家政面试英语：条件刚谈完，雇主却要收走护照

英文文本

Addis Ababa Addis Ababa raised me Dusty streets and injera Dubai was the next hard lesson All glass towers and cold cash I came trying to lift my sisters Carrying their hopes in my worn bag But nobody handed me much, just closed doors and empty promises.

I kept going for the little girls back home, watching how I move.

Their faces in my eyes They flicker in the desert heat I made it through, I found my, found my footing On the polished marble floor Good morning, I was told to come before noon My name is Sela Mawit.

Come in, come in.

Don't stand in the door.

So you are the girl from Ethiopia.

How old are you?

Twenty-one.

Twenty-one.

And you have worked in a house before?

In my country, I worked in a shoe factory.

But I can clean, I can cook, I can wash.

I learned fast.

Everyone says that.

Let me tell you the conditions, and then you tell me yes or no. There is no negotiating after.

900 dirhams a month.

You live here.

You eat here.

Your room is here.

900.

The work is from 6 in the morning to 6 in the evening, sometimes longer if there are guests, one day off in the week.

And I don't want to hear about your cousins, your friends, your problems.

My house is quiet.

Yes, madam.

About the money.

The first salary comes after three months.

That is the trial period.

After that, every month, on time.

I am a serious woman.

I pay my people.

Three months without salary?

Madam, I have to send money home.

My mother...

Everyone has a mother.

Do you think you are the first girl who comes to my door?

I feed you, I give you a bed, and I wait three months to see if you are a worker or a lazy girl who cries.

That is fair.

And after the three months, the 900 is full?

Nothing is taken out?

Nothing is taken out.

Now, your papers.

Your visa is a tourist visa, yes?

Yes.

It ends in 10 days.

I know.

I saw it.

So we must do the residence visa quickly.

Before it ends, or you will be here illegally.

And I can't help a girl like that.

Give me your passport, and I will send it with the agent tomorrow morning.

You want to keep my passport?

For the visa.

It doesn't work with a photocopy, Habibti.

The passport goes to the office and it comes back with the stamp.

Two weeks, maybe three.

And if I need it before?

Why would you need it?

You will be here working.

Read this and sign.

It says the house rules.

No visitors, no telephone at the table, and no going out at night alone.

It is in Arabic, but it is not difficult.

I can't read Arabic.

Then I am reading it to you.

That is what I just did.

Sign at the bottom.

Madam, one thing.

If I give my passport, I have nothing in my hand.

You have a bed, a plate, and a job.

That is more than you had this morning.

In ten days, your visa is finished.

Then what?

You go back to Ethiopia with nothing, or you stay here in my house, and in three months, you send your mother money.

Choose.

And the passport comes back to me after the stamp?

It comes back Everything comes back in this house if the girl is honest Are you honest Yes Then we understand each other Sign here and here Okay Your passport It in my bag I have it Give it to me Good Now go and wash your hands The kitchen is at the back.

There is laundry from yesterday.

Welcome to the house, Salamowit.

Four months passed in the villa in Al-Bersha.

Salamowit woke at five, started work at six, and finished at eight in the evening.

She slept in a small room beside the laundry where the machines hummed through the wall.

She washed clothes for the family, cooked rice and stew, cleaned bathrooms, and carried shopping from the car.

Her salary came on time once, then late, then only in part.

Madame Fatima always had a reason—the bank, the agent, the visa papers.

At home in Addis, her mother called about the sister's school fees and their grandmother's medicine.

Selamowit could not say no. She borrowed from Messeret and sent three hundred dirhams when she could, then borrowed again.

Davit began coming to the villa for business with Madame Fatima.

He was quiet and well-dressed, and he watched Selamowit more than the other men did.

He asked her name and where she was from.

She answered shortly, but she remembered his calm voice.

By the fifth month, she was tired enough to listen.

Sit down, Salamawit.

There is no hurry today.

It is your day off, yes?

One day.

Sunday.

Then we drink coffee and we talk like people, not like a worker and a businessman.

What will you have?

The cake with the pistachio is good here?

Just coffee, please.

Thank you.

You were thin.

In that villa, do they feed you?

They feed me.

But not enough and not on time.

Madam Fatima told me herself she pays her girls when the business pays.

That is not a salary.

That is a game.

And you were the one losing.

I don't want to talk about her house.

Good.

Then we talk about you.

How old are you?

Twenty-one.

Twenty-one.

When I was twenty-one, I had nothing either.

I sold cloth from a box beside the road in Addis.

Now I have two shops and a warehouse in Karama.

Do you know how I did it?

You worked hard.

I worked hard, yes, but also when somebody opened a door for me, I walked through it.

That is what I want to say to you today.

There is a door.

What door?

I know you have no money.

Everybody in that house knows.

Your mother calls.

You cry afterwards.

then you borrow from the girl in Deira, and your visa is finished or something is wrong with it.

Am I right?

How do you know about my visa?

Fatima tells me everything when she wants a better price on my cloth.

Don't look at me like that.

Dubai is a small city.

So, what door?

I will pay what you owe.

Not to Fatima, to your friend, and to anyone else.

I will make you a real work visa in my company.

Two years.

I will rent a flat in Alnida.

One bedroom, a kitchen, a window that opens.

You will not wash another woman's clothes.

And what do I do for this?

Clean your shops?

Sell your cloth?

I come and live with me.

Live with you?

I have a wife in Addis.

She knows how I live here.

It is allowed for us.

A second wife, a flat, a paper that says you are legal.

Many men do it.

You would be safe, and I am not a man who shouts.

And if I say no?

Then you say no. I don't take things from people.

I told you, I am offering a door.

You look through it, or you don't.

You want to buy me.

I want to help a girl who is alone, and I am honest about what I want.

That is more than most men will give you.

Look at your hands.

You are twenty-one, and your hands are like my mother's.

You don't know me.

I know enough.

I know you send money home and keep nothing.

I know you sit in the back of the bus and count the buildings.

You don't have to answer me today.

Think Drink your coffee Nobody has ever said anything like this to me Because nobody looked A pretty girl always finds someone to help her But she must choose well.

That is all.

Choose well.

I have to go back before it gets dark.

She counts the hours.

Take this for the taxi.

No, take it.

It is nothing.

Thank you.

Donlit, everything I have, my papers, everything, is in her drawer.

Do you understand what I'm saying?

I understand.

I'll think.

I promise I'll think.

Madam Fatima, I need to talk to you.

It is important.

Not now.

I have guests in the salon.

The coffee is cold.

Make new coffee.

The coffee can wait.

I want my passport and my salary.

Four months.

You did not pay me for four months.

Lower your voice in my house.

I am not shouting.

I am asking.

My passport, please.

Your passport is with the agent.

For the visa, you know this.

I gave it to you five months ago.

The visa is done.

I have the card in my bag.

So the passport is not with any agent.

It is in your drawer, the top one, on the left, under the bank papers.

You went into my drawer?

I clean that room every day.

I never opened it, but I know where you keep things.

Everyone in this house knows.

Careful.

You are a maid in my house, not my sister.

I gave you a bed.

I gave you food.

You eat from my kitchen.

I am a maid, yes.

I cook, I clean, I wash, twelve hours every day.

I sleep next to the laundry.

I am not your sister.

but I am not your thing either.

You want to leave?

Fine, go.

But if you leave without one month's notice, I will report you.

Run away.

The police will find you.

They will stop your visa.

You will not work in Dubai again, not in any house, not in any shop.

You will report me?

And what will you tell them about the passport in your drawer, about the salary you did not pay?

I have the paper you gave me.

I have the dates.

That paper says nothing.

It is in Arabic.

You cannot even read it.

I cannot read it, but I can call the MOHRE line.

I can say, Madam Fatima has my passport in her drawer.

I can say, she pays me 900 dirhams for 12 hours.

I can say, four months, no money.

They listen to that.

They have people who listen.

You would do that.

I do not want to.

I want my passport and my money, and I will go.

Quiet.

No police.

No M-O-H-R-E.

Just go.

You think you are smart.

No. I think I am tired.

I have two sisters in Addis.

My mother is sick with worry.

I send them money when I have it.

I have nothing now, so I need what is mine.

You are a small girl from Mercado.

Who will believe you?

Maybe nobody, but I can try.

And if they come, they will look in the drawer.

They will look at the other passports.

I think there are other passports.

Wait here.

Don't move.

Here, your passport.

And this, 1,500 deer hams.

That is all I have for you.

Take it and be out of my house by morning, before the driver comes.

This is not four months.

That's what you get.

Take it or leave it.

And do not come back, do not call.

If anyone asks, you left on your own.

I understand.

Good.

Now get out of my kitchen.

By dawn, Selama Witt was back in Daira, climbing the narrow stairs above the shop with her bag in one hand, and her passport in the other.

Messeret opened the door without a word took the bag and put tea on the small stove The 1 dirhams would keep Selamawit for three weeks if she was careful and she counted them twice before she sat down Then she called her mother and said, Everything is fine, Mama.

The work is good.

I will send something soon.

She could not tell the truth, not yet.

When the call ended, she sat on the edge of the bed with the phone in her lap.

Two numbers shone on the screen, Daweets and the labor offices.

She looked at them for a long time and said quietly, I have to do something.

Addis Ababa raised me.

Dusty streets and injera.

Dubai was the next hard lesson.

All glass towers and cold cash I came trying to lift my sisters Carrying their hopes in my worn bag But nobody handed me much Just closed doors and empty promises I kept going For the little girls back home Watching how I move Their faces in my mind Flickle in the desert heat I made it through, I found my footing On the polished marble floor Addis Ababa raised me Dusty streets and injera Dubai was the next hard lesson All glass towers and cold cash I came trying to lift my sisters Carrying their hopes in my worn bag But nobody handed me much Just closed doors and empty bronzes I kept going For the little girls back home Watching how I move Their faces in my eyes A flicker in the desert heat I made it through, I found, I found my footing On the polished marble floor Addis Ababa raised me Dusty streets and injera Dubai was the next hard lesson All glass towers and cold cash I came trying to lift my sisters Carrying their hopes in my worn bag But nobody handed me much Just closed doors and empty bronzes I kept going For the little girls back home Watching how I move The faces in my eyes The flicker In the desert heat I made it through I found my, found my footing On the polished marble floor

本语言文本

亚的斯亚贝巴

亚的斯亚贝巴养育了我

尘土飞扬的街道和英吉拉

迪拜是下一个惨痛的教训

全是玻璃高楼和冷酷的现金

我来是想帮我的姐妹们一把

把她们的希望装在我破旧的包里

但没人给我多少，只有紧闭的门和空洞的承诺。

我为了家乡的小女孩们坚持下去，看着我怎么走。

她们的脸在我眼里

在沙漠的酷热中闪烁

我挺过来了，我找到了我的，找到了我的立足之地

在抛光的大理石地板上

早上好，有人让我中午之前来

我叫塞拉·马维特。

进来，进来。别站在门口。

所以你就是那个从埃塞俄比亚来的女孩。你多大了？

二十一。

二十一。你以前在人家家里干过活吗？

在我的国家，我在鞋厂工作过。

但我会打扫，会做饭，会洗衣服。我学得快。

每个人都这么说。

让我告诉你条件，然后你告诉我行还是不行。

之后没有商量的余地。

每月900迪拉姆。

你住在这里。

你在这里吃。

你的房间在这里。

900。

工作从早上6点到晚上6点，

如果有客人有时会更长，

一周休息一天。

我不想听你表亲、朋友、你的问题。

我家要安静。

是的，夫人。

关于钱。

第一份工资三个月后发。

那是试用期。

之后，每个月，按时。

我是个认真的女人。

我付我的人工资。

三个月没有工资？

夫人，我得往家里寄钱。

我母亲……

每个人都有母亲。

你以为你是第一个来我门口的女孩吗？

我供你吃，给你一张床，

然后等三个月看看你是个干活的还是个爱哭的懒女孩。

这很公平。

那三个月后，900是全的？

不扣任何东西？

不扣任何东西。

现在，你的证件。

你的签证是旅游签证，对吧？

是的。

10天后到期。

我知道。

我看到了。

所以我们必须快点办居留签证。

在到期之前，否则你会非法滞留在这里。

那样我就帮不了一个像你这样的女孩了。

把你的护照给我，我明天早上让代理人送过去。

你想留着我的护照？

为了签证。

复印件不行，亲爱的。

护照送到办公室，带着印章回来。

两周，也许三周。

如果我之前需要呢？

你为什么会需要？

你会在这里工作。

读这个然后签字。

上面写着家规。

不许访客，不许在餐桌上打电话，不许晚上独自外出。

是阿拉伯语，但不难。

我看不懂阿拉伯语。

那我读给你听。

我刚才就是这么做的。在下面签字。

夫人，有一件事。如果我给了护照，我手里就什么都没有了。

你有一张床，一个盘子，一份工作。这比你今天早上拥有的多。

十天后，你的签证就到期了。然后呢？

你一无所有地回埃塞俄比亚，或者你留在我家，

三个月后，你给你母亲寄钱。选吧。

那盖章后护照会还给我吗？

会还的。在这个家里，只要女孩诚实，一切都会还回来。你诚实吗？是的。那我们彼此理解了。在这里和这里签字。好的。你的护照。在我包里。我有。给我。好。现在去洗手。厨房在

后面。有昨天的衣服要洗。欢迎来到这个家，萨拉莫维特。四个月过去了，在

阿尔伯沙的别墅里。萨拉莫维特五点醒来，六点开始工作，晚上八点结束。

她睡在洗衣房旁边的小房间里，机器隔着墙嗡嗡作响。

她为这家人洗衣服，煮米饭和炖菜，打扫浴室，从车里搬

购物袋。她的工资准时发过一次，然后迟了，然后只发了一部分。法蒂玛夫人总有

理由——银行、代理人、签证文件。在亚的斯亚贝巴的家里，她母亲打电话来说

妹妹的学费和祖母的药费。塞拉莫维特无法说不。她向梅塞雷特

借钱，能寄的时候就寄三百迪拉姆，然后又借。达维特开始来

别墅和法蒂玛夫人谈生意。他安静、穿着讲究，他看塞拉莫维特

比别的男人多。他问她名字和从哪里来。她简短地回答，

但她记得他平静的声音。到第五个月，她累得愿意听了。

坐下，萨拉马维特。今天不急。今天是你的休息日，对吧？

一天。星期天。

那我们喝咖啡，像人一样聊天，不像工人和商人。

你要什么？这里的开心果蛋糕不错？

只要咖啡，谢谢。谢谢。

你瘦了。在那别墅里，他们给你吃的吗？

他们给我吃的。

但不够，也不按时。

法蒂玛夫人自己告诉我，生意付钱了她才付女孩们工资。

那不是工资。那是游戏。而你是输的那个。

我不想谈她家的事。

好。那我们谈你。你多大了？

二十一。

二十一。我二十一岁的时候，也什么都没有。

我在亚的斯亚贝巴路边的一个箱子上卖布。

现在我在卡拉马有两家店和一个仓库。

你知道我怎么做到的吗？

你努力工作。

我努力工作，是的，但当有人为我打开一扇门时，我走了进去。

这就是我今天想对你说的。

有一扇门。

什么门？

我知道你没钱。

那家里每个人都知道。

你母亲打电话来。

你之后哭。

然后你向代拉的那个女孩借钱，你的签证到期了或者出了什么问题。

我说得对吗？

你怎么知道我的签证？

法蒂玛想在我的布上要更好的价格时，什么都告诉我。

别那样看我。迪拜是个小城市。

那么，什么门？

我会付你欠的。不是给法蒂玛，是给你朋友，还有其他人。

我会在我的公司给你办真正的工作签证。两年。

我会在阿尔尼达租一套公寓。一居室，一个厨房，一扇能打开的窗。

你不用再洗别的女人的衣服。

那我为此做什么？打扫你的店？卖你的布？

你来和我住。

和你住？

我在亚的斯亚贝巴有妻子。她知道我在这里怎么生活。

这对我们是允许的。第二个妻子，一套公寓，一张证明你合法的纸。

很多男人都这么做。

你会安全，而我不是一个会大喊大叫的男人。

如果我说不呢？

那你就说不。

我不从别人那里拿东西。

我告诉过你，我在提供一扇门。

你透过它看，或者不看。

你想买我。

我想帮一个孤独的女孩，而我对我想要的很诚实。

这比大多数男人能给你的多。

看看你的手。

你二十一岁，你的手像我母亲的手。

你不了解我。

我了解得够多。

我知道你往家里寄钱，什么都不留。

我知道你坐在公交车后面数着建筑物。

你今天不必回答我。

想想。喝你的咖啡。从来没有人对我说过这样的话，因为没有人看过。漂亮的女孩总能找到人帮她

但她必须选得好。

就这些。选得好。

我得在天黑前回去。

她数着时间。

拿这个打车。

不，拿着。没什么。

谢谢。

唐利特，我所有的一切，我的文件，一切，都在她抽屉里。

你明白我在说什么吗？

我明白。

我会想。我保证我会想。

法蒂玛夫人，我需要和你谈谈。很重要。

现在不行。客厅里有客人。咖啡凉了。煮新咖啡。

咖啡可以等。我要我的护照和工资。四个月。你四个月没付我工资。

在我家里小声点。

我没喊。我在问。请把我的护照给我。

你的护照在代理人那里。为了签证，你知道的。

我五个月前给你的。签证办好了。我包里有卡。

所以护照不在任何代理人那里。在你抽屉里，最上面那个，左边，银行文件下面。

你翻了我的抽屉？

我每天打扫那个房间。

我从没打开过，但我知道你把东西放哪里。

这家里每个人都知道。

小心点。

你是我家的女佣，不是我姐妹。

我给了你一张床。

我给了你食物。

你吃我厨房的饭。

我是女佣，是的。

我做饭，我打扫，我洗衣服，每天十二小时。

我睡在洗衣房旁边。

我不是你姐妹。

但我也不是你的东西。

你想走？好，走。

但如果你不提前一个月通知就走，

我会举报你。逃跑。

警察会找到你。

他们会停掉你的签证。

你不能再在迪拜工作，

不在任何人家，不在任何店里。

你会举报我？

那你怎么跟他们说你抽屉里的护照，

说你没付的工资？

我有你给我的那张纸。

我有日期。

那张纸什么也没说。

是阿拉伯语。

你连读都读不了。

我读不了，但我可以打MOHRE热线。

我可以说，法蒂玛夫人把护照放在她抽屉里。

我可以说，她付我900迪拉姆干12小时。

我可以说，四个月，没钱。

他们会听这些。

他们有专门听的人。

你会那么做。

我不想。

我要我的护照和我的钱，然后我就走。

安静。

不要警察。

不要M-O-H-R-E。

走吧。

你以为你聪明。

不。

我觉得我累了。

我在亚的斯亚贝巴有两个妹妹。

我母亲担心得病了。

我有钱的时候就给她们寄。

我现在什么都没有，所以我需要属于我的东西。

你是梅尔卡托来的小女孩。谁会相信你？

也许没人，但我可以试试。如果他们来了，他们会看抽屉。

他们会看其他护照。我想还有其他护照。

在这里等。别动。

给，你的护照。还有这个，1500迪拉姆。这是我所有能给你的了。

拿着，早上之前离开我家，在司机来之前。

这不是四个月的。

你就得到这些。拿不拿随你。

别再回来，别打电话。

如果有人问，你自己走的。

我明白。

好。现在离开我的厨房。

天亮时，塞拉马·维特回到了代拉，

一手提着包，爬上商店上面的窄楼梯，

另一只手拿着护照。

梅塞雷特一言不发地开了门，接过包，在小炉子上放了茶。这1迪拉姆如果省着用能让塞拉马维特撑三个星期，她坐下前数了两遍。然后她给

母亲打电话说，一切都好，妈妈。工作很好。我很快会寄点东西。

她说不出真相，还不能。电话结束后，她坐在床边，

手机放在腿上。

屏幕上亮着两个号码，

达维特的和劳工办公室的。

她看了它们很久

然后轻声说，

我得做点什么。

亚的斯亚贝巴养育了我。

尘土飞扬的街道和英吉拉。

迪拜是下一个惨痛的教训。

全是玻璃高楼和冰冷的金钱

我来是为了托起我的姐妹们

把她们的希望装在我破旧的包里

但没人给我多少

只有紧闭的门和空洞的承诺

我继续前行

为了家乡的小女孩们

看着我怎么走

她们的脸在我脑海里

在沙漠的酷热中闪烁

我挺过来了，我站稳了脚跟

在光洁的大理石地板上

亚的斯亚贝巴养育了我

尘土飞扬的街道和英吉拉

迪拜是下一个惨痛的教训

全是玻璃高楼和冰冷的金钱

我来是为了托起我的姐妹们

把她们的希望装在我破旧的包里

但没人给我多少

只有紧闭的门和空洞的铜像

我继续前行

为了家乡的小女孩们

看着我怎么走

她们的脸在我眼里

在沙漠的酷热中一闪而过

我挺过来了，我找到了，我找到了我的立足点

在光洁的大理石地板上

亚的斯亚贝巴养育了我

尘土飞扬的街道和英吉拉

迪拜是下一个惨痛的教训

全是玻璃高楼和冰冷的金钱

我来是为了托起我的姐妹们

把她们的希望装在我破旧的包里

但没人给我多少

只有紧闭的门和空洞的铜像

我继续前行

为了家乡的小女孩们

看着我怎么走

我眼里的那些面孔

那一闪

在沙漠的酷热中

我挺过来了

我找到了我的，找到了我的立足点

在光洁的大理石地板上