商務英語300句:Unit 12 Terms of Payment 支付條款

Brief Introduction

目前，國際貿易中常用的付款方式( payment terms)有：匯付（Remittance）、託收（Collection )、信用證（Letter of Cred it）三種方式。大金額交易時主要是用到信用證，小買賣當然是用託收和匯付來完成。

作爲國際結算中的一個重要組成部分，對外貿易貨款的支付一般是利用匯票這種支付憑據通過銀行進行的。匯票中的跟單匯票（Documentary Draft）是對外貿易中最常用的一種支付工具。匯票按付款時間的不同，分爲即期匯票和遠期匯票兩種。

Dialogue 1

W: Well, we’ve settled the question of price, quality and quantity. Now what about the terms of payment?

B: We only accept payment by irrevocable letter of credit payable against shipping documents.

W: I see. Could you make an exception and accept D/A or D/P?

B: I’m afraid not. We insist on a letter of credit.

W: To tell you the truth, a letter of credit would increase the cost of my import. When I open a letter of credit with a bank, I have to pay a deposit. That’ll tie up my money and increase my cost.

B: Consult your bank and see if they will reduce the required deposit to a minimum.

-- 好吧，既然價格、質量和數量問題都已談妥，現在來談談付款方式 怎麼樣？

-- 我們只接受不可撤消的、憑裝運單據付款的信用證。

-- 我明白。你們能不能破例接受承兌交單或付款交單？

-- 恐怕不行，我們是堅決要求採用信用證付款。

-- 老實說，信用證會增加我方進口貨的成本。要在銀行開立信用證，我得付一筆押金。這樣會佔壓我的資金，因而會增加成本。

-- 你和開證行商量一下，看他們能否把押金減少到最低限度。

W: Still, there will be bank charges in connection with the credit. It would help me greatly if you would accept D/A or D/P. You can draw on me just as if there were a letter of credit. It makes no great difference to you, but it does to me.

B: Well, Mrs. Wang, you must be aware that an irrevocable letter of cred it gives the exporter the additional protection of the bank er’s guarantee. We always require L/C for our exports. And the other way round, we pay by L/C for our imports.

W: To meet you half way, what do you say if 50% by L/C and the balance by D/P?

B: I’m very sorry, Mrs. Wang. But I’m afraid I can’t promise you even that. As I’ve said, we require payment by L/C.

-- 即便那樣，開立信用證還是要支付銀行手續費。假如你能接受承兌 交單或付款交單，這就幫我大忙了。你就當作是信用證一樣向我開 匯票。這對你來說區別不大，但是對我來說就大不一樣了。

-- 王小姐，你應該也知道，不可撤消的信用證給出口商增加了銀行的 擔保。我們出口一向要求採用信用證；反過來講，我們進口也是信 用證付款。

-- 我們都各讓一步吧，貨價的百分之五十用信用證，其餘的採用付款 交單，你看怎麼樣？

-- 對不起，王小姐。即便那樣，我恐怕也不能答應。我都說過了，我 們要求用信用證付款。

Dialogue 2

A: Well, Mr. Brown, we’ve settled everything in connection with this transaction except the question of payment in yen. Now can you explain to me how to make payment in yen?

B: Many of our business friends in England, France, Switzerland, Italy and Germany are paying for our exports in Japan currency. It is quite easy to do so.

A: I know some of them are doing that. But this is new to me. I’ve never made payment in yen before. It is convenient to make pay- ment in pound sterling, but I may have some difficulty in making payment in yen.

B: Many banks in Europe now carry accounts in yen. They are in a position to open letters of credit and effect payment in yen. Con- sult your banks and you’ll see that they are ready to offer you this service.

A: Do you mean to say that I can open a letter of credit in yen with a bank in London or Bonn?

B: Sure you can. Several of the banks in London, such as the National Westminster Bank and Barclays Bank are in a position to open letters of credit in yen. They’ll do so against our sales confirmation or contract.

A: I see.

-- 布朗先生，除了日元付款問題外，我們已經談妥了有關這筆交易 的所有事項。現在，能不能請你解釋一下如何用日元付款？

-- 我們在英國、法國、瑞士、意大利及德國的許多商界朋友都用日元 支付我們的出口貨物。這很容易做到。

-- 我知道有些人是這麼做。但對我來說，這是新做法。我從來沒用過

日元付款。用英鎊付款很方便,但用日元付款可能會有些麻煩。

-- 現在歐洲許多銀行都可以開立日元賬戶。他們可以開立信用證並且 用日元支付。你去銀行諮詢就可知道，他們會替你辦理這項業務的。

-- 你是說我可以在倫敦或者波恩的銀行開立日元信用證嗎？

-- 當然可以。在倫敦有好幾家銀行，如國家威斯敏斯特銀行和巴克 萊銀行等都可以憑我們的銷售確認書或合同開立日元信用證。

-- 我知道了。

Dialogue 3

W：To get around your difficulty, Mr. Brown, I’d sug gest that you reduce your order by half. You can send in an ad di tion al order later.

B: Well, I’ll consider the possibility. By the way, when do I open the L/C if I want the goods to be delivered in June?

W: A month before the time you want the goods to be delivered.

B: Could you possibly effect shipment more promptly?

W: Getting the goods ready, making out the documents and booking the shipping space -- all this takes time, you know. You cannot expect us to make delivery in less than a month.

B: Very well, . I’ll not reduce my order. I’ll take the full quan ti ty you offer. And I’ll arrange for the Letter of Credit to be opened in your favor as soon as I get home.

W: When will that be?

B: Early next week. In the meantime, I should be very pleased if you would get everything ready. I hope that the goods can be

dispatched promptly after you get my Letter of Credit.

W: You can rest assured of that. We’ll book you order and inquire for the shipping space now, so that shipment can be effected within two or three weeks of receipt of your L/C.

B: That’ll be fine. I appreciate your cooperation.

-- 布朗先生，我建議你把訂單數量削減一半以擺脫你的困難。你可 以以後再下追加訂單。

-- 喔，我考慮一下這種可能性。順便問一下，如果我想要你們六月份 交貨的話，我需要在什麼時候開立信用證呢？

-- 交貨期前一個月。

-- 你們能否再提前一點交貨呢？

-- 你瞧，備貨、制單證、訂艙位——所有這些都要花時間。你總不 能要求我們在不到一個月的時間內交貨吧。

-- 好吧，王小姐，我不打算減少訂單的數量。你提供的數量我全部

都要。我一回去馬上着手辦理開立以你方爲受益人的信用證。

-- 那將是什麼時候？

-- 下週初。與此同時，如果你們能將所有的事情準備好，我會非常 滿意。我希望你們收到我的信用證後能馬上發貨。

-- 這點我們可以保證。我們這就下單生產、訂艙位，這樣在收到你方 信用證的兩、三星期內就能安排裝運。

-- 好，謝謝你們的合作。

W: Very good. Well, thanks to your cooperation, our discussion has been very pleasant and fruitful. I sincerely hope that the volume of trade between us will be even greater in the future.

B: By the way, Mrs. Wang, we have a mind to do joint participa- tion with you on Japanese arts and crafts in our market. Would you entertain this proposal?

W: Well, this is something new. A few of our friends from Europe have also suggested that we participate in joint enterprise with them dealing in some of our goods. We think there are a lot of details to go into.

B: If you feel our proposal is attractive, it is estimated that business to the extent of over twenty million marks can be done in this manner.

W: Naturally, I appreciate your efforts in pushing the sale of

Japanese arts and crafts. But I’m not in a position to discuss your proposal today. I must first talk to our director, and discuss it with you some other time.

B: All right. Anyway, I’ll be staying here for another two weeks. But I’m looking forward to having something done in this respect.

W: We’ll talk about it next time. Now that everything is settled, let’s have a cup of tea, and take our minds off business for a change.

-- 太好了。由於你們的合作，我們之間的談判很愉快而且富有成果。 我真誠地希望今後我們之間的貿易額會進一步擴大。

-- 王小姐，順便提一句，我們有意與你方合作，在我國市場上合資 經營日本工藝品。你們願意接受這個提議嗎？

-- 這是一個新做法。有些歐洲朋友也建議我們與他們一起合資經營我 們的一些產品。不過，這個需要進行詳細地討論。

-- 如果你們覺得我方提議值得考慮採納，估計以這種方式，貿易額 可以達到二千萬馬克以上。

-- 當然，我們很感激貴方爲推銷日本工藝品所作的努力，但是我今 天無法與你方討論這一問題。我得先和我們主管商量一下，然後和 您找個時間再談。

-- 好吧，反正我還會再呆兩個星期。不過我期望在這方面能夠取得進 展。

-- 我們下次再談吧。既然所有的問題都解決了，我們喝杯茶，拋開業 務問題休息一下吧。

Words and Expressions

irrevocable [i5revEkEbl] 不可撤消的，不可取回的

deposit [di5pCzit] 押金，定金

tie up 佔壓資金

minimum [5minimEm] 最低限度

guarantee [7^ArEn5ti:] 保證，擔保

Switzerland [5switsElEnd] 瑞士

currency [5kQrEnsi] 貨幣

be in a position to 能夠

sales confirmation 銷售確認書

effect [i5fekt] 實行，生成

promptly [5prRmptlI] 迅速地

dispatch [dis5pAtF] 發送

Notes

1. joint enterprise 合營企業

2. payment by irrevocable letter of credit payable against shipping documents

不可撤消的、憑裝運單據付款的信用證付款方式

3. D/P = Documents against Payment 付款交單

4. D/A = Documents against Acceptance 承兌交單

5. in connection with 有關於……， 和……有關係的

6. draw on sb. 向……開出匯票

7. you must be aware that… 你一定知道

8. and the other way round 反過來講

9. 50% by L/C and the balance by D/P

百分之五十採用信用證，剩餘部分採用付款交單

10. against our sales confirmation 憑我們的銷售確認書

11. to be opened in your favor 以你方爲受益人的

12. you can rest assured of that 這個你可以放心

13. thanks to 由於，因爲

14. now that everything is settled…… 既然事情都解決了……

A Specimen Letter

Dear sirs：

We have received your letter of December 20th and noted with interest your intention of pushing the sale of our automobiles in your country.

Although we are much appreciative of your efforts to help sell our automobiles, we regret being unable to consider your request for payment by D/A 60 days?sight. Our usual practice is to ask for sight L/C.

However, in order to facilitate developing the sale of automobiles in your market, we are prepared to accept payment by D/P at sight as a special accommodation.

We hope that the above payment terms will be acceptable to you and look forward to the pleasure of hearing from you soon.

Yours faithfully,

Manager

先生：

十二月二十日來函收到，獲悉你方有意在貴國推銷我們的汽車。對此，我們很感興趣。

對你們爲推銷我方汽車所作的努力，我們甚爲感激。 但對你方要求以見票後六十天內承兌交單付款一事，我們很保歉不能予以考慮。我們通常的做法是要求即期信用證付款。

然而，爲了促進我們的汽車在貴方市場上的銷售，我方準備接受即期交單付款方式，以示特別照顧。

希望你能接受上述付款條件，並盼早日收到迴音。

經理

釋文

支付條款

Substitution Drills

1 A: What are your terms of payment?

How are we going to arrange payment?

What is the mode of payment?

B: We want payment to be made by confirmed, irrevocable L/C.

You’ll need to open a confirmed and irrevocable letter of credit.

We’d like you to pay us by confirmed and irrevocable letter of credit.

你們使用什麼付款方式？

我們怎麼安排付款？

付款方式是什麼？

我們要求採用保兌的、不可撤消的信用證來支付。

你們需要開立一個保兌的、不可撤消的信用證。

我們希望你們能用保兌的、不可撤消的信用證來支付給我們。

2 A:The point is that to open a L/C does mean additional expense.

The trouble is that opening a L/C will add to the cost of our imports.

The problem is that payment by L/C will cause us some difficulty in getting the license.

B: I’m sorry that can’t be helped.

問題是開立一個信用證將意味着額外的開支。

問題是開立一個信用證將增加我們的進口成本。

問題是用信用證付款將給我們獲得許可證方面帶來一些困難。

很抱歉，沒辦法。

3 A:When shall we open the letter of credit?

do we have to establish the letter of credit?

shall we arrange for a credit line under the contract terms?

B: Thirty days before the month of shipment.

The credit line should be opened one month before the time of shipment.

The buyer shall open the credit line 30 days before the date of shipment.

我們應該什麼時候開立信用證？

我們必須什麼時候開立信用證？

我們應該什麼時候按協議條款安排信貸額度？

在裝船當月前30天。

信用證必須在裝船前一個月辦理。

買方應該在裝船日期前30天內辦理信貸額度。

4 A: How long should our L/C be valid?

When should we set the expiry date?

What should be the validity of the L/C?

B: The L/C should be valid for 15 days after the date of shipment.

The expiry date of the L/C is to be 15 days after the date of shipment.

The L/C must remain valid until the fifteenth day after shipment.

我們的信用證應該多長時間有效？

我們應該把失效期設爲哪一天？

信用證應該多長時間有效？

信用證應該在裝船日期後15天內有效。

信用證應該在裝船日期15天后失效。

信用證必須在裝船後15天有效。

5 A:Payment by L/C is quite usual in international trade.

our usual practice.

customary in foreign trade.

B: I know. L/C is all right, but could you

consider 60 days?sight draft?

be more flexible for future dealings？

make your payment terms easier for us just for this small order？

信用證支付在國際貿易中非常普遍。

信用證支付是我們的通常做法。

信用證支付在對外貿易中是慣例。

我知道，信用證支付是不錯，但是你們能考慮60天的即期匯票嗎？

但是未來的交易你能否更靈活一點？

但這小批訂單的付款方式能否容易一點？

6 It is $30. Mr. Green, please pay the cashier.

comes to

amounts to

adds up to

總共30美元，格林先生，請付款給出納員。

7 Here is your change of 5 Yuan. Please double check it.

See if it’s all right.

I hope I haven’t made a mistake.

Please keep it carefully.

這是您的五元零錢。 請再覈實一下。

看看是否正確。

我希望沒出錯。

請妥善保管。