Unit 6 Electronic Correspondence

1. Unit 6 Electronic Correspondence Lesson Fifteen：Fax

2. I. Exploring Ideas • How many ways are there in message exchange? Can you name them and tell the advantages of each of them?

3. II. Leading In • Fax (short for facsimile) has become indispensable to many individuals and businesses, increasing the speed of communication and changing our idea of ‘response time’ from days to minutes. It can send messages not only in words but also in pictures, forms, documents, etc., and it does not need to use many acronyms or short forms of words. Knowing how to write a fax message in the correct form becomes a must for all who want to go into the business world. • People can use fax to send all kinds of messages, such as making an appointment, changing an appointment time (or place), canceling an appointment, making all kind of invitations, congratulations and appreciations.

4. III. Sample Study • To: Mr. Conrad Smith • Fax: 1-403-5561772 Tel: 1-403-5561771 • From: Luo Yan • Date: 13/04/2004 • Fax: 86-21-65547880 Tel: 86-21-65547881 • Number of pages to follow: 1 • Dear Mr. Smith, • Following up on our telephone conversation this morning, I have urgently found the documents you mentioned, and checked the figures with the departments concerned. I think you have misunderstood us, so I would like to meet with you and explain to you face-to-face what exactly the figures stand for. • Could you manage this Friday morning for a meeting of about one hour with me at 10:30 in your office? • Look forward to hearing from you soon. • Best Regards!

5. IV. Tips on Writing • Write a correct heading so that the receiver knows: • to whom it is designated-To: • from whom it comes-From: • on which date-Date: • for what purpose-ATTN:/Subject: • Indicate the number of pages to follow. • Use simple language and be concise in the message.

6. V. Practice • 1. Wang Ming works as a secretary and translator for a trade company. This morning, when she came into her office, she saw a fax message on the fax machine. The fax message is an invitation to her boss. She has to translate the message for her boss to review. Could you help her translate it? Here is the fax message: • To: Mr. James Orlean Fax: 0578-3152010 Date: 04/25/2003 • ATTN: an invitation CC: • From: Mr. Ming Chen Pages: 1 • Our new retail outlet in Wen-sheng Road will open Friday, May 17. As one of honored customers, your name is certainly put on our limited VIP list for the opening ceremony. May we invite you to join the cocktail party at 2:00 p.m. on May 17. A special gift is prepared for your collection. • A trial-sale will begin on may 11 and through May 15. Hope you can come. • 2. Carrying the translated fax message, Wang Ming went to see her boss. Will Wang Ming’s boss accept this invitation or not? Well, he will either accept it or refuse it, that’s for sure. In any case, he should let the inviter know of his decision. So, let’s divide the class into two groups. One group writes a fax message accepting the invitation; the other one writes a refusal. Those who have to write a refusal must be careful in tone and word choice so that you won’t hurt the inviter’s feeling and the business relations between two companies. • 3. Do peer editing among groups of the same task. Compare and contrast each group’s work and pick out the best one. Then, share it with the whole class.

7. VI. 概要总结 • 随着时代的发展,人们的生活节奏越来越快．在生意场上, “时间就是金钱,效率就是生命” 已成为共识. 即便是朋友间的往来,也是越来越讲求效率. 按传统的邮递方式, 一封国内书信大约要2~3天, 国际书信要10~15天.如果是做国际贸易,书信往来一次就要一个月.以这种速度做生意,企业、商家是无法在当今瞬息万变的商业活动中生存.传真产普及,为身处繁忙之中的现代人提供了一条通迅的捷径. • 传真是通过传真机来发送的.传真不但可以传递文字信息,还可以传递图纸、单证等.因此,有时人们有将传真称作图文传真.与其他通讯方式相比,传真具有如下特点: • 以发送时间来计费; • 格式简单,操作方便; • 可以24小时收发信息,无人值班; • 传送速度比电传高; • 不需像电传那样尽量使用缩略语. • 传真可以按书信格式书写,也可以写得简单些.使用传真的主要目的是快速传递信息,因此,写传真的过程中不需要对文字做过分的推敲,亦不需长篇大论.那样不仅浪费对方传真纸张,也使发传真一方花费较多的电话费.传真用词以达意为主要目的,要使收信者一目了然,掌握信息的主旨.