1Unit1ThePermit许可证因生活困苦,我不得不离开家乡去外国打工。我把大部分钱都寄给了妻子和父母。然而不久,政府要求我们必须有工作许可证才能继续打工。后来,我们就遭遇到种种无理待遇……Ithinkthebuildingmusthavebeenusedasafarmer'swinterstore,forIfoundpilesofforgottendriedchestnutsandgraininrottingbarrels.Itriedthechestnutsbuttheytastedsour,Paulosaidhewouldbringmefood,butthatwasthreedaysago.Yesterday,Iheardacarenginegettingcloser,andclimbeduptohideinthebeamsofthepatchedroof.Butthemenjustlookedinquicklythroughtheworn-outwindowsandbrokendoorsbeforetheyleft.Iclungtothedustywoodenbeam,feelingitwouldbendundermyweight,andtriedtomakenonoise.Myarmsandlegsgrewnumb,thenbegantotremble.Ilongedtomove,butIwaiteduntilIheardthepolicemendriveoff.Iknowthattheywillreturn.Whenwebeganthefinalpartofourjourney,wewerewarnedthatthepolicepatrolledthelandaroundhereregularly.Theyarealwayssearchingforus,orotherslikeus;thecoastofMorocco(摩洛哥)andthePresidio(要塞)ofCeuta(休达,摩洛哥北部港市)areonlytenmilesawayacrosstheStraits.ThatishowIgothere:squeezedinwithfifteenothermeninashallowboatmeantforeight,withthecoldwavesreachingoverthesidesandthenightdeepandblackasatomb.Ihaveneverbeenmorescared.Iprayedallthewayacross,andthoughtaboutmyfamily.Itoldmyself,overandover,thatIwasdoingitforthem.Thattriptookalmostallofmymoney.AllofthemoneyIhadsavedinEcuador(厄瓜多尔).Theboatmenleftusonabeachinthemiddleofthenight.Welostsightofthembutwecouldstillheartheirsmallengineacrossthewaves.Sixofusstartedwalkinginlandbuttheotherswaitedforthecontacts,thefriendsoftheboatmen,astheyhadbeentold.Wewerelucky:wemetPaulo.Wefoundthetownandwaiteduntilthefirstbaropened;Iwentinalonewhiletheothershidintheorchardnearby.WhenIaskedforacupofcoffee,theyoungbarman(侍者)lookedatmeandnodded.Hemadethecoffee,thendisappearedintothebackroom.Coldandwithoutstrength,Iwrappedmyhandsaroundthewarmcup,notcaringwhetherthebarmanhadcalledthepolice,notcaringaboutthenextmoment,justaboutthepresent.ButthemanhadcalledPaulo,whocameandhelpedus.Paulowasalwayssmiling,alwayshappy.HewasfromSeville(塞维利亚),abusycityofmanypeople,andheknewmanypeople.Paulofoundworkforus.Imadegoodmoneyonthefarms.Ipickedcabbages,beans,cucumbersandpeas.Ipickedgreatroundyellowsquashes(南瓜)thatsmelledofrichperfumewhenyoubrokethem.Thefarmershiredusbytheday,andwerecontent.Thelocalpeoplewouldneverworkforthewageswearepaid.Butthereweremanyfarms,andmanycropstobepicked.Wewerewelcomed.2Isharedasmallcleanhouseinthetownwithsevenotherworkers.WehadjourneyedfromEcuador,Colombia(哥伦比亚),Venezuela(委内瑞拉),evenArgentina(阿根廷).Paulofoundthehouseforus-heknewthelandlordandarrangedagoodprice.Welivedwell,withenoughfoodandsometimeswine.IearnedmoreinaweekthanIcouldinthreemonthsbackhomeiftherehadbeenworktodothere.Isentmostofthemoneythatwaslefttomywifeandparents,andwrotemanyletterstothem.Thenthegovernmentchangedtherulessothatweneededworkpermits.Iqueuedwithhundredsofotherworkers,waitingfortheapplicationforms.Wesatonthestonebenchesbeneaththetreesandreadtheforms.Someoftheotherworkersarefromsmallvillagesandtowns,andcannotreadaswellasIcan,soIexplainedtothemthatthegovernmentwantedourbirthcertificates,drivinglicenses,passportsandmanyotherdocuments.Manyoftheworkershadperhapsoneortwoofthesedocuments,butmosthadnone.Ihelpedtheotherscompletetheformsandwegavethemtotheclerk.Helookedatourdocuments,stampedtheformsmanytimesandtoldusthattheywouldbesenttoMadrid(马德里),andourpermitswouldbereturnedintwoorthreemonthsiftheformswereapproved.Wehadtowait.EvenPauloandhisfriendscouldnothelpus.Thefirstmonthwasnottoobadasmostofthefarmerscontinuedtouseus;theircropswererich,waitingtobepicked.ThensomemenfromMadridvisitedallofthefarms,andmaybehalfofthefarmersstoppedusingus.Thefarmerstoldusthattheyweresorry,andweunderstoodthem.Sothesecondmonthwasworse:onlyafewofthefarmerswoulduseus,andthosethatdidpayverypoorwages.Wesharedwhatwehad,andateonceaday:rice,porridge(粥),bread,cheapfoodthatwouldfillourstomachs.Webegantostareateachother,andwonderwhichofuswouldfindwork.Therewerefightsinthemorning,betweendifferentgroupsofworkers,whenthefarms'supervisors(管理人,监工)cametochoosewhowouldworkthatday.Butstillwehadsomehope.Welostthehouseinthethirdmonth,aswehadnomoneyforrent.Wewereabletogetsomefoodfromthecharitykitchensaroundthetown,andthechurch,butwefoundalwaysalongqueueandverylittlefood.Wetookourbagsandblanketsandsleptinthefields.Thentheweatherbecamecoldandwesleptwherewecould,huddledtogether,inoldforgottenbuildingsandalleys(小巷).SometimesIdreamedofmyfamily,andwhenIawoke,Iwishedthedreamcouldcontinue.Thepeopleofthetownstaredatusfromthesidesoftheireyesastheypassedus.Theyclenched(握紧)theirhandsandmuttered,andsomeofthemspatonthepavement.Afewofuswereattackedandbeateninthedark,anddrivenfromtheparksandstreets.Allofthetime,thePolicetoldustomoveon,moveon.Itistheendofthethirdmonthwhenithappens.3Thefarmershiredcoachesandsendthemintothetown.Fromfouro'clockinthemorningwewaitedinagitatingsilence,handspusheddeepintopockets,ourhatspulleddowntightagainstthecoldandthewatchingpolicemen.Bythetimethecoachesarrived,therearehundredsofworkerswaitinginthedarkness.Wepressedforwardasthedoorsopened.Thesupervisorsstoodonthebottomstepsofthecoachesandasked,Whohasth