商务英语写作中标点符号的妙用

会计考友

　　1. 句号 Period [.]   
/ j. Q, E- }9 S. Y0 W　　用以表示一个句子的结束：
　　Hockey is a popular sport in Canada.   
  m' |! J7 Z4 s　　The federal government is based in Ottawa.   
　　用在缩写中：
　　B.C. is the province located on the West Coast.   
- ^/ }" z% e1 a; h: l) E　　Dr. Bethune was a Canadian who worked in China.   
　　The company is located at 888 Bay St. in Toronto.   
- ~  m$ k8 {6 \% p4 J　　It is 4:00 p.m. in Halifax right now.   
, h" ?% \: N% m4 X4 w( d! y; E7 _　　2. 问号 Question Mark [?]
　　在句子的结尾使用问号表示是直接疑问句：How many provinces are there in Canada?   
　　注意：在间接疑问句结尾不要加问号：
* ^6 T6 N0 D% w　　The teacher asked the class a question.   
　　Do not ask me why.   
5 {* |, q, ]  u; T　　3. 叹号 Exclamation Mark [!]   
　　在句子的结尾使用叹号表示惊讶、兴奋等情绪：
　　We won the Stanley Cup!   
# C: B9 F) R0 m3 Y$ v　　The forest is on fire!   
　　4. 逗号 Comma [,]   
  t: M1 G0 W* o' c4 L　　句子中的停顿：Therefore, we should write a letter to the prime minister.   
　　在疑问句中引出说话人："I can come today," she said, "but not tomorrow."   
5 C5 j* Z7 ^9 S) r! C  m, i  \0 _2 c1 R　　排列三个或以上的名词：Ontario, Quebec, and B.C. are the three biggest provinces.
9 v! t! K; c! p, U2 p) D　　引出定语从句：Emily Carr, who was born in 1871, was a great painter.   
　　5. 单引号 Apostrophe [’]   
' w; W( {1 y+ P, N4 z  a　　表示所有:This is David’s computer.   
　　These are the player’s things. (things that belong to the player)
　　Note: 对于复数形式的名词，只加’   
  j7 j7 B0 `) g- Z: t/ S　　These are the players’ things. (things that belong to the players)   
! b# K% v9 I! y　　缩写I don’t know how to fix it.   
2 Y0 t+ X" m- `1 T: s: s　　6. 引号Quotation Marks ["]   
5 U7 }5 n5 D8 K% }+ U　　直接引出某人说的话：
: K: }1 s. o# c3 q8 _. c  r　　The prime minister said, "We will win the election."   
7 g+ c& |- @9 V+ \　　"I can come today," she said, "but not tomorrow."   
　　7. 冒号Colon [:]   
　　引出一系列名词：There are three positions in hockey: goalie, defence, and forward.   
5 n- `: u6 k. Z+ n; _/ [　　引出一个较长的引语：The prime minister said: "We will fight. We will not give up. We will win the next election."   
　　8. 分号Semicolon [;]   
　　将两个相关的句子连接起来：The festival is very popular; people from all over the world visit each year.   
　　和逗号一同使用引出一系列名词：The three biggest cities in Canada are Toronto, Ontario; Montreal, Quebec; and Vancouver, B.C.   
　　9. 破折号Dash [-]
3 T' j, [% Z0 H) `* D9 D; K　　在一个句子前作总结：Mild, wet, and cloudy - these are the characteristics of weather in Vancouver.   
　　在一个子的前面或后面加入额外的注释：The children - Pierre, Laura, and Ashley - went to the store. Most Canadians - but not all - voted in the last election.   
1 W  I- B& [2 k) |0 o　　表示某人在说话过程中被打断：The woman said, "I want to ask - " when the earthquake began to shake the room.
5 W7 X0 @# k4 n5 d- {1 V4 w　　10. 连字符Hyphen [-]
　　连接两个单词：sweet-smelling; fire-resistant   
- l* r: a% U/ O7 k　　将前缀：anti-Canadian; non-contact   
　　在数字中使用：one-quarter; twenty-three