ACT I
Ellen, I’d like your opinion. Ellen，我想听听你的意见。
About what? 关于什么?
Well, Richard and I feel that with a baby coming 嗯，Richard和我觉得孩子快要出生了
we need to have our own place to live. 我们应该有自己的房子。
Oh. 噢。
Well, what do you think about Richard and me 那么，你觉得我和Richard
looking for a small house or an apartment 找一个小住宅或公寓
at this point in our lives? 在这个时候怎么样?
We love having you here, 我们喜欢你们住这儿，
and there is room, 并且这儿有地方，
and ... and when the baby comes, 而且……而且婴儿出生以后，
the baby can stay in your room for a while. 可以住在你们房间一段时间。
Richard feels we need to find a small house. Richard觉得我们应该要找一个小住宅。
I remember when I was pregnant with Richard. 我记得当我怀着Richard时。
Philip and I were living with Grandma and Grandpa. Philip与我和爷爷奶奶住在一起。
Philip was a young doctor, Philip当时是个年轻的大夫，
and he kept talking about having a house of our own. 他老说要有自己的家。
It’s natural. 这是很自然的。
What did you do? 那你们怎么办呢?
We looked at a lot of houses. 我们看了好多房子。
Did you find one? 找到合适的吗?
Oh, not at first. 噢，没有马上找到。
We couldn’t afford it. 我们当时钱不够。
Grandpa wanted to lend us the money to buy one, 爷爷要借给我们钱去买房，
but Philip is too independent. 但是Philip的独立性太强了。
He didn’t want to borrow any money. 他不想借钱。
Sounds like Richard. 听起来跟Richard一样。
They’re all alike. 他们都是一个样子。
Richard is a real Stewart. Richard是个典型的Stewart家后代。
He’s independent, 他的独立性强，
and sometimes just stubborn. 有时候甚至近乎顽固。
When did you buy a house? 那你们在什么时候买房子?
After Richard was born. 等生下Richard之后。
I was teaching music, 我当时教音乐，
and Philip was opening his first medical office. 而Philip则第一次开诊所。
Where was the house? 房子在什么地方?
Right here in Riverdale. 就在这Riverdale。
Of course, it was a small house, 当然，那是一栋小房子。
but just right for us. 但正好够我们住。
It’s funny. History repeats itself. 真有意思。历史在重演。
Now Richard and I are having a baby, 现在 Richard和我有了孩子，
and we probably won’t be able to 而我们也许也一样不能
afford a house right away, either. 马上负担得起一栋房子。
Why don’t you look at some houses, Marilyn? 何不去看一看房子呢，Marily?
Good idea. 好主意。
Look in the real-estate section of Sunday’s Times. 查一查星期天纽约时报的房地产版面。
You’ll learn a lot. 会增长不少见识。
Maybe we should 也许我们应该
speak to a real-estate agent about a house. 和房地产中介商谈谈关于房子的事。
And a bank about a mortgage. 还要和银行谈谈。
I’ll talk to Richard about it. 我会与Richard商量这些。
I think it’s a good idea, Ellen. 我觉得这是个好主意，Ellen。
We can learn a lot by asking. 我们到处问问会学到不少东西。
And if I can be of any help, 如果我能有所帮忙的，
let me know. 告诉我。
As a matter of fact, 事实上，
my friend Virginia Martinelli is a real-estate agent. 我的朋友Virginia Martinelli就是个房地产中介。
Good. 好极了。
You won’t believe this, 你简直不会相信，
but she sold us our first house and this one. 我们的第一栋房子和这一栋都是她卖的。
Well, I’ll tell Richard, 嗯，我会告诉Richard，
and we’ll go to see her. 我们会去找她。
Do you think the skirt length is right, Ellen? 你觉得这裙子长度合适吗，Ellen?
Do you think it’s too long? 你会不会觉得太长点?
I think the skirt is just right. 我觉得长度合适。
Are you planning to attach a train to it? 你是不是准备加拖地裙摆?
No. No train. Just the dress. 不，不加裙摆。就是这样连身套装。
But I am going to make a headpiece of lace. 但我准备做一个蕾丝头饰。
That dress is gorgeous. 这套服装真华丽。
Thanks, Ellen. 谢谢，Ellen。
And thanks for the advice about the house. 也谢谢你关于房子的建议。
I’ll talk to Richard about it 我就跟Richard商量
the minute he comes home. 他一回来。
And remember, 记住，
we love having you here. 我们喜欢你们住这儿。
There’s no need to rush. 没有必要急急忙忙分开。
I remember when I was pregnant with Richard,
Philip and I were living
with Grandma and Grandpa.
Philip was a young doctor
and he kept talking about
having a house of our own.
It’s natural.
I remember when Philip
and I wanted a place of our own,
like Marilyn and Richard want one now.
All people dream of a place of their own.
Some people dream of a farm house in the country.
Other people dream about owning
an apartment in the city.
Philip and I had our dreams too.
Philip wanted a ranch style house in Riverdale,
With a front door where his patients
could enter his first medical office.
I wanted to live in Riverdale too.
But I wanted a Spanish style house,
like the one I grew up in with tiles on the roof.
So, we looked in the real-estate section
of the newspaper.
We read about lots of houses for sale,
and we want to see a real-estate agent
as Marilyn and Richard are going to do.
We looked at lots and lots of houses,
but we didn’t have enough money
to buy any of them.
Richard and Marilyn
don’t have much money, either.
Maybe they won’t be able to afford a house.
It’s funny.
History repeats itself.
Richard and I are having a baby.
And we probably won’t be able to
afford a house right away, either.
We couldn’t afford one right away.
But we kept looking and later after Richard was born,
we bought a house here in Riverdale.
It was small and it didn’t have much land,
but I loved it.
Philip and I both loved it.
Because finally we had
a place of our own.
