The consulate in that little town had been necessary to the American rubber estates, but the rubber trees were being replaced by oil palms, and most of the Americans had left. It was my job to phase out the consulate.

• 过去，由于美国人开办了橡胶园，在这个小镇里设个领事馆还是必要的。 可是，橡胶树业已为油棕榈所代替，大多数美国人也都离开了此地，现在领事馆要由我来收场了。