原文4
Letters of credit are the most common form of international payment because they provide a high degree of protection for both the seller and the buyer. A letter of credit is a bank’s promise to pay a supplier on behalf of the buyer / so long as the supplier meets the terms and conditions (stated in the credit). The buyer specifies the documentation (that he requires from the seller)/ before the bank is to make payment, and the seller is given assurance (that he will receive payment after shipping his goods) so long as the documentation is in order. Documents are the key issue in this kind of transactions. Banks act as intermediaries, and have nothing to do with the goods themselves. Before opening a letter of credit, the buyer should reach agreement with the supplier on all particulars of payment procedures, schedules of shipment, type of goods to be sent, packaging, and documents to be supplied by the supplier.
参考译文
信用证是国际支付最常用的形式，因为信用证对买卖双方均具有高度的保护作用。信用证是一种银行付款承诺，只要供货商满足信用证中所载明的条款和条件，银行则代表买方向供货商付款。在银行实施付款之前，买方需阐明卖方应提供的具体单据，这样卖方便得到保障，只要单据完好，货物装运后即受到付款。在此类交易中，关键的问题是单据，银行只作为中介发挥作用，与货物本身毫无关系。开立信用证之前，买方需就支付程序、装运期、发送货物种类、包装以及卖方所供单据等细节与供货商达成一致。
说明：
（1）credit：在上下文清楚的情况下，credit可以代替letter of credit。
（2）in order 有“状况良好，适宜”的意思。Documentation is in order翻译成“单据完好”，其含义是，经银行审核，“单单一致，单证一致”的条件得到了满足。
（3）schedules of shipment中，schedule的意思是“时间表”。此处是指“装运期”，即time of shipment。