CRI English Unit 12:Renting An Apartment 租房

Part 4 Getting Along With the LL 与房东相处 

Dialogue Script 1 对话原文 1

Sam: Who is it?
Li: It's Ms. Li, your landlady. We'd appreciate it if you'd keep the noise down.
Sam: Oh! I just got out of the shower! I can't answer the door right now!
Li: And about those guests and the music...
Sam: I'm sorry. I can't hear you! I'll talk to you in half an hour, all right?
Li: You'd better.
(half an hour later)
Sam: Excuse me, you wanted to talk to me?
Li: Yes, the noise you've been making is unbearable. In the contract, you...
Sam: I haven't heard any noise. Maybe it was coming from below you.
Li: No, it was definitely from upstairs.
Sam: Well, maybe it's your next-door neighbors, because I haven't heard a thing.
Li: Anyway, just tame it down!

讲解：

1.对话中Ms. Li说Sam太吵了，一点也不安静，所以来找他算帐。keep the noise down. 别制造那么多的噪音，就是安静一点。

2.当Ms. Li敲Sam的房门的时候，他刚刚洗完澡，I just got out of the shower! 那I'm in a shower.就是我正在洗澡。现在还不能来开门，I can't answer the door right now! answer这个词可以是接听电话，answer the phone，也可以是answer the door ，去开门。

3.Ms. Li想跟Sam谈谈关于那些客人和音乐的事，可能是来访的客人很多，音乐声音放的很大，影响到了别人。但是Sam隔着门听不见房东说话，说半个小时后再谈。房东很生气，说Y ou'd better. 你最好过来，言外之意就是如果你不过来的话，就跟你没完。

4.房东抱怨说the noise you've been making is unbearable.你制造的噪音让人无法忍受。make noise, 制造噪音。unbearable, 让人无法忍受的。那么这句话还可以说成，I can't bear the noise you've been making.

5.但是Sam说他没有听见任何噪音，怀疑是不是从楼下传来的。可是房东坚持说是从楼上传来的。

6.Sam又说可能是从房东邻居那传来的，反正他没有听见任何噪音。房东很不耐烦，Anyway, just tame it down! 你小声一点就是了！看来房东和房客相处的不是很好啊。

Dialogue Script 2 对话原文 2

Sam: Hi, Ms Li. Come on in! How do you like it? I've redone the whole place!
Li: Oh, my goodness... It's so beautiful.
Sam: Interior design is my hobby, so...
Li: So that explains the noise and the strangers...
Sam: Yep. Putting in hardwood floors is noisy. The music was to cover up the noise.
Li: I see. So what about the rent?
Sam: Here you go. I was meaning to get it to you. I'm sorry it's late.
Li: That's OK. But why didn't you tell me before?
Sam: I couldn't stand the apartment the way it was-so bland.
Li: And you were afraid I wouldn't allow it, right?
Sam: Yeah, I wanted to wait. I knew that when you saw the finished product, you'd like it.
Li: Like it? Actually I'm thinking about asking if you'd switch the apartment with us!

讲解：

1.对话中Ms.Li又来找Sam，Sam很热情的欢迎了她，他说Hi, Ms Li. Come on in! Come on in! 在口语当中也很常用，比Come in! 还要热情一些。

2.Sam把房子重新装饰过了，I've redone the whole place! redone是redo的过去分词，表示“改装，重新做”。他问Ms. Li喜不喜欢，How do you like it? 大家要记住这个问法。

3.Ms. Li大吃一惊，Oh, my goodness... It's so beautiful. 啊，我的天哪，真是太漂亮了。看来她是非常喜欢改装过后的房子。my goodness, 用来表示感叹语气。

4.室内设计是Sam的嗜好，Interior design is my hobby. interior design室内设计。房东现在明白了为什么Sam会制造这么多噪音了，So that explains the noise and the strangers... it explains something，这就解释了...这就是...的原因了。例如：That explains why he was late this morning.这就是他今天早上迟到的原因了。

5.Putting in hardwood floors is noisy. The music was to cover up the noise. 铺实木地板会很吵，音乐是为了盖住噪音。put in hardwood floor, 铺实木地板。但是Sam房租还没交，So what about the rent? 那房租呢？

6.Sam很痛快的交了房租，并因为没有及时交房租而道歉。房东问为什么不早告诉她，Sam 说I couldn't stand the apartment the way it was-so bland. 我受不了公寓原先的样子，太单调了。bland，“乏味的, 单调的”。

7.因为房东开始的时候并不同意房客随意改变房间的样子，所以Sam不敢事先告诉Ms. Li。Sam知道，当房东看到成品后会非常喜欢的，the finished product，成品，最终产品，这里指被改装了的公寓。

8.Like it? Actually I'm thinking about asking if you'd switch the apartment with us! 喜欢？我正想问你愿不愿意跟我们换公寓住呢。Ms. Li不仅仅是喜欢被改装的公寓，而是疯狂地爱上了它的室内设计，还想跟Sam换呢。看来Sam的设计很成功。

Part 5  Notes for the LLs and Tenants 房东房客必读 

1. 招租广告

广告一定要写的简单明了。如果想出租单间，就是 single roomfor rent，如果想出租套房，就是studio apartment，如果是住家，则是apartment或者是house。关于招租广告的书写，请大家参考第一部分内容。

2. 看好了招租广告，下一步就是双方约好看房子。不用太麻烦，简单约好时间地点就可以了，因为最重要还是要面谈。

3. 介绍房子

房东尽力要把房子的优点说出来，而房客也要挑挑房子的毛病。比如说：交通方便，The apartment is conveniently located；靠近银行，near the bank；住宅区，residential area；地点安静，quiet location；新装修，newly-remodeled；新楼，new building；房子采光好，bright；房租合理，reasonable rent 等等，都是容易打动房客的因素。

这里再给大家提供几句实用的句子：

We just repaired the walls and replaced the water heater.
我们刚把所有的墙壁粉刷过了，还换了新热水器。
The apartment comes furnished with (a sofa, a television…).
公寓带家具，沙发，电视等。
The building may be a little old, but the structure is very sturdy.
房子可能旧了点，但是结构很坚固。
This is a single. Most of the other tenants are students.
这是间单间，其他大部分房客都是学生。

4. 要探探房客或房东的底，要弄清楚对方的职业 occupation、婚姻状况 marital status等等。常用的句子有What do you do?你是做什么的？ Are you married? 你结婚了吗？Will anyone be living with you? 还有谁会跟你同住吗？等等。

5. 签约

签约前最重要就是房租，订金，押金的确认。尤其是价钱和支付方式得讲清楚。下面的句子很常用：

The deposit is two months' rent. 押金是两个月的房租。
The rent is due before the end of the every month.每个月底前交房租。
If you're interested, please leave a 5,000 yuan deposit. 想要租的话，请先付5000元订金。
The landlord will come to collect the rent. 房东会来取房租。
You can go and pay the landlord directly. 你可以直接付给房东。

除了钱之外，还会有其他一些口头约定，在第三部分中，我们已经提到了物业费的付法，垃圾处理等问题，这里再补充一些常见的约定：

The room is in the landlord's apartment. 跟房东同住一套公寓。
You can/can't sublet the apartment.你可以或不可以把公寓分租给其他人住，sublet是分租，转租的意思。
You share a bathroom. 你们共用一间浴室。

6. 房客搬入后，还会发生一系列的问题。比如催缴房租，可以学学下面三句话：

If you don't pay the rent this month, you'll have to pay me two months' rent next month.
如果你这个月交不出房租，那下个月就一次交两个月的房租吧。
If you don't pay, I'll take it out of your deposit.
你再不交，我就要从你的押金里扣了。
You haven't paid your rent for three months. I have to ask you to move out.
你已经三个月没有交房租了，我得请你搬走了。

7. 如果房客对房子不满意，还会有各种各样的抱怨，例如：

The ceiling is leaking. 天花板漏了。
The toilet is broken.马桶故障。
The paint is peeling. 油漆剥落。
The tiles are falling off. 瓷砖松动。
The pipes have burst. 水管爆了。
The door/window is broken. 门窗坏了。

还有抱怨环境问题的：
The neighbors are too noisy.邻居太吵了。
People keep stealing my newspaper. 总有人偷报纸。
Too many people come and go. 大楼出入人员复杂。
The security guard doesn't do his job. 保安工作不尽责。

那么房东该怎样解决这些问题呢，如果你是房东的话，可以学学下面的话：

I see. I'll send someone over to fix it tomorrow.
我知道了。我找人明天去你那修一下。
Please find someone to repair it yourself. You can take the cost of the repair out of next month's rent.
你自己找人弄好吧，修理费从下个月的房租里扣除。
If you don't feel safe, I can put another lock on your door.
如果你觉得不安全，我可以帮你加个门锁。
Let's go talk to the neighbors together. If that doesn't work, we'll call the police.
我们一起去跟邻居谈谈，不行的话，我们就报警。

8. 房客住的满意，房东租的安心，所以协议到期时，自然就会谈到续约问题。协议到期是The contract/lease is up. 续约是to renew the contract/lease. 下面的句子大家可以用上：

There's only one month left in your contract. Do you want to renew it?
你的租约还有一个月就到期了，你要续租吗？
For the renewal, how long do you want to stay?
你续约后还想住多久？
If we renew the contract, the move-out date will be October 11th, 2003.
我们续约的话，租约期限就到2003年10月11号。

9. 如果租约到期后房客不想续租，就要谈解约的事情了。这是要注意看看当初协在租约里的东西有没有缺少，房子是有还保持原貌，或是还有哪些账单bills还未结清，因为这些都是决定能退多少押金的关键。例如：
After taking out 300 yuan for water, gas, and electricity, 1,000 yuan is what you get back from your deposit.
扣掉水电煤气费300元以后，我要退给你的押金是1000元。
After taking out the money to have the TV repaired, 500 yuan is the amount I will return from your deposit.
扣掉修电视的钱，我应该退给你500元的押金。

还有一种情况就是房东房客闹到不欢而散，不得不临时终止合约，比如说：
According to the contract, one month's rent will be taken out of the deposit for breaking the lease.
根据合同，你终止合同的话就要扣掉一个月的押金。
You haven't paid your rent for two months. I'm ending your lease. 你三个月没有交房租了，我要跟你终止合同。