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星际动物园-10 Two of everything
添加时间:2014-02-20 15:12:41 浏览次数: 作者:未知
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  • It was a strange prison1 with no doors and no police to watch me.Well,I didn't know the special number for making the lifts work, so I couldn't escape2 by the lifts.There were stairs but it was ten kilometres straight up to get to the surface.

    I couldn't get out.

    I found food and water.Nobody came to see me for three days.

    Finally a soldier arrived and took me back to the Star Room.

    An old man with a very straight back sat at the Star Table.He was alone and looked tired.'Hummingbird,'he said and then stopped.

    'Who are you,please?'I asked.I hadn't seen him before.

    'I'm the new President,'he said,but he didn't sound happy about it .

    'So the President4 and the Councillors are still…'

    'Still crazy- yes,'the old man said.'I think many of them will get better.They saw the animal only for a very short time.'

    'It wasn't a real animal,'I said quickly.

    'That didn't make any difference.You asked me who I am.I'm just one of the Star Councillors,but I wasn't in the Star Room when you showed them the animal. I was lucky. Now listen,Hummingbird.There is something I must tell you.Something difficult.'

    'Is it about my family?'I asked,feeling afraid.

    'No,Hummingbird.You are the only person in the Galaxy6 who knows where the Star Zoo is.If other people know about the Star Zoo, there will be killing. People will be killed.The Star Zoo will be destroyed.It is very important to keep the Star Zoo alive and so it is necessary to keep it secret.I 'm sorry,Hummingbird.You must stay here,ten kilometres down,all your life. I know you're a young girl and I'm sorry.'

    'All my life?'I said.I couldn't believe it.

    'Yes,'the old man said.'This is the planet8 of the Star Council5 so there is always work here you can do.I'm sorry.'

    'What kind of work?'I asked.

    'Well, everything is going crazy now.For example, we have some little children down here that nobody is taking care of.A robot is doing the job now—but little children need real humans.Would you like to try taking care of them?'

    'OK,'I said.It was something to do.

    I went to see the children, who were playing quietly with a robot. I laughed,because the robot was our family robot. I thought this robot and I would do something wonderful.But we could only take care of little children!

    I sat on the floor and played with the children.They were all less than four years old.

    They needed somebody.A few of the children were crying.They needed loving.Robots can sing and play games,but they can't love.

    Only the Star Zoo computer can love.

    Soon one little boy was sitting on my stomach and another boy was running round and round me.A little girl was pulling my hair and another girl was biting9 my finger.There was a lot of noise.

    These children were more trouble than any animal in the Star Zoo!

    'These girls and boys aren't going to be afraid of animals,'I said to the robot.'I can show them a robot animal and they won't go crazy. I just wish I had one.'

    'You have,'the robot answered.'Shall10 I take out the other one?'

    'What!'I shouted.The little boy fell off my stomach and began screaming. I picked him up and kissed him until the screaming11 changed to crying.I said,'Another robot animal?'

    'Yes,'the robot said,touching its stomach.

    Of course the robot had another!Robots always make two of everything.You don't have to tell them.They do it automatically.

    The robot opened its stomach and the second robot animal jumped out. It was just like the first one.

    The little boy stopped crying.He looked at the robot animal with big,round eyes.All the other children were looking,too.

    The animal began to play. It tried to bite13 its tail and fell over its own feet. It was a funny, sweet animal. After one minute the children were round it in a circle,laughing and playing with it,just like the humans in the Star Zoo.

    I watched them.This was very important.These children hadn't learnt to be afraid of animals because they had never heard of Earth,the Burning,or the Book of Remembering.

    I watched and thought. I spoke14 softly15 to my robot:'If these children go on playing with this robot animal, they will never become afraid of animals. They won't go crazy.'I thought some more, and said,'But if their parents see the animal, the parents will go crazy.'

    I thought carefully. Yes, there must be a special room in every house.A room which parents couldn't go in.A room for children only. Then children could play with robot animals in that room.

    'That's it!'I said.'The children will still be happy to be with animals when they are parents.It might take twenty,thirty,forty years,but then—'

    I heard the sound of somebody coming.I shouted to the robot,' Hide that animal, quick!'

    The robot opened its stomach and the animal went inside.

    All the children began crying.They wanted to have their wonderful animal back again!

    It was the President.He looked round at all the crying children.'Did I do this?'he asked.

    'No,'I answered.'Please stay.I have fantastic news for you.Listen to what just happened.'

    The old man listened.First he was angry, then he was surprised but in the end he became very excited.

    'Hummingbird,'the President said,'I must not see that robot animal. I don't want to go crazy.Your idea is…interesting.I think it will work.We must be very careful.We can begin with just one family and can learn from our mistakes. I think we can let you go free,Hummingbid.'

    'You can see the animal again soon,'I promised the children,and kissed the ones that were still crying. 'So the little children really liked this animal!'the President said.'What kind of animal was it?Does the Book of Remembering talk about it?'

    'The Book of Remembering talks about cats,'I answered.'This is a baby cat. I can't remember what the computer called it.Oh yes I do-it's called a kitten.'



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    1 prison [ˈprɪzn] FQHxB   第3级
    n.监狱(禁);拘留所
    参考例句:
    • They put him in prison. 他们将他逮捕入狱。
    • If you go on like this you will be put into prison. 你这样下去会进监狱的。
    2 escape [ɪˈskeɪp] Uijzi   第3级
    vi.逃跑,逃避;逃过..的注意;逸出;n.逃跑
    参考例句:
    • We had to break the door out to escape from the fire. 我们不得不把门砸开以逃避火灾。
    • He didn't allow any word to escape his lips. 他守口如瓶。
    3 surface [ˈsɜ:fɪs] QrFwj   第3级
    n.表面,平面;adj.表面的,肤浅的;vt.使...成平面,被露出来,在表面工作;vi 浮出水面
    参考例句:
    • A gentle wind disturbed the surface of the water. 微风拂动水面。
    • The surface of the water is as smooth as a mirror. 水平如镜。
    4 president [ˈprezɪdənt] i12zE   第3级
    n.总统;总裁;校长;院长;会(社)长;主席
    参考例句:
    • They selected him to be president. 他们选举他为总裁。
    • The president's speech lacked sincerity. 校长的演讲缺乏诚意。
    5 council [ˈkaʊnsl] ooZz9   第5级
    n.理事会,委员会,议事机构
    参考例句:
    • The town council passed a law forbidding the distribution of handbills. 市议会通过法律,禁止散发传单。
    • The city council has declared for improving the public bus system. 市议会宣布同意改进公共汽车系统。
    6 galaxy [ˈgæləksi] OhoxB   第7级
    n.星系;银河系;一群(杰出或著名的人物)
    参考例句:
    • The earth is one of the planets in the Galaxy. 地球是银河系中的星球之一。
    • The company has a galaxy of talent. 该公司拥有一批优秀的人才。
    7 killing [ˈkɪlɪŋ] kpBziQ   第9级
    n.巨额利润;突然赚大钱,发大财
    参考例句:
    • Investors are set to make a killing from the sell-off. 投资者准备清仓以便大赚一笔。
    • Last week my brother made a killing on Wall Street. 上个周我兄弟在华尔街赚了一大笔。
    8 planet [ˈplænɪt] A26z1   第5级
    n.行星
    参考例句:
    • Neptune is the furthest planet from the sun. 海王星是离太阳最远的行星。
    • Rubbish, however, is only part of the problem of polluting our planet. 然而,垃圾只是我们这个星球的污染问题的一个方面。
    9 biting [ˈbaɪtɪŋ] 3xnzyU   第3级
    adj.尖锐刺人的;刺痛的;辛辣的;嘲讽的v.咬,叮( bite的现在分词 );刺痛;有咬(或叮)的习性;(人)上当
    参考例句:
    • Stop biting your nails! 别咬指甲!
    • It's been a nail-biting couple of weeks waiting for my results. 这两个星期等结果,弄得我坐卧不安。
    10 shall [ʃəl] lzFwQ   第3级
    v.aux.(主要用于第一人称)将
    参考例句:
    • I shall always love you. 我将永远爱你。
    • Which club shall we join? 我们要参加哪个社团?
    11 screaming ['skri:mɪŋ] Gj4zQ7   第3级
    adj.尖叫的,令人惊愕的,引人捧腹大笑的v.(因伤痛、害怕、激动等)尖叫 ~发出尖叫声( scream的现在分词 );(向某人或为某事)高声喊;发出大而尖的声音;呼啸而过
    参考例句:
    • He covered her mouth to stop her from screaming. 他捂上她的嘴,不让她叫出声来。
    • People were floundering about in the water, shouting and screaming. 人们呼喊尖叫着在水里挣扎。 来自《简明英汉词典》
    12 automatically [ˌɔ:tə'mætɪklɪ] xPjyx   第6级
    adv.不加思索地,无意识地,自动地
    参考例句:
    • The machine cycles automatically. 这台机器自动循环运转。
    • She had automatically labelled the boys as troublemakers. 她不假思索地认定这些男孩子是捣蛋鬼。
    13 bite [baɪt] lReyn   第3级
    n.咬,咬伤,一口,刺痛;vi.&vi.咬,刺痛
    参考例句:
    • The dog may bite at you. 狗会咬你的。
    • Let me have a bite. 让我咬一口。
    14 spoke [spəʊk] XryyC   第11级
    n.(车轮的)辐条;轮辐;破坏某人的计划;阻挠某人的行动 v.讲,谈(speak的过去式);说;演说;从某种观点来说
    参考例句:
    • They sourced the spoke nuts from our company. 他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
    • The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre. 辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。
    15 softly [ˈsɒftli] HiIzR4   第5级
    adv.柔和地,静静地,温柔地
    参考例句:
    • He speaks too softly for her to hear. 他讲话声音太轻,她听不见。
    • She breathed her advice softly. 她低声劝告。

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