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一、概述

便條也是書信的一種形式。它的特點是內容簡短，主要有臨時性的詢問、留言、通知、要求等。跟正規書信相比，便條的語言比較口頭化，比如要通知某事只需這樣開頭：Just a line to tell you that ...而無須像正規書信那樣This is to inform you that ...開頭。另外，在便條中常出現省略現象，例如：“key to back door is under mat.”或者“key to back door under mat .”(後門鑰匙在墊子下麵)代之以“The key to the back door is under the mat.”結束時也無需結尾禮詞，只需寫上寫便條者姓名。如果是關係比較近的人，則只需寫上姓或名。

便條的日期通常寫在右上角。一般只寫上星期幾或者星期幾上午或下午，也可寫上午、下午的具體時刻。日常應用中，寫上幾月幾日的也很普遍。但一般不寫年份，因為便條的內容多半是當日或近日內要辦的事情。寫便條時，不得事先準備，因此無固定格式，大多用手寫。

二、注意事項

1.詞句簡潔，儘量避免應酬語和各種敬詞

2.切忌內容空洞、言不達意。

三、分類舉例

1）請假（Asking for Leave）

例1

Directions: You are about to write a Business Leave Note of about 100 words. Please describe this information clearly.

1) the reason you ask for the leave

2) the time and how long you will leave

Class 4, Grade 3

Aug. 22nd

To Department Office

Secretary Li,

I’m sorry to apply for ten day’s leave from the Aug. 23rd to Sept, 3rd instant. As I have to leave with the time is urgent. My father now in the hospital is badly ill. I have to go to see him and take care of him for a few days. You know I’m the only child in my family. Of course I will show you the telegram about my father’s illness which is received from my mother to support my application.

As concern as the missed lessons during my absence, I promise I will do my best to catch them on after I come back to the campus. Wish for your allowance.

Yours respectfully

×××



*本文是一封請假條，一般我們要向上級或老師請假，通常用的是ask for leave這個短語，請三天假可寫作：ask for three days’ leave;因病請假則是ask for sick leave. leave在這裏是名詞用法，文中用的短語是apply for意為“申請”，含有更加鄭重的意味，常用於下級對上級或晚輩對長輩的書面語中，“Only child”意為“獨生子女”相應的，“獨生女”譯作“only daughter”而“獨生子”譯作“only son”. As concern as.後面跟名詞性結構，意為“涉及到，至於”與Concerning同意，兩者可以互換。

2)約請(Invitation)

例

Directions: You have a ticket to the Russian National Ballet Troupe, which is visiting and you want to give it to your friend Alice. Write a note to her and say:

1) the time of the show,

2) the place where you will wait for her

You should write about 100 words.

Sunday

Dear Alice,

Here is a piece of good news for you. The Russian National Ballet Troupe, which is now on a visit in Beijing, will give a performance in the Beijing Grand Theater tomorrow evening. I am sure that you will be happy to watch it. Here I leave you an admission card. The performance will begin at seven o’clock sharp. I will wait for you at the theater entrance. Please let me know whether you are prevented from coming or not.

×××



* 約朋友一起去看戲，可是朋友不在家，只好留下票子和一張便條，但又怕朋友來不了，所以在便條最後特地寫上“如果你來不了，告訴我一聲”（Please let me know whether you are prevented from coming）此文的wait for也可以用expect 代替。

3)道歉（Apology）

人非聖賢，孰能無過。在社會交往中，人們常常會出現一些疏忽、過失等。如果發生此類事情，就會給對方帶來麻煩和不便。為了避免誤解，不影響感情，在這種情況下，應寫信給對方予以解釋，以請求諒解。

此類信要寫得及時，態度要誠懇，用詞需謙遜。一般在信一開始就向對方表示歉意或內疚，然後說明原因並提出補救的辦法。

例1

Directions: You have missed a date of your friend, now you have to write a letter for appologization in about 100 words.

May 20th

Dear Lily,

I am sorry I missed seeing you yesterday. I know that you must have been disappointed. I also feel worried and anxious in my heart. The fact is that my manager at the last moment asked me to prepare a urgent plan while I could not get to a phone to call you and yesterday I have worked late until about 8:30 p. m. I am terribly sorry.

However, I would like to ask you out this weekend to make up for yesterday. Please give me a chance and I am waiting for your reply.

×××



* 臨時有事未能赴約，一定要把事情解釋清楚並真誠的道歉，最好能有彌補（to make up），就像這封信裏所說的那樣，邀請對方週末再碰頭（I would like to ask you out this weekend）注意英文句子you must have been disappointed中情態動詞的用法：情態動詞+完成時態，表示過去行為。這句話應該理解為“你當時一定感到很失望”。

例2

Directions: You have received a invitation from your friend, but you have already had some guests in your house. Please express the reason you can’t go clearly in about 100 words.

6. April

Dear Lucy,

I do apologize for having to send this letter about Saturday night.

When I accepted your invitation, I simply forgot that Saturday was a holiday and that my own guests were not leaving until Sunday morning. It is difficult for me to make a choice. Though I also wonder to meet you very much. I could not very well go out by myself and leave the guests at my home.

I hope you know how sorry I am not to be with you this Saturday. Should I make a visit to you in my other spare time?

Thank you very much.

×××



* 自己家裏有客人，自然不方便再接受別人邀請去做客所以可以明正言順的表示拒絕或可另約時間。英文要強調謂語動詞，可以加上助動詞，例如：

I do apologize for being late.

He did come yesterday.

例3

Directions: You are already have a date with your friend but suddenly have another thing to do and you have to tell your friend that you can’t go. Express your reason clearly in about 100 words.

Monday 9:00 a.m

Dear Jane,

I am sorry to tell you that I won’t be able to come this afternoon because I have to go to the airport at 2:00 p. m. to meet an overseas visitor from Australia. I really have kept our date in my mind all these days, however, I received my boss’ e-mail this morning, he asked me to go to the airport to meet one of his friends from abroad, it’s suddenly and urgent and I must go. Please forgive me. Would you please ring me up to make another time?

Many thanks.

×××



* 因有事而不能赴約，只能另約時間（to make或to fix another time）。寫信人Bluce很可能是英國人，因為他把“打電話”說成to ring somebody up，美國人通常說to call somebody。英國人打電話還可以說 to give somebody a ring，不要錯以為別人要送你個戒指。與別人已經定好的約會卻臨時不能赴約時，應說明原因並誠懇地道歉，以期獲得別人的諒解。

4）借物(Borrowing)

例

Directions: You are going to write a note for borrowing sth. Please describe this information clearly.

1) the thing you ask

2) detailed what you are going to do with it.

3) how long will you take it.

Tuesday

Dear Xiao Wang:

I wonder if I could borrow your electronic dictionary for a few days. Now I am translating some important articles. There are many new words which I have to look up the dictionary usually. I just have a paper dictionary but of course it’s not as convenient as the electronic one, which has a bad effect upon my velocity of my translating. So I think your electronic dictionary is more suitable for me to complete my work. I promise that I must be very careful of your dictionary and make no damage done on it. Thank you very much!

Yours ever

×××



*字典是我們日常生活中常用的學習工具，但是千萬不能直接從字面上認為“查字典”就是“check the dictionary”，而應該用“look up”這個固定短語來表達。

“影響……”有一個很地道的短語。“have effect upon/on”,後面接受影響的人或物，如果是積極影響就在have和effect之間加a good ，反之，就加“a bad”其他的形容詞例如great， remarkable也可以用來修飾effect，此詞在這裏是名詞。

5）回復友人問侯(Reply for Regards)

例

Directions: You have just had an operation, and received a note of regards from your friend Jenny. Now please write a reply to her to tell her your current situation.

You should write about 100 words.

Jan.8th.

Dear Jenny,

Thanks for your letter of sympathy I received the day before yesterday. The operation on my leg was a wonderful success. You know I had been suffering a lot from my leg since my childhood. The operation removed the cause of trouble. It is quite worth having the operation. I am daily recovering from my illness. I’m confident I will soon be in the office again after proper treatment. Thank you for kind wishes.

My best wishes to all your family

×××



*這是對好友問侯便條的回復。形式簡單，內容明瞭。過去完成進行時“I had been suffering…my childhood”表示動作從過去一直持續到現在。

例2

Directions: Your father is seriously ill, and you want to go back home. Write a note to the secretary and it should include.

1) the cause for leaving;

2) the days: from 16th to 21 st;

3) Catch on the lesson after returning school.

July 5th

Dear Miss Huang,

My sister called me last night, and she said that my father is dangerously ill. I beg to apply for seven days’ leave of absence from 16th to 21st instant, in order that I can see my beloved father.

I should be much obliged if you would grant me my application. As regards the lessons to be missed during my absence, I will do my best to make up for them as soon as I get back from home.

Sincerely yours,

×××



*本格式採用The Semi-indented Form（半縮進式），以前比較流行，現在人們也繼續採用。I should be much obliged if you would...是一種客套語，表示“結果……，我當不勝感激。”“補課”的英文是to make up for the lessons。 as soon as意思是儘快。