经贸英语是专门用途英语(English for Special Purpose)大家族的一员,它与一般英语(General English)既相联系,又相区别,两者的关系可比作“毛”与“皮”的关系。我们中国有这样一句成语,对它们的关系作出了概括,即“皮之不存,毛将焉附。”这对我们自学者有较大的启迪。我们认真学习精读一、泛读一、精读二(这几门课与自考“英语专业”的要求和测试相同),便是为进一步学习经贸英语打好一般英语的基础。毕竟经贸英语与一般英语在基本词汇和基本句型的使用上有相同的“共性”,如果忽视了两者之间的这一联系,基础没打好就急于开始经贸英语的学习,单单在语言方面的困难就足以令我们因为举步维艰而蒙生退意了。
描写经济贸易上升趋势的词和短语: an increase / to increase a rise / to rise an upward movement / to go up a jump / to jump a peak / to reach a peak/to peak a recovery / to recover a growth / to grow a leap / to leap a surge / to surge
描写经济贸易下降趋势的常用词和短语: a decrease/to decrease a fall/to fall a 0drop/to 0drop a downward movement/to go down a low point/to reach a low point a fall off/to fall off a slump/to slump a decline/to decline a collapse/to collapse a cut/to cut a leveling off/to level off
在描写经济贸易发展变化的程度时,经常需要用百分比来作对比,从而需用有关动词及与其配套的前置词: to fall to run at a rate of 5%to increase to slow down from 10%to 5%to grow to increase from a 4.8%average to cut to a 6.5%average
英语经贸文章的句式及句子之间的连接也有其特点,如在对经贸发展趋势进行比较时经常借助于多种语法手段,从而有机地把枯燥的数字和信息揉合在一起。例如: The U.S.Bureau of Labor Statistics on Omaha’s prosperity:At 2.3%in December ,Omaha had the second-lowest unemployment rate of the nation’s 50 biggest cities.Only Honolulu was lower at 2.1%,Among tates,Nebraska’s 2% jobless rate was the USA’s lowest-well below the national rate.
为使句子之间的意思更好地连贯起来,常常使用连接词,介词和副词,如表明对比和情况变化关系的词有but,however,whereas,either…or和neither…nor等;表示情况内在联系的连接词和短语介词有and,as well as和in the case of等。