David Hollywood Apr 9, 2012:

otherwise sounds like boot licking

David Hollywood Apr 9, 2012:

"pleased" or maybe "delighted" but "hono(u)red" is going too far unless it's for a seriously notable dignitary

Robert Forstag Apr 8, 2012:

@James I would agree that if the paper has been submitted by someone in Chomsky's league (though not merely by a tenured or even a moderately distinguished academic) "honored" would not be out of place.

Thanks also for confirming my strong suspicion re the unlikelihood of the use of "honoured" (save for the "Chomsky exception") in the UK. :)

James A. Walsh Apr 8, 2012:

@Asker Perhaps you would care to join the loop here to clarify some of the broader questions being raised…

I included "honored" (assuming US Eng) as the asker classified this question as "carta para un profesor de alta jerarquía" — which of course can have very different applications, depending on who this person is. For example, if this letter is intended for someone like Noam Chomsky, I wouldn’t consider the use of “honored” over the top at all. But otherwise its usage is iffy either side of the Atlantic, I would say.

As I mention in my comments below, I left “honored” in based on this classification by the asker. However, I was sceptical of including it, and actually prefer Simon’s “we greatly appreciate your kind offer" now (and I would encourage you to post that as an answer, Simon).

Robert Forstag Apr 8, 2012:

US/UK English and stilted Spanish formulas Perhaps the varying opinions here as to what is considered appropriate register for this type of letter has to do with differences between US and UK English. Unless the paper were submitted by some universally acknowledged eminence in the field covered by the journal (and the asker does not indicate that this is the case) "honored" would certainly not be used in the US. I would also question whether it would be typically used in the UK either. If such is the case, and if the present text is being specifically written for target readers of UK English (which the asker also has not indicated), then inclusion of "honored" would be acceptable. Otherwise, most certainly not.

The deeper issue here, as I see it, has to do with the maintenance of certain formulas in business and formal correspondence in Spanish (in all its regional variations) that, translated literally, sound ridiculously stilted in English. This is why such formulas are typically not translated literally into English, and why "honored" seems out of place here.

Lisa McCarthy Apr 8, 2012:

greatly appreciate I would be inclined to go with Simon's suggestion of 'greatly appreciate'. Agree with Rosa about 'honoured' - OTT in my opinion.

Rosa Paredes Apr 8, 2012:

IMO, the honored bit would not be present in the English version.