LARRY: I really appreciate your driving me around.
CONRAD: It’s no problem.
I have time today, and I think it’s important that you find a good place.
LARRY: It would be hard for just me to do it. I don’t know the city at all.
CONRAD: So what do you see in there?
LARRY: This one sounds good. "Efficiency with view of the lake."
Utilities and parking included. Newly remodeled kitchen. $470.
CONRAD: Can you afford that much?
LARRY: No, I guess not. But that’s what I want, isn’t it? An efficiency.
CONRAD: Yes, an efficiency is a small apartment.
Usually one large room and a small bathroom.
There is often a small kitchen too. So it’s good for one person.
LARRY: How about this one?
"Downtown efficiency. Furnished..." What does furnished mean?
CONRAD: That means the apartment has furniture in it.
LARRY: That’s good.
CONRAD: Sometimes it’s good, sometimes it’s bad. You have to like the furniture.
LARRY: "Furnished. Parking included. $400."
CONRAD: It’s still pretty expensive.
LARRY: Yes, but it’s downtown. I would like to take look at this one.
CONRAD: Alright. What’s the phone number?
LARRY: 256-7797.
CONRAD: Got it. What else do you see?
LARRY: This one. "Two male grad students seeking roommate."
Must be quiet. Comfortable downtown apartment."
Does this mean I have to share a room with them?
CONRAD: No. It probably means they have a large apartment.
Probably a living room, kitchen and three bedrooms.
They need someone for the empty bedroom.
LARRY: That sounds alright.
CONRAD: Yes, it might be an advantage for you. You are a foreigner, after all.
If they’re alright roommates, you could learn a lot from them.
LARRY: Here’s the number, 256-4367.
CONRAD: Got it.
Let’s call these two and see if we can make appointments to see the apartments.
LARRY: Sounds good to me. I really appreciate your help on this.
CONRAD: Don’t mention it, Larry. What are friends for anyway?
賴瑞：我真的很感謝你開車帶我繞一繞。
康若德：沒關系的。
我今天有時間，我也認為你能找到一個好地方住是很重要的。
賴瑞：我自己來做的話會比較難。我對這個城市并不了解。
康若德：那你看到了些什么?
賴瑞：這一個聽起來不錯。套房且有湖的景觀。
水電及停車都包含在內，新裝潢過的廚房，四百七十美元。
康若德：你能負擔得起嗎?
賴瑞：不，我想不行。但那就是我要的，是吧?一間“套房”。
康若德：對，套房的意思是一間小的公寓。
通常是一間大的房間和一間小的浴室。
往往還有一間小廚房，所以一個人住是不錯的。
賴瑞：這一個怎么樣?
“市中心套房，含家具...”，“含家具”是什么意思?
康若德：那間公寓是含家具的。
賴瑞：很好。
康若德：有的時候是不錯的，有時是不好的。你必須喜歡那些家具。
賴瑞：“含家具，含停車位，四百美元。”
康若德：但還是蠻貴的。
賴瑞：是呀，但是在市中心。我想去看一看這一間。
康若德：好的，電話號碼是幾號?
賴瑞：256-7797。
康若德：記下來了，你還看到什么?
賴瑞：這一個。“兩個男研究生在找室友。
必須要安靜。在市中心舒適的公寓。”
這個意思是我需要跟他們共用一間房嗎?
康若德：不是，大概意思是他們有一套大的公寓。
大概是一個客廳，廚房和三間臥室。
他們需要一個人去分擔另一間空房。
賴瑞：聽起來還不錯。
康若德：是的，這對你來說或許是有益的。到底你是一個外國人。
如果他們是還不錯的室友，你還可以從他們那里學到一點東西。
賴瑞：號碼是：256-4367。
康若德：寫下來了。
那我們趕快打電話給這兩間，然后我們可以安排時間去看。
賴瑞：聽起來不錯，我真的很感謝你的幫忙。
康若德：不用客氣，賴瑞。朋友是用來做什么的?
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(兼職編輯：段保凈）
