指针

你好。

Hello.

欢迎收听《故事》播客。

Welcome to Stories Podcast.

我是您的主持人，阿曼达·韦尔登。

I'm your host, Amanda Weldon.

今天的故事名为《指向者》，这是一则由丹尼尔·欣兹为您原创的故事。

Today's story is called the pointer, an original story written for you by Daniel Hinds.

我们有《故事》播客的周边商品，可在 storiespodcast.com/shop 购买。

We have stories podcast merch available at storiespodcast.com/shop.

我们也在 Cameo 上提供个性化视频留言服务，别忘了在 Instagram 上关注我们：stories podcast。

We're also on Cameo for all of your personalized video message needs, and don't forget to follow us on Instagram at stories podcast.

如果你给我们寄来你最喜欢的情节或角色的画作，我们会分享到我们的动态中。

If you send us a drawing of your favorite scene or character, we'll share it on our feed.

现在让我们听听赞助商的广告。

Now here's a word from our sponsors.

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As schedules fill up with activities, travel, and spring events, it can be challenging to make learning consistent.

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IXL is an award winning online learning platform that fits seamlessly into homeschooling.

它提供从学前班到十二年级的数学、语言艺术、科学和社会研究等科目的互动练习。

It offers interactive practice across math, language arts, science, and social studies from pre K through twelfth grade.

IXL 为每个孩子个性化学习，保持他们的参与度，并让家长清晰了解孩子的进步情况。

IXL personalizes learning for each child, keeps them engaged, and gives parents clear insight into progress.

IXL 的互动练习和清晰的讲解，让你在为学年末评估或关键节点做准备时，轻松巩固所学内容。

IXL's interactive practice and clear explanations make it easy to reinforce learning as you prepare for end of year assessments or milestones.

所有内容都按年级和科目分类，让你无需在多个资源间来回切换，就能快速找到每个孩子所需的学习材料。

Everything is organized by grade and subject so you can quickly find what each child needs without juggling multiple resources.

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More than 75 research studies show it delivers real results, and it's been proven to improve achievement in all 50 states, giving homeschool families added confidence.

让你的孩子在学习上取得突破。

Make an impact on your child's learning.

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此外，收听《故事》播客的听众今天注册即可享受IXL会员专属20%折扣，前往 www.ixl.com/dragon，以最优惠的价格获得最有效的学习项目。

And Stories podcast listeners can get an exclusive 20% off IXL membership when they sign up today, www.ixl.com/dragon to get the most effective learning program out there at the best price.

谢谢。

Thanks.

祝您收听愉快。

Enjoy the episode.

指针。

The pointer.

很久以前，在一个巨大的城市，在一个巨大的国家，在这个广阔的世界里，有一座巨大的工厂。

Once upon a time, in a great big city, in a great big country, in the great big world, there was a great big factory.

这家工厂为各种各样的人生产各种各样的产品，从食品、玩具、电脑，到药品，都是在这里制造的。

The factory made all kinds of things for all kinds of people, everything from food to toys to computers, and even medicine was made at the factory.

这家工厂已经运营了许多年，所有工人都对自己的工作感到相当满意。

The factory had been open for years and years, and all the workers were pretty happy about their jobs.

当然，并不是每个人都喜欢每一刻。

Of course, not everyone loved every minute.

毕竟，这仍然是工作，但他们忙于制造人们所需的东西。

It was still work after all, but they were busy making things that people needed.

当你这样度过每一天时，工作总会让你觉得有意义。

And when you spend the days that way, the work always feels like it matters.

当你身处一家庞大的工厂，周围有各种各样的人，总会有说笑和歌唱陪伴着你。

And when you're in a great big factory with all kinds of people, there's always talking and laughing and singing to keep you company.

所以，这家庞大的工厂一切顺利。

So things at the great big factory were going well.

但有一天，工厂的老板们——这些工人从未见过或认识过的人——决定工厂可以赚更多的钱。

But one day, the owners of the factory, who none of the workers had ever met or seen, decided that the factory could make even more money.

起初，工人们以为这是好事。

At first, the workers thought this was good.

工厂赚更多钱，意味着工人们也能赚更多钱，这很合理。

More money for the factory meant more money for the workers, surely.

但很快他们就发现，自己错得离谱。

But as they soon found out, they were very, very wrong.

工厂的老板制造了专门的机器人，可以取代工人们的工作。

The owners of the factory made special robots that could take the jobs of the workers.

唯一的问题是，机器人需要一些时间来制造，所以无法一次性替换所有人。

The only problem was that the robots took a little while to make, so they couldn't replace everyone at once.

于是，他们找到了公司里最忠诚的员工——一位从未请过一天假、也从不抱怨加班的员工，把他叫到一旁。

So what they did was they found the most loyal employee the company had, one who had never taken a day off or complained about an overtime shift, and they pulled him aside.

现在，皮特，他们通过电话说。

Now, Pete, they said over the phone, of course.

老板们从来不会亲自来工厂。

The owners never would come to the actual factory.

我们有了这么多优秀的新型机器人，但不知道该先替换谁。

We have all these great new robots, but, we don't know who to replace first.

你一直头脑清醒，思维敏捷。

You've always had a good head on your shoulders and a good brain in your head.

我们希望你负责指出哪些工作应该由机器人来接手。

We'd like you to be in charge of pointing out which jobs the robot should take over.

皮特露出了灿烂的笑容。

Pete smiled widely.

他并不是个善良的人，而且特别喜欢那种能指挥别人的工作。

He wasn't the nicest person, and he loved any job where he got to tell other people what to do.

听起来很棒，他说。

Sounds great, he said.

我什么时候

When do I

开始？

start?

今天，老板们在电话里说。

Today, said the owners over the phone.

第一批机器人很快就会到。

The first batch of robots will be there soon.

我们需要你出去指派任务。

We need you out there pointing.

好的，老板们，皮特说。

Yes, sirs, Pete said.

他赶紧去洗手间洗了洗他的指派手指。

He went to the bathroom real quick to wash up his pointing finger.

老板们的机器人可不能看到它脏兮兮的，然后他就直接走到了工厂车间。

It wouldn't do for the owner's robots to see it dirty, and then went right out onto the factory floor.

他立刻看到了另一个名叫约翰的员工，他从来就不喜欢这个人。

Immediately, he saw another employee named John, whom he had never liked.

他想都没想，就抬起又长又细的手臂，伸直骨瘦如柴的手指，直直地指向约翰。

Without a second thought, he lifted his long skinny arm, limbored up his bony finger, and pointed right at John.

有一瞬间，什么也没发生，其他工人用奇怪的眼神看着皮特。

For a second, nothing happened, and the other workers gave Pete a strange look.

但接着，砰！轰隆！

But then, boom, crash.

工厂大门突然打开，一台闪亮的新机器人飞速冲了进来。

The factory doors burst open and a gleaming new robot zipped in.

它看起来有点像人，只是脚上装着超快的履带，有四条灵巧的手臂用于工作，脸上是个大型扫描仪，全身包裹在光滑、白色、冰冷的塑料外壳中。

It looked kinda like a person, except it had ultra fast treads for feet and four clever arms for working and a big scanner for a face, and it was all encased in smooth, white, cold plastic.

它走到约翰面前，撞了他一下。

It went up to John and bumped him.

嘿。

Hey.

怎么回事？

What's going on?

约翰问道。

John asked.

你被取代了，皮特说。

You're replaced, said Pete.

用这个东西？

With this thing?

约翰问。

Asked John.

是的，皮特笑着说。

Yep, said Pete, smiling now.

约翰开始争辩，但就在这时，工厂的广播里传来了声音。

John started to argue, but just then, a voice came over the factory intercom.

广播说，皮特是官方的指认人，只要他指向谁，谁就被解雇，必须立刻回家。

It said that Pete was the official pointer, and if he pointed at you, you were fired from the factory and had to go home right then and there.

约翰当然对被机器人取代感到沮丧，不想离开，所以皮特不得不叫了保安。

John was upset about being replaced by a robot, of course, and didn't want to leave, so Pete had to call security.

一位肌肉发达的女性和一位健壮的男子穿着保安制服走了过来，但他们给皮特制造了另一个麻烦。

A muscular woman and burly man came over in their security uniforms, but they made another problem for Pete.

他们不愿意仅仅因为一个从未谋面的声音指示皮特指人，就把约翰赶出去。

They weren't willing to throw John out just because some voice they'd never met had told Pete to point.

当然，这对皮特来说是不可接受的。

Well, that wouldn't do for Pete, of course.

于是皮特抬起手指，先指向一名保安，然后指向另一名。

So Pete limbored up his finger and pointed at one security guard and then the other.

几秒钟内，又有两个机器人迅速进场，正式接替了保安的职责，把那两名老保安抬出了工厂，扔到了停车场。

In seconds, two more robots had zipped in and now officially being security, carried the old two security guards out of the factory and dumped them in the parking lot.

片刻之后，他们又嗡嗡地返回，用同样的方式把约翰也抬了出去。

A moment later, they buzzed back in and carried John out the same way.

嘿。

Hey.

等一下，约翰说。

Wait a minute, said John.

但他被抬走时声音越来越小，当工厂大门在他身后砰地关上时，他的声音变得更小了。

But he got quieter as he said it, being carried away and all, and he even got quieter still when the factory door slammed shut behind him.

啊，我们现在总算有进展了，皮特说。

Ah, now we're making progress, said Pete.

这种新获得的力量让皮特感觉很好，他是个彻头彻尾的公司人。

The newfound power felt good to Pete, and he was a company man through and through.

那天剩下的时间里，他时刻留意着任何微小的错误。

The rest of that day, he kept his eyes peeled for any little mistake.

装配线上没给产品贴标签？

Miss putting a tag on a unit in the assembly line?

在食堂给鸡肉三明治放错了酱？

Put the wrong sauce on a chicken sandwich in the cafeteria?

午餐时间用了三十一天，而不是工厂规定的三十分钟？

Take thirty one minutes instead of the factory approved thirty for lunch?

皮特一指，砰砰，你就会被扔到停车场，脑袋晕乎乎的，而一个外壳光滑、白色、冰冷的机器人就会接手你的工作。

Pete would point and bang, boom, you'd be in the parking lot with a spinning head and a robot with a smooth, white, cold plastic shell would be doing your job.

到了第二天，消息就传开了。

By the next day, the word had gotten around.

工厂对用机器人取代人类非常认真，如果你出错，皮特就会指出来。

The factory was serious about replacing people with robots, and if you slipped up, Pete would point you out.

现在谈话声变小了，笑声也稀少了，唱歌声完全消失了。

The talking was lower now, the laughter more sparse, and the singing was gone completely.

而且，没人想丢掉工作，所以每个人都格外努力，避免犯哪怕是最小的错误。

And, well, no one wanted to lose their jobs, so everyone tried extra hard not to make even the smallest mistake.

皮特还是指出了一个在汽水机前耽搁太久的家伙。

Pete still managed to point at one guy who took too long at the soda machine.

他们没货了，他尖叫着，被机器人拖走了。

They were out of diet, he screamed as the robots dragged him away.

他还指出了另一个在洗手间多待了一会儿的女性，机器人甚至在她还没拉上裤子前就取代了她。

And he pointed at another woman who took a little too long in the bathroom, and the robots had replaced her before she even pulled up her pants.

从那以后，由于所有人都表现得非常规矩，皮特再也没有指过任何人。

After that, with everyone being so well behaved, Pete didn't do any pointing at all.

你可能会觉得这是件好事，但你错了。

You'd think that would be a good thing, but you'd be wrong.

皮特被叫回老板的办公室，独自一人面对一部扬声器，扬声器对他说：

Pete got called back into the owner's office where he sat alone with a speakerphone that said to him,

皮特，我们每天都有更多机器人到来。

Pete, we have more robots arriving by the day.

你需要指出

You need to point

更多的人。

out more people.

是的，先生们，皮特说，无论其他工人发生什么，他都乐意为老板们效劳。

Yes, sirs, Pete said, happy to help the owners no matter what happened to the other workers.

现在进入短暂的广告时段。

Now for a quick ad break.

广告结束后，我们将继续讲述这个故事。

We'll be back with the rest of the story after this.

如果您想收听无广告的讲故事播客和其他喜爱的儿童播客，请在Apple播客上订阅Wondery Plus Kids。

If you'd like stories podcast and other favorite kid podcasts ad free, subscribe to Wondery Plus Kids on Apple Podcasts.

他回到工厂车间，变得比以往任何时候都更严格。

And he went back out on the factory floor and got stricter than ever.

他指着两名走得太近的女性，然后又指着另外两名走得太远的人。

He pointed at two women for walking too close together, and then pointed at two others for walking too far apart.

他们都被机器人并排拖了出去，以便完全均匀地间隔开来。

They were all dragged out by the robots side by side, just so equally spaced.

皮特指着他的老朋友，因为他想和自己碰拳，然后又指向整个部门，因为他们停下工作来庆祝生日。

Pete pointed at his old friend for trying to give him a fist bump, and then he pointed at an entire department who stopped work to have a birthday party.

机器人像一群光滑、白色、冰冷的塑料洪流涌入，打断了他们的生日祝福，把他们拖到停车场，然后接管了他们的工作。

The robots came in like a smooth, white, cold plastic swarm and dragged them out mid happy birthday to and tossed them in the parking lot before taking over their jobs.

蛋糕被留在原地，因为保洁员因流感想家了，于是皮特打电话给他，通过视频通话指着他。

The cake was left behind because the janitor was homesick with the flu, so Pete dialed him up to point at him over a video call.

片刻之后，一个机器人保洁员滚了进来，生日蛋糕连同蜡烛一起被扔进了垃圾桶。

And moments later, a robot janitor rolled in, and the birthday cake hit the trash, candles and all.

现在，工厂车间里再也没有笑声了。

Now there was no laughter on the factory floor.

人们几乎不敢互相交谈，唱歌成了遥远的回忆。

People barely dared to talk to each other, and singing was a distant memory.

佩特偶尔听到一声‘早上好’，或是一声咳嗽、座椅的挪动，甚至连这些细微的声响也开始让他烦躁。

Pete heard the occasional good morning, the occasional cough or shifting in a seat, and even those little noises started to bother him.

他指出了每一个制造噪音的人，每一个休息、笑、说话或唱歌的人，哪怕他们正在做枯燥的工作。

He pointed out each and every offender, everyone who made a noise or took a break or laughed or talked or sang while they did a boring job.

他指出了所有表现得像人一样的人，机器人便轻松进来，毫无怨言地接管了他们的工作。

He pointed at anyone who acted human, in other words, and the robots breezed in and took their jobs without complaint.

最终，在不断指认之后，佩特自己也感到疲惫了。

Finally, after all that pointing, Pete found himself getting tired.

他对自己说：‘今天为公司替换掉不少人，真不错。’他丝毫不担心那些被替换的人如今没了工作，该如何赚取食物的钱。

Good day of replacing people for the company, he said to himself, not worrying at all about how those replaced people would make money for food now that the robots had all the jobs.

该休息了。

Time to get some rest.

但还没来得及休息，老板们就最后一次召他进了办公室。

But before he could rest, the owners called him into the office one last time.

在办公室里，他们告诉他，他做得太棒了，还有一件小事要他帮忙。

In the office, they told him he had done such a good job, they just had one more little thing for him.

一只小机器人嗡嗡地进来，出人意料地用石膏给皮特的手做了一个指向姿势的模型。

A little robot buzzed in and, of all things, took a plaster mold of Pete's hand, in a pointing pose, of course.

他们特别仔细地还原了食指的每一个细节，然后让皮特回家休息。

They took extra care to get the details of the pointer finger just right and then sent Pete home to rest.

那天晚上他回家后，向孙女讲述了自己所做的所有出色工作。

When he went home that night, he told his granddaughter about all the good work he had done.

他们后来怎么样了？

What happens to them?

她问道。

She asked.

那些机器人？

The robots?

皮特说。

Said Pete.

它们继续工作。

They carry on working.

不。

No.

是人们，她说。

The people, she said.

我为什么要关心？

Why should I care?

皮特说。

Said Pete.

我是你们无法替代的那个人。

I'm the one guy you can't replace.

那个负责指路的人。

The guy who does the pointing.

今天，他们甚至给我手指做了个模型。

Today, they even took a mold of my finger.

我觉得他们会给你那只老爪子做个雕像。

I think they're gonna make a statue of your old paw.

你对此有什么话说？

What do you say to that?

她其实并不懂这些机制是如何运作的，但她为祖父感到高兴。

She didn't really understand how any of it worked, but she was happy for her grandfather.

于是她欢呼起来，然后摇摇晃晃地跑去哄奶奶给点糖果。

So she cheered, and then toddled off to see if she could wheedle some candy from her nana.

第二天早上，皮特回到工厂上班。

The next morning, Pete went back into the factory for work.

他看到空荡荡的停车场感到很高兴，走进工厂后，更高兴于那寂静的车间。

He was delighted by the empty parking lot and even more delighted by the quiet factory floor when he went inside.

没有交谈、没有笑声、没有歌唱，只有机器人默默为老板赚钱的宁静。

No talking or laughing or singing, just the quiet of the robots making the owners money.

他走上前去准备就位，却发现一个机器人正穿着和他一模一样的衣服，通体由光滑、洁白、冰冷的塑料制成。

He walked up to take his place, and there, dressed just like him, built all of smooth, white, cold plastic, was a robot.

而那个机器人有着他的手。

And the robot had his hand.

在那只手的末端，机器人有着他的手指——皮特的手指，正直直地指着皮特。

And at the end of his hand, the robot had his finger, Pete's finger, and it was pointing right at Pete.

不，皮特结结巴巴地说。

No, Pete stammered.

我？

Me?

但但我是那个指人的人。

But but I I'm the pointer.

他话音刚落，一个机器人嗡地一声冲过来，用四只手臂抓住了皮特。

And quick as he said that, a robot buzzed in and grabbed Pete with its four arms.

它力气太大，根本无法反抗，还没等他反应过来，砰——哐当。

It was so strong there was no fighting back, and before he knew it, boom, crash.

他被扔到了停车场。

He was dumped in the parking lot.

皮特坐起身，拍了拍身上的灰尘。

Pete sat up and dusted himself off.

没有说话，没有笑声，更没有唱歌，但周围有些抱怨声。

There was no talking, no laughing, and certainly no singing, but there was some grumbling.

从停车场各处，所有皮特曾经指过并取代的工厂工人走了出来。

From around the parking lot, all the other factory workers Pete had pointed at and replaced came out.

你还在这儿？

You're still here?

皮特有点害怕地问。

Asked Pete, a little afraid.

没地方可去，一个人说。

Nowhere else to go, said one.

我们在这儿抗议。

We're here protesting.

感觉怎么样？

How does it feel?

另一个人问道。

Asked another.

皮特说：‘很糟糕。’

Bad, said Pete.

感觉真的很糟。

It feels really bad.

一对健壮的夫妇走了上来。

A burly couple stepped up.

女人手里拿着一块长长的木制标牌。

One had a long wooden sign in her hands.

另一个男人拿着两根沉重的撬棍。

The other held two heavy pry bars.

皮特缩了回去，但那个健壮的男人只是把撬棍递给了皮特。

Pete cringed back, but the burly guy just offered the bar to Pete.

准备好采取行动了吗？

Ready to do something about it?

皮特接过撬棍，人群随即将他托了起来。

Pete took the pry bar, and then the crowd surged him to his feet.

我想是的，皮特说。

I think I am, said Pete.

但我不确定这次抗议会有效果。

But I I don't know that protesting is going to work this time.

老板们根本不在这里。

The owners aren't even here.

那怎么办？

Then what?

嗯，皮特说，我设法偷出了我的门禁卡，工厂工人们都笑了。

Well, said Pete, I did manage to sneak out my security card, and the factory workers all smiled.

工厂内部，只有机器人工作的寂静。

Inside the factory, it was the quiet of robots working.

它们工作迅速，很少出错。

They worked fast and rarely made mistakes.

他们从不说话。

They never talked.

他们从未搞错过酱料。

They never got a sauce wrong.

他们从不笑。

They never laughed.

他们从不停歇。

They never stopped.

他们从不唱歌。

They never sang.

一次都没有。

Not once.

从未有过。

Not ever.

外门，就是那个需要安全码的门，不知怎的，发出了一声蜂鸣，然后打开了。

The outer doors, the one with the security code, somehow beeped and opened.

然后，砰的一声，轰然巨响。

And then, boom, crash.

工厂车间的门在门铰上剧烈晃动。

The doors of the factory floor rocked on their hinges.

机器人试图锁住它们，但工厂是人类建造的。

The robots had tried to lock them, but the humans had built the factory.

每一颗钉子、每一个螺栓、每一针缝线，它们都无法被阻挡。

Every nail and bolt and stitch, and they couldn't be held back.

门猛地炸开，人类蜂拥而入。

The doors burst open, and the humans flooded in.

停下。

Stop.

停下。

Stop.

一个机器人说道，它的职责就是在有入侵者时大喊停下。

Said a robot whose job it was to shout stop when there were intruders.

那个指路机器人疯狂地指着，疯狂地朝各个方向旋转。

The pointing robot was pointing like mad, spinning wildly in every direction.

安保机器人抓住了皮特和他旁边的那位女士，但人类用标语和工具砸碎了它们。

The security robots grabbed Pete and the other woman next to him, but the humans smashed them with their signs and tools.

然后其他机器人也来了，它们也被砸碎了。

And then the other robots came, and they smashed them too.

我不瞒你说。

And I'm not gonna lie.

虽然砸了很久，但最终，人类夺回了他们的工作。

It took a lot of smashing, but in the end, the humans took their jobs back.

当老板们打电话过来，试图让别人重新开始指路时，由于大家不停地说话、欢笑和唱歌，他们只是任由电话一直响、一直响、一直响。

And when the owners called and tried their best to make someone else start pointing again, well, with all the talking and laughing and singing, they just let that phone ring and ring and ring.

故事结束。

The end.

今天的故事《指路人》是由丹尼尔·欣德斯专为你们创作的原创故事。

Today's story, the pointer, was an original story written for you by Daniel Hinds.

本集由艾莉·欣德斯编辑和制作，由我，阿曼达·韦尔登为您演绎。

It was edited and produced for you by Ellie Hinds and performed for you by me, Amanda Weldon.

如果您想支持这个故事播客，可以在 iTunes 上给我们留下五颗星的评价。

If you would like to support stories podcast, you can leave us a five star review on iTunes.

您可以在 storiespodcast.com/shop 购买我们的所有周边商品，在 Cameo 上定制专属视频，关注我们的 Instagram 账号 stories podcast，或只是向朋友推荐我们。

Check out all of our merch available at storiespodcast.com/shop, commission a special video on Cameo, follow us on Instagram at stories podcast, or simply tell your friends about us.

感谢您的收听。

Thanks for listening.