Selin worked in a small office. A vending machine stood in the hall. It was old and very loud.
塞琳在一间小办公室里工作。走廊里有一台自动售货机，又旧又吵。
One morning, Selin was hungry. She put a coin in the slot. She pressed B4. B4 was a chocolate bar.
一天早上，塞琳肚子饿了。她把一枚硬币投进投币口，按下了B4。B4是一块巧克力。
The machine shook. Something dropped into the tray. Selin looked inside. It was a small blue pen.
机器晃了一下。有东西掉进了取物口。塞琳往里一看，是一支蓝色的小笔。
"I wanted chocolate," she said. "Not a pen."
“我要的是巧克力，”她说，“不是笔。”
Her coworker Wren walked into the hall with his cup. He looked at the pen and smiled.
她的同事雷恩端着杯子走进走廊。他看了看那支笔，笑了。
"Oh, that machine is strange," Wren said. "It gives you what you need."
“哦，这台机器很奇怪，”雷恩说，“它会给你你需要的东西。”
"I do not need a pen," said Selin.
“我不需要笔。”塞琳说。
"Wait and see," said Wren.
“等着瞧吧。”雷恩说。
Selin went back to her desk. She had a form to sign. Her own pen was dry. She signed the form with the new blue pen. It worked very well.
塞琳回到自己的桌子前。她有一份表格要签字，可她自己的笔没水了。她用新得到的蓝笔签了字，笔很好用。
Selin ran back to the hall. Wren was there again. He put a coin in the machine and pressed A2. A2 was a bag of cheese crackers.
塞琳跑回走廊。雷恩又在那里。他投了一枚硬币，按下A2。A2是一包奶酪脆饼。
A small box dropped into the tray. It was a box of tissues.
一个小盒子掉进了取物口，是一盒纸巾。
"Hmm," said Wren. Then he sneezed three times. His nose was full.
“嗯。”雷恩说。接着他连打了三个喷嚏，鼻子堵住了。
"You need that box," said Selin.
“你需要那盒纸巾。”塞琳说。
"Yes, I do," said Wren. He took a tissue.
“对，我需要。”雷恩说着抽出一张纸巾。
Selin wanted to try again. She put in a coin and pressed C1. C1 was a cola. The machine gave her a bottle of cold water.
塞琳想再试一次。她投了一枚硬币，按下C1。C1是可乐。机器给了她一瓶冰水。
Selin drank it fast. She was very thirsty. She did not know that before.
塞琳一口气喝完了。她渴极了，之前她自己都不知道。
"This machine is better than me," she said.
“这台机器比我还了解我。”她说。
"It is better than all of us," said Wren.
“它比我们所有人都了解我们。”雷恩说。
The next day, Selin came to work early. Her boss, Inge, stood by her desk.
第二天，塞琳很早就来上班。她的老板英格站在她的桌子旁。
"Selin, we have a big meeting at noon," said Inge. "Please show the new plan to everyone."
“塞琳，中午我们有个重要会议，”英格说，“请你把新方案讲给大家听。”
"Yes, of course," said Selin.
“好的，当然。”塞琳说。
She opened her bag. Her notes were not there. Now she knew the problem. She put the notes in her desk drawer last night. The drawer was locked. The key was at home.
她打开包，笔记不在里面。现在她明白问题出在哪儿了：昨晚她把笔记放进了办公桌抽屉，抽屉锁着，钥匙却在家里。
Selin pulled the drawer. It did not move. She pulled again. Nothing happened.
塞琳拉了拉抽屉，拉不动。她又拉了一次，还是没动静。
It was a quarter to twelve. The meeting room was down the hall. Selin had no time to go home. She looked at the clock. Then she looked at the hall.
现在是差一刻十二点。会议室就在走廊那头。塞琳没有时间回家了。她看看时钟，又看看走廊。
She ran to the machine. She put in a coin. She pressed B4 very hard.
她跑到机器前，投进一枚硬币，使劲按下B4。
The old machine hummed and rattled. Something small dropped into the tray.
旧机器嗡嗡作响，咔嗒咔嗒地抖了起来。有个小东西掉进了取物口。
It was a silver key.
是一把银色的钥匙。
Selin held the key in her hand. She did not understand. Then she did. It was small and cold. She ran back to her desk. She pushed the key into the lock. It turned.
塞琳把钥匙握在手里，一时不明白。接着她明白了。钥匙小小的，凉凉的。她跑回自己的桌子前，把钥匙插进锁孔，转动了。
The drawer opened. Her notes were inside.
抽屉开了。她的笔记就在里面。
"Thank you, machine," Selin said. She took the notes and ran to the meeting room.
“谢谢你，机器。”塞琳说。她拿起笔记，跑向会议室。
Inge was at the door. She looked at the clock and then at Selin.
英格正站在门口。她看看时钟，又看看塞琳。
"You are on time," said Inge.
“你准时到了。”英格说。
Selin gave her plan to everyone. She spoke slowly and clearly. Wren nodded at every page. The meeting was short. It went well.
塞琳把方案讲给大家听。她说得慢而清楚。雷恩每翻一页都点点头。会议很短，进行得很顺利。
"Good work," said Inge. "Now go and eat something."
“干得好，”英格说，“现在去吃点东西吧。”
After the meeting, Selin went back to the hall. She was very hungry now. She put in a coin and pressed B4.
会后，塞琳回到走廊。她现在饿极了。她投进一枚硬币，按下B4。
The tray clicked. A chocolate bar dropped into the tray. Selin opened it and took a big bite.
取物口咔哒一响，一块巧克力掉了进去。塞琳打开包装，大大地咬了一口。
