跟學購物口語 第1講:裝潢住房

CARL: I think we should do the floors before we work on the curtains and walls.
SUE: Why? It doesn't make sense.
If we do the floors first, and then paint the walls,
we will get paint all over our new floor.
CARL: Hmm. Maybe you're right. But I can't stand all this green carpet in here.
And besides, I know how to paint. I will just cover everything with drop cloth.
I won't get anything on the floor.
SUE: Are you sure?
CARL: Yes, I'm sure. I've done a lot of house painting in my life.
And my mother was very picky.
If I got even a tiny drop of paint on her furniture, she would get furious.
So I learned to be very careful.
SUE: Alright. Then maybe we can do the floor first.
These wood floors under this carpet are beautiful.
And me too--I can't wait to get all this old carpet out of here.
But how can we get it out? Do we have to hire someone?
CARL: Absolutely not. We can remove the carpet ourselves.
Carpet is held down with carpet nails. You just need to pull it hard and it comes up.
SUE: Great.
Then, after we remove the carpet, we need to restain all the wood floors. Right?
CARL: Yes. But we should hire someone for that.
That will probably be expensive. And it has to be done right.
SUE: And then, after the floors are done, we can start to move our furniture in.
CARL: Sure. If we can get an appointment with someone to do the floors,
we should probably be able to have the furniture in here after a week or so.
I can get all the carpet out this weekend.
SUE: So, after the floors are done, and after the furniture is in,
we need to redo the curtains and paint all the walls and ceilings.
CARL: I'm the painter.
You can be in charge of going to curtain shops to choose curtains.
That will probably be pretty expensive too. Having good curtains made isn't cheap.
SUE: You mean we can't just buy curtains already made?
CARL: Absolutely not.
The windows must be measured, and then the curtains need to be made professionally.
So that will take awhile. Maybe a month or so.
SUE: While the curtains are being made, I can start having people look at the kitchen.
I can't stand that old kitchen. I won't be able to Cook in there.
I don't want to use that electric stove.
CARL: We will need to find an interior decorating company do redo the kitchen.
I believe in Portland there are shops that specialize in kitchen renovation.
I will look in the Yellow Pages. I'd like a kitchen mostly in ivory and light green.
SUE: I agree. The colors must be soft and pleasant.
You should feel comfortable when you cook our dinners.
CARL: Me? Cook our dinners? Hah! You will be cooking, dear. You will cook.
SUE: No, I don't think so. I'll be too busy having tea in our new tea room.
CARL: Well, I suppose we'll have to hire a cook then.
So you won't be able to afford any clothes next year.
SUE: And you'll have to sell your motorcycle. And your cameras. Right?
CARL: Maybe I'll cook once or twice a week. How is that?
SUE: Four times might be enough. Not once or twice.

卡爾：我想在開始着手弄窗簾和牆壁前，我們應該先來弄地板。
蘇：爲什麼？不太合理。
如果我們先弄地板，然後再油漆牆，
我們會把新地板弄得到處是漆。
卡爾：也許你是對的，但是我不能忍受這裏的綠色地毯。
此外，我知道怎麼油漆，我會用塑膠布鋪好一切，
不會讓地板沾上任何東西的。
蘇：你確定嗎？　　
卡爾：是的，我確定。我這輩子已經做過很多次的房屋油漆，
而且我媽還頗挑剔的。
如果我在她的傢俱上沾上一小滴油漆，她就會大發雷霆，
所以我學會很小心。
蘇：好吧，那也許我們可以先弄地板。
這些在地毯下的木製地板蠻美的，
我也是等不及要把這舊的地毯弄走。
但是，怎麼把它弄出去呢？我們要請人嗎？
卡爾：絕對不用，我們可以自己移動地毯。
地毯是用地毯釘固定的，你只需要用力地拔，它就出來了。
蘇：太棒了。
我們搬完地毯後，需要維修所有的木製地板，對不對？
卡爾：是的，但是我們要僱用別人來做。
可能會很貴，而且要做對才行。
蘇：然後，地板弄完後，我們可以開始搬進傢俱。
卡爾：好啊。如果我們和人約好要弄地板，
大概可以在一週後把傢俱放好。
我在這個週末會把地毯弄出去。
蘇：那麼，地板弄完，傢俱放好後，
我們需要重做窗簾和油漆所有的牆壁及天花板。
卡爾：我是油漆工，
你可以負責去窗簾店挑窗簾。
那可能也會很貴，要訂做好的窗簾不可能便宜。
蘇：你是說我們不可以買已經做好的窗簾？
卡爾：絕對不行。
必須先量好這些窗戶，再特地製作窗簾，
這可能會花上一段時間，也許要一個月左右。
蘇：當窗簾做好後，我可以開始請人來勘查廚房。
我受不了那個老舊的廚房，我沒法在裏面烹煮東西，
我不想用那個電爐。
卡爾：我們必須找一家室內裝潢公司來整修廚房。
我相信在波特蘭會有一些專門整修廚房的店，
我會翻一下電話簿。我想要一間全是象牙色和淺綠色的廚房。　　
蘇：我同意。顏色必須柔和愉悅，
弄晚餐時你要覺得舒服纔好。
卡爾：我？弄晚餐？喂，親愛的，你纔要煮，你煮啦。
蘇：不，我不認爲。我會在新的茶室忙着品茶。
卡爾：好吧，我想我們請個廚子好了。
然後你明年就買不起任何衣服了。
蘇：而且你必須賣掉你的摩托車，還有你的攝影機，是不是？
卡爾：也許我一週煮一兩次，怎麼樣？
蘇：四次纔夠，不只是一兩次。