As she watched her husband shove off on the ship bound for another country she shuddered because she knew it would be many years before she would see him again.Now she would have to shepherd  their sheep, shovel their shit,and shuttle to market every day by herself if she wanted to survive.Her neighbors would shun her and she would have to be shrewd in all of her business dealings.
She pulled the shawl  over her head and turned to walk out of the shipyard  back to her home in the fields next to the shrine of the God they worshipped.As she passed a shipment  of shrimp that had just come in she was tempted to ask for a job.But another woman shoved her out of the line that was just starting to form.Soon the place would be under siege from other wives without husbands also looking for work.This was not the place for her.No,she had sheep to shear  and shrubs to trim.
When she reached home she removed the shroud  from the idol in her small room and kneeled to pray.She needed a shred of hope but none came from the idol.Then she went to the kitchen to make herself a meal .As she was rinsing vegetables in a sieve she remembered that she had once learned shorthand. Maybe someone would need help in an office.But whom was she kidding, no  one would take a poor shepherds wife to work in an office.Her life was all laid out for her.This was her fate.

看着丈夫动身上了去国外的船，她感到一阵战栗，因为她知道他这一去要许多年之后她才能再见到他。现在她得放羊、铲羊粪，如果想活下去她还得每天独自一人穿梭般地跑市场。她的邻居一般都躲着她，而她必须每次在做生意的时候表现得精明强干。
她拉了拉头上的披巾，转身从造船厂出来往回赶。她家在一片离他们拜神的圣地不远的原野里。当她路过一船刚运来的虾时，她很想找份工作。但是另外一个女人把她从才开始排的队伍中挤了出来。很快这个地方就会被其他女人所包围，她们也没有丈夫，也在寻找工作。这不是她该来的地方。不，她有羊毛要剪，还有灌木要修整。
回到家她把小屋里盖在神像上的罩子拿下来并跪下祈祷。她需要希望，可从神像那里什么也没有得到。然后她到厨房给自己做饭吃。在她把蔬菜放在筛子里冲洗的时候，她想起她曾经学过速记。也许有人需要给办公室找帮手。可是她在骗谁呢?谁也不会要一个可怜的牧羊人的妻子在办公室里工作。她的生活已经早有安排。这就是她的命。

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