Practice Time
练习时光
Christine: I heard you are going to get married at the end of this year. Have you bought an apartment?
克里斯廷：听说你们年底就要结婚了。买房了吗？
Raymond: No. House prices are too high. We can't afford it. We're going to rent one.
雷蒙德：没有。房价太贵了。我们买不起。我们打算租房子。
Christine: You're right. People will not be able to afford housing if prices keep rising.
克里斯廷：是啊。如果房价一直涨，人们就买不起房子了。
Raymond: I heard that house prices have dropped a lot in some cities, which gives us some hope.
雷蒙德：我听说有些城市的房价降了不少，这也让我们看到了一些希望。
Christine: Yeah, I think housing to some extent should be under control by the related government department.
克里斯廷：是啊。我认为住房在某种程度上应该由相关的政府部门控制一下。
Raymond: Yes. Some people buy houses on speculation.
雷蒙德：是的。有些人买房是为了炒房。
Christine: Did you ever think of buying a second-hand house then?
克里斯廷：那你们有没有考虑过买一套二手房。
Raymond: Yes, it's a little cheaper but it'll cost more in down payments. We can't afford it either.
雷蒙德：考虑过。二手房稍微便宜点儿，不过需要交的首付更多。我们还是负担不起。
Christine: People normally can't afford an apartment at an early age. Many young couples in developed countries also live in rented apartments.
克里斯廷：通常人们在年轻的时候都买不起房子。发达国家有好多年轻夫妇也是租房子住。