29 THE BEAVERS

CHAPTER 29 THE BEAVERS Every day, the beavers swam along their dam, inspecting and repairing it. The wall of wood and mud allowed only a trickle of water to pass through, and it had turned a narrow stream into the wide pond that many animals now called home. As Roz and Brightbill walked around the pond, they passed hundreds of chewed-up tree stumps, proof that the beavers needed a constant supply of wood. And this gave Roz an idea. The robot swung her flattened hand, and the sounds of chopping wood echoed across the water. They were soon replaced by the sounds of footsteps and shaking leaves as the robot carefully walked along the beaver dam with a gosling on her shoulder and a freshly cut tree in her hands. The beavers floated beside their lodge and stared at the bizarre sight with open mouths until Mr. Beaver slapped his broad tail on the water, which meant "Stop right there!"

第二十九章海狸每天，海狸们都沿着水坝游来游去，检查和修理水坝。 这堵由木头和泥土构成的墙只允许涓涓细流流过，它把一条狭窄的小溪变成了一个宽阔的池塘，现在许多动物把它称为家。 当罗兹和布莱特比尔绕着池塘走的时候，他们经过了数百个被咬碎的树桩，这证明海狸需要持续的木材供应。 这给了罗兹一个主意。 机器人挥动着她扁平的手，劈柴的声音在水面上回荡。 这些声音很快就被脚步声和树叶颤抖的声音所取代，机器人小心地沿着海狸坝走着，肩上扛着一只小鹅，手里拿着一棵刚砍下的树。 海狸们在它们的小屋旁边漂来漂去，张大嘴巴盯着这奇异的景象，直到海狸先生把它的宽尾巴拍在水面上，意思是“站住！”

The robot stopped. "Hello, beavers, my name is Roz, and this is Brightbill. Please do not be frightened. I am not dangerous." She held out the tree. "I have brought you a gift! I thought perhaps you could use this in your beautiful dam." "No, thanks," said Mr. Beaver. "I have a strict policy never to accept gifts from monst—" "Don't be ridiculous," interrupted Mrs. Beaver. "We can't let a perfectly good birch go to waste!" "I'm afraid I must insist!" said Mr. Beaver. Mrs. Beaver turned to her husband. "Remember how you asked me to point out when you're being stubborn and rude? Well, you're being stubborn and rude!" Then she turned back to Roz. "Thank you, monster. If you'd be so kind as to drop the tree in the water, we'll take it from there." "I am not a monster." Roz tossed the tree like a twig. "I am a robot." The tree smacked against the water and sent the beavers bobbing up and down. Just then, Brightbill started peeping. "Mama! Hungry!" So Roz dropped a ball of grass into the nest. "The gosling thinks you're his mother?" came a quiet voice. It was Paddler, Mr. and Mrs. Beaver's

机器人停住了。“你们好，海狸们，我叫罗兹，这是布莱特比尔。 请不要害怕。 我并不危险。”她举起那棵树。 “我给你带来了一份礼物！”我想也许你可以把它用在你美丽的水坝上。” “不，谢谢，”比弗先生说。 “我有严格的规定，决不接受怪物的礼物——”“别傻了，”比弗太太插嘴说。 “我们不能让一棵完美的桦树被浪费掉！”“恐怕我必须坚持！”比弗先生说。 比弗太太转向她的丈夫。 “还记得你让我指出你固执和粗鲁的时候吗？” 好吧，你既固执又粗鲁！”然后她转身对着罗兹。 “谢谢你，怪物。如果你能把树扔到水里，我们就把它带走。” “我不是怪物。”罗兹把树像小树枝一样甩来甩去。 “我是一个机器人。”树撞在水面上，把河狸打得上下浮动。 就在这时，Brightbill开始偷看。 “妈妈!饿了!”于是，罗兹把一个草球扔进了鸟巢。 “小鹅以为你是他妈妈？”一个平静的声音传来。 是比弗先生和太太的帕德勒

son. "His real mother is dead," said Roz. "So I have adopted him." There was a brief silence. Then Paddler looked up at Roz and said, "You're a very good robot to take care of Brightbill." Mr. Beaver sighed. "Yes, yes, that's very good of you, Roz. But I don't understand what any of this has to do with us." "My son and I need a home, and Loudwing said you would help us build one." "Of course she did," Mr. Beaver muttered to himself. "Loudwing gets me out of one lousy jam, and I spend the rest of my days doing her favors." Mrs. Beaver glared at her husband. "Sorry," he said, realizing he was being stubborn and rude again. "Stay right there, Roz. We need to have a family meeting." The three beavers slipped under the water, and a moment later their muffled voices could be heard inside the lodge. The robot stood on the dam and patiently waited with her son. "Mama! Mama!" "Yes, Brightbill, I am trying to act like a good

的儿子。“他的亲生母亲死了，”罗兹说。 “所以我收养了他。”一阵短暂的沉默。 然后，帕德勒抬头看着罗兹说：“你是一个很好的机器人，可以照顾布莱特比尔。” 比弗先生叹了口气。“是的，是的，你真是太好了，罗兹。 但我不明白这和我们有什么关系。” “我儿子和我需要一个家，Loudwing说你会帮我们建一个家。” “当然啦，”比弗先生自言自语地说。 “大鸣翼帮我摆脱了一次糟糕的困境，我把剩下的时间都花在了帮她的忙上。” 比弗太太怒视着她丈夫。 “对不起，”他说，意识到自己又变得固执无礼了。 “待在那儿别动，罗兹。我们需要开个家庭会议。” 三只海狸滑到水里，不一会儿，他们低沉的说话声就在屋里听到了。 机器人站在大坝上，耐心地等着她的儿子。 “妈妈!妈妈!”“是的，布莱特比尔，我正努力表现得像个好人

mother." A ripple, and Mr. Beaver's head appeared above the water. "If you bring us four more trees—good, healthy ones—maybe I'll have time to help you and the gosling." "That is wonderful!" said the robot. "We will be right back!"

妈妈。”一阵涟漪，比弗先生的头露出水面。 “如果你再给我们带来四棵树——又好又健康的树——也许我就有时间帮助你和小鹅了。” “太棒了！”机器人说。 “我们马上回来！”