论文部分内容阅读
She was just another poor, bedraggled woman, struggling to feed her family. He saw them all the time, their faces careworn, and blank. The Depression had created hundreds of them. He was one of the lucky ones who still had his grocery and money coming in to feed his family.
She came one day to his shop, carrying two empty milk bottles, and wordlessly placed them on the counter in front of him. He took the empties and replaced them with full bottles, saying: "Ten cents, please." She did not reply. She just took the bottles and left the shop. He might have gone after her to demand his money, or called the police, but he did neither. Her need was in her face, and he always felt a little guilty at being one of the lucky ones with money and a job.
She was back the next day with two empty milk bottles. He replaced them with full bottles and watched as she hurried out the door. She looked so worried that he wondered if she had a job at all. If she came back, he would offer her a part-time position cleaning the store.
She came again the next morning and exchanged her empty bottles for full without saying a word. He tried to talk to her to ask if she wanted a job, but she practically ran from the store with the milk. Her urgency worried him. He followed, wondering what he could do to help.
To his surprise, she headed away from the migrant camp outside of town. She went instead to the graveyard by the river. As he watched, she hurried up to a stone marker and then disappeared into the ground. He rubbed his eyes in disbelief. Then he heard the muffled cry of a baby. It was coming from the ground underneath the stone marker where the woman had disappeared.
He ran back to the store and phoned the police. Within minutes, the graveyard was swarming with people, and the workers started digging up the grave. When the casket was opened, the store owner saw the woman who had visited his store lying dead within it. In her arms, she held a small baby and two full milk bottles. The baby was still alive.
她，又一个贫穷、凄惨、为生计苦苦奔波的女人。他，一个每天与一张张倦容打交道的杂货店老板。大萧条使成千上万的人们生计无着，而他算得上一个幸运儿了，至少他还有自己的杂货店，还能够养活他的家人。
一天，她走进他的杂货店，手里提着两个空牛奶瓶，一言不发地把瓶子放在了他面前地柜台上。他收起了空瓶子，拿了两瓶牛奶递给她，说道：“10美分，女士。”她没有应声，就带着奶瓶走出了店门。他本可以追出去向她要钱，或者报警，但他并没有那样做。因为，他知道她一定很需要这两瓶奶，这个从她的脸上就能看出来。每次当他看到这样的人，都会觉得有罪恶感，和那些人相比，他太幸运了，有份工作，还有一点钱。
第二天，她又拿着两个牛奶瓶出现在他的店里。他又递给了她两瓶装得满满的牛奶，看着她走出了店门。她走得是如此的急，他开始怀疑她到底有没有工作。如果她回来，他想给她一份打扫店铺卫生的临时工作。
第二天早上，她又来了，还是一言不发地换走了两瓶牛奶。他试图和她交谈，问问她需不需要一份工作。但她几乎是拿着牛奶跑着离开的。她怎么会如此着急呢？这真的有些让他担心，于是便跟上她，看看他能不能帮上什么忙。
然而，令他惊讶的是，她并没有向城外的贫民窟走去，而是奔向了河边的墓地。他紧紧地注视着她。啊！她爬上了一块墓碑，然后钻进土里消失了！他实在是难以相信所看到的一切，狠狠地揉了揉眼睛。正在这时，他听到那块墓碑下面传来了阵阵隐隐的婴儿啼哭声。
他拼命地跑回店里，报了警。几分钟后，墓地挤满了人。工人们开始尝试打开这块墓。当棺木被打开的那一刻，杂货店老板看到那个几次到过他店里的女人躺在里面，早已死了，她的怀里还抱着一个小婴儿和两瓶装得满满的牛奶——那个孩子还活着。
◆编辑：丁俊玲
She came one day to his shop, carrying two empty milk bottles, and wordlessly placed them on the counter in front of him. He took the empties and replaced them with full bottles, saying: "Ten cents, please." She did not reply. She just took the bottles and left the shop. He might have gone after her to demand his money, or called the police, but he did neither. Her need was in her face, and he always felt a little guilty at being one of the lucky ones with money and a job.
She was back the next day with two empty milk bottles. He replaced them with full bottles and watched as she hurried out the door. She looked so worried that he wondered if she had a job at all. If she came back, he would offer her a part-time position cleaning the store.
She came again the next morning and exchanged her empty bottles for full without saying a word. He tried to talk to her to ask if she wanted a job, but she practically ran from the store with the milk. Her urgency worried him. He followed, wondering what he could do to help.
To his surprise, she headed away from the migrant camp outside of town. She went instead to the graveyard by the river. As he watched, she hurried up to a stone marker and then disappeared into the ground. He rubbed his eyes in disbelief. Then he heard the muffled cry of a baby. It was coming from the ground underneath the stone marker where the woman had disappeared.
He ran back to the store and phoned the police. Within minutes, the graveyard was swarming with people, and the workers started digging up the grave. When the casket was opened, the store owner saw the woman who had visited his store lying dead within it. In her arms, she held a small baby and two full milk bottles. The baby was still alive.
她，又一个贫穷、凄惨、为生计苦苦奔波的女人。他，一个每天与一张张倦容打交道的杂货店老板。大萧条使成千上万的人们生计无着，而他算得上一个幸运儿了，至少他还有自己的杂货店，还能够养活他的家人。
一天，她走进他的杂货店，手里提着两个空牛奶瓶，一言不发地把瓶子放在了他面前地柜台上。他收起了空瓶子，拿了两瓶牛奶递给她，说道：“10美分，女士。”她没有应声，就带着奶瓶走出了店门。他本可以追出去向她要钱，或者报警，但他并没有那样做。因为，他知道她一定很需要这两瓶奶，这个从她的脸上就能看出来。每次当他看到这样的人，都会觉得有罪恶感，和那些人相比，他太幸运了，有份工作，还有一点钱。
第二天，她又拿着两个牛奶瓶出现在他的店里。他又递给了她两瓶装得满满的牛奶，看着她走出了店门。她走得是如此的急，他开始怀疑她到底有没有工作。如果她回来，他想给她一份打扫店铺卫生的临时工作。
第二天早上，她又来了，还是一言不发地换走了两瓶牛奶。他试图和她交谈，问问她需不需要一份工作。但她几乎是拿着牛奶跑着离开的。她怎么会如此着急呢？这真的有些让他担心，于是便跟上她，看看他能不能帮上什么忙。
然而，令他惊讶的是，她并没有向城外的贫民窟走去，而是奔向了河边的墓地。他紧紧地注视着她。啊！她爬上了一块墓碑，然后钻进土里消失了！他实在是难以相信所看到的一切，狠狠地揉了揉眼睛。正在这时，他听到那块墓碑下面传来了阵阵隐隐的婴儿啼哭声。
他拼命地跑回店里，报了警。几分钟后，墓地挤满了人。工人们开始尝试打开这块墓。当棺木被打开的那一刻，杂货店老板看到那个几次到过他店里的女人躺在里面，早已死了，她的怀里还抱着一个小婴儿和两瓶装得满满的牛奶——那个孩子还活着。
◆编辑：丁俊玲