Telegrams (cables)

Messages transmitted by telegraph are called telegrams if they are sent by means of wire and cables (cablegrams) if they are sent by means of cable (laid underground or on the ocean bottom). Nowadays in Britain, and in most other English-speaking countries, however, the word “cable” is used for any telegrams which are sent out of the country. It is even applicable to wireless communication (to radiograms). Telegrams are usually typed out in capital letters without any punctuation, the word “stop” may be used if necessary to make the meaning clear.

Since telegrams are charged according to the number of words, they must be economically worded, i.e. kept short:

1. By means of omitting nonessential words such as articles, link words, pronouns as subjects, some preposition (not “within” or “without”) and other auxiliary parts of the sentence. But the message to be sent must not be cut down so far as to make it ambiguous.

2. By leaving out the Opening Salutation and Complimentary Closing. Such courtesy-words, however, as “thanks (thank you-TU), please (PLS), kindly, appreciate, regards (RGDS) and some others are widely used.

3. By using abbreviations such as:

ABT = about

ASAP = as soon as possible

B/F = Bill of exchange

BIBI = bye-bye

B/L (blading) = Bill of Lading

CFM = please confirm

DLRS = dollars

DOZ = dozen

INFO = information

LC = Letter of credit

OK = agree

PLS = please

QOK = question OK, do you agree?

RE (Lat.) = relating to

REF = referring to

RGDS = regards

RPT = repeat

TLX = telex

YR = your

4. By joining parts of words and whole words: OURLET = our letter, YOURLET = your letter, OURTEL = our telegram (telex), YOURTEL = your telegram (Telex), RELET = relating (referring) to letter, RECABLE = relating (referring) to cable, REPHONE = referring to telephone conversation, REURLET = referring to your letter/ REYRLET, REURTEL = referring to your telegram (telex)/ REYRTEL, PRODOC = project document, PERDAY = per day, PERTON = per ton, FIVEPERCENT = five per cent (%). To avoid mistakes numbers in cables are written in words, and certain numbers e.g. double figures (cardinal and ordinal) from twenty one (twenty first) and on – twentyone, thirtyfirst, fortyfive – are written in one word. Numbers “one hundred (thousand), etc.” are written in one word as well: ninehundred, seventhousand, fivethousand and fiftyfive (= 5 055). e.g. “REYTEL TENTH MAY QUOTING LOWEST TWOHUNDRED PERUNIT INCLUDING FIVEPERCENT TRADE DISCOUNT RGDS”

5. By preferring to use single words to phrases:

cannot instead of are unable to не можемо, не взмозі

try ‘’ make an effort намагатися

concerning ‘’ having regard to у відношені, відносно

during ‘’ in the course of під час

to ‘’ with the object of з метою

6. By using “ cable language” (“telegrafic English”), which is not always correct in ordinary writing, for example:

“PLS QUOTE LOWEST AND SOONEST TWO MACHINETOOLS CIF CALCUTTA RGDS” (The words “Lowest” and “soonest” are understood to mean: “the lowest price” and “the soonest (earliest) delivery time”)

“CONFERMING SHIPMENT EARLY MAY TWO MACHINETOOLS PLS ADVISE SHIPMENT TIME SECOND LOT ASAP RGDS”

(“confirming” = we are confirming)

“REGRET PRICE UNACCEPTABLE” (we regret we cannot accept your price)

“REGRET POOR DEMAND COMPETITORS POSITION VERY STRONG” (= we regret that there is poor demand for your equipment. Our competitors are in a very strong position.)

For the sake of economy and occasionally of secrecy instead of writing cables in clear you may use commercial codes (Marconi, Bentley’s) and cyphers. There are special “Code Books”, for example the British A B C Code, which serve as dictionaries (to read cables written in code).

Remember that:

a) certain words are very frequent in cables, for example:

to advise – повідомляти,

advise – повідомлення

to expedite – прискорювати

to finalize – закінчувати, завершувати

to report – прибувати

Examples:

“PLS ADVISE SOONEST DELIVERY DATE RGDS PETROV”

“PLS EXPEDITE REPLY RGDS BROWN”

“URGENTLY FINALIZE CONTRACT NEGOTIATION”

b) If a document is quoted, the word “QUOTE” is written at the beginning (meaning цитую) and “UNQUOTE” at the end (= кінець цитати).

c) You write the word “EYE” for the pronoun “I” to avoid confusing it with the figure “I”.

d) To stress the importance of something the word “REPEAT” is used and the important part is repeated, e.g.

“PLS TRANSFER ENGLISH POUNDS 500 REPEAT 500 ASAP.”

Lengthy messages which are urgent may be sent by letter telegrams at half the rate for ordinary telegrams. They are delivered on the day next the one when they were handed in. Messages sent by letter telegram must have the appropriate indication: L.T. in front of the address.

Just a couple of decades ago telegrafic messages were the fastest means of business communication. They were widely used for buying and selling in exchanges, in dealing in raw materials, stocks and shares, foreign currencies, ships and insurance. But their role has been diminishing ever since the appearance of other means of communication – especially – telexes.

For the convenience of the customers companies register their cable addresses (= telegrafic addresses) which are abbreviated (brief) registered addresses for use in cables. Company cable addresses were and sometimes still are printed on company forms.

Formally the cable address was given in detail, for example on the letter paper of the English firm H.Brown & W.Pink Ltd you could read:

Telegrams:

Foreign – BRONK, LONDON

Inland – BRONK, PICCY, LONDON

Code – BENTILEYS

Now it is short:

Cable: STANLOR ESSLINGEN

(= cable address of Standard Electric Lorenz AG from Esslingen)

Cable: NISSHOIWAI TOKYO

(= cable address of Nissho Iwai Corporation from Tokyo)

Some companies do not print their cable addresses on their forms any longer.

Дата добавления: 2015-11-16