2020年经济学人 火鸡工人威利·利瓦伊(3)

("Hang 'em! Hang 'em!" the supervisor¹ would shout.) Henry's was exploiting them to the very limit of the law. As the years passed, too, conditions got worse. He, like all the brothers, was getting older, not so fast or so alert at wrestling with big birds. Increasingly he was yelled at, called lazy, and told that he should get off his black butt² and lift weights. Punishments came thick and fast: stand in the corner, go to your room, no tv, walk round the gym till supper time.

（主管经常会喊，把它们弄死！）亨利对他们的剥削已经到了法律的极限。随着时间流逝，情况也变得越来越差。和所有的兄弟一样，威利变得更年长了，和大鸟搏斗时，没有那么快速和机敏了。主管越来越多地朝他吼叫，说他懒惰，还告诉他应该减减屁股上的肉，提升力量。惩罚纷至沓来：站在角落里，回房间去，不准看电视，在晚餐前一直绕着体育馆走。

The schoolhouse fell into disrepair and was overrun with mice and roaches, which fell from the ceiling as he ate. Mould grew on his clothes. He broke his kneecap, but had to work on. Two men ran away, and one of them was found frozen dead in a ditch; for a time the building was padlocked. Eleven men had already been retired³ and returned to Texas, but he was not sent, so he stayed and went on with the work. It was a long way back home, and possibly no one would know him any more.

校舍年久失修，到处都是老鼠和蟑螂，它们会在他吃饭时从天花板上掉下来。威利的衣服都发了霉。他的膝盖受伤了，但是还得继续工作。两个人逃跑了，其中一个被发现冻死在沟里；有一段时间，这座大楼被锁得严严实实。11个人已经退休并返回了德克萨斯州，但是威利没有回去，所以就留在这里继续工作。回家的路很长，可能已经没有人记得他。

When he walked into town he still smiled, as uncomplaining as ever. No one could tell the horrors from his face. But some had had suspicions for a while. In 1979 a reporter from the Des Moines Register had made inquiries⁴. Nothing changed. The federal Labour Department noted⁵ in 1998 that Henry's was underpaying its workers, but did not impose a fine. The Iowa Department of Human Services was alerted, but concluded that the men were Texans and therefore not theirs.

威利仍然笑着走进镇子，像从前一样没有怨言。没有人能从他脸上看出恐惧。但有些人怀疑了一段时间。1979年，《德梅因纪事报》的一个记者做过一些调查。但是什么也没有改变。1998年，联邦劳工部表示，亨利克扣工人工资，但是他没有受到处罚。爱荷华州接到了警报，但是他们表示这些人是德克萨斯州的人，不是爱荷华州的人。

1 supervisor   

n.监督人，管理人，检查员，督学，主管，导师

参考例句：

• Between you and me I think that new supervisor is a twit.我们私下说，我认为新来的主管人是一个傻瓜。
• He said I was too flighty to be a good supervisor.他说我太轻浮不能成为一名好的管理员。

2 butt   

n.笑柄；烟蒂；枪托；臀部；v.用头撞或顶

参考例句：

• The water butt catches the overflow from this pipe.大水桶盛接管子里流出的东西。
• He was the butt of their jokes.他是他们的笑柄。

3 retired   

adj.隐退的，退休的，退役的

参考例句：

• The old man retired to the country for rest.这位老人下乡休息去了。
• Many retired people take up gardening as a hobby.许多退休的人都以从事园艺为嗜好。

4 inquiries   

n.调查( inquiry的名词复数 )；疑问；探究；打听

参考例句：

• He was released on bail pending further inquiries. 他获得保释，等候进一步调查。
• I have failed to reach them by postal inquiries. 我未能通过邮政查询与他们取得联系。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

5 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。