6 THE MATE

CHAPTER 6 THE MATE The robot had a simple home in the forest. It was a dome made of wood and rock and mud, with a low doorway at one end. Inside, the walls were lined with stone benches, and in the center of the space was a firepit for those cold winter nights. Outside, the dome was surrounded by a lush garden of wildflowers and herbs and berry bushes. Roz called her home the Nest. Brightbill and his mate would soon be arriving at the Nest, and Roz wanted everything to be perfect. A cloud of dust billowed out the door as she tidied up the interior. And then came Brightbill's voice from the garden. "We're here, Ma!" Roz crouched and stepped out of the doorway. It was a bright, beautiful day, and sunlight streaked down through the canopy of leaves and branches. Among the sun-dappled flowers stood Brightbill and a female goose. "Ma, this is Glimmerwing." Brightbill motioned to the goose at his side.

机器人在森林里有一个简单的家。 这是一个由木头、岩石和泥土组成的圆顶，一端有一个低矮的门。 在里面，墙壁上排列着石凳，在空间的中心是一个火坑，用来度过寒冷的冬夜。 在外面，穹顶周围是一个郁郁葱葱的花园，长满了野花、草药和浆果丛。 罗兹称她的家为“鸟巢”。 布莱特比尔和他的伴侣很快就要到达鸟巢了，罗兹希望一切都完美无缺。 她整理室内时，一团灰尘从门里滚滚而出。 接着从花园里传来了布莱特比尔的声音。 “我们来了，妈妈！”罗兹蹲了下来，走出了门口。 这是一个晴朗、美丽的日子，阳光透过树叶和树枝的覆盖物倾泻而下。 阳光斑驳的花丛中站着布莱特比尔和一只母鹅。 “妈，这是微光。” 布莱特比尔向他身边的鹅示意。

"Hello, Glimmerwing," said the robot. "It is lovely to meet you." "Please, call me Glimmer," said the goose. "Of course, I've seen you around the island, but it's so nice to actually meet you!" Glimmer fluttered up to Roz's shoulder and gave her a big hug. "What should I call you?" said Glimmer. "Roz? Ma? Ms. Robot?" "Please, call me Roz." The three of them spent the afternoon together. They talked about Glimmer's family and the loss of her parents. Later, Roz lightened the mood with stories of Brightbill from when he was young. The conversation flowed smoothly until Roz brought up one particular subject. "I have prepared the Nest, and you may move in

“你好，微光翼。”机器人说。 “很高兴见到你。” “请叫我微光吧，”母鹅说。 “当然，我在岛上见过你，但能见到你真是太好了！”微光拍着翅膀飞到罗兹的肩膀上，给了她一个大大的拥抱。 “我该怎么称呼你呢？” “警察?马?女士的机器人吗?”“请叫我罗兹吧。” 他们三个人一起度过了一个下午。 他们谈到了格里姆的家庭和她失去父母的事。 后来，罗兹用布莱特比尔年轻时的故事来减轻气氛。 谈话进行得很顺利，直到罗兹提出了一个特别的话题。 “我已经准备好了巢，你可以搬进来了

whenever you like," said the robot to the geese. "It will be wonderful to have your company!" The geese looked at each other. "Oh, um, you see, Ma…" Brightbill was struggling to find the right words. "Glimmer and I thought we'd live in our own nest. You know, like other geese." The robot thought for a moment and said, "It is only natural for two mates to want some privacy." "Thank you for understanding," said Glimmer. "I will build you a new nest," said Roz. "I know exactly how to weave together grasses and twigs. It will be my gift to you, to celebrate your union." The geese looked at each other. "Yeah, well, about that…" Brightbill was struggling to find the right words again. "Glimmer and I want to build our own nest, in our own way." "But we appreciate the kind offer," said Glimmer. "You're not upset, are you, Ma?" said Brightbill. "Who? Me? Upset? Do not be silly! I completely understand that you would want to start your life together by building a nest. If you ever need anything from me, all you have to do is ask."

机器人对鹅们说。 “有你作伴真是太好了！”鹅们面面相觑。 “哦，嗯，你看，妈妈……”布莱特比尔绞尽脑汁想找到合适的词。 “格里姆和我想我们应该住在自己的巢里。 你知道，就像其他鹅一样。” 机器人想了一会儿说：“两个伴侣想要一些隐私，这是很正常的。” “谢谢你的理解。” “我会给你建一个新巢，”罗兹说。 “我很清楚如何把草和树枝编织在一起。 这是我送给你的礼物，用来庆祝你们的结合。” 鹅们面面相觑。 “是啊，好吧，关于那个……”布莱特比尔又在努力寻找合适的字眼。 “格里姆和我想用我们自己的方式，建造我们自己的巢穴。” “但是我们很感激你的好意，”格里默说。 “你不会不高兴吧，妈妈？”布莱特比尔说。 “谁?我吗?沮丧?别傻了！我完全理解你们想要共同生活的起点是建立一个巢穴。 如果你需要我做什么，尽管开口。”