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Skid Row. The very phrase conjures images of drunks passed out in gutters, lowlifes lying in wait, addicts in darkened alleys.
貧民區。這個詞語讓人聯想到醉漢昏倒在水溝里，卑微的人在等待，癮君子躲在黑暗的小巷里，
It's the definition of a place where dreams go to die.
這個詞界定了夢想死亡之地。
In Los Angeles's infamous Skid Row, the scene can be even bleaker.
在洛杉磯臭名昭著的貧民區，情況可能更為慘淡。
There are hundreds of children living there—on the streets or in shelters—at any given time.
任何時候都有成百上千的兒童生活在街頭或庇護所里，
But amid all the poverty and desperation, one couple is determined to use their own experience with loss to foster a sense of hope.
但是在所有的貧困和絕望中，有一對夫婦決心用他們自己的經歷來培植希望。
In 2012, Mary Davis, who works at an enrichment center for young children,
2012年，在一家幼兒活動中心工作的瑪麗·戴維斯
and her husband, Ari Kadin, who is in property management, were expecting their first child when Davis miscarried.
和她做物業管理的丈夫阿里·卡丁，正等著第一個孩子的到來，戴維斯卻流產了，
They were devastated. But the couple, who were volunteering with adults in a Skid Row homeless shelter,
他們極度不安。但這對在貧民區收容所做志愿者的夫婦，
refused to let their heartbreak break them.
不想就這樣傷心欲絕。
"In 2013, our child would have been one year old," says Davis, 38.
38歲的戴維斯說：“2013年，我們的孩子應該就一歲了。
"And we kept seeing these kids at the shelter, and I said to my husband,
我們一直去收容所看這些孩子，我對丈夫說，
'We couldn't throw a birthday party for our child, so let's do it for these kids.'"
‘我們不能為我們的孩子舉行生日派對，那我們就為這些孩子開派對吧。”
They took over a room in the Union Rescue Mission and filled it with streamers, gifts, a cake—all the makings of a great party.
他們占用了聯合救濟會的一個房間，房間里擺滿了彩帶、禮物和蛋糕——所有這些都是超棒聚會必不可少的物品，
Or so they thought. "I forgot the music!" Davis says, laughing. It didn't matter.
或者他們是這么認為的。“我忘了音樂！”戴維斯笑著說。沒關系，
Many of the 15 kids who showed up had never had a single birthday party before,
到場的15個孩子中，很多人以前從沒經歷過生日派對，
and they were so excited to have one now that they made their own music—singing and clapping and, of course, laughing.
現在他們非常興奮能有生日聚會，于是他們自己創作音樂、唱歌、鼓掌，當然還有大笑。
Since then, the couple have thrown a bash each and every month.
從那以后，這對夫婦每個月都要舉行一次狂歡。
They routinely attract 250 kids and their parents—they’ve had to take over more rooms in the shelter and the rooftop.
他們通常會吸引250個孩子和他們的父母——他們不得不占用避難所的更多房間，還有屋頂。
An hour before each party, volunteers arrive to set up the decorations and activities:
每次聚會前一小時，志愿者們都會來布置現場，并安排活動：
face painting, balloon artists, a DJ, cake, and pizza.
面部彩繪、氣球師、DJ、蛋糕和披薩。
There are small presents for the kids celebrating their birthdays that month,
有一些小禮物送給孩子們以慶祝他們的生日，
but Davis makes sure there are more than enough to go around.
但是戴維斯會確保有更多事情可做。
