But I think anyone who likes to play with words should play with them on a computer. That's where they really dance. And when you've written 31,250 letters, as my earlier calculations indicate I may have written in my practice so far, a fourth of them before I started writing letters on computer in 1980, you really begin to appreciate the ability to cut and paste text from prior letters. So here are my tips for anyone still around willing to listen.
我還是認(rèn)為那些喜歡玩弄文字游戲的人應(yīng)該在電腦上來擺弄它們。電腦才是他們真正的用舞之地。如果您也已經(jīng)撰寫了31250封信函，我在我的律師執(zhí)業(yè)生涯中撰寫的信函也達(dá)到了這個數(shù)字（這個數(shù)字已經(jīng)在上文中統(tǒng)計過），從1980年起我就開始使用電腦，其中近四份之一的信函是在電腦上完成的，所以我也和你一樣，非常感謝電腦這種在原有信函基礎(chǔ)上剪貼的能力。如果您還愿意繼續(xù)聽，我將把在運用電腦撰寫信函中積累的一些小技巧奉獻給您。
Write your own letters on a computer. If you have not yet joined the computer revolution, do it now. Get a computer for no other reason than writing letters. You will never again find yourself explaining to your client why the letter you dictated three days ago has not been mailed yet.
直接在電腦上撰寫信函。如果您還沒有加入到信息化革命中來，那趕快行動吧。不需要其他理由，只為撰寫信函就值得買一臺電腦。一旦擁有了電腦，您就會發(fā)現(xiàn)您再也不用向客戶解釋為什么三天前口述的信函還沒有發(fā)出。
Get Microsoft Word or Corel WordPerfect. You will need good word processing software. The latest versions are Microsoft Word 2000 and Corel WordPerfect 2000. I have both, but I still use Wordperfect 5.1 for DOS for 99% of my work. My fingers know the special codes so well that it's faster for me to write in this older program. I can still convert the file format to any other one using one of the new 2000 programs which can read the old 5.1 files.
利用微軟的word軟件和Corel公司的WordPerfect軟件。是的，您需要好的文字處理軟件。他們最新的版本分別是word 2000和Corel WordPerfect 2000.雖然我有這兩個新版本，但我還是用Dos版的Wordperfect 5.1來完成我近99%的工作。我的手指已經(jīng)熟悉了那些特殊的編碼，用起這些老版本軟件就會得心應(yīng)手。另外，這還因為我能將這個老版本軟件的文件格式轉(zhuǎn)化成其他2000新版軟件所認(rèn)可的文件格式。
Get voice recognition software if you cannot type. If you never learned to touch type, there is finally reliable software to do it for you. Voice recognition software allows you to dictate directly to your computer. The software is so good that WordPerfect 2000 is sold in a bundle with one brand. You can also purchase this software with an optional hand-held recorder so that you can dictate the old-fashioned way and then transfer it to your computer to transcribe. The two most-advertised brands of software are Dragon Naturally Speaking and L&H VoiceXpress.
如果不能打字，那就利用語音識別軟件。如果您從未接觸過打字，那也有適合您的軟件為您服務(wù)。語音識別軟件可以讓您直接口述給電腦。這類軟件是如此地好以致于WordPerfect 2000都和其中的一個捆綁起來進行銷售。你可以買一個語音識別軟件外加一個手提式錄音機，這樣你可以按傳統(tǒng)的方式錄音，然后轉(zhuǎn)錄到電腦上。比較知名的兩款語音識別軟件是：Dragon Naturally Speaking 和 L&H VoiceXpress.
Set up a separate directory for each client. If you create a directory （folder） on your computer for every client, you can keep all letters, documents and work for that client in one easy-to-find place, just like your paper file folder. The client's last name can be used as the directory name. Thus, all letters, wills, contracts, spreadsheets, etc., for John Doe can be kept on your computer's directory named DOE.
為每個客戶建立一個單獨的文件夾。您可以在電腦上為每個客戶建立一個單獨的文件夾，這樣就可以將該客戶的信函、文檔、工作記錄全都放在該文件夾下，就像放在一個紙文件夾中一樣，查找起來方便多了。另外，客戶的名字可以命名為文件夾的名字，比如，將與某甲有關(guān)的信函、遺囑、合同、電子表格等文檔放入電腦中一個名為“甲”的文件夾中。
Keep all letters in one computer file. Just as you keep copies of all letters in a paper file folder, you should keep copies of all letters on your computer in the directory for that client. The easiest way to do this is not to start a separate computer file for each letter sent to someone. Instead you just add the new letter to the existing computer file containing other letters to that person. I find that it works best to add new letters at the top of old letters, rather than at the bottom. Then your computer file is like a paper folder since new letters are added at the top where you see them first. This is easy to do on your computer: you just start a new page at the top of the existing letter and write the new letter there.
將所有信函保存在電腦中的一個文件夾內(nèi)。就像把信函的副本保存在一個紙文件夾中一樣，您可以將信函的電子副本保存在電腦中專門為該客戶建立的文件夾中。當(dāng)然，這也不能簡單地認(rèn)為是為每個客戶的每一封信建立一個單獨的文件夾。如果電腦中已經(jīng)存在為該客戶保存信函的文件夾，將新撰寫的信函放入該文件夾中即可。我發(fā)現(xiàn)是將新信函放在老信函的上面，而不是放在它們的下面。在紙文件夾中，為了讓人一眼看到，新信函總是放在紙夾的最前面，所以在電腦中放置信函時，也要采用這個規(guī)則。其實，這在電腦中很容易做到：即在老信函的頂部新開一頁開始撰寫新信函。
Name letters to clients LETTERCL and name letters to non-clients with the recipient's last name. If you name the file with the recipient's last name, you can easily find the letter later when you want to read it on your computer without having to pull the file. For example, a letter to non-client Mary Smith would be given the computer file name SMITH. The only exception is that I name all letters to my clients LETTERCL rather than the client's last name because their computer directory is already named their last name. I also do this because it saves me time finding the file if the client is a corporation or there are multiple clients.
給客戶的信函以LETTERCL命名，給非客戶的信函以收信人的名字命名。如果信函的文件名是以收信人的名字來命名的，當(dāng)您事后想看這封信時，不需要到處亂點，就能很快查找到它。舉例來說，將電腦中一封給非客戶瑪麗.史密斯的信命名為史密斯文件。有一個例外，我給客戶的信函不是客戶的名字而是以LETTERCL來命名的，因為這些信函在電腦中存放的文件夾是以客戶的名字來命名的。如果這樣做，當(dāng)客戶是一個公司或是一個集團時，我就能很快地找到想要的文件。
Copy text from prior letters. More than half the letters you write are not first letters to a recipient, but are follow-up letters that either remind the recipient of pending work to be done or continue discussion of a matter previously opened. The other half have at least one thing in common: the letter's opening with the recipient's name and address and the closing with your name. There is no need to retype all of this text in your new letter. Using block and copy （cut and paste） commands you can easily copy the recipient's name and address and usable text from a prior letter into your new letter. You can then modify that text to fit the current message. I even have macros that do the repetitive stuff for me.
從先前的信函中拷貝內(nèi)容。有一半以上的信函都不是第一次發(fā)給收信人的，因為隨后還要不斷地發(fā)信提醒收件人完成沒有完成的工作或繼續(xù)討論某些以前討論過的問題。在另一半的信函中，至少有一樣?xùn)|西是相同的：先前信函中收件人的名稱、住址以及您的簽名。所以，您起草新信函時就沒有必要再將這些內(nèi)容重新打一次，使用剪切和復(fù)制命令就能將收信人的名稱和地址及其他有用的信息從原信函上拷貝到新信函上。當(dāng)然，您可以修改這些拷貝來的內(nèi)容，讓它們與正在編輯的信函保持一致。嘿嘿，我其實還有更好的軟件macros來完成這些重復(fù)性的工作。
Print the envelope from the letter. Before we had a computer, we had a lot of errors in typing envelopes and mailing labels. Then when a client called to tell us the error, we would look at the letter and tell them we sent it to the correct address, only to be told that the envelope had a different address. This can easily be avoided by using the envelope printing features of word processing software, which takes the address right off the letter so that you know the letter and envelope will have the same address.
打印好信函所需的信封。在沒有電腦之前，我們在打印信封和郵寄標(biāo)志時常常會犯很多錯誤，于是客戶就打電話來告訴我們這些錯誤，我們看了看信函，說我們是按正確地址寄出的，那客戶就會反問我們，那信封上為什么是不同的地址呢?，F(xiàn)在我們使用文字處理軟件中的信封打印功能，就能保證該地址是正確的，因為有了軟件，我們就知道信函上的地址和信封上的地址是一樣的。
Back up as you write. As wonderful as computers are, they are still powered by electricity, and when it goes off, the words disappear from the screen and if they have not been saved they disappear forever. The first time you lose an hour of work you get a backup device of some type. The second time you lose an hour of work you actually start to use the backup device. My recommendation for backing up is this:
Hit the save button frequently while writing the letter.
If the letter is long, print hard copies of the letter frequently while writing it.
Copy all your work to a backup device at the end of every day.
備份您所撰寫的東西。電腦有它的神奇之處，但它也需要電，如果斷電，文字就會從屏幕上消失，如果它們沒有被保存，那些文字就永遠(yuǎn)消失了。如果您第一次丟失了一個小時的工作量，就應(yīng)該買一個如磁盤之類的存儲設(shè)備，如果第二次又丟失了一個小時的工作量，那就應(yīng)該開始使用這個存儲設(shè)備，我對備份的建議是：
起草信函的過程中要經(jīng)常按"保存"鍵。
如果信函很長，在撰寫過程中要經(jīng)常打印幾個副本來備份。
在每個工作日結(jié)束的時候?qū)⒛墓ぷ鞒晒麄浞莸酱鎯υO(shè)備中。
Conclusion
結(jié)束語
Letters serve many purposes: advising clients, seeking compliance, sending documents, obtaining information. All letters benefit from clear writing and simple organization. Lawyers who write direct and concise letters to nonlawyers are more likely to achieve successful results.
Writing letters is no different from other lawyering skills. The demand letter that the recipient cannot understand is no more effective than a shouting match. If you want a shouting match, then by all means write long letters with big words that no one understands. But if compliance is what you really want, then writing a letter that the recipient understands is really the order of the day.
撰寫信函有很多目的：給客戶提供建議，尋求妥協(xié)，發(fā)送文件，獲取信息。所以信函都應(yīng)該清晰明了，簡單有序。作為律師，只有撰寫出精簡直接的針對非專業(yè)人士的律師函才有可能達(dá)到良好的效果。
書寫信函其實和其他律師技能沒有什么兩樣。收信人如果不能理解，那這樣的正式請求書也無疑是浪費筆墨。如果您想浪費口舌，那就在信函中說一大堆讓人難以理解的廢話吧。如果您真是想妥協(xié)，那就寫一封讓收信人能夠理解的信函吧。
我還是認(rèn)為那些喜歡玩弄文字游戲的人應(yīng)該在電腦上來擺弄它們。電腦才是他們真正的用舞之地。如果您也已經(jīng)撰寫了31250封信函，我在我的律師執(zhí)業(yè)生涯中撰寫的信函也達(dá)到了這個數(shù)字（這個數(shù)字已經(jīng)在上文中統(tǒng)計過），從1980年起我就開始使用電腦，其中近四份之一的信函是在電腦上完成的，所以我也和你一樣，非常感謝電腦這種在原有信函基礎(chǔ)上剪貼的能力。如果您還愿意繼續(xù)聽，我將把在運用電腦撰寫信函中積累的一些小技巧奉獻給您。
Write your own letters on a computer. If you have not yet joined the computer revolution, do it now. Get a computer for no other reason than writing letters. You will never again find yourself explaining to your client why the letter you dictated three days ago has not been mailed yet.
直接在電腦上撰寫信函。如果您還沒有加入到信息化革命中來，那趕快行動吧。不需要其他理由，只為撰寫信函就值得買一臺電腦。一旦擁有了電腦，您就會發(fā)現(xiàn)您再也不用向客戶解釋為什么三天前口述的信函還沒有發(fā)出。
Get Microsoft Word or Corel WordPerfect. You will need good word processing software. The latest versions are Microsoft Word 2000 and Corel WordPerfect 2000. I have both, but I still use Wordperfect 5.1 for DOS for 99% of my work. My fingers know the special codes so well that it's faster for me to write in this older program. I can still convert the file format to any other one using one of the new 2000 programs which can read the old 5.1 files.
利用微軟的word軟件和Corel公司的WordPerfect軟件。是的，您需要好的文字處理軟件。他們最新的版本分別是word 2000和Corel WordPerfect 2000.雖然我有這兩個新版本，但我還是用Dos版的Wordperfect 5.1來完成我近99%的工作。我的手指已經(jīng)熟悉了那些特殊的編碼，用起這些老版本軟件就會得心應(yīng)手。另外，這還因為我能將這個老版本軟件的文件格式轉(zhuǎn)化成其他2000新版軟件所認(rèn)可的文件格式。
Get voice recognition software if you cannot type. If you never learned to touch type, there is finally reliable software to do it for you. Voice recognition software allows you to dictate directly to your computer. The software is so good that WordPerfect 2000 is sold in a bundle with one brand. You can also purchase this software with an optional hand-held recorder so that you can dictate the old-fashioned way and then transfer it to your computer to transcribe. The two most-advertised brands of software are Dragon Naturally Speaking and L&H VoiceXpress.
如果不能打字，那就利用語音識別軟件。如果您從未接觸過打字，那也有適合您的軟件為您服務(wù)。語音識別軟件可以讓您直接口述給電腦。這類軟件是如此地好以致于WordPerfect 2000都和其中的一個捆綁起來進行銷售。你可以買一個語音識別軟件外加一個手提式錄音機，這樣你可以按傳統(tǒng)的方式錄音，然后轉(zhuǎn)錄到電腦上。比較知名的兩款語音識別軟件是：Dragon Naturally Speaking 和 L&H VoiceXpress.
Set up a separate directory for each client. If you create a directory （folder） on your computer for every client, you can keep all letters, documents and work for that client in one easy-to-find place, just like your paper file folder. The client's last name can be used as the directory name. Thus, all letters, wills, contracts, spreadsheets, etc., for John Doe can be kept on your computer's directory named DOE.
為每個客戶建立一個單獨的文件夾。您可以在電腦上為每個客戶建立一個單獨的文件夾，這樣就可以將該客戶的信函、文檔、工作記錄全都放在該文件夾下，就像放在一個紙文件夾中一樣，查找起來方便多了。另外，客戶的名字可以命名為文件夾的名字，比如，將與某甲有關(guān)的信函、遺囑、合同、電子表格等文檔放入電腦中一個名為“甲”的文件夾中。
Keep all letters in one computer file. Just as you keep copies of all letters in a paper file folder, you should keep copies of all letters on your computer in the directory for that client. The easiest way to do this is not to start a separate computer file for each letter sent to someone. Instead you just add the new letter to the existing computer file containing other letters to that person. I find that it works best to add new letters at the top of old letters, rather than at the bottom. Then your computer file is like a paper folder since new letters are added at the top where you see them first. This is easy to do on your computer: you just start a new page at the top of the existing letter and write the new letter there.
將所有信函保存在電腦中的一個文件夾內(nèi)。就像把信函的副本保存在一個紙文件夾中一樣，您可以將信函的電子副本保存在電腦中專門為該客戶建立的文件夾中。當(dāng)然，這也不能簡單地認(rèn)為是為每個客戶的每一封信建立一個單獨的文件夾。如果電腦中已經(jīng)存在為該客戶保存信函的文件夾，將新撰寫的信函放入該文件夾中即可。我發(fā)現(xiàn)是將新信函放在老信函的上面，而不是放在它們的下面。在紙文件夾中，為了讓人一眼看到，新信函總是放在紙夾的最前面，所以在電腦中放置信函時，也要采用這個規(guī)則。其實，這在電腦中很容易做到：即在老信函的頂部新開一頁開始撰寫新信函。
Name letters to clients LETTERCL and name letters to non-clients with the recipient's last name. If you name the file with the recipient's last name, you can easily find the letter later when you want to read it on your computer without having to pull the file. For example, a letter to non-client Mary Smith would be given the computer file name SMITH. The only exception is that I name all letters to my clients LETTERCL rather than the client's last name because their computer directory is already named their last name. I also do this because it saves me time finding the file if the client is a corporation or there are multiple clients.
給客戶的信函以LETTERCL命名，給非客戶的信函以收信人的名字命名。如果信函的文件名是以收信人的名字來命名的，當(dāng)您事后想看這封信時，不需要到處亂點，就能很快查找到它。舉例來說，將電腦中一封給非客戶瑪麗.史密斯的信命名為史密斯文件。有一個例外，我給客戶的信函不是客戶的名字而是以LETTERCL來命名的，因為這些信函在電腦中存放的文件夾是以客戶的名字來命名的。如果這樣做，當(dāng)客戶是一個公司或是一個集團時，我就能很快地找到想要的文件。
Copy text from prior letters. More than half the letters you write are not first letters to a recipient, but are follow-up letters that either remind the recipient of pending work to be done or continue discussion of a matter previously opened. The other half have at least one thing in common: the letter's opening with the recipient's name and address and the closing with your name. There is no need to retype all of this text in your new letter. Using block and copy （cut and paste） commands you can easily copy the recipient's name and address and usable text from a prior letter into your new letter. You can then modify that text to fit the current message. I even have macros that do the repetitive stuff for me.
從先前的信函中拷貝內(nèi)容。有一半以上的信函都不是第一次發(fā)給收信人的，因為隨后還要不斷地發(fā)信提醒收件人完成沒有完成的工作或繼續(xù)討論某些以前討論過的問題。在另一半的信函中，至少有一樣?xùn)|西是相同的：先前信函中收件人的名稱、住址以及您的簽名。所以，您起草新信函時就沒有必要再將這些內(nèi)容重新打一次，使用剪切和復(fù)制命令就能將收信人的名稱和地址及其他有用的信息從原信函上拷貝到新信函上。當(dāng)然，您可以修改這些拷貝來的內(nèi)容，讓它們與正在編輯的信函保持一致。嘿嘿，我其實還有更好的軟件macros來完成這些重復(fù)性的工作。
Print the envelope from the letter. Before we had a computer, we had a lot of errors in typing envelopes and mailing labels. Then when a client called to tell us the error, we would look at the letter and tell them we sent it to the correct address, only to be told that the envelope had a different address. This can easily be avoided by using the envelope printing features of word processing software, which takes the address right off the letter so that you know the letter and envelope will have the same address.
打印好信函所需的信封。在沒有電腦之前，我們在打印信封和郵寄標(biāo)志時常常會犯很多錯誤，于是客戶就打電話來告訴我們這些錯誤，我們看了看信函，說我們是按正確地址寄出的，那客戶就會反問我們，那信封上為什么是不同的地址呢?，F(xiàn)在我們使用文字處理軟件中的信封打印功能，就能保證該地址是正確的，因為有了軟件，我們就知道信函上的地址和信封上的地址是一樣的。
Back up as you write. As wonderful as computers are, they are still powered by electricity, and when it goes off, the words disappear from the screen and if they have not been saved they disappear forever. The first time you lose an hour of work you get a backup device of some type. The second time you lose an hour of work you actually start to use the backup device. My recommendation for backing up is this:
Hit the save button frequently while writing the letter.
If the letter is long, print hard copies of the letter frequently while writing it.
Copy all your work to a backup device at the end of every day.
備份您所撰寫的東西。電腦有它的神奇之處，但它也需要電，如果斷電，文字就會從屏幕上消失，如果它們沒有被保存，那些文字就永遠(yuǎn)消失了。如果您第一次丟失了一個小時的工作量，就應(yīng)該買一個如磁盤之類的存儲設(shè)備，如果第二次又丟失了一個小時的工作量，那就應(yīng)該開始使用這個存儲設(shè)備，我對備份的建議是：
起草信函的過程中要經(jīng)常按"保存"鍵。
如果信函很長，在撰寫過程中要經(jīng)常打印幾個副本來備份。
在每個工作日結(jié)束的時候?qū)⒛墓ぷ鞒晒麄浞莸酱鎯υO(shè)備中。
Conclusion
結(jié)束語
Letters serve many purposes: advising clients, seeking compliance, sending documents, obtaining information. All letters benefit from clear writing and simple organization. Lawyers who write direct and concise letters to nonlawyers are more likely to achieve successful results.
Writing letters is no different from other lawyering skills. The demand letter that the recipient cannot understand is no more effective than a shouting match. If you want a shouting match, then by all means write long letters with big words that no one understands. But if compliance is what you really want, then writing a letter that the recipient understands is really the order of the day.
撰寫信函有很多目的：給客戶提供建議，尋求妥協(xié)，發(fā)送文件，獲取信息。所以信函都應(yīng)該清晰明了，簡單有序。作為律師，只有撰寫出精簡直接的針對非專業(yè)人士的律師函才有可能達(dá)到良好的效果。
書寫信函其實和其他律師技能沒有什么兩樣。收信人如果不能理解，那這樣的正式請求書也無疑是浪費筆墨。如果您想浪費口舌，那就在信函中說一大堆讓人難以理解的廢話吧。如果您真是想妥協(xié)，那就寫一封讓收信人能夠理解的信函吧。