rocketeer分析商务英语的文体风格与语言特征

2021年1月12日发(作者：刘远炳)
〔摘要〕国际商务管理论文中国加入世贸以来, 商务英语变得越来越重要了, 因此掌握商务
英语应用文的文体风格与语言特点是很有必要的。本文通过大量的例证分析, 讨论了商务英
语应用文的文体风格与语言特点, 希望对商务英语学习者与商务英语工作者有所裨益。
一、商务英语写作的类别一般来说 , 按照其用途 , 商务英语写作可以分为以下八种:
1 . 信函。通常信函广泛地运用于各种社会关系活动与商业事务中。它又可分为私人信函
和官方信函。2 . 商业文件。通常商业文件广泛地运用于经济与贸易领域。它又可分为一般
的商业信件和特殊的商业文件。 一般的商业信件包括建立商业关系的信件 , 接受函和合同
等。特殊的商业文件包括索赔的报价函、贷款信件、委托证明书、意向书、投诉信件等。3 .
礼仪文件。此类文件包括祝贺文件和吊慰文件。4 . 合同。这类文件包括意向协议书、销售证明、代理协议、合同、文化交流协议、约会信函、协议条款等。5 . 信息通告文件。此类
文件常用来通知公众或引起公众的注意。如: 报告、通知、海报、备忘录、广告等。6 . 说
明性的写作。此类文件常用来解释或说明某个问题或事件 , 包括商标、广告说明书、质量
保证书、图文说明等。7 . 帐单和收据。这类写作可分为许多种 , 如帐单、表格、收据、保
险单、订单、航运文件、证明等。8 . 会议的文件。此类文件包括会前签定和告知的会议中
所记录的及会后有关的文件。
二、商务英语的文体风格与语言特征应用文英语写作 , 尤其是商务英语写作 , 是实际运
用语言的 一个典范。其主要作用是按照文件上所定的条款规则来告知或提醒其合作伙伴或公
众的行动。这样的应用 文写作有其独特的语言风格: 标准性、正式性和特殊性。当然 , 商务
英语也有其基本的语言特征 , 那就是: 完整性、具体性、简洁性、简明性、顾及性和准确性。
1 . 频繁地使用动态的词 , 如去等 , 而不是那些静态的词 , 如是等。例如:(1) We are glad
t o inform you that our cust omers are quitesatisfied with the quality Of your p r oducts1(2) Your
p roducts are selling well1众所周知 , 商人处在正在进行时的句子中代表着繁荣的景观 —
— — 产品已售出。2 . 更多地位用连贯介词而不使用单个的简单介词。如in favor of, in comp
liance with, as per, in view of . . . 例如:(1) Freight payable as per charter party’ s p lus t wo non
—negotiable cop ies1(2) This certificate of silk p roducts is issued in comp liancewith the
consignee’ s request1因为商务英语写作属于正式文体写作 , 所以更多地使用直观的语言
更使人们觉得庄重与严肃。3 . 使用由 “here” , “there”构成的复合词 , 或由“where”
加上 in, by, after等后缀构成的词。例如:(1) We confir med the credit and thereby undertake
that alldraft drawn and p resent as above specified will be dulyhonored by us at our counter on
or before .(2) This contract is made by and bet ween the Buyers andthe Sellers, whereby the
Buyers agree t o buy and theSellers agree t o sell the under—menti oned commodityaccording t
o the terms and conditi ons sti pulated bel ow1这些词的使用能避免没必要的重复 , 从而使意
思更简洁明了。 “here”指代 “this” , “there”指代 “that” , “where”指代 “what” ,
或 “which” 。
4 . 使用正式法律英语的表达法。如 assist, assign, con2strue, convene, execute, interi m,
partake, repatriate, the said等。例如:(1) At the request of Party A agrees t o send technicians t
oassist ( ratherthan“hel p” ) Party B install the equi p2ment . .( 2 ) I n p rocessing transacti ons,
the manufactures neverhave title ( rather than“right” ) either t o the materialsor t o the finished
p r oducts .
5 . 更多地使用非限定的形式来表达严肃的语气。例如:(1) Should the Vessel deviate or put
back during a voyage,contrary t o the others ordirecti ons of the Charterers, formany reas ons
other than accident t o the cargo or wherepermitted in lines 257 t o 258 hereunder, the ire is t
obe sus pended from the ti me of her deviating or puttingback until she is again in the same or
equidistant posi2ti on fr om the destinati on and the voyage resumed there2fr om.(2) Should ice
p revent the Vessel from reaching port of dis2charge the Charterers shall have the op ti on of
keep ingthe Vesselwaiting until the reopening of navigati on andpaying demurrage p r of ordering
the Vessel t o a safeand i mmediately accessible port where she can safelydischarge without risk
of detenti on by ice1Such orderst o be given within 48 hours after theMaster or the Own2ers
have given notice t o the Charterers of the i mpossi2bility of reaching port of destinati on .
6 . 更多地使用 “shall”来增强语气。例如:(1) This contract shall become effective upon and
fr om thedate onwhich it is signed1(2) The Sellers shall be liable for any rust, damage andl oss
attributed t o inadequate packing by the sellers1在合同中 , 单词 shall”不仅表示将来时 , 而
且表达了每一方的职责与义务 , 常具有 “must”的强制意味。
7 . 更多地使用成对的同义词。例如:(1) This Agreement andany rights or obligati on
hereunderare not transferable or assignable by one party t o this a2greementwithout the
consent of the other party here t o1(2) This contract is made by and bet ween the Buyers andthe
Sellers, whereby the buyers agree t o buy and theSellers agree t o sell the under—menti oned
commodityaccording t o the terms and conditi ons sti pulated bel ow18 . 适宜地使用被动语态
和主动语态。如:(1) Party A hereby appoints Party B as its exclusive salesagent inChangsha1
( active voice)(2) Party B is hereby appointed by Party A as its exclusivesales agent in Changsha1
(passive voice)但有时使用被动语态比使用主动语态更好。如:(3) The Buyers’ Shi pp ing Agency,
China Nati onal ForeignTrade Trans portati on Cor porati on, Beijing, China( cable address : 3 3 3 3
Beijing) will attend t obooking of shi pp ing space . ( active voice)(4) Booking of shi pp ing space
shall be attended t o by theBuyers ’ Shi pp ing Agency, China Nati onal ForeignTrade Trans
portati on Corporati on, Beijing China ( ca2ble address : 3 3 3 3 Beijing) (passive voice)比较以上
四个句子 , 我们便发现句子 (1) (4) 分别比句子 (2) (3) 好。9 . 较少地使用间接表达 , 更多
地使用直接表达。如:(1) This article does not app ly t o bondholderswho have notbeen paid in
full .(2) This article app lies only t o bondholder who have beenpaid in full .比较以上两个句子 ,
我们便发现用直接表达写的句子(2) 比用间接表达写的句 (1) 更清楚而没有拐弯抹角。
10 . 频繁地使用一些特定的表达 , 其中主要的一个是“whereas” 。用在介绍背景的开
场白中和表达签合同的意向时 “whereas”是个关联词。如:(1) Whereas the contract or is
desirous t o p rovide the man2power for the works1(2) Whereas PartyA agrees t o sell t o PartyB
the p r oducts,the steel wire r ope, in compensati on of the p rice ofParty B’smachines and equi
pment .此外 , 在证明方面还有许多特定的数量表达法。如:(1) In Dup licat or 2 - Fold (一式
两份 )(2) In Tri p licate or 3 - Fold (一式三份 )(3) In Quadrup licate or 4 - Fold (一式四
份 )(4) In Quintup licate or 5 - Fold (一式五份 )(5) In Sextup licate or 6 - Fold (一式六
份 )(6) In Sep tup licate use of or 7 - Fold (一式七份 )(7) In Octup licate or 8 - Fold (一式
八份 )(8) In Nonuj p licate or 9 - Fold (一式九份 )(9) In Decup licate or 10 - Fold (一式十
份 )11 . 频繁地使用多体词。如 confirm ( confir mati on) , ac2cep t ( accep tance) , collect
( collecti on)。(1) We have added our confirmati on (保兑 ) on the creditand engage that
documents p resented t o us in full com2p liance with the terms and conditi ons of the credit
willbe duly honored .(2) The fall set of shi pp ing documents shall accompany thecollecti on (托
收 ) draft and only be released after fullpayment of the invoice value .(3) We hereby engage with
drawers and /or bone fide hold2ers that draft drawn in conformitywith the terms of thiscreditwill
duly accep ted (承兑 ) on p resentati on andduly honored atmaturity .在商务英语写作中一个非
常普遍的现象是多体词的运用 , 这些词能频繁地改变意思 , 所以其准确的意思必需依赖于
句子的上下文。
12 . 频繁地使用非真实条件句并不断地改变句子结构。如: in case of, only if, only after, p r