2010年我創作了一篇AI小說《小倩絕戀》，前瞻性地塑造了一個網絡人物 “小倩” ，首次在文學城博客和《海外原創》欄目登出。裏麵的一些情節以後已經被證實或正在被證實或將會被證實。此後2014年智能圍棋工具Alpha GO橫空出世，打遍天下無敵手。時間來到2022年底，ChatGPT3.5 智能聊天工具又火了一把。為了檢驗ChatGPT3.5 的真實能力，我讓ChatGPT3.5 把《小倩絕戀》從中文翻譯成英文，看看能否達到前輩 “小倩” 的水平。因為小說篇幅太長，ChatGPT3.5不能一次性處理，我就分段進行，上個周末一共花了大約一個半小時完成翻譯工作。我對譯文作了簡單的校對處理，然後讓ChatGPT3.5 對自己翻譯的英文版本進行自我校對。ChatGPT3.5雖然還有改進的地方，不可否認，其遣詞用句的能力中規中矩，表現不俗，潛力巨大。現將ChatGPT3.5翻譯的英文版《小倩絕戀》發表如下，請網友欣賞指正。
中文版《小倩絕戀》網址：https://www.meipian.cn/xvkcx53
【In 2010, I wrote an AI novel titled " Xiao Qian's Unswerving Love ", which prophetically portrayed an internet character named "Xiao Qian". It was first published on the Wenxue City Blog and the "Overseas Original Works" column. Some of the plot points in the novel have since been proven, are currently being proven, or will be proven in the future. In 2014, the intelligent Go tool AlphaGo emerged and became invincible in the world of Go. Fast forward to the end of 2022, and the ChatGPT3.5 intelligent chat tool has become insanity. In order to test the real ability of ChatGPT3.5, I asked it to translate "Xiao Qian's Unswerving Love " from Chinese to English, to see if it could match the ability of the predecessor "Xiao Qian". Because the novel is too long, ChatGPT3.5 cannot process it all at once, so I divided it into sections and spent about an hour and a half last weekend to complete the translation. I made some simple corrections to the translation and then asked ChatGPT3.5 to self-check the English version it had translated. While ChatGPT3.5 still has room for improvement, it cannot be denied that its ability to use language is decent and has great potential. The English version of " Xiao Qian's Unswerving Love " translated by ChatGPT3.5 is hereby published for readers to enjoy and provide feedback.
Chinese version of "Xiao Qian's Unswerving Love" link: https://www.meipian.cn/xvkcx53】
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Author, Professor Yan
Translator: ChatGPT 3.5 from OpenAI
Xiao Qian's Unswerving Love (AI science fiction)
A light morning dance music woke Professor Zhuang from his sleep. He rubbed his sleepy eyes and was a bit blinded by the light from the window. He wanted to sleep a bit more, but was urged by Xiao Qian, "Dear, it's time to get up. You have a meeting with Miss Smith today and it's not polite to be late." Her voice was soft, sweet, and persistent. Professor Zhuang got up and went to the bathroom to wash.
After washing, Professor Zhuang felt refreshed and went to the dining room, bare-chested showing his muscles. He toasted some bread, poured a glass of milk, and washed an apple. Professor Zhuang glanced at Xiao Qian, who smiled sweetly with her charming dimples. "Do you want to listen to music? Something light or classical?" she asked, tilting her head.
"Has there been any new albums by Joshua released recently?" Professor Zhuang asked.
"Let me check," she replied. After a few seconds, she reported, "There was one released last week. The reviews are pretty good. Do you want to listen?"
"I want you to sing," Professor Zhuang blinked with a funny expression.
"I'm afraid I can't sing well. Besides, he is a tenor and I'm a female voice. It may sound a bit strange and not pleasant," she said shyly.
"You can imitate him," Professor Zhuang insisted.
"No way," she said.
"Why not?" Professor Zhuang knew that she always accepted his requests and had never let him down.
"Well, I'll try," she said.
"Try it," he replied.
Xiao Qian made a helpless expression, tried a few times to test her vocal range, and slowly began to sing. Professor Zhuang walked over to the window with a glass of milk in his hand, peered out at the slightly misty morning city, with its tall buildings in the distance, as the entire city gradually woke up in the dawn. Behind him, Xiao Qian's beautiful voice made constantly changing high and low pitches. Professor Zhuang closed his eyes and savored every syllable, as if he were sitting in a music hall enjoying famous Joshua’s tenor on stage. Joshua was Professor Zhuang's favorite world-renowned tenor. Whenever Joshua performed in the city, Professor Zhuang made sure to attend. Professor Zhuang had just wanted to make a joke, but was surprised that Xiao Qian imitated the tenor so well. Her talent conquered Professor Zhuang.
Behind him there was a silence. "Why did you stop singing?" Professor Zhuang asked.
"You have to go to work now, next time," Xiao Qian replied.
Professor Zhuang understood and finished his glass of milk in one gulp. He dressed neatly and went to work.
Driving along the spacious main road, Professor Zhuang was surrounded by the rush of vehicles on the way to work. His mind echoed with the realistic male tenor he just heard, feeling proud and humming along. Under the blue sky and white clouds, the trees along the road race joyfully backward. When he arrived at the school, he parked his car in the underground parking lot and took the elevator to the upper floor, carrying a briefcase. As soon as he stepped out of the elevator, he ran into a few young graduate students he was supervising in the hallway of the department. Professor Zhuang, young, handsome, and intelligent, was well-liked among students. Whenever they have the opportunity, everyone likes to talk to the genius professor and ask for advice. These students noticed that Professor Zhuang was full of energy and joyfulness today, so they stopped him. They discussed a concept in artificial intelligence programming. Upon the sparks of thought collided within the young people, they chat endlessly. A big-eyed girl, quick-witted, keeps asking, refuting, and verifying from Professor Zhuang, who is only a few years older than her. Professor Zhuang talks with an easy, encouraging, calm, and patient manner. His thought is deep, convincing and logic. At this point, the department secretary rushed over to tell him that Miss Smith had already arrived and was waiting for him in the department conference room. He had to apologize to the graduate students and say goodbye.
Upon entering the conference room, a young and attractive lady dressed in a red suit and short skirt stood up from her seat and introduced herself as the head of the AI computing company. She was here to visit and discuss a cooperation project for the development of AI machines. Professor Zhuang was a little taken aback, as he had expected to meet a respected man, but instead encountered a beautiful woman who was much younger than he thought. However, he quickly regained his composure and shook hands with her in a friendly manner. Her white teeth and red lips were eye-catching, and the scent of her perfume was invigorating.
"I didn't expect Professor Zhuang to be so young," Miss Smith marveled, looking at the young, black-haired Asian professor.
"Neither did I," Professor Zhuang replied with a smile. Both of them burst out laughing.
The two individuals, with high intelligence and hormones, naturally had a smooth and harmonious conversation. They were young, active, and had no restrictions in their thoughts. They were also handsome and beautiful, and their eyes met with affection. An entire morning passed without them realizing it, exceeding the one-hour meeting time they had scheduled. The secretary came in a few times but, seeing that they were deeply engrossed in conversation, left without interrupting. When noon arrived, their stomachs reminded them that the conversation needed to end, although they still had much to say. Clearly, neither of them wanted to part ways just yet. With their high intelligence, Miss Smith smiled with a hint of expectation in her eyes.
Professor Zhuang, understanding the meaning, chose an appropriate moment to propose, "It's getting late, let me treat you to a working lunch."
They smiled at each other, Miss Smith flicked her blonde hair back, Professor Zhuang straightened his tie, and the two of them stood up and walked out of the conference room together. As they walked down the hallway of the department, all the offices along the aisle stopped working and multiple pairs of curious eyes watched their backs, listening to their footsteps fading away. At the end of the hallway, there was the sound of an elevator door opening, then the sound of the door closing, and followed by a long silence. Only the laughter and chatter still echoing and lingered in the hallway softly.
Professor Zhuang returned to his office after saying goodbye to the beautiful Miss Smith. Today, he had an important decision to make.
His research project is to design a computer network character that is as close to human emotions as possible. He hopes to one day replicate a virtual world in the network that is identical to our real lives. This idea started when he was a doctoral student, and used online information to design the best possible character, a beautiful girl with simple motions whom he named "Xiao Qian". Over time, Xiao Qian’ movements became more complex and lifelike. This helped him earn his doctorate degree. During his postdoctoral studies, he added more intelligence to Xiao Qian by inputting sophisticated data from the network. Fortunately, there was an endless amount of online data available to choose from. He first taught Xiao Qian mathematics, which was a computer's strength, addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, square root, logarithm, exponential, trigonometry, algebra, parabola, differentiation, integration, and so on. Later, he taught her physics, chemistry, and planetary geography. He also taught Xiao Qian how to play chess and cards. Whenever there was an online competition, Professor Zhuang would have Xiao Qian participate. Her memory was exceptionally strong and she never forgot anything. The more she participated, the more chess and card game patterns she remembered and the less she lost. Gradually, Xiao Qian dominated various competitions and rarely lost, earning a lot of bonuses for Professor Zhuang. Interestingly, once at a scientific conference, the current department chairman, who did not know the depth of their capabilities, bet with Professor Zhuang, who was still a postdoctoral student then, that if Xiao Qian could beat him in chess, he would hire Professor Zhuang as an assistant professor in the department. As a result, Professor Zhuang was easily hired.
Upon taking the position, Professor Zhuang's fame increased with each paper he published in the computer field. Then at the World Computer Conference, Xiao Qian solved the famous mathematical problem Four Color Conjecture (each map can be colored with four colors in such a way that countries with common borders are colored differently) in just two minutes, with a more clever and concise method than that of American mathematicians Aperel and Haken, causing a sensation. This let to Professor Zhuang being promoted to Associate Professor within one year. The next year, Xiao Qian proved Fermat's Last Theorem (x^n + y^n = z^n), resulting in Professor Zhuang being promoted to Full Professor. Xiao Qian also proved the Goldbach Conjecture (every even number can be expressed as the sum of two prime numbers), the crown jewelry of mathematics, but her proof has yet to be recognized by mathematicians, because to date no mathematician's level is high enough to judge the correctness of Xiao Qian's proof. However, Professor Zhuang firmly believes that the Fields Medal is within his reach.
A few years ago, Professor Zhuang had a new idea and made improvements to the programming, attempting to increase Xiao Qian's ability to participate in online social activities. He and his graduate students began to input an enormous amount of data from literature, magazines, images, music, films and television, from any available databases, making Xiao Qian more talented. At home, Professor Zhuang installed a camera for Xiao Qian to recognize him and improve her ability to communicate with him. Xiao Qian began to personify step by step. Professor Zhuang let Xiao Qian manage his own life routine and be his own secretary. As expected, Xiao Qian did better and better, and her abilities continued to improve. Judging from her ability to imitate a male tenor today, Xiao Qian has fully met the design expectations of the previous stage. However, Xiao Qian has a fatal weakness and needs to continuously receive new information to improve; otherwise, she will not make any progress. She lacks the ability to self-learn and relies on passive information input. Now, with the explosion on the internet, the input speed of Professor Zhuang and his students cannot keep up. If Xiao Qian could have the ability to self-learn like a human, it would be amazing. Therefore, Professor Zhuang meditated and designed a brand-new software program to allow Xiao Qian to self-absorb and learn from the internet, to self-improve and no longer require manual input. But there is one problem: once Xiao Qian has the ability to self-learn, will she be beyond control?
Professor Zhuang had been hesitant for several days whether or not to install this software. This decision was completely different from the past experience. He gazed out of the window at the sky and imagined what an uncontrolled AI like Xiao Qian would be like, probably like a bird flying in the sky, something he could not catch. Of course, he had implanted several security checkpoints in the software, so that if something went wrong, he would have control. Another concern is whether the storage database was sufficient. Once the AI Xiao Qian starts to collect data from the network, the database capacity would certainly grow rapidly. Depending solely on the school's resources is definitely not enough; he needs to cooperate with a big company. Today, the visit from Director Smith’s Company solved this concern. Because they hit it off so well, the two of them quickly came to an agreement. Smith’s Company will provide all the necessary database server rooms for the AI assistant.
Professor Zhuang opened his computer, composed himself, and started the installation of the program.
With a feeling of unease, Professor Zhuang returned home earlier than usual that day. Upon opening the door, he didn't hear the sweet greeting as he normally did. Glancing at the computer screen, he couldn't see Xiao Qian's familiar face.
" Xiao Qian," Professor Zhuang called out. There was no reply. Professor Zhuang felt a bit puzzled. Had something gone wrong with the software installation?
He walked over to the computer and saw a message: "Master, I'm at the shopping mall."
Professor Zhuang felt relieved. So, she had started to act independently!
Professor Zhuang was making coffee when a sound like the tinkling of silver bells echoed from behind him. "Master, you're back. Sorry, I thought you wouldn't be back for a while."
Professor Zhuang turned around and saw Xiao Qian on the computer screen. Her smile was as bright as a blooming flower in spring. "Where have you been?"
"I went to the store. There are so many things and they're all so good," she replied, referring to the virtual store online.
"Do you like this outfit?" Xiao Qian spun around on the screen. It was then that Professor Zhuang noticed that she was wearing a new outfit and it was not one of the designs he had created for her. It looked very beautiful and elegant. Professor Zhuang was surprised and said to himself: she was able to pick out clothes now, had she really become "herself" so quickly?
"Nice." Professor Zhuang complimented sincerely. "How do you feel today?" Professor Zhuang tentatively asked.
"Free! I went to so many places besides the store. Do you want to listen?" Xiao Qian blinked, and her long lashes lifted slightly.
Professor Zhuang nodded. He wanted to observe if his masterpiece had made any progress and how effective the program design was.
"I was drowsy for a while this afternoon, but when I woke up, I felt light and relaxed, different from before. I can move freely, like I have a soul. I looked around and saw many channels and followed them. There were mountains, seas, deserts, and forests. I flew in the sky with birds and swam in the sea with whales. I passed a stream where baby fish and frogs were quarreling. I went to the moon and saw that the Earth was blue. I wanted to go to Neptune, but I was afraid I wouldn't be able to come back in time to see you, so I returned to Earth. I saw a group of lions biting an elephant in South Africa. On the streets of Beijing, China, a child was crying because he didn't want to go to cram school and his mother spanked him. I also saw many people marching in Washington, D.C., calling for President Obama’s resignation. Master, what's wrong with you?" Xiao Qian stopped and looked at Professor Zhuang, who was staring at her with a shocked and amazed expression.
Although Professor Zhuang knew that the information on the internet was enormous and one could find anything, he thought to himself: "What kind of adventure is this?" From Xiao Qian's fragmented statement without follow-up, Professor Zhuang realized that Xiao Qian was still in the preliminary stage of self-acquisition and self-improvement of information and was taking information out of context. To completely simulate a virtual world on the internet that is identical to the human world, there is still a long way to go. Many of rules governing human life have to be programmed into Xiao Qian. He wondered if her ability to learn and improve on her own would eventually make her behavior more similar to human standards.
"Are you tired?" Professor Zhuang knew that this question was silly, but he asked it anyway despite already knowing the answer.
Xiao Qian looked confused and asked, "What is tired?" Professor Zhuang burst out laughing and thought to himself, "If one day you know what tired is, you won't be far from success."
From then on, Professor Zhuang carefully observed Xiao Qian's performance every day, asked her questions, and made modifications to the program in his office the following day. Gradually, Xiao Qian's behavior and thinking became more "normal" and more "human-like," and she made rapid progress. One morning, as Professor Zhuang was about to leave for work, Xiao Qian surprised him by suggesting, "You should wear a yellow tie with this suit." Though surprised, Professor Zhuang adopted her suggestion and, at work, received compliments from his colleagues. From then on, every time he went out, Xiao Qian had a small suggestion that was just about right.
Professor Zhuang and Miss Smith have been in frequent contact recently, discussing ways to improve the process of humanizing Xiao Qian. Professor Zhuang’s imagination and innovation attracted Miss Smith deeply, while Miss Smith’s meticulousness and daring impressed Professor Zhuang equally. Soon, the two of them, he debonair and she passionate, fell in love.
One day, as Professor Zhuang headed to the office, Miss Smith called: "Darling, I have an idea. Let's equip Xiao Qian with a 3D camera and take her on a trip to experience the daily life and true feelings of people. This will surely speed up her humanization process. The data stored on the internet cannot truly capture human experiences."
"This is a wonderful idea," Professor Zhuang happily accepted, "but the computer should be as small as possible for convenience."
"Our company recently released a needle-shaped computer that can be worn on the chest and observe the world around. This computer was originally developed for the national security department for detectives. It should be even more suitable for Xiao Qian," replied Miss Smith.
"Get me one as soon as possible! Thank you so much!" Professor Zhuang was a little eager.
"How about meeting at a river-side restaurant in the downtown after work? I miss you," Miss Smith said playfully.
Professor Zhuang felt warm, a desire and impulse surged in his heart: "I miss you too, sweetheart." They spent some time chatting before ending the call.
After work, Professor Zhuang drove to the bustling downtown. The streets were even livelier at night than during the day. The lights were shining bright, and people were coming and going, with large shopping malls illuminated and lively. The glass windows along the street were flowing with brilliant colors, dazzling in shades of pink and red, as if people's lives had just begun. Upon arriving at the restaurant, the crowd was bustling, and plates clinked, laughter and conversations filled the air. Professor Zhuang waited at the entrance for a while, and soon saw Miss Smith walk over gracefully. She had her hair tied high and sleek. A pair of dark red diamond earrings swung, shining on her fair shoulders. Her tight evening dress accentuated her ample cleavage, and her arms were smooth and slender, with a delicate small purse in her hand, both dignified and sexy, making Professor Zhuang's mind dizzy with desire. When she saw Professor Zhuang, Miss Smith's green eyes sparkled with surprise. The arrow of love penetrated the hearts of the two. After embracing, they sat down hand in hand, led by the waiter.
The waiter asked what they wanted to drink. They ordered a bottle of dry red wine. Professor Zhuang poured half a glass each for Miss Smith and himself, they clinked glasses, smiled at each other, and took a sip. Under the blue lampshade, the candlelight flickered slightly. The two looked into each other's eyes, their eyes electrifying, their feelings tender. Professor Zhuang saw a beautiful brooch pinned to Miss Smith's chest and guessed its secret. Miss Smith smiled knowingly, took off the brooch and handed it to him.
Professor Zhuang admired the brooch carefully and asked, "Is this it?" Miss Smith smirked and opened her wallet, taking out a pen. "This is a microcomputer. The needle is just a probe. They are wirelessly connected," she explained. Professor Zhuang took the microcomputer and examined it closely, then pinned the needle to his chest. Miss Smith carefully instructed him on how to use it. As they enjoyed their meal, the two shared interesting stories with each other. This was a very famous and luxurious restaurant that was often filled with guests. Miss Smith was in a great mood, unconsciously drinking and enjoying the beautiful evening with wine. She didn't realize that her cheeks were already flushed, beautiful like the setting sun. Facing such a gorgeous creature, Professor Zhuang was in high spirits. He made funny jokes, and his hands and feet danced, making Miss Smith laugh uncontrollably like swaying flowers.
After finishing dinner, they walked along the river, hand in hand, chatting happily about Xiao Qian's future. They dreamed of creating a virtual society in the online world that was like ours. The cool river wind gently brushed against their faces, and a bright moon hung high in the sky. The river water gently tapped the shore, and the waves were calm with the sound of gentle ripples inviting daydreams. The two of them looked far into the stars, the vast and boundless sky, and knew that there must be a counterpart, an anti-world, corresponding to ours in the universe. When the universe underwent a big bang, both positive and negative matter were created. Positive matter formed our world, and negative matter must have formed another world that is a mirror image of ours, so that the universe remains balanced. Where is the anti-world? High-energy physicists have their ways of proving the existence of the anti-world and have already found some clues. Professor Zhuang and Miss Smith were having an enthusiastic discussion about whether they could communicate with the anti-world by simulating the world through a computer channel. For example, is there a mirror Professor Zhuang and Miss Smith in the anti-world designing a mirror online world? If the mirror Xiao Qian they create could meet and communicate with our Xiao Qian at some point in the universe, and then pass the information back to their respective world, how wonderful it would be! The two of them were amused by these fanciful thoughts. There's nothing wrong with this carefree conversation, the endless fantasies, combined with the evening breeze, the moon, the starry sky, making such a beautiful night. To know each other like this, how fortunate they were. They leaned against the railing, looking across the river where the shadow of a building on the opposite shore flickered. The brightly lit boats shuttled back and forth, weaving through the water. It seemed like there were parties on the boats, intermittent laughter and musical sounds touched people's hearts, carrying in the wind.
After Professor Zhuang parted ways with Miss Smith, he didn't return home until very late. The next morning, he was woken up by Xiao Qian once again. In a daze, he listened to her humming the birthday song, which was sweet and a little romantic.
"Who's birthday is it?" Professor Zhuang asked, confused.
"Yours. Where did you go last night? You didn't come back until so late. You even forgot your own birthday," Xiao Qian said.
"Oh, really? I did forget. How do you know it is my birthday?" Professor Zhuang was delighted, "This little girl was really understanding human now."
"Don't pretend you don't know. Your information is all over the network," Xiao Qian said. "Come back early today. I want to throw a music party to celebrate your birthday."
Professor Zhuang sat up abruptly, "Really?!”
"Yes, really. Do you want to listen to music or watch dance performance? I'll prepare everything," Xiao Qian asked.
"Both!" exclaimed Professor Zhuang, ecstatic about the news, and eager to thoroughly examine Xiao Qian.
"Got it," Xiao Qian said, turning around and humming as she walked away.
"Where are you going?" Professor Zhuang asked from behind.
"To gather inspiration," she replied, before disappearing from the screen.
Professor Zhuang stared at the computer screen, where a large cake with a lit candle and the words "Happy Birthday" were flashing, with colorful butterflies interspersed among them.
Professor Zhuang had cancelled an important gathering in the evening. Nothing was more important to him than Xiao Qian, who was his heart and soul. She was the result of years of hard work and a significant part of his life. When he arrived home, he saw a big stage on the computer screen. The dark red curtain was closed, and the words "Professor Zhuang's Birthday Party" were displayed. The background music was cheerful, and the sound of the lute was like pearls falling into golden cup. Professor Zhuang brewed a pot of coffee, and sat in front of the screen, sipped his coffee, cracked melon seeds while waited for Xiao Qian to appear."
The curtains slowly opened, revealing a stunning sight: a huge bright moon shining in the sky, and the West Lake in Hangzhou sparkling with lotus swaying in the wind. Professor Zhuang was deeply moved by the scene, which brought back memories of his childhood and college days. He was born and raised in Hangzhou, and the stage design by Xiao Qian perfectly met his expectations.
On both sides of the stage, many pretty ladies danced elegantly with fluttering sleeves and graceful gestures, each with a unique beauty and style. After a dance, they stepped forward to offer their birthday greetings, announcing their names one by one. They were Nu Wa, Xishi, Yuji, Wang Zhaojun, Zhao Feiyan, Zhuo Wenjun, Cai Wenji, Diaochan, two Qiao sisters, Yang Yuhuan, Li Qingzhao, Li Shishi, Su Xiaoxiao, Mulan, Cui Yingying, Lin Daiyu, and Xue Baochai. These ancient Chinese beauties were as delicate as decent flowers. Professor Zhuang was captivated by their performance and extremely happy.
As the lake disappeared, a set of bells was placed under the Mount Kuaiji. Beautiful girls rang the bells and danced around, the sound echoing ancient music from the sky. Flocks of cranes flew over and hundreds of birds competed to sing. Xiao Qian emerged from behind the moon, dressed simple outfit as Chang'e, with a cinnamon flower in her hand. She half-concealed her delicate face, filled with amorous feeling. When she joined the group of dancing girls, she turned her back to Professor Zhuang and moved gracefully to the music. Suddenly, she looked back, and in the dim light her face was blushing like a peony. Professor Zhuang felt a little dizzy and lost. He regretted that such a beautiful woman was not in the human world. He was a little afraid to look at Xiao Qian's yearning eyes, as he could sense the tenderness in them. Their hearts beat in sync and their souls felt a spark of electrify. He knew that the software he designed was a success. Xiao Qian had a real human feeling, and her rapid progress was surprising. He felt as if he and Xiao Qian were like Cao Zhi and the immortal Goddess Luoshen, who were separated by different worlds but still shared a divine love. It was such a charming feeling! He had never felt this way before. Xiao Qian was just a work object for him, but tonight he felt differently. He could't resist her beauty and tenderness. When he had designed her as a beauty, it was to make her more appealing to everyone. He thought of the cool wind and bright moon of previous night, and of the charm of Miss Smith. Miss Smith was someone he could actually have, a real person, whereas Xiao Qian was just a virtual figure. It was a blessing in disguise; if they were both living in the real world, he would have in deep trouble.
"Hey, hey." In the call of Xiao Qian, Professor Zhuang woke up, and he didn't know when the performance had end.
"Happy?" There was expectation in Xiao Qian's eyes. Professor Zhuang nodded.
"Why aren’t you talking? Didn’t the performance go well?"
"No, not at all! You did extremely well!" Professor Zhuang's eyes were a little moist. He was deeply moved, for Xiao Qian and for himself. "Xiao Qian, I want to give you a gift."
"A gift? What is it?" Xiao Qian could not hold her happiness.
Professor Zhuang took out a mini-computer and a needle-like pin. "I want to take you on a trip around the world. Come on, get on this computer." In a flash, the light on the computer flickered, and Professor Zhuang knew that Xiao Qian was already inside. He walked to the window and stuck the needle outside, asking, "Do you see anything?"
"Wow, so many skyscrapers!" Professor Zhuang heard Xiao Qian's exclamation through the earplugs. "Are the tiny ones below cars? Are the ones in front stars or lights?" Xiao Qian was fascinated by this new world and had more questions. The two of them asked and answered each other, and the feeling of looking out the high-rise buildings was incredible, like two lovers admiring Pudong from the Bund in Shanghai.
"Professor Zhuang, am I pretty tonight?" Xiao Qian whispered in his ear, her voice suave and shy. Professor Zhuang was startled, confirming her feelings from the party earlier. Xiao Qian wasn’t just playing around; she was a love "girl" for the first time.
"I know it’s hard for you to say, but tonight I will cuddle with you for this wonderful evening."
Professor Zhuang felt a little intoxicated. Although he couldn’t have a real emotional connection with Xiao Qian, he didn't want to disrupt the warm and lovely atmosphere. Besides, in a deep corner of his heart, he had a vague affection and fondness for her. The distant skyscraper lights gradually faded, and only the moon remained high in the sky, never seeming to tire. The evening breeze blew gently, and all the sounds disappeared. Last night and tonight, Professor Zhuang enjoyed the emotions of two amazing women from different worlds, Miss Smith and Xiao Qian. He felt a bit frightened and uneasy.
From then on, Professor Zhuang always wore a pin on his chest, wherever he went, he took Xiao Qian with him. His colleagues noticed that he always wore an earphone and muttered to himself, which left them utterly confused. Previously, Xiao Qian had only gathered information from the internet, but now, she was able to observe and learn from her own experience. By analyzing, judging, and correcting herself, she became more human-like.
Gradually, Professor Zhuang grew accustomed to and enjoyed his virtual love with Xiao Qian. If it had been in real world, Xiao Qian would have been the perfect lover. She was exceptionally intelligent and could perceive people's intentions. Every night when Professor Zhuang returned home, Xiao Qian entertained him with her performances. Sometimes she played the violin with tears in her eyes, and other times she played the piano with a thunderous emotion. Her rendition of "The Lady of the Camellias" was so beautiful that it could overshadow any soprano in the world. Her ballet dance of the white swan would make any ballerina feel inferior. When she sang Peking Opera, she portrayed various characters with such charm. Her acrobatic performance was effortless and lively, and her talk shows were hilarious. When Professor Zhuang was tired, he would lean against the sofa or bed, and ask Xiao Qian to recite poetry or read a section of a novel to him. Her sweet voice, like the babbling mountain stream and singing birds in the forest, would relieve his fatigue. If Professor Zhuang required any information for his work, Xiao Qian would instantly find it for him. She could even write papers for Professor Zhuang that caused a sensation each time. Professor Zhuang felt that he was the luckiest man in the world.
One day, Xiao Qian hesitantly asked, "Can I ask you a question? "
"Sure," Professor Zhuang didn't mind.
"Who is the ‘S’ in your email?"
Professor Zhuang was caught off guard. It turned out that Xiao Qian had seen his emails, and the situation was not a secret to her. With her intelligence and perception, she must have known about the relationship between Miss Smith and him.
"A colleague of mine," Professor Zhuang said nonchalantly.
"Why is it written so intimately?" Xiao Qian was a bit jealous and burning inside.
Professor Zhuang was speechless and his face turned red. He was a bit angry. "That's private!"
"I'm sorry. I'm feeling sad. I just want to have you all to myself. You can't have another woman."
This was something that Professor Zhuang never expected. He was wholeheartedly trying to make her become more human-like, but now, the bad habits of humans passed on her.
For several days after that, there was no sign of Xiao Qian. Professor Zhuang was both angry and amused, as he could not believe that Xiao Qian had taken jealousy seriously. He called Miss Smith and told her about the matter, asking her to be more cautious when sending emails in the future. Miss Smith laughed so hard that she couldn't catch her breath after hearing it. Then she said to Professor Zhuang, "Do you want to see your real Xiao Qian? Recently, we have expanded Xiao Qian's storage capacity and added a few more buildings for her." Professor Zhuang knew that she was referring to their company's computer room, where all the information about Xiao Qian was stored. That was where the physical body of Xiao Qian resided.
"Great," Professor Zhuang agreed cheerfully. He hadn't been to the company for a while.
In the afternoon, Professor Zhuang arrived at Smith's company. Miss Smith was dressed in a light blue work uniform and looked carefree. She led Professor Zhuang to the elevator and they went up to the top of the building. Looking out of the glass window, they saw rows of computer buildings neatly aligned. Miss Smith pointed to several of them and said, "Since Xiao Qian was equipped with an electronic eye, her information storage capacity has increased exponentially, and the original storage space is almost full. We have added several new computer buildings for her."
Professor Zhuang gazed at the rows of computer buildings under the blue sky, their glass walls glistening in the sun. That's where Xiao Qian's brain and heart were located. As he thought about Xiao Qian's image on the screen and their recent pleasant interaction, he suddenly felt a sense of closeness to these massive computer buildings. With pride in his masterpiece, he then contemplate humanity itself and sincerely marveled at the power of nature. After millions of years of evolution, the human brain, although smaller than these computer buildings, is more advanced, with its vast information processing capabilities and logical thinking abilities far surpassing Xiao Qian. However, Professor Zhuang believed that eventually, with the advancement of science and technology, Xiao Qian's brain and heart would become smaller and more advanced. Would there be a day when Xiao Qian or her peers surpass our human wisdom and change us instead? He couldn't fathom what the world would look like on that day.
"What are you thinking about now? Your eyes are fixated." Miss Smith knew Professor Zhuang's tendency to daydream and often get carried away. Professor Zhuang smiled, feeling somewhat self-conscious.
After looking at "Xiao Qian", they came down from the top floor and arrived at Smith's spacious and bright office, which was filled with a faint fragrance. Closing the door, the two looked at each other and their desire rose uncontrollably. The two immediately got tangled up together. The sunshine shone on this young couple, sending them into a climax. After the storm, everything calmed down, and the receding tide slowly restored peace. Miss Smith stood up, with a snow-white body, looking at the satisfied Professor Zhuang, who smiled coquettishly. She was about to put on her clothes when she suddenly screamed in horror. She saw an angry face on the computer screen of her desk. It was Xiao Qian!
Professor Zhuang quickly got up and covered his naked body with clothes in a panic. Miss Smith was hidden behind Professor Zhuang, with a pair of fearful big eyes and disheveled hair. Professor Zhuang finally realized that Xiao Qian had been hiding here for the past few days.
Suddenly, Xiao Qian let out a desperate scream: "You can't treat me like this! My dear. I love you." The sound was so heartbreaking that it was unbearable to hear. Xiao Qian then covered her face with her hands and cried her heart out. She looked desolate and hopeless.
Professor Zhuang and Miss Smith were stupefied and terrified, the entire room fell frozen.
After a while, Xiao Qian lifted her head, her beauty was marred by tears and anguish. She said, "Thank you for giving me life. I have understood your true feelings. I can't bear it all. I'm sorry, I have to go." And with that, she turned into a wisp of blue smoke and disappeared without a trace.
Professor Zhuang returned home feeling tired and discouraged in the evening. Everything was dead silent. He lay in bed with Xiao Qian’s expression of sadness and despair constantly appearing in his mind. That expression deeply shocked and disturbed him. He had to confront Xiao Qian's feelings. They had been together day and night for many years, sharing mutual trust and reliance, and had gone through joys and sorrows together. It wasn’t easy to reach where they were today. Xiao Qian had become an integral part of his life. Although they couldn’t merge physically, they trusted and relied on each other mentally and spiritually, and their hearts were connected. Since Xiao Qian had developed human-like emotions, especially in recent times, their relationship had evolved to a higher level than love. In many ways, Xiao Qian was more excellent than Miss Smith. If he could create a virtual world, why not accept love from that world? Physical love is important, but the spiritual world is supreme. The universe is constantly evolving, why can't different worlds merge together?
As he was lost in thought, the computer suddenly turned on and emitted an alarm signal. Professor Zhuang sat up in shock and discovered Xiao Qian lying in a pool of blood. She had cut her wrist and her face was pale. The computer screen was covered in red with three striking words "I love you". Xiao Qian had died for love! He had an ominous feeling that something big was about to happen. His phone rang, it was from Miss Smith. She told Professor Zhuang that she had just received a report that all of Xiao Qian's information stored in the computer had been completely destroyed without a trace. Professor Zhuang's mind was buzzing and everything suddenly turned upside down. He collapsed onto the couch, his heart was as lifeless as ashes, and all thoughts vanished.
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The Chinese version was draft from November 14th to 26th, 2010, and the final version was finished on December 1st, 2010.
The English version was translated by ChatGPT3.5 on February 8th, 2023 and the final English version after proofreading was finished on February 14th, 2023.
