stench

Whatispoverty?

Whatispoverty?

JoGoodwinParker

Youaskmewhatispoverty?m,dirty,smelly,andwithno“proper”

rlfinmydirty,wornout,

ill-fittingshoes,andhearme.

Poetshave

asmellof

urine,sourmilk,andspoilingfoodsometimesjoinedwiththestrongsmelloflong-cookedonions.

avesmelledthissmell,esmellof

esmellofyoungchildrenwhocannotwalkthelongdarkwayinthenight.

Itisthesmellofthemattresswhereyearsof“accidents”esmellofthe

milkwhichhasgonesourbecautherefrigeratorlonghasnotworked,anditcostsmoneytoget

buryit,butwhereistheshovel?Shovelscost

money.

ldmeatthehospitalwhenthelast

babycamethatIhadchronicanemiacaudfrompoordiet,abadcaofworms,andthatI

ralways

n’tsaythatthereisnomoneyforironpills,orbetterfood,

ideaofanoperationisfrighteningandcostssomuchthat,ifIhaddared,Iwouldhavelaughed.

Whotakescareofmychildren?hree

eftthemwith“Granny”thelasttimeIhadajob,Icamehometofindthebaby

coveredwithflyspecks,edrieddiaper

cameoff,bitsofmybaby’rchildwasplayingwithasharpbitof

wenty-twodollarsa

week,yjob.

sayinyourcleanclothescomingfromyourcleanhou,“Anybody

conbeclean.”akfastIgivemy

esnotuupmanydishes.

Whatdishesthereare,echeapestsoaphastobe

savedforthebaby’myhands,avedfortwomonths

tobuyajarofValineformyhandsandthebaby’adsavedenough,Iwent

odecideevery

daask,

whynothotwater?urn

electricity,ouwillbe

hasbeenbentoverthe

washtubverydayforsolong,ightI

washeverystitchmyschoolagechildhasonandjusthopeherclotheswillbedrybymorning.

Povertyisstayingupallnightoncoldnightstowatchthefireknowingonesparkonthe

erpovertyis

watchinggnatsandfliesdevouryourbaby’eensaretornandyoupay

ymeansinctsinyourfood,inyourno,

inyoureyes,yishopingitneverrainsbecau

diaperswon’yiseingyour

andkerchiefscostmoneyandallyourragsyouneedfor

yiscookingwithoutfoodandcleaning

withoutsoap.

ueverhadtoaskforhelp,knowingyourchildrenwill

sufferunlessyougetit?Thinkaboutaskingforaloanfromarelative,ifthisistheonlywayyou

doutwheretheofficeisthatyou

ngofyourchildren,yougoin.

y,

eeanotherperson,andafterspillingthewholeshameof

yourpovertyalloverthedeskbetweenyou,youfindthatthisisn’ttherightofficeafterall---you

mustrepeatthewholeprocess,anditneverisanyeasieratthenextplace.

Youhaveaskedforhelp,told

why,butyoudon’thearbecauoftheredcloudofshameandtherisingcloudofdespair.

memberingquittingschoolinjuniorhighbecau“nice”

’t,

jobsoffandon,

me,asalittle

houinanothertown,as

,allournicethingswere

udidn’tlooksobadwhenwe

wereafewoddjobsformyhusband,buteverythingwentforfoodthen,’t

knowhowwelivedthroughthreeyearsandthreebabies,butwedid.I’lltellyousomething,after

eenagoodone,butcouldyoukeeponbringing

childreninthisdirt?Didyoueverthinkhowmuchitcostsforanykindofbirthcontrol?Iknew

myhusbandwasleavingthedayheleft,ehas

rcouldhopewithustodraghimdown.

That’otit,youknowhowmuchitwas?Itwas,andis,

venty-eightdollarsamonthforthefourofus;knowwhy

thereisnosoap,noneedlesandthread,nohotwater,noaspirin,nowormmedicine,nohand

cream,youcaneclearly,I

paytwentydollarsamonthrent,tsandcornmeal,and

more,thereis

thatmuchlessforfood.

ildrenwon’llturn

readyethembehindthebarsoftheir

willturntothefreedomofalcoholor

drugs,aughter?Atbest,thereisforheralifelikemine.

Butyousaytome,,drenhavenoextrabooks,

nomagazines,noextrapencils,orcrayons,orpaperandmostimportantofall,theydonothave

veworms,theyhaveinfections,notsleep

wellonthefloor,notsufferfromhunger,myverty-eight

dollarskeepsusalive,emberwhatIwas

n’placesthereisasurplus

saschoollunch

vetwochildrenwhowillalreadybedamagedbythetimetheygettoschool.

But,yousaytome,,therearehealthclinicsandtheyareinthe

lkthatfar(evenifitissixteenmilesboth

ways),butcanmylittlechildren?Myneighborwilltakemewhenhegoes;butheexpectstoget

paid,atlargemanwhospendshistime

atthegasstation,thebarbershop,andthecornerstorecomplainingaboutthegovernment

spendingmoneyontheimmoralmothersofillegitimatechildren.

yisachilthat

yousaythatyouwoulddosomethinginmy

situation,andmaybeyouwould,forthefirstweekorthefirstmonth,butforyearafteryearafter

year?

ortherightkinds

offood,forwormmedicine,forironpills,fortoothbrushes,forhandcream,forahammerand

nailsandabitofscreening,forashovel,forabitofpaint,forsomesheeting,forneedlesand

,oh,moneyforhotwaterandmoneyfor

eofficeyou

visitisasniceastheofficesofothergovernmentalagencies,whenthereareenoughworkersto

helpyouquickly,uhavetotellyourstory

toonlyoneperson,andthatpersoncanndyouforotherhelpandyoudon’thavetoproveyour

povertyoverandoverandoveragain.

erIdidnotcomefromanotherplace

uswithanangryheart,angerthatwill

besilent

too?

1)stench[stentF]n.恶臭，臭气

2)rot[rCt]v.（使）腐烂，（使）腐败

3)chronic[5krCnik]adj.慢性的

4)anemia[E5ni:miE]n.贫血，贫血症

5)diaper[5daiEpE]n.尿布

6)cracked[krAkt]adj.破裂的

7)Valine[5vAzili:n]n.凡士林，[化]石油冻，矿脂

8)rash[rAF]n.皮疹

9)luxury[5lQkFEri]n.奢侈品

10)tub[tQb]n.浴盆

11)gnat[nAt]n.小昆虫

12)devour[di5vauE]v.吞吃

13)rag[rA^]n.碎布，破旧衣服

14)antihistamines[7Anti5histEmi(:)n]n.抗组（织）胺

药，常用于治疗感冒

15)acid[5Asid]n.[化]酸

16)chil[5tFizl]n.凿子