【英语多益通】写英文辞职信的三大重点

文/周强(Tim Chou)

最近有一则新闻英国一名于机场工作男子,在成功发展自己的副业与初为人父之后,决定把机场的工作辞掉。他辞职的方式很特别,不是面交辞职信(resignation letter)给主管,而是把辞职信写在蛋糕上。这个说再见的方式真是甜蜜。他的这封蛋糕上的辞职信只有三句英文,他写了什么呢?

Today is my 31st birthday, and having recently become a father I now realize how precious life is and how important it is to spend my time doing something that makes me, and other people, happy.

他说:「今天是我31岁的生日;在我最近成为一个父亲之后,我现在了解生命是多么宝贵,以及花时间做使我与他人高兴的事是多么重要。」

句子虽然有一点长,但是只要看出它是如何连接的,长句也能迎刃而解。本句是用and连接了A、B两句。句A是「Today is my 31st birthday.」,而句B是「Having recently become a father, I now realize …」。只是句B是一个「分词构句」的句型,而英国人习惯省略father后面的这个逗号,所以有些人会被句子的长度影响句意的理解。

看信的人可以从第1句了解到:此男当爸爸了,以及他找到了他喜欢做的事。接着他说:

For that reason, I hereby give notice of my resignation, in order that I may devote my time and energy to my family, and to my cake business which has grown steadily over the past few years.

「为了这个理由,我在此提出辞呈,以便可以投注时间精力给我的家人,以及最近几年来稳定成长的蛋糕事业。」句中的in order是「为了…」的常用说法,后面如果接动词要用「in order to +V」;如果接句子要用「in order that +句子」。

但是最重要的是devote这个字,它有「贡献心力」、「致力」、「专心从事」的意思用法有三:

1. 「S + devote + 投入的事物金钱、时间、精力) + to +Ving」例:He devoted his whole time to translating the book.(他付出了所有时间翻译这本书。)

2. 「S + devote + 反身代名词(-self/-selves) + to +Ving」例:They devoted themselves to running the coffee shop.(他们专心致力于经营这间咖啡厅。)

3. 「S + beV + devoted + to +Ving」,在此把devote的过去分词devoted视为形容词,前面用be动词。例:She is devoted to teaching these students.(她奉献心力教这些学生。)

更值得一提的是,devote有一个同义字dedicate,用法完全相同。devote与dedicate都是国际职埸与多益测验用字。我们在英文写作上,也可以常用这两个好字。

最后的第三句,他说:

I wish the organization and my colleagues the best for the future and I remind you that, if you enjoy this cake, you can order more at www.mrcake.co.uk

「我祝福单位组织与同事们有最好的未来;而我也要提醒你们,如果喜欢这个蛋糕,请至以下网址订购。」看来这个英国男子挺会做生意的,在辞职信的结尾还不忘推销他的蛋糕,为他刚出生小孩奶粉钱继续打拼。

多益测验的测验题涵盖国际职场的13种情境,而「人事」情境是其中的一种,包括招募、聘用、退休、薪资晋升、应征、求职广告等等。这篇文情并茂的蛋糕上的辞职信,在网路上广为转载,也正是我们训练多益测验阅读能力的大好机会。

快来试一下此〈多益测验官方全真试题指南III〉第82页的122题:

OE Furniture Company is ________ to providing contemporary furniture at old-fashioned prices.(A) dedication(B) dedicates(C) dedicated(D) dedicating

解析本题题意是OE家具公司致力提供价廉物美的现代家具。句中的「致力」用的是前述的dedicate,也就是devote的同义字,用法为前述的三种:

S + devote/dedicate + 投入的事物(例如金钱、时间、精力) + to +Ving= S + devote/dedicate + 反身代名词(-self/-selves) + to +Ving= S + beV + devoted/dedicated + to +Ving

解题关键空格前的be动词is与空格后没有投入的事物或反身代名词。从上述三种devote用法来判断,正确答案是(C),dedicated是过去分词当形容词使用。答案(D)的dedicating是干扰答案,要配上金钱时间精力或反身代名词(itself)才正确。

在进行英文的阅读时,除了了解文中文意与情境之外,该文的遣词用字也是我们可以学习之处。本文的「precious」、「give notice of my resignation」、「grown steadily」、「over the past few years」、「remind」都是值得一学的用法。

以下为蛋糕上的辞职信全文:To the management,

Today is my 31st birthday, and having recently become a father I now realize how precious life is and how important it is to spend my time doing something that makes me, and other people, happy.For that reason, I hereby give notice of my resignation, in order that I may devote my time and energy to my family, and to my cake business which has grown steadily over the past few years.I wish the organization and my colleagues the best for the future and I remind you that, if you enjoy this cake, you can order more at www.mrcake.co.uk

Sincerely,Chris Holmes

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