Flat hunting – the experience
Xiao Fang has decided which flat he wants to rent. He tells his colleague Leon about his flat hunting experience.
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Leon:
小方，听说你最近在找房子？进展怎么样？
Xiao Fang:
进展很不错！我已经找到了！一切都很顺利。
Leon:
是嘛。房子在哪儿？跟我说说！
Xiao Fang:
在高安路的安洋小区 。房子很干净，也很明亮、宽敞 。
Leon:
我知道安洋小区，是05年建的，那个小区很不错。
Xiao Fang:
是呀，那个小区挺漂亮的，也很安静，物业和保安等都挺到位的。
Leon:
你找的房子是几居室的？
Xiao Fang:
一室一厅，卧室和客厅都是朝南的，我喜欢明亮的房子。
Leon:
听起来很不错啊！你是通过中介找的吗？
Xiao Fang:
是的，我先去高安路上的安居中介咨询了一下，然后第二天他们就带我看了三套房子。
Leon:
房子都怎么样？
Xiao Fang:
它们各有利弊。每个人的标准都不同。有一套的装修很漂亮，但是总体面积太小了；另一套大小合适，可是家具配备不够齐全，而且价格偏高。
Leon:
你选的这套呢？
Xiao Fang:
我选的这套面积最大，有四十五个平方米。家具不算新，但是都还不错，而且我也喜欢它的装修。厨房、卫生间等配套设施都很棒，我还有自己的停车位 。
Leon:
太好了。房租合适吗？
Xiao Fang:
房租不便宜，但是物有所值。我宁可多付一些，多一些空间和舒适。
Leon:
真不错，那恭喜你了。你签合同了吗？
Xiao Fang:
签了，我先签了一年。中介说一年后如果觉得合适，还可以续签。
Leon:
或者到时候你可以考虑自己买房了吧？
Xiao Fang:
是呀！现在的房价越来越高，的确是越早投资越好。我得先存些钱付首付，到时候如果决定在这里发展下去，我也许就会买一套房子做房奴！
Leon:
Xiao Fang, I heard that you had been looking for accommodation recently? How did it go?
Xiao Fang:
It went quite well! In fact, I've already found a flat! Everything went very smoothly.
Leon:
Really? Where is this flat then? Tell me all about it!
Xiao Fang:
It is in the Anyang Apartment Complex on Gao'an Road. The flat is very clean, bright and spacious.
Leon:
I know the Anyang Apartment Complex, it was built in 2005 and the complex is very good.
Xiao Fang:
Yes, it is nice and quiet, the property management and security guard, etc., are all good.
Leon:
What sort of flat is it?
Xiao Fang:
It is a one-bedroom flat, with the bedroom and the living room facing south. I like bright rooms.
Leon:
It sounds good! Did you find it through an agency?
Xiao Fang:
Yes, I first went to the Anju Agency on Gao'an Road to make some enquiries, and on the following day they showed me three flats.
Leon:
What were they like?
Xiao Fang:
They all had advantages and disadvantages. Everybody has different criteria. One of them was beautifully furnished, but it was too small, the other one was of a suitable size, but there was not enough furniture, although it was more expensive.
Leon:
What about the one you chose?
Xiao Fang:
It is the biggest one with forty-five square metres. The furniture is not brand new but it is in very good condition, and I like the decoration. The amenities such as the kitchen and bathroom are perfect and I also have my own parking space.
Leon:
That's great. Is the rent acceptable?
Xiao Fang:
It is not cheap but you get what you pay for and I am happy to pay a little bit more for more space and comfort.
Leon:
That's really good, congratulations then! Have you signed a contract?
Xiao Fang:
Yes, I signed a one-year contract. The agent said I will be able to extend it in a year's time, if I find it suitable.
Leon:
Or perhaps you might consider buying your own flat by then?
Xiao Fang:
Indeed! Property prices are on the increase and it is definitely better to invest early on. I need to save some money though for the deposit, and if by then I decide to settle here, I will buy my own flat and become a 'house slave'!
These are notes about potentially difficult key expressions. They are listed in the order in which they appear in the dialogue.
1. 找，找到
听说你最近在找房子？I heard that you were looking for a flat recently?
我已经找到了！I've already found one!
找 means 'to look for' and 找到 means 'to find '. The suffix 到 is used here as a resultative complement. Other examples are: 看 to look at, 看到 to see, 听 to listen to, 听到 to hear.
2. 是……的
安洋小区是05年建的。Anyang Apartment Complex was built in 2005.
卧室和客厅都是朝南的。The bedroom and the living room both face south.
The 是……的 structure, called topic-comment structure, is used here to introduce new information about the first part of the sentence. The new information is put after the 是 particle, i.e. 05年建 'built in 2005 ' and 朝南 'face south '. The second connected particle 的 is put at the end of the sentence.
3. 挺……的
那个小区挺漂亮的。That apartment complex is quite beautiful.
物业和保安都挺到位的。Property management service and security guard are both quite good.
The 挺……的 structure means 'quite'. The adjectives put in between in the examples above are: 漂亮 'beautiful ' and 到位 'good, sufficient (lit. well in place)'.
4. 居室
你找的房子是几居室的？How many rooms are there in the flat you found? (lit. The flat you found, how many rooms/bedrooms does it have?)
居室 is another word for 'room'. It is used mainly in formal or written language, e.g. 他的工作是居室设计。His job is in interior design (lit. room design).
When used to indicate the number of rooms in a flat, 居室 specifically refers to bedrooms, e.g. 这是一套三居室的房子。This is a three-bedroom flat.
5. 都
房子都怎么样？How were (all) the flats?
都 'all, both' is used here because from the context, Leon knows that Xiao Fang has viewed quite a few flats and thus is expecting Xiao Fang to talk about all of them.
6. 各有利弊
各有利弊 is a four-character idiom meaning 'both/all have advantages and disadvantages'. It literally means 'each has good and bad '.
7. 每……都
每个人的标准都不同。Everyone has different criteria (lit. Everyone's criteria are all different).
每 'each ', 'every ' and 都 'all ', 'both ' are often used in pairs. 都 can also be paired with 大家 meaning 'everyone', or 所有 meaning 'every, all ', etc., in order to emphasize inclusiveness, e.g. 大家都来了。Everyone has come. 所有的问题都解决了。All problems are solved.
8. 还不错
家具不算新，但是都还不错。The furniture is not brand new but it is in very good condition.
不错 means 'not bad '. 还 meaning 'still, yet ' is added here to indicate concession.
9. 多……多
我宁可多付一些，多一些空间和舒适。I'd rather pay a little bit more for more space and comfort.
多……多 'much…much ' is a repetitive structure, used to indicate a sequence or a cause…consequence link, e.g. 学外语应该多读多听。(lit. To learn a foreign language, (you) should read a lot and listen a lot.)
10. 越来越，越……越
现在的房价越来越高，的确是越早投资越好。Property prices are on the increase and it is definitely better to invest early on.
The expression 越来越 means 'more and more' and needs to be followed by an adjective, e.g. 越来越高 higher and higher (lit. more and more high), 越来越贵 more and more expensive.
越……越 is a double comparative structure meaning 'the more…the more'.
越早投资越好 (it is) better to invest early on (lit. the earlier invest, the better)
越快越好 the sooner the better.
11. 下去
In the sentence 如果决定在这里发展下去…… (lit. If I decide to develop | go further | here…), 发展 means 'to develop'.下去 (lit. to go down) is used as a directional complement which taken figuratively like here indicates that the action is ongoing.
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hint 1
小方通过 安排一共看了三套房子：第一套装修很漂亮，但是 太小；第二套大小 ，可是 不够齐全，而且 偏高。小方选的那套 ，房型是 ，非常 。小方喜欢它的 以及厨房和卫生间等 。另外，他还有自己的 。小方觉得这套房子 ，所以签了一年的 。这套房子位于安洋小区， 都很到位。
Xiao Fang has viewed three flats altogether through an agency: The first flat was beautifully decorated, but its total size was too small; the second one was of a suitable size, but there was not enough furniture, and the price was a bit too high. The one that Xiao Fang has chosen was the biggest one; it is a one bedroom and one living-room flat, very bright and spacious. Xiao Fang likes its decoration, as well as its amenities such as the kitchen and the bathroom. He also has his own parking place. Xiao Fang thinks this flat is good value for money, and therefore signed a one-year contract. It is in Anyang Apartment Complex, and has a good property management service as well as a security guard.
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