8 TO TRANTOR
第8章 首途川陀
Devers bent over the little dead globe, watching for a tiny sign of life. The directional control was slowly and thoroughly sieving space with its jabbing tight sheaf of signals.
拉珊·迪伐斯俯身观看一个黯淡的球形小仪器，寻找任何一丝生命反应的迹象。方向控制器射出强力的讯号波束，在太空中缓慢地、彻底地过滤着各个方位。
Barr watched patiently from his seat on the low cot in the comer, He asked, "No more signs of them?"
巴尔坐在角落的便床上，耐心地看着迪伐斯工作。他问道：“没有他们的踪迹了吧？”
"The Empire boys? No." The trader growled the words with evident impatience. "We lost the scuppers long ago. Space! With the blind jumps we took through hyperspace, it's lucky we didn't land up in a sun's belly. They couldn't have followed us even if they outranged us, which they didn't."
“帝国的阿兵哥吗？没有。”行商吼道，声音中带着明显的不耐烦，“我们早就把那些王八蛋甩掉了。太空保佑！我们在超空间中盲目跃迁，幸好没有跳进恒星肚子里。即使他们的速度够快，想必也不敢追来，何况他们不可能比我们快。”
He sat back and loosened his collar with a jerk. "I don't know what those Empire boys have done here. I think some of the gaps are out of alignment."
他靠向椅背，猛力将衣领扯松。“不知道帝国阿兵哥在这里动了什么手脚。我觉得有些超空间裂隙的排列被搞乱了。”
"I take it, then, you're trying to get to the Foundation."
“我懂了，这么说，你是试图回基地去。”
"I'm calling the Association……"or trying to."
“我正在呼叫‘协会’——至少一直在试。”
"The Association? Who are they?"
“协会？那是什么组织？”
"Association of Independent Traders. Never heard of it, huh? Well, you're not alone. We haven't made our splash yet!"
“就是‘独立行商协会’，你从未听说过，啊？没关系，没听过的人很多。我们还没有做出惊天动地的大事！”
For a while there was a silence that centered about the unresponsive Reception Indicator, and Barr said, "Are you within range?"
两人沉默了一阵子，盯着毫无动静的收讯指示器，然后巴尔又问：“你在通讯范围内吗？”
"I don't know. I haven't but a small notion where we are, going by dead reckoning. That's why I have to use directional control. It could take years, you know."
“我不知道。对于目前的位置，我只有一点模糊的概念，那是靠盲目推算得来的。这就是我得借助方向控制器的原因。你知道吗，也许要好几年的时间。”
"Might it?"
“会不会是那个？”
Barr pointed; and Devers jumped and adjusted his earphones. Within the little murky sphere there was a tiny glowing whiteness.
巴尔指了指显像板；迪伐斯赶紧跳起来调整耳机。在显像板上一团球状昏暗之中，出现一个发光的微小白点。
For half an hour, Devers nursed the fragile, groping thread of communication that reached through hyperspace to connect two points that laggard light would take five hundred years to bind together.
接下来半小时中，迪伐斯仔细控制着微弱的通讯超波。经由超空间，相隔五百光年的两地能瞬间取得联系；倘若换成“迟缓”的普通光波，必须花上五百年的时间。
Then he sat back, hopelessly. He looked up, and shoved the earphones back.
然后，他失望地靠在椅背上，抬起头来，把耳机向后一推。
"Let's eat, doc. There's a needle-shower you can use if you want to, but go easy on the hot water."
“老学究，我们吃点东西吧。如果你想洗澡，浴室中有针雨淋浴，但热水要省着点用。”
He squatted before one of the cabinets that lined one wall and felt through the contents. "You're not a vegetarian, I hope?"
他在舱壁旁一排柜子前蹲下来，伸手往里面掏。“希望你不是吃素的，对吗？”
Barr said, "I'm omnivorous. But what about the Association. Have you lost them?"
巴尔答道：“我什么都吃。但是协会联络得怎么样，又中断了吗？”
"Looks so. It was extreme range, a little too extreme. Doesn't matter, though. I got all that counted."
“似乎如此。距离太远了，实在有点太远了。不过，没关系，我早就通通料到了。”
He straightened, and placed the two metal containers upon the table. "Just give it five minutes, doc, then slit it open by pushing the contact. It'll be plate, food, and fork……sort of handy for when you're in a hurry, if you're not interested in such incidentals as napkins. I suppose you want to know what I got out of the Association."
他站起来，把两个金属容器放到桌上。“老学究，只要等五分钟，然后按下这个接点，它就会自动撕开来。可以用它当盘子，里面除了食物还有叉子——的确是很方便的速食，只要你不介意没有餐巾。我想你一定希望知道，我从协会那里得到什么消息。”
"If it isn't a secret."
“倘若不是什么秘密。”
Devers shook his head. "Not to you. What Riose said was true."
迪伐斯摇了摇头。“对你不用保密。里欧思说的都是实情。”
"About the offer of tribute?"
“关于纳贡的事？”
"Uh-huh. They offered it, and had it refused. Things are bad. There's fighting in the outer suns of Loris."
“嗯——嗯。他们的确提议过，但是被拒绝了。现在情况很糟，已经打到洛瑞斯的外围恒星。”
"Loris is close to the Foundation?"
“洛瑞斯离基地很近吗？”
"Huh? Oh, you wouldn't know. It's one of the original Four Kingdoms. You might call it part of the inner line of defense. That's not the worst. They've been fighting large ships previously never encountered. Which means Riose wasn't giving us the works. He has received more ships. Brodrig has switched sides, and I have messed things up."
“啊？喔，你不可能知道的。它是当初的四王国之一，可算是内缘防御阵线的一环。但这还不是最糟的。他们所对抗的，是前所未见的巨型星舰。这就代表里欧思并没有向我们吹牛，他的确得到了增援。布洛缀克已经倒向他那边，而我已经把事情搞砸了。”
His eyes were bleak as he joined the food-container contact-points and watched it fall open neatly. The stewlike dish steamed its aroma through the room. Ducem Barr was already eating.
他一面说，一面按下速食容器外面的开关，并冷眼看着容器灵巧地打开。容器里面是炖熟的食物，舱房中立时弥漫着香气。杜森·巴尔已经开始吃了。
"So much," said Barr, "for improvisations, then. We can do nothing here; we can not cut through the Imperial lines to return to the Foundation; we can do nothing but that which is most sensible ?to wait patiently. However, if Riose has reached the inner line I trust the wait will not be too long."
“那么，”巴尔说，“我们别再随机应变了。在这里我们什么也不能做；我们不能突破帝国的防线回到基地；我们唯一能做的，也就是最合理的一件事——耐心等待。然而，倘若里欧思已经攻到内缘阵线，我相信也不需要等太久了。”
And Devers put down his fork. "Wait, is it?" he snarled, glowering. "That's all right for you. You've got nothing at stake."
迪伐斯放下叉子。“等待，是吗？”他瞪大了眼睛，咆哮道：“对你而言当然没关系，反正你没有任何切身的危险。”
"Haven't I?" Barr smiled thinly.
“我没有吗？”巴尔淡淡一笑。
"No. In fact, I'll tell you." Devers' irritation skimmed the surface. "I'm tired of looking at this whole business as if it were an interesting something-or-other on a microscope slide. I've got friends somewhere out there, dying; and a whole world out there, my home, dying also. You're an outsider. You don't know."
“没有。事实上，我告诉你，”迪伐斯的怒气浮上台面，“我对你这种态度厌烦透了，你把整个事件当成有趣的研究对象，放在显微镜底下仔细观察。可是那里有我的朋友，他们正处于生死关头；那里的整个世界，我的故乡，也正处于存亡之秋。你是个局外人，你不会明白的。”
"I have seen friends die." The old man's hands were limp in his lap and his eyes were closed. "Are you married?"
“我曾经亲眼看着朋友死去。”老人的双手无力地垂在膝盖上，双眼紧紧闭起来，“你结婚了没有？”
Devers said, "Traders don't marry."
迪伐斯答道：“行商是不结婚的。”
"Well, I have two sons and a nephew. They have been warned, but……for reasons……they could take no action. Our escape means their death. My daughter and my two grandchildren have, I hope, left the planet safety before this, but even excluding them, I have already risked and lost more than you."
“好吧，我有两个儿子，还有一个侄儿。他们都接到我的警告，但是——基于某些原因——他们不能有所行动。你我这次逃出来，等于宣判他们死刑。我希望，至少我的女儿和两个孙儿，在此之前已经平安离开那个世界。即使如此，我所冒的风险以及我的损失，已经比你大得多了。”
Devers was morosely savage. "I know. But that was a matter of choice. You might have played ball with Riose. I never asked you to……"
迪伐斯恼羞成怒。“我知道，但是你有选择的余地。你仍然可以跟里欧思合作，我从来没有要求你……”
Barr shook his head. "It was not a matter of choice, Devers. Make your conscience free, I didn't risk my sons for you. I co-operated with Riose as long as I dared. But there was the Psychic Probe."
巴尔摇了摇头。“迪伐斯，我并没有选择的余地。你不必良心不安，我并非为了你而牺牲两个儿子。当初我跟里欧思合作，已经豁出了一切。可是没想到会有心灵探测器。”
The Siwennian patrician opened his eyes and they were sharp with pain. "Riose came to me once; it was over a year ago. He spoke of a cult centering about the magicians, but missed the truth. It is not quite a cult. You see, it is forty years now that Siwenna has been gripped in the same unbearable vise that threatens your world. Five revolts have been ground out. Then I discovered the ancient records of Hari Seldon ?and now this 'cult' waits.
西维纳老贵族睁开眼睛，目光中流露出深切的悲痛。“里欧思之前找过我一次，那是一年多以前的事。他提到一个崇拜魔术师的教派，却不了解真实内情。严格说来那并不是教派。你知道吗，已经四十年了，西维纳仍然受到无可忍受的高压统治，所以你我的世界有一个共同的敌人。前后发生过五次起义事件，都被镇压下去了。后来，我发现了哈里·谢顿的古老记录——那个‘教派’所等待的，就是其中的预言。
"It waits for the coming of the 'magicians' and for that day it is ready. My sons are leaders of those who wait. It is that secret which is in my mind and which the Probe must never touch. And so they must die as hostages; for the alternative is their death as rebels and half of Siwenna with them. You see, I had no choice! And I am no outsider."
“他们等待‘魔术师’到来，也为这一天作好了准备。我的两个儿子就是这批人的首领。我心中的这个秘密，绝对不能被探测器发现。所以我的儿子必须以人质的身份牺牲；否则他们仍然会被当做叛徒处死，但半数的西维纳人却也会陪葬。你瞧，我根本没有选择的余地！而我也绝对不是局外人。”
Devers' eyes fell, and Barr continued softly, "It is on a Foundation victory that Siwenna's hopes depend. It is for a Foundation victory that my sons are sacrificed. And Hari Seldon does not pre-calculate the inevitable salvation of Siwenna as he does that of the Foundation. I have no certainty for my people ?only hope."
迪伐斯垂下眼睑，巴尔继续柔声说：“西维纳唯一的指望，就是基地能够胜利。我的两个儿子，可算是为了基地的胜利而牺牲。当哈里·谢顿推算到基地必然胜利的时候，并未将西维纳必然获救计算在内。对于同胞的命运，我没有什么把握——只是希望而已。”
"But you are still satisfied to wait. Even with the Imperial Navy at Loris."
“可是你仍然愿意在此等待，即使帝国舰队已经打到洛瑞斯。”
"I would wait, in perfect confidence," said Barr, simply, "if they had landed on the planet, Terminus, itself."
“我会怀着百分之百的信心，一直等待下去。”巴尔直截了当地答道，“即使他们登陆了那颗端点星。”
The trader frowned hopelessly. "I don't know. It can't really work like that; not just like magic. Psychohistory or not, they're terribly strong, and we're weak. What can Setdon do about it?"
行商无可奈何地皱起眉头。“我不知道。不可能照你说的那样发展；不可能像变魔术那样。不管有没有心理史学，反正他们强大得可怕，而我们太弱了。谢顿又能做些什么呢？”
"There's nothing to do. It's all already done. It's proceeding now. Because you don't hear the wheels turning and the gongs beating doesn't mean it's any the less certain."
“什么都不必做。该做的已经做过了，一切仍在进行中。虽然你没有听见鸣金擂鼓，并不代表就没有任何发展。”
"Maybe; but I wish you had cracked Riose's skull for keeps. He's more the enemy than all his army."
“也许吧，但我仍然希望你能把里欧思的脑袋打碎。他一个人比整支军队还要可怕。”
"Cracked his skull? With Brodrig his second in command?" Barr's face sharpened with hate. "All Siwenna would have been my hostage. Brodrig has proven his worth long since. There exists a world which five years ago lost one male in every ten……and simply for failure to meet outstanding taxes. This same Brodrig was the tax-collector. No, Riose may live. His punishments are mercy in comparison."
“把他的脑袋打碎？你忘了布洛缀克是他的副总司令？”巴尔的面容顿时充满恨意，“所有的西维纳人都等于是人质，而布洛缀克早就证明了他的厉害。有一个世界，五年前十分之一的男子遭到杀害——只因为他们无法付清积欠的税款。负责征税的，正是这个布洛缀克。不，应该让里欧思活下去。比起布洛缀克，他施加的惩罚简直就是恩典。”
"But six months, six months, in the enemy Base, with nothing to show for it." Devers' strong hands clasped each other tautly, so that his knuckles cracked. "Nothing to show for it!"
“但是六个月了，整整六个月了，我们都待在敌营，却看不出任何迹象。”迪伐斯粗壮的双手相互紧握，压得指节格格作响，“却看不出任何迹象！”
"Well, now, wait. You remind me……"Barr fumbled in his pouch. "You might want to count this." And he tossed the small sphere of metal on the table.
“喔，慢着。你提醒了我——”巴尔在衣袋中摸索了一阵子，“这个也许有点用处。”他将一个小金属球丢到桌上。
Devers snatched it. "What is it?"
迪伐斯一把抓起来。“这是什么？”
"The message capsule. The one that Riose received just before I jacked him. Does that count as something?"
“信囊，就是里欧思被我打晕前收到的那个。这东西能不能算有点用处？”
"I don't know. Depends on what's in it!" Devers sat down and turned it over carefully in his hand.
“我不知道。要看里面装的是什么！”迪伐斯坐下来，将金属球抓在手中仔细端详。
When Barr stepped from his cold shower and, gratefully, into the mild warm current of the air dryer, he found Devers silent and absorbed at the workbench.
当巴尔洗完冷水浴，又在“空气干燥室”舒舒服服地享受了暖流的吹拂之后，发现迪伐斯正全神贯注、默然不语地坐在工作台前。
The Siwennian slapped his body with a sharp rhythm and spoke above the punctuating sounds. "What are you doing?"
西维纳老贵族一面有节奏地拍打自己的身体，一面扯着喉咙问道：“你在干什么？”
Devers looked up. Droplets of perspiration glittered in his beard. "I'm going to open this capsule."
迪伐斯抬起头来，他的胡子上粘着许多亮晶晶的汗珠。“我想把这个信囊打开。”
"Can you open it without Riose's personal characteristic?" There was mild surprise in the Siwennian's voice.
“没有里欧思的个人特征资料，你打得开吗？”西维纳老贵族的声音中带着几分惊讶。
"If I can't, I'll resign from the Association and never skipper a ship for what's left of my life. I've got a three-way electronic analysis of the interior now, and I've got little jiggers that the Empire never heard of, especially made for jimmying capsules. I've been a burglar before this, y'know. A trader has to be something of everything."
“如果我打不开，我就退出协会，这辈子再也不当船长。我刚才拿三用电子分析仪，详细检查了它的内部；我身边还有些帝国听都没听过的小工具，专门用来撬开各种信囊。你知道吗，我曾经干过小偷。身为行商，什么事都得懂一点。”
He bent low over the little sphere, and a small flat instrument probed delicately and sparked redly at each fleeting contact.
他低下头继续工作，拿着一个扁平的小仪器，轻巧地探着信囊表面各处，每次轻触都会带起红色的电花。
He said, "This capsule is a crude job, anyway. These Imperial boys are no shakes at this small work. I can see that. Ever see a Foundation capsule? It's half the size and impervious to electronic analysis in the first place."
他说：“无论如何，这个信囊做得很粗陋。我看得出来，帝国工匠对这种小巧的东西都不在行。看过基地出品的信囊吗？只有这个的一半大，而且能屏蔽电子分析仪的探测。”
And then he was rigid, the shoulder muscles beneath his tunic tautening visibly. His tiny probe pressed slowly……
然后他屏气凝神，衣服下的肌肉明显地鼓胀起来。微小的探针慢慢向下压……
It was noiseless when it came, but Devers; relaxed and sighed. In his hand was the shining sphere with its message unrolled like a parchment tongue.
信囊悄无声息地打开，迪伐斯却大大叹了一口气。他将这个闪闪发光的金属球拿在手中，信笺有一半露在外面，好像是金属球吐出的纸舌头。
"It's from Brodrig," he said. Then, with contempt, "The message medium is permanent. In a Foundation capsule, the message would be oxidized to gas within the minute."
“这是布洛缀克写的信，”然后，他又以轻蔑的语气说，“信笺用的还是普通纸张。基地的信囊打开后，信笺在一分钟内就会氧化成气体。”
But Ducem Barr waved him silent. He read the message quickly.
杜森·巴尔却摆手示意他闭嘴，自己很快读了一遍那封信。
FROM: AMMEL BRODRIG, ENVOY EXTRAORDINARY OF HIS IMPERIAL MAJESTY, PRIVY SECRETARY OF THE COUNCIL, AND PEER OF THE REALM.
发文者：大帝陛下钦命特使，枢密大臣，帝国高级贵族，安枚尔·布洛缀克
TO: BEL RIOSE, MILITARY GOVERNOR OF SIWENNA. GENERAL OF THE IMPERIAL FORCES, AND PEER OF THE REALM. I GREET YOU.
受文者：西维纳军政府总督，帝国星际舰队将军，帝国高级贵族，贝尔·里欧思
PLANET #1120 NO LONGER RESISTS. THE PLANS OF OFFENSE AS OUTLINED CONTINUE SMOOTHLY. THE ENEMY WEAKENS VISIBLY AND THE ULTIMATE ENDS IN VIEW WILL SURELY BE GAINED.
谨致贺忱。第一一二〇号行星已放弃抵抗，攻击行动依预定计划继续顺利进展。敌已显见疲弱之势，定能达成预期之最终目标。
Barr raised his head from the almost microscopic print and cried bitterly, "The fool! The forsaken blasted fop! That a message?"
看完这些蝇头小字，巴尔抬起头来怒吼道：“这个傻瓜！这个该死的狗官！这算哪门子密函？”
"Huh?" said Devers. He was vaguely disappointed.
“哦？”迪伐斯也显得有些失望。
"It says nothing," ground out Barr. "Our lick-spittle courtier is playing at general now. With Riose away, he is the field commander and must sooth his paltry spirit by spewing out his pompous reports concerning military affairs he has nothing to do with. 'So-and-so planet no longer resists.' 'The offensive moves on.' 'The enemy weakens.' The vacuum-headed peacock."
“什么都没有提到。”巴尔咬牙切齿地说：“这个只会谄媚阿谀的大臣，现在竟然也扮演起将军的角色。里欧思不在的时候，他就是前线指挥官。他为了自我安慰，拿这些和自己无关的军事行动大做文章，做出这种自大自夸的报告。‘某某行星放弃抵抗’、‘攻击继续进展’、‘敌见疲弱之势’。他简直就是空心大草包。”
"Well, now, wait a minute. Hold on……"
“嗯，不过，慢着。等一等——”
"Throw it away." The old man turned away in mortification. "The Galaxy knows I never expected it to be world-shakingly important, but in wartime it is reasonable to assume that even the most routine order left undelivered might hamper military movements and lead to complications later. It's why I snatched it. But this! Better to have left it. It would have wasted a minute of Riose's time that will now be put to more constructive use."
“把它丢掉。”老人转过身去，一脸羞愧悔恨的表情。“银河在上，我原本也没有希望它会是多了不起的重要机密。可是在战时，即使是最普通的例行命令，倘若没有送出去，也会使得军事行动受到干扰，而影响以后的若干局势。我当时正是这么想，才会把它抢走的。可是这种东西！还不如把它留在那里呢。让它耽误里欧思一分钟的时间，也比落在我们手中更有建设性。”
But Devers had arisen. "Will you hold on and stop throwing your weight around? For Seldon's sake?
迪伐斯却已经站起来。“看在谢顿的份上，能不能请你闭嘴，暂时不要发表高论？”
He held out the sliver of message before Barr's nose, "Now read that again. What does he mean by 'ultimate ends in view'?"
他将信笺举到巴尔眼前。“你再读一遍。他所谓的‘预期之最终目标’究竟是什么意思？”
"The conquest of the Foundation. Well?"
“当然就是征服基地。不是吗？”
"Yes? And maybe he means the conquest of the Empire. You know he believes that to be the ultimate end."
“是吗？也许他指的是征服帝国呢。你也知道，他深信那才是最终的目标。”
"And if he does?"
“果真如此又怎样？”
"If he does!" Devers' one-sided smile was lost in his beard. "Why, watch then, and I'll show you."
“果真如此！”迪伐斯的笑容消失在胡子里，“哈，注意啦，让我做给你看。”
With one finger the lavishly monogrammed sheet of message-parchment was thrust back into its slot. With a soft twang, it disappeared and the globe was a smooth, unbroken whole again. Somewhere inside was the tiny oiled whir of the controls as they lost their setting by random movements.
迪伐斯只用一根手指，就将那个有着龙飞凤舞标志的信笺塞了回去。伴着一声轻响，信笺立刻消失，而金属球又恢复原状，变成光滑而没有缝隙的球体。在它的内部，还传出一阵零件转动的响声，那是控制装置借着随机转动来搅乱密码锁的排列。
"Now there is no known way of opening this capsule without knowledge of Riose's personal characteristic, is there?"
“现在，没有里欧思的个人特征资料，就没有办法打开这个信囊了，对不对？”
"To the Empire, no," said Barr.
“对帝国而言，的确没办法。”巴尔说。
"Then the evidence it contains is unknown to us and absolutely authentic."
“那么，无论它装着什么证据，我们都不知道，所以绝对假不了。”
"To the Empire, yes," said Barr.
“对帝国而言，的确如此。”巴尔又说。
"And the Emperor can open it, can't he? Personal Characteristics of Government officials must be on file. We keep records of our officials at the Foundation."
“可是皇帝有办法打开它，对不对？政府官员的个人特征资料一定都已建档。在我们基地，政府就保有官员们的详细资料。”
"At the Imperial capital as well," agreed Barr.
“帝国首都也有这种资料。”巴尔再度附和。
"Then when you, a Siwennian patrician and Peer of the Realm, tell this Cleon, this Emperor, that his favorite tame-parrot and his shiniest general are getting together to knock him over, and hand him the capsule as evidence, what will he think Brodrig's 'ultimate ends' are?"
“那么，当你这位西维纳的贵族，向克里昂二世那位皇帝禀报，说他手下那只最乖巧的鹦鹉，和那头最勇猛的猎鹰，竟然勾结起来密谋将他推翻，并且呈上信囊为证，他对布洛缀克的‘最终目标’会作何解释？”
Barr sat down weakly. "Wait, I don't follow you." He stroked one thin cheek, and said, "You're not really serious, are you?"
巴尔有气无力地坐下来。“等一等，我没有搞懂你的意思。”他抚摸着瘦削的脸颊，问道：“你不是要玩真的吧？”
"I am." Devers was angrily excited. "Listen, nine out of the last ten Emperors got their throats cut, or their gizzards blasted out by one or another of their generals with bigtime notions in their heads. You told me that yourself more than once. Old man Emperor would believe us so fast it would make Riose's head swim."
“我是要玩真的。”迪伐斯被激怒了，“听好，先前十个皇帝之中，有九个是被野心勃勃的将军杀头或枪毙的。这是你自己跟我讲了许多遍的事。老皇帝一定立刻会相信我们，令里欧思根本措手不及。”
Barr muttered feebly, "He is serious, For the Galaxy's sake, man, you can't beat a Seldon crisis by a far-fetched, impractical, storybook scheme like that. Suppose you had never got hold of the capsule. Suppose Brodrig hadn't used the word 'ultimate.' Seldon doesn't depend on wild luck."
巴尔细声低语：“他的确是要玩真的！看在银河的份上，老兄，你用这种牵强附会、不切实际、三流小说中的计划，是不可能解决谢顿危机的。假设你从来就没有得到这个信囊呢？假设布洛缀克并未使用‘最终目标’这几个字呢？谢顿不会仰赖这种天外飞来的好运。”
"If wild luck comes our way, there's no law says Seldon can't take advantage of it."
“假如天外真的飞来好运，可没有任何定律阻止谢顿善加利用它。”
"Certainly. But……but……" Barr stopped, then spoke calmly but with visible restraint. "Look, in the first place, how will you get to the planet Trantor? You don't know its location in space, and I certainly don't remember the co-ordinates, to say nothing of the ephemerae. You don't even know your own position in space."
“当然，可是……可是……”巴尔突然打住，然后以显然经过克制的镇定口吻说：“听好，首先，你要怎样到达川陀？你不知道那颗行星在太空中的位置，我也根本不记得它的坐标，更别提星历表了。甚至连你身在太空何处，你都还搞不清楚呢。”
"You can't get lost in space," grinned Devers. He was at the controls already. "Down we go to the nearest planet, and back we come with complete bearings and the best navigation charts Brodrig's hundred thousand smackers can buy."
“你是不会在太空中迷路的，”迪伐斯咧嘴一笑，他已经坐到控制台前，“我们立刻登陆最近的行星，等我们回到太空的时候，就会把我们的位置弄得明明白白，还会带着最好的宇航图，布洛缀克给我的十万信用点会很有用处。”
"And a blaster in our belly. Our descriptions are probably in every planet in this quarter of the Empire."
“此外，我们的肚子还会被射穿一个大洞。帝国这一带的星空，每颗行星一定都知道我们长什么样子。”
"Doc," said Devers, patiently, "don't be a hick tom the sticks. Riose said my ship surrendered too easily and, brother, he wasn't kidding. This ship has enough fire-power and enough juice in its shield to hold off anything we're Rely to meet this deep inside the frontier. And we have personal shields, too. The Empire boys never found them, you know, but they weren't meant to be found."
“老学究，”迪伐斯耐着性子说，“你别那么天真好不好。里欧思说我的太空船投降得太容易了，哈，他并不是在说笑。这艘船拥有足够的火力，防护罩也有充足的能量，在这个边区星空不管遇到任何敌人，我们都有能力应付。此外，我们还有个人防护罩。帝国的阿兵哥一直没有发现，但你要知道，那是因为我不要让他们找到。”
"All fight," said Barr, "all right. Suppose yourself on Trantor. How do you see the Emperor then? You think he keeps office hours?"
“好吧，”巴尔说，“好吧。假设你到了川陀，你又如何能见到大帝？你以为他随时恭候大驾吗？”
"Suppose we worry about that on Trantor," said Devers.
“这一点，等我们到了川陀再担心吧。”迪伐斯说。
And Barr muttered helplessly, "All right again. I've wanted to see Trantor before I die for half a century now. Have your way."
巴尔无奈地喃喃道：“好吧，好吧。我也一直希望死前能去川陀看看，已经想了半个世纪。就照你的意思做吧。”
The hypernuclear motor was cut in. The lights flickered and there was the slight internal wrench that marked the shift into hyperspace.
超核能发动机立刻启动。舱内的灯光变得闪烁不定，两人体内也感觉到轻微抽搐，代表他们已经进入超空间。