Dialogue 1

Jingjing: Mark, I've been thinking... I think it's time we blow away the cobwebs and redecorate our house!
京晶：馬克，我最近在想……我覺得是時候我們該除舊迎新，重新裝修我們的房子啦！
Mark: I knew you had something up your sleeve! No wonder the past couple of weeks you've been wanting to come with me to the hardware store! I don't know Jingjing, what do you have in mind?
馬克：我就知道你心里在打著小算盤！難怪在過去的幾周，你一直想和我一起去五金店！我不知道，京晶，你有什么想法？
Jingjing: Well, I really wanted to repaint the walls in the den. I think a bright orange would breathe new life into that room. It's been so dark and gloomy the past few years.
京晶：嗯，我真的很想重新粉刷一下客廳。我覺得亮橙色會給房間注入新的生命。過去幾年這間屋子一直太晦暗了。
Mark: Bright orange?! You have got to be kidding me? If we're redecorating our house, you are not going near the den! That's where me and my boys watch football every weekend. The hell you're gonna paint it bright orange!
馬克：亮橙色？！你在開玩笑吧？如果我們要重新裝修房子，決不許你碰客廳！這是我和哥們兒周末看足球的地方。不許你把它刷成橙色！
Jingjing: Why not? You're not the only one who brings home the bacon you know? I have a say in this too!
京晶：為什么不呢？你又不是唯一一個賺錢養(yǎng)家的人，我也有發(fā)言權(quán)！
Mark: You're right...But I'm really not sure about bright orange walls...
馬克：你說的沒錯。但是我真的對亮橙色的墻沒把握
jingjing: You just have to trust me. Besides, women are naturally gifted at decorating houses!
京晶：你一定要相信我。況且，女人天生就擅長裝飾房子！
Mark: Hmm... Alright, I tell you what, let's go to the hardware store and we will both decorate the house, okay?
馬克：嗯……好吧，這樣吧，我們?nèi)ノ褰鸬辏覀円黄饋硌b修房子，好嗎？
Jingjing: Okay, let's go!
京晶：好，我們走吧！

New words: 習(xí)語短語

blow away the cobwebs=除舊迎新，做一些在很長一段時間內(nèi)沒做過的事
have something up one's sleeve=有一個秘密的計劃或打算做些什么，心里在打著什么小算盤
no wonder=怪不得
What do you have in mind?=你打算怎么做呢？
den=舒適的房間, 用于放松的房子，通常被稱為“家庭房”或“客廳”
breathe new life into something=給某事注入新的生命
my boys=我的男性朋友，哥們兒
bring home the bacon=養(yǎng)家；賺錢；謀生
have a say=決定，有發(fā)言權(quán)

Dialogue 2

Jingjing and Mark arrive back at home after buying things to decorate the house.
京晶和馬克買完裝飾房子的東西后回到家里。
Jingjing: I'm so excited! It's time to shake things up and make our home more beautiful.
京晶：我太興奮了！是時候好好改造一番，讓我們的家變得更漂亮啦。
Mark: After we're done redecorating, it better look more beautiful! After all, we just spent megabucks at the store.
馬克：最好是這樣！畢竟我們剛剛可是在商店花了血本的。
Jingjing: Out with the old, in with the new! Let's first put up the new pictures that we bought!
京晶：舊的扔掉，換上新的！咱們先把新買的畫掛起來吧！
Mark: Okay, and after that we can start painting the kitchen.
馬克：好吧，之后我們就可以開始粉刷廚房了。
Jingjing: Wait! Don't we have to move the refrigerator before we can paint the kitchen?
京晶：等等！難道我們不需要先把冰箱移走，再粉刷廚房嗎？
Mark: We'll cross that bridge when we come to it. For now, let's just hang up these pictures.
馬克：船到橋頭自然直。現(xiàn)在咱們先把新買的畫掛起來吧。
Jingjing: Okay. Also, you can help me put up these new flower pots on the fireplace. I bought two of them, aren't they lovely?
京晶：好吧。另外，你還可以幫我把這些新花盆擺在壁爐上。我買了兩個，是不是很漂亮？
Mark: You bought two?! Why did you do that? One wasn't enough?
馬克：你買了兩個？！為什么要買兩個？一個不夠嗎？
Jingjing: Well, if we have two then our house will seem more balanced. Come on, you know it's important for us Chinese to decorate our home with feng shui.
京晶：有兩個的話，我們的房子會看起來更加平衡。你知道的，我們中國人裝飾家里的時候很講究風(fēng)水。
Mark: And then you can help me drill some holes in the bathroom. I want to install some new light fixtures.
馬克：之后你可以幫我在浴室里鉆幾個洞。我想安裝一些新的燈具。
Jingjing: Drill holes? How am I supposed to do that?
京晶：鉆孔？怎么做呢？
Mark: With my electric drill!
馬克：用我的電鉆！
Jingjing: I don't know... I think those things have a learning curve. I'm not sure I can do it.
京晶：我不知道……我覺得這些東西需要一個學(xué)習(xí)過程。我不知道我能否做到這一點(diǎn)。
Mark: Oh, come on! There's nothing to it. Even my grandmother can drill a few holes in a wall！
馬克：哦，不用！其實(shí)特別簡單。連我的祖母都可以在墻上鉆幾個洞！
Jingjing: Okay, whatever. Let's just get started. Here, help me lift this picture.
京晶：好吧，先不管了。我們開始吧。來，幫我把這張畫舉上去。

New words: 習(xí)語短語

shake things up=做不同的事情；改變
megabucks=很多錢
Out with the old, in with the new.=舊的不去新的不來。
Cross that bridge when you come to it.=船到橋頭自然直。
a learning curve=一個學(xué)習(xí)周期，指要擅長做某事需要時間
There's nothing to it.=沒什么不可以，很容易。