街头上的冬意虽已消失,萨姆·陶马舍夫斯基跌跌跄跄地走进他那月小食品杂货店的后间小屋时,却脸若冰霜。苏拉坐在小圆桌旁边,正吃着面包和腌西红柿,惊愕地抬头瞧着他,脸色涨得通红。她把刚咬下的一口面包回圈吞下,又连忙用胖乎乎的拳头猛捶胸口,好把它顺下去。这个姿态已经够丧气的了,因为从她丈夫那一言不发的神情看来,她晓得准是出了麻烦事。“天啊!”萨姆嘶哑地叹道。她尖叫起来,吓得他直打哆嗦,接着他垂头丧气地坐进一把圈椅。苏拉站在那儿,又生气又害怕。“看在上帝面上,出了什么事,你倒快说呀?”“隔壁,”萨姆嘟峨道。“隔壁怎么啦?”她提高嗓门问。“搬来了一家店铺!”“什么店铺?”喊声尖得刺耳。他怒冲冲地挥动胳膊。“隔壁搬来了一家食品杂货店。”“噢!”她一边咬着手指,一边一屁股坐在椅子上呜咽起来。再也没有什么比这个消息更坏的了。整整一个冬天,那月空荡荡的店铺老是使他们提心吊胆。有个意大利鞋匠曾经租用它多年,后来对街又开了一家现代化联营的修鞋店,三个身穿红色工作服的伙计整天价在大窗户里锤啊打地干活,所有的过路人都会停下来瞧一眼。培勒格里诺的生意从此闲下来,就象有人把水笼头拧紧而使水流停缓下来一样。有一天,他瞧着自己的工作台,一切都停摆了,呈现一派空旷而难看的景象。 Although winter’s streets disappeared, Sam Tamalchevsky stumbled into the back room of his month-long grocery store, but was frosty. Sitting on a small round table, Sura was eating bread and pickled tomatoes and looked up at him in dismay, his face flushed. She swallowed the loaf of bread she had just bite and quickly slapped her chest with chubby fist to get it down. This gesture has been enough frustrated, because from her husband’s unceremonious look, she knew that quasi misery. “Oh my God!” Sighed Samson hoarsely. She screamed, scared he shivering, and then slumped into a chair. Sula stood there, angry and scared again. “Look what happened to God, what did you say?” “Next door,” Sam Tuk Tau said. “What’s next?” She raised her voice. “Moved to a shop!” “What shop?” Shrieked sharply. He waved his arm in anger. “There’s a grocery store next door.” “Oh!” She sobbed as she bit her finger and sat down on a chair. Nothing is worse than this news anymore. A whole winter, that empty shop always make them nervous. There was an Italian shoemaker who had rented it for many years. Later on the street, a modern joint shoe repair shop was opened and three of the guys in red overalls worked full-length in a large window. All the passersby Stop and take a look. Pelengalino’s business was idle from now on, just as someone tightened the water to stop the water flow. One day, when he looked at his workbench, everything was shut down, showing an open and ugly scene.