早期與現代商業英文書信

The Early and Current English Business Letters

新式商業英文書信要求現代而純正的表達方式，其範圍從書信的版面到內容，務求正確、簡明、整潔、以及易讀。對讀者而言，內容最重要的是能讓人理解。過時的二十世紀寫作風格，充滿著冗長用字和過多客套，有時太含糊不清，模擬兩可，難以了解。除上述已過時的用法之外，有許多表現法應予注意，例如：信中地址、稱呼、結尾客套語、簽名、辨識記號、副本、附件、附筆、以及版面。

Updated English business correspondence requires a modem and unsophisticated method of expression ranging from the layout to the contents of the letter. It has to be accurate, concise, neat and easy to read. To the reader, the most significance of the contents has to be understandable. The out-of-date style of writing in the 20th century is full of long wordiness and too much courteousness. Sometimes it is too vague, ambiguous, and hard to understand. There are a lot of expressions to which the writer should pay attention besides the said obsolete expressions, e.g., the use of inside address, salutation, complimentary close, signature block, initials, carbon (circulated) copy, enclosure, postscript, and layout.