55 THE LODGERS

CHAPTER 55 THE LODGERS Firelight spilled out from the Nest and into the cold, blustery night. Roz sat inside and listened to the wind and to the soft pops and crackles of burning wood. And then the robot's keen hearing picked up another sound: tiny footsteps crunching through snow. "Roz I'm freezing can I join you by the fire please?" said a weak voice. Into the light crawled Chitchat. The squirrel was shivering, and clumps of ice stuck to her fur. When she finally felt the heat of the fire, she collapsed. Roz picked her up off the floor, gently placed her on a warm stone, and let her sleep. An hour later, there were more footsteps, and a family of hares shuffled into the Nest. They huddled together in a corner without saying a word. Pinktail the opossum was the next to arrive. "Good evening," she mumbled, trying to act cheerful. "It certainly has been ch-ch-chilly." Swooper the owl hobbled in,

第五十五章房客火光从巢里洒出来，洒在寒风凛冽的黑夜里。 罗兹坐在屋里，听着风声，听着木头燃烧时发出的轻轻的噼啪声。 然后，机器人敏锐的听觉捕捉到了另一种声音：雪地上嘎吱作响的微小脚步声。 “罗兹，我快冻僵了，我能和你一起坐在火边吗？”一个微弱的声音说。 “闲谈”爬进灯光。 松鼠瑟瑟发抖，皮毛上粘着冰块。 当她终于感觉到火的热度时，她倒下了。 罗兹把她从地板上抱起来，轻轻地把她放在一块温暖的石头上，让她睡着了。 一小时后，又传来了脚步声，一群兔子拖着脚步走进了“巢”。 他们挤在一个角落里，一句话也没说。 负鼠粉红尾巴是下一个到达的。 “晚上好，”她咕哝着，努力装出高兴的样子。 “确实很冷。” 猫头鹰一瘸一拐地扑了进来，

followed by some chickadees and a magpie. Fink knew a good thing when he saw it, and the fox lay down right by the fire. Then came Digdown the groundhog. The Fuzzy Bandits carried in an old turtle named Crag, who was in the worst shape of all. Creatures who should have been hibernating deep underground had been roused by that vicious weather. Only the healthiest animals with the warmest homes were safe. More and more weary animals appeared, and slowly the lodge filled up. This was the first time many of the lodgers had seen fire, and they gazed at it with a mixture of fear and hope. They could feel the fire's destructive power, but they could also feel its healing power as it warmed their bones. The lodgers seemed to push

接着是一些山雀和一只喜鹊。 芬克一看到它，就知道这是件好事，狐狸就躺在火旁。 然后土拨鼠Digdown来了。 毛毛强盗们带进来一只名叫克雷格的老乌龟，它的情况是最糟糕的。 本该蛰伏在地下深处的动物被这种恶劣的天气唤醒了。 只有最健康的动物和温暖的家才是安全的。 越来越多疲倦的动物出现了，屋子里慢慢地挤满了人。 这是许多房客第一次看到火，他们带着既害怕又希望的心情望着它。 他们可以感受到火的破坏力，但他们也可以感受到它的治愈力量，因为它温暖了他们的骨头。 房客们似乎在推搡

forward, eager to feel more warmth, and then pull back, afraid of feeling too much. It was important that the lodgers understood fire. So Roz showed them how to build one. She showed the smaller animals how to arrange the kindling, and she showed the bigger animals how to arrange the logs. Bumpkin, Lumpkin, and Rumpkin struck the firestones together, and everyone cheered when they finally managed a spark. As Roz looked around, she saw moles curling up beside an owl. A mouse snuggling between two weasels. Hares nestling against a badger. Never before had the robot seen prey and predators so close and peaceful. But how long could the peace possibly last? "I propose a truce," said Roz, "like the Dawn Truce. Everyone must agree not to hunt or harm one another while in my lodge." "Very well," said Swooper, after consulting his carnivorous friends. "We hunters will control ourselves." "Then it is settled," said Roz. "My home is a safe place for all." One by one, the lodgers each fell into a deep sleep.

往前走，渴望感受到更多的温暖，再往后拉，害怕感觉太多。 房客们了解火是很重要的。 所以罗兹向他们展示了如何建造一个。 她教小动物如何安排引火，教大动物如何安排圆木。 普普金、兰普金和兰普金一起把火石打了起来，当他们终于弄出火花时，大家都欢呼起来。 当罗兹环顾四周时，她看到鼹鼠蜷缩在一只猫头鹰旁边。 一只老鼠依偎在两只黄鼠狼之间。 倚着獾的野兔。 机器人从未见过猎物和捕食者如此近距离和平相处。 但是和平能持续多久呢？ “我提议休战，”罗兹说，“就像黎明休战一样。 每个人都必须同意，在我的小屋里，不要互相打猎或伤害。” “很好，”斯伍普和他的食肉动物朋友们商量后说。 “我们猎人会控制自己的。” “那就这么定了，”罗兹说。 “我的家对所有人来说都是安全的。” 房客们一个接一个地进入了梦乡。

Even the nocturnal creatures, usually wide awake at that hour, gave in to the coziness of the Nest. The robot stood out of the way and quietly tended to the fire as her guests slept through the night. Only when daylight was streaming in through the door did the lodgers finally begin to stir. "You are all welcome to stay here as long as you like," said the robot as the animals rubbed sleep from their eyes. "My home is your home." "Thanks a lot, Roz." Fink carefully stepped over a hare and a woodpecker on his way to the door. "I don't think I would have survived another night on my own. It's just too bad we can't cram a few more creatures in here." And the fox slipped outside. The robot looked down at the fur and feathers that now carpeted the floor. The Nest had been completely full that night. If any more animals showed up, they'd be left out in the cold. But Roz was not about to let that happen.

即使是夜间活动的动物，通常在这个时候是完全清醒的，也屈服于巢的舒适。 机器人站在一旁，安静地照料着炉火，客人们整夜都在睡觉。 直到阳光从门缝里透进来，房客们才终于动了起来。 “欢迎你们在这里待多久就待多久，”机器人说，这时动物们从他们的眼睛里揉出了睡意。 “我家就是你的家。”“非常感谢，罗兹。” 芬克在去门口的路上小心地踩过一只野兔和一只啄木鸟。 “我不认为我一个人能再活一个晚上。 太可惜了，我们不能再多塞几个动物进去。” 狐狸溜了出去。 机器人低头看了看铺在地板上的皮毛和羽毛。 那天晚上鸟巢里座无虚席。 如果有更多的动物出现，它们就会被冷落。 但罗兹不打算让这种事发生。