純正地道美語第302期(外教講解):Sending A Quote Via Email

Tracy: Melanie, can you help me with something? We need to finalize the account with the Mexican Embassy and, I need some advice on phrasing this letter correctly in English.

Melanie: Sure Tracy, let me just get my laptop all set.

Tracy: Okay, so... To Whom It May Concern, I am writing.

Melanie: Um, Tracy? I think that' s a little too formal. I know you want to be polite but you've already made contact with them, so in English you can be more relaxed in the opening...

Tracy: Okay, more relaxed. Got it. Hey, Sally, what' s up? It's Tracy here, just.

Melanie: Okay Tracy, now it's too relaxed! You've still got to show some respect. How about starting with "Dear Ms. Cooper, I'm writing to confirm...?

Tracy: Great, okay. "Dear Miss Cooper, I'm writing to confirm the final quotation for the full page back cover color advertisement you requested for the spring issue of Voila magazine".

Melanie: That's great...

Tracy: "The final costing, including advert design and production, comes to forty-five thousand six hundred RMB. We want payment ten working days before publication or we will cancel the ad. Thanks for..."

Melanie: Woo, okay, back up a second, Tracy. That's too direct. Can I suggest you say, please note that final payment is due two working weeks before publication? You don't want to offend her.

Tracy: Oops, okay. You are right. Then I can just end with "All the best, Tracy".

Melanie: Hmmmm, maybe, but I'd play it safe and just finish with "Yours Sincerely". That's more professional.

Tracy: Oh, Melanie, you are a life saver, thank you!

finalize the account 確定帳戶
embassy n. 大使館，大使館全體人員
phrase n.短語，習語，措辭，[音]樂句 vt.措詞，將(樂曲)分成樂句
To Whom It May Concern信件的開頭常用寫法，特別是不知道對方稱呼的條件下用
what' s up 怎麼了，什麼情況，接下來做什麼
All the best/Yours Sincerely 信的結尾常用語

特蕾西：梅勒妮，能幫我做些事嗎？我們要和墨西哥大使館確定賬戶，然後我需要一些建議，就是有關用英語書寫規範的問題。

梅勒妮：當然了，特蕾西，先讓我準備好我的筆記本電腦。

特蕾西：好的，所以說，我要寫給誰呢？

梅勒妮：呃，特蕾西，我想這樣寫有些太正式了。我知道你想表現得很有禮貌，但是我們已經來往過，所以信的開頭可以超微輕鬆一些。

特蕾西：好的，要比較輕鬆。知道了。嗨，莎莉，怎麼了？特蕾西也正好在這裏。

梅勒妮：好的，特蕾西，現在放鬆多了吧！不過還是要表現出尊敬。以“親愛的庫伯小姐，我寫信來是爲了確認……”這樣爲開頭行嗎？

特蕾西：好，好的。“親愛的庫伯小姐，我寫信給你是爲了確認最後的定價，就是春季出版的Voila雜誌封面全頁的廣告。

梅勒妮：這樣寫很好……

特蕾西：最後的花費，包括廣告定價和生產，總共有45600。我們希望在雜誌出版的十個工作日之前收到付款，沒收到的話，我們會取消廣告。謝謝……”

梅勒妮：哇，好的，在修改一下，特蕾西。這樣太直接了。如果你不想冒犯的話，我可以這樣說麼：“請注意，最後的付款須要在雜誌出版的兩個工作周之前支付”。

特蕾西：哎呀，好的。你是對的。然後我只要以“一切都好，特蕾西”結尾就行了。

梅勒妮：嗯，也許吧。但是保險起見吧，用“你的真誠的”，會顯得更專業些。

特蕾西：哦，梅勒妮，你真是我的救星，謝謝啦！