17 THE CAMOUFLAGED INSECT

CHAPTER 17 THE CAMOUFLAGED INSECT Roz was a mess. She lay under the tree, covered in a heap of broken branches and pinecones and needles. She still hadn't removed the sticky resin from her body. And then there were the bird droppings. She was about to get up and give herself a rigorous cleaning when she noticed a peculiar twig. The twig was moving. It was crawling along one of the broken branches on the ground. With a gentle touch, the robot picked up the twig. "Hello, stick insect, my name is Roz. You are very well camouflaged."

第十七章伪装的昆虫罗兹一团糟。 她躺在树下，身上盖着一堆折断的树枝、松果和针叶。 她仍然没有清除身体上的粘稠树脂。 然后是鸟粪。 她正要站起来给自己好好打扫一下，这时她注意到一根奇怪的树枝。 树枝在动。它正沿着地上一根折断的树枝爬着。 机器人轻轻地碰了一下，捡起了小树枝。 “你好，竹节虫，我叫罗兹。 你伪装得很好。”

The stick insect's body was long and thin. He had the same shape and colors and markings as a real twig. But if you looked closely, you just might see two tiny eyes and two spindly antennae. The insect didn't make a sound, and he sat perfectly still. As still as the robot. The two of them sat still and silently stared at each other for a while. "Thank you, stick insect," said Roz as she placed him back where she found him. "You have taught me an important lesson. I can see how camouflage helps you survive; perhaps it could help me survive also."

竹节虫的身体又长又瘦。 他的形状、颜色和斑纹和真树枝一模一样。 但如果你仔细观察，你可能会看到两只小眼睛和两根细长的触角。 昆虫没有发出声音，他一动不动地坐着。 像机器人一样静止。他们俩静静地坐着，默默地对视了一会儿。 “谢谢你，竹节虫，”罗丝说着，把它放回原来的地方。 “你给我上了重要的一课。 我知道伪装是如何帮助你生存的；也许它也能帮助我生存下去。”