原文5
Discrepancies plagued the majority of L/Cs, and these had to be resolved through lengthy correspondence. It was slow, expensive and error-prone, everything e-commerce was trying to get away from. What is needed, therefore, is an electronic equivalent to the letter of credit. Two changes are currently under way to address that need. First, technology is transforming letters of credit into digital documents stored on the Web, where they are always available to all parties. This greatly streamlines the L/C process but retains the legal structure of the classic letter of credit. In addition, electronic alternatives to the L/C preserve many of the benefits but in a form that is simpler, quicker, far less expensive and completely paperless.
参考译文
不符点是困扰大多数信用证的一个问题，必须通过长篇往来信函加以解决。这一做法不仅速度慢、费用高，而且易出错，这些正是电子商务试图摆脱的问题。因此，现在需要的是一种能够取代信用证的电子替代物。为了解决这一需求问题，已经出现了两方面的变化。首先，技术的进步正在使得信用证转换成数字文件，储存在互联网上供大家随时使用。这种做法在很大程度上使信用证的程序更加顺畅，同时也保留了标准信用证的法律构成。除此之外，取代信用证的电子手段不仅保留了信用证的许多优点，而且采用了一种更加简单、快捷、费用大幅度降低以及完全无纸化的形式。