Ali is asked to repair the torn shoes of his sister, Zohra, while buying groceries. A garbageman takes them, and a guilt-ridden Ali apologetically offers to share his shoes with her. So Zohra ends up wearing his shoes to morning school, then must race back so that he can put them on to attend afternoon school. To placate her, he even gives her a pen that he received from his teacher after coming first in his class. With the birth of a third child, the family struggles to make ends meet. Their father, who is behind on his rent, does gardening chores, and wants Ali to learn this trade. With the economic situation getting worse, it is only a matter of time when even Ali’s shoes will wear out – bringing out the question: what will the children wear to school then?
—rAjOo (gunwanti@hotmail.com)
参考翻译：
阿里被要求在购买食品杂货时修理妹妹佐拉的破鞋。一个垃圾工拿走了它们，一个内疚的阿里抱歉地提出和她分享他的鞋子。所以Zohra最终穿着他的鞋子去上早课，然后必须跑回来，这样他才能穿上鞋子去上下午的学校。为了安抚她，他甚至给了她一支钢笔，那是他在班上得了第一名后从老师那里收到的。随着第三个孩子的出生，这个家庭努力维持收支平衡。他们的父亲拖欠房租，做园艺杂务，希望阿里学这门手艺。随着经济形势的恶化，连阿里的鞋子都会穿破只是时间问题——这就引出了一个问题：孩子们到时会穿什么去上学？-拉祖(gunwanti@hotmail.com)
重点词汇释义：
guilt-ridden有负罪感的; 深感歉疚的
apologetically抱歉地
so that因此; 以便
on to到…之上; 向…之上; 到，上; 朝向，转向
placate安抚; 平息
make ends meet收支相抵; 勉强维持生计
economic situation经济形势
a matter of…的问题; 大约，左右
wear out磨损; 用坏; 使精疲力竭; 使疲乏
