你们这儿要人么 哥们儿给个工作吧

'California Comeback!' is the favorite slogan of Gov. Jerry Brown and other Sacramento politicians cheering a temporary budget surplus provided by a roaring stock market. But California also has the highest poverty rate in America at 24%. Is California really back?
得益于股市的上涨，美国加州实现了短暂的预算盈余，该州州长布朗(Jerry Brown)和萨克拉门托的其他政治家在为此欢呼时最喜欢用的口号是“加州经济已复苏！”。不过，该州的贫困率高达24%，在美国各州中是最高的。那么加州经济真的复苏了吗？

I wanted to see firsthand what that comeback looks like for many Californians. So, on the morning of July 21 I took a Greyhound bus from Los Angeles to Fresno. With only $40 in my pocket (and no credit cards), a backpack, a change of clothes and a toothbrush, I planned to find a job and earn enough money to get by. I am an able-bodied 41-year-old. Surely I could find some work.
我想亲眼看看对于加州人而言，“加州经济已复苏！”究竟是怎样一番景象。为此，在7月21日早上，我乘坐灰狗巴士从洛杉矶前往弗雷斯诺。我只带了40美元（没有信用卡）、一个背包、一套换洗衣服和一个牙刷，打算找一份工作，挣到能够维持自己生活的钱。我今年41岁，身强力壮，因此肯定能找到工作。

Over the next seven days, I walked mile after mile in 100-degree heat searching for a job. I offered to do anything: wash dishes, sweep floors, pack boxes, cook meals, anything. I went to dozens of businesses in search of work but wasn't able to get any. In seven days, I didn't see a single 'Help Wanted' sign, but I did see plenty of signs that fast-food outlets now accept food stamps.
在接下来的七天里，为了找工作，我顶着100华氏度的高温，走了一英里又一英里。我提出可以从事任何工作：洗盘子、拖地、打包、做饭，什么都行。我去了几十家公司求职，但一份工作都没找到。在七天里，我没有见到过一个“招工”的指示牌，倒是见到很多写着“快餐店现接受食品券”的指示牌。

I was committed to finding a job. It was my top priority, but halfway through the week my priority was forced to change: I barely had any money left and needed to find food. Fortunately, kindhearted homeless residents in Fresno pointed me to a shelter, Poverello House, which provides services to the homeless. I had no choice but to join the hundreds of men, women and families who go to the shelter for food. As the shelter did not have any beds for me I slept on the streets all six nights. I had only one shower during that time.
我决心找到一份工作，这是我的第一要务，但中途我不得不改变目标：我囊中羞涩，需要先填饱肚子再说。幸运的是，弗雷斯诺那些好心的流浪汉们介绍我来到Poverello House避难所，这里可以向无家可归者提供服务。我别无选择，只能加入数以百计的流浪大军，来到这里寻找食物。由于这家避难所无法为我提供床铺，我只好连续六晚露宿街头。在这段时间里，我只洗过一次澡。

The meals at Poverello House were a Godsend. But they introduced a new challenge: I now needed to stay within a short walk of the shelter so I could be back in time for my next meal. I had only enough money left to take the city bus once, so my job-search area shrank. The odds of me finding a job were getting smaller by the day.
在Poverello House里享用的餐食乃是天赐之物。但我面临一个新的挑战：眼下我需要一直待在避难所附近，以便及时赶回来能拿到下一餐。我口袋里的钱只够乘坐一次公共汽车了，所以找工作的范围也因此缩窄。在规定时间内找到一份工作的希望变得越来越渺茫。