Traditions, customs and beliefs

A journey to a foreign country is practically always a voyage of discovery of something new and unknown.

In developing countries businessmen will discover a society composed of a complexity of multi-faceted communities with different languages, religions and therefore varying beliefs, traditions and customs. Often these have a strong impact on the political economic and social life of the country. This should by no means be disregarded by those engaged in business relations with such countries. And when planning a deal with such a country one must be very well informed about the particulars of this aspect of life of the developing countries.

There are different ways to obtain this kind of information. While elaborating a contact with a developing country one may read appropriate books on the subject, ask an expert for the necessary information, contact representatives of the country and seek advice, etc. But while inside the country there are also a number of ways to be informed about the country. One can ask suggestions from our diplomats stationed in the country. Helpful information of this kind can be obtained by visiting local museums where one can go through the centuries of the country’s history. Reading the local press and watching the local TV will be of assistance in this respect as well. But the best way to be informed about the country and the particulars of dealing with local businessmen is to seek appropriate advice from the representatives of our trade mission in the country. This body is staffed with well informed and skilled personnel with good knowledge of economic and legal particulars related to this country. Their advice will be for you of crucial importance.

 

Упражнение 1. Соедините понятия и их определения.

1. prime time	a) to find new people to work for an organization or company
2. receipt	b) to make a person, business, or country go out of business
3. recruit	c) the time in the evening when most people are watching television, and the cost of advertising is at its most expensive
4. public sector	d) a document given by someone, showing that they have received money, goods, or services
5. to bankrupt	e) organizations which are government-owned or government-controlled
6. Piecework payment	f) an amount of money produced as a profit
7. Fixed payment	g) payments made to an individual that are related to the number of goods he or she produces
8. Profit	h) metal money
9. Coin	i) money gained by trade or business
10. Return	j) not changeable amount of money which is to be paid

 

Упражнение 2. Расставьте части письма в правильном порядке. Вместо пропусков в основной части письма вставьте правильное слово из рамочки.

Будьте внимательны: вам понадобятся не все предложенные слова.

Advertisement kindly commercial interested in terms of payment would like to meets place deal with specializes in

 

Pet Products Ltd

180 London Road

Exeter EX4 4JY

England

 

Dear Sirs,

 

We read you _____ in the “Pet Magazine” of 25^th December. We are _____ buying your equipment for producing pet food. Would you _____ send us more information about the equipment:

- price,

- dates of delivery,

- _____,

- guarantees.

Our company _____ distributing pet products in Ukraine. We have more that 50 dealers in different regions and _____ start producing pet food in Ukraine. If your equipment _____ our requirements, and we receive a favourable offer, we will be able to _____ a large order for your equipment.

 

Yours faithfully,

V. Smurov,

Export-Import Manager.

 

Your early reply would be appreciated.

 

25^th February, 2002

Упражнение 3. Ещё раз ознакомьтесь с содержанием письма в упражнение 2 и выберите, к какому типу письма из приведенного ниже списка оно относится.

Letter of Reminder

Letter of Acknowledgement

Letter of Offer

Letter of Application

Letter of Inquiry

Letter of Complaint

 

Упражнение 4. Ознакомьтесь с приведенным ниже диалогом. Вставьте пропущенные слова из рамочки.

promote attracted commercial power plans constructing achievements

After visiting the exhibition

Foreign representative: Thank you, sir, for showing us round your pavilion. Your display has _____ a lot of businessmen. I hope the exhibition will _____ our cooperation too.

Exhibition Officer: That’s nice to hear. As I’ve told you, Mr. … we are showing here our most up-to-date equipment. It incorporates the latest scientific and technological _____.

F.R.: It was a good idea to show a film about the power plants which you have constructed in the developing countries. It’s really very impressive.

E.O.: Well our _____ are popular throughout the world.

F.R.: We may also be interested in _____ a power station in our country.

E.O.: Glad to hear that. May I suggest that we drop in at the _____ office for a tentative talk on future cooperation?

F.R.: All right.

Вариант 5

Перепишите текст и письменно переведите его на русский язык.

Social contacts

Although the rules for introduction have become less rigid, certain forms must be followed: a young person is presented to an older one; a gentleman is always presented to a lady. No woman is ever presented to a man, with the exception of a recognized head of a government, of another country or a member of a royal family.

Introducing a person to a group the introducer ideally should know the names of all the people. He leads the newcomer to the group and says: “This is John Smith, whom I want to introduce to you”. Then indicating each in the group in turn he says: “Mr. Smith, Ms. Bryan, Mr. Johns”, etc. If he wants to be strictly polite he should introduce the newcomer to the ladies first. But this may involve an element of complication or an exaggerated politeness in the procedure. That is why the introducer should seek a balance. It won’t be considered as a breach of protocol, if the introducer goes by the order in which the people happen to be standing. If the introducer momentarily forgets or does not know the name of one of the group, it is up to the person concerned to come to his rescue. He may do it by saying: “I am James Stuart. How do you do?” or something of the sort.

When a visitor is ready to leave, he or she merely stands up. To one with whom he was speaking, he says: “Good-by, it was a pleasure to meet you. I hope I will see you again soon” or simply, “I am glad to have met you.” In taking leave of a group of strangers you nod and smile a “Good-by” to anyone who happens to be looking at you. When leaving a party early, you should find you host or hostess and say “Good-by” without attracting any more attention than is necessary.

 

Упражнение 1. Соедините понятия и их определения.

1.boom	a) the fact of no longer having something that you used to have
2. to corrupt	b) a time when business activity increases rapidly, so that the demand for goods increases, prices and wages go up
3. loss	c) to make a formal, usually written request for something, especially a job
4. retailer	d) to encourage someone to behave in a dishonest or illegal way in order to get something
5. to apply	e) a business that sells goods to members of the public, rather than to shops etc
6. Currency	f) sum of money lent
7. Legal tender	g) desire of customers for goods or services
8. Demand	h) form of money, which must be accepted as a payment
9. Labour force	i) all those who can work in a country, company
10 Loan	j) money that is in use in a country

 

Упражнение 2. Расставьте части письма в правильном порядке. Вместо пропусков в основной части письма вставьте правильное слово из рамочки.

Будьте внимательны: вам понадобятся не все предложенные слова.

Thank you discovered change replace ordered draw your attention separate mail declare to prove specified

Men’s Clothes Dealers Ltd.

142 South Road

Sheffield S20 4HL

England

 

We would appreciate a prompt reply.

 

_____ for your delivery of men’s silk shirts, which we _____ on 21th March. At the same time we would like to _____ to the following.

After examination of the shirts we _____ some manufacturing defects:

- there are oil stains on 12 shirts;

- the colour of buttons of 5 shirts does not match the colour of these shirts,

- one shirt is in different style.

_____ our statement we are returning defective shirts by _____ and would ask you to _____ them by shirts in the colours and sizes _____ in our order.

 

18^th April, 2003

 

Ref: Our order # 142 of 21th March, 2003

 

Dear Sirs,

 

Yours faithfully,

Vladimir Smurov,

Export-Import Manager.

 

 

Упражнение 3. Ещё раз ознакомьтесь с содержанием письма в упражнение 2 и выберите, к какому типу письма из приведенного ниже списка оно относится.

Letter of Reminder

Letter of Acknowledgement

Letter of Offer

Letter of Application

Letter of Inquiry

Letter of Complaint

 

Упражнение 4. Ознакомьтесь с приведенным ниже диалогом. Вставьте пропущенные слова из рамочки.

law marriage ad in advance arranged suppose traditions

Talking about traditions

Visitor: I saw a procession coming down that hill. What was it?

The country’s national: A wedding, I _____. I saw them carrying the bride in a sort of chair supported on wooden poles.

V.: Shall we hurry up to get a better look?

C.N.: It’ll be a waste of time. They are probably gone by now.

V.: Ah, what a pity. Could you tell me something about the marriage _____ here?

C.N.: With pleasure. You know many Indians live together in big families, particularly in villages.

V.: But surely, when a young man gets married, he …

C.N.: No, he doesn’t set up a house of his own but brings his bride to the family home.

V.: But nowadays at least he chooses his bride himself, doesn’t he?

C.N.: Not necessarily. Most marriages are _____ and the bride is chosen by the young man’s parents or elders.

V.: I hear dowries are forbidden by _____ now, aren’t they?

C.N.: That’s true, changes are taking place. Girls now get married later and are more educated. By the way, education is becoming more and more important, even replacing a dowry.

V.: That’s fine. But one other thing … I was surprised to see a _____ in a newspaper the other day.

C.N.: Oh, that. Well marriage advertisements in the papers are not unusual. These ads may be placed by the parents of the boy or girl and answered by the parents of the prospective match.

V.: Not by the boys or girls themselves?

C.N.: No, never, only by the parents. Actually parents spend much of their time arranging marriages _____ for their children.

V.: How very interesting, quite unlike European countries.

 

 

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