文/刘宝彩/天津
标题由以下贸易金融英语信函为佐证，以(a)篇和(b)篇两篇英文贸易金融实例信函作文及其五项操作练习为例，让从事对外贸易金融，及英语写作人员参考学习（包括写作及其功能句使用者和各功能句反复操作实践的应用者的参考）。
(a) a request for the payment of principal and part interest
May 2, 19__
Your payment for our sales of the AI computer products has been so delayed this time that your proceeds, generally on arrival at our account at this time of the month, have remained unpaid up to now. This means that we shall be unable to wait for any longer-time payment, but must ask you to pay immediately.
The delay in payment is for 49-day time. As this remains appreciably late for us to receive the proceeds necessary to qualify for the claim of the amount in compensation for the loss of interest thereon, we cannot claim it. Nevertheless, as correspondent of long standing we feel that we may ask you to investigate and compensate us for our interest loss in 30-day time for an amount of USD ____ at the rate of __ percent per annum in order that we may make up more or less the loss.
We would be grateful to you if you could treat this payment of the principal and the interest as urgent and arrange for immediate credit of our account with Bank ABC under advice to us quoting our reference number _____.
Yours truly,
(b) reply to (a)
We thank you for your letter May, 19__, requesting for the payment which is receiving our immediate attention, and will be made within the week. We, too, have had no your reimbursement instruction in time with the result that we may not be able to refund you. What we are prepared to do, however, is equal to share with you your interest cost calculated for 30 days at the rate of ___ % P.A.
We trust that this compromise meets with your approval and look forward your favourable reply soon.
Yours faithfully.
I EXERCISE: rewrite the following using‘feel’ in place of ‘think’, ‘consider’, etc., e.g.
We consider that it would be most improper to negotiate documents before the L/C has been available to you. → We feel that it would be most improper to negotiate documents before the L/C has been available to you.
1 We think that it would be in our interests to have the L/C confirmation dispatched by air.
2 We consider that the present state of the market makes it inadvisable to launch the relevant report free of charge.
3 We think that unless your L/C can be subject to UCP No.500, you will have little chance of banking here.
4 We are of the opinion that it would be advisable to make settlement most by L/C but less by collection.
5 We consider that this bank’s L/C is excessively high in view of the amount of banking business the bank has been doing with us up to the present time.
II EXERCISE: rewrite the following using ‘may’, e.g.
Perhaps the documents have been delayed in negotiation. → The documents may have been delayed in negotiation.
1 Perhaps the reimbursing bank are without receipt of reimbursement instructions from the issuing bank in time.
2 Perhaps they have already deducted the claim of negotiation.
3 Perhaps airmailing specifications have been sent to the issuing bank.
4 Perhaps the banks are out of credit cards in pound sterling.
5 Perhaps the set of documents was given to the wrongly bank.
III EXERCISE: rewrite the following using ‘regret’, e.g.
We are sorry we were not able to dispatch the notice in time.→ We regret that we were not able to dispatch the notice in time.
1 The issuing bank is sorry that the bank has not able to include the reimbursement instructions, but the bank promise to forward them within the next few days.
2 We are sorry that our Account Department has not yet forwarded the credit advice for goods retuned to your customer in June; this matter is now receiving their urgent attention.
3 We are sorry to note that you have been obliged to close one of your branches in our city, and trust that this will only be a temporary setback.
4 We are sorry to inform you that for the moment no more transshipment-related Ls/C can be accepted for negotiation this year.
5 We are sorry that it was not possible to issue a revolving L/C you asked, and trust that an L/C to issue once a month will meet with your approval.
IV CONSTRUCTION EXERCISE
Rewrite the following using ‘so...that’, e.g.
The 2-month delay on your part is abnormal in your dealing with our reimbursement claims. We request you to effect payment to us for USD.—being the loss of interest calculated at rate of --% p.a. → The 2-month delay on your part is so abnormal in your dealing with our reimbursement claims that we request you to effect payment to us for USD.—being the loss of interest calculated at rate of --% p.a.
1 The demand for negotiation of documents to be presented to your country is at present growing highly. We must ask for a possibility to set up correspondent relations with your bank first.
2 The customer’s request for the issue of an L/C No.4 was extremely urgent. We had to send it by telex, and then its copy by expedited delivery services (courier).
3 We have had an enormous number of documents for goods available for export to your country. We have decided to step up the examination. (Use ‘so many’)
4 The international net by which Bank of China are dealing in bankings is extremely efficient. A quite number of customers are rapidly interested in establishment of banking relations with the Bank of China.
5 The 30-day’s time beginning from date of your receipt of our claim is quite enough. You would finish account procedures.
V CONSTRUCTION EXERCISE
Rewrite the following using‘with the result that’, e.g.
As you were without the dispatch of reimbursement instructions to your reimbursing bank in time, we sustained the loss of 15-day’s interest arising from delay in your payment to us. → You were without the dispatch of reimbursement instructions to your reimbursing bank in time, with the result that we sustained the loss of 15-day’s interest arising from delay in your payment to us.
1 Since nobody works in the banking offices on Saturday, documents that arrive on a Friday are often held up till the following Monday.
2 As the urgent documents were complied with L/C No.6 into negotiation, flown to Bank AAA by Air china freight and delivered an officer of the bank within two days, they were able to finish reimbursement on time.
3 As we asked you to send your reimbursing bank reimbursement instructions one week ago instead of the usual two, we suffered loss of the interest for USD.—after the payment delay began.
4 As the documents our customer presented in comply with your L/C No.9 were already negotiated and sent you during postal business hours of April 15, 19…-- we were without reimbursement for nearly three weeks.
5 Since syndicated loan cannot be made available to the project except under supervision of experts from the World Bank, the construction has been held up for over a week.
此两篇经贸业务英文作文实例文章看出：靠一层接着一层推理的清晰逻辑，符合“英语是逻辑语言；不是模板语言，逻辑是英语的灵魂”之原理要求，写作经贸实践英语就OK。如此水到渠成成功交涉催收回本金利息得“满分”。需要用“②原因←①主题（以催收欠款为提）→③结果→④感受”方法，训练英文写作，才能得“满分”，具体以英语“满分”写作者成功收回被拖欠本息款。
总结：
上述(a)和(b)两篇英文作文贸易金融信函的写作及其功能句的注释和各功能句反复操作实践的使用，可以看出：分享成果——成绩升！对外经贸与金融业务需要英语逻辑思维写作才能完美做好——对于涉及对外贸易和金融人员以及英语实践写作人员来说，帮助意义是巨大的。有的对英语逻辑思维写作外经贸英语操作，如不是很清楚的读者则请私信我助你一臂之力。为此相信英语作文梦想守卫者，逻辑思维写作拼搏者，会赢得伟大的成功！