Part 4 Getting Along With the LL 與房東相處

Dialogue Script 1 對話原文 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!

講解：

1.對話中Ms. Li說Sam太吵了，一點也不安靜，所以來找他算帳。keep the noise down. 別制造那么多的噪音，就是安靜一點。

2.當Ms. Li敲Sam的房門的時候，他剛剛洗完澡，I just got out of the shower! 那I'm in a shower.就是我正在洗澡。現在還不能來開門，I can't answer the door right now! answer這個詞可以是接聽電話，answer the phone，也可以是answer the door ，去開門。

3.Ms. Li想跟Sam談談關于那些客人和音樂的事，可能是來訪的客人很多，音樂聲音放的很大，影響到了別人。但是Sam隔著門聽不見房東說話，說半個小時后再談。房東很生氣，說Y ou'd better. 你最好過來，言外之意就是如果你不過來的話，就跟你沒完。

4.房東抱怨說the noise you've been making is unbearable.你制造的噪音讓人無法忍受。make noise, 制造噪音。unbearable, 讓人無法忍受的。那么這句話還可以說成，I can't bear the noise you've been making.

5.但是Sam說他沒有聽見任何噪音，懷疑是不是從樓下傳來的。可是房東堅持說是從樓上傳來的。

6.Sam又說可能是從房東鄰居那傳來的，反正他沒有聽見任何噪音。房東很不耐煩，Anyway, just tame it down! 你小聲一點就是了！看來房東和房客相處的不是很好啊。

Dialogue Script 2 對話原文 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!

講解：

1.對話中Ms.Li又來找Sam，Sam很熱情的歡迎了她，他說Hi, Ms Li. Come on in! Come on in! 在口語當中也很常用，比Come in! 還要熱情一些。

2.Sam把房子重新裝飾過了，I've redone the whole place! redone是redo的過去分詞，表示“改裝，重新做”。他問Ms. Li喜不喜歡，How do you like it? 大家要記住這個問法。

3.Ms. Li大吃一驚，Oh, my goodness... It's so beautiful. 啊，我的天哪，真是太漂亮了。看來她是非常喜歡改裝過后的房子。my goodness, 用來表示感嘆語氣。

4.室內設計是Sam的嗜好，Interior design is my hobby. interior design室內設計。房東現在明白了為什么Sam會制造這么多噪音了，So that explains the noise and the strangers... it explains something，這就解釋了...這就是...的原因了。例如：That explains why he was late this morning.這就是他今天早上遲到的原因了。

5.Putting in hardwood floors is noisy. The music was to cover up the noise. 鋪實木地板會很吵，音樂是為了蓋住噪音。put in hardwood floor, 鋪實木地板。但是Sam房租還沒交，So what about the rent? 那房租呢？

6.Sam很痛快的交了房租，并因為沒有及時交房租而道歉。房東問為什么不早告訴她，Sam 說I couldn't stand the apartment the way it was-so bland. 我受不了公寓原先的樣子，太單調了。bland，“乏味的, 單調的”。

7.因為房東開始的時候并不同意房客隨意改變房間的樣子，所以Sam不敢事先告訴Ms. Li。Sam知道，當房東看到成品后會非常喜歡的，the finished product，成品，最終產品，這里指被改裝了的公寓。

8.Like it? Actually I'm thinking about asking if you'd switch the apartment with us! 喜歡？我正想問你愿不愿意跟我們換公寓住呢。Ms. Li不僅僅是喜歡被改裝的公寓，而是瘋狂地愛上了它的室內設計，還想跟Sam換呢。看來Sam的設計很成功。

Part 5 Notes for the LLs and Tenants 房東房客必讀

1. 招租廣告

廣告一定要寫的簡單明了。如果想出租單間，就是 single roomfor rent，如果想出租套房，就是studio apartment，如果是住家，則是apartment或者是house。關于招租廣告的書寫，請大家參考第一部分內容。

2. 看好了招租廣告，下一步就是雙方約好看房子。不用太麻煩，簡單約好時間地點就可以了，因為最重要還是要面談。

3. 介紹房子

房東盡力要把房子的優點說出來，而房客也要挑挑房子的毛病。比如說：交通方便，The apartment is conveniently located；靠近銀行，near the bank；住宅區，residential area；地點安靜，quiet location；新裝修，newly-remodeled；新樓，new building；房子采光好，bright；房租合理，reasonable rent 等等，都是容易打動房客的因素。

這里再給大家提供幾句實用的句子：

We just repaired the walls and replaced the water heater.
我們剛把所有的墻壁粉刷過了，還換了新熱水器。
The apartment comes furnished with (a sofa, a television…).
公寓帶家具，沙發，電視等。
The building may be a little old, but the structure is very sturdy.
房子可能舊了點，但是結構很堅固。
This is a single. Most of the other tenants are students.
這是間單間，其他大部分房客都是學生。

4. 要探探房客或房東的底，要弄清楚對方的職業 occupation、婚姻狀況 marital status等等。常用的句子有What do you do?你是做什么的？ Are you married? 你結婚了嗎？Will anyone be living with you? 還有誰會跟你同住嗎？等等。

5. 簽約

簽約前最重要就是房租，訂金，押金的確認。尤其是價錢和支付方式得講清楚。下面的句子很常用：

The deposit is two months' rent. 押金是兩個月的房租。
The rent is due before the end of the every month.每個月底前交房租。
If you're interested, please leave a 5,000 yuan deposit. 想要租的話，請先付5000元訂金。
The landlord will come to collect the rent. 房東會來取房租。
You can go and pay the landlord directly. 你可以直接付給房東。

除了錢之外，還會有其他一些口頭約定，在第三部分中，我們已經提到了物業費的付法，垃圾處理等問題，這里再補充一些常見的約定：

The room is in the landlord's apartment. 跟房東同住一套公寓。
You can/can't sublet the apartment.你可以或不可以把公寓分租給其他人住，sublet是分租，轉租的意思。
You share a bathroom. 你們共用一間浴室。

6. 房客搬入后，還會發生一系列的問題。比如催繳房租，可以學學下面三句話：

If you don't pay the rent this month, you'll have to pay me two months' rent next month.
如果你這個月交不出房租，那下個月就一次交兩個月的房租吧。
If you don't pay, I'll take it out of your deposit.
你再不交，我就要從你的押金里扣了。
You haven't paid your rent for three months. I have to ask you to move out.
你已經三個月沒有交房租了，我得請你搬走了。

7. 如果房客對房子不滿意，還會有各種各樣的抱怨，例如：

The ceiling is leaking. 天花板漏了。
The toilet is broken.馬桶故障。
The paint is peeling. 油漆剝落。
The tiles are falling off. 瓷磚松動。
The pipes have burst. 水管爆了。
The door/window is broken. 門窗壞了。

還有抱怨環境問題的：
The neighbors are too noisy.鄰居太吵了。
People keep stealing my newspaper. 總有人偷報紙。
Too many people come and go. 大樓出入人員復雜。
The security guard doesn't do his job. 保安工作不盡責。

那么房東該怎樣解決這些問題呢，如果你是房東的話，可以學學下面的話：

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，修理費從下個月的房租里扣除。
If you don't feel safe, I can put another lock on your door.
如果你覺得不安全，我可以幫你加個門鎖。
Let's go talk to the neighbors together. If that doesn't work, we'll call the police.
我們一起去跟鄰居談談，不行的話，我們就報警。

8. 房客住的滿意，房東租的安心，所以協議到期時，自然就會談到續約問題。協議到期是The contract/lease is up. 續約是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?
你的租約還有一個月就到期了，你要續租嗎？
For the renewal, how long do you want to stay?
你續約后還想住多久？
If we renew the contract, the move-out date will be October 11th, 2003.
我們續約的話，租約期限就到2003年10月11號。

9. 如果租約到期后房客不想續租，就要談解約的事情了。這是要注意看看當初協在租約里的東西有沒有缺少，房子是有還保持原貌，或是還有哪些賬單bills還未結清，因為這些都是決定能退多少押金的關鍵。例如：
After taking out 300 yuan for water, gas, and electricity, 1,000 yuan is what you get back from your deposit.
扣掉水電煤氣費300元以后，我要退給你的押金是1000元。
After taking out the money to have the TV repaired, 500 yuan is the amount I will return from your deposit.
扣掉修電視的錢，我應該退給你500元的押金。

還有一種情況就是房東房客鬧到不歡而散，不得不臨時終止合約，比如說：
According to the contract, one month's rent will be taken out of the deposit for breaking the lease.
根據合同，你終止合同的話就要扣掉一個月的押金。
You haven't paid your rent for two months. I'm ending your lease. 你三個月沒有交房租了，我要跟你終止合同。