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:& r- R4 G' _4 O
a) We have received with many thanks your letter of Oct.7, and we take the pleasure of sending you latest catalog. We wish to draw your attention to a special offer, which we have made in it. [polite]
$ [1 [' q V7 e- f0 Z" X) Q% [ b) you will be particularly interested in a special offer on page 5 of the latest catalog enclosed, which you requested in your letter of Oct. 7.
$ Q! c4 m2 q3 c) \2 y) E You ought to Perhaps you could…… Your letter is not clear at all; I can't understand it. If I understand your letter correctly... Obviously, if you'd read your policy carefully, You'd be able to answer these questions yourself. Sometimes policy wording is a little hard to understand glad to clear up these questions for you. [courtesy]
) H" h. w+ @( v( c 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:1 w# y$ i* c7 Z8 b* j0 ?
(一) 把命令变成请求的常用形式:' J, ?: X* _% Z6 S7 |9 A
Please, Will you…….., Will you please……..,如:. H" C- {; y3 S Z
a) Will you give us more detailed information on your requirement?8 {! N: |! Y$ ~* A
b) Will you please (kindly) let us hear from you on these two points?
% \: k* E+ v7 O3 A: j) e (二) 虚拟式(Past Subjunctive From)如:1 \4 Y; ]2 F7 x
a) Would you compare our sample with the goods of other firms?
7 A) y+ M2 z! d! N b) We would ask you to ship the goods by the first available vessel.
& w% k4 p% D' ^2 B9 N c) We wish you would let us have your reply soon.
9 j* M9 r ?. p; `8 ] d) This would seem to confirm our opinion.2 ^5 ~- w- b) J# {2 J
e) We should be grateful if you would help us with your suggestion.
" |* x" [, S; h, {* G6 O* K2 W f) We think if advisable that you should accept this offer at this price.
' _3 I; S1 q7 g7 |) ~! R g) We should(would) like you to let us know the exact amount.
/ L# P C" u& | h) Perhaps you might like to have a look at the actual goods.; h" i Q- t& G: c* d
i) We might be of some service to you in a similar case. ! O. {) y9 b- i3 E0 P: f6 j! R1 {
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。
# n3 Y& ]0 g) A" J5 a4 n7 A% h (三) 缓和用法(Mitigation)
& Q5 }6 m' J9 u- d 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:
' h5 O/ w5 c2 r/ W- f: ~ a) It was unwise of you to have done that. We would say that it was unwise of you to have done that.2 B1 `* {- M2 C5 c. i6 f- ^
b) You ought to have done it. It seems to us that you ought to have done it.2 I7 p) r: u' Y
c) We cannot comply with your request. We are afraid we cannot comply with your request.7 n$ [9 z, G7 U3 n" r' r7 M. ^3 r
d) Our products are the very best on the market. We might say that our products are the very best on the market." }2 l3 e h% x. ]3 q7 R
e) You must keep the matter to yourselves. You must, we would add, keep the matter to yourselves.
; e- C, K* ^( c- f/ F1 m Y& ] ] P. Q f) You must cut off your order in half We would suggest that you cut your order in half. P! u6 }/ K* ?9 d$ ?$ m) h/ v
g) We have not yet had your reply. It appears that we have not yet had your reply. |