Insolvent tenants openly defied the collector of the waterrate from their ten-roomed strongholds, and existed for weeks without any visible means of procuring that necessary fluid.

无偿付能力的房客，公然反抗收缴他们的八居室要塞的水费的办事员，尽管看不出他们有什么办法获得这种生活所必需的液体，可他们已经继续生存好几个礼拜了。