Translation of Formal Letters Letters and Official Documents

Translation of (Formal) Letters • Letters and (Official) Documents: 应用文 : for various communicative purposes • Conventions, Contracts & Agreements: • Social Letters: • Professional Letters: • Business Letters:

• Social Letters: 社交信件 personal letters, greeting letters, thank-you letters, invitations, letters for congratulation, condolences, sympathy, apology, etc. • Professional Letters: 事务信件 recommendations, applications, certificates, notarizations, certificate of appointments, letter of appointment, application letters, personal statements, resume and covering letters

Format of Letters • • Heading: the address of the writer Inside Address: Salutation: Body: Complimentary Closing: Signature: Postscript: Enclosure: (enclosed is /are/please find my resume )

Translation Strategies • Literary Language, fixed formats and stereotyped expressions • colloquial , concise • literary, concise, or colloquial Chinese as required, • Literal translation of closing, or adoption of traditional conventionalities • Professional letters /social letters: no clear distinction—format, but diction

Sample Letters 1. We want you to the ceremony, to the wedding luncheon 请您出席; 家宴；喜宴 2. With Love, Cordially yours, Sincerely (yours)美, Yours faithfully英, Yours truly, Loving, Yours, Respectfully yours 此致 敬礼; 此致 3. (With) best wishes to you (both): 祝你们安好、春安、 4. We should be grateful/obliged/thankful if you should get for us some information about this company. 如蒙… 将不胜感激

Translation of Invitations • request the pleasure of sb’s company at … • R. S. V. P. : repondez s’il vous plait • To Whom It May Concern, Gentlemen美, Dear Sirs 英 • This is to certify that ( notarize, introduce, ) • Hereby, hereon, hereto, herein, hereof, hereunder : under this, in here, of this, by this, after this, to this

• Mr. George Bush with regards to(向…致意） Mr. Joe Waterman, requests the acceptance of a watch forwarded(send, pass) herewith(with this letter). 奉上手表一块，聊表敬意，务请笑纳。 George Bush Sept. 8, 1998 • Dear Joe: You will do me honor by accepting that watch forwarded herewith. I shall be glad if you like it. 如能收下这块手表，我讲深感荣幸。（十分高兴） Truly yours, George

Dear Sirs: I wish to pursue a doctoral degree in Chemical Engineering at your university. My desired date of entrance is fall, 2003. Please send me all necessary application forms at your earliest convenience. If possible, I also wish to obtain a graduate assistantship so that I can support myself and obtain more experience while pursing graduate study. I obtained my B. E. and M. E. from SMU. At present, I work as an instructor at this university.

Resume personal data, sex, marital status, single, married, postcode, scholastic honors, references, qualifications covering letters

Graduation Certificate This (it is hereby)is to certify that Sam Johnson, male, native of Winona, Minnesota, born in November 1980, having enrolled to study Spanish in Department of Foreign Languages, Minnesota University in Sept. 1998, graduated in July 2002. The following is the report of the academic records in his specialized courses from the 1 st to the 7 th semesters (no exam or test for the last semester): Oral exam: good; Written exam: excellent, pass 兹证明… ，良，优，合格 1998年 9月考入明大…学习，以下是其第一至第 七学期在校专业课成绩（第八学期未进行考核）

Dear David, I hope you haven’t made any definite plan for the winter vacation, as I’d like you to stay with us for a few days, my parents will be very much delighted to receive you as a guest. Hoping you will be able to come, I am Cordially yours,

Dear Wang, Allow me to present you a copy of Longman Modern English Dictionary, I know you are studying English now, and hope will find it useful. It’s a trifle gift, but I hope you will accept it as a small token of my gratitude for your continual kindness. Yours truly,

Tom and I learned from Dr. Harmon last evening that you were recently appointed the new president of XX university. We are sure this honor of yours is won on the ground of personal merits. Our congratulations to you and to XX university also for having chosen the right man. May success crown all your work!

Dear Gorge, Linda and I were delighted to receive the announcement of your marriage. Every happiness be yours on this wedding day. Allow two old friends of yours to send their hearty congratulations to you and the bride. …高兴得知你们结婚的消息. 在你新婚之际，请接受两位 老友最美好的祝愿，祝你和新娘新婚幸福． 　　　　　　　　…敬贺

Dear Joe, The painful news of the passing away of your father reached us this morning, and we were so shocked that we could not at first realize the fact. It will be hard for all of us who knew him to carry on without him. We shall always remember his kindness and intelligence.

Dr. and Mrs. Roger B. Clark Request the pleasure of Mr. and Mrs. Frank North’s company at dinner on Thursday, September the twentieth at eight o’clock to meet Miss Marts Lang 250 Park Avenue

Mr. And Mrs. Frank North accept with pleasure Dr. and Mrs. Roger B. Clark’s kind invitation for dinner on Thursday, … at eight o’clock to meet …

Mr. and Mrs. Frank North regret that a previous engagement prevents their accepting …. . ’s kind invitation for dinner on Thursday… to meet…

Self-recommendation Gentlemen, From your advertisement in yesterday’s Washington Post, I find that you are wanting an English translator in your office. I ask to offer myself as a candidate for the post. My qualifications are as follows: Age: 26 Native place: Newtown, Maryland Education: XX University Experience: 3 years secretary to Mr. White, Manager of XX Co. , Ltd. Salary wanted: $3000 a month Should my application be regarded favourably, I shall endeavour to justify the confidence you may repose in me.

Certificate To Whom It May Concern: This is to certify that Dr. Charles Don has been employed in our office for the past five years. He is well acquainted with accountancy. He has faithfully attended to his duties and proved himself thoroughly reliable. Any inquiries regarding him will be answered by.

Notarization • This is to notarize that the official seal affixed by the Company to the above document is genuine (&valid) and that the Chinese translation of Document is in conformity with the original copy. Notary_______ Signature_______ XX Notary Office Date______

Certificate of Appointment Re: Deep Hold Cargo Ship for Tender Board of Smith International Co. , Ltd. To Whom It May Concern, We, Far East Shipbuilding Co. , Ltd. Wish to tender for the Deep Hold Cargo Ship to the Tender Board of Smith International Co. Ltd. We hereby appoint ABC Co. Ltd. Of Hong Kong to act on our behalf to make all necessary arrangements in Hong Kong for the tender. However, all expenses made are subject to our approval. Director of FE Date

Translation of Business Texts • Business English: a branch of ESP专门用 途英语 (English for Specific Purposes) • It is the actual application of The English Language in business world. • The study of business English involves Language Knowledge, Communication Skills, Professional Skills, Management Skills and Cultural Awareness.

ESP and EGP • EGP: English for General Purposes: 普通 英语; 一般用途英语 • Differences: 1. Purposes 2. The use and meanings of some many words; 3. Composition of sentences and passages

Translation of Business Letters and Telexes Business Letters: Writing/Translation Principle: 7 Cs: (5 Cs) Correctness: format and wording 正确 Concreteness: 具体 Conciseness: 简练 Courtesy: 礼貌 Clearness (Clarity): not misleading 清楚 Completeness: 完整 Consideration: 体谅

• Dear Sirs (Dear sirs)？ • We shall deduct this amount from your account. ？（We shall debit this amount…) • 我们将从贵公司账户中扣除此项金额。 • This credit will remain valid until the end of this month. ？ ( …until May 31, 2006) • Documents against payment: 付款交单 in your favour: 以你方为受益人 All sales are final: 货物售出，概不退换 We are sorry that you misunderstood us. ？(…. we didn’t make ourselves clear. )

Stereotyped Expressions of BL Business terminology, adopting formal and stereotyped Chinese business expressions when rendering Eg: 1. be in the receipt of : 来函收悉 2. in reply/answer to: 兹复 3. For your reference: 顺告；（句首）仅 供参考；（句尾） 4. upon the receipt of : 一俟收到

Sample Business Letters We are in receipt of your letter of Sept. 8. We (make) acknowledge(ment) (to) your letter of Sept. 8. 你方来函收悉。 Please be advised that the originals of shipping documents are being sent to you through Bank of China. 谨告知装船单证正本正通过中国银行寄送你方。 We deal in a wide range of light industrial products as per list enclosed. 按照，依据 Details as per the attached list. 详见附表

Sample Business Letters 1. S. S: Steamship ；M/V: Motor Vessel 2. Ex: The goods ex stock are available. goods from stock; Goods are in stock for supply. Goods are out of stock; not available for supply; stocks are exhausted. 3. CIF: cost, insurance and freight FOB: free on board (ship) RRP: recommended retail price

Samples • I take the liberty of introducing you my firm as an Export Merchant. • I would refer you to our captioned enquiry sent to you on … • In view of the increasing demand for the goods, • Referring to your L/C No…. ,

Telexes: 电传 Applying short words or shortened forms of words: Omission of particles and other less functional words Participles: present/past 翻译时，应弄清电文中所省略的词语或成分，并 根据动词形式辨明主语与时态，全盘考虑电文 的含义，用简洁的汉语译出。

Telex Samples 1. YR TLX 28 TH RCVD 2. PLS ADV WHEN SMPLS SENT 3. TEL SPECIFICATIONS IMMDLY OTHRWS CNT SHIP IN TIME 4. AGREE TO COMPROMISE SUGGESTED 5. L/C FOR ORDER 150 UNRCVD PLS RUSH IT 6. 7. IF ABSLTLY NCSSRY U MAY INCREASE PRICE 8. EXTNSN L/C UNRCVD WHEN U SNT REP 9. HPE TO GET PREFERENCE IN OUR FUTURE BSNSS SO AS TO HV CHANCE TO RECOVER OUR LOSS

Telex Samples 10. PLS ADV YR TRVL PLANS ASAP Telex Form: 15 components Telex Number (Very) Urgent Our Ref: ATTN: MR. WANG RE: EXTD SHIPMT THRU CSTMRS DELAY L/C RCVD ONLY 20/6 SPACE BOOKED UP PLS ASK CSTMRS ASAP TO EXTD SHIPMT 31/7 VALIDITY 15/8 BEST RGDS Time