“That’s okay, ma’am, you’ll get to know all the county folks after a while.TheCunninghams never took anything they can’t pay back—no church baskets and noscripstamps. They never took anything off of anybody, they get along on whatthey have.

They don’t have much, but they get along on it.”

“好的，蜜斯，过一段时候你就会领会这个镇上所有的人。坎宁安家的人从不接管他们没法了偿的工具——不要教堂的接济物，也不要当局发放的接济款。从不消任何人的任何工具。本身有甚么就用甚么，就吃甚么。他们的工具其实不多，但就靠那些工具拼集着过日子。”

My special knowledge of the Cunningham tribe—one branch, that is—wasgainedfrom events of last winter.

Walter’s father was one of Atticus’s clients.After a drearyconversation in our livingroom one night about his entailment,before Mr. Cunninghamleft he said, “Mr. Finch, I don’t know when I’ll ever beable to pay you.”

“Let that be the least of your worries, Walter,” Atticus said.

我对坎宁安家属的特别常识是客岁冬季学到的。沃尔特的爸爸是阿迪克斯确当事人之一。一天晚上，他和爸爸就限制担当权问题在我家谈了好久，临走时，坎宁安师长教师说：“芬奇师长教师，我不知何时才有钱付您酬劳。”

“这件事您尽可以不放在心上，沃尔特。”阿迪克斯说。

When I asked Jem what entailment was,

and Jem described it as a conditionof havingyour tail in a crack, I asked Atticus if Mr. Cunningham would ever payus.

“Not in money,” Atticus said, “but before the year’s out I’ll have beenpaid. You watch.”

我问杰姆甚么是限制担当权，他把它刻画成把尾巴夹在裂缝中的逆境，我问阿迪克斯，坎宁安师长教师会不会付钱给咱们。

“不会付现钱，”阿迪克斯说，“可是，在本年年内，咱们会获得报答的，等着瞧吧。”

We watched. One morning Jem and I found a load of stovewood in the backyard.

Later, a sack of hickory nuts appeared on the back steps. With Christmascame a crateof smilax and holly. That spring when we found a crokersack full ofturnip greens, Atticussaid Mr. Cunningham had more than paid him.

咱们一向在等着瞧。一天早上，我和杰姆在后院发明一搁干柴。厥后，在屋后的台阶上呈现了一袋山核桃。圣诞节时，又来了一箱菝葜和圣诞节装潢用的冬青类树枝。本年春季，咱们发明一袋萝卜菜时，阿迪克斯说坎宁安家给咱们的工具已跨越了应当付的钱。

“Why does he pay you like that?” I asked.

“Because that’s the only way he can pay me. He has no money.”

“Are we poor,

Atticus?”

Atticus nodded. “We are indeed.”

“他为啥如许付欠款?。我问。

“由于这是他能付欠款的独一方法，他没有钱。”

“咱们也穷吗，阿迪克斯?”

阿迪克斯点颔首。“咱们确切也穷。”

Jem’s nose wrinkled. “Are we as poor as the Cunninghams?”

“Not exactly. The Cunninghams are country folks, farmers, and the crash hitthemhardest.”

杰姆的鼻子皱起来。“咱们跟坎宁安家同样穷吗?”

“不彻底同样。坎宁安家的人都住在乡间，他们是农夫，经济危机对他们冲击最大。”