"You have a telegram?" she said.

It wasn't Homer's fault. His work was to deliver telegrams. Even so, it seemed to him that he was part of the whole mistake. He felt awkward and almost as if he alone were responsible for what had happened. At the same time he wanted to come right out and say, "I'm only a messenger, Mrs. Sandoval, I'm very sorry I must bring you a telegram like this, but it is only because it is my work to do so."

"Who is it for?" the Mexican woman said.

"Mrs. Rosa Sandoval, 1129 G Street." Homer said. He extended the telegram to the Mexican woman, but she would not touch it.

"Are you Mrs. Sandoval?" Homer said.

"Please," the woman said. "Please come in. I cannot read English. I am Mexican. I read only La Prensa which comes from Mexico City." She paused a moment and looked at the boy standing awkwardly as near the door as he could be and still be inside the house.

deliver
vt. take (sth.) to the place where it esp. sth. bad 交付，递送
awkward =embarrassed
a. uncomfortable 尴尬的
responsible be responsible for
a. having done or been the cause of esp. sth. bad（应）负责的
Mexican
n & a. 墨西哥人；墨西哥（人）的 Mexico墨西哥
extend
vt. hold out 伸出
pause
vi. stop for a short time　暂停，中止