▸ 周末zhōu mò之前zhī qián，小林xiǎo lín先xiān在zài手机shǒu jī上shàng仔细zǐ xì看了kàn le那nà三sān个gè房子fáng zi的de照片zhào piàn。

Before the weekend, Xiao Lin carefully studied the photos of the three apartments online.

▸ 第一dì yī个gè房子fáng zi的de照片zhào piàn简直jiǎn zhí太tài漂亮piào liang了le，像xiàng宾馆bīn guǎn一样yī yàng。

The photos of the first place were simply gorgeous — like a hotel.

▸ 照片zhào piàn里lǐ的de房间fáng jiān又yòu大dà又yòu亮liàng，家具jiā jù也yě都是dōu shì新的xīn de。

In the pictures the room was big and bright, and all the furniture looked new.

▸ 小林xiǎo lín高兴地gāo xìng de把bǎ照片zhào piàn发给fā gěi朋友péng you看kàn。

Xiao Lin happily sent the photos to his friend.

▸ 朋友péng you说shuō：“别bié太tài相信xiāng xìn照片zhào piàn，照片zhào piàn未必wèi bì是shì真的zhēn de。”

His friend said, "Don't trust the photos too much — they aren't necessarily real."

▸ 小林xiǎo lín说shuō：“不会bù huì吧ba？照片zhào piàn拍pāi得de这么zhè me清楚qīng chu。”

Xiao Lin said, "No way — the photos are so clear."

▸ 朋友péng you说shuō：“拍pāi得de清楚qīng chu不见得bù jiàn de就是jiù shì真的zhēn de，你nǐ去qù看看kàn kan就jiù知道了zhī dào le。”

His friend said, "Clear doesn't necessarily mean honest. Go see for yourself and you'll find out."

▸ 第二个dì èr gè房子fáng zi不大bù dà，照片zhào piàn倒是dào shi很hěn真实zhēn shí，看起来kàn qǐ lai干净gān jìng又yòu安静ān jìng。

The second place wasn't big, but its photos did look honest — clean and quiet.

▸ 第三个dì sān gè房子fáng zi最zuì便宜pián yi，小林xiǎo lín觉得jué de说不定shuō bu dìng是shì因为yīn wèi离lí火车站huǒ chē zhàn太tài远yuǎn了le。

The third was the cheapest — Xiao Lin figured it might well be because it was so far from the train station.

▸ 他tā想xiǎng：便宜pián yi有yǒu便宜pián yi的de原因yuán yīn，说不定shuō bu dìng房子fáng zi本身běn shēn有yǒu问题wèn tí。

He thought: there's always a reason something's cheap — who knows, maybe something's wrong with the place itself.

▸ 朋友péng you说shuō：“先xiān去qù看kàn第一dì yī个gè吧ba。至于zhì yú第三个dì sān gè，太tài远yuǎn了le，最后zuì hòu再说zài shuō。”

His friend said, "Let's see the first one first. As for the third — it's too far, we'll leave it for last."

▸ 小林xiǎo lín同意tóng yì了le：“好hǎo，就jiù这么zhè me定dìng了le。”

Xiao Lin agreed: "Okay, it's settled."

▸ 晚上wǎn shang，小林xiǎo lín躺tǎng在zài床上chuáng shàng，楼下lóu xià的de饭馆fàn guǎn还是hái shi很hěn吵chǎo。

That night, Xiao Lin lay in bed while the restaurants downstairs were as loud as ever.

▸ 他tā想xiǎng：新xīn房子fáng zi哪怕nǎ pà小xiǎo一点yī diǎn也yě无所谓wú suǒ wèi，安静ān jìng就jiù好hǎo。

He thought: even if the new place is a bit small, it doesn't matter — as long as it's quiet.

▸ 他tā看着kàn zhe手机shǒu jī里lǐ漂亮piào liang的de照片zhào piàn，心里xīn li想xiǎng：希望xī wàng别bié让ràng我wǒ失望shī wàng。

Looking at the beautiful photos on his phone, he thought: please don't let me down.

▸ 可是kě shì照片zhào piàn和hé真的zhēn de房子fáng zi，差别chā bié会huì有yǒu多大duō dà呢ne？

But just how different would the real apartment be from its pictures?

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