Lesson 8 A Voluntary Offer

I. About the letter:

Offers are usually made in reply to enquiries from the importers. But sometimes exporters make offers on their own initiative. Such offers are known as voluntary offers. This letter is w ritten by the exporter offering voluntarily on Screw Drivers，which is a sim ilarmodel to what the receiver ordered some time ago. We can find that it is a non-firm offer.

II. Additional notes:

1. substantial adj.

1) large/considerable大量的

If your price is competitive，we believe we can do substantial business.

如果你方价格具有竞争力，我们相信我们可以与你方大量成交。

If you can reduce your price，we believe we can do substantial business.

如果你方能够减价，我们相信能与你方大量成交。

2) well-to-do/possessing considerable property殷实的

They are a substantial business firm.

他们是一家殷实的商号。

3) in themain大体上的

We are in themain agreement.

我们的意见基本一致。

2. on offer(on= under)

on offer正在报盘中

on loan正在出借

on sale正在出售

We have only a parcel of 100 tons left，which is on/under offer elsewhere.

我们只剩下了一百吨的货，现正在向别处报盘。

3. stock n.库存;现货

1)指具体货物时，用单数、复数均可，用复数的较多。后接商品时，用介词in或of。

These are the only stocks available.

这些是仅有的存货。

The stock of this line is running low.

此类商品存货不多。

We have a large stock of(large stocks of) walnuts.

我们有核桃的大量存货。

2)用作抽象概念，或用在介词短语中，用单数。

This article is out of stock.

此商品无库存。

The item went out of stock just before Christmas but came back into stock in the firstweek of January.

此商品圣诞节前刚刚无货，但是1月的第一个星期就能补货。

We have at present only 50 metric tons in stock.

我们目前只有50公吨存货。

We can supply shirts of various kinds from stock.

我们可以现货供应各式衬衫。

3)作定语

stock shirts= shirts in stock

4. sell off sth.= sell at a low price to get rid of...

At the end of a season，ordinary brand T-shirts usually sell off at a price difference of 20%.

销售季节末，普通牌子的T恤衫通常以20%的差价抛售。

5. trial order试订单

trial n.试购，试订货

We are prepared to buy a small quantity for a trial.

我们准备购买小批量作为试购。

If the quality supplied to our trial order is satisfactory to us，we shall place another order.

如果你方供应给我们的试订单是令我们满意的，我们将再次订购。

6. give priority to给与……优先权;优先考虑……

= give sb. the first opportunity

Sellers promised to give priority to our orders if we could advise them of our requirements two weeks in advance.

如果我们可以提前两周通知卖方我们的需求，他们承诺优先考虑我们的订单。

take top/first priority占优先地位;(比……)优先

In this transaction，time of shipment takes top priority aswe have to catch the season.

我们必须赶上销售季节，因此这比交易中，装运期是最优先考虑的事。

7. in the event of如果发生，万一

your not being interested

= in case of your not being interested

= in case you are not interested

= if you are not interested

III. Chinese version of the letter:

主动报盘

敬启者:

一年前你方购买了大批105型烤面包机，该商品那时候在报盘而现在已中断生产。由于我们现在有一种相似的商品，即305型，正在报盘，我们想到你方或许有兴趣。

我们现有800台305型的现货，打算按每台12.60英镑的低价出售，并且给予最高20%的数量折扣。对于一次性购买全部库存的订单可以再给予5%的特殊折扣，总共给予25%的折扣。我们有信心，你方试订一批后就会相信以我们所报的价格，这批货是货真价实的。

鉴于你方以前的订单，特给予你方优先购买的机会。但请立即答复以便万一你方不感兴趣，我们可以向其他客户普遍发盘。

谨启

IV. Key to exercises:

1. Fill in the follow ing blanksw ith the given words in proper form s:

1) offer 2) offer 3) enquiry 4) offered 5) bid

6) enquires 7) offer 8) enquire 9) offer

2. Comp lete the follow ing sentences:

1) a.“Friendship”brand color TV，Shanghaimade

b. w illow products，Tianjin made

c. furniture，Hubeimade

2) a. the unit price per set

b. the earliest delivery date

c. your detailed requirements

3) a. securing a number of orders for you

b. selling your products in large quantities

c. expanding themarket for your products

3. Translate the follow ing sentences into English:

1) We are very pleased to inform you that all of our customers here are interested in your products.

2) Please let us know if you show interest in our quotation.

3) Recently many clients of ours asked us to get in touch w ith you for quotations/offers.

4) Should you be able to supply 5，000 tons of wheat，please let us have your trade terms and price per ton.

5) If your price is competitive enough，we have confidence in making large sales in this market.

6) Your price seems to be competitive but the delivery date is utterly unacceptable.

7) The Shanghai Branch of your company refers us to you for the supply of iron nails.

8) We are very interested in your sew ing machines，please let us know.

9) Please let us know whether you can supply usw ith 5，000 tons of fertilizersmonthly.

4.W rite a letter offering the follow ing:

Dear Sirs，

We have pleasure in offering the follow ing:

1，000 dozen“Seagull”Brand Gold Fountain Pens at...per dozen CIF London，to be packed in cartons of 100 dozen each，for shipment during August/September 2002．Payment is to bemade by irrevocable L/C.

The above offer is subject to our final confirmation. We are awaiting your reply.

Yours faithfully，

V. Optional reading:

Dear Sirs，

We are pleased to send you w ith this fax a copy of our catalogue for SL-VS501 DVD Player. The high quality of our products iswell known and universally acknow ledged and we are confident that a trial order would convince you that the goodswe are offering are excellent value formoney.

In order to popularize these products，all the catalogue prices are subject to a special discount of 10% during thismonth only.

We are offering you the goods of the highest quality on unusually generous terms and would welcome your earliest orders.

Yours faithfully，

参考译文:

敬启者:

很高兴随信寄去一份关于我方SL-VS501型DVD机的目录。众所周知，我方产品的质量很高，并得到了广泛的认可。我们相信我方提供的试订购的货物将证明其物有所值。

为了促销这些商品在本月内，所有目录价格给予10%的特殊折扣。

我方以不同寻常的优惠条件向贵方提供最高质量的商品，期盼早日收到贵方的订单。

谨启