视频加载中...

Hi, I'm Mike. Welcome to Oxford Online English.

大家好，我是迈克。欢迎收看牛津在线英语视频课程。

In this lesson, you can learn how to write an email in English.

Do you need to write emails at work?

这节课你可以学习如何写英语邮件。你工作时需要写邮件吗？

Are you worried that your emails aren't clear, or that you make mistakes in English?

In this lesson, you can see how to write clear, natural-sounding emails easily and quickly.

你是否担心用英语邮件写得不清楚，或犯错误？

这节课你可以学习如何简单快捷地写出内容清晰、表达自然的邮件。

We'll show you how to write an email in English from beginning to end, in simple, clear steps that you can follow right now! Let's start at the beginning.

现在我们就从头到尾地向你展示如何通过简单明晰的几个步骤写出一封英语邮件。

我们先讲解邮件开头。

With emails, you can start like a letter. For example: "Dear Lina,", "Dear Sir/Madam," or "Dear Mr Hill,".

写邮件你可以像写信一样开头。例如：“亲爱的丽娜，”，“尊敬的先生/女士，”或者“尊敬的希尔先生，”。

However, emails are generally much less formal than letters.

Use a greeting with "dear" only if you're writing something formal.

不过，通常来说邮件要远没有信件正式。只有你写比较正式的内容时才用 Dear 来问候。

So, what else can you use? Many emails start with "hello", or "hi" plus the person's name.

那么你还可以用什么？许多邮件开头用 hello 或 hi 加上人名。

For example: "Hello," or "Hi Ryan,".

In many business emails, you'll follow the greeting with something like: "I hope you're well." or "How are you?"

例如：“你好，”或者“你好瑞恩，”。

许多商务邮件会在问候之后加上：“希望你一切都好。”或者“你好啊。”

In business emails, these are simply polite phrases, and they don't generally need an answer.

For more informal emails, you can start with just the word "hi" or "hey", plus a comma.

商务邮件中，这些只是简单的礼貌用语，通常不需要回应。

更不正式的邮件可以开头只写 hi 或者 hey， 再加上个逗号。

You can also just write the person's name plus a comma.

This is a more professional style, even though it's more informal.

你也可以只写下人名再加上个逗号。相比下这种方式更专业点，即便也更不正式。

It's best with people you already know. For a very informal email, you might not need a greeting at all.

最好是用在你已经认识的人的邮件中。非常不正式的邮件你可能完全不需要问候了。

This is also true if you're sending several emails to the same person in a short time.

You don't need to write a greeting every time.

如果你在短时间内向同一个人发送多封邮件也同样是如此。

你不需要每次都写问候语。

Let's review quickly.

For very formal emails, use a greeting with dear plus a name, like a letter.

我们快速复习一下吧。

非常正式的邮件要像信件那样使用问候语，即 dear 加上名字。

For most everyday emails, use either hello or hi plus a name.

For less formal emails, use hi or hey without a name, or don't use a greeting at all.

大多数日常邮件则用 hello 或 hi 加上名字。

不太正式的邮件用 hi 或 hey 不加名字，或者完全不用问候语了。

Okay, but what next? After your greeting, you should explain why you're writing.

好了，不过接下来呢？问候完你应当解释写邮件的原因。

Make this as short as possible. If you're writing to someone who receives hundreds of emails every day, you need to make your purpose clear quickly.

这部分尽可能简短。如果你写信的对象每天要收到好几百封邮件，你需要快速解释写邮件的目的。

Someone who's very busy won't spend a lot of time trying to work out what you're trying to say!

How can you do this?

要是很忙的话，那人不会花多少时间去弄清你想表达什么的。

你怎么写这段呢？

Start with a simple phrase, like: I'm writing regarding. . . I wanted to follow up on. . .

用简练的措词起头，例如：我写这封邮件是想谈谈……我想谈谈……的后续。

Or: I would like to ask about. . . These phrases are slightly more formal.

又如：我想问问……这些措词稍微正式些。

Let's see how you could use them: I'm writing regarding the issues we've been having with our database system.

I wanted to follow up on our meeting last week and confirm our plans for this month.

看一看你如何来运用：我写这封邮件是想谈谈我们在数据库系统上遇到的问题。

我想谈谈上周会议的后续工作，确认一下本月的计划。

I would like to ask about the new budget and whether this will affect our department.

In a more informal email, you wouldn't use a phrase like this.

我想问问有关新预算的问题，这是否会影响到我们部门。

不太正式的邮件中则不用这类措词。

You might ask a more direct question or make a direct statement, like this: do you know when the database issues will be fixed?

Let's confirm our plans for this month.

你也许更直接地提问或陈述，例如：你知道数据库的问题什么时候能解决吗？我们来确认下本月的计划吧。

Or: how will the new budget affect our department?

If you're writing because you want to find a solution to a problem, here are some useful phrases: "I'm concerned about. . ." or "I need to bring something to your attention."

又如：新预算对我们部门会有什么样的影响？

如果因为你想找到问题的解决方法才写邮件，那么这里有些实用用语：“我很关心……”或者“我希望你能注意到某事。”

Again, these are more formal phrases.

Let's see how you can use them: I'm concerned about the number of sick days staff have been taking recently.

同样这些都是比较正式的用语。

看看你怎么运用：我很关心员工最近休了多少病假。

I need to bring something to your attention: using outdated software puts us at risk of malware infections and data loss. Now it's your turn.

我希望你能注意到：使用过时软件我们会冒着恶意软件感染和数据丢失的风险。现在轮到你了。

Imagine that you're writing an email to your manager, colleague, or client.

You need to write an appropriate greeting, then write one or two sentences to explain why you're writing.

想象下你在给经理、同事或客户写邮件。

你需要写下合适的问候语，然后用一两句话解释写邮件的原因。

Pause the video and do it now! Start again when you've finished.

暂停视频，现在就写吧！写好了再继续观看。

Ready? Let's move on.

准备好了吗？我们继续吧。

After you introduce why you're writing, you need to add more details and supporting information, so that your reader understands the situation you're describing.

Put this information in a new paragraph.

介绍完写邮件的原因后，你需要解释更多的细节和辅助信息，这样收件人可以明白你描述的情况。这些信息写在新的一段。

This will make your email clear and easy to follow.

First, ask yourself what the person you're writing to needs to know.

这样你的邮件就清晰易读了。首先，先自问收件人需要知道什么。

With emails, less is more.

No one wants to read a very long email, and it's hard to make yourself clear if you write too much.

对于邮件来说，简洁便是美。

没人想读封冗长的邮件，如果你写得太多就很难表达清楚。

So, try to limit yourself to two to three sentences. Put your most important point first.

所以试着限制自己只写两到三句话吧。先摆出你最重要的观点。

Let's look at some examples: I'm writing regarding the issues we've been having with our database.

看看一些例子：我写邮件是想谈谈数据库方面遇到的问题。

Both clients and staff have been experiencing severe problems for several days now.

We are unable to update records or access information on customer interactions.

客户和员工这几天遭遇到了很严重的问题。我们没法更新记录，也没法取得客户互动信息。

This is costing us large amounts of money, both in time spent trying to fix the problem, and in lost sales. Here's one more: I'm concerned about the number of sick days staff have been taking recently.

这导致我们在修复问题上花了不少时间，也损失了不少销售额，因而损失大量金钱。还有个例子：我很关心最近员工请了多少假。

Staff in the IT department have taken a total of 44 sick days so far this month, compared to a total of 23 for last month, and just 18 for the previous month.

This is affecting productivity, and also placing a lot of stress on the employees who do come to work.

IT部门员工这个月目前已经请了一共44天的病假，上个月共计23天，上上个月才18天。这影响了生产效率，也对那些上班的员工造成了不小的压力。

In both cases, you're writing to describe a problem.

Your first sentence introduces the problem, and then your next paragraph gives more details.

两例都是你写邮件描述问题。第一句话介绍问题，然后下一段中给出细节。

You can see that in both examples, we use just two sentences, but you can include a lot of useful information in two sentences.

If you have more than one point to make in your email, you can repeat this pattern: first put a short sentence to introduce your point, then add a paragraph with two to three sentences to add details.

你可以看到两个样例都是如此，我们只用了两句话，却能包含很多有用信息。如果邮件中你要表达不止一个观点，你可以重复以下模式：先用一句简短的话语介绍观点，然后另起一段，用两三句话来补充细节。

You can move from one point to another using a phrase like: there's one more thing I'd like to discuss with you. Regarding. . .

观点的转换可以用以下措词：还有一件事我想和你谈谈。关于……

Or: I'd also like to ask you about. . . Use one of these phrases to change the topic, and then introduce your next point.

又如：我想问问你……用其中一种措词来切换话题，然后再介绍下一观点。

For example: there's one more thing I'd like to discuss with you.

It seems like the number of customer complaints has been increasing for three months. . .

例如：还有一件事我想和你谈谈。似乎三个月来客户的投诉量在不断上升……

Now, you can practice. Take the email you started before.

现在你可以练习了。就用你之前起头的邮件。

Add a new paragraph, which should be two to three sentences long.

Add details to the point you introduced before.

添加新的一段，应该两到三句话长。为你此前介绍过的观点补充细节。

Pause the video and do it now. If you want extra practice, add another topic to your email, using one of the linking phrases you just saw.

暂停视频，现在就写吧。如果你想额外再做练习，应用一种你刚才学到的连接措词，为邮件再添加一个话题吧。

After you explain all the points you want to make, what should you do next?

When you write an email, you should make it clear what you expect from the person you're sending it to.

你解释了所有想要表达的观点，下一步你应该做什么？

写邮件时你应当很清楚自己对收件人有着什么期待。

Even if you're writing just to give the other person some information, it's a good idea to make that clear. Put your call to action in a new paragraph.

即便你只是为了给他人提供一些信息才写的邮件，也最好搞清上述问题。新开一段写你要求行动。

Again, putting each thing in its own paragraph makes your email structured and easy to follow.

So, what can you write here?

重申一次，各种内容分段落表达，这样你的邮件就很有条理，容易阅读。

那么这段你可以怎么写？

First, let's consider situations where you need the other person to do something urgently.

You could say: please. . . by tomorrow at the latest.

首先，我们思考一下你需要他人做某事比较紧急的情况。你可以说：请最迟明天做……

As a matter of urgency, you need to. . . For example: please arrange a meeting of all department heads by tomorrow at the latest.

当务之急是你需要……例如：请最迟明天安排所有部门负责人开一次会。

As a matter of urgency, you need to contact all the clients who may have been affected by this data breach.

If your request is less urgent, you could use phrases such as: could you please. . . ?

当务之急是你需要和可能受数据泄露影响的所有客户联系一下。

如果你的请求没那么紧急，你可以用如下措词：能请你……？

I would like you to. . . For example: could you please talk to Matt in the HR department and clarify our options on this?

我希望你能……例如：能请你和人事部的马特谈谈，澄清我们在此事上的选择吗？

I would like you to design a poster to inform staff about the new policies. With calls to action, you should think about your relationship with the person you're writing to.

我希望你能设计一款海报，告知员工新政策的有关信息。你如果要要求行动，应当想想自己和收件人的关系。

For example, saying something like, "You need to. . ." or "I would like you to. . ." is relatively direct.

That's fine if you're a manager writing to one of your team, but it might sound inappropriate if you write that to your manager.

例如，写“你需要……”或者“我希望你能……”是相对而言更直接的。

如果你是经理，写给团队一员，那样没什么问题，不过如果是你写给经理，那样听起来不大合适。

This also depends on the corporate culture where you work.

Generally, if you aren't sure, it's better to be less direct.

这也取决于你工作单位的企业文化。

通常来说，如果你不确定，最好还是委婉些。

For example: I suggest that you contact all clients who may have been affected by the data breach.

Can I ask you to design a poster to inform staff about the new policies?

例如：我建议你可以联系下可能受数据泄露影响的所有客户。我可以请你设计一款海报告知员工新政策的相关信息吗？

But, be careful! Don't be so indirect that the other person doesn't understand what you need.

不过，要当心！不要太委婉了，导致其他人不明白你需要什么。

If you don't need a response from the other person, say something like: this is just to keep you updated.

This doesn't require any immediate response, but please keep an eye on the situation.

如果不需要他人回复，可以这么说：写这封邮件只是为了告诉你最新消息。

这样不要求对方立即回复，但请对方关注情况。

Now, it's your turn! Pause the video and add a call to action to the end of your email.

现在轮到你了！暂停视频，在邮件结尾添写要求行动。

Think about who you're writing to, and make your call-to-action appropriately direct or indirect.

So, now you're nearly finished.

思考一下你要写给谁，你要求对方行动的表述无论直接或委婉都应适当。

现在邮件你差不多要写完了。

What's left? Finish your email with a sign-off and your name.

还剩下什么？邮件最后写结束语和姓名收尾。

You can use a lot of the same sign-offs you can use in a paper letter, such as: "Regards,", "Best Wishes," or "Kind Regards,". Like with greetings, you wouldn't generally use very formal sign-offs like "Yours Sincerely" in an email.

你可以用许多和纸质书信一样的结束语，例如：“此致敬礼，”，“祝好，”或者“谨致问候，”。

和问候语一样，你通常不会在邮件里用“谨启”这类非常正式的结束语。

You might see it sometimes, but only in very formal emails.

Don't forget to write each word of your sign-off with a capital letter, and put a comma at the end.

你可能有时见到过，不过这只会出现在非常正式的邮件中。

不要忘记结束语每个词首字母都要大写，最后还要加上逗号。

The sign-offs you've just seen are neutral and can be used in almost any situation.

If you're writing something more informal, you might use a sign-off like: "Cheers," or "Take care,".

你刚才见到的结束语都比较中性，可以用在绝大多数场合。

如果你写的内容不那么正式，你可以写如下的结束语：“再见，”或“保重，”。

In this case, you wouldn't capitalise each word, which is why care in "Take care" has a small "c". Like with greetings, you might not need a sign-off in an informal email.

这种情况下，你不用每个词都大写首字母，所以 Take care 中 care 的 c 是小写的。和问候语一样，非正式邮件中可以不需要结束语。

Just write your name at the bottom, or don't write anything at all! After you put your sign-off, add your name, and you've finished!

只需在底部写上名字，或者什么都不写！写上结束语，加上名字，邮件就写完了！

For example: "Regards, Vijay", "Cheers, Katya". Now you know how to write a clear, effective email in English.

例如：“此致敬礼，维贾伊”，“再见，卡迪娅”。现在你学会了如何写一封内容清晰，效果不错的英语邮件了。

Let's put everything you've learned together.

To write an effective email in English, you need to: 1. Use an appropriate greeting.

我们来把学过的所有内容汇总一下。写一封效果不错的英语邮件，你需要：一，使用合适的问候语。

2. Introduce your topic in a single sentence.

3. Add details to your topic in a short paragraph.

2，一句话介绍你的话题。

3，一小段为话题增添细节。

4. Add a call-to-action to explain what you need the other person to do. 5. Use an appropriate sign-off.

4，要求行动，解释你需要他人做什么。

5，使用合适的结束语。

Let's do a longer example together: Dear Lina, I need to bring something to your attention: many staff are using very weak passwords on their laptops and for database access.

Our work depends on keeping our clients' personal financial information safe.

我们来举个长一点的例子：亲爱的丽娜，我希望你能注意到：许多员工在笔记本上登陆数据库用的密码太简单。

我们的工作取决于能否保证客户的个人财务信息安全。

If we lose our clients' trust on this issue, it will not be easy to recover.

I trust that you can see that it is better to take action now, rather than after something goes wrong.

如果我们失去客户在这件事上的信任，就很难弥补了。

我相信你能明白不是出事之后而是现在就采取行动。

I suggest we make a rule that passwords must be a specific length, and that staff must change their passwords at least once a month.

Please let me know what you think about this.

我建议我们制定规则，要求密码必须达到特定长度，而且员工必须每月更换密码至少一次。

你对此有何看法请回复。

Regards, Vijay What do you think: could you write an email like this?

此致敬礼，维贾伊 你有什么看法：你能写出这样的邮件吗？

Try it! Use words and phrases from the lesson.

试一试！用这节课学的词汇和措词。

Remember to organise your email into paragraphs, like we showed you.

This will make it easier to keep your ideas structured and clear.

记住邮件分段组织语言，模仿我们给你展示的例子。

这样既有条理又清晰地表述观点就更加容易了。

For more free English lessons check out our website: Oxford Online English. com

Thanks for watching!

下节课见！