What is business correspondence in foreign trade

Business correspondence in foreign trade is a letter written in formal language, usually used when writing from one business organization to another, or for correspondence between such organizations and their customers, clients and other external parties, and the two organizations or parties are of two different countries or regions.

Words features

Business writing strives to be crisp and succinct rather than evocative or creative; it stresses specificity and accuracy.  So the words should be more formal than normal and conventional english.  However, writing that is too formal can alienate readers, and an attempt to be overly casual may come across as insincere or unprofessional.  What’s more, it is perfectly appropriate to refer to yourself as I and to the reader as you.  When stating your opinion, use I; when presenting company policy, use we.

Sentence features

It is better to minimize the use of the passive voice, because business correspondence should be written to achieve a style that is so clear that their messages cannot be misunderstood.  Although the passive voice is sometimes necessary, often it not only makes the writing dull but also can be ambiguous or overly impersonal.  Besides, passive voice requires longer verb forms, building longer sentences that are tiresome to read.

Text features

• Accuracy and concise

A good business letter does not ramble on; it supplies all pertinent information in a clear and concise manner.  Consequently, the number of written words must be frugal with in every sentence.  However, the letter cannot turn out as an endless series of short, choppy sentences — "concise" does not have to mean "blunt".  Morover, it is necessary to state the purpose in the opening sentence of the letter because there are really not enough hours in the day for a busy person to read each letter slowly, word for word.

• No mistake

Even though someone may be skimming the letter, do not assume that he or she won’t notice any spelling or grammatical mistakes.  Business correspondence represents not only you but the company.  A badly written business letter can bring a bad image to your copmany.  So no mistake is allowed.

Example

Dear Sirs,

We are in receipt of your letter of 8th June and regret to note your complaint respecting the Woolen Goods we sent you by s.s. Dongfeng.

We have booked up the matter in our records, and so far as we can find, the goods in question were in first-class condition when they left here, as was evidenced by the Bill of Lading.  It is therefore quite obvious that the damage complained of must have taken place in transit.  In the circumstances, we are apparently not liable for the damage and would advise you to claim on the shipping company who should be held responsible.

At any rate, we thank you for bringing this to our attention and if you feel it necessary we shall be pleased to take the matter up on your behalf with the shipping company concerned.

Yours faithfully,

宋詞猶如中國古代文學史上一塊天然的美玉﹐在中國古代文學的博物館里﹐泛著古朴而又冷艷的光澤﹐卻也任是無情也動人。悲天憫人是其風骨﹐感懷淒涼為其鉛華。它遠從《詩經》﹑《楚辭》及《漢魏六朝詩歌》里汲取營養﹐又為後來的明清對劇小說輸送了有機成分。直到今天﹐它仍能使人們在晨鐘暮鼓中﹐聆聽那些或情場失意﹐或浪跡塵世﹐或壯志未酬的靈魂的傳世的吟唱﹐給人們心靈以洗禮。

詞﹐詩歌的一種﹐又稱曲子詞﹑樂府﹑樂章﹑長短句﹑詩余﹑琴趣等。詞“勾萌于隋﹐發育于唐﹐敷舒于五代﹐茂盛于北宋﹐烂燦于南宋﹐剪伐于金﹐散漫于元﹐搖落于明﹐灌溉于清初﹐收獲于乾嘉之際。”〔劉毓盤《詞史》〕。詞最初主要流行於民間﹐《敦煌曲子詞集》收錄的一百六十多首作品﹐大多是從盛唐到唐末五代的民間歌曲。大約到中唐時期﹐詩人張志和﹑韋應物﹑白居易﹑劉禹錫等人開始寫詞﹐把這一文體引入了文壇。到晚唐五代時期﹐文人詞有了很大的發展﹐晚唐詞人溫庭筠以及以他為代表的“花間”派詞人和以李煜﹑馮延巳為代表的南唐詞人的創作﹐都為詞體的成熟和基本抒情風格的建立作出了重要貢獻。終使詞在詩之外別樹一幟﹐成為中國古代最為突出的文學體裁之一。進入宋代﹐詞的創作逐步蔚為大觀﹐產生了大批成就突出的詞人﹐名篇佳作層出不窮﹐并出現了各種風格﹑流派。《全宋詞》共收錄流傳到今天的詞作一千三百三十多家將近兩萬首﹐從這一數字可以推想當時創作的盛況。詞的起源雖早﹐但詞的發展高峰則是在宋代﹐因此後人便把詞看作是宋代最有代表性的文學﹐與唐代詩歌并列﹐而有了所謂“唐詩﹑宋詞”的說法。

宋詞發展過程中﹐北宋的滅亡成為其一轉折點。諸家中﹐蘇軾﹑辛棄疾的作品﹐代表了宋詞的最高水平。而受蘇辛影響﹑生活在宋詞發展的又一個轉折點──南宋滅亡時的蔣捷﹐則是南宋詞壇乃至整個宋詞史上的一朵奇葩。

蔣捷生活在宋朝滅亡﹑元軍入侵江南的時期﹐尤其在南宋滅亡後﹐深懷亡國之痛﹐被迫多次遷徙﹐生活非常不穩定。元朝多次招他為官﹐“臧陸輩交荐其才﹐卒不肯起”。 其氣節為時人所重。晚年在太湖竹山定居﹐人稱“竹山先生”﹐與周密﹑王沂孫﹑張炎并稱“宋末四大家”。著有《竹山詞》。

於《竹山詞》中﹐最愛《虞美人·聽雨》。

少年聽雨歌樓上﹐紅燭昏羅帳。

壯年聽雨客舟中﹐江闊云低﹐ 斷雁叫西風。

而今聽雨僧廬下﹐鬢已星星也。

悲歡離合總無情﹐一任階前﹐點滴到天明。

三個時期﹐三種心境﹐讀來淒然。

詞人曾為宋末進士﹐惜尚未受官便成南宋遺臣﹐一生流離顛沛。此詞可作為詞人對自己由少至老一生之概括。歷經宋末戰亂﹐外族成主﹐詞人回首一生﹐唯余萬千慨嘆。遙想晏歐陽之洒脫閑適﹐追思秦柳之優游愜意﹐又念蘇辛之達觀豪放﹐至于蔣竹山﹐則空余“一任階前點滴到天明”﹗個中滋味﹐非“淒涼一片秋聲”所能道耳。

“少年聽雨”時﹐宋朝偏安江南﹐“直把杭州當汴州”﹐歌舞升平﹐紙醉金迷。詞人亦于歌樓上﹐于羅帳中﹐無慮無憂。

“壯年聽雨”時﹐南宋風雨飄搖﹐終為外族所滅。詞人客走他鄉﹐無所依托。西風陣陣﹐失去家國的詞人只能如那孤獨無依地在黑云密布的楚天中哀鳴的大雁一般﹐搭一葉客舟﹐任波隨流。雖人到中年﹐當慨然因應世事滄桑﹐然國之不存﹐民將焉附﹖終是滿目蒼涼﹐無以排遣。

“而今聽雨”時﹐詞人已然鬢生華發﹐亦知世事無常﹐回天乏力。江南多陰雨﹐階前點滴﹐實屬尋常﹐且身居僧盧下﹐理應了卻俗事。然亡國之痛﹐早已滲入心腑﹐何以忘﹖故雨一夜不止﹐詞人亦一夜未眠。這滴滴細雨﹐似落于盧前階上﹐實聲聲震于詞人心頭。少年時﹐詞人有歌聲為伴﹐紅燭相照﹔壯年時﹐雖雁聲淒切﹐西風緊冷﹐詞人仍可以雁聲為依﹐有西風相送而借舟泛游﹔今之詞人﹐老無所依﹐行無所至﹐惟有寄寓僧盧﹐黯然無眠。由是觀之﹐“一任”之辭﹐看似洒脫﹐實則愁苦無奈悲慟之至。

“夫聽雨，一也。而詞中所云不同如此，蓋同者，耳也；不同者，心也。心之所發，情也。情之遇于景，接于物，其感有不同耳。”所謂物感之于心 ﹐情發乎於衷。後人韓弈此評深得詞旨﹐深然之。

《竹山詞》多淒清感懷﹐常於落寞孤苦中﹐寄寓傷念故國的一片深情。如“流光容易把人抛﹐紅了櫻桃﹐綠了芭蕉”（《一翦梅·舟過吳江》）﹑“此際愁更別。雁落影，西窗愁月”（《秋夜雨·秋夜》）﹑"飛鶯縱有風吹轉，奈舊家苑已成秋"（《高陽台》）等﹐都飽含山河易主﹐無處納身的哀傷。

清文藝理論家﹑語言學家劉熙載評價竹山之詞說："蔣竹山詞未极流動自然，然洗練縝密，語多創獲，其志視梅溪較貞，其思視夢窗較清。劉文房為五言長城，竹山其亦長短句之長城歟。"（《藝概·詞曲概》）雖有溢美之嫌﹐卻不失為對其詞作地位之肯定。

自宋末以降﹐至今已近八百年。這八百年中﹐再多的哀愁﹐再多的感懷﹐都已似那於階前點滴的雨般﹐流逝了去。此間八百年﹐多少游子曾或于煙雨中﹐或于暮年時﹐或于國破後﹐念起這首《虞美人》﹖而貫穿這八百年的﹐便是《虞美人》本身所蘊含的與後世來者之間的共鳴。

這種共鳴﹐不僅僅是蔣捷《虞美人》的魅力﹐不僅僅是宋詞的魅力﹐更是中國古典文學的魅力。