Dialogue 1
Jingjing: Mark, our conversation last week got me thinking.
京晶：马克，我们上周的谈话引发了我的思考。
Mark: Oh yeah, what about?
马克: 哦？关于哪方面？
Jingjing: Well, you know how Gaofeng and Meili are facing a dilemma, right?
京晶：你知道高峰和美丽正面临一个进退两难的选择，对吧?
Mark: You mean, they're choosing between a tiny house in the city center and a spacious place in the suburbs?
马克: 你是说他们要在市中心的蜗居和郊区大房子之间做出选择？
Jingjing: Yes. Well, that made me curious about some of those super tiny living spaces people have in expensive cities like London and Paris.
京晶：是的。这让我特别想了解一下地处像伦敦和巴黎这样生活成本高昂城市中一些超级狭窄的居住空间。
Mark: I've seen some pictures of those, apartments mostly.
马克: 我看过一些这类图片，大多是公寓。
Jingjing: Some of them are stand-alone houses, most are apartments, and of course there are also dorm rooms.
京晶：有一些是独栋房，但大部分是公寓，当然也有集体宿舍。
Mark: I remember my smallest dorm room in college. It was less than 8 square meters. I painted the trim along the walls and put in some tiny floor-standing lamps to make the place look bigger.
马克: 我还记得我大学住过的那间最小的宿舍。不到8平方米。我沿墙刷上了装饰线，安装了一些小号的落地灯，让空间看起来更大。
Jingjing: Well, the University of British Columbia just opened a building full of micro dorm rooms. Guess how large each one is.
京晶：啊噢，不列颠哥伦比亚大学刚刚开放了一栋全是微型宿舍的大楼。你猜猜每一间有多大。
Mark: I don't know—six square meters.
马克: 我还不知道——有六平米?
Jingjing: Four.
京晶：四平米。
Mark: Four?! No way that includes a bathroom or a kitchen.
马克: 只有四？那怎么可能还有浴室或厨房。
Jingjing: Of course not. There's just a small sink. Kitchens and bathrooms are in common areas on each floor of that building.
京晶：当然没有。只有一个洗手槽。厨房和浴室在这栋楼每一层的公共区域。
Mark: That makes sense. In each of those dorms, though, is there a place to study and a place to sleep?
马克: 这还差不多。那每间宿舍，有学习和睡觉的地方吗？
Jingjing: Yes. The bed comes down over the desk.
京晶：是的。上层床，能拉下来放在下层书桌上。
Mark: I guess that's reasonable, if people want to live on campus yet have their own space—not much of it though.
马克:如果想住在学校并拥有自己的空间的话，这也合理，虽然地方不大。

New words : 习语短语
dilemma: 进退两难的境地，困境
a difficult decision, having to choose one of two things
spacious: 宽敞的
roomy, a place with enough space
stand-alone houses: 独栋房
a home that is in its own building, like a villa or a bungalow
trim: 包边镶边 装饰配件
wood or stone features on walls (often around doors or where the wall meets the floor), to reduce wear and tear and to make a room look nicer
common area: 公用区
a part of a building that is shared by several people who live there, semi-public space

Dialogue 2
Jingjing: Mark, I was just looking at some other pictures of micro apartments. Want to see?
京晶：马克，我正在看一些别的微型公寓的照片。要看吗？
Mark: Sure. Show me what you found.
马克: 好啊。给我看看你找到了些什么。
Jingjing: OK, so this first one is in Paris.
京晶：好的，这第一张是在巴黎。
Mark: Wait, what? Isn't that just a walk-in closet?
马克: 等等, 这是什么? 不就是个步入式衣帽间吗?
Jingjing: No, look in that upper compartment. That's a bed.
京晶：不呢，看看上面那个隔层，是张床。
Mark: Great for people who are not claustrophobic. Let me guess, another door opens and pulls out a kitchen. And a toilet rolls out of another one.
马克: 对没有幽闭恐惧症的人来说还挺好的。让我猜猜看，这一扇门一打开，里面拉出一个厨房。另一扇门拉出来是厕所。
Jingjing: Basically, yes. Best of all, it only takes up 8 square meters.
京晶：差不多就是这样。最棒的是，它只占地8平。
Mark: And the bookshelf is a steep little stairway. How cute.
马克: 还有书架是个陡峭的小阶梯。太可爱了。
Jingjing: Yeah, here's the next one. It's in Stockholm.
京晶：是的，这是下一个。它在斯德哥尔摩。
Mark: Well, at least that one looks like a home. It makes sense to have a loft bed and to run the entryway, kitchen and bathroom underneath that.
马克: 挺好，至少那个看起来像个家。一张高架床，下面有出入通道，厨房和浴室，说得过去。
Jingjing: I think so too. Look at what they've done with the trim. It has an old-country look to it, but a modern layout.
京晶：我也这么认为。你看他们还做了镶边装饰，让房间看起来有种老欧式风格，但布局很现代。
Mark: I guess people have to be careful what they cook.
马克: 我猜在这儿做饭的时候一定要小心了。
Jingjing: Ha ha, right: hot pot or stir-fry would really get into the bedsheets. I think these are meant for someone who needs a short commute and works 60+ hours per week.
京晶：哈哈，对: 火锅或者炒菜会真的溅到床单上。我想这些是为那些需要短途通勤且每周都工作60小时以上的人准备的。
Mark: Right. It's a good idea, even with a bit larger place for a DINK couple.
马克: 对，如果空间再更大一些，给丁克夫妇住也是个好主意。
Jingjing: Do you think I should show these pictures to my friends, Meili and Gaofeng?
京晶：你觉得我应该把这些照片给我的朋友美丽和高峰看看吗?
Mark: Nah. Let them make their own choices and tell me what they're place looks like after you visit.
马克:不要了。让他们自己拿主意吧，等你参观完后再告诉我他们房子什么样。

New words : 习语短语
micro apartments: 微型公寓
a full apartment home with an area of less than 20 or so square meters
walk-in closet: 步入式衣帽间
a storage room large enough for a person to walk into
compartment: 隔间；隔层
a large storage cabinet, built into the wall or a large shelving unit
claustrophobic: 幽闭恐怖症患者
when a person is afraid of being in small spaces
DINK: 丁克一族；有双薪收入而没有小孩的夫妇
dual/double-income, no kids (a married couple, both with full-time jobs, and no children)