他们是加州中央山谷的移民工人。几周前,当她第一次和丈夫非法越境时,她正期待着她的第一个孩子。在他们身边工作的大多数人都做了同样的事情,大多数人来自墨西哥,但也有一些来自中美洲。“土狼”们总是忙于他们的雇佣兵工作。他们都渴望“更好的生活”,渴望美国梦,尤其是当孩子即将出生的时候。
工作很辛苦,令人心碎,没完没了;工头,毫不留情。他们忍受了。他们不得不这么做,因为他们孩子的生命就靠它了。旷工一天意味着工作或不工作的差别;吃不吃。孩子出生后,几天内她就回到了田里;工头在等着。她把孩子带在身边,用传统的布包在身体前面,这样她就可以在工作时更容易地喂奶。她还能怎么办呢? The foreman made no exceptions. The baby cried, often, too often. The foreman quickly became angry at the incessant crying. He threatened to fire them both if she did not keep the baby quiet. She tried, she tried hard, very hard, but nothing worked, and she became desperate. Another worker suggested she do what others did, give the baby “a little alcohol” in his bottle. It would make the baby sleepy and the crying would stop. She did, the crying stopped, and they continued to work. They did so day after day, month after month, and the work continued, endless.
急诊医生说:“他是一名21岁的西班牙裔男性,昨晚因终末期酒精性肝病食管静脉曲张继发严重上消化道出血就诊。”
“什么!”我说。“他太年轻了,不可能有这个!”
我简直不敢相信。这是怎么发生的?一定有情有可原的情况。翻译人员进一步提供了病人的病史。他的父母多年来一直是加州的移民工人。
几天后他去世了,但他的记忆一直萦绕在我的脑海里。
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