零售商以电子邮件发了一封询价信给供货商之后,第二天即与对方联络。以下就是供货商在电话中向他报价的情形:
英文正文
A: Good morning. We e-mailed an inquiry to you yesterday about the SuperWang computer.
B: Oh yes! Thanks.I was told that our salesman, Mr. Chen, had solicited your inquiry.
A: Yes. Mr. Chen. I met him at a trade show last month, and he gave me full particulars on the SuperWang.
B: In your e-mail you asked for a quotation. We can quote you U.S. $800 for the item.
A: That sounds good. When would be the earliest delivery date for an order of 2000 units?
B: That's not a difficult matter, but I'll need to check. I think 20 days from the day the order is made would be the earliest date possible.
句型总结
● 何时会…
1. When would be...?
2. Can you advise me as to when...?
3. May I inquire as to when...?
这个句型主要是很客气地询问对方‘什么时候可以做某件事’。"would be"与"will be"意义相同,‘将会是...’之意,但口气上"would"比"will"要客气得多。所以在请别帮忙某事时是多用"Would you please...",而较少用"Will you please..."。
短语解说
solicit your inquiry 促请您询价
"solicit",‘恳求、请求’之意。"solicit your inquiry"是欢迎买者前来询问产品的商业客套话。一般询价通常由买方提出,但卖方为推广产品,亦可主动提供商品数据给买方,以期引起买方的与趣。这在销售上是一种反守为攻的主动作法。
quote 报价;开估价单
"quote"为动词,名词为"quotation"。这是指买卖其中一方(大多数为卖方)将价格及条件报给对方。这个字的用法与"offer"虽可交替使用,但实务上,用"offer"时,通常已决定了交易数量及其它交易条件,而用"quote"或"quotation"时,却尚未敲定交易数量。
earliest delivery date 尽快送达;最早交货日期
"delivery"原意为‘运送、交付’;"delivery date";即交货日期,在国际贸易实务的习惯上,这其实是指‘装运日期’--"date of shipment"(由于国际贸易多采海上运输)但‘交货日期’又分为两种:‘即期交货’和‘定期交货’。‘即期交货’并未载明确切日期,因此容易发生纠纷,在实务应用上远不如约好交货日子的‘定期交货’来得普遍,而"earliest delivery date"--最早交货日期,属于未限定日期的‘即期交货"。