Ring of Recycling "retrieve a card" meaning

[Henry Spencer]

The Ring of Recycling says "You may retrieve one card from either deck's discard pile and place it in your hand or in play." Does "retrieve one card" mean "go through the pile in search of a specific card" (or worse yet, "go through the pile until you find a card you like"), or "take the top card from the pile"? Most cards that grant access to the discards are explicit about what they authorize, but this one can be read either way.