The pecularities of the translation of business english letters

     The date of sending is in a right overhead corner, under the address of sender. There are several variants of writing a date:

     September 7, 2008

     September 7th, 2008

     7 September, 2008

     7th September, 2008

     Presently the first variant is most widely-used.

     Unlike Ukrainian the names of months are often written briefly:

     February — Feb.,   June — Jun.,   October —Oct.,

     April  — Apr., August — Aug./ Ag., November — Nov.

     Date can be named by numbers, however the translator should remember that in the American variant first goes a month, on the second — number and on the third — year. Например, дата 22 декабря 2008 года цифрами в американском варианте будет представлена следующим образом: 12.22.08 или 12/ 22/ 08. For example, date of  December 22, 2008 in the American variant will be presented as follows: 12.22.08 or 12/ 22/ 08. In the British variant a number goes first, and then— month, as well as in Ukrainian: 22.12.08 or 22/ 12/ 08. And this should be mentioned  while translation.

     The name of the addressee should be written with such appeal: Mr., Mrs., Miss. Without the last name these forms are not used, and after the forms of Mr., Mrs., as a rule, a point is put unlike the Ukrainian. For example:

     Mr. Richard Smith    Пану Річарду Сміту

     Mrs. Lucy Long    Пані Лусі Лонг

     Miss Agatha Brown   Пані Агаті Браун

     Misses Helen and Agnes           Пані Хелен та Агнес

     Bosworth     Бозуорт

            Form of Mr. refers to a man, Mrs. — to the married woman, Miss — to a single one.

     If you send a letter in a firm or organization, proprietors or leaders of which can be a few, you write:

     Messrs.* Bullman,  Carey,  and   Панам Булману, Кері та

     Benson     Бенсону

     Mesdames** Brooks and Coleman  Пані Брукс та Коул-

     Mmes. Brooks and Coleman    манн

     It is essential to know that in Ukrainian the singular and plural forms of ‘пані’are the same.

     When the sender of the letter, addressed to any organization desires so that the letter would be read by specific face oа this organization, then before the entrance rotation (or under it) the following inscription is placed:

     For the attention of Mr. D. Robinson – Увазі пана Д. Робінсона

     Attention of Mr. D. Robinson

     Appeal.

     The form of appeal depends on the degree of acquaintance or family relations with the addressee. So, to the unfamiliar or unknown people:

     Dear Mr. Smith,   Шановний пане Сміт!  

     Dear Miss Smith,   Шановна пані Сміт!

     Dear Mrs. Wilson,   Шановна пані Уілсон!

     Dear Ms. Green,   Шановна пані Грін!

     Dear Messrs. Smith  Шановні панове Сміт та Джоунз!

     and Jones,

     In strictly official letters you write:

     My dear Sir:           Високопоставлений пане!

                                                        (вельмишановний, високоповажний)

     My dear Madam:   Вельмишановна пані!

     In official letters to the unknown people, the last names you do not know  the followings forms are used::

     Sir:     Пане!

     Dear Sir,    Шановний пане!

     Dear Sirs,    Шановні панове!

     Gentlemen:    Панове!

     Dear Sir or Madam:   Шановний/а пане (пані)! 

     Madam:    Пані!

     Dear Madam,   Шановна пані!

     Appeals of My dear Sir, My dear Madam, Sir, Madam are strictly official. Dear Sir, Dear Madam a few less official and that can also be viewed in Ukrainian as well.

     In addition, in less official and semi-official correspondence it is possible to meet such forms;

     Dear Colleague,   Шановний колего!

     Dear Reader,   Шановний читачу!

     Dear Editor,    Шановний редакторе!

     Dear Publisher,   Шановний видавцю!

     Unlike the Ukrainian language in English-speaking letters after the reference the exclamation mark but  a comma or a colon is put not.

     Reference Line.

     The block of reference line in Business  correspondence is optional for both languages and it is determined  by the situation of intercourse, which is a stimulus to drafting of letter. This can be presented: 1) by independent suggestion and selected in a separate indention; 2) by the main part of complex sentence; 3) by second-rate part of sentence. Equivalent translation is provided by the use of permanent or occasional variants: Ми отримали сьогодні… ; У відповідь на Ваше замовлення.

     Beginning.

     The beginning of the letter usually consists of words of gratitude for the letter received earlier or any other phrases depending on a situation. The list of most often used phrases is given in the Appendix.

     Body of the letter. (Samples of letters are given thereunder.)

     Final phrase. (Final phrases of letters are given in the Appendix.)

     Complimentary Close.

     As well as the appeal, the complementary close depends on addressee. However in English written etiquette more or less the general form ‘Sincerely yours’ which depends on tone of all letter can be perceived both as strictly official, and as less official, and as absolutely informal. In Ukrainian this form is translated depending on a situation as ‘З повагою’, ‘Щиро ваш’. This form has some variants:

     Sincerely,

     Sincerely yours,

     Very sincerely yours,

     Yours sincerely,

     Yours very sincerely,

     Along with the given above forms in official and business correspondence are used:

     Yours truly/ Yours very truly,      З повагою і найкращими побажаннями!

     (формально  та офіційно)

     Truly yours/ Very truly yours,  З повагою і найкращими

     (дещо менш формально, але також офіційно)      побажаннями!

     Less official are:

     Faithfully yours,    З повагою

     Cordially yours,    Щиро Ваш

     Subordinates usually address to the heads:

     Respectfully yours,   З повагою

     If it is the invitation letter there is R. S V. R., which means:" надішліть відповідь будь ласка ".

     Enclosure

     Here you may see the main differences of enclosure in English vs English 

       Encl: Cheque                                        Додаток: чек (ніколи не скорочується) 

     Enclosures:                                           приложения:

     Insurance Policy                                   страховий поліс

     Invoice                                                   рахунок 

     Postscript

     In English business letters addition begins from the reduction P.S., in the end of the addition the signature again is placed unlike the Ukrainian. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

     2.2. SAMPLES OF BUSINESS ENGLISH LETTRS 

The following types of official English letters are distinguished:

- Letter of Inquiry  
- Letter of Order 
- Letter of Demand

     - Letter of Claim  
         - Letter of Adjustment 
Of course it is not the full list of them, but actually the samples of which are given and translated in my course paper [14, 44-48].

     Letter of Inquiry 

     The subject of inquiries is the information of any sort and its any kind – the list of the prices, conditions of delivery, terms of performance of orders, inquiries, guarantees, catalogues etc. The language of inquiries is simple, and the content is reduced to «we ask such information». In inquiries the following cliches are usually used:

     Please inform us – Просимо повідомити

     Please send us – просимо надіслати

     Please rush us – просимо вислати

     We should be obliged to receive your (price-list) – ми були б вдячні, отримавши ваш (прейскурант)

     We are interested in – Ми цікавимося

     We are in the market for – Ми маємо намір купити

     Quote prices – вкажіть ціну

     We have an inquiry for – Ми хотіли б отримати інформацію про… 

                                                                                      

                                                                                       

       15 May 2002

     Damark International, Inc.

     6707 Shingle Greek parkway

     Minnepolis, MN 55430

     USA

      Gentlemen: 

     Please send us your new catalogue of Computers and Microprocessors. We also should be grateful if you would enclose free descriptive leaflets with your reply and quote your terms f.o.b. London

                                                                        Yours faithfully,                                                                                            

           M. Davis 
 

     Панове! 

     Просимо Вас надіслати новий каталог комп'ютерів і мікропроцесорів. Також будемо вдячні, якщо Ви додасте каталог безкоштовних проспектами і вкажете умови доставки Ф.О.Б. Лондон. 

                                                                          Щиро Ваш,

           М. Дейвіс. 
 

     Letter of Order.

     In orders and covering letters such words and expressions are often used:

     To be quoted on all documents – посилатися на замовлення у всіх документах

     Your terms (quotations, prices) are accepted – ваші умови, ціни приймаються

     We accept your terms – ми приймаємо ваші ціни, умови

     Free repair – безкоштовний ремонт, заміна

     Invoice – рахунок

     To place an order for – розмістити замовлення

     Reduce quotations by 10 per cent – зменшити ціни на 10 %

     trial order – перевірочне замовлення

     Regular order – регулярні замовлення

     To ship\to deliver – доставляти

     To take delivery – прийняти доставку

     Payment in check – оплата чеком

     Postage – оплата за доставку

     Prompt delivery – швидка доставка

     Discount – знижка 

     Dear Sirs,  

     Please supply me 20 ‘Accursed Skeleton’ at $70 each and 70 Swatch “Wall Street” watches at $25 each plus $5 postage and handling for each watch ordered. 

     I enclose full payment in check.

       

                                                                                Yours faithfully, 

     Панове: 

     Прошу вислати мені 20 годинників  по 70 ам. доларів за штуку і 70 годинників   по 25 фунтів за штуку плюс по 5 ам. доларів за кожен годинник на пересилку і доставку.

       Додаю повну оплату чеком.         

                                                                             Щиро Ваш… 
 

     Confirmation of orders. 

     Such orders, as a rule do not demand to be translated, they are registered and filed: 
 

     Dear Sirs,

     This is to confirm your order №210 of 10 May.