Problems in Sharing a House

 

合住的烦恼

If you like the idea of staying with a family,living in a house might be the answer.

如果你喜欢家庭式的话，就选择和当地人住在一起。

Good landladies-those who are superb cooks and launderers,are figures as popular in fiction as the bad ones who terrorize their guests and overcharge them at the slightest opportunity.

小说里经常会出现一些厨艺高超，勤于烫洗的好房东，也常出现胁迫房客，尽一切可能多收取房租的坏房东。

The truth is probably somewhere between the two extremes.

而真实的情况可能是介于这两个极端之间。

If you are lucky, the food will be adequate,some of your laundry may be done for you and you will have a reasonable amount of comfort and companionship.

如果你幸运的话，有人会帮你做好可口的饭菜，也可能有人帮你洗一些衣服，你会感觉比较舒适，还常有人给你作伴。

For the less fortunate,house rules may restrict the freedom to invite friends to visit,and shared cooking and bathroom facilities can be frustrating and row-provoking if tidy and untidy guests are living under the same roof.

对那些不太幸运的人来说，房东会制定规则限制你邀请朋友来访的自由；如果讲卫生和不讲卫生的人住在一起，共用厨房和洗澡间会令人沮丧，有时甚至会引发争吵。

The same disadvantages can apply to flat sharing,with the added difficulties that arise from deciding who pays for what,and in what proportion.

合租公寓也存在同样的问题，另外还有谁来付账单，各付多少的问题。

One person may spend hours on the phone,while another rarely makes calls.

有人可能会一连打几个小时的电话，而有人可能很少用电话。

If you want privacy with a guest,how do you persuade the others to go out;how do you persuade them to leave you in peace,especially if you are a student and want to study?

如果你想和客人独自在一起，你怎么劝其他房客出去；你怎么劝说别人不要打扰你，尤其是如果你是学生想要安安静静地学习？

Conversely, flat sharing can be very cheap,there will always be someone to talk to and go out with,and the chores, in theory, can be shared.

但是另一方面，合租公寓租金低廉，总会有人跟你聊天解闷，陪你逛街，从理论上讲，家务活也总有人一块儿分担。