因生活困苦，我不得不离开家乡去外国打工。我把大部分钱都寄给了妻子和父母。然而不久，政府要求我们必须有工作许可证才能继续打工。后来，我们就遭遇到种种无理待遇……
Ithinkthebuildingmusthavebeenusedasafarmer’swinterstore,forIfoundpilesofforgottendriedchestnutsandgraininrottingbarrels.Itriedthechestnutsbuttheytastedsour,Paulosaidhewouldbringmefood,butthatwasthreedaysago.
Yesterday,Iheardacarenginegettingcloser,andclimbeduptohideinthebeamsofthepatchedroof.Butthemenjustlookedinquicklythroughtheworn-outwindowsandbrokendoorsbeforetheyleft.Iclungtothedustywoodenbeam,feelingitwouldbendundermyweight,andtriedtomakenonoise.Myarmsandlegsgrewnumb,thenbegantotremble.Ilongedtomove,butIwaiteduntilIheardthepolicemendriveoff.
Iknowthattheywillreturn.Whenwebeganthefinalpartofourjourney,wewerewarnedthatthepolicepatrolledthelandaroundhereregularly.Theyarealwayssearchingforus,orotherslikeus;thecoastofMorocco(摩洛哥)andthePresidio(要塞)ofCeuta(休达，摩洛哥北部港市)areonlytenmilesawayacrosstheStraits.
ThatishowIgothere:squeezedinwithfifteenothermeninashallowboatmeantforeight,withthecoldwavesreachingoverthesidesandthenightdeepandblackasatomb.Ihaveneverbeenmorescared.Iprayedallthewayacross,andthoughtaboutmyfamily.Itoldmyself,overandover,thatIwasdoingitforthem.Thattriptookalmostallofmymoney.AllofthemoneyIhadsavedinEcuador(厄瓜多尔).Theboatmenleftusonabeachinthemiddleofthenight.Welostsightofthembutwecouldstillheartheirsmallengineacrossthewaves.Sixofusstartedwalkinginlandbuttheotherswaitedforthecontacts,thefriendsoftheboatmen,astheyhadbeentold.
Wewerelucky:wemetPaulo.Wefoundthetownandwaiteduntilthefirstbaropened;Iwentinalonewhiletheothershidintheorchardnearby.WhenIaskedforacupofcoffee,theyoungbarman(侍者)lookedatmeandnodded.Hemadethecoffee,thendisappearedintothebackroom.Coldandwithoutstrength,Iwrappedmyhandsaroundthewarmcup,notcaringwhetherthebarmanhadcalledthepolice,notcaringaboutthenextmoment,justaboutthepresent.
ButthemanhadcalledPaulo,whocameandhelpedus.Paulowasalwayssmiling,alwayshappy.HewasfromSeville(塞维利亚),abusycityofmanypeople,andheknewmanypeople.Paulofoundworkforus.Imadegoodmoneyonthefarms.Ipickedcabbages,beans,cucumbersandpeas.Ipickedgreatroundyellowsquashes(南瓜)thatsmelledofrichperfumewhenyoubrokethem.Thefarmershiredusbytheday,andwerecontent.Thelocalpeoplewouldneverworkforthewageswearepaid.Butthereweremanyfarms,andmanycropstobepicked.Wewerewelcomed.
Isharedasmallcleanhouseinthetownwithsevenotherworkers.WehadjourneyedfromEcuador,Colombia(哥伦比亚),Venezuela(委内瑞拉),evenArgentina(阿根廷).Paulofoundthehouseforus-heknewthelandlordandarrangedagoodprice.Welivedwell,withenoughfoodandsometimeswine.IearnedmoreinaweekthanIcouldinthreemonthsbackhomeiftherehadbeenworktodothere.Isentmostofthemoneythatwaslefttomywifeandparents,andwrotemanyletterstothem.Thenthegovernmentchangedtherulessothatweneededworkpermits.
Iqueuedwithhundredsofotherworkers,waitingfortheapplicationforms.Wesatonthestonebenchesbeneaththetreesandreadtheforms.Someoftheotherworkersarefromsmallvillagesandtowns,andcannotreadaswellasIcan,soIexplainedtothemthatthegovernmentwantedourbirthcertificates,drivinglicenses,passportsandmanyotherdocuments.Manyoftheworkershadperhapsoneortwoofthesedocuments,butmosthadnone.Ihelpedtheotherscompletetheformsandwegavethemtotheclerk.Helookedatourdocuments,stampedtheformsmanytimesandtoldusthattheywouldbesenttoMadrid(马德里),andourpermitswouldbereturnedintwoorthreemonthsiftheformswereapproved.
Wehadtowait.EvenPauloandhisfriendscouldnothelpus.
Thefirstmonthwasnottoobadasmostofthefarmerscontinuedtouseus;theircropswererich,waitingtobepicked.ThensomemenfromMadridvisitedallofthefarms,andmaybehalfofthefarmersstoppedusingus.Thefarmerstoldusthattheyweresorry,andweunderstoodthem.
Sothesecondmonthwasworse:onlyafewofthefarmerswoulduseus,andthosethatdidpayverypoorwages.Wesharedwhatwehad,andateonceaday:rice,porridge(粥),bread,cheapfoodthatwouldfillourstomachs.Webegantostareateachother,andwonderwhichofuswouldfindwork.Therewerefightsinthemorning,betweendifferentgroupsofworkers,whenthefarms’supervisors(管理人，监工)cametochoosewhowouldworkthatday.Butstillwehadsomehope.
Welostthehouseinthethirdmonth,aswehadnomoneyforrent.Wewereabletogetsomefoodfromthecharitykitchensaroundthetown,andthechurch,butwefoundalwaysalongqueueandverylittlefood.Wetookourbagsandblanketsandsleptinthefields.Thentheweatherbecamecoldandwesleptwherewecould,huddledtogether,inoldforgottenbuildingsandalleys(小巷).SometimesIdreamedofmyfamily,andwhenIawoke,Iwishedthedreamcouldcontinue.
Thepeopleofthetownstaredatusfromthesidesoftheireyesastheypassedus.Theyclenched(握紧)theirhandsandmuttered,andsomeofthemspatonthepavement.Afewofuswereattackedandbeateninthedark,anddrivenfromtheparksandstreets.Allofthetime,thePolicetoldustomoveon,moveon.
Itistheendofthethirdmonthwhenithappens.
Thefarmershiredcoachesandsendthemintothetown.Fromfouro’clockinthemorningwewaitedinagitatingsilence,handspusheddeepintopockets,ourhatspulleddowntightagainstthecoldandthewatchingpolicemen.
Bythetimethecoachesarrived,therearehundredsofworkerswaitinginthedarkness.Wepressedforwardasthedoorsopened.Thesupervisorsstoodonthebottomstepsofthecoachesandasked,"Whohasthepermit?"
Themenwithpermitsholdthemupandwereallowedontothecoaches.
SomeoftheworkerswerefromthecountriesinEuropeanddidnotneedpermits,sotheywereallowedonwhentheyshowedtheirpassports.IwentfromcoachtocoachuntilIsawagroupofChileans(智利人),whoIknewhavenopermits,climbingaboardawaitingcoach.Theleaderoftheirgroupspokefirstwiththeforemanandshookhishand,thentheyweretakenon.Istoodbeforethesupervisor.
“Youhavethepermit?”heaskedme.Hewasbroad,stout(肥胖的)andfilledthedoorwayofthecoach.Hisfatneckspiltfromtheupturned(向上翻的)collarofhisleatherjacket.Hishairwasshavenclosetohishead.IexplaintohimthatmyapplicationwasrejectedbutIwouldtryagain.
“Comebackwhenyouhaveapermit,”hetoldme.Hefrownedasheinhaled(吸入，吸气)asmokeandlookeddowntheavenuetowherethepolicemenwerewatchingthecoaches.IexplainedtohimthatIwasahardworker,thatIhadeatenonlyonceinthreedays,thatIwaseagertoworkandsendmoneytomyfamily.
Helookedatthepolicemen,whohadstartedwalkingalongthepavementbesidethecoaches,andglaredatmeandsays,“GotoMadridandtellthem.”
TheChileanswerelaughingandpointingatmethroughthecoachwindows.
Thesupervisortossedhishalf-finishedcigaretteintothegutter(排水沟)bymyfoot.AtthemomentIstabbedhiminthestomach.Hebentdownwithasmallcry.
ThepolicemenlookedatusandIbegantorunawayfromthecoaches,intothedarksidestreets.Iheardloudrunningstepsclosebehindme,andtheroarofcarengines.
Islidintotheshadowsofashop’sbackdoor,behindtwotallmetalcontainersthatstank(发出臭味)ofrottingmeatandspoiledfoodstuff(食品).Igasped,andeachbreathburnt.Myhearthammeredagainstmychest.
Iwaitedforalongtimeuntilthesoundsofthecarsandpeoplefaded.Iwalkedslowlytotheendofthealleyandlookedout,butthestreetswereempty.
Ihadrunalmosttotheriver;Icouldhearitrushinginthedarknessbeneathme.
Myrighthandfeltcold.Ilookeddownintheyellowlightofastreetlamp,andsawmyhandstillclenchedintoafist.Itlookedlikethehandofanotherperson,notpartofme.Ashortblade,nolongerthanmythumb,stuckoutfromthefist.Theblade,myfist,andmysleevewereallstaineddarkred.
PaulogavemetheknifewhenIpickedartichokesonthefarms.Theshortthickbladeisverysharp,madeforcuttingtheplants’stalks.
Iscrambleddowntothebanksoftheriverandthrewtheknifeintotheriverwater.Ihearditsplashedfaraway.Therivertouchedmyfeet.Iboweddownandwashedmysleeveandhand,althoughthewaterwassocold,likeice,thatmyhandbecamenumb.ThenIwalkedbackuptothestreet.
Ifoundsomeoftheotherworkershidinginthedesertedwarehousewehadfound.OneofthemwenttofindPaulo,whocameandtoldmeabouttheoldfarmbuildingsneartothecoastroad.IwaiteduntildarknessbeforeIfollowedtheroadoutofthetown,throwingmyselfintotheditchifIheardacarapproaching.
TheweatherhasbeenclearandIhaveseenthecoastofMoroccoeveryday.Acrossthebluesea,thelandisastripofdarkbrownandgray,andlookscloseenoughformetotouch.MaybeIcouldfindanoldtractortyretubearoundthefarmandfloatacrosstheStraits?OrmaybeIcouldwalkalongtheshoreandstealaboat?
Idonotwanttobecomeathief.Iamanhonestmanwhowantsonlytoworkandsupporthisfamily.ButwhatcanIdo?
IwillwaithereforPauloandlistentohim.Hewilltellmewhattodoforthebest.Iknowthathewillhelpme.
注释:
storestore
chestnut
grain
barrelbar
sour
engineengine
beam
patch
broken
cling
numb
tremble
patrol
strait
squeeze
shallow
tomb
scare
praypray
savesafe
could
inlandland
contact
lucky
barbar
openopen
orchard
disappear
wrap
present
happy
cabbage
bean
cucumber
pea
perfume
locallocal
wage
landlordland
arrangearrange
price
earnearn
weekweek
governmentgovernment
queue
application
beneath
certificate
license
passport
documentdoctor
approve
porridge
fight
rentrent
charity
mutter
spit
pavement
endend
coach
agitate
aboard
speakspeak
broadbroad
doorway
spill
leather
shave
reject
frown
avenue
glare
toss
cigaret(te)cigar
stab
roar
slide
container
spoil
foodstuff
gasp
hammer
fade
thumb
sleeve
stain
plantplant
splash
bowbow
warehouse
ditch
approach
strip
tractor
thiefthief