▲ 職場待人處事有許多應注意事項。（圖／取自免費圖庫Startup Stock Photos）
文／Buffy Kao
在國際職場上，我們很可能會收到客戶寄來的追蹤信，該如何回覆追蹤信，並透過信件確實掌握重要事項的安排呢？以下就透過回覆追蹤信的範例，舉出六大英文句型開頭，幫你掌握回覆追蹤信的英文用語，有禮貌地提出建議給客戶，協助客戶解決問題。
回覆追蹤信範例：
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From: s.arthur@sunshinehotels.co.tw Dear Jasson, Thanks for your email and your requests. I have put my answer after your questions: 1. Would you mind arranging a visit for my manager, Dana Smith, to see your conference facilities at the hotel? 2. Secondly, could you arrange a gift for each guest at the event? 3. Are you able to do this for less than $100 per guest? 4. If that is ok, then could you send a new offer with the total price? 5. I can’t open the pictures of the conference rooms you sent. I hope these suggestions help. Let me know if you need anything else. Best wishes, |
回覆追蹤信六大開頭
一、Re
為了更清楚回應客戶需求，通常會直接在客戶寄來的信件回覆，而Re則有reply（回覆）之意。另外，回信時直接在對方的問題下回答對方的問題，可以讓對方更容易閲信，還可以省去對方理解信件和整理思緒的時間。
二、If you like, we could...
想要提出建議卻不失禮貌，建議可以用if you like, we could...的說法，意思為「如果你願意的話，我們可以……」。前面的條件句給了對方選擇的空間，讓人感覺受到尊重，而不是被迫接受。另外提醒讀者，在不完全清楚語意下直接中翻英，很可能會冒犯到外國客戶，覺得不受到尊重，因此要特別注意。
三、What about… 和how about...
兩者都是常見於提出建議的用語，屬於較為簡短，語氣也沒那麼正式的用語。如果想用What about……和how about...，記得要在介系詞about後面直接加動名詞Ving，不需要像if you like, we could...要加上完整的語句（有主詞和動詞）。範例中的What about…用法，是個問句的表達方式，有點像「我們何不……」或「不如……吧」之意。
四、Why don’t you...
同樣是個問句，有「你（們）何不……」的意思，和What about…不同的是，在Why don’t you...的用法上，做動作的人只能是對方。透過兩者之間的切換，我們可以針對動作者的差異性，採用不同的說法，讓信件的語句更多變化，展現出更多的語言掌握度，吸引對方的注意。
五、Would you like me to...
通常在提出建議的文章中，Would you like me to...可以做為提出解決方案時的語句，意思為「你是否需要我……」。同時，該語句也有委婉表達「我可以……服務你，不知道你是否接受」的意思。
六、Have you tried... 和Or should I...
在範例信中，寄信者用完成式Have you tried...「你是否試過……方法？」來協助對方解決問題，而後面則用or should I ...「或者我可以……」來提出另一個解決方案，由對方決定符合他需求的方法，而不是只給對方一個選擇並要他接受。但是請注意，在Have you tried...的用法上，try後面接上Ving會更好，可以表達出是否已經嘗試過這個方法了，而should因為是助動詞，後面只能接原型動詞。
看完文章後，來試試看回答幾個關於信件內容的問題吧！
1. When Ms. Smith visits the Sunshine Hotel in Taipei, what will Sarah offer her?
2. What does Sarah suggest including with the guests’ gifts?
3. Why does Jasson ask for a new offer?
4. What does Sarah offer to send Jasson in the post?
解答：
1. She will offer her a free tour of the facilities and free lunch.
2. She suggests including a personal card from either Jasson or Ms. Smith.
3. Because he wants one with the total price including the gifts for the guests of the event.
4. She offers to send him the photos of the conference rooms.
【多益模擬試題】
Mrs. Tanya Harding,
7 Upper Pembroke Street,
New Malden,
London SW 28.
Dear Mrs. Harding,
I wish to confirm ___(1)___ received your test results from our laboratory and I am pleased to advise you that the growth is not malignant, but quite benign. I hope this news ___(2)___ as a great relief to you and your family, and that you may now put your mind at rest.
I must recommend, however, that you monitor the cyst carefully and notify me immediately should there be any change in color or size. In fact, I strongly ___(3)___ you to visit my office annually for a precautionary check-up.
You are, for all intents and purposes, being given a clean bill of health today. But please be vigilant, and try not to leave it so long to visit your local GP in future, should you ever again notice anything untoward.
Today, I am a very happy and relieved consultant. It is not often we get to tell our patients such good news.
Sincerely,
Dr. Michael A. Walsh
1. (A) to have
(B) having
(C) to having
(D) to being
2. (A) would come
(B) is
(C) will be
(D) will come
3. (A) suggest
(B) alert
(C) appeal
(D) advise
解析：
1. 正解為(B)。這題考的是動詞confirm的用法，分別有接名詞的用法（Please confirm your reservation by mail），或是接子句的用法（We would like to confirm that you have been informed of all the possible risks）。但這題則是接Ving動名詞的用法，confirm後面接上Ving動名詞，表示「我們（已經）收到你的檢驗報告」的意思，因此答案應該選(B) having。和Have you tried Ving……的意思有異曲同工之意。
2. 正解為(D)。這題考的是hope的用法，和wish不同，不屬於假設語法。寫信者真心希望這個消息能為對方帶來安慰，因此答案選(D) will come，並且以未來式表達。另外，come as的片語用法，有表達「對某人代表……意義」的概念。此題不能選(C) will be，因為會影響到後面的as介系詞用法，
3. 正解為(D)。這題考的是suggest和advise的用法，基本上suggest表達建議的用法為接Ving動名詞（I suggest drinking water every morning before breakfast）。另外，suggest也可以接子句，但要注意後面的用法為命令式的語氣，因為會有一個should的助動詞（I suggest (that) you (should) drink water every morning before breakfast），句子中的that和should皆可省略。而advise的用法稍有不同，除了可以接名詞外，常見的還有後面接受詞（通常為人）to V原型動詞的用法，如題目中的I strongly advise you to visit my office annually （我建議你每年定期回診），因此答案應該選(D) advise。
讀者迴響