Translated by Wendy Cross

They note eye color, and measure height and weight. They examine throats, inspect ears, check the state of teeth. They monitor heart beats, document genders, and write down ages. They record the country of origin and the destination address. They are meticulous civil servants, looking ahead into crowd and attempt to see each person as an individual, not a member of the masses. They do not allow themselves to be overwhelmed. They approach their work one person at a time. Their gestures are precise, their words infrequent, their time limited. They label, align, classify, categorize, and list. Th

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