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That's the end of that.
這個故事講完了。
The next story is called In Praise of the Taxpayer.
下一個故事叫作《納稅人的榮耀》。
That so many of the city's most venerable taxpayers have survived yet another commercial building boom,is cause for celebration.
這個城市里，很多受人尊崇的納稅人又逃過了一次拆舊樓建新的商業大樓浪潮的劫難。他們為此慶祝。
These one or two story structures,designed to yield only enough income to cover the taxes on the land on which they stand,were not meant to be permanent buildings.
設計這些一兩層的建筑，也只期望它們獲得的收入能付得起土地租金就行了，并不把它們當做這長久的建筑。
Yet for one reason or another they have confounded the efforts of developers to be combined into lots suitable for high-rise construction.
然而由于種種原因，這些低層建筑常常困擾開發商讓他們不知道該如何把這些零星的點組合成一塊適合高層建筑的地皮。
Although they make no claim to architectural beauty,they are, in their perfect temporariness,a delightful alternative to the large-scale structures that might someday take their place.
雖然不能說這些小樓房有什么建筑設計的美感，但是，在它們這短暫存在的這段時間里，的確是鋼筋水泥高樓林立的城市中一道亮麗的風景線，盡管最終要被取代。
The most perfect examples occupy corner lots.
最突出的例子就是拐角處的小樓盤。
They offer a pleasant respite from the high-density development around them.
它們是被迅猛發展的高樓包圍著的一片愜意的棲息地。
A break of light and air,
這些小樓房為這高密度的水泥森林提供縷縷陽光和清新空氣，
an architectural biding of time.
它們在和時間賽跑。
So buried in signage are these structures,
這些小樓房就這樣被淹沒在形形色色的商標之中，
that it often takes a moment to distinguish the modern specially constructed taxpayer from its neighbor:
以至于，要把它們的應納稅款和那些，附近的特別設計的大樓房區分開來，還得花些時間。
the small commercial building from an earlier century,
這是棟上世紀的小型商業建筑。
whose upper floors have been sealed,
他們的上面幾層已經被查封了。
and whose groundfloor space now functions as a taxpayer.
但是一樓還營業著，并且繳著稅。
