感到遺憾 得知……,我們感到很遺憾。 It is regretful to learn of... 我們抱歉地通知您…… We are sorry to inform you that... 為……,我們深表遺憾。 We are very sorry that... 我們遺憾地通知您…… We regret to inform you that... *We are sorry...帶有說話人犯有過失的語氣。而用We regret和regret則不清楚過錯是在哪一方。 It is regretted that... ●表示歉意 就……,我們表示歉意。 We apologize for... We deeply apologize for... *更加強調。 We sincerely apologize for... *更加強調。 我們對……感到非常抱歉。 We are very sorry for... *比We apologize for...的語氣要婉轉的道歉方式。 ●抱怨 怨言對對方來講絕對不是一件使人愉快的事情,所以在表達方式上有必要下一番工夫。 我們不得不遺憾地通知您…… We are sorry to inform you that... 我們不得不很遺憾地提醒您…… We very much regret to have to remind you of... 我們請求您對……給予注意。 We invite your attention to... *用於引起別人注意時。attention “注意”。 We would like to call your attention to... *比較禮貌的說法。 我們想提醒您注意…… May we remind you that...? May we take this occasion to remind you that...? *語氣較委婉,“借此機會我想就一問題提醒您的注意”。 我們想指出…… We wish to point out that... *wish to... 雖然緩和了“我認為……”的語氣,但是說法仍然比較直接。point out “指出”。 ●祝賀 我們非常高興地獲悉…… We are delighted to learn that... *用於私人的或和對方很熟的情況下。delight “非常高興”。 衷心地祝賀你…… Congratulations on your... We would like to offer our congratulations on your... ●吊唁 剛剛驚悉××不幸逝世,我們深感悲痛。 We have just learned with profound sorrow of the passing away of... *profound “發自內心的”,sorrow 表示“悲痛”。 對××的不幸逝世我們深感痛惜。 We wish to express our deep regret over the passing of... *death 也可以代替passing, 但是death說法太直接,最好避開。 請接受我們誠摯的哀悼。 Please accept my sincerest condolences. ●同意 我們同意你們關於……的意見。 We agree with you on... We agree with you on the following issues... (我們同意以下幾點。) 我們完全同意您信上所提出的所有問題。 We are in full agreement with the points raised in your letter. *raise 表示“提出質問、異議”。 We are in complete agreement with the points outlined in your letter. 我們非常高興能有機會…… We are very pleased to have the opportunity to... We are very pleased to be in a position to... *較繞圈子的說法。 我們非常高興地…… We will be delighted to... We will be delighted to meet with you on June 4, 1998. (我們非常高興地期待著能在1998年6月4日見到您。) ●陳述自己的見解 我們認為…… We think that... We believe that... (我們相信……) We understand that... (我們理解……) 我們強烈地感到…… We feel strongly that... We feel strongly that our products are the best. (我們強烈地感到我們的產品是最好的。) 我們所理解的是…… It is our understanding that... We understand that... 我們對……完全沒有異議。 We do not anticipate any objections to... We do not anticipate any objections to your proposal. (我們對貴社的提議沒有任何異議。) 我們找不到任何理由…… We can see no reason why... *直譯是“我們不明白為什麽必須……的理由。”Why以下是說話人認為不太合適的事情。“我們一向不認為……”、“我們對不那樣做沒有異議”、以這種煞有介事的語氣使對方感激。 ●反駁對方 我們不清楚您到底是怎麽想的。 It is not (quite) clear to us what you had in mind. It is not clear to us what you meant. It is not clear to us what you intended. 使我們擔心的一點是…… The one point that concerned us (a little) was... *concern “擔心,在意”。 The one point that troubled us was... 我們對……感到擔心和掛念。 We have become concerned with regards to... We have become concerned with regards to the shipment schedule. (我們對裝船的日程感到擔心和掛念。) ●中立的答複 我們正在……過程中。 We are (now) in the process of... *in the process “正在……,……正在進行中”。 We are in the process of reviewing your suggestion. (我們正在重新研究貴社所提出的方案。) 我們非常重視…… We value ... highly. We value your suggestion highly. (我們非常重視貴社所提出的建議。) 我們非常感謝您提出的這件事。 We thank you for raising the issue. *內容可能是好,也可能是壞。 您的建議將由……進行討論。 Your suggestions are being followed up by... Your suggestions are being followed up by our committee. (您的建議將在我們委員會進行討論。 Your suggestions are being reviewed by... ●否定的回答 我們希望您能理解我們這次行動的理由。 We hope you will understand our reason for this action. *表達不利於對方的事情時,重要的是在表達方式上下工夫。 我們很難接受…… It would be difficult for us to accept... *還有商量餘地的情況下。 It would be difficult for us to accept the revision to our shipping schedule. (就我們的裝船日程來說,再作修改會是很困難的。) 非常遺憾,我們不能…… We regret that we are unable to... *已沒有商量的餘地。 We regret that we are unable to alter our pricing schedule. (很遺憾,我們不能更改價目表。) 除……之外,沒有選擇的餘地。 We have no alternative but to... *用於最後階段的信函中。alternative 是指“替代的手段、方法”。 因此,我們采取的立場是…… Consequently we are in the position to... *後接否定性的內容。consequently 表示“最終結果地”。 ●我方的行為和說明 我非常高興地向您推薦…… We are pleased to recommend...to you. 我們與……有非常親密的關係。 We work closely together with... 我們已經得知…… We are also told that... 修改後規定…… The amendment provides that... *amendment “改正”。 The amendment provides that you can no longer ship after the tenth of each month. (更改後的規定是每月10號以後不能裝船。) 以下的條件表明…… The following conditions show that... *用於否定的內容時。 The following conditions show that each shipment must arrive before noon. (以下的條件表明各種貨物必須在正午以前送到。) 這種變更意味著將會推遲…… The effect of this change will be to delay... ●表明謝意和希望 我們非常感謝本次交易和…… We appreciate your business and... We appreciate your patronage and... ……還有對貴方的友好表示感謝。 ..., and wish to thank you for your kindness. 我們非常感謝你們提供的意見。 We would appreciate receiving your comments. We would appreciate it if you could send us your comments. 我們非常歡迎你們提出寶貴意見。 We shall be interested in receiving your comments. We shall be interested in hearing your comments. ●顯示熱情和誠意 我們確信…… We are confident that... *confident “確信的”。 我們就……的可能性表示極大的熱忱。 We are enthusiastic over the possibilities of... *enthusiastic “熱心的,狂熱的”。 我們非常歡迎此事有所發展。 We welcome this development very much. *development “(形勢等)進展,發展”。 我們將繼續做我們所能做的一切。 We will continue to do all we can to... We will continue to do all we can to develop a stronger working relationship between our companies. (為了使我們兩家公司的商務關係更加緊密,我們將做出我們所能做的一切。) 我們將竭盡全力地…… We will do our utmost to... utmost “最大限度”。 We will do our utmost to develop new markets. (為開發新市場我們將竭盡全力。) 為了擴大……,我們將付出最大的努力。 We shall do whatever we can to extend... We shall do whatever we can to extend our service. (為了擴大服務,我們將付出最大的努力。) 我們將一直地努力提供給您我們最優惠價格。 We will always endeavor to offer you our most favorable rates. *endeavor “認真地努力”。 就……一事,請您盡管放心。 You may rest assured that... *rest assured 為短語,“放心”。 You may rest assured that your shipment will arrive on time. (貴公司的貨物將按時到達,請放心。) You may be certain that... ●通知、希望得到通知 我們希望就此事今後經常保持聯係。 We wish to keep you fully informed on this matter. We wish to keep you fully posted on this matter. 在本項目實行之際,煩請通知我們一聲。 Kindly inform us when this is put into effect. *put into effect “實施,實行”。 Kindly notify us when this is put into effect. Please let us know when this is put into effect. ●對否定性回答的補充 我們相信您能夠理解我們的立場。 We feel certain you will understand our position in this matter. 盡管如此,我們將做我們所能做的一切…… Nevertheless, we will do everything we can to... *nevertheless “然而,盡管如此”。 對於……,就我們來說,沒有異議。 There is no objection, as far as we are concerned, in... There is no objection, as far as we are concerned, in raising the prices. (就提高價格一事,我們完全沒有異議。) 為作為今後的參考,我們已將此事存入了我們的文檔。 These have been placed into our files for future reference. *for future reference 表示“為了作為今後的參考”。