At seven in the morning, Nuri stands at the orchard gate. The air smells of apples and cold earth. Thirty pickers wait in a loose group. Most of them wear old coats and thick gloves.
早上七点，努里站在果园门口。空气里有苹果的香味和冰凉的泥土气息。三十个采摘工松松散散地等在那里，大多数人穿着旧外套，戴着厚手套。
Hedy stands next to her. They are in the same class at school. Today is their first picking day. Both girls need the money.
海蒂站在她旁边。她们在学校是同班同学。今天是她们第一天采摘。两个女孩都需要这笔钱。
The farm boss climbs onto a wooden box. He holds up a small grey machine. It has four arms, and a fan on each one.
农场老板爬上一个木箱，举起一台灰色的小机器。它有四条胳膊，每条胳膊上都有一个风扇。
"This is new," he says. "It is a drone. It follows one person and carries the crate."
“这是新东西，”他说，“是一架无人机。它会跟着一个人，帮他运果箱。”
Some pickers laugh. Others lean closer to look.
有些采摘工笑了起来，另一些人凑近了想看个清楚。
"We have only one," the boss says. "It follows a yellow wristband, and nothing else. So one picker gets it today."
“我们只有一架，”老板说，“它只跟着黄色腕带，别的什么都不认。所以今天只有一个人能用它。”
Nuri stares at the machine. It looks like a large fly. She wants to touch it.
努里盯着那台机器。它看起来像一只大苍蝇，她很想摸一摸。
"Here is the plan," the boss says. "The north rows have the tallest trees. The apples there are big and sweet. A picker with the drone works alone, and works fast. You fill more crates, so you earn more."
“计划是这样的，”老板说，“北边的几行树最高，那里的苹果又大又甜。带无人机的采摘工一个人干活，干得快，能装满更多的箱子，所以挣得也多。”
He points the other way. "The south rows have small trees. Two people share one ladder and one crate. That is slower. But it is a good job too."
他指向另一边。“南边的几行树很矮。两个人共用一架梯子、一只果箱。那样慢一些，不过也是份好活儿。”
He looks at the group. "The youngest picker chooses first. That is my rule. Who is the youngest?"
他看着大家。“最年轻的采摘工先选。这是我的规矩。谁最年轻？”
"Me," says Nuri. "By one month."
“我，”努里说，“只大一个月。”
"Then you choose. North with the drone, or south with a partner?"
“那你来选。是带着无人机去北边，还是和搭档去南边？”
Nuri looks at Hedy. Hedy looks at the ground.
努里看看海蒂，海蒂低头看着地面。
"Take the band," Hedy says quietly. "You want that new camera. Go and earn it."
“拿着腕带吧，”海蒂轻声说，“你想要那台新相机。去挣钱吧。”
"What about you?"
“那你呢？”
"I find another partner. It is not a problem."
“我再找个搭档。没问题的。”
The boss holds out the yellow band. "Five minutes," he says. "Then you stay with your choice all day."
老板伸出手，递过黄色腕带。“给你五分钟，”他说，“然后你就得照着自己的选择干一整天。”
Nuri walks to the fence and thinks. The north is a good option. She can fill many crates and buy the camera sooner. She likes to work fast. She likes quiet, too. And the drone is really cool.
努里走到篱笆边想了想。去北边是个不错的选择。她能装满很多箱，更早买到相机。她喜欢干活快，也喜欢安静。而且那架无人机真的很酷。
The south is a good option too. She knows Hedy. She knows Hedy sings badly and tells long jokes. A day with her is never boring. But the pay is smaller. The camera costs a lot, and it must wait.
去南边也是个不错的选择。她了解海蒂。她知道海蒂唱歌难听，爱讲很长的笑话，和她在一起的一天从来不会无聊。但是报酬少一些。相机很贵，只好等一等。
She counts on her fingers. North, south. Money, friend. Fast, slow. Nothing is wrong with either answer.
她扳着手指数：北边，南边；钱，朋友；快，慢。哪个答案都没有错。
She walks back to the boss. She feels strange and light.
她走回老板身边，觉得心里怪怪的，却很轻松。
"I choose the south," she says. "With Hedy."
“我选南边，”她说，“和海蒂一起。”
Hedy looks up and smiles.
海蒂抬起头，笑了。
"Fine," the boss says. He turns. He gives the band to the man in the green cap. "Then it is yours."
“好，”老板说。他转过身，把腕带交给了戴绿帽子的男人。“那就是你的了。”
The man puts it on his wrist. The drone lifts up and follows him with a happy hum. Everybody claps.
男人把它戴在手腕上。无人机升了起来，嗡嗡地欢快地跟在他身后。大家都鼓起掌来。
The south rows are quiet and green. The trees are short, and the apples hang low. Hedy climbs the ladder first. Nuri holds it and gives her the empty bag.
南边的几行树安静而翠绿。树很矮，苹果挂得低低的。海蒂先爬上梯子，努里扶住梯子，把空袋子递给她。
"Catch!" Hedy says. She drops an apple, and Nuri catches it with one hand.
“接着！”海蒂说。她丢下一个苹果，努里单手接住了。
"Gold medal," Nuri says.
“金牌。”努里说。
"Gold apple," says Hedy. "It goes in the crate."
“金苹果，”海蒂说，“它要放进箱子里。”
They work well together. Hedy picks. Nuri holds, counts and lifts the full bags. After an hour, they change places. Nuri climbs. The ground looks small from the top. The whole orchard smells sweet.
她们配合得很好。海蒂摘，努里扶梯子、数数，再把装满的袋子抬起来。一个小时后，她们换了位置。努里爬上去，从高处看，地面显得很小，整个果园都散发着甜香。
At ten o'clock, they take a break. They sit on the empty crate and look across the hill. Far away, in the north rows, a grey shape moves between trees. It hums, a thin high sound, like a fly.
十点钟，她们休息一会儿。她们坐在空果箱上，眺望山坡。很远的地方，在北边的树行里，一个灰色的影子在树间移动。它发出细细的、高高的嗡嗡声，像一只苍蝇。
"Look at him," Hedy says. "He picks, the drone follows, and he never talks to it."
“看他，”海蒂说，“他摘，无人机跟着，他却从来不跟它说话。”
"Maybe the drone is a good listener."
“也许无人机是个很好的倾听者。”
They laugh until their stomachs hurt.
她们笑得肚子都疼了。
At noon, the man in the green cap comes down the hill. The drone hums behind him with a crate of apples. He sits on the grass near their ladder. The drone floats just above his shoulder.
中午，戴绿帽子的男人从山坡上走下来。无人机载着一箱苹果，嗡嗡地跟在他身后。他在她们的梯子旁边的草地上坐下，无人机就悬在他的肩膀上方。
"May I sit here?" he asks. "Nobody talks to me on that hill. Only this thing hums at me."
“我能坐这儿吗？”他问，“那座山坡上没人跟我说话，只有这玩意儿冲我嗡嗡叫。”
"Sit down," says Nuri. "Do you want some cheese?"
“坐吧，”努里说，“你要不要来点奶酪？”
"Yes, please."
“好的，谢谢。”
They share their lunch. "I have a daughter," he says. "She is nine." He points at the drone. "This thing follows me everywhere."
她们分享了午饭。“我有个女儿，”他说，“九岁。”他指着无人机。“这玩意儿到哪儿都跟着我。”
Hedy laughs so hard that she drops her sandwich. The drone moves in a small circle. It seems to find this funny.
海蒂笑得太厉害，把三明治都掉了。无人机绕着小圈转了转，好像觉得这很好笑。
"It is fast, though," the man says. He looks at his full crate. "I have eleven already."
“不过它真快，”男人说。他看着自己装满的箱子。“我已经装了十一箱了。”
"We have six," says Nuri.
“我们六箱。”努里说。
"Six is good for two people."
“两个人六箱，不错。”
"It is good," Hedy agrees, "and it is more fun."
“是不错，”海蒂说，“而且更有意思。”
After lunch, the work gets harder. The sun is hot on their backs. One branch near the top has the best apples. Hedy leans out to reach them. The ladder shakes.
午饭后，活儿变得更辛苦了。太阳晒得后背发烫。靠近树顶有一根树枝，上面的苹果最好。海蒂探出身子去够，梯子晃了起来。
Nuri holds the ladder with both hands. "I have you," she says. "Take your time."
努里用双手扶住梯子。“我扶着你呢，”她说，“慢慢来。”
Hedy takes the apples one by one. Her face is serious. She comes down slowly, with her bag full.
海蒂一个一个地摘下苹果，神情严肃。她慢慢爬下来，袋子装得满满的。
"Thank you," she says. Her voice is small. "I do not like that branch."
“谢谢你，”她说，声音很小，“我不喜欢那根树枝。”
"I know."
“我知道。”
At five o'clock, the boss counts the crates. The man in the green cap has twenty-one. Nuri and Hedy have fourteen. That is seven each. The pay is less than half of his.
五点钟，老板清点果箱。戴绿帽子的男人有二十一箱。努里和海蒂有十四箱，每人七箱。报酬不到他的一半。
Nuri looks at the numbers. For a moment, she feels a small pain. The camera will wait another month.
努里看着那些数字。一时间，她心里有一点点疼。相机还得再等一个月。
Then Hedy puts a gold apple in her hand. It is the one from the morning, still shiny.
接着，海蒂把一个金苹果放在她手里。就是早上那个，依然闪闪发亮。
"You keep it," Hedy says. "It's for the camera."
“你留着吧，”海蒂说，“它是给相机的。”
Nuri laughs. She holds the apple up against the sky. The sun is low. Behind them, the drone hums its way toward the shed.
努里笑了。她把苹果举起来，对着天空。太阳已经低了。在她们身后，无人机嗡嗡地飞向棚屋。
"Hedy," she says. "Does the boss let two people share one drone?"
“海蒂，”她说，“老板会让两个人共用一架无人机吗？”
