Tala works on her uncle's dairy farm. She wakes up at five every morning. The sky is still dark. The cows wait in the barn.
塔拉在舅舅的奶牛场干活。她每天早上五点起床，天还是黑的，奶牛们已经在牛棚里等着了。
The farm has a new machine. It is a milking robot. It is tall and white. It has one long arm. Tala calls it Bell. It rings a small bell after each cow.
农场里有一台新机器，是一台挤奶机器人，又高又白，有一条长长的手臂。塔拉叫它“铃铛”，因为每挤完一头牛，它都会摇响一只小铃铛。
Every cow knows the way to Bell. A cow walks in. The arm moves slowly. Bell takes the milk and rings the bell. Then the cow walks out. Tala watches the screen and writes numbers in a book.
每头牛都认得去找铃铛的路。一头牛走进去，机械臂慢慢移动。铃铛挤好奶，摇一下铃，然后牛走出来。塔拉看着屏幕，把数字记在本子上。
"Good morning, Bell," she says. "Are you ready?"
“早上好，铃铛，”她说，“准备好了吗？”
The screen shows a green light. That means yes.
屏幕上亮着绿灯。那就是“好了”的意思。
Today the first six cows go in and out. Ding, ding, ding. Tala drinks her tea and smiles. It is a calm morning.
今天前六头牛一头接一头地进去又出来。叮，叮，叮。塔拉喝着茶，笑眯眯的。这是一个平静的早晨。
Then Bell stops. A brown cow called Pepper stands inside the machine. The long arm does not move. The light on the screen is red.
这时，铃铛停了。一头名叫佩珀的棕色奶牛站在机器里，长长的机械臂不动了。屏幕上的灯是红色的。
Tala runs to the robot. "What is wrong, Bell?" she asks.
塔拉跑到机器人跟前。“怎么了，铃铛？”她问。
She reads the screen. It says, "Very low milk. Please check this cow." Tala looks at Pepper. Pepper is always the first cow in the line. She is loud and hungry every morning. Today she stands very still. Her eyes look sad.
她读着屏幕，上面写着：“奶量很低，请检查这头牛。”塔拉看着佩珀。佩珀总是排在队伍最前面，每天早上又吵又馋。今天她却一动不动地站着，眼神很难过。
Tala touches Pepper's nose. It is hot and dry. A healthy cow has a cool, wet nose. This is not normal.
塔拉摸了摸佩珀的鼻子，又热又干。健康的牛鼻子是凉凉湿湿的。这不正常。
"Uncle!" she calls. "Come to the barn! Pepper is sick!"
“舅舅！”她喊道，“快来牛棚！佩珀病了！”
Her uncle comes fast. He has a small thermometer in his pocket. He checks Pepper and looks worried.
舅舅很快赶来。他口袋里有一支小体温计。他给佩珀量了体温，神色担忧起来。
"She has a fever," he says. "We must call the vet. You saw this early, Tala. That is very good."
“她发烧了，”他说，“得请兽医。你发现得很早，塔拉，这太好了。”
"I did not see it," Tala says. "Bell did."
“不是我发现的，”塔拉说，“是铃铛发现的。”
Her uncle laughs. "Then Bell is a good worker."
舅舅笑了。“那铃铛是个好帮手。”
The vet comes at seven. She is a tall woman with a blue bag. She looks at Pepper's eyes and listens to her chest. Then she gives her some medicine.
兽医七点到了。她是个高个子女人，提着一只蓝色的包。她看了看佩珀的眼睛，听了听她的胸口，然后给她吃了一些药。
"Pepper needs rest and water," the vet says. "She will be fine in two days."
“佩珀需要休息和喝水，”兽医说，“两天后她就会好的。”
Tala makes a soft straw bed in a stall. She brings fresh water in a big bucket. Pepper drinks a little. Then she closes her eyes.
塔拉在一个牛栏里铺了一张软软的稻草床，又用大桶提来干净的水。佩珀喝了一点，然后闭上了眼睛。
"Sleep well," Tala says.
“好好睡吧。”塔拉说。
The other cows still come to Bell. Ding, ding, ding. The morning goes on. But Tala looks at the small stall again and again.
其他的牛仍然来找铃铛。叮，叮，叮。早晨一点点过去，可是塔拉一次又一次地望向那个小牛栏。
At noon her uncle sits with her on the fence. He opens the robot's book on his phone.
中午，舅舅和她一起坐在围栏上。他用手机打开了机器人的记录本。
"Look at the numbers," he says. "Every cow gives a little different milk each day. Bell remembers all of them. If one number goes down, Bell stops. Then it tells us."
“看看这些数字，”他说，“每头牛每天产的奶都有一点点不同，铃铛把它们都记住了。只要有一个数字下降，铃铛就会停下来，然后告诉我们。”
"So Bell knows which cow is sick," Tala says.
“所以铃铛知道哪头牛生病了。”塔拉说。
"Yes," her uncle says. "But Bell cannot sit with her. Bell cannot bring her water."
“对，”舅舅说，“可是铃铛不能陪着她，也不能给她端水。”
"I can do that," says Tala.
“这些我可以做。”塔拉说。
That afternoon she checks Pepper every hour. In the evening Pepper stands up. She eats a little hay. Her nose is cooler now.
那天下午，她每小时都去看一次佩珀。傍晚，佩珀站起来了，吃了一点干草，鼻子也凉了些。
The next day Pepper walks to the machine. Tala stands beside her. The long arm moves. Bell takes the milk. The numbers on the screen go up.
第二天，佩珀自己走向机器。塔拉站在她旁边。长长的机械臂动了起来，铃铛挤好了奶，屏幕上的数字又涨了回去。
"Look, Bell," Tala says. "She is back."
“看，铃铛，”塔拉说，“她回来了。”
The light turns green.
灯变成了绿色。
That night Tala writes in the book: "Pepper is better." Then she walks to the robot in the dark barn. She pats its long white arm.
那天夜里，塔拉在本子上写道：“佩珀好多了。”然后她走进黑暗的牛棚，来到机器人身旁，轻轻拍了拍它又长又白的手臂。
"Thank you," she says.
“谢谢你。”她说。
Ding.
叮。
