牛津書蟲系列 星際動(dòng)物園 8 An animal is made

8 An animal is made

8 造出了一只動(dòng)物

Arobot can do many different things from taking care of a baby to building a spaceship.It can do anything except think.The Star Zoo computer was the only one that could think.

從照看嬰兒到制造飛船，機(jī)器人能做許許多多不同的工作。除了思維，它無所不能。星際動(dòng)物園的電腦是唯一能思維的。

Well， our family robot could build a robot animal， easily. That was no problem.

沒問題，我的家用機(jī)器人可以造一個(gè)機(jī)器動(dòng)物，輕而易舉。沒有問題。

First we had to choose what animal to make， so we went round the Star Zoo to look at all.the animals.Hee-Haw carried me and Hoo-Woo came with us.The robot followed.

我們先得選擇制造什么動(dòng)物，于是我們在星際動(dòng)物園走了一圈，把所有動(dòng)物都看一看。“嘻嗬”馱著我，“呼嗚”陪著我們。機(jī)器人跟在后面。

I don't know how many rooms the Star Zoo had; I couldn't count them all.Some rooms were filled with water where there were big fish and small fish.There were horrible monsters walking under the water and I felt a little afraid again.

我弄不清星際動(dòng)物園有多少房間，我無法全數(shù)過來。有的房間裝著水，里面養(yǎng)著大魚和小魚。水下面還有可怕的怪物在行走，讓我又覺得有點(diǎn)害怕。

Some rooms were covered in snow and all the animals there had while fur.There were dry rooms， hot wet rooms， forest rooms…And animals and birds and trees and flowers!

有的房間被雪覆蓋，所有的動(dòng)物長著白色的皮毛。有干燥的房間、濕熱的房間、森林房間……以及動(dòng)物、鳥、樹，還有花!

There were more living things than I had ever dreamt of!

這兒的動(dòng)物比我所想象的多得多!

I sat on Hee-Haw's back as the donkey walked on.We went through a door into a room full of strange life， then we went through another door and into another room，It was like a dream.In a dream， things change suddenly，without reason.It was like that.

我坐在“嘻嗬”的背上，驢子繼續(xù)往前走。我們穿過一扇門，進(jìn)入一個(gè)滿是千奇百怪的生命的房間。然后，我們穿過另一扇門進(jìn)入另一個(gè)房間。象在做夢一樣。在夢中，事物變幻莫測，講不清道理。就象是那樣。

We went back to the computer.I didn't know which animal to choose and neither did the robot.Hee-Haw and Hoo-Woo didn't understand the problem;they weren't intelligent in the human way.

我們回到電腦那兒。我還是不知道該選擇哪種動(dòng)物，機(jī)器人也不知道。“嘻嗬”和“呼嗚”不明白是怎么回事;它們沒有人類這樣的智慧。

So I asked the computer.

于是我問電腦。

'Watch humans，'the computer said.'Humans enjoy playing with animals.Find an animal which enjoys playing with humans.'

“看看人類。”電腦說，“人類喜歡和動(dòng)物玩，找一只喜歡陪人類玩的動(dòng)物。”

So we went to see the humans.

于是我們?nèi)タ慈祟悺?/p>

The humans in the Star Zoo couldn't speak. I sat down and watched them while the humans played up in the trees，swam in the pool and played games in the grass.They played all the time.

星際動(dòng)物園的人不會說話。我坐在地上觀察他們，他們在樹上玩耍，在池子里游泳，在草地上玩游戲。他們總是在玩樂。

Most other animals didn't play with the humans.But finally I saw one animal come through the grass to play. It liked playing with humans!

多數(shù)其他的動(dòng)物都不和人玩。但最后我看見有只動(dòng)物從草地里跑出來玩。它喜歡和人玩!

The humans played with the animal for an hour.The animal and the humans enjoyed playing together.

那些人和這只動(dòng)物玩了一個(gè)小時(shí)。這只動(dòng)物喜歡和那些人在一起玩。

'That's the animal you must make，'I told the robot.

“你得制造一個(gè)那樣的動(dòng)物。”我吩咐機(jī)器人。

The robot watched the animal and touched it and measured everything.In the end it was ready to build a robot just like that animal.

機(jī)器人觀察這只動(dòng)物，撫摸它，上下都做了測量。最后，它準(zhǔn)備好了，可以制造一個(gè)跟這只動(dòng)物一樣的機(jī)器動(dòng)物。

'What do you need to build it?'I asked.

“你需要用什么制造它?”我問。

'Plastic，'the robot answered.'I will use real fur on the outside.But I need some metal.Where can I find metal?'

“塑料，”機(jī)器人回答，“外面我打算用真皮毛。可我需要些金屬。我能在哪兒找點(diǎn)金屬?”

There was only one thing in the Star Zoo made of metal-the computer!

星際動(dòng)物園里只有一樣?xùn)|西是用金屬做的——電腦!

The computer told the robot to take off two small pieces of metal from its back.

電腦讓機(jī)器人從它的后背上取下兩小塊金屬。

The robot worked fast.Sometimes it needed a special tool.Then it opened its stomach because the tools were kept inside the body there.

機(jī)器人干活兒很快。有時(shí)它需要一些專門的工具。于是它就打開自己的肚皮，因?yàn)楣ぞ呤欠旁谏眢w里邊的。

First，the robot made a plastic body which it covered with soft plastic，like a skin.Then it used fur to cover the skin.

首先，機(jī)器人做了一個(gè)塑料軀干，外面包上類似皮膚的軟塑料。然后它又用皮毛蓋住皮膚。

I left before the robot finished because I was worried about Buff.I didn't want him to die.

機(jī)器人還沒有完工我就離開了，因?yàn)槲覔?dān)心牛子。我不希望他死。

Buff still wouldn't eat or drink But the worst thing was， he was still crazy.His mind wasn't getting better…

牛子還是不肯吃喝。但最糟糕的是他還在發(fā)狂。他的頭腦還是沒有好轉(zhuǎn)……

If Buff stays in the Star Zoo，I thought，he'll die.

我想，要是牛子呆在星際動(dòng)物園，他會死的。

I talked to him but he didn't answer.I knew he wanted to kill me.He wanted to kill all living things.

我跟他說話，可他不回答。我知道他想殺死我。他想把所有活的東西都?xì)⑺馈?/p>

The robot finished its work and showed me a little animal.It looked，and sounded，and played like the real animal. I took it to the computer.

機(jī)器人完成了工作，把一只小動(dòng)物給我看。它的樣子、聲音和玩相都很象真動(dòng)物。我把它帶到電腦那兒。

'Yes，it looks just like the animal，'the computer said.'It's very small-a baby animal.'the computer told me its name. It checked the animal，then said to the robot，'Make it warm.'

“好，它和真動(dòng)物一模一樣。”電腦說，“它非常小——是只小動(dòng)物。”電腦告訴了我它的名字。它檢查了這只動(dòng)物，然后對機(jī)器人說：“給它體溫。”

The little animal was cold.

這只小動(dòng)物是冷的。

So the robot made the baby animal warm， like the real animal.We were ready.

所以機(jī)器人就讓它身體象真動(dòng)物一樣溫暖。我們準(zhǔn)備好了。

The robot put Buff to sleep，then put the spacesuit on him and carried him to the spaceship.

機(jī)器人讓牛子入睡，然后替他穿上太空服，并把他背到飛船上。

I was leaving the Star Zoo for the second time.Would our plan succeed， I wondered? Before I went through the door，I looked back at all the life that existed only here in the Star Zoo，and in no other place in all the Galaxy!

我又要離開星際動(dòng)物園了。我在想，我們的計(jì)劃能成功嗎?出門之前，我回頭看了一眼——只有星際動(dòng)物園才存在生命，銀河系其他地方都沒有!