新版熟背星火英语30篇阅读文章贯穿考研词汇下载低至八分Word格式.docx
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swinterstore;
Ifoundpilesofforgottendriedchestnutsandgraininrottingbarrels.Itriedthechestnutsbuttheytastedsourandsharp,andsomeofthemhadsmallteeth-marksintheirdark,peelingskins.Paulosaidhewouldbringmefood,butthatwasthreedaysago.
Yesterday,Iheardacarenginegettingcloser,andclimbeduptohideintheraftersofthepatchedroof,buttheGuardiaCivilmenjustlookedinquicklythroughthesmashedwindowsandbrokendoorsbeforetheyleft.Iclungtothedustywoodenrafter,feelingitcreakandbendundermyweight,andtriedtomakenonoise.Myarmsandlegsgrewnumb,thenbegantotremble,andIlongedtomove,butIwaiteduntilIheardthepolicemendriveoff.
IknowthatPaulowouldnothavetoldthemaboutme.
AndIknowthattheywillreturn.Whenwebeganthefinalpartofourjourney,wewerewarnedthatthepolicepatrolthelandaroundhereregularly.Theyarealwayssearchingforus,orotherslikeus;
thecoastofMoroccoandthePresidioofCeutaareonlytenmilesawayacrosstheStraits.
ThatishowIgothere:
squeezedinwithfifteenothermeninashallowboatmeantforeight,withthecoldwavesreachingoverthesidesandthenightdeepandblackasatomb.Ihaveneverbeenmorescared.Iprayedallthewayacross,andthoughtaboutmyfamily.Itoldmyself,overandover,thatIwasdoingitforthem.Thattriptookalmostallofmymoney.AllofthemoneyIhadsavedbackhomeinEcuador,allofthemoneyIhadworkedforontheway.Theboatmenleftusonabeachinthemiddleofthenight.Welostsightofthembutwecouldstillheartheirsmallengineacrossthewaves.Sixofusstartedwalkinginlandbuttheotherswaitedforthecontact,thefriendsoftheboatmen,astheyhadbeentold,andmettheGuardiaCivilinstead.
Wewerelucky:
wemetPaulo.Wefoundthetownandwaiteduntilthefirstbaropened;
Iwentinalonewhiletheothershidintheorchardnearby.WhenIaskedforcoffee,theyoungbarmanlookedatmeandnodded.Hemadethecoffee,thendisappearedintothebackroom.Coldandwithoutstrength,Iwrappedmyhandsaroundthewarmcup,notcaringwhetherthebarmanhadcalledthepolice,notcaringaboutthenextmoment,justaboutthepresent.
ButthemanhadcalledPaulo,whocameandhelpedus.Pauloisalwayssmiling,alwayshappy.HeisfromSeville,abusycityofmanypeople,andheknowsmanypeople.Paulofoundworkforus.Imadegoodmoneyonthefarms.Ipickedcabbages,andcauliflowers,andartichokesandbroccoli.Ipickedgreatroundyellowsquashesthatsmelledofrichperfumewhenyoubrokethem.Thefarmershiredusbytheday,andwerecontent.Thelocalpeoplewillnotworkforthewageswearepaid.Butthereweremanyfarms,andmanycropstobepicked.Wewerewelcomed.
Isharedasmallcleanhouseinthetownwithsevenotherworkers.WehadjourneyedfromEcuador,Colombia,Venezuela,evenArgentina.Paulofoundthehouseforus-heknewthelandlordandarrangedagoodprice.Welivedwell,withenoughfoodandsometimeswine.IearnedmoreinaweekthanIcouldinthreemonthsbackhome,iftherehadbeenworktodothere.Isentmostofthemoneythatwaslefttomywifeandparents,andwrotemanyletterstothem.Thenthegovernmentchangedtherules,sothatweneededworkpermits.
IqueuedwithhundredsofotherworkersoutsidetheAyuntamiento,waitingfortheapplicationforms.WesatonthestonebenchesbeneaththetreesinthePla?
aandreadtheforms.Someoftheotherworkersarefromsmallvillagesandtowns,andcannotreadaswellasIcan,soIexplainedtothemthatthegovernmentwantedourbirthcertificates,drivinglicences,passportsandmanyotherdocuments.Manyoftheworkershadperhapsoneortwoofthesedocuments,butmosthadnone.IhelpedtheotherscompletetheformsandwegavethemtotheclerkintheAyuntamiento.Helookedatourdocuments,stampedtheformsmanytimesandtoldusthattheywouldbesenttoMadrid,andourpermitswouldbereturnedintwoorthreemonths.Iftheformswereapproved.
Wehadtowait.EvenPauloandhisfriendscouldnothelpus.
Thefirstmonthwasnottoobad,asmostofthefarmerscontinuedtouseus;
theircropswererichandheavy,waitingtobepicked.ThensomemenfromMadridvisitedallofthefarms,andmaybehalfofthefarmersstoppedusingus.Thefarmerstoldusthattheyweresorry,andwebelievedthem.
Sothesecondmonthwasworse:
fewofthefarmerswoulduseus,andthosethatdidpaidverypoorwages.Wesharedwhatwehad,andateonceaday:
rice,pasta,bread,cheapfoodthatwouldfillourstomachs.Webegantostareateachother,andwonderwhichofuswouldfindwork.Therewerefightsinthemorning,betweendifferentgroupsofworkers,whenthefarms'
foremencametothePla?
atochoosewhowouldworkthatday.Butstillwehadsomehope.
Welostthehouseinthethirdmonth,aswehadnomoneyforrent.Wewereabletogetsomefoodfromthecharitykitchensaroundthetown,andthechurch,butwefoundalwaysalongqueueandverylittlefood.Wetookourbagsandblanketsandsleptinthefields.Thentheweatherbecamecoldandwesleptwherewecould,huddledtogether,inoldforgottenbuildingsandalleys.SometimesIdreamedofmyfamilyandmyhome,andwhenIawokeIwishedthedreamcouldcontinue.
Thepeopleofthetownstaredatusfromthesidesoftheireyesastheypassedus.Theyclenchedtheirhandsandmuttered,andsomeofthemspatonthepavement.Afewofuswereattackedandbeateninthedark,anddrivenfromtheparksandstreets.Allofthetime,thePolicetoldustomoveon,moveon.
Itistheendofthethirdmonthwhenithappens.
ThefarmershirecoachesandsendthemintothePla?
aColom.Fromfouro'
clockinthemorningwewaitinshufflingsilence,handspusheddeepintopockets,ourhatspulleddowntightagainstthecoldandthewatchingpolicemen.
Bythetimethecoachesarrivetherearehundredsofworkerswaitinginthedarkness.Wepressforwardasthedoorsopen.Theforemenstandonthebottomstepsofthecoachesandask,"
Whohasthepermit?
"
Themenwithpermitsholdthemupandareallowedontothecoaches.
SomeoftheworkersarefromthecountriesinEuropeanddononeedpermits,sotheyareallowedonwhentheyshowtheirpassports.IgofromcoachtocoachuntilIseeagroupofChileans,whoIknowhavenopermits,climbaboardawaitingcoach.Theleaderoftheirgroupspeaksfirstwiththeforemanandshakeshishand,thentheyaretakenon.Istandbeforetheforeman.
Youhavethepermit?
heasksme.Heisbroadandstout,andfillsthedoorwayofthecoach.Hisfatneckspillsfromtheupturnedcollarofhisleatherjacket.Hishairisshavenclosetohishead.IexplaintohimthatmyapplicationwasrejectedbutIhavetriedagain.
Comebackwhenyouhaveapermit,"
hetellsme.Hefrownsashepullsonhiscigaretteandlooksdowntheavenuetowherethepolicemenarewatchingthecoaches.IexplaintohimthatthatIamahardworker,thatIhaveeatenonlyonceinthreedays,thatIamdesperatetoworkandsendmoneytomyfamily.
Helooksatthepolicemen,whohavestartedwalkingalongthepavementbesidethecoaches,andhescowlsatmeandsays,"
GotoMadridandtellthem."
TheChileansarelaughingandpointingatmethroughthecoachwindows.
Theforemanflickshishalf-finishedcigaretteintothegutterbymyfootandIpunchhiminthestomach.Hefoldsoverwithasmallcry.
ThepolicemenlookatusandIbegintorun,awayfromthePla?
a,awayfromthecoaches,intothedarksidestreetsandavenues.Ihearloudrunningstepsclosebehindme,andtheroarofcarengines.Theshutteredbuildingsreflectthebluelights.
Islidemybodyintotheshadowsofashop'
sbackdoor,behindtwotallmetalbinsthatstinkofrottingmeatandurine.Igasp,andeachbreathburns.Myhearthammersagainstmychest.
Iwaitforalongtimeuntilthesoundsofthecarsandpeoplefade.Iwalkslowlytotheendofthealleyandlookout,butthestreetsareempty.
Ihaverunalmosttotheriver;
Icanhearitrushinginthedarknessbeneathme.
Myrighthandfeelscold.Ilookdown,intheyellowlightofastreetlamp,andseemyhandstillclenchedintoafist.Itlookslikethehandofanotherperson,notpartofme.Ashortblade,nolongerthanmythumb,sticksoutfromthefist.Theblade,myfist,andmysleeveareallstaineddarkred.
PaulogavemetheknifewhenIpickedartichokesonthefarms.Theshortthickbladeisverysharp,madeforslicingthroughtheplants'
thickstalks.
Iscrambleddowntothebanksoftheriverandthrewtheknifeintothenight.Ihearditsplashfaraway.Therivertouchedmyfeet.Ireacheddownandwashedmysleeveandhand,althoughthewaterwassocold,likeice,thatmyhandbecamenumb.ThenIwalkedbackuptothestreet.
Ifoundsomeoftheotherworkershidinginthedesertedwarehousewehadfound.OneofthemwenttofindPaulo,whocameandtoldmeabouttheoldfarmbuildingsneartothecoastroad.Paulowasnotsmiling.IwaiteduntildarknessbeforeIfollowedtheroadoutofthetown,throwingmyselfintotheditchifIheardacarapproaching.
TheweatherhasbeenclearandIhaveseenthecoastofMoroccoeveryday.Acrosstheblueseafleckedwithsun,thelandisastripofdarkbrownandgrey,andlookscloseenoughformetotouch.MaybeIcouldfindanoldtractortyretubearoundthefarmandfloatacrosstheStraits?
OrmaybeIcouldwalkalongtheshoreandstealaboat?
Idonotwanttobecomeathief.Iamanhonestmanwhowantsonlytoworkandsupporthis