【www.pindukj.com--律师函】
Write numbers as both words and numerals: ten （10）. This will reduce the chance for errors. The Associated Press reported on 18 June 1999, that a comma in the wrong place of a sales contract cost Lockheed Martin Corp. $70 million: "An international contract for the U.S.-based aerospace group"s C-130J Hercules had the comma misplaced by one decimal point in the equation that adjusted the sales price for changes to the inflation rate." Perhaps writing out the number would have saved the day.写数字时要大小写并用，比如：十（10）。这样做能减少出错的机会。据美联社1999年6月18日的报道，一个逗号放错了地方让洛克希德马丁（Lockheed Martin）公司损失了七千万美元："在一个标的为美国宇航集团的"大力神"C-130J型军用运输机的国际合同中，有一个针对通货膨胀而调整销售价格的方程式，但不幸的是，一个逗号被弄成了小数点……"其实，如果当初写数字时能大小写并用，这个不幸就可以避免了。
When you write "including" consider adding "but not limited to." Unless you intend the list to be all-inclusive, you had better clarify your intent that it is merely an example.
使用"包括"（including）时就要考虑在后面加上"但不限于"（but not limited to）。除非您想列出所有的包括项，否则您最好让人知道您仅仅是举个例子。
Don"t be creative with words. Legal letter writing is not creative writing and is not meant to provoke reflective thoughts or controversies about nuances of meaning. Legal writing is clear, direct and precise. Therefore, use common words and common meanings.
不要自己造词。法律信函的写作不是创造性的写作，它的目的既不是为了分析一个意思的细微差别，也不是为了引起读者的沉思或争论。法律写作就是要清晰、直接、简洁。所以，还是使用常用的词语、常用的表达法为妙。
Be consistent in using words. If you refer to the subject matter of a sales contract as "goods" use that term throughout the letter; do not alternately call them "goods" and "items." Maintaining consistency is more important than avoiding repetition.
用词一致。如果您在信函中说明一个销售合同的标的时用"货物"，那么在整个信函中都应该用这个词来表达这个意思，千万不要一会儿用"货物"，一会又用"产品".是的，保持用词的一致性比避免重复更重要。
Be consistent in grammar and punctuation. Don"t rely on the rules of grammar. The rules of grammar that you learned in school are not universal. The readers of your letter may have learned different rules. Write the letter so that no matter what rules they learned the letter is clear and unambiguous.
保持文法和标点符号的一致性。不要过份依赖文法。您在学校学的那些文法规则并不是放之四海而皆准的。信函的读者们学到的文法规则可能和您学到的不同，但不管他们学到的是什么文法规则，只要信函清晰明了，他们就能理解。
Be consistent in your use of grammar. Be aware of such things as where you put ending quote marks, whether you place commas after years and states, and similar variations in style. Many rules of grammar are a matter of choice, but your choice should be internally consistent within the letter.
保持文法一致。要特别注意下面这些情况：在哪里放后缀的双引号，在年份，州名之后是否应该加上逗号，等等类似的细节。有好多文法规则可以供选择，原则是应在信函的全文中保持文法的一致性。
Define a word by capitalizing it and putting it in quotes. Capitalizing a word indicates that you intend it to have a special meaning. The following is a sample clause for defining a term:
"Wherever used in this letter, the word "Goods" shall mean the goods that _________ agreed to purchase from _________ under the Contract."
定义一个词语时要用大写字母并用引号引用起来。带大写字母的词语意味着它在文中有特别的意思。下面有一个定义概念的样本条款：
"在本文中，"货物"是指根据合同______同意向_____购买的货物。"
Define words when first used. Instead of writing a section of definitions at the beginning or end of a long letter, consider defining terms and concepts as they appear in the letter. This will make it easier for the reader to follow.
第一次使用特定的词语时就要定义它。如果在信函的开头或在长信的末尾没有专门的一部分来解释这些概念，那在第一次使用特定的词语时就要定义它。这样做能让读者更容易理解信函。
Avoid needless and flowery words. Think of elementary school when you had to reduce fractions to the "lowest common denominator." That"s what good writing is all about. A letter written for the lowest common denominator is understood by every reader. Eliminate needless words. Avoid flowery words.
不要用那些垃圾词语和华丽的词藻。您应该还记得在小学简化分数时用到的"最小公分母"定律吧。好的写作定律也和这类似。将最小公分母定律用在写作上，就能让每个读者理解起来非常容易。还是去掉那些垃圾词语、删除那些华丽的词藻吧。
Be direct and frank. There is no sense beating around the bush in legal letter writing. Just say what you mean. If you leave the reader wondering what you mean, your letter will only stir the imagination instead of prompting some action.
要坦诚，要直接。在法律信函的写作中拐弯抹角是没有意义的。想说就直说，如果您的读者疑惑您究竟说了些什么，那么信函发出后随之而来的不是讯速的行动而是无尽的想象。
Study The Elements of Style. The full text of the 1918 classic by William Strunk is now available on Columbia"s Internet site at http://www.columbia.edu/acis/bartleby/strunk. This means that even if you left your copy on your bedstand at home, you can quickly go online and search the full text of The Elements of Style, where you will find these simple rules among others （as you can see, I am a old student of this text）:
"Make the paragraph the unit of composition: one paragraph to each topic."
"As a rule, begin each paragraph with a topic sentence; end it in conformity with the beginning."
"Use the active voice."
"Put statements in positive form."
"Omit needless words."
"Avoid a succession of loose sentences."
"Express co-ordinate ideas in similar form."
"Keep related words together."
"In summaries, keep to one tense."
"Place the emphatic words of a sentence at the end."
学习《文体入门》（Elements of Style）。威廉·斯特伦克在1918年创作的经典著作（Elements of Style）的全文已经放在哥伦比亚大学的互联网站上了，网址是：http://www.columbia.edu/acis/bartleby/strunk.这就是说，您即使将这个经典著作忘在家里的床头上，也可以上网查看到这个经典著作的全文了，而且，您还可以在文中搜索到这些比较简单的规则了（让您见笑，我也是这个著作的老学生了）：
"将一个段落看成是一个书写单元:即一个段落一个主题。"
"有一条规则为：以一个中心句来开始一个段落，结尾的时候再和这个中心句呼应。"
"使用主动语态。"
"用肯定语气陈述。"
"去掉那些垃圾文字。"
"不要将那些松散的句子连为一体。"
"用类似的格式表达并列的意思。"
"将有关联的文字放在一起."
"在总结中，只用一种时态陈述。"
"将一个句子中的重点文字放在句末。"
Cleaning Up
修改润色
Now that you have the letter written, it"s time to do some cleanup work before you hit the send button.
既然信函的初稿已经完成，那在发出之前还要花些时间对其进行修改润色。
Let your secretary or paralegal read it. Not only will your staff frequently find spelling and grammar errors missed by your word processor"s spell checker, but they will find inconsistencies and confusing areas that you missed when drafting.
让您的秘书或助手阅读信函。您的同事不但能找到那些文字处理器无法找到的拼写和语法错误，而且他们还能发现您起草时没有察觉到的矛盾和混淆之处。
Number every page of the letter, and staple the letter. If the letter is more than one page long, then it is important to number the pages because they will invariably get out of order. Place the following at the top left corner of each page after the first:
Recipient"s name _________
Date _________
Page _________
在信函的每页标上序号并将它们按顺序装订起来。如果信函的页数超过一页，那就应该将信函稿按顺序标号并装订起来，因为他们的顺序常常被弄乱了。您可以在除第一页外的每页稿纸的左上角写上下面这些：
收信人姓名_____
日期_______
页数_______
Sign the letter in blue ink, not black ink. This will make it easier to differentiate the signed original letter from photocopies, and it will make it more difficult for someone to change your letter after you send it.
用蓝墨水而不是用黑墨水签名，因为蓝墨水很容易地让人区别出哪个是正本，哪个是影印副本。另外，这样做还让那些在信函发出后企图更改其内容的人无法下手。
Computerized Letter Writing Tips
利用电脑撰写信函的一些小技巧
My wife Cathy said I have to put this way at the end here because this article is about letter writing and not computers. She thinks I love wrestling with computers as much as I love playing with words. She"s right. In my first three drafts this section was on page one.
我的妻子凯茜建议我将这些小技巧放在文末，因为本文是关于信函写作的，而不是关于电脑使用的。她甚至还认为我对用电脑和玩文字游戏一样有兴趣，她是对的。透露一点小秘密，在本文的前三稿中，本章整整花费了我一页纸的笔墨。