生活英语情景口语:还是搬家吧!

M: have you thought of moving at all Sarah?
S: we’ve thought about it, but my husband and I can’t afford it right now. The only thing we could afford would be living in the slums¹, which is something I don’t want to do.
M: buying a house can be expensive, but there are ways to find cheaper houses.
S: like what?
M: well, sometimes the city auctions² off houses to the community. You’d have to make a quick decision about the offer in a day, but you would definitely³ save money doing it that way.
S: that’s a good idea. Do you know anyone who has done that before?
M: sure, my sister-in-law and her husband just bought a house that way. They’re pretty satisfied with it.
S: is the house pretty run-down.
M: not at all. The woman, who owned it, took good care of it. But when she died, she had no family left and no will, so the government had to sell it for her.
S: was it very old house?
M: it was about 75 years old. There were a few repairs that needed doing, but it didn’t take a lot of money or time.
S: is it in a good location?
M: the area can be a bit rough in the evenings, but the neighbors watch out for each other, so it’s ok.

萨拉，你们究竟有没有想过搬家。
想过。但是我们夫妻俩目前都还买不起。所以我们现在只能住在这个破破烂烂的地方，我真是不愿意待在这里。
买个别墅的确很贵，但是想住便宜一点的房子还是有不少办法的。
比如说？
嗯，有时候政府会向老百姓拍卖一些房子。你必须得在一天之内迅速作出决定是否要申请买了来，但是这样你可以省下不少钱。
这是个好办法。你认识什么人以前是这么做的吗？
当然，我哥哥嫂嫂刚刚用这个办法买了套房子。他们对此很满意。
那房子的状况糟糕吗？
一点儿都不坏。原来的屋主是个女人，把房子打理的很好。只是她去世的时候既没有亲人也没有留下遗嘱，所以政府只好替她把房子卖掉。
那房子旧吗？
大概有75年的历史了。需要做一些整修，但既不需要花很多钱也不需要花太多时间。
位置好吗？
那个地区晚上可能有点乱，但是邻居们会互相照应的，所以问题不大。
Decoration  装饰，装修
Mortageg  抵押
Instalment  分期付款
Drive  车道
Fireplace  壁炉
Chimney  烟囱
Front door bell  门铃
Villa  郊外独栋别墅
Satellite TV  卫星电视
Mortgage⁴ loan  按揭贷款
Real estate   房地产
Step  台阶

There’s a wonderful view outside the window.
窗外景观非常宜人。

It’s got double glazing⁵.
窗户有双层玻璃。

How much do you charge for the satellite TV?
卫星电视的收费是多少？

Does it have internet access?
有网口吗？

 

1 slums   

n.贫民窟，贫民区( slum的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• These slums are an epitaph to the housing policy of the 1960s. 这些贫民窟是20世纪60年代住房政策的遗迹。
• the poverty and squalor of the slums 贫民窟的贫穷和肮脏

2 auctions   

n.拍卖，拍卖方式( auction的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• They picked up most of the furniture at auctions in country towns. 他们大部分的家具都是在乡村镇上的拍卖处买的。 来自辞典例句
• Our dealers didn't want these cars, so we had to dump them at auctions. 我们的承销商都不要这些车子，因此我们只好贱价拍卖。 来自辞典例句

3 definitely   

adv.一定地，肯定地；明确地，确切地

参考例句：

• The team will definitely lose if he doesn't play.如果他不参加比赛，这个队肯定会输。
• I shall definitely be home before six o'clock.6点以前，我一定回家。

4 mortgage   

n.抵押，抵押贷款；vt.抵押

参考例句：

• He's having a lot of trouble paying his mortgage every month.他付每月的抵押借款利息有很大的困难。
• The bank refused to accept any mortgage on land.银行拒绝接受任何土地抵押。

5 glazing   

n.玻璃装配业；玻璃窗；上釉；上光v.装玻璃( glaze的现在分词 )；上釉于，上光；（目光）变得呆滞无神

参考例句：

• You should ensure against loss of heat by having double glazing. 你应装双层玻璃以免散热。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• You should ensure yourself against loss of heat by having double glazing. 你应该装双层玻璃防止热量散失。 来自《简明英汉词典》