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.寫(xiě)數(shù)字時(shí)要大小寫(xiě)并用，比如：十（10）。這樣做能減少出錯(cuò)的機(jī)會(huì)。據(jù)美聯(lián)社1999年6月18日的報(bào)道，一個(gè)逗號(hào)放錯(cuò)了地方讓洛克希德馬?。↙ockheed Martin）公司損失了七千萬(wàn)美元："在一個(gè)標(biāo)的為美國(guó)宇航集團(tuán)的"大力神"C-130J型軍用運(yùn)輸機(jī)的國(guó)際合同中，有一個(gè)針對(duì)通貨膨脹而調(diào)整銷售價(jià)格的方程式，但不幸的是，一個(gè)逗號(hào)被弄成了小數(shù)點(diǎn)……"其實(shí)，如果當(dāng)初寫(xiě)數(shù)字時(shí)能大小寫(xiě)并用，這個(gè)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）時(shí)就要考慮在后面加上"但不限于"（but not limited to）。除非您想列出所有的包括項(xiàng)，否則您讓人知道您僅僅是舉個(gè)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.
不要自己造詞。法律信函的寫(xiě)作不是創(chuàng)造性的寫(xiě)作，它的目的既不是為了分析一個(gè)意思的細(xì)微差別，也不是為了引起讀者的沉思或爭(zhēng)論。法律寫(xiě)作就是要清晰、直接、簡(jiǎn)潔。所以，還是使用常用的詞語(yǔ)、常用的表達(dá)法為妙。
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.
用詞一致。如果您在信函中說(shuō)明一個(gè)銷售合同的標(biāo)的時(shí)用"貨物"，那么在整個(gè)信函中都應(yīng)該用這個(gè)詞來(lái)表達(dá)這個(gè)意思，千萬(wàn)不要一會(huì)兒用"貨物"，一會(huì)又用"產(chǎn)品".是的，保持用詞的一致性比避免重復(fù)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.
保持文法和標(biāo)點(diǎn)符號(hào)的一致性。不要過(guò)份依賴文法。您在學(xué)校學(xué)的那些文法規(guī)則并不是放之四海而皆準(zhǔn)的。信函的讀者們學(xué)到的文法規(guī)則可能和您學(xué)到的不同，但不管他們學(xué)到的是什么文法規(guī)則，只要信函清晰明了，他們就能理解。
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。要特別注意下面這些情況：在哪里放后綴的雙引號(hào)，在年份，州名之后是否應(yīng)該加上逗號(hào)，等等類似的細(xì)節(jié)。有好多文法規(guī)則可以供選擇，原則是應(yīng)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."
定義一個(gè)詞語(yǔ)時(shí)要用大寫(xiě)字母并用引號(hào)引用起來(lái)。帶大寫(xiě)字母的詞語(yǔ)意味著它在文中有特別的意思。下面有一個(gè)定義概念的樣本條款：
"在本文中，"貨物"是指根據(jù)合同______同意向_____購(gòu)買的貨物。"
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.
第一次使用特定的詞語(yǔ)時(shí)就要定義它。如果在信函的開(kāi)頭或在長(zhǎng)信的末尾沒(méi)有專門的一部分來(lái)解釋這些概念，那在第一次使用特定的詞語(yǔ)時(shí)就要定義它。這樣做能讓讀者更容易理解信函。
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.
不要用那些垃圾詞語(yǔ)和華麗的詞藻。您應(yīng)該還記得在小學(xué)簡(jiǎn)化分?jǐn)?shù)時(shí)用到的"最小公分母"定律吧。好的寫(xiě)作定律也和這類似。將最小公分母定律用在寫(xiě)作上，就能讓每個(gè)讀者理解起來(lái)非常容易。還是去掉那些垃圾詞語(yǔ)、刪除那些華麗的詞藻吧。
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.
要坦誠(chéng)，要直接。在法律信函的寫(xiě)作中拐彎抹角是沒(méi)有意義的。想說(shuō)就直說(shuō)，如果您的讀者疑惑您究竟說(shuō)了些什么，那么信函發(fā)出后隨之而來(lái)的不是訊速的行動(dòng)而是無(wú)盡的想象。
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."
學(xué)習(xí)《文體入門》（Elements of Style）。威廉·斯特倫克在1918年創(chuàng)作的經(jīng)典著作（Elements of Style）的全文已經(jīng)放在哥倫比亞大學(xué)的互聯(lián)網(wǎng)站上了，網(wǎng)址是：http://www.columbia.edu/acis/bartleby/strunk.這就是說(shuō)，您即使將這個(gè)經(jīng)典著作忘在家里的床頭上，也可以上網(wǎng)查看到這個(gè)經(jīng)典著作的全文了，而且，您還可以在文中搜索到這些比較簡(jiǎn)單的規(guī)則了（讓您見(jiàn)笑，我也是這個(gè)著作的老學(xué)生了）：
"將一個(gè)段落看成是一個(gè)書(shū)寫(xiě)單元:即一個(gè)段落一個(gè)主題。"
"有一條規(guī)則為：以一個(gè)中心句來(lái)開(kāi)始一個(gè)段落，結(jié)尾的時(shí)候再和這個(gè)中心句呼應(yīng)。"
"使用主動(dòng)語(yǔ)態(tài)。"
"用肯定語(yǔ)氣陳述。"
"去掉那些垃圾文字。"
"不要將那些松散的句子連為一體。"
"用類似的格式表達(dá)并列的意思。"
"將有關(guān)聯(lián)的文字放在一起."
"在總結(jié)中，只用一種時(shí)態(tài)陳述。"
"將一個(gè)句子中的重點(diǎn)文字放在句末。"
Cleaning Up
修改潤(rùn)色
Now that you have the letter written, it's time to do some cleanup work before you hit the send button.
既然信函的初稿已經(jīng)完成，那在發(fā)出之前還要花些時(shí)間對(duì)其進(jìn)行修改潤(rùn)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.
讓您的秘書(shū)或助手閱讀信函。您的同事不但能找到那些文字處理器無(wú)法找到的拼寫(xiě)和語(yǔ)法錯(cuò)誤，而且他們還能發(fā)現(xiàn)您起草時(shí)沒(méi)有察覺(jué)到的矛盾和混淆之處。
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 _________
在信函的每頁(yè)標(biāo)上序號(hào)并將它們按順序裝訂起來(lái)。如果信函的頁(yè)數(shù)超過(guò)一頁(yè)，那就應(yīng)該將信函稿按順序標(biāo)號(hào)并裝訂起來(lái)，因?yàn)樗麄兊捻樞虺３１慌獊y了。您可以在除第一頁(yè)外的每頁(yè)稿紙的左上角寫(xiě)上下面這些：
收信人姓名_____
日期_______
頁(yè)數(shù)_______
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.
用藍(lán)墨水而不是用黑墨水簽名，因?yàn)樗{(lán)墨水很容易地讓人區(qū)別出哪個(gè)是正本，哪個(gè)是影印副本。另外，這樣做還讓那些在信函發(fā)出后企圖更改其內(nèi)容的人無(wú)法下手。
Computerized Letter Writing Tips
利用電腦撰寫(xiě)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.
我的妻子凱茜建議我將這些小技巧放在文末，因?yàn)楸疚氖顷P(guān)于信函寫(xiě)作的，而不是關(guān)于電腦使用的。她甚至還認(rèn)為我對(duì)用電腦和玩文字游戲一樣有興趣，她是對(duì)的。透露一點(diǎn)小秘密，在本文的前三稿中，本章整整花費(fèi)了我一頁(yè)紙的筆墨。
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）時(shí)就要考慮在后面加上"但不限于"（but not limited to）。除非您想列出所有的包括項(xiàng)，否則您讓人知道您僅僅是舉個(gè)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.
不要自己造詞。法律信函的寫(xiě)作不是創(chuàng)造性的寫(xiě)作，它的目的既不是為了分析一個(gè)意思的細(xì)微差別，也不是為了引起讀者的沉思或爭(zhēng)論。法律寫(xiě)作就是要清晰、直接、簡(jiǎn)潔。所以，還是使用常用的詞語(yǔ)、常用的表達(dá)法為妙。
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.
用詞一致。如果您在信函中說(shuō)明一個(gè)銷售合同的標(biāo)的時(shí)用"貨物"，那么在整個(gè)信函中都應(yīng)該用這個(gè)詞來(lái)表達(dá)這個(gè)意思，千萬(wàn)不要一會(huì)兒用"貨物"，一會(huì)又用"產(chǎn)品".是的，保持用詞的一致性比避免重復(fù)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.
保持文法和標(biāo)點(diǎn)符號(hào)的一致性。不要過(guò)份依賴文法。您在學(xué)校學(xué)的那些文法規(guī)則并不是放之四海而皆準(zhǔn)的。信函的讀者們學(xué)到的文法規(guī)則可能和您學(xué)到的不同，但不管他們學(xué)到的是什么文法規(guī)則，只要信函清晰明了，他們就能理解。
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。要特別注意下面這些情況：在哪里放后綴的雙引號(hào)，在年份，州名之后是否應(yīng)該加上逗號(hào)，等等類似的細(xì)節(jié)。有好多文法規(guī)則可以供選擇，原則是應(yīng)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."
定義一個(gè)詞語(yǔ)時(shí)要用大寫(xiě)字母并用引號(hào)引用起來(lái)。帶大寫(xiě)字母的詞語(yǔ)意味著它在文中有特別的意思。下面有一個(gè)定義概念的樣本條款：
"在本文中，"貨物"是指根據(jù)合同______同意向_____購(gòu)買的貨物。"
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.
第一次使用特定的詞語(yǔ)時(shí)就要定義它。如果在信函的開(kāi)頭或在長(zhǎng)信的末尾沒(méi)有專門的一部分來(lái)解釋這些概念，那在第一次使用特定的詞語(yǔ)時(shí)就要定義它。這樣做能讓讀者更容易理解信函。
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.
不要用那些垃圾詞語(yǔ)和華麗的詞藻。您應(yīng)該還記得在小學(xué)簡(jiǎn)化分?jǐn)?shù)時(shí)用到的"最小公分母"定律吧。好的寫(xiě)作定律也和這類似。將最小公分母定律用在寫(xiě)作上，就能讓每個(gè)讀者理解起來(lái)非常容易。還是去掉那些垃圾詞語(yǔ)、刪除那些華麗的詞藻吧。
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.
要坦誠(chéng)，要直接。在法律信函的寫(xiě)作中拐彎抹角是沒(méi)有意義的。想說(shuō)就直說(shuō)，如果您的讀者疑惑您究竟說(shuō)了些什么，那么信函發(fā)出后隨之而來(lái)的不是訊速的行動(dòng)而是無(wú)盡的想象。
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."
學(xué)習(xí)《文體入門》（Elements of Style）。威廉·斯特倫克在1918年創(chuàng)作的經(jīng)典著作（Elements of Style）的全文已經(jīng)放在哥倫比亞大學(xué)的互聯(lián)網(wǎng)站上了，網(wǎng)址是：http://www.columbia.edu/acis/bartleby/strunk.這就是說(shuō)，您即使將這個(gè)經(jīng)典著作忘在家里的床頭上，也可以上網(wǎng)查看到這個(gè)經(jīng)典著作的全文了，而且，您還可以在文中搜索到這些比較簡(jiǎn)單的規(guī)則了（讓您見(jiàn)笑，我也是這個(gè)著作的老學(xué)生了）：
"將一個(gè)段落看成是一個(gè)書(shū)寫(xiě)單元:即一個(gè)段落一個(gè)主題。"
"有一條規(guī)則為：以一個(gè)中心句來(lái)開(kāi)始一個(gè)段落，結(jié)尾的時(shí)候再和這個(gè)中心句呼應(yīng)。"
"使用主動(dòng)語(yǔ)態(tài)。"
"用肯定語(yǔ)氣陳述。"
"去掉那些垃圾文字。"
"不要將那些松散的句子連為一體。"
"用類似的格式表達(dá)并列的意思。"
"將有關(guān)聯(lián)的文字放在一起."
"在總結(jié)中，只用一種時(shí)態(tài)陳述。"
"將一個(gè)句子中的重點(diǎn)文字放在句末。"
Cleaning Up
修改潤(rùn)色
Now that you have the letter written, it's time to do some cleanup work before you hit the send button.
既然信函的初稿已經(jīng)完成，那在發(fā)出之前還要花些時(shí)間對(duì)其進(jìn)行修改潤(rùn)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.
讓您的秘書(shū)或助手閱讀信函。您的同事不但能找到那些文字處理器無(wú)法找到的拼寫(xiě)和語(yǔ)法錯(cuò)誤，而且他們還能發(fā)現(xiàn)您起草時(shí)沒(méi)有察覺(jué)到的矛盾和混淆之處。
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 _________
在信函的每頁(yè)標(biāo)上序號(hào)并將它們按順序裝訂起來(lái)。如果信函的頁(yè)數(shù)超過(guò)一頁(yè)，那就應(yīng)該將信函稿按順序標(biāo)號(hào)并裝訂起來(lái)，因?yàn)樗麄兊捻樞虺３１慌獊y了。您可以在除第一頁(yè)外的每頁(yè)稿紙的左上角寫(xiě)上下面這些：
收信人姓名_____
日期_______
頁(yè)數(shù)_______
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.
用藍(lán)墨水而不是用黑墨水簽名，因?yàn)樗{(lán)墨水很容易地讓人區(qū)別出哪個(gè)是正本，哪個(gè)是影印副本。另外，這樣做還讓那些在信函發(fā)出后企圖更改其內(nèi)容的人無(wú)法下手。
Computerized Letter Writing Tips
利用電腦撰寫(xiě)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.
我的妻子凱茜建議我將這些小技巧放在文末，因?yàn)楸疚氖顷P(guān)于信函寫(xiě)作的，而不是關(guān)于電腦使用的。她甚至還認(rèn)為我對(duì)用電腦和玩文字游戲一樣有興趣，她是對(duì)的。透露一點(diǎn)小秘密，在本文的前三稿中，本章整整花費(fèi)了我一頁(yè)紙的筆墨。