购物英语：装潢住房

     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 furious¹.

    So I learned² 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 nails³. 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 ceilings⁴.

    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 professionally⁵.

    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 interior⁶ decorating company do redo the kitchen.

    I believe in Portland there are shops that specialize⁷ in kitchen renovation⁸.

    I will look in the Yellow Pages. I'd like a kitchen mostly in ivory⁹ 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.[FS:PAGE]

    So you won't be able to afford any clothes next year.

    SUE: And you'll have to sell your motorcycle¹⁰. 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.

    卡尔：我想在开始着手弄窗帘和墙壁前，我们应该先来弄地板。

    苏：为什么？不太合理。

    如果我们先弄地板，然后再油漆墙，我们会把新地板弄得到处是漆。

    卡尔：也许你是对的，但是我不能忍受这里的绿色地毯。

    此外，我知道怎么油漆，我会用塑胶布铺好一切，不会让地板沾上任何东西的。

    苏：你确定吗？

    卡尔：是的，我确定。我这辈子已经做过很多次的房屋油漆，而且我妈还颇挑剔的。

    如果我在她的家具上沾上一小滴油漆，她就会大发雷霆，所以我学会很小心。

    苏：好吧，那也许我们可以先弄地板。

    这些在地毯下的木制地板蛮美的，我也是等不及要把这旧的地毯弄走。

    但是，怎么把它弄出去呢？我们要请人吗？

    卡尔：绝对不用，我们可以自己移动地毯。

    地毯是用地毯钉固定的，你只需要用力地拔，它就出来了。

    苏：太棒了。

    我们搬完地毯后，需要维修所有的木制地板，对不对？

    卡尔：是的，但是我们要雇用别人来做。

    可能会很贵，而且要做对才行。

    苏：然后，地板弄完后，我们可以开始搬进家具。

    卡尔：好啊。如果我们和人约好要弄地板，大概可以在一周后把家具放好。

    我在这个周末会把地毯弄出去。

    苏：那么，地板弄完，家具放好后，我们需要重做窗帘和油漆所有的墙壁及天花板。

    卡尔：我是油漆工，你可以负责去窗帘店挑窗帘。

    那可能也会很贵，要订做好的窗帘不可能便宜。

    苏：你是说我们不可以买已经做好的窗帘？

    卡尔：绝对不行。

    必须先量好这些窗户，再特地制作窗帘，这可能会花上一段时间，也许要一个月左右。

    苏：当窗帘做好后，我可以开始请人来勘查厨房。

    我受不了那个老旧的厨房，我没法在里面烹煮东西，我不想用那个电炉。

    卡尔：我们必须找一家室内装潢公司来整修厨房。

    我相信在波特兰会有一些专门整修厨房的店，我会翻一下电话簿。我想要一间全是象牙色和浅绿色的厨房。

    苏：我同意。颜色必须柔和愉悦，弄晚餐时你要觉得舒服才好。

    卡尔：我？弄晚餐？喂，亲爱的，你才要煮，你煮啦。

    苏：不，我不认为。我会在新的茶室忙着品茶。

    卡尔：好吧，我想我们请个厨子好了。

    然后你明年就买不起任何衣服了。

    苏：而且你必须卖掉你的摩托车，还有你的摄影机，是不是？

    卡尔：也许我一周煮一两次，怎么样？

    苏：四次才够，不只是一两次。

1 furious   

adj.狂怒的，暴怒的，强烈的，激烈的

参考例句：

• I was furious at his making such an accusation.我对他的这种责备非常气愤。
• His wife was furious with him.他妻子对他大发雷霆。

2 learned   

adj.有学问的，博学的；learn的过去式和过去分词

参考例句：

• He went into a rage when he learned about it.他听到这事后勃然大怒。
• In this little village,he passed for a learned man.在这个小村子里，他被视为有学问的人。

3 nails   

n.钉子( nail的名词复数 )；钉状物；指甲；趾甲v.钉住( nail的第三人称单数 )；抓住；证明…不属实；揭露

参考例句：

• Stop biting your nails! 别咬指甲！
• He joined up the two pieces of wood together with nails. 他用钉子把两块木头接起来。 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 ceilings   

n.天花板( ceiling的名词复数 )；最高限度；高度；云幕高度

参考例句：

• The ceilings are supported by oak beams. 房顶用橡木横梁支撑。 来自辞典例句
• The rooms were spacious, with tall windows and high ceilings. 房间很宽敞，窗户和天花板都很高。 来自辞典例句

5 professionally   

adv.职业地；专业地

参考例句：

• You need a complete change,both professionally and personally.你需要在工作上和自身两方面有彻底的改变。
• A professionally installed alarm will cost from about ￡500.请专业人员安装的警报器要花费至少500英镑。

6 interior   

adj.在内的，内部的，内地的，国内的；n.内部

参考例句：

• There is water in the interior of the cave.在山洞的内部有水。
• They went into the interior room.他们进了内室。

7 specialize   

v.专化，特化 ；(in)专攻；专门研究

参考例句：

• What did you specialize in?你的主修科目是什么？
• After his first degree he wishes to specialize.获得学士学位之后，他希望专攻某科。

8 renovation   

n.革新，整修

参考例句：

• The cinema will reopen next week after the renovation.电影院修缮后，将于下星期开业。
• The building has undergone major renovation.这座大楼已进行大整修。

9 ivory   

n.象牙，乳白色；adj.象牙制的，乳白色的

参考例句：

• My grandmother has some jewelry made of ivory.我祖母有一些象牙首饰。
• It is carved from ivory.它是用象牙雕成的。

10 motorcycle   

n.摩托车，机车

参考例句：

• Tom went there by motorcycle.汤姆乘摩托车去的那儿。
• He was also the first person in town to buy a motorcycle.他也是镇里第一个买摩托车的人。