1、 Linguistic Features of Business English Syntactic Features of Business English 商务英语句法特点Passive Voiceo 商务英语合同的语旨是要阐述客观事物的本质特征，描述其发生、发展及变化过程，表述客观事物间的联系，所以其主体一般是客观事物或自然现象，因此，被动语态也就得以大量为这样的文本侧重叙事推理，强调客观准确，第一、二人称使用过多，会造成主观臆断的印象。因此尽量使用第三人称叙述，采用被动语态。Passive Voiceo 例1:The Appendix hereto shall，through the
2、contract period，be deemed to be construed as an integral part of this Contracto 译文:整个合同期间，本合同附件应理解为合同不可分割的一部分。o 句中的be deemed 和to be construed 都属于被动结构。o This term may be used irrespective of the mode of transport including multimodal transport.o If subsequent carriers are used for the carriage to the
3、 agreed destination,the risk passes when the goods have been delivered to the first carrier.非限定动词多(Nonfinite Verbs)o Nonfinite Verbs：gerund,infinitive,present participle and past participle 非限定动词虽然不能单独作谓语，但仍然保留原有动词的某些性质，可以用状语来修饰。如前所述，商务英语合同文本行文简练，结构紧凑，为此，往往使用分词短语代替定语从句或状语从句;使用分词独立结构代替状语从句或并列分句;使用不定式
4、短语代替各种从句;介词十动名词短语代替定语从句或状语句。这样可缩短句子，又比较醒目。非限定动词多o At the request of Party B，Party A agrees to send technicians to assist Party B to install the equipment 中的to assist Party B 和to install the equipment 使句子的意思明明白白，“同意派遣技术人员帮助乙方安装设备”。o This means that the buyer bears all risks and any additional costs o
5、ccurring after the goods h a v e b e e n s o d e l i v e r e d.The buyer wish to have the protection of greater cover,he would either need to agree as much expressly with the seller or to make his own extra insurance arrangements.Nominalizationo名词化结构多。使用名词化结构是商务英语合同的特点之一。因为科技英语文体要求行文简洁、表达客观、内容确切、信息量
6、大、强调存在的事实而非某一行为。为使行文简洁，商务英语合同中多用表示动作或状态的抽象名词或起名词功用的V ing 形式以及名词短语结构。Nominalizationo 例2:The submission to and consent by the Engineer of such programs or the provision of such general descriptions or cash flow estimates shall not relieve the Contractor of any of his duties or responsibilities under t
7、he Contracto 译文:向工程师提交并同意的上述进度计划或提供上述一般说明或现金流量估算，并不解除合同规定的承包人的任何义务或责任。o。o 本句中submission 与consent，provision，descriptions duties，responsibilities 都是抽象名词与后面的介词构成名词化结构.o If the seller is responsible for clearing the goods,paying duties etc.,consideration should be given to using the DDP term.Present Ten
8、se,Present Perfect o一般现在时和现在完成时较多。这两种时态在商务英语合同中使用频率高的原因是前者可以较好地表现文章内容的无时间性，说明文章中的贸易关系的用语不受时间限制，任何时候都成立;后者则多用来表述双方已经完成的任务。Present Tense,Present Perfecto 例3:In case Party B becomes delinquent in the payment of any sum due hereunder，Party A will be entitled to suspend the performance until such delinqu
9、ent is corrected，and initiate termination for cause ino accordance with Section 10 2o 译文:乙方违约未按本协议规定按期支付的，甲方有权中止履行协议，直至该违约得以纠正，甲方还有权于协议第十条第二款规定的事由出现时终止本协议的执行。o In case 从句和until 从句中一般现在时，主句用will do 表一般将来时Long Sentenceso长句多。表述一个复杂概念或事物时，为了描叙精确，使之逻辑严密，结构紧凑，需使用长句，通常是因从句多或并列成分多而构成的长句。例如:Long Sentenceso例4
10、:With the exception of late delivery or non delivery due to Force Majeure causes，if the Sellerfails to make delivery of the goods in accordance with the terms and conditions，jointly or severally，of this Contract，the Seller shall be liable to the Buyer and indemnify the Buyer for all losses，damages，i
11、ncluding but not limited to，purchase price and/or purchase price differentials，dead freight,demurrage，and alloconsequential direct or indirect losses The Buyer shall nevertheless have the right to cancel in part or in whole of the contract without prejudice to the Buyers right to claim compensations
12、Long sentenceso 译文:除非因不可抗力导致的交付迟延或交付不能，如果卖方未能根据本合同的条款交付货物，卖方应对买方承担责任并保证赔偿买方因此造成的损失、损害赔偿，包括但不限于购买价格或购买差价、空仓费、延滞费以及所有因此产生的直接或间接的损失。然而买方应有权解除合同的部分或整个合同，不得妨害买方行使索赔权利。o The insurance shall be contracted with underwriters or an insurance company of good repute and,failing express agreement to the contrary
13、,be in accordance with minimum cover of the Institute Cargo Clauses(Institute of London Underwriters)or any similar set of clauses.Unreal Conditionso 国际贸易中，通常使用非真实的条件句。使用表达虚拟的连词引导一个非真实的句子，来表示一种责任和义务。o If,unless,in case of,only if,only after,provided,in view of,providing that,on condition thato The b
14、uyer must bear all risks of loss of or damage to the goods o from the time they have been delivered in accordance with A4;and o from the agreed date or the expiry date of any agreed period for delivery which arise either because he fails to nominate the carrier or another person in accordance with A
15、4,or because the carrier or the party nominated by the buyer fails to take the goods into his charge at the agreed time,or because the buyer fails to give appropriate notice in accordance with B7,provided,however,that the goods have been duly appropriated to the contract,that is to say,clearly set a
16、side or otherwise identified as the contract goods.Complex sentenceso 商务英语中，表达观点及陈述事实时用短句，解释说明时用长句。o The buyer must,should he fail to give notice in accordance with B7,bear all risks of the goods from the agreed date or the expiry date of the period fixed for delivery provided,however,that the goods
17、 have been duly appropriated to the contract,that is to say,clearly set aside or otherwise identified as the contract goods.Nonattributive clauses商务英语中，使用非限制性定语，用来表达严肃、客观的语气、准确完整的概念。Business is a combination of all these activities:production,distribution and sale,through which profit or economic su
18、rplus will be created.But the important thing to remember is that in the modern world we must give people skills which prepare them for the changing world of manufacturing and prodution which is now upon us.o 商务是指生产、配送、销售等一切活动的组合，通过这些活动通过这些活动，创造利润和经济盈余。o 但需要记住的事情是，在现代世界里，我们必须向人们传授技术本领，掌握这些技术本掌握这些技术本
19、领领就可以使他们为应对我们眼下所面临的不断变化着的生产制造技术领域做好准备。Use of“shall”o 商务英语中，使用带“shall”的句子，来增强语气。尤其是合同类的材料中，单词“shall”不仅表示将来，还表示每一方的职责和义务，常具有“必须”、“应该”和“要”等的强制意味。o The seller must obtain at his own expense cargo insurance as agreed in the contract,such that the buyer,or any other person having an insurable interest in the goods,shall be entitled to claim directly from the insurer and provide the buyer with the insurance policy or other evidence of insurance cover.
