VOA名师答疑 电子邮件中according to和as per的不同用法

Hello!

大家好!

This week on Ask a Teacher, we will answer a question about the difference between the phrases “as per” and “according to.”

本周《名师答疑》，我们回答关于短语as per和according to有什么区别的问题。

This is Mengwen.

我是梦文。

I just wanted to know what is the difference between “as per” and “according to” when writing an email.

我想知道写电子邮件时as per和according to有什么区别。

Many thanks in advance. Mengwen.

提前感谢您。梦文。

Dear Mengwen, this is a great question.

亲爱的梦文，这是一个很好的问题。

In some cases, we can use both of these expressions in the same way.

在某些情况下，这两个表达的用法是一样的。

But they do have slight differences in tone¹ and formality.

但在语气和正式性方面确实略有不同。

Let’s start with “according to.”

让我们先看according to。

“According to” is described as a preposition in many dictionaries.

在许多词典中，according to是一个介词。

“According to” means “as stated by someone or shown by something.”

意思是“根据某人所说的或像某物显示的那样”。

It is usually used at the beginning of a sentence.

它通常用在句子的开头。

Here are some examples: According to our teacher, the final paper is due before the end of the day.

这里有一些例句：根据我们老师的说法，期末论文必须在今天结束之前交上来。

According to my last email, if we do not schedule the event soon, we will not be able to do so until next year.

根据我上一封电子邮件，如果我们不尽快安排活动，那么活动直到明年才能举办。

It can also mean, “in a way that agrees with.”

according to还可以表示“以符合......的方式”。

For this meaning, “according to” can appear in the middle of a sentence.

表示这个意思时，according to可以出现在句子中间。

For example: The teacher divided the class according to age.

例如：老师按年龄把班上的人分成组。

Any student born before July was put in group A, and anyone born July 1st or after was placed in group B.

7月1日之前出生的学生被分到A组，7月1日及以后出生的学生被分到B组。

The term “according to” is used very generally.

according to一词用得很广泛。

The tone or feeling that we get from it is neutral, meaning neither good nor bad.

它的语气或感觉是中性的，无褒无贬。

It can be used in both formal and informal situations.

既可以用于正式场合，也可以用于非正式场合。

“According to” is used best when we expect something to have happened, or for setting up meetings or completing requests.

当我们预计发生了某件事情，或者在安排会议、完成请求时，用according to最合适。

This use is most closely related to “as per,” so let's move on to that discussion now.

这种用法与as per最相关，所以现在我们继续讨论as per。

“As per” means “in accordance with.”

as per指的是“按照”。

The expression combines the adverb “as” with the preposition “per.”

这个短语把副词as和介词per结合在一起。

Here is an example: Dear Karen, as per your request, I have listed all of the items that we need to send out by next week.

这里有一个例句：亲爱的凯伦，按照你的要求，我已经列出了我们需要在下周之前寄出的所有物品。

In this case, it has the same meaning as “according to.”

在这种情况下，它和according to意思相同。

And we can use it in similar situations when we want to point out something previously² referenced³.

当我们想指出之前提到的东西时，也可以使用这个表达。

But it is best to use “as per” with more formal requests that have specific times and dates.

但最好是在有具体时间和日期的更正式的请求中使用“as per”。

The term is often used in commercial or business settings.

这个表达经常用于商业场合。

We can also use just the preposition “per” in the same way, as in this example:

也可以只用介词per，用法是一样的，如下面的例句：

Dear Professor Karen, I handed in the test before the due date, per your instructions.

亲爱的凯伦教授，我按照您的指示，在截止日期之前提交了试卷。

Both “according to” and “as per” relate to what was previously said or done.

according to和as per都与以前说过或做过的事情有关。

“According to” is more general and can be used in different situations.

according to比较笼统，可用于不同的情况。

“As per” is more formal and is often used for business, especially with specific due dates and requests.

as per比较正式，常用于商务活动，尤其是有特定的截止日期和要求。

If you are still unsure about which to use, try thinking of the connotation of each.

如果你仍然不确定该用哪一个，试着想一想每个表达的含义。

Connotation is the idea, feeling or association linked to a word or phrase.

含义就是与一个词或短语联系在一起的想法、感觉或联想。

Since “according to” is more general and can be used in a lot of different situations, it usually has a neutral connotation.

由于according to的用法比较笼统，可以在很多不同的情况下使用，所以它通常有中性的含义。

In recent years, especially with many jobs going online, “as per” is sometimes seen in a more negative way.

近些年来，尤其是随着许多工作开始在线上进行，人们有时会以一种更负面的方式来看待as per。

This has led to many internet memes showing how “as per” is used in emails.

这导致出现了许多关于如何在电子邮件中使用as per的网络迷因。

So you might want to choose “according to,” just in case.

所以最好还是选择according to，以防万一。

Please let us know if these explanations have helped you, Mengwen.

梦文，请让我们知道这些解释是否对你有帮助。

And that’s Ask a Teacher.

以上就是本期《名师答疑》。

I’m Faith Pirlo.

我是费思·皮尔洛。

1 tone   

n.语气，音调，气度，色调；vt.（up）增强

参考例句：

• There was a tone of mockery in his voice.他说话的语气含有嘲笑的意味。
• Holmes used an informal,chatty tone in his essays.霍姆斯在文章中语气轻松随便。

2 previously   

adv.以前，先前（地）

参考例句：

• The bicycle tyre blew out at a previously damaged point.自行车胎在以前损坏过的地方又爆开了。
• Let me digress for a moment and explain what had happened previously.让我岔开一会儿，解释原先发生了什么。

3 referenced   

adj.参考的，引用的

参考例句：

• The reader is cross-referenced to the entry "center". 读者可参见center词条。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Each new volume is thoroughly referenced. 每本新书都有详细的附注。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》