66 THE CELEBRATION

CHAPTER 66 THE CELEBRATION Dawn turned to day. Day turned to dusk. And just as Roz had asked, animals were gathering again in the Great Meadow. Word had spread across the island that the robot was throwing a party, and everyone wanted to see what the fuss was about. The fuss seemed to be about a giant stack of wood. Roz had spent the day collecting logs and branches and stacking them in a perfect, massive tower. The animals crowded around it, trying to imagine its purpose. And then they saw a golden light flickering in the distance. Roz emerged from the dark forest. In her hand was a flaming stick, which she held up like a torch. She was camouflaged in thick mud and clusters of wildflowers. But her camouflage wasn't for hiding. It was her party dress. The animals watched as the robot glided across the meadow, surrounded by a warm glow.

第六十六章庆祝天亮了。 白天变成了黄昏。正如罗兹所说的，动物们又聚集在大草原上。 机器人要举办一个派对的消息传遍了全岛，每个人都想看看有什么大惊小怪的。 这场骚动似乎是为了一大堆木头。 罗兹花了一天的时间收集原木和树枝，把它们堆在一个完美的、巨大的塔里。 动物们围着它，试图想象它的目的。 然后他们看到远处有一道金色的光在闪烁。 罗兹从黑暗的森林中出现。 她手里拿着一根燃烧的棍子，像举火把一样举着。 她被厚厚的泥土和一簇簇野花掩盖着。 但她的伪装不是用来躲藏的。 那是她的派对礼服。动物们看着机器人在温暖的光芒中掠过草地。

"Thank you all for being here," she said as she joined the crowd. "One year ago, I awoke on the shore of this island. I was just a machine. I functioned. But you—my friends and my family— you have taught me how to live. And so I thank you." "No, thank you, Roz!" shouted a voice. "You have also taught me to be wild," said the robot. "So let us all celebrate life and wildness, together!" At those words, Roz heaved her torch high into the air. It soared up, up, up and landed on the very top of the wooden tower. A ball of fire burst toward the night sky, and suddenly the meadow was bathed in firelight. Hundreds of shining eyes watched as bright flames crept down the sides of the tower and embers floated away on the breeze. The animals stepped toward the bonfire, eager to feel its warmth, and then stepped back, afraid of feeling too much, and soon everyone was moving. The deer started leaping. The foxes started trotting. The snakes slithered and the insects buzzed and the fish jumped up from the river. Brightbill led all the birds into the air, where they wheeled around the bonfire like a tornado of feathers. Roz sprang into a

“感谢大家来到这里，”她在加入人群时说。 “一年前，我在这个岛的岸边醒来。 我只是一台机器。我运行。 但是你们——我的朋友和我的家人——你们教会了我如何生活。 所以我感谢你。”“不，谢谢你，罗兹！”一个声音喊道。 “你还教会了我狂野，”机器人说。 “所以，让我们一起赞美生命和大自然吧！”听到这些话，罗兹把火炬高高举起。 它飞起来，飞起来，飞起来，落在木塔的最顶端。 一个火球冲向夜空，草地突然沐浴在火光中。 数百双闪亮的眼睛注视着明亮的火焰从塔楼两侧蔓延，余烬随风飘散。 动物们走向篝火，渴望感受到它的温暖，然后又退后一步，害怕感觉太多，很快大家都动了起来。 鹿开始跳跃。狐狸开始小跑起来。 蛇在滑，昆虫嗡嗡叫，鱼从河里跳了上来。 布莱特比尔领着所有的鸟飞到空中，在篝火周围盘旋，就像一阵羽毛旋风。 罗兹跳了起来

wild dance, her shaggy dress shaking and swooshing with each movement. It was a wild party, and it took our robot to make it happen.

狂野的舞蹈，她的蓬乱的衣服随着每一个动作晃动和嗖嗖。 这是一个疯狂的派对，是我们的机器人让它成为现实的。

Roz and the animals partied all night long. They were so busy singing and laughing and dancing that they didn't see the cargo ship as it sliced past the island. But the ship saw them. It saw the towering bonfire. It saw the robot. And then it quietly continued through the darkness.

罗兹和动物们通宵狂欢。 他们忙着唱着、笑着、跳着，没有看见那艘货船从岛上驶过。 但是船看到了他们。它看到了高耸的篝火。 它看到了机器人。然后它在黑暗中静静地继续着。