原文: How to Keep Your Business Writing Clear And Up To Date

Most of us are busier than ever these days. We don’t have time to decipher the memos, e-mails, and other business messages we receive. We need to understand them the first time we read them. And we need to write them clearly so that our audience isn’t forced to labor over their meaning.

Years ago, old fashioned business messages were often filled with redundancies and stilted wording, for example, “Upon procurement of the supplies, your request will be scrutinized and taken under consideration in a timely fashion.”

Today, the most effective business messages are clear, concise, and easy to comprehend.

We write pretty much the way we speak, in Plain English, which most eighth and ninth graders can readily understand.

Here are eight things you can do to keep your business writing clear and up to date:

1. Use every day words you and your audience understand. You need to impress your audience with clarity, not with words they have to look up in the dictionary. Write “old,” rather than “antiquated”; “certain,” rather than “unequivocal,”; “read,” rather than “peruse.”
   
   
2. Omit, tighten or trim old-fashioned phrases. Rather than writing, “This is to inform you,” simply write your message. Use “because,” rather than “owing to the fact that”; write “I’ve just learned,” rather than, “It has come to my attention.”
   
3. Write the way you speak with the appropriate level of formality. Use a conversational but professional tone. Obviously, you wouldn’t write the too familiar, “Hey Dude, How’s it goin’?” as a greeting for a business e-mail. You might write the words, “Hi Chris,” “Hello Jane,” or “Dear Mr. Johnson,” depending on how well you know the recipient. As you compose the rest of your message, ask yourself if you would use the words you’re writing when you’re speaking to someone in polite conversation.
   
   
4. Avoid the passive voice--most of the time. The passive voice is indirect, wordy, and awkward. “The report was worked on by the team,” is written in the passive voice. Why not write, “The team worked on the report”? It’s stronger and to the point.
   
   A few words of caution--You might also use the passive voice when you want to be diplomatic and nonaccusatory: "The fax machine is broken," rather than, "You broke the fax machine."
   
   
5. Write concise sentences and paragraphs, but don’t overdo it. A string of short sentences may sound choppy, and paragraphs that are too short may lack substance. Keep your audience in mind as you write only the words you need to make your meaning clear and focused. Sprinkle in transitions, such as “therefore,” “also,” and “however,” to make your sentences flow smoothly.
   
   
6. Don’t use clichés. Clichés tell your audience that you didn’t make the effort to express yourself in your own unique way. Furthermore, if you’re writing for an
   international audience, clichés such as, “call the shots,” or “fall through the
   cracks,” may be meaningless.
   
   
7. Use jargon with care, only when it’s appropriate for your audience. Jargon is
   language used by members of a profession or followers of a hobby. “Brasstacks,” “gravy plane,” and “TPN” are examples of jargon used in the finance,av iation, and nursing professions, respectively. Jargon is like shop talk, so be sure to limit its use to the specific group you’re addressing.
   
   
8. Always proofread your messages. It’s tempting to press “send” on an e-mail
   without looking it over. Check all your messages for correct grammar and proper
   punctuation. Even a forgotten comma can cause confusion: “After typing the
   secretary went home.” Did someone type the secretary? Or did the secretary go
   home after she finished typing? Your audience shouldn’t have to ask either question.

Writing clearly in up-to-date language saves time and money and can prevent misunderstandings. It shows respect for your audience and builds good will. Implement the above guidelines, and your colleagues will look forward to your business messages. You’ll also enjoy a competitive edge in the workforce.

译文: 如何保持商务写作的整洁及新颖

多数人现在都比从前更加忙碌。我们没有时间去辨认我们收到的备忘录，电子邮件和其他商务信息。我们必须在第一遍看的时候就明白它的内容。而且我们必须要写清楚，那看的人才不会很费力去理解他的意义。

 

很多年前，老式的商务信息中充满了累赘和生硬的措辞，比如说：在获得了这些补给后，你的要求将会被仔细审查，而且会给予勉强的考虑。

现今，最有效的商务信息是清晰，简洁和简单易懂。

我们写作时就用我们口语时最简单明了的英语，即使是8，9年级的人也能看懂。

这里有8条建议能使你保持商务写作的整洁及新颖：

 

1.使用你和读者都理解的日常用语。 你必须用明确而不是使他们去查阅字典而加深他们的印象。写作要“老练”而不是“过时”；“确定”而不是“含糊不清”；“易懂”而不是“需要细阅”。

2.省略，压缩或者消减过时的说法。与其说是写作，不如简单的写下你的信息，如这是想通知你。使用“因为”而不是“由于事实的情况”；使用“我得知”而不是“引起我注意的是”。

3.用口语以及适当的形式上的措辞来写作。使用对话但是专业的语调。显然，你不能写的太过随意，如：你好，杜德，事情怎么样了？来作为商务信件的问候语。你可以这样写，“Hi Chris,” “Hello Jane,” 或者“Dear Mr. Johnson,” 这取决于收件人和你的熟识程度。当你在写信件其他内容的时候，你要问你自己你是否会在一个和别人礼貌聊天时候使用你写的这些内容。

4.尽量避免被动语态。被动语态不直接，很啰嗦也很不方便。"这份报告是大家一起完成的”这个是用被动语态写的，那为什么不写成“大家一起完成了报告”这样语气更加强烈更加中肯。

需要注意的地方--当你想要圆滑点或者变通点的时候，你也可以使用被动语态，如：“机器坏了”比“ 你弄坏了机器”要好很多。

5.用简明的句子和段落，但是不要太过头。一连串的短句听起来会比较起伏，而段落太短会让人觉得缺少实质内容。当你写作的时候一定要时刻把读者放在脑海中，确保你使用的词语能是你的意思更明确，更集中。可以使用一些副词比如，因此，也，然而等等来使你的句子更加平稳。

6.不用使用陈词滥调。陈词滥调会让读者觉得你没有努力用你自己的方式去表达你想说的。而且，如果你是写给一个国际读者，像call the shots或者fall through the cracks会表达的含糊不清。

7.只能在适合读者的时候谨慎的使用专业术语。行话是专业人士和有兴趣的人所使用的。“Brasstacks”，“gravy plane”和“TPN”是一些行话的例子，这些分别被运用在金融，航空业和护理领域中。行话就是行话，所以要确保你使用的时候是对特定的人群。

8.要不停校对你的信息。很多人都不会在检查，直接按发送键发电子邮件的。检查信息，改正语法错误和适当的标点。甚至少了一个逗号都会引起歧义：“After typing the secretary went home.” 有人打了secretary这个单词还是秘书在打完字后回家了？你的读者可能会问其中任何一个问题。

写作时用新颖清晰的语言能节省时间和金钱，同时也能避免引起误会。这能表示对读者的尊重以及能锻炼很好的意志力。遵从以上的指引，你的同事将会很期望收到你的商务信息。你也会在全体员工中很有竞争优势。