ACT I
Ellen, I’d like your opinion. Ellen，我想聽聽你的意見。
About what? 關于什么?
Well, Richard and I feel that with a baby coming 嗯，Richard和我覺得孩子快要出生了
we need to have our own place to live. 我們應該有自己的房子。
Oh. 噢。
Well, what do you think about Richard and me 那么，你覺得我和Richard
looking for a small house or an apartment 找一個小住宅或公寓
at this point in our lives? 在這個時候怎么樣?
We love having you here, 我們喜歡你們住這兒，
and there is room, 并且這兒有地方，
and ... and when the baby comes, 而且……而且嬰兒出生以后，
the baby can stay in your room for a while. 可以住在你們房間一段時間。
Richard feels we need to find a small house. Richard覺得我們應該要找一個小住宅。
I remember when I was pregnant with Richard. 我記得當我懷著Richard時。
Philip and I were living with Grandma and Grandpa. Philip與我和爺爺奶奶住在一起。
Philip was a young doctor, Philip當時是個年輕的大夫，
and he kept talking about having a house of our own. 他老說要有自己的家。
It’s natural. 這是很自然的。
What did you do? 那你們怎么辦呢?
We looked at a lot of houses. 我們看了好多房子。
Did you find one? 找到合適的嗎?
Oh, not at first. 噢，沒有馬上找到。
We couldn’t afford it. 我們當時錢不夠。
Grandpa wanted to lend us the money to buy one, 爺爺要借給我們錢去買房，
but Philip is too independent. 但是Philip的獨立性太強了。
He didn’t want to borrow any money. 他不想借錢。
Sounds like Richard. 聽起來跟Richard一樣。
They’re all alike. 他們都是一個樣子。
Richard is a real Stewart. Richard是個典型的Stewart家后代。
He’s independent, 他的獨立性強，
and sometimes just stubborn. 有時候甚至近乎頑固。
When did you buy a house? 那你們在什么時候買房子?
After Richard was born. 等生下Richard之后。
I was teaching music, 我當時教音樂，
and Philip was opening his first medical office. 而Philip則第一次開診所。
Where was the house? 房子在什么地方?
Right here in Riverdale. 就在這Riverdale。
Of course, it was a small house, 當然，那是一棟小房子。
but just right for us. 但正好夠我們住。
It’s funny. History repeats itself. 真有意思。歷史在重演。
Now Richard and I are having a baby, 現在 Richard和我有了孩子，
and we probably won’t be able to 而我們也許也一樣不能
afford a house right away, either. 馬上負擔得起一棟房子。
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. 查一查星期天紐約時報的房地產版面。
You’ll learn a lot. 會增長不少見識。
Maybe we should 也許我們應該
speak to a real-estate agent about a house. 和房地產中介商談談關于房子的事。
And a bank about a mortgage. 還要和銀行談談。
I’ll talk to Richard about it. 我會與Richard商量這些。
I think it’s a good idea, Ellen. 我覺得這是個好主意，Ellen。
We can learn a lot by asking. 我們到處問問會學到不少東西。
And if I can be of any help, 如果我能有所幫忙的，
let me know. 告訴我。
As a matter of fact, 事實上，
my friend Virginia Martinelli is a real-estate agent. 我的朋友Virginia Martinelli就是個房地產中介。
Good. 好極了。
You won’t believe this, 你簡直不會相信，
but she sold us our first house and this one. 我們的第一棟房子和這一棟都是她賣的。
Well, I’ll tell Richard, 嗯，我會告訴Richard，
and we’ll go to see her. 我們會去找她。
Do you think the skirt length is right, Ellen? 你覺得這裙子長度合適嗎，Ellen?
Do you think it’s too long? 你會不會覺得太長點?
I think the skirt is just right. 我覺得長度合適。
Are you planning to attach a train to it? 你是不是準備加拖地裙擺?
No. No train. Just the dress. 不，不加裙擺。就是這樣連身套裝。
But I am going to make a headpiece of lace. 但我準備做一個蕾絲頭飾。
That dress is gorgeous. 這套服裝真華麗。
Thanks, Ellen. 謝謝，Ellen。
And thanks for the advice about the house. 也謝謝你關于房子的建議。
I’ll talk to Richard about it 我就跟Richard商量
the minute he comes home. 他一回來。
And remember, 記住，
we love having you here. 我們喜歡你們住這兒。
There’s no need to rush. 沒有必要急急忙忙分開。
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.
