商务英语证书(BEC, business english certificate)考试凭借其与商务工作实际需要紧密结合的特点，已经得到越来越多用人单位的认可。对于准备就业的在校学生或者再充电的在职人士而言，bec中级考试与大学英语四、六级考试难度最为接近，是增加就业机会的最好砝码之一。bec中级考试按照考试顺序分成读、写、听和说四个部分，各占总成绩的25%，其中写作考试分成两部分：part one侧重内部交流，形式为便条、留言、备忘录或电子邮件；part two内外交流兼顾，形式为商务信函、商务报告或商务建议。本文以《剑桥bec真题集 (中级)》(人民邮电出版社)中的三道真题为例，给大家详细分析写作考试第二部分在内容、形式和语言上的要求。首先来看一下题目的常规要求：bec中级写作考试总分30分，其中part one占10分，词数要求为40~50词；part two占20分，词数要求为120~140词。在词数要求上，bec考试和四、六级不同，前者设置了上限，应试时不提倡超出标准，因为超标不仅浪费时间，而且增加了语言出错的可能性，但是如果写作内容必要合理，词数略微超标，比如达到150词，并不会被扣分。写作考试总时长为45分钟，综合两部分分数比例和词数要求，推荐时间分配为part one 15分钟，part two 30分钟，而part two临场应试时可安排为1分钟审题，4分钟构思，20分钟写作，5分钟检查。 本期我们来看一下商务信函的写作：
原题再现
◆ you are in charge of technical resources in your company. you have just received a letter from the customer service manager at jlm communications, who are installing a new telephone switchboard at your Offices.
◆ look at part of the letter below, on which you have already made some handwritten notes.
◆ then, using all your hand writ ten notes, write a letter to jlm誷 customer service manager.
◆ write 120~140 words.
◆ you do not need to provide a postal address.
we would like to begin installing your new telephone switchboard on tuesday 10 june. we hope
how many days’ work? date no good— say why
to finish the work as soon as possible.
please note that extension numbers beginning with 8 will now start with 5 and that all others will start with 3. system too complicated!
if you have any technical queries, please contact our technical representative at our main office.
name?
a copy of our invoice is attached. will pay when job finished — say why
题目解读
题目的提示信息通常可归纳为“1事2人1材料5要点”。所谓“1事”，就是商务信函所围绕的核心事件，如本题中的安装新的电话接线板(installing a new tele phone switchboard)；“2人”指的是写作者和阅读者在商务环境中的角色，本题中的信件是“你”作为公司的技术人员(in charge of technical resources)写信与电话服务公司的客户服务经理(customer service manager)进行沟通；“1材料”指的是题目中的背景材料，如本题中对方客户服务经理的来信；“5 要点”通常表现为针对背景材料的5个“手写”注释(handwritten notes)。
内容、形式与语言
商务信函的要求分成内容、形式和语言三个方面。 内容方面，信件应当围绕5个手写要点进行写作，不能遗漏要点，而且通常有２~３个要点需要利用商务知识进行合理展开，展开内容通常体现商务沟通的特点，比如要求精确沟通。本题中，要点①为how many days’ work? 询问电话接线板安装时间长短，涉及日程安排的精确性，对“你”所在的公司很重要；要点②要求日程调整，需要给出一个合理的商务理由，比如公司有例行会议或者周年庆典之类的安排；要点③强调分机号码系统简单性，可以适当展开，提出简化方案，如所有的号码前都加８；要点④是商务常识，商务联系时要精确到人，精确到具体联系方式，体现精确沟通的需求；要点⑤涉及商务交往中付款的常识，可以解释为根据公司的财务规定或者领导要求等。形式方面，本题明确要求为信件。商务信件标题可有可无，本题可写成subject: on installing the new tele phone switchboard或不写。信件开篇应当有以dear开头的问候，之后根据具体情况加上称呼，比如假定电话公司的客户服务经理为mr. welch，问候部分为dear mr. welch。信件的正文可分成介绍、主体和结束语三个部分，介绍部分自然引出话题，如提到对方的来信；主体部分可根据手写要点内容自然分段写作；而信件结束语部分则可提出要求，通常包括we are looking for ward to hearing from you之类的习惯用语。最后落款部分应有敬语，比如适用于所有收信对象的yours sincerely，其后还可根据具体情况加上写信人全名和职务，如david beckham，technical supervisor。语言方面，bec中级写作part two对此有四个要求：一是语言中性偏正式，比如某些商务写作中可以用approximately代替不那么正式的about。二是简洁，用简单的词和短句清楚地传递信息。三是精确，需交代清楚时间、地点、人物等要点，不能产生歧义。四是注意礼貌 问题，考生应熟悉最常用的商务礼貌表达，如略表歉意， i am afraid that the suggested date 10th july is not convenient for us，或者委婉提出要求，could we have the name as well as the telephone number of the technical representative dealing with us。
范文示例
《剑桥bec真题集(中级) 》提供的商务信函样文如下(有删改)：
dear sir or madam,
i would like to thank you for your letter dated 15 may, 2003.
firstly, unfortunately, we have an international conference on the 10th of june. therefore, the date is not convenient for us. could you please start on the 11th of june? furthermore, we would like to know how long the work will take.
concerning the extension numbers, the switch sys tem you suggested seems to be difficult. is there an easier way to handle the switch with different numbers?
as for any further requests, could we have a direct telephone number as well as the name of the person dealing with us?
we are looking forward to paying the bill as soon as the work is successfully finished in case of any unpredicted problems.
we are looking forward to hearing from you.
sincerely,
