说“ thank you ”
Thank you for your letter of yesterday.
Thank you for your prompt reply.
Thank you for helping us in this respect.
Thank you for your information
说“ please ”
Please send us a copy of your latest catalogue.
Please let us know if you can deliver form stock.
Please instruct your banker to remit the sum soon.
Please sign the two copies of the contract and return one copy to us.
经常使用的一些谦恭的词组。
We arepleased to say that ...
We appreciate your useful information.
Will you please do me a favour?
May I ask you to read it over?
It is really very nice of you to do so.
I am glad to say yes.
I am sorry that we had to delay the shipment.
We need the statement by the end of next week.
( Could you send us the statement by the end of next week? )
I was told that you cleared up the dealer-price difficulty.
( Thank you for clearing up the dealer-price difficulty. )
a. 正确地使用谦恭的词或词组。在下面哪一种情况下感谢读者是不恰当的？
(a) The reader has written you, saying that he enjoys the new car you sold him.
(b) The reader has written you complaining about the new car you sold him.
b. 尽量避免使用带有令人不快意味的词语。同是一个词，既可以表示肯定之意（令人愉快），也可表示否定之意（令人不快）。此外，有些词属于中性词，不存在任何令人不快的意味，比如：
主动性词——公正、镇定、成功地、有用的、合理的、有助的、灵活的。
否定性词——恐怕、不成功、不合理、不公平、错误、迟误、傲慢、低劣。
中性词——大的、其他的。
c. 改进哪些含有否定（不快）之意味的词。如：
(a) We have found out that you are delinquent with regard to your account by $3.
( We notice that your account is short by $3. )
(b) You claim that there 3 witnesses to the accident. We need their names and addresses.
( You mentioned that there were three witnesses to the accident. May we have their names and addresses? )
(c) You are requested to send payment by June 8.
( Please send payment by June 8.)
(d) Since the deadline is May 9 , a prompt reply before that date will be neccessary.
( Since the deadline is May 9, Please let us hear from you by then. )
(e) We would have answered you sooner, but your letter was addressed to the wrong office.
( We would have answered you sooner, but your letter just now arrived from our other office. )
d. 选用肯定词语。
(a) The office is closed afer four o'clock.
( The office is open until four o'clock. )
(b) We cannot have these figures for you before next week.
( We will have these figures for you next week. )
(c) We make no refunds after the 3-month guarantee has run out.
( We can only make refunds during the 3-month guarantee period. )
(d) We must tell you that we can't accept your proposal.
( Unfortunately, we cannot accept your proposal. )
(e) This is to inform you that the goods will not be ready by June 4. We will not be able to deliver them until June 8.
( We are sorry, but it will be at least June 8 before we can deliver the goods to you. )
一种令人不快的思想需要用肯定的词语来缓和语气，但是不能因为措词而冒犯激怒读者。比较：
I had hoped that a favourable consideration on your request could be possible.
I'm sorry we cannot approve your request.
一个肯定的词并非总能产生一种令人愉快的语气，这决定一个人如何去运用它。
We are patiently waiting to hear from you.
此句没有直接责备久久收不到对方的回音。
