209.改变
Jack was sure of himself until the first day. That was when the Indians threw a surprise party to welcome him. Jack was suspicious of the whole thing, why would they welcome him? He had sworn by his honor that he would never help a black, Hispanic or Indian! And here they were swallowing it up and being nice to him!
直到第一天之前杰克都很自信。那天印第安人举办了一个惊喜联欢会来欢迎他。杰克对整件事有些怀疑,他们为什么欢迎他?他曾以自己的名誉发誓决不帮助黑人、讲西班牙语的美国人或者印第安人!而他们却在这里轻易接受并善待他!
Then they showed Jack to his room. It was meager, but he had to support himself. And the pay wasn't great. What else was he supposed to do, ask his parents for help with the rent on a backwards reservation? Jack swept up the floor and decided that it would be okay! He could sweat it out for a couple of months!
接着他们带杰克去了他的房间。房子质董很差,而他得养活自己,并且报酬并不高。他还应该做点什么呢?要父母帮他支付在一个落后的居留地的房租吗?杰克把地板打扫了一下,最后觉得还可以!几个月的时间他可以忍受到最后!
When an old Indian woke him early the next morning, Jack grabbed his work clothes that he had suspended from the ceiling and went outside. He spent the day taking food that was supplied to the poorest families by the government. Those supplies were miserable! Apparently the government didn't work by the laws of supply and demand on Indian reservations—they just gave them leftovers! The low quality of nutrition was the reason the Indians were susceptible to diseases.
第二天一大早,一位老印第安人就把他叫醒了,杰克抓起挂在天花板上的工作服走了出去。他一天都在送粮食到最穷的人家。这些粮食是政府提供的,数量少得可怜!很显然政府对印第安人居留地没有按供求法行事——他们提供的是些残羹剩菜!营养价值不髙是印第安人容易生病的原因。
But the Indians were kind to Jack. There was so much sweetness and light in them that Jack soon began to like them too! One old Indian even started telling stories. Jack didn't like them at first, but then he realized that he was getting a survey course from a first hand witness to all that had happened.
可是印第安人对杰克不错。他们对人友善,杰克很快也开始喜欢他们了!一位老印第安人甚至开始讲故事。起初杰克不喜欢听,可是后来发现他是在从原始证人那里学习一门历史概论课。
When he arrived, Jack thought it was a sure thing that he would hate the Indians more after the summer! He was wrong!
刚来的时候杰克以为暑假之后他一定会更加憎恨印第安人!他错了!
He left a changed man!
离开的时候他变了一个人!