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 furious. So I learned 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 nails. 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 ceilings. 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 professionally. 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 interior decorating company do redo the kitchen. I believe in Portland there are shops that specialize in kitchen renovation. I will look in the Yellow Pages. I'd like a kitchen mostly in ivory 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. So you won't be able to afford any clothes next year. SUE: And you'll have to sell your motorcycle. 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。
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