2 Two Men without the Mule
第2章 二人无骡
The ship was in near-readiness. Nothing lacked, but the destination. The Mule had suggested a return to Trantor……the world that was the bulk of an incomparable Galactic metropolis of the hugest Empire mankind had ever known……the dead world that had been capital of all the stars.
星舰几乎已经准备就绪。除了目的地，其他一切皆已齐备。骡曾经建议他们再去一次川陀……这个早已衰亡的世界曾是众星之首，是银河系独一无二的大都会……历史上最庞大的帝国即建都于此。
Pritcher disapproved. It was an old path……sucked dry.
普利吉却否定了这项建议。那是一条老掉牙的路线，早已彻彻底底搜寻过。
He found Bail Channis in the ship's navigation room. The young man's curly hair was just sufficiently disheveled to allow a single curl to droop over the forehead……as if it had been carefully placed there……and even teeth showed in a smile that matched it. Vaguely, the stiff officer felt himself harden against the other.
现在，他在导航室中碰到了拜尔·程尼斯。这个年轻人的一头鬈发蓬乱得恰到好处，刚好只有一绺垂到前额……就像是仔细梳成那样的……连他微笑时露出的牙齿，也都与发型互相搭配。不过，这位刚毅的将军却感到自己对这些似乎都无动于衷。
Channis' excitement was evident, "Pritcher, it's too far a coincidence."
程尼斯的兴奋之情溢于言表。“普利吉，这实在太巧了一点。”
The general said coldly: "I抦 not aware of the subject of conversation."
将军冷淡地答道：“我不晓得你在说些什么。”
"Oh?Well, then drag up a chair, old man, and let抯 get into it. I've been going over your notes. I find them excellent."
“喔……好吧，老前辈，那么你拽过一张椅子来，我们好好谈一谈。我看过了你的笔记，我认为实在了不起。”
"How ... pleasant that you do."
“你……真是过奖了。”
"But I抦 wondering if you've come to the conclusions I have. Have you ever tried analyzing the problem deductively? I mean, it's all very well to comb the stars at random, and to have done all you did in five expeditions is quite a bit of star-hopping. That's obvious. But have you calculated how long it would take to go through every known world at this rate?"
“但是，我不确定你得到的结论是否和我一样。你有没有试过用演绎法分析这个问题？我的意思是，随机搜索各个星体当然很好，而为了这样做，你在过去五次的远征中，做了无数次的星际跃迁。这是很明显的事。不过你有没有计算过，照你这种进度，得花多少时间才能把所有的已知世界搜完一遍？”
"Yes. Several times," Pritcher felt no urge to meet the young man halfway, but there was the importance of filching the other's mind……the other's uncontrolled, and hence, unpredictable, mind.
“算过，算过好几次。”普利吉丝毫不愿与这个年轻人妥协，但是打探对方内心却很重要……这是一个未受控制的心灵，因此根本无从预测。
"Well, then, suppose we're analytical about it and try to decide just what we're looking for?"
“好吧，那么，让我们试着分析一下，判断我们真正要找的是什么。”
"The Second Foundation," said Pritcher, grimly.
“当然是第二基地。”普利吉绷着脸说。
"A Foundation of psychologists," corrected Channis, "who are is weak in physical science as the First Foundation was weak in psychology. Well, you're from the First Foundation, which I'm not. The implications are probably obvious to you. We must find a world which rules by virtue of mental skills, and yet which is very backwards scientifically."
“是由心理学家组成的基地。”程尼斯纠正对方的话，“他们在物理科学上处于劣势，正如同第一基地在心理学上成就不彰。嗯，你来自第一基地，而我却不是。这句话的含意对你或许很明显。我们要找的是一个由精神力量统治的世界，可是它的科学却非常落后。”
"Is that necessarily so?" questioned Pritcher, quietly. "Our own 慤nion of Worlds' isn't backwards scientifically, even though our ruler owes his strength to his mental powers."
“一定是这样吗？”普利吉心平气和地问，“我们这个‘行星联盟’的统治者，他的权力来源正是精神力量，可是我们的科学并不落后。”
"Because he has the skills of the First Foundation to draw upon," came the slightly impatient answer, "and that is the only such reservoir of knowledge in the Galaxy. The Second Foundation must live among the dry crumbs of the broken Galactic Empire. There are no pickings there."
“那是因为有第一基地为他提供各种科技，”对方的回答听来有点不耐烦，“可是放眼银河，如今第一基地是唯一的知识之源。第二基地一定藏在银河帝国瓦解后的残躯中，那里不会剩下什么有用的东西。”
"So then you postulate mental power sufficient to establish their rule over a group of worlds and physical helplessness as well?"
“所以你就假设，他们的精神力量足以统治若干世界，而他们的物理科学却很拙劣。”
"Comparative physical helplessness. Against the decadent neighboring areas, they are competent to defend themselves. Against the resurgent forces of the Mule, with his background of a mature atomic economy, they cannot stand. Else, why is their location so well-hidden, both at the start by the founder, Hari Seldon, and now by themselves. Your own First Foundation made no secret of its existence and did not have it made for them, when they were an undefended single city on a lonely planet three hundred years ago."
“他们的物理科学并非‘绝对’拙劣。相较于周围那些退化的邻邦，他们仍有足够的自卫能力。骡则拥有精良的核能科技，面对骡的下一波攻势，他们势必无法抵抗。否则，第二基地为何藏得那么隐密？当初它的创建者哈里·谢顿就讳莫如深，如今那些人仍然藏头缩尾。你们的第一基地从不讳言自己的存在，也从来没有人想把它藏起来。打从三百年前，它还是一颗孤独的行星上一个不设防的单一城市，它就一直光明正大。”
The smooth lines of Pritcher's dark face twitched sardonically. 'And now that you've finished your deep analysis, would you like a list of all the kingdoms, republics, planet states and dictatorships of one sort or another in that political wilderness out there that correspond to your description and to several factors besides?"
普利吉阴郁面容上的皱纹抽动了一下，仿佛是在讥嘲对方。“既然你完成了高深的分析，要不要我拿一张名单给你，名单上的各个王国、共和国、行星邦以及各种独裁政体，通通符合你所描述的政治蛮荒地带，并且符合其他几个因素。”
"All this has been considered then?" Channis lost none of his brashness.
“这么说，这些你都考虑过了？”程尼斯并未表现出一丝心虚。
"You won't find it here, naturally, but we have a completely worked out guide to the political units of the Opposing Periphery. Really, did you suppose the Mule would work entirely hit-and-miss?"
“名单自然不在这里，不过我们做成了一份指南，囊括‘银河外缘对角’所有的政治集团。说实在话，你认为骡会完全盲目地摸索吗？”
"Well, then" and the young man's voice rose in a burst of energy, "what of the Oligarchy of Tazenda?"
“好吧，那么，”年轻人的声音变得中气十足，“‘达辛德寡头国’有没有可能？”
Pritcher touched his ear thoughtfully, "Tazenda? Oh, I think I know it. They're not in the Periphery, are they? It seems to me they're fully a third of the way towards the center of the Galaxy."
普利吉若有所思地摸摸耳朵。“达辛德？喔，我想我知道。他们并不在银河外缘，对不对？我好像记得，他们和银河中心的距离只有三分之二。”
"Yes. What of that?"
“没错，那又怎样？”
"The records we have place the Second Foundation at the other end of the Galaxy. Space knows it's the only thing we have to go on. Why talk of Tazenda anyway? Its angular deviation from the First Foundation radian is only about one hundred ten to one hundred twenty degrees anyway. Nowhere near one hundred eighty."
“根据我们拥有的记录，第二基地应该在银河的另一端。天晓得，那可是我们唯一的线索。可是你为何会提到达辛德呢？它和第一基地的角度差，仅仅介于一百一十到一百二十度之间，没有任何一处接近一百八十度。”
"There's another point in the records. The Second Foundation was established at 'Star's End.'"
“那些记录中还提到另外一点：第二基地设在‘群星的尽头’。”
"No such region in the Galaxy has ever been located."
“银河中从来没有这么一个地方。”
"Because it was a local name, suppressed later for greater secrecy. Or maybe one invented for the purpose by Seldon and his group. Yet there's some relationship between 'Star's End' and 'Tazenda,?don't you think?"
“因为它是当地人所用的地名，后来为了保密，更是不让它流传出来。或者，也可能是谢顿团队取的名字。然而，‘群星的尽头’和‘达辛德寡头’之间，的确应该有些关联，你不觉得吗？”
"A vague similarity in sound? Insufficient."
“发音有点相近吗？这个理由不够充分。”
'Have you ever been there?"
“你到过那里没有？”
"No."
“没有。”
"Yet it is mentioned in your records."
“可是在你的记录中，却提到过那个地方。”
"Where? Oh, yes, but that was merely to take on food and water. There was certainly nothing remarkable about the world."
“哪里？喔，没错，不过我们只是去补充食物和饮水。那个世界绝对没有任何可疑之处。”
"Did you land at the ruling planet? The center of government?"
“你是降落在首都行星吗？我是指政府的中枢？”
"I couldn't possibly say."
“我不敢确定。”
Channis brooded about it under the other's cold gaze. Then, "Would you look at the Lens with me for a moment?"
在普利吉的冷眼凝视下，程尼斯沉思了一会儿。然后他说：“你愿意花一点时间，陪我一起去看‘透镜’吗？”
"Certainly."
“当然。”
The Lens was perhaps the newest feature of the interstellar cruisers of the day. Actually, it was a complicated calculating machine which could throw on a screen a reproduction of the night sky as seen from any given point of the Galaxy.
“透镜”也许是当时星际巡弋舰上最先进的设备。它其实是一台极复杂的电脑，能将银河系任意一处所见的夜空景象，重现在一幅屏幕上。
Channis adjusted the co-ordinate points and the wall lights of the pilot room were extinguished. In the dim red light at the control board of the Lens, Channis' face glowed ruddily. Pritcher sat in the pilot seat, long legs crossed, face lost in the gloom.
程尼斯调整着坐标点，并关掉驾驶舱的灯光。舱内只剩下“透镜”控制盘所发出的微弱红色光芒，将程尼斯的脸庞映得通红。普利吉则坐在驾驶座上，翘起一条长腿，脸孔隐没在幽暗中。
Slowly, as the induction period passed, the points of light brightened on the screen. And then they were thick and bright with the generously populated star-groupings of the Galaxy's center.
暖机时间过了之后，屏幕上便慢慢现出许多光点。那是银河中心附近的星像，稠密明亮的群星紧紧聚在一起。
"This," explained Channis, "is the winter night-sky as seen from Trantor. That is the important point that, as far as I know, has been neglected so far in your search. All intelligent orientation must start from Trantor as zero point. Trantor was the capital of the Galactic Empire. Even more so scientifically and culturally, than politically. And, therefore, the significance of any descriptive name should stem, nine times out of ten, from a Trantorian orientation. You'll remember in this connection that, although Seldon was from Helicon, towards the Periphery, his group worked on Trantor itself."
“这是川陀所见的冬季夜空。”程尼斯解释道，“据我所知，有一个很重要的关键，在你过去的搜寻行动中都忽略了。任何一个明智的定向方式，一定都会拿川陀当原点。因为川陀是银河帝国的首都，除了身为政治中枢，它更是全银河在科学和文化上的中心。因此之故，银河中的任何地名，十之八九会以川陀作标准。此外你也应该记得，虽然谢顿来自接近银河外缘的赫利肯星，他所领导的研究都是在川陀进行的。”
"What is it you're trying to show me?" Pritcher's level voice plunged icily into the gathering enthusiasm of the other.
“你到底想要说明什么？”普利吉以冰冷平板的声音，朝对方的热情泼下一盆冷水。
"The map will explain it. Do you see the dark nebula?" The shadow of his arm fell upon the screen, which took on the bespanglement of the Galaxy. The pointing finger ended on a tiny patch of black that seemed a hole in the speckled fabric of light. "The stellagraphical records call it Pelot's Nebula. Watch it. I'm going to expand the image."
“星图会说明一切。你看到那个暗星云没有？”程尼斯的手臂投影在屏幕上，将其上闪亮的银河遮掩了一部分。他的食指指着一个微小的黑点，它看来像是光网中的一个小洞。“根据星宇图的记录，它叫做贝洛星云。注意看，我要把影像放大。”
Pritcher had watched the phenomenon of Lens Image expansion before but he still caught his breath. It was like being at the visiplate of a spaceship storming through a horribly crowded Galaxy without entering hyperspace. The stars diverged towards them from a common center, flared outwards and tumbled off the edge of the screen. Single points became double, then globular. Hazy patches dissolved into myriad points. And always that illusion of motion.
普利吉曾经看过“透镜影像”的放大过程，不过他仍旧屏息以待。那种感觉好像是驾驶星舰直接闯入骇人稠密的星带（并未进入超空间），而你正凝望着星舰的显像板。群星向他们迎面扑来，从一个共同中心四散纷飞，最后消失在屏幕的边缘。一些单独的光点渐渐一分为二，最后变作一团光球；朦胧的光带则分解成无数光点。种种的影像变化，始终带来一种相对运动的错觉。
Channis spoke through it all, "You'll notice that we are moving along the direct line from Trantor to Pelot's Nebula, so that in effect we are still looking at a stellar orientation equivalent to that of Trantor. There is probably a slight error because of the gravitic deviation of light that I haven't the math to calculate for, but I'm sure it can't be significant."
程尼斯不停地解说着：“你可以发现，这等于是我们从川陀出发，沿着直线一路飞往贝洛星云。所以我们看到的影像，一直维持着从川陀望向这个星空的方向。其中可能有一点误差，因为我并未考虑重力所造成的星光偏折。我手边没有计算这个因素的数学工具，不过我确定影响不会太大。”
The darkness was spreading over the screen. As the rate of magnification slowed, the stars slipped off the four ends of the screen in a regretful leave-taking. At the rims of the growing nebula, the brilliant universe of stars shone abruptly in token for that light which was merely hidden behind the swirling unradiating atom fragments of sodium and calcium that filled cubic parsecs of space.
黑暗区域正在屏幕上展开。随着放大速率逐渐减缓，星辰依依不舍地从屏幕四周消失。而在那个逐渐变大的星云边缘，突然涌现许多明亮的星体。由于附近数立方“秒差距”的太空中，充满钠原子与钙原子构成的黯淡漩涡，那些星体的光芒遭到遮掩，只有靠近时才看得见。
And Channis pointed again, "This has been called 'The Mouth' by the inhabitants of that region of space. And that is significant because it is only from the Trantorian orientation that it looks like a mouth." What he indicated was a rift in the body of the Nebula, shaped like a ragged, grinning mouth in profile, outlined by the glazing glory of the starlight with which it was filled.
程尼斯又指着屏幕说：“那个星域的居民把这个地方称作‘星口’。这个事实意义重大，因为只有从川陀的方向看过去，它才像是一个嘴巴。”他指的是那个星云中的一个裂隙，里面充满闪耀的星光，参差不齐的轮廓仿佛是个微笑的嘴形。
"Follow The Mouth.'" said Channis. "Follow 'The Mouth' towards the gullet as it narrows down to a thin, splintering line of light.
“沿着‘星口’，”程尼斯说，“沿着‘星口’向前走，星光越来越稀疏，就像是进入‘咽喉’。”
Again the screen expanded a trifle, until the Nebula stretched away from "The Mouth" to block off all the screen but that narrow trickle and Channis' finger silently followed it down, to where it straggled to a halt, and then, as his finger continued moving onward, to a spot where one single star sparked lonesomely; and there his finger halted, for beyond that was blackness, unrelieved.
屏幕上的影像扩展些许，星云以“星口”为中心伸展开来，最后占据整个屏幕，只剩下“星口”露出细微的光芒。程尼斯的手指默默跟着“星口”走，直到它陡然停止，然后他的手指继续移动，滑移到一颗孤独而明亮的星体，才终于停在那里。倘若再往外走，就是一片完全黑暗的深渊。
"'Star's End,'" said the young man, simply. "The fabric of the Nebula is thin there and the light of that one star finds its way through in just that one direction……to shine on Trantor."
“群星的尽头。”年轻人不假思索地说，“星云在那儿变得稀疏。所以这颗星射出的光线，只能向唯一的方向延伸……一路射向川陀。”
"You're tying to tell me that? the voice of the Mule's general died in suspicion.
“你想要说……”由于无法置信，将军的话只说了一半。
"I'm not trying. That is Tazenda……Star's End."
“我并非想要说什么。那就是达辛德……群星的尽头。”
The lights went on. The Lens flicked off. Pritcher reached Channis in three long strides, "What made you think of this?"
“透镜”随即被关上，室内灯光重新亮起。普利吉跨出三大步，来到程尼斯面前。“你是怎么想到的？”
And Channis leaned back in his chair with a queerly puzzled expression on his face. "It was accidental. I'd like to take intellectual credit for this, but it was only accidental. In any case, however it happens, it fits. According to our references, Tazenda is an oligarchy. It rules twenty-seven inhabited planets. It is not advanced scientifically. And most of all, it is an obscure world that has adhered to a strict neutrality in the local politics of that stellar region, and is not expansionist. I think we ought to see it."
程尼斯靠在椅背上，露出诡异的为难表情。“纯粹是偶然。我真想将它归功于我的聪明，事实上却纯属偶然。无论如何，反正这个结论合情合理。根据我们手头的资料，达辛德是个寡头政治国。它统治了二十七颗住人行星，但是科学并不昌明。最重要的是，它是个偏远的世界，在该星域的区域性政治中严守中立，也并未实行扩张主义。我认为，我们应该去看一看。”
"Have you informed the Mule of this?"
“你向骡报告过吗？”
"No. Nor shall we. We're in space now, about to make the first hop."
“还没有，我们先别告诉他。我们已经进入太空，即将进行第一次跃迁。”
Pritcher, in sudden horror, sprang to the visiplate. Cold space met his eyes when he adjusted it. He gazed fixedly at the view, then turned. Automatically, his hand reached for the hard, comfortable curve of the butt of his blaster.
普利吉大吃一惊，赶紧跳到显像板旁。当他调整好焦距后，眼前赫然是冰冷的太空。他目不转睛地凝视良久，才猛然转过头来。他的右手，自然而然摸到坚硬且能带来安全感的核铳握把。
"By whose order?"
“谁下的命令？”
"By my order, general"?it was the first time Channis had ever used the other's title……while I was engaging you here. You probably felt no acceleration, because it came at the moment I was expanding the field of the Lens and you undoubtedly imagined it to be an illusion of the apparent star motion."
“报告将军，我下的命令。”这是程尼斯第一次称呼对方的军衔，“当我对你滔滔不绝的时候，你也许没注意到星舰已在加速。因为当时我正在扩大‘透镜’的像场，你一定会以为那是影像引起的错觉。”
"Why? Just what are you doing? What was the point of your nonsense about Tazenda, then?"
“为什么？你究竟在做什么？你胡扯一大堆关于达辛德的事，到底有什么目的？”
"That was no nonsense. I was completely serious. We're going there. We left today because we were scheduled to leave three days from now. General, you don't believe there is a Second Foundation, and I do. You are merely following the Mule's orders without faith; I recognize a serious danger. The Second Foundation has now had five years to prepare. How they've prepared, I don't know, but what if they have agents on Kalgan. If I carry about in my mind the knowledge of the whereabouts of the Second Foundation, they may discover that. My life might be no longer safe, and I have a great affection for my life. Even on a thin and remote possibility such as that, I would rather play safe. So no one knows of Tazenda but you, and you found out only after we were out in space. And even so, there is the question of the crew." Channis was smiling again, ironically, in obviously complete control of the situation.
“那可不是胡扯，我的态度十分严肃。我们现在正朝那儿飞去。我会选在今日启程，正是因为我们原本预计三天后出发。将军，你不相信有第二基地，我却深信不移。你只是奉骡之命行事，自己完全没主见，我却看出此行极为凶险。算起来，第二基地已经积极准备了五年。我不知道他们是如何准备的，但是，万一他们的特工渗透了卡尔根呢？如果我心里藏着第二基地的下落，很可能会被他们发现。我的性命或许会受到威胁，而我非常珍惜这条小命。纵使只有一丝一毫的危险，我都希望尽量避免。所以除了你，没有任何人晓得达辛德的事，而你也是在我们上太空后才知道的。即使如此，我们还得顾虑舰员呢。”程尼斯又露出嘲讽式的微笑，显然他完全掌握了局势。
Pritcher's hand fell away from his blaster, and for a moment a vague discomfort pierced him. What kept him from action? What deadened him? There was a time when he was a rebellious and unpromoted captain of the First Foundation's commercial empire, when it would have been himself rather than Channis who would have taken prompt and daring action such as that. Was the Mule right? Was his controlled mind so concerned with obedience as to lose initiative? He felt a thickening despondency drive him down into a strange lassitude.
普利吉的手从腰际的核铳滑落，一股模糊的不快陡然向他袭来。究竟是什么使他不愿采取行动？是什么使他优柔寡断？当年效忠第一基地那个商业帝国的时候，他是一名充满叛逆性格、永远无法晋升的上尉；那时应该是他，而不是程尼斯，会对这种情况毫不犹豫地采取大胆行动。难道骡真的说对了吗？受控的心灵由于服从至上，令他不再主动积极？他顿时感到意志消沉，陷入一种奇异的疲惫状态。
He said, "Well done! However, you will consult me in the future before making decisions of this nature."
他说：“做得好！可是从今以后，在你作出类似决策之前，要先和我商量一下。”
The flickering signal caught his attention.
此时，闪动的讯号吸引了他的注意。
"That's the engine room," said Channis, casually. "They warmed up on five minutes' notice and I asked them to let me know if there was any trouble. Want to hold the fort?"
“那是引擎室。”程尼斯随口说，“我命令他们五分钟内暖机，我还交代他们，发现任何问题要立刻通知我。要我代你去一趟吗？”
Pritcher nodded mutely, and cogitated in the sudden loneliness on the evils of approaching fifty. The visiplate was sparsely starred. The main body of the Galaxy misted one end. What if he were free of the Mule's influence……"
普利吉默默点了点头。他想起自己已经快五十岁，遂在突如其来的孤独中沉思着这个可怕的事实。显像板只映出稀稀落落的几颗星，银河主体则朦胧地挤在一旁。假如自己能解脱骡的枷锁，那该……
But he recoiled in horror at the thought.
刚刚想到这个念头，他就吓得赶紧打住。
Chief Engineer Huxlani looked sharply at the young, ununiformed man who carried himself with the assurance of a Fleet officer and seemed to be in a position of authority. Huxlani, as a regular Fleet man from the days his chin had dripped milk, generally confused authority with specific insignia.
轮机长哈克斯兰尼以锐利的目光，瞪着面前这位穿着便服的年轻人。这个平民似乎很有权威的地位，还带着舰队军官特有的自信。而乳臭未干就加入舰队的哈克斯兰尼，却总是将权威与阶级划上等号。
But the Mule had appointed this man, and the Mule was, of course, the last word. The only word for that matter. Not even subconsciously did he question that. Emotional control went deep.
不过这个人是骡亲自指定的，而骡当然就是真理。骡的这个决定，他连下意识都毫不怀疑。情感的控制将他深深地、牢牢地抓住。
He handed Channis the little oval object without a word.
他一句话也没说，只是将一个小小的卵形物体交给程尼斯。
Channis hefted it, and smiled engagingly.
程尼斯掂掂它的分量，露出了迷人的笑容。
"You're a Foundation man, aren't you, chief?"
“轮机长，你是基地人，对不对？”
"Yes, sir. I served in the Foundation Fleet eighteen years before the First Citizen took over."
“是的，长官。在第一公民接收基地前，我曾在基地舰队中服役十八年。”
"Foundation training in engineering?"
“你是在基地接受技术训练的吗？”
"Qualified Technician, First Class……Central School on Anacreon."
“我是合格的一级技术员……安纳克里昂中央军校毕业。”
"Good enough. And you found this on the communication circuit, where I asked you to look?"
“很好。这是你在通讯线路中找到的吗？就在我请你检查的地方？”
"Yes, Sir."
“报告长官，是的。”
"Does it belong there?"
“它是线路的一部分吗？”
"No, Sir."
“报告长官，不是。”
"Then what is it?"
“那么它到底是什么？”
"A hypertracer, sir."
“报告长官，是超波中继器。”
"That's not enough. I'm not a Foundation man. What is it?"
“我可不是基地人，你这么说还不够清楚。它有什么作用？”
"It's a device to allow the ship to be traced through hyperspace."
“借着这个装置，就能在超空间中追踪这艘星舰。”
"In other words we can be followed anywhere."
“换句话说，不论我们到哪里，都会被人跟踪。”
"Yes, Sir."
“报告长官，是的。”
"All right. It's a recent invention, isn't it? It was developed by one of the Research Institutes set up by the First Citizen, wasn't it?"
“很好。这是新近的改良型，对不对？是由第一公民创建的‘研究院’研发出来的，是吗？”
"I believe so, Sir."
“报告长官，我同意。”
"And its workings are a government secret. Right?"
“它的结构和功能都是政府的机密，对吗？”
"I, believe so, Sir."
“报告长官，我同意。”
"Yet here it is. Intriguing."
“而它却跑到这里来了，真有意思。”
Channis tossed the hypertracer methodically from hand to hand for a few seconds. Then, sharply, he held it out, "Take it, then, and put it back exactly where you found it and exactly how you found it. Understand? And then forget this incident. Entirely!"
程尼斯将超波中继器在两手间扔来扔去。几秒钟后，他猛然将它递出去。“好，你拿去吧，把它原封不动放回原处。懂不懂？然后忘掉这件事，彻底忘掉！”
The chief choked down his near-automatic salute, turned sharply and left.
轮机长差一点就要行礼，还好及时煞住。一个利落的转身，他就离开了。
The ship bounded through the Galaxy, its path a wide-spaced dotted line through the stars. The dots, referred to, were the scant stretches of ten to sixty light-seconds spent in normal space and between them stretched the hundred-and-up light-year gaps that represented the "hops" through hyperspace.
星舰在银河中进行着一次又一次的跃迁，它的轨迹是群星间一条稀疏的虚线。虚线中的“点”，是星舰在普通空间中航行十至六十“光秒”的短程路径；而点与点之间许多秒差距的空隙，则是星舰在超空间中跃迁一次的结果。
Bail Channis sat at the control panel of the Lens and felt again the involuntary surge of near-worship at the contemplation of it.
拜尔·程尼斯坐在“透镜”的控制盘前沉思，不禁对它兴起一股近乎崇敬的情绪。
He was not a Foundation man and the interplay of forces at the twist of a knob or the breaking of a contact was not second nature to him.
他不是基地人，因此对他而言，推动把手、按动开关这些事，并不是耳濡目染的第二本能。
Not that the Lens ought quite to bore even a Foundation man. Within its unbelievably compact body were enough electronic circuits to pin- point accurately a hundred million separate stars in exact relationship to each other. And as if that were not a feat in itself, it was further capable of translating any given portion of the Galactic Field along any of the three spatial axes or to rotate any portion of the Field about a center.
然而，即使对基地人而言，“透镜”也不算一种无聊的装置。在它不可思议的紧致体积中，藏有数不清的电子电路，足以精确记忆数亿颗恒星的相对位置。除此之外，它还具有一项更惊人的功能，就是能将“银河像场”的任何一部分，沿着三个空间坐标轴进行任意的平移，或是绕着任何中心旋转。
It was because of that, that the Lens had performed a near-revolution in interstellar travel. In the younger days of interstellar travel, the calculation of each "hop" through hyperspace meant any amount of work from a day to a week……and the larger portion of such work was the more or less precise calculation of "Ship's Position" on the Galactic scale of reference. Essentially that meant the accurate observation of at least three widely-spaced stars, the position of which, with reference to the arbitrary Galactic triple-zero, were known.
由于具有这些功能，在星际旅行科技的发展中，“透镜”扮演了近乎革命性的角色。在星际旅行早期，为了一次超空间跃迁，必须花上一天至一周来进行计算……大多数的时间，都用于计算船舰在银河中的准确位置。简单地说，就是至少要对三颗彼此相距很远的恒星，进行非常精确的观测，而这三颗恒星相对于某个“银河坐标原点”的位置必须是已知的。
And it is the word "known," that is the catch. To any who know the star field well from one certain reference point, stars are as individual as people. Jump ten parsecs, however, and not even your own sun is recognizable. It may not even be visible.
关键便在于“已知”这两个字。任何人只要熟悉某个方位的“星像场”，便能轻易分辨出其中每一个星体。然而跃迁十秒差距之后，就可能连母星的太阳都难以辨认，甚至根本看不见了。
The answer was, of course, spectroscopic analysis. For centuries, the main object of interstellar engineering was the analysis of the "light signature" of more and more stars in greater and greater detail. With this, and the growing precision of the "hop" itself, standard routes of travel through the Galaxy were adopted and interstellar travel became less of an art and more of a science.
解决之道当然是光谱分析。每颗恒星的光谱都不尽相同，就像每个人的签名一样。数世纪以来，星际交通工程学的主要课题，正是如何将更多恒星的光谱分析得更仔细。随着光谱分析的发展，以及跃迁准确度的不断提升，银河旅行的标准航道逐渐建立起来，星际航行也从艺术逐渐蜕变成真正的科学。
And yet, even under the Foundation with improved calculating machines and a new method of mechanically scanning the star field for a known "light signature," it sometimes took days to locate three stars and then calculate position in regions not previously familiar to the pilot.
不过，即使像基地这样的科技水准，船舰上配备精良的电脑，并且利用崭新的星像场扫描法来分析恒星的“星光签名”，但是在不熟悉的星域中，驾驶员也经常需要几天的时间，才能找到三颗已知的恒星，以便计算船舰的位置。
It was the Lens that changed all that. For one thing it required only a single known star. For another, even a space tyro such as Channis could operate it.
直到“透镜”发明后，一切才完全改观。“透镜”的特色之一，在于只需要一颗已知恒星当参考点；而另一项特色，则是程尼斯这样的太空生手也能操作自如。
The nearest sizable star at the moment was Vincetori, according to "hop" calculations, and on the visiplate now, a bright star was centered. Channis hoped that it was Vincetori.
根据跃迁计算，目前最接近而体积够大的天体是凯旋星。而此时在显像板中央，也显现了一颗明亮的星体。程尼斯希望它正是凯旋星。
The field screen of the Lens was thrown directly next that of the visiplate and with careful fingers, Channis punched out the co-ordinates of Vincetori. He closed a relay, and the star field sprang to bright view. In it, too, a bright star was centered, but otherwise there seemed no relationship. He adjusted the Lens along the Z-Axis and expanded the Field to where the photometer showed both centered stars to be of equal brightness.
“透镜”的投影屏幕紧邻着显像板，程尼斯将凯旋星的坐标一个一个仔细键入。然后他按下某个电驿，星像场便立刻大放光明。屏幕中央也有一颗明亮的恒星，不过似乎与显像板上那一颗没有什么关系。于是他开始调整“透镜”，让星像场沿着Ｚ轴平移，并且让画面逐渐扩展，直到屏幕中央与显像板中央的恒星亮度完全相同。
Channis looked for a second star, sizably bright, on the visiplate and found one on the field screen to correspond. Slowly, he rotated the screen to similar angular deflection. He twisted his mouth and rejected the result with a grimace. Again he rotated and another bright star was brought into position, and a third. And then he grinned. That did it. Perhaps a specialist with trained relationship perception might have clicked first try, but he'd settle for three.
程尼斯又在显像板上选了另一颗够大够亮的恒星，并从屏幕上找到对应的影像。接下来，他让屏幕缓缓旋转，一直转到与显像板相同的方位。他随即撅着嘴，做了一个鬼脸，放弃了这个结果。然后他又两度旋转屏幕，先后选了另外两颗亮星。最后那回他终于露出笑容，总算成功了。一位受过“相对位置判别训练”的专家，也许第一次就能成功，但他只做了三次尝试，成绩也相当难得。
That was the adjustment. In the final step, the two fields overlapped and merged into a sea of not-quite-rightness. Most of the stars were close doubles. But the fine adjustment did not take long. The double stars melted together, one field remained, and the "Ship's Position" could now be read directly off the dials. The entire procedure had taken less than half an hour.
最后的工作便是微调。他将屏幕与显像板的影像重叠起来，结果是不尽相符的一团朦胧。大多数星体都呈现很接近的两个影像。不过微调并不需要太多时间。所有的星像不久都融合为一，变成单一的清晰影像。现在，已经能直接从刻度盘上读出星舰的位置，整个过程还不到半个小时。
Channis found Han Pritcher in his private quarters. The general was quite apparently preparing for bed. He looked up. "News?"
程尼斯在汉·普利吉的单人寝室里找到他。这位将军显然准备就寝了，他抬起头来问：“有什么消息吗？”
"Not particularly. We抣l be at Tazenda in another hop."
“没有什么特别的消息。只要再做一次跃迁，我们就到达辛德了。”
"I know."
“我知道了。”
"I don't want to bother you if you're turning in, but have you looked through the film we picked up in Cil?"
“如果你想上床，我就不打扰你了。可是，我们在席尔星找到的胶卷，你究竟有没有好好看过？”
Han Pritcher cast a disparaging look at the article in question, where it lay in its black case upon his low bookshelf, "Yes."
程尼斯所说的那个胶卷，这时摆在一个矮书架下层的黑色盒子中，汉·普利吉以轻蔑的目光望了望。“看过了。”
"And what do you think?"
“你有什么感想吗？”
"I think that if there was ever any science to History, it has been quite lost in this region of the Galaxy."
“我认为，即使曾经存在任何和历史有关的科学，在银河系这一带也几乎失传了。”
Channis grinned broadly, "I know what you mean. Rather barren, isn't it?"
程尼斯露出灿烂的笑容。“我知道你的意思。资料相当贫乏，对不对？”
"Not if you enjoy personal chronicles of rulers. Probably unreachable, I should say, in both directions. Where history concerns mainly personalities, the drawings become either black or white according to the interests of the writer. I find it all remarkably useless."
“假如你对统治者的实录情有独钟，那又另当别论。我认为，这些东西无论如何不会可靠。那些专注于个人事迹的历史，功过评价全取决于作者的主观意识。我发现毫无可取之处。”
"But there is talk about Tazenda. That's the point I tried to make when I gave you the film. It's the only one I could find that even mentioned them."
“但是里面提到了达辛德。我给你那卷胶卷，就是想让你看看这个记录。这是我找到的唯一一份资料，其他的资料连提也没提。”
"All right. They have good rulers and bad. They've conquered a few planets, won some battles, lost a few. There is nothing distinctive about them. I don't think much of your theory, Channis."
“好吧。他们的统治者有好有坏，他们征服过几颗行星，打仗有输有赢。但是他们并没有什么特殊事迹。程尼斯，我认为你的理论没有任何价值。”
"But you've missed a few points. Didn't you notice that they never formed coalitions? They always remained completely outside the politics of this corner of the star swarm. As you say, they conquered a few planets, but then they stopped……and that without any startling defeat of consequence. It's just as if they spread out enough to protect themselves, but not enough to attract attention."
“可是你忽略了一些重点。你有没有注意到，他们向来不曾和其他世界结盟？在那个挤满星辰的角落，他们始终置身于区域性政治之外。正如你所说，他们曾经征服过几颗行星，可是却适可而止……而且没有吃过什么大败仗。仿佛他们刻意扩张到刚好足以自卫，却又刚好不会引起注意。”
"Very well," came the unemotional response. "I have no objection to landing. At the worst……a little lost time."
“非常好。”普利吉以毫无感情的语调答道，“我并不反对登陆。最坏的结果……浪费一点时间。”
"Oh, no. At the worst……complete defeat. If it is the Second Foundation. Remember it would be a world of space-knows-how-many Mules."
“喔，不对。最坏的结果……全军覆没，如果那里真是第二基地的大本营。你别忘了，天晓得那个世界藏有多少只骡。”
"What do you plan to do?"
“你计划怎么做呢？”
"Land on some minor subject planet. Find out as much as we can about Tazenda first, then improvise from that."
“降落在某颗不起眼的藩属行星上。先尽可能搜集有关达辛德的资料，然后见机行事。”
"All right. No objection. If you don't mind now, I would like the light out."
“好吧，我不反对。你不介意的话，现在我想熄灯了。”
Channis left with a wave of his hand.
程尼斯摆摆手，径自离开了。
And in the darkness of a tiny room in an island of driving metal lost in the vastness of space, General Han Pritcher remained awake, following the thoughts that led him through such fantastic reaches.
这个飘浮于广袤太空中的金属岛屿，有一间小寝室立刻陷入黑暗。不过，汉·普利吉将军仍然清醒，让奔腾的思绪带领自己神游物外。
If everything he had so painfully decided were true……and how all the facts were beginning to fit……then Tazenda was the Second Foundation. There was no way out. But how? How?
假如他费尽心力所决定的事通通正确……许多事实已经开始互相印证……那么达辛德的确就是第二基地，不可能另有蹊跷。可是为什么？为什么呢？
Could it be Tazenda? An ordinary world? One without distinction? A slum lost amid the wreckage of an Empire? A splinter among the fragments? He remembered, as from a distance, the Mule's shriveled face and his thin voice as he used to speak of the old Foundation psychologist, Ebling Mis, the one man who had……maybe……learned the secret of the Second Foundation.
真的就是达辛德吗？一个平凡的世界？一个毫无特色的世界？帝国残骸中的一个贫民窟？断垣残壁间的一个碎片？他依旧记得，每当骡提到基地心理学家艾布林·米斯，那个曾经……也许曾经发现第二基地秘密的人，骡总是会皱起眉头，连声音也变得有气无力。
Pritcher recalled the tension of the Mule's words: "It was as if astonishment had overwhelmed Mis. It was as though something about the Second Foundation had surpassed all his expectations, had driven in a direction completely different from what he might have assumed. If I could only have read his thoughts rather than his emotions. Yet the emotions were plain……and above everything else was this vast surprise."
普利吉想起骡的话语中紧张的情绪：“米斯好像突然吓呆了。仿佛第二基地的秘密超乎他的预料，和他原先的假设完全背道而驰。我真希望除了他的情绪之外，我还能读出他的思想。但那些情绪是那么明显……尤其是那股扑天盖地的惊愕。”
Surprise was the keynote. Something supremely astonishing! And now came this boy, this grinning youngster, glibly joyful about Tazenda and its undistinguished subnormality. And he had to be right. He had to. Otherwise, nothing made sense.
惊愕是米斯情绪中的主调。他的发现一定难以置信！而现在，这个男孩，这个老是笑眯眯的青年，他对达辛德充满信心，还油嘴滑舌地强调最不起眼就是最不平凡。而他一定没错，他的说法一定正确。否则，天下再也没有合理的事了。
Pritcher's last conscious thought had a touch of grimness. That hypertracer along the Etheric tube was still there. He had checked it one hour back, with Channis well out of the way.
在进入睡眠状态之前，普利吉最后的意识是一丝冷酷。乙太管旁边的超波追踪器仍在原处。一小时前他还去检查过，而程尼斯对此完全不知情。
SECOND INTERLUDE
第二插曲
It was a casual meeting in the anteroom of the Council Chamber……just a few moments before passing into the Chamber to take up the business of the day……and the few thoughts flashed back and forth quickly.
在评议会大厅的休息室中，几位发言者聚在一起……他们即将进入大厅，展开当天的工作……两三个念头在他们之间迅速飞来跃去。
"So the Mule is on his way."
“所以说，骡开始行动了。”
"That's what I hear, too. Risky! Mighty risky!"
“我也听说了。危险！太危险了！”
"Not if affairs adhere to the functions set up."
“如果一切依循既定的函数运作，就不会有危险。”
"The Mule is not an ordinary man……and it is difficult to manipulate his chosen instruments without detection by him. The controlled minds are difficult to touch. They say he's caught on to a few cases."
“骡不是普通人……想要左右他所选定的傀儡，很难不被他察觉。受到控制的心灵更是难以碰触，据说他已经发现几宗案例。”
"Yes, I don't see how that can be avoided."
“没错，我认为简直无法避免。”
"Uncontrolled minds are easier. But so few are in positions of authority under him?
“未受控制的心灵比较容易对付。可是他手下的掌权人物，却很少有这样的人……”
They entered the Chamber. Others of the Second Foundation followed them.
他们走进了大厅，第二基地的其他成员则跟在后面。