雙語讀電影 《機器人總動員》第15章 :這就意味著回家的時候到了！

All business, EVE saluted the Captain. She was fully prepared to complete her directive—the secret directive she had refused to tell WALL · E about back on Earth.

The Captain stared at her. He noticed the green light flashing on her chest. It matched the green light flashing on his console. Not knowing what any of it meant, the Captain pushed the console button, just to see what would happen. The room suddenly went dark, and a holo-graphic screen displaying the image of BnL’s CEO appeared.

“Greetings and congratulations, Captain!” the CEO declared brightly. “If you’re seeing this, that means your Extraterrestrial Vegetation Evaluator, or ‘EVE’ probe, has returned from Earth with a confirmed specimen of ongoing photosynthesis.”

“That’s right,” the CEO declared. “It means it’s time to go back home!”

“Home?” the Captain said blankly to Auto. “Does he mean home home?”

Auto turned slightly, hardly acknowledging the question, as the CEO told them, “Now that Earth has been restored to a life-sustaining status, by golly, we can begin Operation: Recolonize!” An ancient, dusty manual slid out of the console. The Captain took it and blew the dust from its cover as the CEO continued: “Simply follow this manual’s instructions to place the plant in your ship’s holo-detector, and the Axiom will immediately navigate your return to Earth. It’s that easy!”

The Captain looked at the manual again. The ship’s holo-detector was out on the lido deck. If he just had to activate the holo-detector and put the plant in it, why bother with the manual, especially since it didn’t seem to be working? He couldn’t find a button on it anywhere.

The CEO’s message continued: “Now, due to the effects of microgravity, you and your passengers may have suffered some slight bone loss. But I’m sure a few laps around your ship’s jogging track will get you back in shape in no time.”

The overweight Captain looked confused. “We have a jogging track?” he asked Auto.

“Seriously,” the CEO’s recorded voice said, brimming with confidence. “If you have any further questions, just consult your operation manual.” He flashed a big white BnL smile and said, “See you back home, real soon!”

The transmission ended. The stunned Captain held up the manual. He paused for a moment, not knowing what to do with it. Finally, he gave a command to it: “Operate!” Nothing happened.

Auto took the manual, opened it, and returned it to the Captain.

“Oh ... will you look at that!” the Captain said. It had been a long time since he had read more than a simple line or two on a video screen. It had been even longer since any human had picked up a book and actually read it. “Oooh, that’s a lot of words!”

As the Captain and Auto tried to read the manual, WALL · E couldn’t resist moving closer to EVE. He tapped her on the shoulder. “WALL · E!” she exclaimed.

He gave her a tiny wave. But EVE worried that he might interfere with her directive, so she beeped and gestured for him to hide and stay quiet.

WALL · E just stared, thinking every sound and movement she made was simply amazing. “Eee-vah!” he sighed.

Auto and the Captain turned their attention back to EVE. “Well, let’s open her up,” the Captain said, humming a tune from Hello, Dolly! He didn’t realize that he was remembering the music he had awakened to, the music that had come from WALL · E. He liked that song.

“Do you know what that song is?” he asked Auto. “It’s been running through my head all morning.”

EVE stood at attention, ready to present the plant that would complete her directive and start the process of sending the Axiom back to Earth.

But when she opened her storage compartment, it was empty. The plant was gone!

The Captain looked at Auto. “Where’s the ... thingie?”

“Plant,” Auto replied.

“Plant. Right. Right,” the Captain said. “Where is it?” He looked at the manual. “Maybe we missed a step,” he said, thumbing through the pages. “Show me how you change the text again.”

As Auto tried to help the Captain, EVE turned to WALL · E. “Plant! WALL · E!” she said impatiently. She thought he had taken the plant.

WALL · E looked back at her, wide-eyed.

“WALL · E!” she said sternly. She scanned his chest and found nothing. She picked him up and scanned the floor. Nothing was underneath. “Plant!” EVE demanded.

Confused and concerned, WALL · E scurried around, searching for the plant.

“Why don’t you scan her, just to be sure?” the Captain said to Auto.

Auto reported a negative. “Contains no specimen,” he told the Captain, and added, “Probe memory is faulty.”

The Captain’s excitement turned to disappointment. “So, then, we’re not going to Earth?” he asked the unblinking eye.

“Negative,” Auto replied.

The Captain nodded. “The probe must be defective. Send her to the repair ward.”

Gopher immediately appeared from a pneumatic tube. He enveloped EVE in the energy bands used to restrain defective robots, then lifted her back into the transport.

“And have them run diagnostics. Make sure she is not malfunctioning,” the Captain continued.

As EVE was carted off, the Captain finally saw WALL · E alone on the floor. The Captain stared at him for a moment. WALL · E waved innocently and shook the Captain’s hand happily. “And fix that robot as well,” the Captain ordered, as he wiped his hand, soiled by WALL · E’s handshake. “Have it hosed down, or something. It’s filthy.”