Japanese to English: Writing business documents | |
Source text - Japanese Source text: Japanese
ビジネス文書を書く際、留意すべきことは以下のとおりです。
1.簡潔で正確な文章を書く
ビジネス文書は、正確で簡潔な表現を心がけてください。冗長で形容詞や修飾語が多い文章はビジネス文書に不似合いです。 箇条書きで書くのも良い方法です。箇条書きすると論理的に矛盾するセンテンスが発見しやすくなる利点もあります。まずは用件を正確に伝えることを第一に考え、文章の上手い下手はあまり気にする必要はありません。
2.あいまいな表現やどちらとも取れる表現は使わない
「…頃」では、正確に情報が伝わりません。時間がはっきりしない場合は期限を切ります。例えば、「…を目処に」とか、「…時前後1時間以内」などと書きます。ビジネスにおいては、できる限り定量的表現を心がけてください。
3.誤字/脱字や幼稚な言葉を使わない
特に社外文書は、発してしまうと自身ではコントロールできません。誤字・脱字は読み手えを惑わし、誤った情報を伝えることもあります。また、幼稚な表現[ビジネス文書として合わない表現や言葉}は書いた本人ばかりでなく、 会社の品性を疑われるおそれがあります。自分で書いた文章に自信がないのなら、上司や同僚に読んでもらい、おかしな表現がないか確認してもらいましょう。 | Translation - English Target text: English (literal translation strongly encouraged by client)
The following things should be kept in mind when writing a business document:
1. Writing concise and accurate sentences
In business documents, please try to use accurate and concise expressions. Verbose sentences with many adjectives and modifiers are ill-suited for business documents. Using itemized lists is another good way to write. Itemization also has the advantage of making sentences with logical inconsistencies easier to find.
At first, primarily think about how to accurately convey the information; there is no need to worry about whether the writing style is good or bad.
2. Not using vague expressions
By using "around ...", the information is not conveyed accurately. In case the exact time is unknown, a time frame is given. For example, we can write "by about ...", "within an hour before or after ...", or the like. In business, please try to use quantitative expressions as much as possible.
3. Avoid typographical errors/missing characters and childish phrasing
Especially external documents are beyond one's control once they have been sent. Typographical errors or missing characters leading to misinterpretation by the reader can cause the propagation of incorrect information. Also, childish expressions cast doubt not only on the person who wrote them, but on the company's character as well. If you are not sure about your own writing, ask your superiors and coworkers to read it for you, and have them confirm that there are no odd expressions in it. |