成考英语复习：英文书信写作

《专升本英语复习考试大纲》 中的“短文写作”还包括私人信件，故此考生有必要掌握英文书信的写作方法．一般来说，信件可以分为私人信件（personal letter ）和事务信件( business letter ）两大类．在形式和写法上，两者之间均有所不同．我们这里只简明地介绍私人信件的写作．首先介绍信件的基本格式，参见下例：

Sample l

Asian English Language and Culture Foundation

66 Harmon Street, NE

Washington, DC200O2

U. S. A

July 18, 2001

Wang Lixin, Professor

Department of Comparative Literature

East China Institute of Science and Art

Hefei , Anhui Province 230001

P . R . China

Dear Lixin ,

1 am writing to tell you how much I appreciate all the work that you are putting into our cooperative project. I know that your assignment only adds to your already busy schedule but your insights and suggestions are greatly valued.

And thank you again for the kind hospitality that you have shown us during our visit at your school. I always look forward to our next meeting in New York City.

Most sincerely, (signature)

Becky Gould Personnel Development Department Coordinator AELCF

英文书信的基本格式可分为并列式、斜列式等．当前美国最常用的是并列式，现在我们就以此式为例，介绍一下英文书信的基本格式．一封完整的英文信件至少包括6 个部分，较正式的书写顺序是：

1 ．信头（Heading ) ：写信人的单位、地址．如上例中的前四行．如果用的是已印有名址的信笺，写信人地址则可省略．

2 ．写信日期（Date ) ：这是一定要写的．请注意日期占一行，上下各空一行，如写信人的地址已省略，日期则顶行．

3 ．信内名址（Inside Name and Address ) ：收信人的姓名和地址．私人信件可以省去这部分，但事务信件必须有这部分，位置在信的左边．

4 ．称呼（Salutation ) ：对收信人的称呼，称呼后要用逗号或冒号．

5 ．正文（Body of the Letter ) ：正文在称呼下面一行或两行开始，信的正文应根据信的内容分段．

6 ．结尾（complimentary Close ) ：结尾是写信人的谦称，表示信已结束．通常是几个常用的词组，事物信件常用的结尾有：sincerely yours , Yours sincerely ，truly yours , Yours faithfully 等．私人信件可以根据与收信人的关系，关系较远的可以用上面提到的，关系较近的可以用Best , Yours 等．结尾开头的一个字母要大写，后面用逗号．

7 ．写信人签名（Signature ) ：签名在结尾下面空开一点，稍微偏右的地方．签名要用手写体亲笔书写，如需打印写信人的姓名，应在亲笔签名的下面．事务信件有时需要在打印的名字下面打出写信人的职务或职称．

Sample l 为比较正式的私人信函，在形式上与事务信函已经没有很大区别． 但在实际生活中，交往密切的亲友之间的书信在信的正文之外，往往只在信笺的左上方注明写信日期，其它一概省略，如sample 2 和sample 3 .

Sample 2

April 15, 2002

Dear Xiaojun,

Enclosed is a copy of Our Global Village, Spring Issue, which I bought for you during my business trip to London last week. This issue contains a variety of articles related to our last discussion when I was in China. 1 hope that you will find this issue stimulating to read.

I would like to encourage you to submit articles to this journal. I believe that you have much special insight into the nature of globalization and many people here may profit from your research.

Sincerely,

Dennis

　Sample 3

August 18, 2002

Dear Lily,

How are you? I’ve been busy writing my paper. “Art and Scientific Creativeness”. I remember having read in your department a very informative book “Young Scientists and the Twentieth Century” I believe that the preface of the book will be of great the help to me now. Therefore, I sincerely hope you ‘ 11 help me by sending by sending me a copy of the preface for my reference. You may scan that part to your computer and then send it to me by email. Again, thanks.

Yours,

Ken

上面两封私人信件主题突出，意义连贯，文字通畅，可以作为范文来读．英文书信在写作时除了注意前面几种文体提到的要求外，还应注意以下几点：

1．简洁明了：书信的目的是交流信息，因此简洁明了地表达写信人的意图是最

重要的．

2．格式正确完整．

附：英文信封的格式

Su Jingjia

1069 Meiyuan Road Postage

Gulou District

Nanjing, Jiangsu Province 230023

Dr. Stuart Kroll

College of Communications

Utah State University

Logan, UT84322-4990

U. S. A

英文信封左上角为寄信人名址，收信人的名址在信封中间偏下．这两部分的第一行分别写寄信人和收信人的全名，收信人的姓名前要冠以相当的尊称，如上面的Dr.,再如Prof . , President, Mr., Mrs., Ms., Miss 等．以下均为地址，从小写到大，与中文的书写习惯正好相反．