9 THE FIRST DAY

CHAPTER 9 THE FIRST DAY At dawn, the cows began to stir. One by one, they walked out the side door, across the muddy barnyard, and into the parlor for a quick milking before heading down to the pasture. They followed the same routine, every morning, like clockwork. However, on this morning, the cows were joined by a robot. With her computer brain full of farming knowledge, Roz was ready for her first day on the job. She stomped through the tall, wet grass, and her head slowly turned as she scanned the scenery. The sun was rising. The fog was lifting. The cows were grazing. And then the whole world seemed to flip upside down. Before Roz knew what was happening, she was on her back looking up at the sky. A strong stench filled the air. Our robot had slipped on cow dung.

第九章第一天黎明时分，牛开始动了起来。 他们一个接一个地走出侧门，穿过泥泞的谷仓院子，进了客厅，匆匆挤了一口牛奶，然后下楼去牧场。 他们每天早上都按照同样的程序，就像时钟一样。 然而，今天早上，一个机器人加入了奶牛的行列。 罗兹的电脑大脑里充满了农业知识，她已经为第一天的工作做好了准备。 她踏着沉重的脚步穿过湿漉漉的草丛，她的头慢慢地转了过来，环视着周围的景色。 太阳升起来了。雾正在消散。 牛在吃草。然后整个世界似乎都颠倒了。 在罗兹知道发生了什么之前，她已经仰面朝天望着天空。 空气中充满了强烈的恶臭。 我们的机器人踩到牛粪滑倒了。

The herd erupted into laughter. Tess called out, "Welcome to Hilltop Farm, Roz!" which brought another round of snorts and moos. "You'll have to get used to cow patties, and to laughter," said old Annabelle, strolling over. "Not much happens around here, so we're always eager to laugh." "I understand," said Roz. "I like laughing too." And she forced out an awkward "Ha-ha-haaa!" Then the robot stood up, wiped her feet, and continued exploring the farm. But she was more careful to watch where she stepped. The fields and buildings and fences were all in need of Roz's attention. But her most urgent task was to fix the broken farm machines. The Herding Machine was designed to roll through the pasture and look after the cows while they grazed. But it had gotten stuck in the mud and was becoming a popular hangout for birds. The Field Machine was gigantic, like a house on wheels. It was designed to roam the fields, planting and fertilizing and harvesting the feed crops. But it had ground to a halt weeks ago and was now just collecting dust in a far corner of the property. The Drone was a small flying

人群爆发出笑声。 苔丝喊道：“欢迎来到山顶农场，罗兹！”这又引起了一阵鼻息声和哞哞声。 “你得习惯吃牛肉饼，习惯笑，”老安娜贝尔边说边走过来。 “这里发生的事情不多，所以我们总是渴望笑。” “我明白，”罗兹说。“我也喜欢笑。” 她发出一声尴尬的“哈哈哈！”然后机器人站起来，擦了擦脚，继续探索农场。 但她更小心地看着她走的地方。 田野、建筑物和篱笆都需要罗兹的关注。 但她最紧迫的任务是修理坏了的农用机器。 放牧机器的设计目的是在牧场上滚动，并在奶牛吃草时照顾它们。 但它陷入了泥潭，成为了鸟类的热门去处。 这台田间机器巨大无比，就像一座带轮子的房子。 它被设计成在田野里漫步，种植、施肥和收获饲料作物。 但它在几周前就停了下来，现在只是在房子的一个遥远的角落里积灰。 无人机是一架小型飞行器

machine with a special camera attached to its underside. It was designed to fly above the farm and keep an eye on the whole place, but it came crashing down when a mob of crows attacked it in flight. Other broken machines were hidden within clumps of weeds. And still more were waiting for repairs in the shed. The peaceful morning was suddenly jolted by the sounds of power tools as Roz began fixing the machines. Thanks to her robotic strength and smarts, she made excellent progress. The hours flew by, the machines rumbled back to life, and the farm began buzzing with activity. At sunset, Rambler came bouncing down the driveway with the Shareefs in the front and Oscar in the back. "How's it going, Roz?" said Mr. Shareef, leaning out his window. The children giggled and waved from their seats. The dog sniffed the breeze. "It is going well," said Roz in a robotic voice. "Many of the machines are working again." "I see that." Mr. Shareef gazed up at the Drone, circling high overhead. "We thought we'd come out and check on you, but it looks like you're doing fine,

机器的底部有一个特殊的摄像头。 它被设计用来在农场上空飞行，监视整个地方，但是当一群乌鸦在飞行中袭击它时，它坠毁了。 其他坏掉的机器被藏在杂草丛中。 还有更多的人在小屋里等着修理。 当罗兹开始修理机器时，这个宁静的早晨突然被电动工具的声音所震动。 由于她机器人般的力量和智慧，她取得了出色的进步。 时间一小时一小时地过去，机器轰隆隆地恢复了运转，农场里开始热闹起来。 日落时分，“漫步者”蹦蹦跳跳地沿着车道驶来，雪莉一家在前面，奥斯卡在后面。 “最近怎么样，罗兹？”谢里夫先生探出窗户问。 孩子们咯咯地笑着，从座位上挥手。 狗嗅着微风。 “一切进展顺利，”罗兹用机械的声音说。 “很多机器又开始工作了。” “我明白了。”谢里夫抬头凝视着在头顶上空盘旋的无人机。 “我们本想出来看看你，但看起来你还好，

so we'll stay out of your way. Keep up the good work, Roz." As the truck started rolling up the driveway, Oscar looked back at Roz and barked, "You smell like cow patties!" He was right. The robot was filthy. And she finished her first day as a farmer by scrubbing herself with soap and water.

所以我们就不碍事了。 继续努力，罗兹。” 当卡车开始在车道上行驶时，奥斯卡回头看了看罗兹，大声叫道：“你闻起来像牛肉饼！”他是对的。 机器人很脏。当了农民的第一天，她用肥皂和水擦洗了自己。