Part 1 ETO DEMERZEL

第1部 伊图·丹莫刺尔

ETO.DEMERZEL:……While there is no question that Eto Demerzel was the real power in the government during much of the reign of Emperor Cleon I, historians are divided as to the nature of his rule. The classic interpretation is that he was another in the long line of strong and ruthless oppressors in the last century of the undivided Galactic Empire, but there are revisionist views that have surfaced and that insist his was, if a despotism, a benevolent one. Much is made, in this view, of his relationship with Hari Seldon though that remains forever uncertain, particularly during the unusual episode of Laskin Joranum, whose meteoric rise……

伊图·丹莫刺尔：……虽然在克里昂大帝一世在位的大半时期，伊图·丹莫刺尔无疑是政府中真正的掌权者，历史学家对他的统治方式却众说纷纭。根据传统的诠释，他是银河帝国分裂前最后一个世纪间，那些一个接一个、强势而无情的压迫者之一。但如今已经浮现一些修正主义观点，坚持他即使是独裁者，也属于开明专制派。根据此一观点，他与哈里·谢顿的关系被人大做文章（不过真相永远无法确定），尤其是在拉斯金·久瑞南事件那段非常时期。后者的昙花一现……

ENCYCLOPEDIA GALACTICA *

——《银河百科全书》

* All quotations from the Encyclopedia Galactica here reproduced are taken from the 116th Edition, published 1,020 F.E. by the Encyclopedia Galactica Publishing Co., Terminus, with permission of the publishers.

"Hari," said Yugo Amaryl, "that your friend Demerzel is in deep trouble." He emphasized the word "friend" very lightly and with unmistakable air of distaste.

“我再讲一遍，哈里，”雨果·阿马瑞尔说，“你的朋友丹莫刺尔麻烦大了。”他非常轻微地强调了“朋友”二字，而且带着如假包换的嫌恶神态。

Hari Seldon detected the sour note and ignored it. He looked up from his tricomputer and said, "I tell you again, Yugo, that that's nonsense." And then ……with a trace of annoyance, just a trace ……he added, "Why are you taking up my time by insisting?"

哈里·谢顿察觉到话里的酸味，却未加理会，他从三用电脑前抬起头来。“我再讲一遍，雨果，这毫无意义。”然后，他带着一点厌烦——一点而已，补充道：“你为什么要坚持这件事，无端浪费我的时间？”

"Because I think it's important." Amaryl sat down defiantly. It was a gesture that indicated he was not going to be moved easily. Here he was and here he would stay.

“因为我认为它很重要。”雨果以挑战的架式坐下，这种姿态代表他不会轻易动摇。他人在这里，而且要留在这里。

Eight years before, he had been a heatsinker in the Dahl Sectoras low on the social scale as it was possible to be. He had been lifted out of that position by Seldon made into a mathematician and an intellectualmore than that, into a psychohistorian.

八年前，他只是达尔区的一个热闾工，社会阶级低得不能再低。是谢顿将他从那个阶级拉拔出来，使他成为一名数学家与知识分子——非但如此，还成为一名心理史学家。

Never for one minute did he forget what he had been and who he was now and to whom he owed the change. That meant that if he had to speak harshly to Hari Seldon for Seldon's own good-no consideration of respect and love for the older man and no regard for his own career would stop him. He owed such harshness-and much more to Seldon.

他无时无刻不记得过去与现在的分际，以及这个转变是拜何人之赐。这就意味着，假如为了谢顿好，他必须对谢顿疾言厉色，那么即使他对这位老大哥万分敬爱，即使他顾及自己的前途，也都无法阻止他这样做。他亏欠谢顿太多太多，这份疾言厉色只是其中之一。

"Look, Hari," he said, chopping at the air with his left hand, "for some reason that is beyond my understanding, you think highly of this Demerzel, but I don't. No one whose opinion I respect-except you-thinks well of him. I don't care what happens to him personally, Hari, but as long as I think you do, I have no choice but to bring this to your attention."

“听我说，哈里，”他一面说，一面用左手虚劈一记，“由于某种我无法理解的原因，你对这个丹莫刺尔评价颇高，但我可不然。除你之外，那些值得我尊重他们意见的人，对他都没有什么好感。我不在乎他这个人发生什么事，哈里，可是只要我想到你在乎，我就没有选择余地，不得不向你报告这件事。”

Seldon smiled, as much at the other's earnestness as at what he considered to be the uselessness of his concern. He was fond of Yugo Amaryl-more than fond. Yugo was one of the four people he had encountered during that short period of his life when he was in flight across the face of the planet Trantor-Eto Demerzel, Dors Venabili, Yugo Amaryl, and Raych-four, the likes of which he had not found since.

谢顿微微一笑，一半是针对此人的热忱，另一半是认为他的关心毫无用处。他很喜欢雨果·阿马瑞尔，甚至不只是‘喜欢’两字所能形容。他一生中曾有一段短暂时期，在川陀这颗行星表面四处逃亡，雨果便是他当时结识的四个人之一。另外三人是伊图·丹莫刺尔、铎丝·凡纳比里以及芮奇。后来，他再也没有结识类似的患难之交。

In a particular and, in each case, different way, these four were indispensable to him-Yugo Amaryl, because of his quick understanding of the principles of psychohistory and of his imaginative probings into new areas. It was comforting to know that if anything happened to Seldon himself before the mathematics of the field could be completely worked out-and how slowly it proceeded, and how mountainous the obstacles there would at least remain one good mind that would continue the research.

这四个人，以四种不同的特殊方式，成为他生命中不可或缺的角色。就雨果·阿马瑞尔而言，是因为他对心理史学原理的敏捷领悟力，以及对新领域充满想象的洞察力。谢顿感到相当安慰，因为他知道，倘若在这个领域的数学尚未发展完善之际（它的进展多么缓慢，过程多么困难重重），自己就有什么三长两短，至少还有一个优秀的头脑会继续这项研究。

He said, "I'm sorry, Yugo. I don't mean to be impatient with you or to reject out of hand whatever it is you are so anxious to make me understand. It's just this job of mine; it's this business of being a department head……"

他说：“很抱歉，雨果，我不是有意对你不耐烦，或是对你急着要我了解的事不屑一顾。只是我手头的工作，身为系主任……”

Amaryl found it his turn to smile and he repressed a slight chuckle. "I'm sorry, Hari, and I shouldn't laugh, but you have no natural aptitude for the position."

这回轮到雨果露出笑容，他赶紧压下一声轻笑。“很抱歉，哈里，我不该发笑，但你没有担任那个职位的天分。”

"As well I know, but I'll have to learn. I have to seem to be doing something harmless and there is nothing-nothing-more harmless than being the head of the Mathematics Department at Streeling University. I can fill my day with unimportant tasks, so that no one need know or ask about the course of our psychohistorical research, but the trouble is, I do fill my day with unimportant tasks and I have insufficient time to……" His eyes glanced around his office at the material stored in computers to which only he and Amaryl had the key and which, even if anyone else stumbled upon them, had been carefully phrased in an invented symbology that no one else would understand.

“我十分了解，但我必须学习。我必须好像是在做些无害的事，而再也没有——再也没有——比在斯璀璘大学数学系当系主任更无害的事。我可以让琐事占满我整天的作息，这样一来，就没有人需要知道或问及我们的心理史学研究进展。可是问题在于，我的确让琐事占满我整天的作息，我没有足够的时间……”他环顾一下这间研究室，对储存在电脑中的材料瞥了一眼。这些电脑资料只有他与雨果能够开启，而且刻意以自家发明的符号记述，即使外人误打误撞闯了进去，也无法理解那些符号的意义。

Amaryl said, "Once you work your way further into your duties, you'll begin to delegate and then you'll have more time."

雨果说：“一旦在这个职位上进入状况，你就能把工作分派下去，然后便会有较多的时间。”

"I hope so," said Seldon dubiously. "But tell me, what is it about Eto Demerzel that is so important?"

“但愿如此。”谢顿透着怀疑说，“别管了，告诉我，哪件和伊图·丹莫刺尔有关的事那么重要？”

"Simply that Eto Demerzel, our great Emperor's First Minister, is busily creating an insurrection."

“只不过是伊图·丹莫刺尔，浩哉吾皇的首相，正忙着制造一场叛变。”

Seldon frowned. "Why would he want to do that?"

谢顿皱起眉头。“他为什么要那样做？”

"I didn't say he wants to. He's simply doing it-whether he knows it or not-and with considerable help from some of his political enemies. That's all right with me, you understand. I think that, under ideal conditions, it would be a good thing to have him out of the Palace, off Trantor . beyond the Empire, for that matter. But you think highly of him, as I've said, and so I'm warning you, because I suspect that you are not following the recent political course of events as closely as you should."

“我不是说他要，但是他正在那样做——不论他知不知道，而他的一些政敌还帮了很大的忙。你也了解，我可无所谓。我甚至认为，在理想情况下，将他赶出皇宫，逐出川陀……甚至逼他远离帝国会是件好事。可是正如我刚才所说，你对他评价颇高，所以我才来警告你，因为我觉得你对最近的政治趋势关心得还不够。”

"There are more important things to do," said Seldon mildly.

“还有许多更重要的事要做。”谢顿温和地说。

"Like psychohistory. I agree. But how are we going to develop psychohistory with any hope of success if we remain ignorant of politics? 1 mean, present-day politics. Now-now-is the time when the present is turning into the future. We can't just study the past. We know what happened in the past. It's against the present and the near future that we can check our results."

“比如说心理史学，我同意。可是如果我们对政治始终无知，心理史学的发展怎么会有成功的希望？我是指当今的政治。此时，此刻，才是现在转变成未来的时刻。我们不能光研究过去，因为我们知道过去发生过什么。我们能用来检验研究成果的，是现在和不久的将来。”

"It seems to me," said Seldon, "that I have heard this argument before."

“在我的感觉中，”谢顿说，“我以前好像听过这番论述。”

"And you'll hear it again. It doesn't seem to do me any good to explain this to you."

“以后你还会听到。向你解释这点，似乎对我并没有什么好处。”

Seldon sighed, sat back in his chair, and regarded Amaryl with a smile. The younger man could be abrasive, but he took psychohistory seriously-and that repaid all.

谢顿叹了一口气，将身子靠向椅背，带着微笑凝视着雨果。这个小老弟也许满身是刺，可是他对心理史学极其认真，而这就胜于一切。

Amaryl still had the mark of his early years as a heatsinker. He had the broad shoulders and the muscular build of one who had been used to hard physical labor. He had not allowed his body to turn flabby and that was a good thing, for it inspired Seldon to resist the impulse to spend all of his time at the desk as well. He did not have Amarylís sheer physical strength, but he still had his own talents as a Twister-for all that he had just turned forty and could not keep it up forever. But for now, he would continue. Thanks to his daily workouts, his waist was still trim, his legs and arms firm.

雨果仍有当年热闾工的本色。他拥有宽阔的肩膀，以及惯于重度体力劳动的魁梧体格。他没有让身体松软下来，这倒是件好事，因为它对谢顿是个激励，帮助他抗拒把每一分钟都花在书桌前的冲动。谢顿并没有雨果那般的体力，但他仍旧保有一名角力士的技能——虽说他今年已经四十岁，绝不可能永远保有，不过目前还没有衰退的迹象。拜每日勤练之赐，他的腰身仍然苗条，双腿与双臂也结实依旧。

He said, "This concern for Demerzel cannot be purely a matter of his being a friend of mine. You must have some other motive."

他说：“你对丹莫刺尔如此关切，不可能纯粹由于他是我的朋友，你一定还有别的动机。”

"There's no puzzle to that. As long as you're a friend of Demerzel, your position here at the University is secure and you can continue to work on psychohistorical research."

“这点毫无疑问。只要你是丹莫刺尔的朋友，你在这所大学的职位便有保障，你就能继续从事心理史学的研究。”

"There you are. So I do have a reason to be friends with him. It isn't beyond your understanding at all."

“这就对了。所以我的确有与他为友的理由，这绝不是你无法理解的。”

"You have an interest in cultivating him. That, I understand. But as for friendship-that, I don't understand. However-if Demerzel lost lower, quite apart from the effect it might have on your position, then Cleon himself would be running the Empire and the rate of its decline would increase. Anarchy might then be upon us before we have worked out all the implications of psychohistory and made it possible for the science to save all humanity."

“你有必要去巴结他，这点我能理解。但至于友谊嘛，这，就是我无法理解的。然而，假如丹莫刺尔丧失权力，姑且不论对你的职位可能造成什么影响，到时候克里昂会亲自掌理帝国，这就会加速它的衰落。在我们发展出心理史学所有的枝节，使它成为拯救全体人类的科学之前，无政府状态便可能来临。”

"I see. -But, you know, I honestly don't think that we're going to work out psychohistory in time to prevent the Fall of the Empire."

“我懂了。但是，你可知道，我实在认为我们无法及时发展出心理史学，借以阻止帝国的衰亡。”

"Even if we could not prevent the Fall, we could cushion the effects, couldn't we?"

“即使无法阻止，我们至少能缓冲这个效应，对不对？”

"Perhaps."

“或许吧。”

"There you are, then. The longer we have to work in peace, the greater the chance we will have to prevent the Fall or, at least, ameliorate the effects. Since that is the case, working backward, it may be necessary to save Demerzel, whether we-or, at least, I-like it or not."

“那么，这就对了。我们在安定中工作的时间越长，我们能阻止衰亡或至少减轻冲击的机会就越大。既然情况如此，那么倒推回来，拯救丹莫刺尔也许就有必要，不论我们——或至少我自己——喜不喜欢这样做。”

"Yet you just said that you would like to see him out of the Palace and away from Trantor and beyond the Empire."

“但你刚才还说，希望见到他被赶出皇宫，逐出川陀，甚至远离帝国。”

"Yes, under ideal conditions, I said. But we are not living under ideal conditions and we need our First Minister, even if he is an instrument of repression and despotism."

“没错，我是说在理想情况下。但我们并不是处于理想的情况，所以我们需要我们的首相，即使他是个压迫和专制的工具。”

"I see. But why do you think the Empire is so close to dissolution that the loss of a First Minister will bring it about?"

“我懂了。可是你为什么认为帝国已接近崩溃的边缘，失去一位首相就会引爆呢？”

"Psychohistory."

“心理史学。”

"Are you using it for predictions? We haven't even gotten the framework in place. What predictions can you make?"

“你用它作预测吗？我们甚至连骨架都没搭好，你能作些什么预测？”

"There's intuition, Hari."

“别忘了还有直觉这回事，哈里。”

"There's always been intuition. We want something more, don't we? We want a mathematical treatment that will give us probabilities of specific future developments under this condition or that. If intuition suffices to guide us, we don't need psychohistory at all."

“直觉自古就有，但我们要的不只是这个，对不对？我们要的是个数学方法，它能够在各种不同的条件下，告诉我们某些特定发展的几率。假使直觉足以引导我们，我们就根本不需要心理史学。”

"It's not necessarily a matter of one or the other, Hari. I'm talking about both: the combination, which may be better than either-at least until psychohistory is perfected."

“这未必是个无法并存的情况，哈里。我是在说兼容并蓄：二者的结合。这也许好过在两者中作出选择——至少在心理史学尽善尽美之前。”

"If ever," said Seldon. "But tell me, where does this danger to Demerzel arise? What is it that is likely to harm him or overthrow him? Are we talking about Demerzel's overthrow?"

“倘若真能完成的话。”谢顿说，“别管了，告诉我，丹莫刺尔的危机是打哪儿来的？有可能伤害他或推翻他的是什么东西？我们是不是在讨论丹莫刺尔可能被推翻？”

"Yes," said Amaryl and a grim look settled on his face.

“是的。”雨果绷起脸来。

"Then tell me. Have pity on my ignorance."

“那么可怜可怜我的无知，告诉我吧。”

Amaryl flushed. "You're being condescending, Hari. Surely you've heard of Jo-Jo Joranum."

雨果面红耳赤。“你太谦虚了，哈里。不用说，你一定听说过九九·久瑞南。”

"Certainly. He's a demagogue- Wait, where's he from? Nishaya, right? A very unimportant world. Goat herding, I think. High-quality cheeses."

“当然，他是个群众煽动家——慢着，他是从哪儿来的？尼沙亚，是吗？一个微不足道的世界，我猜，居民以牧羊为生，生产高品质的乳酪。”

"That's it. Not just a demagogue, however. He commands a strong following and it's getting stronger. He aims, he says, for social justice and greater political involvement by the people."

“对了。然而，他不只是群众煽动家。他统率一个强大的党派，而且它一天比一天强大。他说，他的目标是争取社会公平，扩大人民的参政权。”

"Yes," said Seldon. "I've heard that much. His slogan is: `Government belongs to the people.'"

“没错，”谢顿说，“这些我都听说过。他的口号是‘政府属于人民’。”

"Not quite, Hari. He says: `Government is the people.'"

“不完全对，哈里。他说的是‘政府即人民’。”

Seldon nodded. "Well, you know, I rather sympathize with the thought."

谢顿点了点头。“嗯，你可知道，我相当认同这个想法。”

"So do I. I'm all for it-if Joranum meant it. But he doesn't, except as a stepping-stone. It's a path, not a goal. He wants to get rid of Demerzel. After that it will be easy to manipulate Cleon. Then Joranum will take the throne himself and he will be the people. You've told me yourself that there have been a number of episodes of this sort in Imperial history-and these days the Empire is weaker and less stable than it used to be. A blow which, in earlier centuries, merely staggered it might now shatter it. The Empire will welter in civil war and never recover and we won't have psychohistory in place to teach us what must be done."

“我也是，久瑞南若是真心的，我全心全意赞成。但其实不然，他只是拿它当踏脚石。那是手段，而不是目的。他要把丹莫刺尔赶下台，接下来，控制克里昂一世就会很简单。然后久瑞南自己会坐上皇位，那时他就成了人民。是你自己告诉我的，在帝国历史上，这种事例比比皆是。而且如今帝国已大不如前，变得衰弱且不稳定。过去仅会令它摇晃的冲击，现在却可能将它撞得粉碎。帝国将陷于内战，永远无法自拔，我们却没有心理史学指导我们该怎么做。”

"Yes, I see your point, but surely it's not going to be that easy to get rid of Demerzel."

“对，我明白你的意思了。可是想要除掉丹莫刺尔，也绝不是件容易的事。”

"You don't know how strong Joranum is growing."

“你不清楚久瑞南的势力变得多强了。”

"It doesn't matter how strong he's growing." A shadow of thought seemed to pass over Seldon's brow. "I wonder that his parents came to name him Jo-Jo. There's something juvenile about that name."

“他变得多强并不重要。”谢顿眉宇间似乎掠过一个念头，“我不懂他父母为何替他取名九九，这名字听来有些幼稚。”

"His parents had nothing to do with it. His real name is Laskin, a very common name on Nishaya. He chose Jo-Jo himself, presumably from the first syllable of his last name."

“他的父母和这件事无关。他的真名叫拉斯金，那是尼沙亚上一个很普通的名字。九九是他自己取的，想必是源自他的姓氏第一个字。”

"The more fool he, wouldn't you say?"

“那他更傻了，你不觉得吗？”

"No, I wouldn't. His followers shout it 'Jo . JJJJJJJJJJo . JJ' over and over. It's hypnotic."

“不，我可不觉得。他的追随者总是喊着：‘九……九……九……九……’一遍又一遍，颇有催眠作用。”

"Well," said Seldon, making a move to return to his tricomputer and adjust the multidimensional simulation it had created, "we'll see what happens."

“好吧，”谢顿再度俯身面对他的三用电脑，开始调整它所产生的多维模拟，“我们静观其变。”

"Can you be that casual about it? I'm telling you the danger is imminent."

“你怎能那么不当一回事？我是在告诉你危险迫在眉睫。”

"No, it isn't," said Seldon, eyes steely, his voice suddenly hardening. "You don't have all the facts."

“不，不会的。”谢顿答道，他的双眼如钢铁般冷酷，他的声音突然强硬起来，“你只知其一不知其二。”

"What facts don't I have?"

“我不知道什么？”

"We'll discuss that another time, Yugo. For now, continue with your work and let me worry about Demerzel and the state of the Empire."

“我们改天再来讨论这个问题，雨果。现在，继续做你的研究吧，让我来担心丹莫刺尔和帝国的局势。”

Amaryl's lips tightened, but the habit of obedience to Seldon was strong. "Yes, Hari."

雨果紧抿着嘴，不过他对谢顿的服从早已根深蒂固。“好的，哈里。”

But not overwhelmingly strong. He turned at the door and said, "You're making a mistake, Hari."

但也不是强到压倒一切。他在门口转过头来，说道：“你在铸成一个错误，哈里。”

Seldon smiled slightly. "I don't think so, but I have heard your warning and I will not forget. Still, all will be well."

谢顿轻轻一笑。“我可不这么想，反正我听到你的警告了，我不会忘记的。话说回来，一切都会平安无事。”

And as Amaryl left, Seldon's smile faded. -Would, indeed, all be well?

雨果离去后，谢顿的笑容随即敛去。真的一切都会平安无事吗？

2

2

But Seldon, while he did not forget Amaryl's warning, did not think of it with any great degree of concentration. His fortieth birthday came and went-with the usual psychological blow.

可是，谢顿虽然没有忘记雨果的警告，却也未曾特别用心想过。他的四十岁生日倏来倏去，照例又带给他一次心理打击。

Forty! He was not young any longer. Life no longer stretched before him as a vast uncharted field, its horizon lost in the distance. He had been on Trantor for eight years and the time had passed quickly. Another eight years and he would be nearly fifty. Old age would be looming.

四十岁！他已不再年轻。生命不再像一片浩瀚的未知领域，地平线不再隐没在遥远的尽头。他来到川陀已有八年，时间过得真快。再过八年，他就将近五十岁，老年岁月即将来临。

And he had not even made a decent beginning in psychohistory? Yugo Amaryl spoke brightly of laws and worked out his equations by making daring assumptions based on intuition. But how could one possibly test those assumptions? Psychohistory was not yet an experimental science. The complete study of psychohistory would require experiments that would involve worlds of people, centuries of time-and a total lack of ethical responsibility.

而在心理史学的研究上，他甚至还没有一个好的开始。雨果·阿马瑞尔总是兴致勃勃地谈论一些定律，并且根据直觉提出大胆的假设，再根据假设导出他的方程式。但是怎么有可能测试那些假设呢？心理史学还不是一门实验性科学；心理史学的完整研究所需的实验，将牵涉到许多世界的民众、数个世纪的时间，还要完全不顾任何道德责任。

It posed an impossible problem and he resented having to spend any time whatever on departmental tasks, so he walked home at the end of the day in a morose mood.

这是个不可能解决的难题，而系务工作所花的每一分钟都令他心痛，所以这天傍晚，他是怀着忧郁的心情走回家去。

Ordinarily he could always count on a walk through the campus to rouse his spirits. Streeling University was high-domed and the campus gave the feeling of being out in the open without the necessity of enduring the kind of weather he had experienced on his one (and only) visit to the Imperial Palace. There were trees, lawns, walks, almost as though he were on the campus of his old college on his home world of Helicon.

通常他只要在校园里走一趟，总是能令精神振奋起来。斯璀璘大学的穹顶很高，整个校园都让人有置身露天的感觉，却不必忍受像他上次（也是唯一一次）造访皇宫时遇到的那种天气。这儿有许多树木、草坪、人行步道，他仿佛回到了当年母星赫利肯的那个学院。

The illusion of cloudiness had been arranged for the day with the sunlight (no sun, of course, just sunlight) appearing and disappearing at odd intervals. And it was a little cool, just a little.

今日的天气设定成阴天的幻象，其中阳光（当然没有太阳，有的只是阳光）以不规则的间隔忽隐忽现。气温有点凉，只有一点而已。

It seemed to Seldon that the cool days came a little more frequently than they used to. Was Trantor saving energy? Was it increasing inefficiency? Or (and he scowled inwardly as he thought it) was he getting old and was his blood getting thin? He placed his hands in his jacket pockets and hunched up his shoulders.

在谢顿的感觉中，天凉的日子似乎较过去频繁了些。是川陀在节约能源吗？或是越来越缺乏效率？还是他年纪渐渐大了（想到这里，他在心中皱了一下眉头），体内的血液逐渐稀薄？他将双手放进外套口袋里，还缩了缩脖子。

Usually he did not bother guiding himself consciously. His body knew the way perfectly from his offices to his computer room and from there to his apartment and back. Generally he negotiated the path with his thoughts elsewhere, but today a sound penetrated his consciousness. A sound without meaning.

通常他都不必依靠意识引导自己前进。从他的研究室到他的电脑房，再从那里到他的寓所，或是相反的方向，他的身体都十分熟悉这些路程。在一般情况下，他总是一边走一边想别的事。但是今天，一个声音贯穿他的意识，一个没有意义的声音。

"Jo . JJJJJJJJJJo . JJ . "

“九……九……九……九……”

It was rather soft and distant, but it brought back a memory. Yes, Amaryl's warning. The demagogue. Was he here on campus?

那个声音相当轻柔而且遥远，但是它唤起了一段记忆。没错，雨果的警告，那个群众煽动家。他正在校园内吗？

His legs swerved without Seldon's making a conscious decision and brought him over the low rise to the University Field, which was used for calisthenics, sports, and student oratory.

谢顿未曾刻意作出决定，他的双腿便突然转向，带他爬过了小丘，向大学运动场前进。那里是学生做柔软体操和各项运动，以及大放厥词的场所。

In the middle of the Field was a moderate-sized crowd of students who were chanting enthusiastically. On a platform was someone he didn't recognize, someone with a loud voice and a swaying rhythm.

在运动场中央，聚集着不多不少的一群学生，正在狂热地齐声呐喊。而某个演讲台上，站着一个他不认识的人，那人声音洪亮，并且带着摇摆的节奏。

It wasn't this man, Joranum, however. He had seen Joranum on holovision a number of times. Since Amaryl's warning, Seldon had paid close attention JJranum was large and smiled with a kind of vicious camaraderie. He had thick sandy hair and light blue eyes.

然而，他并不是那个久瑞南。谢顿曾在全息电视上看过久瑞南几次，自从听到雨果的警告，谢顿便特别留意。久瑞南身材高大，微笑时带着一种邪恶的革命情感。他有着浓密的沙色头发，以及一对浅蓝色眼睛。

This speaker was small, if anything-thin, wide-mouthed, dark-haired, and loud. Seldon wasn't listening to the words, though he did hear the phrase "power from the one to the many" and the many-voiced shout in response.

这个演讲者则是小个子——瘦弱、宽嘴、黑头发、大嗓门。谢顿并未注意听那些话，不过还是听到一句“权力由一人之手转移至众人”，接着便有许多人高声附和。

Fine, thought Seldon, but just how does he intend to bring this about -and is he serious?

很好，谢顿心想，可是他打算怎么实现呢？还有，他是认真的吗？

He was at the outskirts of the crowd now and looked around far someone he knew. He spotted Finangelos, a pret-math undergraduate. Not a bad young man, dark and woolly-haired.

现在他来到了人群的外围，正在四下寻找熟人。他发现了芬南格罗斯，数学系大学部的一个学生。他是个不错的年轻人，有着黝黑的皮肤与卷卷的头发。

"Finangelos," he called out.

“芬南格罗斯。”他喊道。

"Professor Seldon" said Finangelos after a moment of staring as though unable to recognize Seldon without a keyboard at his fingertips he trotted over. "Did you come to listen to this guy?"

“谢顿教授。”芬南格罗斯望了一会儿才应声，仿佛认不出手边没有键盘的谢顿。他快步走过来。“您来听这家伙演讲吗？”

"I didn't come for any purpose but to find out what the noise was. Who is he?"

“我来这儿只是要找出喧嚣的来源，此外没有任何目的。他是谁？”

"His name is Namarti, Professor. He's speaking for Jo-Jo "

“教授，他叫纳马提，他在替九九发表演说。”

"I hear that, " said Seldon as he listened to the chant again It began each time the speaker made a telling point, apparently. "But who is this Namarti? I don't recognize the name. What department is he in?"

“我听到了。”谢顿答道，此时那些齐声呐喊再度响起。显然，每当演讲者提出一个强而有力的论点，听众就会开始呐喊。“但这个纳马提到底是谁？我没听过这个名字。他是哪个系的？”

"He's not a member of the University, Professor. He's one of Jo-Jo's men "

“他不是这所大学的成员，教授，他是九九的人。”

"If he's not a member of the University, he has no right to speak here without a permit. Does he have one, do you suppose?"

“如果他不是这所大学的成员，那么除非有许可证，否则他就无权在此演讲。你认为他有许可证吗？”

"I wouldn't know, Professor "

“教授，我可不知道。”

"Well then, let's find out "

“好吧，那我们来弄清楚。”

Seldon started into the crowd, but Finangelos caught his sleeve. "Don't start anything, Professor. He's got goons with him "

谢顿正要走入人群，芬南格罗斯却一把拉住他的袖子。“别轻举妄动，教授，他带着几名打手。”

There were six young men behind the speaker, spaced rather widely, legs apart, arms folded, scowling.

演讲者身后站着六个年轻人，彼此间有一段距离。他们双腿张开，两臂交抱，脸色阴沉。

"Goons?"

“打手？”

"For rough stuff, in case anyone tries anything funny "

“武斗用的，以防有人想做什么傻事。”

"Then he's certainly not a member of the University and even a permit wouldn't cover what you call his `goons'. -Finangelos, signal through to the University security officers. They should have been here by now without a signal "

“那么他绝不是这所大学的成员，即使他有一张许可证，也不能带着你所谓的‘打手’。芬南格罗斯，给大学安全警卫发讯号。就算没有人发讯号，他们现在也该来了。”

"I guess they don't want trouble," muttered Finangelos. "Please, Professor, don't try anything If you want me to get the security officers, I will, but you just wait till they come "

“我想他们不愿惹麻烦。”芬南格罗斯喃喃道，“拜托，教授，别出头。如果您要我去找安全警卫，我这就去，但请您等他们来了再说。”

"Maybe I can break this up before they come "

“也许警卫还没来，我就能把他们驱散。”

He began pushing his way through It wasn't difficult. Some of those present recognized him and all could see the professorial shoulder patch He reached the platform, placed his hands on it, and vaulted up the three feet with a small grunt. He thought, with chagrin, that he could have done it with one hand ten years before and without the grunt.

他开始往里面挤。这并不太难，在场有些人认识他，其他人也看得到他的教授肩章。他走到演讲台前，双手搭在上面，轻哼一声，纵身跳上三尺高的台子。他懊恼地暗自想道，十年前，他用一只手就能办到，而且不会哼这一声。

He straightened up. The speaker had stopped talking and was looking at him with wary and ice-hard eyes.

他在演讲台上站直身子。那演讲者早已住口，正以机警而冰冷的目光望着他。

Seldon said calmly, "Your permit to address the students, sir."

谢顿平静地说：“先生，请出示对学生演讲的许可证。”

"Who are you?" said the speaker. He said it loudly, his voice carrying.

“你是谁？”那演讲者道。他故意说得很大声，声音传遍全场。

"I'm a member of the faculty of this University," said Seldon, equally loudly. "Your permit, sir?"

“我是这所大学的教员。”谢顿以同样大的声音说，“你的许可证？”

"I deny your right to question me on the matter." The young men behind the speaker had gathered closer.

“我否认你有质疑我的权利。”演讲者身后的年轻人纷纷聚了过来。

"If you have none, I would advise you to leave the University grounds immediately."

“如果你没有，我劝你马上离开大学校园。”

"And if I don't?"

“如果我不呢？”

"Well, for one thing, the University security officers are on their way." He turned to the crowd. "Students," he called out, "we have the right of free speech and freedom of assembly on this campus, but it can be taken away from us if we allow outsiders, without permits, to make unauthorized……"

“那么，后果之一，大学安全警卫已在半途。”他转身面对群众。“同学们，”他喊道，“我们在校园内享有集会的自由，也有自由发表言论的权利，但如果我们允许没有许可证的外人，进行未经批准的……”

A heavy hand fell on his shoulder and he winced. He turned around and found it was one of the men Finangelos had referred to as "goons."

一只大手落在他的肩膀上，令他心头一凛。他转过身去，发现那是芬南格罗斯称为“打手”的一个人。

The man said, with a heavy accent whose provenance Seldon could not immediately identify, "Get out of here fast. "

那人说：“滚开——快点。”他的口音很重，谢顿一时无法确定他是哪里人。

"What good will that do?" said Seldon. "The security officers will be here any minute."

“把我赶走有什么用？”谢顿说，“安全警卫随时会到。”

"In that case," said Namarti with a feral grin, "there'll be a riot. That doesn't scare us."

“那样的话，”纳马提凶狠地咧嘴一笑，“就会有一场暴动，这吓不倒我们。”

"Of course it wouldn't," said Seldon. "You'd like it, but there won't be a riot. You'll all go quietly." He turned again to the students and shrugged off the hand on his shoulder. "We'll see to that, won't we?"

“当然不会。”谢顿说，“你们希望引起暴动，可是你们不会如愿，你们会默默离开这里。”他再度转身面对学生，同时甩掉搭在肩上的那只手。“我们一定要做到，对不对？”

Someone in the crowd shouted, "That's Professor Seldon! He's all right! Don't pound him!"

群众中有人高声喊道：“那是谢顿教授！他是好人！可别揍他！”

Seldon sensed ambivalence in the crowd. There would be some, he knew, who would welcome a dust-up with the University security officers, just on general principles. On the other hand, there had to be some who liked him personally and still others who did not know him but who would not want to see violence against a member of the faculty.

谢顿察觉人群中出现了矛盾心态。他知道，有些人会乐于见到大学安全警卫引发一场骚动，这种人总是有的。另一方面，一定也有人对他心存好感，还有些人虽然不认识他，却不希望见到一名教授受到暴力攻击。

A woman's voice rang out. "Watch out, Professor!"

此时响起一名女子的声音：“小心，教授！”

Seldon sighed and regarded the large young men he faced. He didn't know if he could do it, if his reflexes were quick enough, his muscles sturdy enough, even given his prowess at Twisting.

谢顿叹了一声，紧盯着面前那几个高大的年轻人。他不知道自己是否应付得了、自己的条件反射是否够快、自己的肌肉是否够结实——即使他是个角力高手。

One goon was approaching him, overconfidently of course. Not quickly, which gave Seldon a little of the time his aging body would need. The goon held out his arm confrontationally, which made it easier.

一名打手慢慢凑近他，当然是过度自信，动作不怎么快。这给了谢顿一点宝贵时间，正是他步入中年的身体所需要的。那打手面对着谢顿伸出一只手臂，这使得拆招更加容易。

Seldon seized the arm, whirled, and bent, arm up, and then down (with a grunt why did he have to grunt?), and the goon went flying through the air, propelled partly by his own momentum. He landed with a thump on the outer edge of the platform, his right shoulder dislocated.

谢顿抓住那只手臂，随即一个回旋，弯腰，抬手，再向下一拉（同时哼了一声，他为什么一定要哼一声？），那名打手便飞了出去，部分是他自己的冲力发挥作用。他重重一声落在演讲台外缘，右肩显然脱臼了。

There was a wild cry from the audience at this totally unexpected development. Instantly an institutional pride erupted.

面对这个完全意料之外的发展，围观群众发出狂野的喊叫。一股集体骄傲感，立时迸发出来。

"Take them, Prof!" a lone voice shouted. Others took up the cry.

“解决他们，教授！”一个声音喊道，其他人马上响应。

Seldon smoothed back his hair, trying not to puff. With his foot he shoved the groaning fallen goon off the platform.

谢顿将头发向后抚平，尽量不大口喘气。然后，他一脚把那个还在呻吟的打手踢下演讲台。

"Anyone else?" he asked pleasantly. "Or will you leave quietly?"

“还有谁要上？”他得意地问道，“或是你们要默默离去？”

He faced Namarti and his five henchmen and as they paused irresolutely, Seldon said, "I warn you. The crowd is on my side now. If you try to rush me, they'll take you apart. -Okay, who's next? Let's go. One at a time."

他面对着纳马提与他的五名党羽。当他们踌躇不定地僵在那里时，谢顿说：“我警告你们，群众现在站在我这边。如果你们一起冲过来，他们会把你们撕烂。好了，下个是谁？来吧，一次一个。”

He had raised his voice with the last sentence and made small come-hither motions with his fingers. The crowd yelled its pleasure.

他将最后一句话的音量提高，还弯起手指，做出“放马过来”的手势。群众随即发出兴奋的呐喊。

Namarti stood there stolidly. Seldon leaped past him and caught his neck in the crook of his arm. Students were climbing onto the platform now, shouting "One at a time! One at a time!" and getting between the bodyguards and Seldon.

纳马提硬邦邦站在那里。谢顿跳到他身后，将他的脖子箍在自己的臂弯里。此时学生纷纷爬上演讲台，喊道：“一次一个！一次一个！”并在那些保镖与谢顿之间筑起一道人墙。

Seldon increased the pressure on the other's windpipe and whispered in his ear, "There's a way to do this, Namarti, and I know how: I've practiced it for years. If you make a move and try to break away, I'll ruin your larynx so that you'll never talk above a whisper again. If you value your voice, do as I say. When I let up, you tell your bunch of bullies to leave. If you say anything else, they'll be the last words you'll say normally. And if you ever come back to this campus again, no more Mr. Nice Guy. I'll finish the job."

谢顿加大压在纳马提气管上的力道，同时在他耳旁悄声说：“有办法做得到，纳马提，而我知道怎么做，我练了好多年。只要你动一动，试图挣脱，我就毁了你的喉咙，以后你顶多只能发出这么小的声音。你若珍惜你的声音，就照我的话去做。当我松手时，叫那伙流氓赶紧离去。要是你说一句别的，那就会是你最后一次用正常声音说话。倘若你再回到这个校园，不会再有好好先生了，下次我会和你算清这笔账。”

He released the pressure momentarily. Namarti said huskily, "All of you. Get out." They retreated rapidly, helping their stricken comrade.

他暂且松开手，纳马提立刻沙哑地说：“你们全都滚开。”那些人迅速撤退，扶着受伤的同志一块离去。

When the University security officers arrived a few moments later, Seldon said, "Sorry, gentlemen. False alarm."

不久之后，当大学安全警卫抵达时，谢顿说：“抱歉，诸位，虚惊一场。”

He left the Field and resumed his walk home with more than a little chagrin. He had revealed a side of himself he did not want to reveal. He was Hari Seldon, mathematician, not Hari Seldon, sadistic twister.

他离开运动场，带着相当懊恼的心情，继续踏上回家的路途。他显露了自己不愿显露的一面——他是数学家哈里·谢顿，不是残酷成性的角力士哈里·谢顿。

Besides, he thought gloomily, Dors would hear of this. In fact, he'd better tell her himself, lest she hear a version that made the incident seem worse than it really was.

此外，他还满怀沮丧地想，铎丝会听说这件事。事实上，他最好自己告诉她，以免她从别处听来的版本，将这个事件说得比实际情况更糟。

She would not be pleased.

她不会高兴的。

3

3

She wasn't.

她的确不高兴。

Dors was waiting for him at the door of their apartment in an easy stance, hand on one hip, looking very much as she had when he had first met her at this very University eight years before: slim, shapely, with curly reddish-gold hair-very beautiful in his eyes but not very beautiful in any objective sense, though he had never been able to assess her objectively after the first few days of their friendship.

铎丝在他们的寓所门口等他。她摆出一个轻松的姿势，一只手叉着腰，看来像极了八年前在同一所大学里，他第一次见到她的模样：身材苗条，浮凸有致，一头鬈曲的金红色头发——在他眼里非常美丽，但就任何客观角度而言则谈不上。不过，在他们相识几天之后，他就再也无法对她作出客观评价。

Dors Venabili! That's what he thought when he saw her calm face. There were many worlds, even many sectors on Trantor where it would have been common to call her Dors Seldon, but that, he always thought, would put the mark of ownership on her and he did not wish it, even though the custom was sanctioned by existence back into the vague mists of the pre-Imperial past.

铎丝·凡纳比里！当他看到她平静的面容时，他心里想的是这个名字。在许多世界上，甚至在川陀的许多行政区中，一般会称她为铎丝·谢顿。可是，他总是认为，那会在她身上贴上所有权的标签，而他不愿这样做，尽管早在虚无缥缈的前帝国时代，这个约定俗成的惯例便已受到认可。

Dors said, softly and with a sad shake of her head that barely disturbed her loose curls, "I've heard, Hari. Just what am I going to do with you?"

铎丝悲伤地摇了摇头，险些搅乱了蓬松的鬈发，柔声道：“我听说了，哈里。我究竟该拿你怎么办？”

"A kiss would not be amiss."

“亲一下不会错的。”

"Well, perhaps, but only after we probe this a little. Come in." The door closed behind them. "You know, dear, I have my course and my research. I'm still doing that dreadful history of the Kingdom of Trantor, which you tell me is essential to your own work. Shall I drop it all and take to wandering around with you, protecting you? It's still my job, you know. It's more than ever my job, now that you're making progress with psychohistory."

“好吧，或许，但我们得先探讨一下这件事，进来吧。”大门在他们身后关上。“你该知道，亲爱的，我有我自己的课程，还有自己的研究。我仍在钻研那个可怕的川陀王国历史，你告诉过我，那对你的工作有绝对的必要。我是不是该全部搁下，专门在你身边晃来晃去，以便保护你？你知道的，那仍然是我的工作。如今你在心理史学上逐渐有些进展，那更成了我责无旁贷的责任。”

"Making progress? I wish I were. But you needn't protect me."

“有些进展？我倒希望有。可是你不需要保护我。”

"Needn't I? I sent Raych out looking for you. After all, you were late and I was concerned. You usually tell me when you're going to be late. I'm sorry if that makes me sound as though I'm your keeper, Hari, but I am your keeper."

“不需要吗？我刚才派芮奇出去找你。毕竟你迟到了，而我有些担心。通常你要迟些回家的时候，都会事先告诉我。假如这令我听来像是你的守护者，那很抱歉，哈里，但我的确是你的守护者。”

"Does it occur to you, Keeper Dors, that every once in a while I like to slip my leash?"

“守护者铎丝，你有没有想到过，偶尔我也想要挣脱一下锁链？”

"And if something happens to you, what do I tell Demerzel?"

“万一你发生了什么事，我怎么向丹莫刺尔交代？”

"Am I too late for dinner? Have we clicked for kitchen service?"

“我是不是误了晚餐？我们点了外卖没有？”

"No. I was waiting for you. And as long as you're here, you click it. You're a great deal pickier than I am when it comes to food. And don't change the subject."

“没有，我一直在等你。既然你回来了，就由你来点吧。在饮食这方面，你要比我挑剔得多。可是，不要改变话题。”

"Didn't Raych tell you that I was all right? So what's there to talk about?"

“芮奇没告诉你说我没事吗？所以还有什么好谈的呢？”

"When he found you, you were in control of the situation and he got back here first, but not by much. I didn't hear any details. Tell me-What-were-you-doing?"

“当他找到你的时候，你已经控制了局面。于是他先回家来，但不比你早多少。我没听到任何细节。告诉我，你、在、做、什、么？”

Seldon shrugged. "There was an illegal gathering, Dors, and I broke it up. The University could have gotten a good deal of trouble it didn't need if I hadn't."

谢顿耸了耸肩。“校园里有个非法集会，铎丝，我把它驱散了。我要是没那样做，这所大学可能会惹上好些不必要的麻烦。”

"And it was up to you to prevent it? Hari. you're not a Twister anymore. You're an……"

“非得靠你阻止不可？哈里，你不再是角力士，你是个……”

He put in hastily, "An old man?"

他急忙插进一句：“是个老头？”

"For a Twister, yes. You're forty. How do you feel?"

“就角力士而言，是的。别忘了，你四十岁了。你现在有什么感觉？”

"Well- A little stiff."

“嗯——有点僵硬。”

"I can well imagine. And one of these days, when you try to pretend you're a young Heliconian athlete, you'll break a rib. -Now tell me about it."

“我不难想象。假如你继续装成年轻的赫利肯运动家，总有一天会折断一根肋骨。现在，把经过情形告诉我。”

"Well, I told you how Amaryl warned me that Demerzel was in trouble because of the demagoguery of Jo-Jo Joranum."

“好吧，我和你提过雨果如何警告我，说那个九九·久瑞南的群众运动给丹莫刺尔带来麻烦。”

"Jo-Jo. Yes, I know that much. What don't I know? What happened today?"

“九九。是的，这些我还知道。我不知道的那些呢？今天发生了什么事？”

"There was a rally at the Field. A Jo-Jo partisan named Namarti was addressing the crowd……"

“运动场有个群众大会，九九的一个党羽，叫做纳马提的，在对群众发表演说……”

"Namarti is Gambol Deen Namarti, Joranum's right-hand man."

“纳马提就是坎伯尔·丁恩·纳马提，久瑞南的左右手。”

"Well, you know more about it than I do. In any case, he was addressing a large crowd and he had no permit and I think he was hoping there would be some sort of riot. They feed on these disorders and if he could close down the University even temporarily, he would charge Demerzel with the destruction of academic freedom. I gather they blame him for everything. So I stopped them. -Sent them off without a riot."

“好，你知道得比我还清楚。不管他是谁，反正他当时对着大批群众演说，却没有申请许可证。我想，他是希望借此引发某种暴动。他们靠这些骚乱壮大，如果因此导致大学关闭，哪怕只是暂时的，他也能指控丹莫刺尔破坏学术自由。我猜，他们把每件事都怪在他头上。所以我阻止了他们，在未引发暴动的情况下，把他们赶走了。”

"You sound proud."

“你似乎引以为傲。”

"Why not? Not bad for a man of forty."

“有何不可？对一个四十岁的人来说，不坏啊。”

"Is that why you did it? To test your status at forty?"

“这就是你那么做的原因？测验你四十岁的身体状况？”

Seldon thoughtfully clicked the dinner menu. Then he said, "No. I really was concerned that the University would get into needless trouble. And I was concerned about Demerzel. I'm afraid that Yugo's tales of danger had impressed me more than I realized. That was stupid, Dors, because I know that Demerzel can take care of himself. I couldn't explain that to Yugo or to anyone but you."

谢顿若有所思地键入晚餐菜单，然后说：“不，我的确担心这所大学会惹上不必要的麻烦，而且我还为丹莫刺尔担心。只怕雨果的一番危机论，在我心中所留下的印象超乎我的想象。那是个蠢念头，铎丝，因为我知道丹莫刺尔能照顾自己。除你之外，我不能对雨果或其他人解释这一点。”

He drew in a deep breath. "It's amazing what a pleasure it is that I can at least talk to you about it. You know and I know and Demerzel knows and no one else knows-at least, that I know of-that Demerzel is untouchable."

他深深吸了一口气。“我至少可以和你谈，这带给我难以想象的喜悦。至少据我所知，除了你我，以及丹莫刺尔自己，再也没有人知道丹莫刺尔是打不倒的。”

Dors touched a contact on a recessed wall panel and the dining section of their living quarters lit up with a soft peach-colored glow. Together, she and Hari walked to the table, which was already set with linen, crystal, and utensils. As they sat, the dinner began to arrive-there was never any long delay at this time of evening-and Seldon accepted it quite casually. He had long since grown accustomed to the social position that made it unnecessary for them to patronize the faculty dinners.

铎丝拍了一下凹陷壁板上的一个开关，起居间的餐厅部分便亮起柔和的桃色光芒。她与谢顿一同走向餐桌，上面已经铺好亚麻桌布，摆上水晶杯与各式各样的餐具。他们坐定后，晚餐开始送达——在傍晚这个时刻，晚餐从来不会耽搁太久，谢顿将这点视为理所当然。他们没有必要再惠顾教员餐厅，而他早已习惯这样的社会地位。

Seldon savored the seasonings they had learned to enjoy during their stay at Mycogen-the only thing about that strange, male-dominated, religion-permeated, living-in-the-past sector they had not detested.

谢顿在食物中加些调味品，那是他们滞留麦曲生时学到的吃法。麦曲生区是个怪异、男性至上、宗教主宰一切、永远活在过去的地方，唯有该区的调味品，是他俩唯一不厌恶的麦曲生特产。

Dors said softly, "How do you mean, `untouchable'?"

铎丝柔声道：“你说‘打不倒的’是什么意思？”

"Come, dear, he can alter emotions. You haven't forgotten that. If Joranum really became dangerous, he could be"-he made a vague gesture with his hands- `altered: made to change his mind."

“得了吧，亲爱的，他能改造别人的情感，你总不会忘记吧。如果久瑞南真变得危险，他就会被——”他用双手做了个含糊的动作，“改造；改变他的心意。”

Dors looked uncomfortable and the meal proceeded in an unusual silence. It wasn't until it was over and the remains-dishes, cutlery, and all-swirled down the disposal chute in the center of the table (which then smoothly covered itself over) that she said, "I'm not sure I want to talk about this, Hari, but I can't let you be fooled by your own innocence."

铎丝显得心神不宁，晚餐在反常的沉默中进行。直到晚餐结束，剩菜、碗盘、餐具等等全部卷入餐桌中央的废物处理槽（然后它平稳地自动合拢），她才再度开口。“我不确定要不要和你谈这件事，哈里，但我不能让你被自己的天真所愚弄。”

"Innocence?" He frowned.

“天真？”他皱起眉头。

"Yes. We've never talked about this. I never thought it would come up, but Demerzel has shortcomings. He is not untouchable, he may be harmed, and Joranum is indeed a danger to him."

“是的，我们始终没有讨论过这件事，我也从未想到会有这一天。可是丹莫刺尔真有些短处，他不是打不倒的，他也可能受到伤害，而久瑞南对他的确是个威胁。”

"Are you serious?"

“你这话当真吗？”

"Of course I am. You don't understand robots-certainly not one as complex as Demerzel. And I do."

“我当然当真。你并不了解机器人，至少绝不了解像丹莫刺尔那么复杂的，而我刚好相反。”

4

4

There was a short silence again, but only because thoughts are silent. Seldon's were tumultuous enough.

又有一段短暂的沉默，但这只是因为思想是无声的。谢顿的内心简直吵翻了天。

Yes, it was true. His wife did seem to have an uncanny knowledge of robots. Hari had wondered about this so often over the years that he had finally given up, tucked it away in the back of his mind. If it hadn't been for Eto Demerzel-a robot-Hari would never have met Dors. For Dors worked for Demerzel; it was Demerzel who "assigned" Dors to Hari's case eight years ago to protect him during his flight throughout the various sectors of Trantor. Even though now she was his wife, his help-meet, his "'better half," Hari still occasionally wondered about Dors's strange connection with the robot Demerzel. It was the only area of Dors's life where Hari truly felt he did not belong-nor welcome. And that brought to mind the most painful question of all: Was it out of obedience to Demerzel that Dors stayed with Hari or was it out of love for him? He wanted to believe the latter-and yet……

是的，这是事实。他的妻子对机器人似乎确实有惊人的认识。过去许多年来，谢顿常对这点百思不解，最后终于放弃，将它塞进心灵的暗角。若非伊图·丹莫刺尔——一个机器人——谢顿永远不会遇见铎丝。因为铎丝是为丹莫刺尔工作的；八年前，是丹莫刺尔“指派”铎丝接下这个任务，在谢顿亡命川陀各区的逃亡中，尽力保护他的安全。即使现在，她成了他的妻子、他的配偶、他的“另一半”，谢顿仍然不时纳闷，铎丝与机器人丹莫刺尔之间，究竟有什么奇妙的联系。在铎丝的生命中，这是谢顿唯一真正感到不属于他，也不欢迎他的一处。而这就引出了那个最残酷的问题：铎丝留在谢顿身边，是出于对丹莫刺尔的服从，还是出于对谢顿的爱？他想要相信是后者，然而……

His life with Dors Venabili was a happy one, but it was so at a cost, at a condition. The condition was all the more stringent, in that it had been settled not through discussion or agreement but by a mutual unspoken understanding.

他与铎丝·凡纳比里在一起的日子很快乐，但那是有代价、有条件的。那个条件并非藉由讨论或协议所定，而是彼此未曾言明的一种谅解，因此反倒分外严格。

Seldon understood that he found in Dors everything he would have wanted in a wife. True, he had no children, but he had neither expected any, nor, to tell the truth, had greatly wanted any. He had Raych, who was as much a son of his emotionally as if he had inherited the entire Seldonian genome-perhaps more so.

谢顿了解，自己心目中理想妻子的各项优点，他在铎丝身上都找到了。诚然，他没有儿女，但他一来从未指望，二来，说老实话，也没有多大的渴求。他拥有芮奇，在感情上，芮奇就是他的儿子，仿佛芮奇继承了谢顿家族整个的基因组，或许有过之而无不及。

The mere fact that Dors was causing him to think about the matter was breaking the agreement that had kept them in peace and comfort all these years and he felt a faint but growing resentment at that.

现在铎丝却令他想到这个问题，等于打破了这些年来让他们相安无事的那个协定。他感到心中有一股模模糊糊但越来越强的怨气。

But he pushed those thoughts, the questions, away again. He had learned to accept her role as his protector and would continue to do so. After all, it was he with whom she shared a home, a table, and a bed-not Eto Demerzel.

可是他很快将那些想法、那些问题再度抛到脑后。他已经学会接受她是他的保护者，今后也不会有任何改变。毕竟，与她共享一个家、一张餐桌、一张床的是他自己，而不是伊图·丹莫刺尔。

Dors's voice brought him out of his reverie.

铎丝的声音将他从冥想拉回现实。

"I said……Are you sulking, Hari?"

“我说——你是不是闷闷不乐，哈里？”

He started slightly, for there was the sound of repetition in her voice, and he realized he had been shrinking steadily deeper into his mind and away from her.

他有点吃惊，因为听她的口气，她是在重复这句话，这使他了解他刚才不断深陷自己的思绪，因而与她的距离越拉越远。

"I'm sorry, dear. I'm not sulking. -Not deliberately sulking. I'm just wondering how I ought to respond to your statement."

“对不起，亲爱的，我不是闷闷不乐——不是有意闷闷不乐。我只是在想，我该如何回应你刚才的话。”

"About robots?" She seemed quite calm as she said the word.

“关于机器人吗？”当她说出这个词汇时，她似乎相当冷静。

"You said I don't know as much about them as you do. How do I respond to that?" He paused, then added quietly (knowing he was taking a chance), "That is, without offense."

“你说，我对他们知道得不如你多。我该如何回应这句话呢？”他顿了一下，再以平静的口吻补充道（他知道是在碰运气），“我是说，而不至于冒犯你。”

"I didn't say you didn't know about robots. If you're going to quote me, do so with precision. I said you didn't understand about robots. I'm sure that you know a great deal, perhaps more than I do, but to know is not necessarily to understand."

“我可没说你不知道机器人。假如你要引用我说的话，那就做得准确点。我说的是，你不了解机器人。我确信这方面你知道得很多，也许比我还多，可是‘知道’不一定代表‘了解’。”

"Now, Dors, you're deliberately speaking in paradoxes to be annoying. A paradox arises only out of an ambiguity that deceives either unwittingly or by design. I don't like that in science and I don't like it in casual conversation, either, unless it is meant humorously, which I think is not the case now."

“好了，铎丝，你在故意用矛盾的言语困扰我。矛盾只有一个来源，那就是无意或刻意骗倒人的模棱两可。我不喜欢在科学中见到这种言论，也不喜欢在日常谈话中听到，除非本意是幽默，而我认为现在并非如此。”

Dors laughed in her particular way, softly, almost as though amusement were too precious to be shared in an overliberal manner. "Apparently the paradox has annoyed you into pomposity and you are always humorous when you are pompous. However, I'll explain. It's not my intention to annoy you." She reached over to pat his hand and it was to Seldon's surprise (and slight embarrassment) that he found that he had clenched his hand into a fist.

铎丝以她特有的方式笑了几声，适可而止，仿佛欢乐过于珍贵，不能以太过慷慨的方式与人分享。“这个矛盾对你所造成的困扰，显然已经使你变得夸张，而你在夸张时总是相当滑稽。话说回来，我会解释的，我并没有打算令你困扰。”她伸出手来拍拍他的手背，谢顿才惊讶地（还有点不好意思地）发觉自己已经握紧拳头。

Dors said, "You talk about psychohistory a great deal. To me, at any rate. You know that?"

铎丝说：“你常常就心理史学高谈阔论，至少对我如此。你知道吗？”

Seldon cleared his throat. "I throw myself on your mercy as far as that's concerned. The project is secret-by its very nature. Psychohistory won't work unless the people it affects know nothing about it, so I can talk about it only to Yugo and to you. To Yugo, it is all intuition. He's brilliant, but he is so apt to leap wildly into darkness that I must play the role of caution, of forever pulling him back. But I have my wild thoughts, too, and it helps me to be able to hear them aloud, even……"and he smiled，"when I have a pretty good notion that you don't understand a word I'm saying."

谢顿清了清喉咙。“在这方面，我得求你大发慈悲。这个计划是秘密的，它的本质使然。除非受到心理史学影响的人都对它一无所知，否则心理史学根本无效，所以我只能找雨果和找你谈。对雨果而言，那全是直觉。他很杰出，但他太容易疯狂地跳进未知的领域，因而我必须扮演谨慎保守的角色，不断将他拉回来。但我自己也有些疯狂的想法，能大声说出来给自己听对我很有帮助，即使——”他微微一笑，“我心里十分明白，我说的话你一个字也听不懂。”

"I know I'm your sounding board and I don't mind. -I really don't mind, Hari, so don't begin making inner resolutions to change your behavior. Naturally I don't understand your mathematics. I'm just a historian-and not even a historian of science. The influence of economic change on political development is what is taking up my time now……"

“我知道我是你的共鸣板，我不在乎，我真的不在乎，哈里，所以请勿暗自决定改变你的行为。自然，我并不了解你的数学，我只是个历史学家，我研究的甚至不是科学史。现在，我的时间都花在经济变动对政治发展的影响……”

"Yes, and I'm your sounding board on that or hadn't you noticed? I'll need it for psychohistory when the time comes, so I suspect you'll be an indispensable help to me."

“没错，那方面我又是你的共鸣板，难道你没有注意到吗？在适当的时候，我的心理史学需要用到它，所以我觉得你对我的帮助是不可或缺的。”

"Good! Now that we've settled why you stay with me-I knew it couldn't be for my ethereal beauty-let me go on to explain that occasionally, when your discussion veers away from the strictly mathematical aspects, it seems to me that I get your drift. You have, on a number of occasions, explained what you call the necessity of minimalism. I think I understand that. By it, you mean……"

“很好！既然咱们找到了你和我在一起的原因——我知道，不可能是因为我天仙般的美丽——就让我继续解释吧。有些时候，当你的讨论脱离纯粹的数学领域时，我似乎也能体会你的意思。在好些时候，你都解释过你所谓的极简主义之必要性。我想我能了解这一点，你所谓的极简主义，是指……”

"I know what I mean."

“我知道我指的是什么。”

Dors looked hurt. "Less lofty, please, Hari. I'm not trying to explain to you. I want to explain it to myself. You say you're my sounding board, so act like one. Turnabout is fair play, isn't it?"

铎丝显得有些难过。“拜托，哈里，别太自大。我不是试图对你解释，而是想对自己解释。你说你是我的共鸣板，那就请你言行一致。礼尚往来才是公平的，对不对？”

"Turnabout is fine, but if you're going to accuse me of loftiness when I say one little……"

“礼尚往来没有错，但如果我插一句嘴，你就要给我扣上自大的帽子……”

``Enough! Shut up! -You have told me that minimalism is of the highest importance in applied psychohistory; in the art of attempting to change an undesired development into a desired one or, at any rate, a toss undesired one. You have said that a change must be applied that is as minute, as minimal, as possible……"

“够了！闭嘴！你告诉过我，极简主义是应用心理史学中最重要的一环；若试图将不理想的历史发展修改成理想的，或至少是较理想的，极简主义是不可或缺的工具。你曾经说过，必需施行的变动要尽可能微小、尽可能简单……”

"Yes," said Seldon eagerly, "that is because……"

“是的，”谢顿热切地说，“那是因为……”

"No, Hari. I'm trying to explain. We both know that you understand it. You must have minimalism because every change, any change, has a myriad of side effects that can't always be allowed for. If the change is side effects too many, then it becomes certain that the outcome will be far removed from anything you've planned and that it would be entirely unpredictable."

“不，哈里，现在是我在试着解释，我俩都知道你当然了解。你必须谨守极简主义，因为每一项变动，任何一项变动，都会带来无数的副作用，不可能都是我们所能接受的。假如变动的规模太大，而且副作用太多的话，那么结果必定会和你当初的计划大相径庭，变得完全无法预测。”

"Right," said Seldon. "That's the essence of a chaotic- effect. The problem is whether any change is small enough to make the consequence reasonably predictable or whether human history is inevitably and unalterably chaotic in every respect. It was that which, at the start, made me think that psychohistory was not……"

“没错，”谢顿说，“那是混沌效应的本质。问题在于，是否任何变动都能控制得足够小，使得结果可被合理地预测；或是在每一方面，人类历史都是无法避免且无从改变的混沌现象。最初，就是因为这个问题，使我认为心理史学不是……”

"I know, but you're not letting me make my point. Whether any change would be small enough is not the issue. The point is that any change greater than the minimal is chaotic. The required minimum may be zero, but if it is not zero, then it is still very small-and it would be a major problem to find some change that is small enough and yet is significantly greater than zero. Now, that, I gather, is what you mean by the necessity of minimalism."

“我知道，可是你不让我表达自己的观点。问题的症结不在于是否任何变动都能足够小，而是任何大于极小的变动都注定带来混沌。需要的极小值也许是零，但假如不是零，它的值仍然非常小。找出某个足够小却大于零的变动，将是主要的难题。好，我想，这就是你所指的极简主义之必要性。”

"More or less," said Seldon. "Of course, as always, the matter is expressed more compactly and more rigorously in the language of mathematics. See here……"

“差不多就是这样。”谢顿说，“当然，和其他理论一样，用数学语言能作出更简练、更严密的叙述。听我说……”

"Save me," said Dors. "Since you know this about psychohistory, Hari, you ought to know it about Demerzel, too. You have the knowledge but not the understanding, because it apparently doesn't occur to you to apply the rules of psychohistory to the Laws of Robotics."

“饶了我吧。”铎丝说，“既然你知道心理史学中的极简主义，哈里，你就该知道如何用它来解释丹莫刺尔的处境。你并未充分理解你所拥有的知识，因为你显然没有想到，可将心理史学法则用到机器人学法则上。”

To which Seldon replied faintly, "Now I don't see what you're getting at.

谢顿有气无力地答道：“这回，我不懂你要说什么了。”

"He requires minimality, too, doesn't he, Hari? By the First Law of Robotics, a robot can't harm a human being. That is the prime rule for the usual robot, but Demerzel is something quite unusual and for him, the Zeroth Law is a reality and it takes precedence even over the First Law. The Zeroth Law states that a robot can't harm humanity as a whole. But that puts Demerzel into the same bind in which you exist when you labor at psychohistory. Do you see?"

“他也需要利用极简法则，对不对，哈里？根据机器人学第一法则，机器人不得伤害人类，那是普通机器人的最高指导原则。可是丹莫刺尔非比寻常，对他而言，还有第零法则的存在，它甚至凌驾第一法则之上。第零法则说机器人不得伤害人类整体，但这点便将丹莫刺尔套牢，正如你被心理史学法则套牢一样。你懂了吗？”

"I'm beginning to."

“我开始懂了。”

"I hope so. If Demerzel has the ability to change minds, he has to do so without bringing about side effects he does not wish-and since he is the Emperor's First Minister, the side effects he must worry about are numerous, indeed."

“但愿如此。假如丹莫刺尔有能力改变人类的心灵，他在这样做的时候，必须避免产生他不愿见到的副作用。由于他是御前首相，他得担心的副作用一定多得数不清。”

"And the application to the present case?"

“如何将这个理论应用到如今的情况呢？”

"Think about it! You can't tell anyone-except me, of course-that Demerzel is a robot, because he has adjusted you so that you can't. But how much adjustment did that take? Do you want to tell people that he is a robot? Do you want to ruin his effectiveness when you depend on him for protection, for support of your grants, for influence quietly exerted on your behalf? Of course not. The change he had to make then was a very tiny one, just enough to keep you from blurting it out in a moment of excitement or carelessness. It is so small a change that there are no particular side effects. That is how Demerzel tries to run the Empire generally."

“想想看吧！你不能告诉任何人丹莫刺尔是机器人，当然我是例外。因为他调整过你，使你根本做不到。可是他需要作多大的调整呢？你想要告诉别人他是机器人吗？你仰赖他保护你、仰赖他支持你、仰赖他默默发挥影响力来帮助你，你会想毁掉他的优势吗？当然不会。因此，当年他需要做的变动非常小，刚好足以防止你在兴奋中或不留神时脱口而出。那个变动如此微小，因此并没有特别的副作用，这正是丹莫刺尔治理帝国所采用的一般模式。”

"And the case of Joranum?"

“对于久瑞南呢？”

"Is obviously completely different from yours. He is, for whatever motives, unalterably opposed to Demerzel. Undoubtedly, Demerzel could change that, but it would be at the price of introducing a considerable wrench in Joranum's makeup that would bring about results Demerzel could not predict. Rather than take the chance of harming Joranum, of producing side effects that would harm others and, possibly, all of humanity, he must leave Joranum alone until he can find some small change-some small change-that will save the situation without harm. That is why Yugo is right and why Demerzel is vulnerable."

“显然和你的情况完全不同。不论他的动机为何，他势必反对丹莫刺尔到底。毫无疑问，丹莫刺尔能改变这点，但那样做得付出代价，会在久瑞南的组织中引起可观的震荡，导致的结果将是丹莫刺尔无法预测的。他不愿冒险伤害久瑞南，以免产生的副作用会伤及无辜，甚至可能波及全人类，所以他必须暂且放过久瑞南，直到他能找到某种微小变动——某种足够小的变动，既能挽救局势，又不会造成伤害。这就是为什么雨果说得对，以及丹莫刺尔也有弱点的原因。”

Seldon had listened but did not respond. He seemed lost in thought. Minutes passed before he said, "If Demerzel can do nothing in this matter, then I must."

谢顿一直仔细聆听，却没有作出回应，似乎陷入了沉思。过了好几分钟，他才重新开口。“如果丹莫刺尔对这件事束手无策，那我必须挺身而出。”

"If he can do nothing, what can you do?"

“假如连他都束手无策，你又能做些什么？”

"The case is different. I am not bound by the Laws of Robotics. I need not concern myself obsessively with minimalism. -And to begin with, I must see Demerzel."

“这件事不一样。我并未受到机器人学法则的束缚，我不需要强迫自己遵循极简主义。首先，我必须去见丹莫刺尔。”

Dors looked faintly anxious. "Must you? Surely it wouldn't be wise to advertise a connection between the two of you."

铎丝显得有点焦虑不安。“你非去不可吗？突显你们两人之间的关系，绝不能算明智之举。”

"We have reached a time where we can't make a fetish of pretending there is no connection. Naturally I won't go to see him behind a flourish of trumpets and an announcement on holovision, but I must see him."

“事到如今，我们势必不能再假装毫无瓜葛。自然，我不会大张旗鼓去见他，不会在全息电视上大肆宣传，可是我必须见他一面。”

5

5

Seldon found himself raging at the passage of time. Eight years ago, when he had first arrived on Trantor, he could take instant action. He had only a hotel room and its contents to forsake and he could range through the sectors of Trantor at will.

谢顿发觉自己对时光的流逝愤怒不已。八年前，刚来到川陀时，他凡事都能立即采取行动。当时他只拥有旅馆内的一个房间、一些随手可丢的行李，能够随心所欲来往川陀各行政区。

Now he found himself with department meetings, with decisions to make, with work to do. It was not so easy to dash off at will to see Demerzel-and if he could, Demerzel also had a --full schedule of his own. To find a time when they both could meet would not be easy.

现在的他，则是每天忙着系务会议，忙着制定决策，忙着许多其他工作。想抽身见丹莫刺尔一面不是简单的事；即使他做得到，丹莫刺尔自己的时间表也早已排满。要找一个两人都有空的时候，可还真不容易。

Nor was it easy to have Dors shake her head at him. "I don't know what you intend to do, Hari."

而要铎丝对他点头，同样不是容易的事。“哈里，我不知道你打算做什么。”

And he answered impatiently, "I don't know what I intend to do, either, Dors. I hope to find out when I see Demerzel."

他不耐烦地答道：“我也不知道我打算做什么，铎丝，我希望见到丹莫刺尔时，能够找出答案。”

"Your first duty is to psychohistory. He'll tell you so."

“你的首要职责是心理史学，他会那样说。”

"Perhaps. I'll find out."

“或许吧，我会找出答案的。”

And then, just as he had arranged a time for the meeting with the First Minister, eight days hence, he received a message on his department office wall screen in slightly archaic lettering. And to match that was the more than slightly archaic message: I CRAVE AN AUDIENCE WITH PROFESSOR HARI SELDON.

后来，他刚刚和首相约好在八天后见面，就收到一封来信。那封信出现在他的研究室墙壁屏幕上，以稍嫌古老的字体写成。而配合这个古老字体的，则是颇有古风的文句：敝人乞求谒见哈里·谢顿教授。

Seldon stared at it with astonishment. Even the Emperor was not addressed in quite that centuries-old turn of phrase.

谢顿惊讶地瞪着这行字。如今即使上书皇帝陛下，也不会用这种几世纪前的文体。

Nor was the signature printed as it usually was for clarity. It was scripted with a flourish that left it perfectly legible and yet gave it the aura of a careless work of art dashed off by a master. The signature was: LASKIN JORANUM. -It was Jo-Jo himself, craving an audience.

信末的署名也很特别，不像通常那样印得清清楚楚，而是一个龙飞凤舞的签名，虽然完全可以辨识，却透出艺术大师即兴挥毫的一种韵味。那个签名是：拉斯金·久瑞南——是九九自己，乞求谒见谢顿。

Seldon found himself chuckling. It was clear why the choice of words -and why the script. It made what was a simple request a device for stimulating curiosity. Seldon had no great desire to meet the man-or would have had none ordinarily. But what was worth the archaism and the artistry? He wanted to find out.

谢顿不知不觉呵呵笑了几声。对方为何选用那种字眼，为何亲笔签名，意图实在很明显。这使得一个简单的请求，变成了激发好奇心的工具。谢顿并非十分渴望与此人见面，换成平时，他绝不会有兴趣。可是究竟有什么事，值得使用古文体与艺术字？他倒想弄清楚。

He had his secretary set the time and the place of the appointment. It would be in his office, certainly not in his apartment. A business conversation, nothing social.

他让秘书安排了会面的时间与地点。当然是在他的研究室，而不是他的寓所。这将是一次公务会谈，没有社交的成分。

And it would come before the projected meeting with Demerzel.

时间安排在他会见丹莫刺尔之前。

Dors said, "It's no surprise to me, Hari. You hurt two of his people, one of them his chief aide; you spoiled a little rally he was holding; and you made him, in the person of his representatives, seem foolish. He wants to take a look at you and I think I had better be with you."

铎丝说：“我一点也不惊讶，哈里。你打伤了他手下两个人，其中之一还是他的首席助理；你破坏了他举行的小小集会；而且你借着羞辱他的代表，令他当众丢人现眼。他想要见见你这个人，我想我最好跟你一道去。”

Seldon shook his head. "I'll take Raych. He knows all the tricks I know and he's a strong and active twenty-year-old. Although I'm sure there'll be no need for protection."

谢顿摇了摇头。“我会带着芮奇。我晓得的门道他都晓得，而且他是个身强体壮、精力充沛的二十岁青年。不过，我确定并没有特别防范的必要。”

"How can you be sure?"

“你怎能如此确定？”

"Joranum is coming to see me on the University grounds. There will be any number of youngsters in the vicinity. I'm not exactly an unpopular figure with the student body and I suspect that Joranum is the kind of man who does his homework and knows that I'll be safe on home territory. I'm sure that he will be perfectly polite……completely friendly."

“久瑞南要到校园里来见我，所以附近会有很多年轻人。在学生心目中，我还不算是个不受欢迎的人物。而且我觉得，久瑞南是那种准备充分的人，他知道我在大本营中将平安无事。我确定他会万分客气——绝对友善。”

"Hmph," said Dors with a light twist of one corner of her lip.

“嗯。”铎丝的嘴角稍微扭了一下。

"And quite deadly," Seldon finished.

“而且相当可怕。”谢顿补充道。

6

6

Hari Seldon kept his face expressionless and bent his head just sufficiently to allow a sense of reasonable courtesy. He had taken the trouble to look up a variety of holographs of Joranum, but, as is often the case, the real thing, unguarded, shifting constantly in response to changing conditions, is never quite the same as a holograph-however carefully prepared. Perhaps, thought Seldon, it is the response of the viewer to the "real thing" that makes it different.

哈里·谢顿保持面无表情，仅仅稍微点了点头，刚好足以表达应有的礼貌。他曾不厌其烦地查过久瑞南的多张全息像，可是，正如通常的情形，真人总有松懈的时候，还会随着外界状况不断作出反应，因此看来绝不会和全息像一模一样——不论事先准备得多么充分。或许，谢顿心想，正是观察者对“真人”的反应造成了这种差异。

Joranum was a tall man-as tall as Seldon, at any rate-but larger in other directions. It was not due to a muscular physique, for he gave the impression of softness, without quite being fat. A rounded face, a thick head of hair that was sandy rather than yellow, light blue eyes. He wore a subdued coverall and his face bore a half-smile that gave the illusion of friendliness, while making it clear, somehow, that it was only an illusion.

久瑞南是个高个子，至少与谢顿一样高，但其他尺度都更为巨大。这并非由于他有强壮的体格，因为他给人一种松软的印象，虽然还谈不上肥胖。他有一张圆脸，一对浅蓝色眼珠，一头算是沙色而不是黄色的浓密头发。他穿着一件冷色的连身服，脸上带着似笑非笑的表情，令人产生友善的错觉，却也明摆那只是你的错觉而已。

"Professor Seldon"-his voice was deep and under strict control, an orator's voice……"I am delighted to meet you. It is kind of you to permit this meeting. I trust you are not offended that I have brought a companion, my right-hand man, with me, although I have not cleared that with you in advance. He is Gambol Deen Namarti-three names, you notice. I believe you have met him."

“谢顿教授，”他的声音低沉，且在严格控制之下，那是演说家特有的声音，“我很高兴见到你，非常感谢你应允这次会晤。我确信你不会介意我带了一个同伴，我的左右手，虽然我事先未曾对你言明。他叫坎伯尔·丁恩·纳马提——他的名字有三个部分，你该注意到了。我相信你曾经见过他。”

"Yes, I have. I remember the incident well." Seldon looked at Namarti with a touch of the sardonic. At the previous encounter, Namarti had been speaking at the University Field. Seldon viewed him carefully now-under relaxed conditions. Namarti was of moderate height, with a thin face, sallow complexion, dark hair, and a wide mouth. He did not have Joranum's half-smile or any noticeable expression-except for a sense of cautious wariness.

“是的，我见过，那次事件我记得很清楚。”谢顿带着点嘲讽的神态望着纳马提。上次相遇时，纳马提正在大学运动场演讲。此时，在轻松的情况下，谢顿趁机仔细打量他一番。纳马提身高中等，有着瘦削的脸庞、蜡黄的面色、黑色的头发，以及一张宽大的嘴巴。他不像久瑞南那样似笑非笑，也没有任何显着的表情，只表现出一份谨慎的机警。

"My friend Dr. Namarti-his degree is in ancient literature-has come at his own request," said Joranum, his smile intensifying a bit, "to apologize."

“我的朋友纳马提博士——他的学位是古代文学——自己要求与我同来，”久瑞南的笑容加深了一点，“他是来道歉的。”

Joranum glanced quickly at Namarti-and Namarti, his lips tightening just at first, said in a colorless voice, "I am sorry, Professor, for what happened at the Field. I was not quite aware of the strict rules governing University rallies and I was a little carried away by my own enthusiasm."

久瑞南瞥了纳马提一眼。纳马提起初抿着嘴，但随即以平板的声音说：“对于在运动场发生的事，教授，我很抱歉。我不太清楚管理校园集会的严格规定，又有点被自己的激情迷了心窍。”

"Understandably so," said Joranum. "Nor was he entirely aware of your identity. I think we may all now forget the matter."

“这是可以理解的，”久瑞南说，“他当时也不太清楚你的身份。我想，我们现在大可忘掉这场不愉快。”

"I assure you, gentlemen," said Seldon, "that I have no great desire to remember it. This is my son, Raych Seldon, so you see I have a companion, too."

“我向你们保证，两位先生，”谢顿说，“我并没有多么希望记住这件事。这是我儿子，芮奇·谢顿，所以你们看，我也有个同伴。”

Raych had grown a mustache, black and abundant-the masculine mark of the Dahlite. He had had none when he first met Seldon eight years before, when he was a street boy, ragged and hungry. He was short but lithe and sinewy and his expression was the haughty one he had adopted in order to add a few spiritual inches to his physical height.

芮奇已经蓄起两撇又黑又浓的八字胡，那是达尔人的男性象征。八年前，他与谢顿初遇时，脸上连一根毛也没有；那时他是个野孩子，衣衫褴褛，饥肠辘辘。他个子不高，但动作灵活，肌肉发达，而且他的表情刻意分外高傲，好在肉体身高上增加几寸精神高度。

"Good morning, young man," said Joranum.

“早安，年轻人。”久瑞南说。

"Good morning, sir," said Raych.

“早安，阁下。”芮奇答道。

"Please sit down, gentlemen," said Seldon. "May I offer you something to eat or drink?"

“请坐，两位先生。”谢顿说，“我能招待两位吃点或喝点什么吗？”

Joranum held up his hands in polite refusal. "No, sir. This is not a social call." He seated himself in the place indicated. "Though I hope there will be many such calls in the future."

久瑞南举起双手，做出婉拒的手势。“不了，教授，这并不是社交性的拜会。”他在谢顿指示的位置坐下来，“不过我希望，将来会有许多次这样的拜会。”

"If this is to be about business, then let's begin."

“如果有公事要谈，那就开始吧。”

"The news reached me, Professor Seldon, of the little incident that you have so kindly agreed to forget and I wondered why you took the chance of doing what you did. It was a risk, you must admit."

“那桩蒙你宽宏大量答应忘掉的小意外，谢顿教授，我已经听说了，但我不禁纳闷你为何要冒险那样做。那是相当危险的事，你必须承认。”

"I didn't think so, actually."

“事实上，我不这么认为。”

"But I did. So I took the liberty of finding out everything I could about you, Professor Seldon. You're an interesting man. From Helicon, I discovered."

“但我认为如此。所以我冒昧地尽我所能，查出一切有关你的资料，谢顿教授。你是个很有意思的人，我发现你来自赫利肯。”

"Yes, that's where I was born. The records are clear."

“是的，我在那里出生，记录上写得很清楚。”

"And you've been here on Trantor for eight years."

“而你在川陀已经待了八年。”

"That is also a matter of public record."

“那也是一项公开的记录。”

"And you made yourself quite famous at the start by delivering a mathematical paper on-what do you call it?……psychohistory?"

“而你一开始，就借着你发表的一篇数学论文而声名大噪。那是关于——你称它作什么？心理史学是吗？”

Seldon shook his head very slightly. How often he had regretted that indiscretion. Of course, he had had no idea at the time that it was an indiscretion. He said, "A youthful enthusiasm. It came to nothing."

谢顿非常轻微地摇了摇头。对于当初那个轻率的举动，他不知道后悔过多少次。当然，当初他并不觉得那是轻率的。他说：“那只是年少的轻狂，结果一事无成。”

"Is that so?" Joranum looked around him with an air of pleased surprise. "Yet here you are, the head of the Mathematics Department at one of Trantor's greatest Universities, and only forty years old, I believe. -I'm forty-two, by the way, so I don't look upon you as very old at all. You must be a very competent mathematician to be in this position."

“是吗？”久瑞南环顾四周，露出惊喜的神态，“但现在的你，是川陀一所着名大学的数学系系主任。而且我相信，你只有四十岁。顺便提一下，我今年四十二，所以我绝不认为你有多老。你一定是个非常优秀的数学家，才能胜任这个职位。”

Seldon shrugged. "I wouldn't care to make a judgment in that matter."

谢顿耸了耸肩。“我对这个问题不愿置评。”

"Or you must have powerful friends."

“或者，你一定有些有权有势的朋友。”

"We would all like to have powerful friends, Mr. Joranum, but I think you will find none here. University professors rarely have powerful friends or, I sometimes think, friends of any kind." He smiled.

“我们都希望结交有权有势的朋友，久瑞南先生，可是我想你在这里找不到半个。大学教授几乎不可能结交有权有势的朋友，甚至有时我想，什么样的朋友都交不到。”他微微一笑。

And so did Joranum. "Wouldn't you consider the Emperor a powerful friend, Professor Seldon?"

久瑞南也露出微笑。“难道你不将大帝视为一位有权有势的朋友吗，谢顿教授？”

"I certainly would, but what has that to do with me?"

“我当然会，可是那和我又有什么关系？”

"I am under the impression that the Emperor is a friend of yours."

“在我的印象中，大帝是你的朋友之一。”

"I'm sure the records will show, Mr. Joranum, that I had an audience with His Imperial Majesty eight years ago. It lasted perhaps an hour or less and I saw no signs of any great friendliness in him at the time. Nor have I spoken to him since--or even seen him-except on holovision, of course."

“久瑞南先生，我确定那些记录会告诉你，八年前我觐见过大帝陛下一次。前后大概顶多一小时，当时我看不出他显得多么热络。后来我再也没有和他说过话，甚至没再见过他，当然不包括在全息电视上。”

"But, Professor, it is not necessary to see or speak to the Emperor to have him as a powerful friend. It is sufficient to see or speak to Eto Demerzel, the Emperor's First Minister. Demerzel is your protector and, since he is, we may as well say the Emperor is."

“但是，教授，不一定非得和大帝见面或说话，才能结交这位有权有势的朋友。只要能和伊图·丹莫刺尔，那位御前首相，见面或说话就够了。丹莫刺尔是你的保护者，既然他和你有这重关系，我们当然能说大帝和你也有这重关系。”

"Do you find First Minister Demerzel's supposed protection of me anywhere in the records? Or anything at all in the records from which you can deduce that protection?"

“你是否在那些记录的任何地方，找到所谓丹莫刺尔首相保护我的记载？或是那些记录中有任何记载，能够让你推导出这个结论？”

"Why search the records when it is well known that there is a connection between the two of you. You know it and I know it. Let us take it then as given and continue. And please"-he raised his hands……"do not take the trouble to give me any heartfelt denials. It's a waste of time."

“既然你们两人的关系众所周知，我又何必搜寻记录呢？这件事你知我知，就让我们将它当成已知数，继续讨论下去吧。还有，拜托，”他举起双手，“省省吧，别跟我掏心掏肺地否认什么事，那样只会浪费时间。”

"Actually," said Seldon, "I was going to ask why you should think that he would want to protect me. To what end?"

“实际上，”谢顿说，“我正准备问，你为什么认为他会想保护我？有什么目的？”

"Professor? Are you trying to hurt me by pretending to think I am a monster of naivete? I mentioned your psychohistory, which Demerzel wants."

“教授！你是在假装认为我是老天真，藉此刺伤我吗？我刚才提到你的心理史学，丹莫刺尔要的就是它。”

"And I told you that it was a youthful indiscretion that came to nothing."

“而我告诉过你，那只是年少的轻率之作，结果一事无成。”

"You may tell me a great many things, Professor. I am not compelled to accept what you tell me. Come, let me speak frankly. I have read your original paper and have tried to understand it with the help of some mathematicians on my staff. They tell me it is a wild dream and quite impossible……"

“你可以告诉我许多许多事情，教授，但我没有义务接受你的说法。好了，让我坦白讲吧。在我手下一些数学家的帮助下，我读了一遍你的原始论文，并试图了解它的内容。他们告诉我，那是个疯狂的梦想，而且相当不可能……”

"I quite agree with them," said Seldon.

“我相当同意他们的说法。”谢顿道。

"But I have the feeling that Demerzel is waiting for it to be developed and put to use. And if he can wait, so can I. It would be more useful to you, Professor Seldon, to have me wait."

“可是我有一种感觉，丹莫刺尔在等它发展成功并派上用场。如果他能等，那我也能等。让我来等它，谢顿教授，对你会比较好。”

"Why so?"

“为什么？”

"Because Demerzel will not endure in his position for much longer. Public opinion is turning against him steadily. It may be that when the Emperor wearies of an unpopular First Minister who threatens to drag the throne down with him, he will find a replacement. It may even be my poor self whom the Emperor's fancy will seize upon. And you will still need a protector, someone who can see to it that you can work in peace and with ample funds for whatever you need in the way of equipment and assistants."

“因为丹莫刺尔不会在他的位子上再待多久，反对他的舆论正步步高涨。当大帝厌倦这个不受欢迎的首相时，就可能会找人取而代之，以免受他的连累而失去皇位。大帝的宠爱甚至可能降临不才的在下。而你仍将需要一位保护者，他要能确保你得以在安定中工作，而且拥有充足的经费，来负担你所需要的设备和助理。”

"And would you be that protector?"

“而你会是那位保护者吗？”

"Of course-and for the same reason that Demerzel is. I want a successful psychohistoric technique so that I can rule the Empire more efficiently."

“当然，而且和丹莫刺尔的理由一样。我想要一个成功的心理史学技术，好让我能更有效率地治理帝国。”

Seldon nodded thoughtfully, waited a moment, then said, "But in that case, Mr. Joranum, why must I concern myself in this? I am a poor scholar, living a quiet life, engaged in out-of-the-way mathematical and pedagogical activities. You say that Demerzel is my present protector and that you will be my future protector. I can go quietly about my business, then. You and the First Minister may fight it out. Whoever prevails, I have a protector still-or, at least, so you tell me."

谢顿若有所思地点了点头，等了一会儿，然后说：“可是这样的话，久瑞南先生，我为什么一定要关心这件事呢？我是个穷学者，过着平静的生活，埋首于与世无争的数学和教育工作。你说丹莫刺尔是我现在的保护者，而你将是我未来的保护者。那么，我大可继续默默从事自己的工作，而让你和首相去分个胜负，不论是谁胜利，我仍然有个保护者。或者，至少你是这么说的。”

Joranum's fixed smile seemed to fade a bit. Namarti, at his side, turned his dour face toward Joranum and made as though to say something, but Joranum's hand moved slightly and Namarti coughed and did not speak.

久瑞南僵凝的笑容似乎敛去一点。坐在一旁的纳马提，则将阴沉的脸孔转向久瑞南，仿佛想说些什么。但久瑞南一只手稍微动了动，纳马提便轻咳一声，什么也没有说。

Joranum said, "Dr. Seldon. Are you a patriot?"

久瑞南道：“谢顿博士，你是个爱国者吗？”

"Why, of course. The Empire has given humanity millennia of peace -mostly peace, at any rate-and fostered steady advancement."

“啊，当然啦。帝国已经为人类带来数千年的和平——至少，大多数岁月如此——而且促进了人类稳定的发展。”

"So it has-but at a slower pace in the last century or two."

“话是没错，可是过去一两个世纪，进步的步调却减缓了。”

Seldon shrugged. "I have not studied such matters."

谢顿耸了耸肩。“这方面我没有研究。”

"You don't have to. You know that, politically, the last century or two has been a time of turmoil. Imperial reigns have been short and sometimes have been shortened further by assassination……"

“你不必有研究。你知道的，在政治上，过去一两个世纪是动乱的时代。皇帝在位的时间都很短，有时还因为遇刺而更加缩短……”

"Even mentioning that," put in Seldon, "is close to treason. I'd rather you didn't……"

“光是提到这种事，”谢顿插嘴道，“就已经接近叛国。我宁可你不……”

"Well, there." Joranum threw himself back in his seat. "See how insecure you are. The Empire is decaying. I'm willing to say so openly. Those who follow me do so because they know only too well it is. We need someone at the Emperor's right hand who can control the Empire, subdue the rebellious impulses that seem to be arising everywhere, give the armed forces the natural leadership they should have, lead the economy……"

“好啦，”久瑞南上半身靠向椅背，“看你多没安全感。帝国正在衰败，我愿意公开这么说。那些追随我的人也这么说，因为他们看得太清楚。我们需要换一个人在大帝身边，他要能够控制整个帝国、压制似乎无所不在的反叛企图、赋予军队应有的领导权、引导经济……”

Seldon made an impatient stopping motion with his arm. "And you're the one to do it, are you?"

谢顿不耐烦地抬起手，做了一个要求暂停的动作。“而你就是做那些事的人，对不对？”

"I intend to be the one. It won't be an easy job and I doubt there would be many volunteers-for good reason. Certainly Demerzel can't do it. Under him, the decline of the Empire is accelerating to a total breakdown."

“我打算当那个人。那不会是个简单的工作，而且我猜不会有许多志愿者，理由很明显。丹莫刺尔当然做不到，在他手中，帝国的衰落正向完全崩溃加速前进。”

"But you can stop it?"

“可是你有办法阻止吗？”

"Yes, Dr. Seldon. With your help. With psychohistory."

“是的，谢顿博士。借着你的帮助，借着心理史学。”

"Perhaps Demerzel could stop the breakdown with psychohistory-if psychohistory existed."

“借着心理史学，或许丹莫刺尔也能阻止帝国的崩溃——假使心理史学真的存在。”

Joranum said calmly, "It exists. Let us not pretend it does not. But its existence does not help Demerzel. Psychohistory is only a tool. It needs a brain to understand it and an arm to wield it."

久瑞南心平气和地说：“它的确存在，我们别再假装了，但它的存在帮不了丹莫刺尔。心理史学只是工具，还需要一个了解它的头脑，以及一双懂得使用它的手。”

"And you have those, I take it?"

“而你有这样的头脑和双手，是吗？”

"Yes. I know my own virtues. I want psychohistory."

“是的，我了解自己的长处。我要心理史学。”

Seldon shook his head. "You may want it all you please. I don't have it.

谢顿摇了摇头。“你爱要什么都可以，反正我没有。”

"You do have it. I will not argue the point." Joranum leaned closer as though wishing to insinuate his voice into Seldon's ear, rather than allowing the sound waves to carry it there. "You say you are a patriot. I must replace Demerzel to avoid Imperial destruction. However, the manner of replacement might itself weaken the Empire desperately. I do not wish that. You can advise me how to achieve the end smoothly, subtly, without harm or damage-for the sake of the Empire."

“你有，你有，我不和你争论这点。”久瑞南倾身凑近谢顿，仿佛希望将声音直接灌进他的耳朵，而不是借着声波载送过去，“你说你是个爱国者。我必须取代丹莫刺尔，以免帝国遭到毁灭。然而，取代过程本身就可能大大削弱帝国的元气。我不希望有这种结果，而你可以指导我如何顺利地、巧妙地达成这个目标，不至于造成伤害或破坏——看在帝国的份上。”

Seldon said, "I cannot. You accuse me of knowledge I do not possess. I would like to be of assistance, but I cannot."

谢顿说：“我办不到，你指控我拥有我所没有的知识。我很愿意效劳，可是我办不到。”

Joranum stood up suddenly. "Well, you know my mind and what it is I want of you. Think about it. And I ask you to think about the Empire. You may feel you owe Demerzel-this despoiler of all the millions of planets of humanity-your friendship. Be careful. What you do may shake the very foundation of the Empire. I ask you to help me in the name of the quadrillions of human beings who fill the Galaxy. Think of the Empire."

久瑞南突然站起来。“好吧，你知道了我的心意，以及我想向你要什么。好好想一想，此外，我还要请你为帝国想一想。你或许觉得应该忠于你的朋友，丹莫刺尔，这个全银河人类的掠夺者。小心点，你所做的有可能动摇帝国的根本。我以银河中万兆人类的名义求你帮助我，请想想帝国吧。”

His voice had dropped to a thrilling and powerful half-whisper. Seldon felt himself almost trembling. "I will always think of the Empire," he said.

他的声音压低了，变成令人毛骨悚然且强而有力的低语，谢顿感到自己几乎在发抖。“我随时都会想到帝国。”他说。

Joranum said, "Then that is all I ask right now. Thank you for consenting to see me."

久瑞南说：“那么，我现在要求的就是这些。谢谢你应允会见我。”

Seldon watched Joranum and his companion leave as the office doors slid open noiselessly and the men strode out.

当研究室的门无声无息地滑开，久瑞南与他的同伴大步离去时，谢顿默默望着他们两人的背影。

He frowned. Something was bothering him-and he was not sure what it was.

他皱起眉头。有件事困扰着他，而他不确定究竟是什么事。

7

7

Namarti's dark eyes remained fixed on Joranum as they sat in their carefully shielded office in the Streeling Sector. It was not an elaborate headquarters; they were as yet weak in Streeling, but they would grow stronger.

纳马提的黑眼珠紧盯着久瑞南。此时，他们坐在斯璀璘区的办公室中。这里不算是个精致的总部，而是一间刻意遮掩的场所。他们在斯璀璘势力还弱，但他们一定会逐渐壮大。

It was amazing how the movement was growing. It had started from nothing three years back and now its tentacles stretched-in some places more thickly than others, of course-throughout Trantor. The Outer Worlds were as yet largely untouched. Demerzel had labored mightily to keep them content, but that was his mistake. It was here on Trantor that rebellions were dangerous. Elsewhere, they could be controlled. Here, Demerzel could be toppled. Odd that he should not realize that, but Joranum had always held to the theory that Demerzel's reputation was overblown, that he would prove an empty shell if anyone dared oppose him, and that the Emperor would destroy him quickly if his own security seemed at stake.

这个运动的成长相当惊人。三年前，它从一无所有开始，如今触须已延伸至川陀各个角落。当然，各处的势力仍有大小之别。外围世界则大多尚未触及——丹莫刺尔花了很大力气让那些世界满意，但那正是他的错误。发生在川陀上的叛乱才真正危险；其他地方的叛乱不难控制，而在这里，丹莫刺尔却可能因此垮台，奇怪的是他自己竟然不了解。但久瑞南始终坚信一个理论，即丹莫刺尔的声誉被过分夸大了，只要有人敢反对他，便能证明他只是个空壳子，而大帝一旦发觉自身安全难保，就会立刻铲除这个首相。

So far, at least, all of Joranum's predictions had come to pass. He had never once lost his way except in minor matters, such as that recent rally at Streeling University in which this Seldon fellow had interfered.

至少，目前为止，久瑞南的预测都一一应验。除了一些小事，例如最近在斯璀璘大学被谢顿这家伙破坏的那场集会，他从未走错路。

That might be why Joranum had insisted on the interview with him. Even a minor toe stub must be taken care of. Joranum enjoyed the feeling of infallibility and Namarti had to admit that the vision of a constant string of successes was the surest way of ensuring the continuation of success. People tended to avoid the humiliation of failure by joining the obviously winning side even against their own opinions.

或许正因为如此，久瑞南坚持要见他一面。即使脚趾头的一粒小肉刺，也必须处理掉。久瑞南很喜欢这种绝不犯错的感觉，而纳马提不得不承认，对未来一连串成功的展望乃是继续成功的最佳保证。为了避免失败的羞辱，人们倾向于加入显然占上风的一方，即使那样做有违自己的心意。

But had the interview with this Seldon been a success or was it a second stub of the toe to be added to the first? Namarti had not enjoyed having been brought along in order to be made to humbly apologize and he didn't see that it had done any good.

但是，这次与这个谢顿的会晤算是成功吗？或是原先那粒肉刺旁又长出了第二粒？纳马提不喜欢被一路拉去，只是为了向对方低声下气地道歉，他看不出那样做有什么好处。

Now Joranum sat there, silent, obviously lost in thought, gnawing at the edge of one thumb as though trying to draw some sort of mental nourishment from it.

现在久瑞南坐在那里，沉默不语，显然陷入了沉思。他轻咬着拇指的指尖，仿佛试图从中吸取某种心灵养分。

"Jo-Jo," said Namarti softly. He was one of the very few people who could address Joranum by the diminutive that the crowds shouted out endlessly in public. Joranum solicited the love of the mob in this way, among others, but he demanded respect from individuals in private, except for those special friends who had been with him from the start.

“九九。”纳马提轻声唤道。群众在公开场合拼命呐喊的这个昵称，只有极少数人能真正用来称呼久瑞南，而纳马提便是其中之一。久瑞南用这些方法赚取群众对他的爱戴，但在私下的场合，除了那些一开始就跟着他的战友，他要求每个人都对他必恭必敬。

"Jo-Jo," he said again.

“九九。”他再度唤道。

Joranum looked up. "Yes, G.D., what is it?" He sounded a little testy.

久瑞南抬起头来。“啊，坎·丁，什么事？”他的声音听起来有点暴躁。

"What are we going to do about this Seldon fellow, Jo-Jo?"

“九九，我们要怎样对付谢顿这家伙？”

"Do? Nothing right now. He may join us."

“对付？现在什么都别做，他可能会加入我们。”

"Why wait? We can put pressure on him. We can pull a few strings at the University and make life miserable for him."

“为什么要等？我们可以对他施压；我们可以拉动大学里几根线，让他日子不好过。”

"No no. So far, Demerzel has been letting us go our way. The fool is overconfident. The last thing we want to do,. though, is to push him into action before we are quite ready. And a heavy-handed move against Seldon may do it. I suspect Demerzel places enormous importance on Seldon."

“不，不。目前为止，丹莫刺尔一直放任我们发展，那傻子过度自信。不过，我们绝对不能做的一件事，就是逼他在我们准备好之前采取行动。如果我们以鲁莽的手段对付谢顿，就有可能导致那种结果。我觉得丹莫刺尔对谢顿极为重视。”

"Because of this psychohistory you two talked about?"

“因为你们两人谈到的那个心理史学？”

"Indeed."

“正是。”

"What is it? I have never heard of it."

“那是什么东西？我从没听说过。”

"Few people have. It's a mathematical way of analyzing human society that ends by predicting the future."

“很少有人听说过。那是一种分析人类社会的数学方法，最终的目标是预测未来。”

Namarti frowned and felt his body move slightly away from Joranum. Was this a joke of Joranum's? Was this intended to make him laugh? Namarti had never been able to work out when or why people expected him to laugh. He had never had an urge to.

纳马提皱起眉头，发觉自己不知不觉移开了久瑞南一点。这是久瑞南的玩笑吗？是为了要让他发笑吗？纳马提向来不清楚别人何时或为何指望他发笑，他自己从来没有那种冲动。

He said, "Predict the future? How?"

他说：“预测未来？如何预测？”

"Ah? If I knew that, what need would I have of Seldon?"

“啊！假使我知道，我还需要谢顿做什么？”

"Frankly I don't believe it, Jo-Jo. How can you foretell the future? It's fortune-telling."

“坦白讲我不相信，九九。一个人怎能预知未来？那是算命。”

"I know, but after this Seldon broke up your little rally, I had him looked into. All the way. Eight years ago, he came to Trantor and presented a paper on psychohistory at a convention of mathematicians and then the whole thing died. It was never referred to again by anyone. Not even by Seldon."

“我知道。但在这个谢顿打散了你的小小集会后，我彻底调查过他。八年前他来到川陀，在一个数学家会议上，发表了一篇有关心理史学的论文，然后整个东西就销声匿迹。再也没有任何人提到，甚至包括谢顿自己。”

"It sounds as though there were nothing to it, then."

“那么，听起来好像一文不值。”

"Oh no, just the reverse. If it had faded slowly, if it had been subjected to ridicule, I would have said there was nothing to it. But to be cut off suddenly and completely means that the whole thing has been placed in the deepest of freezes. That is why Demerzel may have been doing nothing to stop us. Perhaps he is not being guided by a foolish overconfidence; perhaps he is being guided by psychohistory, which must be predicting something that Demerzel plans to take advantage of at the right time. If so, we might fail unless we can make use of psychohistory ourselves."

“喔，不，正好相反。假使它慢慢消失，假使它受到冷嘲热讽，那我会说它一文不值。但突然间被完全切断，却代表整个东西被放进了冰窖的最深处。这就是丹莫刺尔也许根本没有阻止我们的原因。说不定指引他的并不是愚蠢的过度自信，而是心理史学，它一定正在作些预测，丹莫刺尔则计划于适当时机善加利用。果真如此，我们就有可能失败，除非我们自己也能利用心理史学。”

"Seldon claims it doesn't exist."

“谢顿声称它不存在。”

"Wouldn't you if you were he?"

“假使你是他，你不会这么做吗？”

"I still say we ought to put pressure on him."

“我还是要说，我们应该对他施压。”

"It would be useless, G.D. Didn't you ever hear the story of the Ax of Venn?"

“没有用的，坎·丁，你可听过‘文恩的斧头’这个故事？”

"No."

“没有。”

"You would if you were from Nishaya. It's a famous folktale back home. In brief, Venn was a woodcutter who had a magic ax that, with a single light blow, could chop down any tree. It was enormously valuable, but he never made any effort to hide it or preserve it-and yet it was never stolen, because no one could lift or swing the ax but Venn himself.

“假使你是尼沙亚人，就一定会听过，那是我家乡一个很有名的民间故事。简单地说，文恩是个伐木工，他有一把神奇的斧头，只要轻轻一挥，就能砍倒任何树木。这把斧头珍贵无比，他却从来不必花工夫收藏或保管，而它也始终没被偷走。因为除了文恩自己，没有人能举起或挥动这把斧头。

"Well, at the present moment, no one can handle psychohistory but Seldon himself. If he were on our side only because we had forced him, we could never be certain of his loyalty. Might he not urge a course of action that would seem to work in our favor but would be so subtly drawn that, after a while, we found ourselves quite suddenly destroyed. No, he must come to our side voluntarily and labor for us because he wishes us to win."

“嗯，目前这个时候，除了谢顿自己，没有人处理得了心理史学。假使由于我们强迫他，令他不得不站到我们这边，我们就永远无法确定他的忠诚。他很可能会力陈某种看来似乎对我们有利的行动方针，却巧妙地偷天换日，以致一段时日后，我们竟发现自己一夜之间被摧毁了。不，他必须因为希望我们获胜，而自愿投入我们的阵营，为我们效力。”

"But how can we bring him around?"

“可是我们怎能说服他呢？”

"There's Seldon's son. Raych, I think he's called. Did you observe him?"

“谢顿有个儿子，我记得他叫芮奇。你有没有注意到他？”

"Not particularly."

“没有特别注意。”

"G.D., G.D., you miss points if you don't observe everything. That young man listened to me with his heart in his eyes. He was impressed. I could tell. If there's one thing I can tell, it is just how I impress others. I know when I have shaken a mind, when I have edged someone toward conversion."

“坎·丁，坎·丁，如果你不注意每一件事，你就永远抓不到重点。那年轻人全神贯注听我说话，他的眼睛透露出他的心意。他被打动了，我看得出来。若说有哪件事是我看得出来的，那就是我打动他人的程度。当我摇撼了某个心灵，当我驱使某人回心转意时，我心里都会有数。”

Joranum smiled. It was not the pseudowarm ingratiating smile of his public demeanor. It was a genuine smile this time-cold, somehow, and menacing.

久瑞南微微一笑，那不是他在公开场合所展现的假惺惺且逢迎的笑容。这次是一个衷心的微笑，有些冰冷而咄咄逼人。

"We'll see what we can do with Raych," he said, "and if, through him, we can reach Seldon."

“我们来看看能对芮奇做些什么，”他说，“还有是否能通过他，让我们得到谢顿。”

8

8

Raych looked at Hari Seldon after the two politicians had gone and fingered his mustache. It gave him satisfaction to stroke it. Here in the Streeling Sector, some men wore mustaches, but they were usually thin despicable things of uncertain color-thin despicable things, even if dark. Most men did not wear them at all and suffered with naked upper lips. Seldon didn't, for instance, and that was just as well. With his color of hair, a mustache would have been a travesty.

两位政治人物走后，芮奇一面望着谢顿，一面摸着自己的八字胡。抚摸这两撇胡子能为他带来满足感。在斯璀璘区，虽然也有些男人留八字胡，但通常都是稀疏的次等货，而且色泽不明显；即使色泽深浓，仍然是稀疏的次等货。大多数男人则根本不留，只好让他们的上唇裸露在外。例如谢顿就没有，不过那样也好，从他的发色看来，他配上两撇胡子会很滑稽。

He watched Seldon closely, waiting for him to cease being lost in thought, and then found he could wait no longer.

他凝视着谢顿，等待他从沉思中回过神来，最后发觉自己再也等不下去。

"Dad?" he said.

“爸！”他唤道。

Seldon looked up and said, "What?" He sounded a little annoyed at having his thoughts interrupted, Raych decided.

谢顿抬起头来说：“什么事？”他的声音带着些许恼怒，因为他的沉思被打断了，芮奇如此判断。

Raych said, "I don't think it was right for you to see those two guys."

芮奇说：“我认为你根本不该见那两个家伙。”

"Oh? Why not?"

“哦？为什么？”

"Well, the thin guy, whatever his name is, was the guy you made trouble for at the Field. He can't have liked it."

“嗯，那个瘦子，不管他叫什么名字，就是你在运动场找他麻烦的那个家伙。他不会喜欢那件事的。”

"But he apologized."

“可是他道歉了。”

"He didn't mean it. But the other guy, Joranum-he can be dangerous. What if they had had weapons?"

“他不是真心的。而另一个家伙，久瑞南，他可危险得很。万一他们带着武器呢？”

"What? Here in the University? In my office? Of course not. This isn't Billibotton. Besides, if they had tried anything, I could have handled both of them together. Easily."

“什么？在这所大学？在我的研究室？当然不会，这里又不是脐眼。此外，如果他们轻举妄动，我能同时收拾他们两个，轻而易举。”

"I don't know, Dad," said Raych dubiously. "You're getting……"

“我可不敢说，爸，”芮奇透着怀疑的口气，“你越来越……”

"Don't say it, you ungrateful monster," said Seldon, lifting an admonishing finger. `You'll sound just like your mother and I have enough of that from her. I am not getting old-or, at least, not that old. Besides, you were with me and you're almost as skilled a Twister as I am."

“别说出来，你这忘恩负义的小子。”谢顿一面说，一面伸出一根指头做训诫状，“你说的话会和你母亲一模一样，而我已经受够了她。我没有越来越老，或者，至少还没那么老。何况还有你在我身边，你几乎是和我一样老练的角力士。”

Raych's nose wrinkled. "Twisting ain't much good." (It was no use. Raych heard himself speak and knew that, even eight years out of the morass of Dahl, he still slipped into using the Dahlite accent that marked him firmly as a member of the lower class. And he was short, too, to the point where he sometimes felt stunted. -But he had his mustache and no one ever patronized him twice.)

芮奇皱了一下鼻子。“角力没啥好耍。”没有用的。芮奇听到自己那样说，心里就很清楚，即使离开达尔那个泥淖已有八年，他的达尔腔仍会脱口而出，明显标示着他是低下阶层的一员。而且他个子很矮，有时他甚至会觉得自己发育不良。但他拥有八字胡，没有人会用施舍的目光看他第二眼。

He said, "What are you going to do about Joranum?"

他说：“你准备怎样对付久瑞南？”

"For now, nothing."

“目前，什么也不做。”

"Well, look, Dad, I saw Joranum on TrantorVision a couple of times. I even made some holotapes of his speeches. -Everyone is talking about him, so I thought I would see what he has to say. And, you know, he makes some kind of sense. I don't like him and I don't trust him, but he does make some kind of sense. He wants all sectors to have equal rights and equal opportunities-and there ain't nothing wrong with that, is there?"

“这个嘛，爸，听我说。我在川陀全视上看过久瑞南几回，我甚至把他的演讲录到全息影带上。大家都在谈论他，所以我想我该看看他到底在说些什么。你可知道，他的话真有几分道理。我不喜欢他，也不相信他，可是他的话确有几分道理。他希望各区拥有平等的权利，以及平等的机会，而那没啥不对，不是吗？”

"Certainly not. All civilized people feel that way."

“当然没错，所有的文明人都这么想。”

"So why don't we have that sort of stuff? Does the Emperor feel that way? Does Demerzel?"

“那我们为什么没有那种东西呢？大帝这么想吗？丹莫刺尔呢？”

"The Emperor and the First Minister have an entire Empire to worry about. They can't concentrate all their efforts on Trantor itself. It's easy for Joranum to talk about equality. He has no responsibilities. If he were in the position to rule, he would find that his efforts would be greatly diluted by an Empire of twenty-five million planets. Not only that, but he would find himself stopped at every point by the sectors themselves. Each one wants a great deal of equality for itself-but not much equality for others. Tell me, Raych, are you of the opinion that Joranum ought to have a chance to rule, just to show what he can do?"

“大帝和首相有整个帝国需要操心，他们无法将全副心力集中在川陀上。久瑞南口头谈谈平等当然容易，他肩上没有责任。假使他处于统治者的地位，便会发觉他的心力被帝国二千五百万颗行星大大分散。非但如此，他还会发觉川陀各区在每方面都和他作对；每一区都想为自己争取很多平等，却不希望别区获得太多。告诉我，芮奇，只为了让久瑞南证明他做得到什么，你认为就该让他有有执政的机会吗？”

Raych shrugged. "I don't know. I wonder. -But if he had tried anything on you, I would have been at his throat before he could move two centimeters."

芮奇耸了耸肩。“我不知道，我存疑。但如果他刚才想对你怎么样，还没移动两厘米，我就会抵住他的喉咙。”

"Your loyalty to me, then, exceeds your concern for the Empire."

“那么，你对我的忠心，超过了你对帝国的关怀。”

"Sure. You're my dad."

“当然，你是我爸。”

Seldon looked at Raych fondly, but behind that look he felt a trace of uncertainty. How far could Joranum's nearly hypnotic influence go?

谢顿以怜爱的目光望着芮奇，但在这个目光背后，他却生出一丝不确定感。久瑞南近乎催眠的影响力有多么深远呢？

9

9

Hari Seldon sat back in his chair, the vertical back giving as he did so and allowing him to assume a half-reclining position. His hands were behind his head and his eyes were unfocused. His breathing was very soft, indeed.

哈里·谢顿在座椅上向后仰，垂直的椅背立刻倾斜，让他保持斜倚的坐姿。他的双手垫在脑后，双眼没有任何焦点。他的呼吸则非常轻，真的非常轻。

Dors Venabili was at the other end of the room, with her viewer turned off and the microfilms back in place. She had been through a rather concentrated period of revision of her opinions on the Florina Incident in early Trantorian history and she found it rather restful to withdraw for a few moments and to speculate on what it was that Seldon was considering.

铎丝·凡纳比里待在房间另一端，她刚关掉阅读镜，并将微缩胶片放回原位。刚才她相当专心地工作了好一段时间，在修订她对早期川陀历史中“弗罗伦纳事件”的意见。她觉得若暂停一下，猜猜谢顿在思考什么，会是个颇为适当的休息。

It had to be psychohistory. It would probably take him the rest of his life, tracking down the byways of this semichaotic technique, and he would end with it incomplete, leaving the task to others (to Amaryl, if that young man had not also worn himself out on the matter) and breaking his heart at the need to do that.

一定是心理史学。他也许要花掉后半生所有的时间，探寻这个“半混沌技术”的各种蹊径。很可能他一辈子也无法完成，到头来将这项工作留给别人（应该是留给雨果，只要这个年轻人没有被这个问题也耗得油尽灯枯），他则会因为不得不如此而伤透了心。

Yet it gave him a reason for living. He would live longer with the problem filling him from end to end-and that pleased her. Someday she would lose him, she knew, and she found that the thought afflicted her. It had not seemed it would at the start, when her task had been the simple one of protecting him for the sake of what he knew.

然而，这给了他一个活下去的理由。始终拥抱着这个问题，会让他活得更长久，这使她感到欣慰。总有一天她会失去他，她心里明白，而且发觉这个想法困扰着她。刚开始的时候，她的任务十分单纯，只是为了他所拥有的知识而保护他，当时看来，似乎不会发生这种事。

When had it become a matter of personal need? How could there be so personal a need? What was there about the man that caused her to feel uneasy when he was not in her sight, even when she knew he was safe so that the deeply ingrained orders within her were not called into action? His safety was all that she had been ordered to be concerned with. How did the rest intrude itself?

它在何时转变成自己的需要呢？她又怎么会有如此的需要呢？这个男人究竟有什么魅力，即使明知他安然无事，因此根深蒂固的命令并不会化为行动，看不到他仍会令她心神不宁？根据命令，她需要关切的只有他的安危。其他的情绪是怎么闯进来的？

She had spoken of it to Demerzel long before, when the feeling had made itself unmistakable.

很久以前，当那些情绪明显浮现之际，她曾对丹莫刺尔提到这件事。

He had regarded her gravely and said, `'You are complex, Dors, and there are no simple answers. In my life there have been several individuals whose presence made it easier for me to think, pleasanter to make my responses. I have tried to judge the ease of my responses in their presence and the unease of my responses in their final absence to see whether I was the net gainer or loser. In the process, one thing became plain. The pleasantness of their company outweighed the regret of their passing. On the whole, then, it is better to experience what you experience now than not to."

当时，他表情严肃地望着她，说道：“你的心思很复杂，铎丝，因此这个问题并没有简单的答案。在我的生命中，曾经出现过一些人，他们的存在使我更容易思考，使我作出反应时更加愉快。我曾经试图衡量，在他们存在时和终于消失后，我的反应所呈现的难易变化，看看总结起来，我究竟是得是失。在这个过程中，我明白了一件事。他们的出现所带来的快乐，胜过他们逝去所留下的遗憾。所以说，整体而言，体验你现在所体验的，总比放弃来得好。”

She thought: Hari will someday leave a void, and each day that someday is closer, and I must not think of it.

她心想：哈里总有一天会留下大片空白，而每过一天就更接近那一天，我绝不能想这件事。

It was to rid herself of the thought that she finally interrupted him. "What are you thinking of, Hari?"

为了抛开这个念头，她终于决定打断他的思绪。“你在想什么，哈里？”

"What?" Seldon focused his eyes with an apparent effort.

“什么？”谢顿显然花了一番力气，才将目光重新聚焦。

"Psychohistory, I assume. I imagine you've traced another blind pathway."

“我想一定是心理史学，我猜你又在探索另一条死胡同。”

"Well now. That's not on my mind at all." He laughed suddenly. "Do you want to know what I'm thinking of? -Hair!"

“这个嘛，那回事暂时不在我心上。”他突然哈哈大笑，“你想知道我在想什么吗？头发！”

"Hair? Whose?"

“头发？谁的？”

"Right now, yours." He was looking at her fondly.

“此时此刻，是你的。”他柔情地望着她。

"Is there something wrong with it? Should I dye it another color? Or perhaps, after all these years, it should go gray."

“有什么不对劲吗？我该染成别的颜色吗？还是说，过了这么多年，也许该出现白发了？”

"Come! Who needs or wants gray in your hair. -But it's led me to other things. Nishaya, for instance."

“得了！谁要你的头发变白。只是它使我联想到其他事情，比如说尼沙亚。”

"Nishaya? What's that?"

“尼沙亚？那是什么？”

"It was never part of the pre-Imperial Kingdom of Trantor, so I'm not surprised you haven't heard of it. It's a world, a small one. Isolated. Unimportant. Overlooked. I only know anything at all about it because I've taken the trouble to look it up. Very few worlds out of twenty-five million can really make much of a sustained splash, but I doubt that there's another one as insignificant as Nishaya. Which is very significant, you see."

“前帝国时代的川陀王国始终没有涵盖它，所以你没听过并不令我惊讶。它是一个世界，一个小世界；遗世独立，微不足道，乏人问津。我会对它稍有了解，只是因为我不厌其烦地查过资料。在二千五百万个世界当中，只有极少数真能长久名扬星际，但我怀疑是否还有任何世界像尼沙亚那么不重要。而这点就相当重要，你懂了吧。”

Dors shoved her reference material to one side and said, "What is this new penchant you have for paradox, which you always tell me you detest? What is this significance of insignificance?"

铎丝将她的参考资料推到一旁，说道：“你总是告诉我说你厌恶矛盾，这个新嗜好又是怎么回事？这个不重要的重要性到底是什么？”

"Oh, I don't mind paradoxes when I perpetrate them. You see, Joranum comes from Nishaya."

“喔，当我自己制造矛盾时，我倒是不在乎。你可知道，久瑞南来自尼沙亚。”

"Ah, it's Joranum you're concerned with."

“啊，原来你关切的是久瑞南。”

"Yes. I've been viewing some of his speeches-at Raych's insistence. They don't make very much sense, but the total effect can be almost hypnotic. Raych is very impressed by him."

“没错，在芮奇的坚持下，我看了一些他的演讲。内容没有多大意义，但是整体而言，却能造成近乎催眠的效应，芮奇就被他深深打动了。”

"I imagine that anyone of Dahlite origins would be, Hari. Joranum's constant call for sector equality would naturally appeal to the downtrodden heatsinkers. You remember when we were in Dahl?"

“我猜任何出身达尔的人都会，哈里。久瑞南对各区平等的坚定诉求，自然会吸引那些受压迫的热闾工。你记得我们在达尔的所见所闻吗？”

"I remember it very well and of course I don't blame the lad. It just bothers me that Joranum comes from Nishaya."

“我记得非常清楚，我当然不会怪这孩子。令我困扰的，只是久瑞南来自尼沙亚。”

Dors shrugged. "Well, Joranum has to come from somewhere and, conversely, Nishaya, like any other world, must send its people out at times, even to Trantor."

铎丝耸了耸肩。“嗯，久瑞南总得从某处来。反之，尼沙亚和其他任何世界一样，有时总会对外输出移民，甚至对川陀输出。”

"Yes, but, as I've said, I've taken the trouble to investigate Nishaya. I've even managed to make hyperspatial contact with some minor official which cost a considerable quantity of credits that I cannot, in good conscience, charge to the department."

“没错，可是，正如我所说，我不厌其烦地对尼沙亚作了一番调查。我甚至设法和那儿某个低层官员做过一次超空间接触，花了好大一笔信用点，而我无法心安理得地让系上付账。”

"And did you find anything that was worth the credits?"

“你有任何值回点数的发现吗？”

"I rather think so. You know, Joranum is always telling little stories to make his points, stories that are legends on his home planet of Nishaya. That serves a good purpose for him here on Trantor, since it makes him appear to be a man of the people, full of homespun philosophy. Those tales litter his speeches. They make him appear to be from a small world, to have been brought up on an isolated farm surrounded by an untamed ecology. People like it, especially Trantorians, who would rather die than be trapped somewhere in an untamed ecology but who love to dream about one just the same."

“我想应该有。你可知道，久瑞南总是讲些小故事来阐明他的论点，那些故事都是他的母星尼沙亚上的传说。在川陀上，这样做对他有很大的好处，因为会使他显得平凡普通，满脑子朴素的哲学。那些故事充斥于他的演说中，让人觉得他来自一个小世界，在一个与世隔绝的农场长大，周围是一片原始的生态环境。人们喜欢这一点，尤其是川陀人，他们宁死不愿困在原始的生态环境里，但是照样喜爱梦想。”

"But what of it all?"

“可是这有什么问题呢？”

"The odd point is that not one of the stories was familiar to the person I spoke to on Nishaya."

“奇怪的是，和我谈话的那个尼沙亚人，对那些故事一个也不熟悉。”

"That's not significant, Hari. It may be a small world, but it's a world. What is current in Joranum's birth section of the world may not be current in whatever place your official came from."

“这没什么意义，哈里。它或许是个小世界，但它总是个世界。在那个世界上，久瑞南的出生地所流行的故事，不一定在那个官员的家乡同样流行。”

"No no. Folktales, in one form or another, are usually worldwide. But aside from that, I had considerable trouble in understanding the fellow. He spoke Galactic Standard with a thick accent. I spoke to a few others on the world, just to check, and they all had the same accent."

“不，不。民间故事通常都是世界性的，顶多只是改头换面一番。不过除了这点之外，我还很不容易听懂那人的口音，他说的银河标准语有浓重的腔调。为了确定这件事，我还和那个世界上其他几个人谈过，结果他们都有同样的腔调。”

"And what of that?"

“那又怎么样？”

"Joranum doesn't have it. He speaks a fairly good Trantorian. It's a lot better than mine, actually. I have the Heliconian stress on the letter `r.' He doesn't. According to the records, he arrived on Trantor when he was nineteen. It is just impossible, in my opinion, to spend the first nineteen years of your life speaking that barbarous Nishayan version of Galactic Standard and then come to Trantor and lose it. However long he's been here, some trace of the accent would have remained- Look at Raych and the way he lapses into his Dahlite way of speaking on occasion."

“久瑞南没有那种腔调，他讲的是相当纯正的川陀话。实际上，比我说的好得太多了。我带有赫利肯方言的‘儿’音，而他完全没有。根据记录显示，他在十九岁时来到川陀。在我看来，一生最初十九年都说那种粗俗的尼沙亚式银河标准语，来到川陀后，那种腔调竟然完全消失，这简直是不可能的事。不论他在这里待了多久，总会残留一点那种腔调。看看芮奇，还有他偶尔脱口而出的达尔独特用语。”

"What do you deduce from all this?"

“从这一切，你推论出什么来？”

"What I deduce-what I've been sitting here all evening, deducing like a deduction machine-is that Joranum didn't come from Nishaya at all. In fact, I think he picked Nishaya as the place to pretend to come from, simply because it is so backwoodsy, so out-of-the-way, that no one would think of checking it. He must have made a thorough computer search to find the one world least likely to allow him to be caught in a lie."

“我推论出的是——我整晚坐在这里，像个推理机一般推论良久，得到的结论是——久瑞南根本不是从尼沙亚来的。事实上，我想他之所以挑选尼沙亚，假装那是他的故乡，只是因为它那么偏僻遥远、那么与世隔绝，以致没有人会想要查证。他一定做过彻底的电脑搜寻，才找到这样一个最不可能被拆穿谎言的世界。”

"But that's ridiculous, Hari. Why should he want to pretend to be from a world he did not come from? It would mean a great deal of falsification of records."

“可是这实在荒谬，哈里。他为什么假装来自一个并非真正故乡的世界？这代表需要窜改大量的记录。”

"And that's precisely what he has probably done. He probably has enough followers in the civil service to make that possible. Probably no one person has done as much in the way of revision and all of his followers are too fanatical to talk about it."

“或许那正是他做过的事情。或许他在内政部有够多的追随者，使这件事得以实现。或许每个人所做的更动都微乎其微，根本算不上窜改。而他所有的追随者都太狂热，以致没有人谈论这一点。”

"But still- Why?"

“但问题还是——为什么？”

"Because I suspect Joranum doesn't want people to know where he really comes from."

“因为我怀疑，久瑞南不希望人们知道他的真正出身。”

"Why not? All worlds in the Empire are equal, both by laws and by custom."

“为什么？帝国境内所有世界一律平等，不论是根据法律或根据惯例。”

"I don't know about that. These high-ideal theories are somehow never borne out in real life."

“这我就不敢说了，在真实人生中，这些高度理想的理论从未真正实现。”

"Then where does he come from? Do you have any idea at all?"

“那么他是从哪里来的？你究竟有没有任何概念？”

"Yes. Which brings us back to this matter of hair."

“有的，这就把我们带回头发这个话题了。”

"What about hair?"

“和头发有什么关系？”

"I sat there with Joranum, staring at him and feeling uneasy, without knowing why I was feeling uneasy. Then finally I realized that it was his hair that made me uneasy. There was something about it, a life, a gloss . a perfection to it that I've never seen before. And then I knew. His hair is artificial and carefully grown on a scalp that ought to be innocent of such things."

“当时，我坐在久瑞南对面打量他，越看越不对劲，却不知道为什么有那种感觉。后来我终于了解，是他的头发使我觉得不对劲。它具有某种特质，一种生命，一种光泽……一种完美，是我以前从未见过的。然后我明白了，他的头发是以人工仔细种植在头皮上的，他头上本来不该有那种东西。”

"Ought to be?" Dors's eyes narrowed. It was clear that she suddenly understood. "Do you mean……"

“不该有？”铎丝眯起双眼，显然她突然领悟了，“你的意思是……”

"Yes, I do mean. He's from the past-centered, mythology-ridden Mycogen Sector of Trantor. That's what he's been laboring to hide."

“没错，我正是那个意思。他来自那个活在过去、受神话支配的川陀麦曲生区，那就是他一直努力掩饰的事实。”

10

10

Dors Venabili thought coolly about the matter. It was her only mode of thought-cool. Not for her the hot flashes of emotion.

铎丝·凡纳比里冷静地思考这个问题。冷静是她唯一的思考模式，她向来没有炽烈的情绪。

She closed her eyes to concentrate. It had been eight years since she and Hari had visited Mycogen and they hadn't been there long. There had been little to admire there except the food.

她闭起双眼以便集中精神。她与谢顿造访麦曲生已是八年前的事，而且在那里未曾停留太久。除了食物之外，那里实在没有什么值得恭维的。

The pictures arose. The harsh, puritanical, male-centered society; the emphasis on the past; the removal of all body hair, a painful process deliberately self-imposed to make themselves different so that they would "know who they were"; their legends; their memories (or fancies) of a time when they ruled the Galaxy, when their lives were prolonged, when robots existed.

心中的影像逐渐升起。那是个严苛的、禁欲的、男性中心的社会，强调的是过去，人人除去全身毛发——那是一种心甘情愿的痛苦过程，好让他们与众不同，好让他们“知道自己是什么人”。她还想到他们的种种传说，以及他们对过去的记忆（或幻想）——当时他们统治整个银河，拥有倍增的寿命，与机器人生活在一起。

Dors opened her eyes and said, "Why, Hari?"

铎丝张开眼睛，问道：“为什么，哈里？”

"Why what, dear?"

“什么为什么，亲爱的？”

"Why should he pretend not to be from Mycogen?"

“为什么他要假装不是来自麦曲生？”

She didn't think he would remember Mycogen in greater detail than she; in fact, she knew he wouldn't, but his mind was better than hers-different, certainly. Hers was a mind that only remembered and drew the obvious inferences in the fashion of a mathematic line of deduction. He had a mind that leaped unexpectedly. Seldon liked to pretend that intuition was solely the province of his assistant, Yugo Amaryl, but Dors was not fooled by that. Seldon liked to pose as the unworldly mathematician who stared at the world out of perpetually wondering eyes, but she was not fooled by that, either.

她并不认为他对麦曲生的记忆会比自己详尽；事实上，她知道这不可能，但是他的心智比她优越，至少绝对不同。她自己的心智只能从事记忆，以及靠数学演绎程序得出明显的推论；他的心智则能做出意料之外的跃迁。谢顿喜欢假装让他的助手雨果·阿马瑞尔独享直觉，可是这点瞒不过铎丝。谢顿还喜欢扮成出世的数学家，透过一双永远存疑的眼睛观察这个世界，而这点同样瞒不过她。

"Why should he pretend not to be from Mycogen?" she repeated as he sat there, his eyes lost in an inward look that Dors always associated with his attempt to squeeze one more tiny drop of usefulness and validity out of the concepts of psycho-history.

“为什么他要假装不是来自麦曲生？”当她重复这个问题的时候，他坐在那里，目光聚焦于自己内心深处。每当他透出这种眼神，铎丝总会联想到他又试图从心理史学的概念中，再榨出一小滴的用处与效力。

Seldon said finally, "It's a harsh society, a limiting society. There are always those who chafe over its manner of dictating every action and every thought. There are always those who find they cannot entirely be broken to the harness, who want the greater liberties available in the more secular world outside. It's understandable."

谢顿终于开口：“那是个严苛的社会，是个处处设限的社会。总是会有人不满这种控制一切思想言行的方式；总是会有人觉得自己无法驯服地套上缰索，而向往较世俗的外界中更大的自由。这是可以理解的。”

"So they force the growth of artificial hair?"

“所以他们培植人工毛发？”

"No, not generally. The average Breakaway-that's what the Mycogenians call the deserters and they despise them, of course-wears a wig. It's much simpler but much less effective. Really serious Breakaways grow false hair, I'm told. The process is difficult and expensive but is almost unnoticeable. I've never come across it before, though I've heard of it. I've spent years studying all eight hundred sectors of Trantor, trying to work out the basic rules and mathematics of psychohistory. I have little enough to show for it, unfortunately, but I have learned a few things."

“不，通常不会。一般的脱缰者会戴假发，那样做简单得多，但效果也差得多——脱缰者是麦曲生人对那些背离人士的称呼，当然，他们鄙视那些人。我听人家说，真正认真的脱缰者会培植人工毛发。那种过程既困难又昂贵，但是几乎可以乱真。以前我从未见过这种人，不过我听说过。我花了许多年的时间，研究川陀上的八百个行政区，试图整理出心理史学的基本法则和数学模式。遗憾的是，我累积的成果实在太少，但我的确学到一些东西。”

"But why, then, do the Breakaways have to hide the fact that they're from Mycogen? They're not persecuted that I know of."

“可是，脱缰者为何必须隐藏来自麦曲生的事实？据我所知，他们并没有遭到迫害。”

"No, they're not. In fact, there's no general impression that Mycogenians are inferior. It's worse than that. The Mycogenians aren't taken seriously. They're intelligent-everyone admits that-highly educated, dignified, cultured, wizards with food, almost frightening in their capacity to keep their sector prosperous-but no one takes them seriously. Their beliefs strike people outside Mycogen as ridiculous, humorous, unbelievably foolish. And that view clings even to Mycogenians who are Breakaways. A Mycogenian attempt to seize power in the government would be crushed by laughter. Being feared is nothing. Being despised, even, can be lived with. But being laughed at-that's fatal. Joranum wants to be First Minister, so he must have hair, and, to be comfortable, he must represent himself as having been brought up on some obscure world as far from Mycogen as he can possibly manage."

“没错，他们没有。事实上，一般人并不认为麦曲生人是劣等民族。不过实际情况更糟，谁也不把麦曲生人当一回事。大家都承认他们相当聪明，而且教育水准高、尊贵、文明、精于饮食，他们保持该区繁荣的本事简直吓人，可是没有人把他们当一回事。在外人眼中，他们的信仰荒唐、滑稽，而且愚蠢得难以置信，这种看法甚至烙在麦曲生脱缰者的身上。一个试图在政府里面掌权的麦曲生人，会在众人的哄笑声中垮台。让人害怕没有关系，甚至受人轻视也能安然无事，但是被人嘲笑——则注定完蛋。久瑞南想要当首相，所以他必须有头发；而为了高枕无忧，他必须装成是在某个偏远的世界长大，而且尽可能让那个世界离麦曲生越远越好。”

"Surely there are some people who are naturally bald."

“当然有些人是自然的秃头。”

"Never as completely depilated as Mycogenians force themselves to be. On the Outer Worlds, it wouldn't matter much. But Mycogen is a distant whisper to the Outer Worlds. The Mycogenians keep themselves so much to themselves that it is a rare one, indeed, who has ever left Trantor. Here on Trantor, though, it's different. People might be bald, but they usually have a fringe of hair that advertises them as nonMycogenian-or they grow facial hair. Those very few who are completely hairless-usually a pathological condition-are out of luck. I imagine they have to go around with a doctor's certificate to prove they are not Mycogenians."

“绝不会像麦曲生人自愿接受的脱毛那般彻底。若在外围世界，那不会有太大关系。但是对外围世界而言，麦曲生只是个遥远的传说。麦曲生如此闭关自守，实在很少有麦曲生人离开过川陀。不过，川陀上的情形则不同。虽然有些人秃头，但他们通常还保有一圈头发，以宣示他们并非麦曲生人，或者他们会留胡须。少数完全没有毛发的——通常是一种病态——运气就不好了。我猜他们必须随身携带一张医生证明，以证明他们不是麦曲生人。”

Dors, frowning slightly, said, "Does this help us any?"

铎丝微微皱着眉头说：“这点对我们有任何帮助吗？”

"I'm not sure."

“我还不确定。”

"Couldn't you let it be known that he is a Mycegonian?"

“你不能公布他是麦曲生人吗？”

"I'm not sure that could be done easily. He must have covered his tracks well and even if it could be done……"

“我不确定这点是否容易办到。他一定把狐狸尾巴藏得很好，而即使办得到……”

"Yes?"

“怎么样？”

Seldon shrugged. "I don't want to invite an appeal to bigotry. The social situation on Trantor is bad enough without running the risk of loosing passions that neither I nor anyone else could then control. If I do have to resort to the matter of Mycogen, it will only be as a last resort."

谢顿耸了耸肩。“我不想诉诸种族偏见。川陀现在的社会情势已经够糟了，更何况放纵谁都无法控制的激情。万一我实在需要拿麦曲生做文章，那会是我最后的手段。”

"Then you want minimalism, too."

“所以说，你也要用极简主义。”

"Of course."

“当然。”

"Then what will you do?"

“那你会怎么做呢？”

"I made an appointment with Demerzel. He may know what to do."

“我已经约好要和丹莫刺尔见面，他也许知道该怎么做。”

Dors looked at him sharply. "Hari, are you falling into the trap of expecting Demerzel to solve every problem for you?"

铎丝以锐利的目光望着他。“哈里，你是不是渐渐无法自拔，指望丹莫刺尔能为你解决所有的问题？”

"No, but perhaps he'll solve this one."

“没有，但他或许会解决这个问题。”

"And if he doesn't?"

“假如他不会呢？”

"Then I'll have to think of something else, won't I?"

“那么我必须想别的办法，对不对？”

"Like what?"

“比如说？”

A look of pain crossed Seldon's face. "Dors, I don't know. Don't expect me to solve every problem, either."

谢顿的脸庞掠过一个痛苦的表情。“铎丝，我不知道，你也别指望我能解决所有的问题。”

11

11

Eto Demerzel was not frequently seen, except by the Emperor Cleon. It was his policy to remain in the background for a variety of reasons, one of which was that his appearance changed so little with time.

伊图·丹莫刺尔不常露面，只有在克里昂大帝面前例外。隐身幕后是他的一贯政策，原因不一而足，其中之一是他的外表几乎没有岁月的痕迹。

Hari Seldon had not seen him over a period of some years and had not spoken to him truly in private since the days of his early time on Trantor.

哈里·谢顿已有好几年未曾见过他，而且除了刚到川陀那段日子之外，从未与他真正私下交谈过。

In light of Seldon's recent unsettling meeting with Laskin Joranum, both Seldon and Demerzel felt it would be best not to advertise their relationship. A visit by Hari Seldon to the First Minister's office at the Imperial Palace would not go unnoticed, and so for reasons of security they had decided to meet in a small yet luxuriously appointed suite at the Dome's Edge Hotel, just outside the Palace grounds.

有鉴于拉斯金·久瑞南最近那次示威性的拜会，谢顿与丹莫刺尔都觉得最好别张扬两人的关系。哈里·谢顿倘若造访位于皇宫的首相办公室，不可能不引人注目。因此为了保障安全，他们将会面的地点，定在邻近御苑的“穹缘旅馆”里一间虽小但设备豪华的套房中。

Seeing Demerzel now brought back the old days achingly. The mere fact that Demerzel still looked exactly as he always had made the ache sharper. His face still had its strong regular features. He was still tall and sturdy-looking, with the same dark hair with the hint of blond. He was not handsome, but was gravely distinguished. He looked like someone's ideal picture of what an Imperial First Minister ought to look like, not at all like any such official in history before his time ever had. It was his appearance, Seldon thought, that gave him half his power over the Emperor, and therefore over the Imperial Court, and therefore over the Empire.

这次与丹莫刺尔会面，沉痛地勾起谢顿昔日的回忆。仅仅丹莫刺尔看起来和过去一模一样，便令沉痛的感觉更为加剧。他的脸庞仍保有棱角分明的特征，他的身材仍然高大壮硕，头发则依旧是略带金黄的浅黑色。他不算英俊，但显得威严而高贵，看来就像人们心目中一位帝国首相应有的理想形象，与过去历史上那些首相完全不同。单是他的外貌，谢顿心想，就给了他驾驭皇帝以及控制宫廷与整个帝国的一半力量。

Demerzel advanced toward him, a gentle smile curving his lips without altering in any way the gravity of his countenance.

丹莫刺尔向他走来，嘴角挂着浅浅的笑容，却一点也没有改变严肃的神情。

"Hart," he said. "It is pleasant to see you. I was half-afraid you would change your mind and cancel."

“哈里，”他说，“很高兴见到你。我有几分担心你会改变心意，而取消这个约会。”

"I was more than half-afraid you would, First Minister."

“我则十分担心你会那样做，首相。”

"Eto-if you fear using my real name."

“叫我伊图——假如你不敢叫我的真名。”

"I couldn't. It won't come out of me. You know that."

“我不能，我喊不出来，你知道的。”

"It will to me. Say it. I would rather like to hear it."

“对我可以。说吧，我满喜欢听的。”

Seldon hesitated, as though he couldn't believe his lips could frame the words or his vocal cords sound them. "Daneel," he said at length.

谢顿犹豫了一下，仿佛无法相信他的嘴唇能框出那几个字，或是他的声带能发出那几个音。“丹尼尔。”他终于说了出来。

"R. Daneel Olivaw," said Demerzel. "Yes. You will dine with me, Hari. If I dine with you, I won't have to eat, which will be a relief."

“是的，机·丹尼尔·奥利瓦。”丹莫刺尔说，“很好，你将和我一同进餐，哈里。和你共餐的话，我就不必吃任何东西，那将是一大解脱。”

"Gladly, though one-way eating is not my idea of a convivial time. Surely a bite or two……"

“乐于从命，虽然我不认为单方面进食是真正的欢宴。尝一两口当然……”

"To please you……"

“就能让你高兴……”

"Just the same," said Seldon, "I can't help but wonder if it is wise to spend too much time together."

“话说回来，”谢顿道，“我忍不住担心，相聚时间太长是不是明智之举。”

"It is. Imperial orders. His Imperial Majesty wants me to."

“是明智的。这是圣命，大帝陛下要我这么做。”

"Why, Daneel?"

“为什么，丹尼尔？”

"In two more years the Decennial Convention will be meeting again. -You look surprised. Have you forgotten?"

“再过两年，十载会议又要召开了。你看起来很惊讶，难道你忘了吗？”

"Not really. I just haven't thought about it."

“并不尽然，我只是没想到这件事。”

"Were you not going to attend? You were a hit at the last one."

“你不准备参加吗？上次你可是热门人物。”

"Yes. With my psychohistory. Some hit."

“没错，我的心理史学是有点热门。”

"You attracted the attention of the Emperor. No other mathematician did."

“你吸引了大帝的注意，没有其他数学家做到这一点。”

"It was you who were initially attracted, not the Emperor. Then I had to flee and stay out of the Imperial notice until such time as I could assure you that I had made a start on my psychohistorical research, after which you allowed me to remain in safe obscurity."

“最初受到吸引的人是你，而不是大帝。然后我就不得不东躲西藏，远离大帝的注意，直到我能向你保证，我对心理史学的研究已经迈出第一步，从此以后，你才允许我待在安全隐蔽的角落。”

"Being the head of a prestigious Mathematics Department is scarcely obscurity."

“在一个举世闻名的数学系当系主任，可不算待在隐蔽的角落。”

"Yes, it is, since it hides my psychohistory."

“不，正是如此，因为它隐藏了我的心理史学。”

"Ah, the food is arriving. For a while, let's talk about other things as befits friends. How is Dors?"

“啊，餐点送来了。让我们暂且谈点别的，像个朋友那样。铎丝好吗？”

"Wonderful. A true wife. Hounds me to death with her worries over my safety."

“好极了。一个不折不扣的妻子，时时刻刻担心我的安危，简直把我烦死了。”

"That is her job."

“那是她的工作。”

"So she reminds me-frequently. Seriously, Daneel, I can never be sufficiently grateful to you for bringing us together."

“她常常这么提醒我。说正经的，丹尼尔，你撮合我俩的这份恩情，我怎么也无法报答。”

"Thank you, Hari, but, to be truthful, I did not foresee married happiness for either of you, especially not Dors……"

“谢谢你，哈里。可是，老实说，我并未预见这桩婚姻会为你或为她带来幸福，尤其是铎丝……”

"Thank you for the gift just the same, however short of the actual consequences your expectations were."

“还是要谢谢你送我这个礼物，无论实际结果和你的预期差了多少。”

"I'm delighted, but it is a gift, you will find, that may be of dubious further consequence-as is my friendship."

“我很高兴。可是你会发现，这个礼物带来的结果或许还是未知数，正如同我的友谊。”

To this, Seldon could make no reply and so, at a gesture from Demerzel, he turned to his meal.

对于这句话，谢顿根本无从回答，因此，在丹莫刺尔示意下，他开始进餐。

After a while, he nodded at the morsel of fish on his fork and said, "I don't actually recognize the organism, but this is Mycogenian cooking."

过了一会儿，他对叉子上的一块鱼肉点了点头，说道：“我不确定这是什么肉，但这是麦曲生料理。”

"Yes, it is. I know you are fond of it."

“是的，没错，我知道你喜欢。”

"It's the Mycogenians' excuse for existence. Their only excuse. But they have special meaning to you. I mustn't forget that."

“它就是麦曲生人活着的目的，是他们唯一的目的。但他们对你有特殊意义，我不能忘记这点。”

"The special meaning has come to an end. Their ancestors, long, long ago, inhabited the planet of Aurora. They lived three hundred years and more and were the lords of the Fifty Worlds of the Galaxy. It was an Auroran who first designed and produced me. I don't forget that; I remember it far more accurately-and with less distortion-than their Mycogenian descendants do. But then, long, long ago, I left them. I made my choice as to what the good of humanity must be and I have followed it, as best I could, all this time."

“这个特殊意义已经不存在了。很久很久以前，他们的祖先住在奥罗拉这颗行星上。他们至少能活三百年，是银河‘五十外世界’的共主。最初将我设计并制造出来的是个奥罗拉人，这点我没有忘记；和他们的麦曲生后裔比起来，我的记忆正确得多，扭曲的部分则少得多。可是后来，仍是很久很久以前，我离开了他们。我对人类的福祉究竟为何，作出了自己的选择，而我尽可能遵循它，长久以来一直如此。”

Seldon said with sudden alarm, "Can we be overheard?"

谢顿突然惊慌地问道：“我们会不会被窃听？”

Demerzel seemed amused. "If you have only thought of that now, it is far too late. But fear not, I have taken the necessary precautions. Nor have you been seen by too many eyes when you came. Nor will you be seen by too many when you leave. And those who do see you will not be surprised. I am well known to be an amateur mathematician of great pretensions but of little ability. That is a source of amusement to those at the court who are not entirely my friends and it would not surprise anyone here that I should be concerned about laying the groundwork for the forthcoming Decennial Convention. It is about the convention that I wish to consult you."

丹莫刺尔似乎被逗乐了。“假如你现在才想到，那就太迟了。可是不用怕，我已经做好必要的预防措施。你来的时候没有给多少人看到，离去时也不会有多少人看到你，那些真见到你的则不会惊讶。很多人都知道，我是个十分自负却十分平庸的业余数学家。宫廷中那些不完全算是朋友的人，总是把这件事当成笑话。我会想为即将来临的十载会议做些准备工作，这里谁也不会大惊小怪。我希望和你讨论的，是有关这次会议的问题。”

"I don't know that I can help. There is only one thing I could possibly talk about at the convention-and I can't talk about it. If I attend at all, it will only be as part of the audience. I do not intend to present any papers."

“我不知道我帮得上什么忙。我只有一样东西也许能在会议上讨论，偏偏又是我绝对不能讨论的。就算我参加了，也只会当一名听众，我不打算发表任何论文。”

"I understand. Still, if you would like to hear something curious, His Imperial Majesty remembers you."

“我了解。话说回来，假如你想听听新鲜事，大帝陛下还记得你。”

"Because you have kept me in his mind, I suppose."

“我想是因为你一直在提醒他。”

"No. I have not labored to do so. However, His Imperial Majesty occasionally surprises me. He is aware of the forthcoming convention and he apparently remembers your talk at the earlier one. He remains interested in the matter of psychohistory and more may come of it, I must warn you. It is not beyond the bounds of possibility that he may ask to see you. The court will surely consider it a great honor-to receive the Imperial call twice in a single lifetime."

“不，我从来没花这个工夫。然而，大帝陛下偶尔会出乎我意料之外。他注意到会议即将召开，也显然还记得你在上届发表的演说。他对心理史学这玩意仍有兴趣，而我必须警告你，很可能兴趣还越来越浓。他或许会要求见你，这种可能性并不是没有。一生中接到两次圣召，廷臣当然会视之为莫大的荣耀。”

"You're joking. What could be served by my seeing him?"

“你在开玩笑，我见他能有什么贡献？”

"In any case, if you are called to an audience, you can scarcely refuse. -How are your young proteg6s, Yugo and Raych?"

“无论如何，假如接到觐见的传召，你简直不可能拒绝。好了，你那两个年轻伙伴，雨果和芮奇，他们怎么样？”

"Surely you know. I imagine you keep a close eye on me."

“你当然知道，我猜你将我盯得很紧。”

"Yes, I do. On your safety but not on every aspect of your life. I am afraid my duties fill much of my time and I am not all-seeing."

“是的，没错。但仅限于你的安全，而不是你的生活中每一个层面。只怕我的职务占掉了太多时间，使我无法面面顾到。”

"Doesn't Dors report?"

“铎丝不向你报告吗？”

"She would in a crisis. Not otherwise. She is reluctant to play the role of spy in nonessentials." Again the small smile.

“出现危机时，她才会那样做，她不愿为无关紧要的事扮演间谍。”他又露出浅浅的微笑。

Seldon grunted. "My boys are doing well. Yugo is increasingly difficult to handle. He's more of a psychohistorian than I am and I think he feels I hold him back. As for Raych, he's a lovable rascal-always was. He won me over when he was a dreadful street urchin and what's more surprising is that he won over Dors. I honestly believe, Daneel, that if Dors grew sick of me and wanted to leave me, she would stay on anyway for her love of Raych."

谢顿轻哼一声。“两个小朋友都不错。雨果越来越难驾驭，他比我更像一名心理史学家，我认为他总觉得我在牵制他。至于芮奇，他是个可爱的淘气鬼，一向如此。当他还是个不好惹的街头顽童时，他就赢得我的心，更令人惊讶的是，他还赢得了铎丝的心。我真心相信，丹尼尔，如果哪天铎丝对我生厌，想要离我而去，也会为了芮奇而留下来。”

Demerzel nodded and Seldon continued somberly. "If Rashelle of Wye hadn't found him lovable, I would not be here today. I would have been shot down……" He stirred uneasily. "I hate to think of that, Daneel. It was such an entirely accidental and unpredictable event. How could psychohistory have helped in any way?"

丹莫刺尔点了点头。谢顿以阴沉的口气继续说：“要不是卫荷的芮喜尔觉得他可爱，今天我不会在这里，我早就被轰掉了……”他不安地欠了欠身，“我不愿想到这件事，丹尼尔，它是个完全偶然且无法预测的事件。心理史学怎能帮得上任何忙？”

"Have you not told me that, at best, psychohistory can deal only in probabilities and with vast numbers, not with individuals?"

“你不是告诉过我，顶多，心理史学只能以几率处理庞大的数目，而无法处理单独一个人？”

"But if the individual happens to be crucial……"

“但如果那个人刚好是关键……”

"I suspect you will find that no individual is ever truly crucial. Not even I-or you."

“我觉得你将发现没有任何人是真正的关键，甚至包括我，或是你。”

"Perhaps you're right. I find that, no matter how I work away under these assumptions, I nevertheless think of myself as crucial, in a kind of supernormal egotism that transcends all sense. -And you are crucial, too, which is something I have come here to discuss with you-as frankly as possible. I must know."

“也许你是对的。我发现，不论我在那些假设之下如何埋头苦干，我却仍然认为自己是关键人物。这是一种异乎寻常的自负，它超越了一切理智。而你也是个关键人物，这正是我来这儿要和你讨论的事——尽可能开诚布公。我一定要知道。”

"Know what?" The remains of the meal had been cleared away by a porter and the room's lighting dimmed somewhat so that the walls seemed to close in and give a feeling of great privacy.

“知道什么？”服务生已将残羹剩肴收拾干净。室内的照明暗了几分，四周墙壁因而显得逼近不少，带来一种极其隐密的感觉。

Seldon said, "Joranum." He bit off the word, as though feeling the mention of the name alone should be sufficient.

谢顿说：“久瑞南。”他戛然而止，仿佛觉得光是提到这个名字就足够了。

"Ah Yes."

“啊，他啊。”

"You know about him?"

“你知道他？”

"Of course. How could I not know?"

“当然，我怎能不知道？”

"Well, I want to know about him, too."

“好，我也想知道有关他的事。”

"What do you want to know?"

“你想知道什么？”

"Come, Daneel, don't play with me. Is he dangerous?" 

“得了吧，丹尼尔，别跟我装蒜。他是危险人物吗？”

"Of course he is dangerous. Do you have any doubt of that?" 

“他当然是危险人物。你对这点有任何怀疑吗？”

"I mean, to you? To your position as First Minister?" 

“我的意思是，对你而言？对你这个首相职位而言？”

"That is exactly what I mean. That is how he is dangerous."

“我正是那个意思，所以我才说他是危险人物。”

"And you allow it?"

“你却允许这种事？”

Demerzel leaned forward, placing his left elbow on the table between them. "There are things that don't wait for my permission, Hari. Let us be philosophical about it. His Imperial Majesty, Cleon, First of that Name, has now been on the throne for eighteen years and for all that time I have been his Chief of Staff and then his First Minister, having served in scarcely lesser capacities during the last years of the reign of his father. It is a long time and First Ministers rarely remain that long in power."

丹莫刺尔身子向前倾，将左手肘放在他们之间的桌子上。“并非每件事都会等我批准，哈里，让我们看开点吧。皇帝陛下，克里昂大帝一世，在位至今已有十八年。这段期间，我一直是他的行政首长，也就是他的首相。而在他父亲在位的最后几年，我就掌握着几乎相同的权力。这是一段很长的时间，过去鲜有掌权那么久的首相。”

"You are not the ordinary First Minister, Daneel, and you know it. You must remain in power while psychohistory is being developed. Don't smile at me. It's true. When we first met, eight years ago, you told me the Empire was in a state of decay and decline. Have you changed your mind about that?"

“你不是个普通的首相，丹尼尔，你自己明白。当心理史学还在发展之际，你一定得继续掌权。别冲着我笑，这是实话。八年前，我们初次相遇时，你告诉我帝国正处于衰败和没落的状态。难道你的看法改变了？”

"No, of course not."

“不，当然没有。”

"In fact, the decline is more marked now, isn't it?"

“事实上，如今衰落的迹象更明显了，不是吗？”

"Yes, it is, though I labor to prevent that."

“是的，没错，尽管我在努力阻止。”

"And without you, what would happen? Joranum is raising the Empire against you."

“要是没有你，会发生什么事？久瑞南正在鼓动整个帝国和你作对。”

"Trantor, Hari. Trantor. The Outer Worlds are solid and reasonably contented with my deeds so far, even in the midst of a declining economy and lessening trade."

“川陀，哈里，川陀而已。目前为止，外围世界仍然相当稳固，对我的政绩也还算满意，即使经济持续衰退而贸易持续锐减。”

"But Trantor is where it counts. Trantor-the Imperial world we're living on, the capital of the Empire, the core, the administrative center- is what can overthrow you. You cannot keep your post if Trantor says no.

“但是川陀才有决定性的影响。川陀——我们安身立命的京畿世界，帝国的首都、核心和行政中心——正是能让你垮台的地方。如果川陀说不，你就无法保住职位。”

"I agree."

“我同意。”

"And if you go, who will then take care of the Outer Worlds and what will keep the decline from being precipitate and the Empire from degenerating rapidly into anarchy?"

“而你若是离开了，谁又来照顾外围世界呢？又有什么办法能防止衰落加速，避免帝国迅速沦至无政府状态？”

"That is a possibility, certainly."

“当然，有这个可能。”

"So you must be doing something about it. Yugo is convinced that you are in deadly danger and can't maintain your position. His intuition tells him so. Dors says the same thing and explains it in terms of the Three Laws or Four of-of……"

“所以你一定要做些什么。雨果深信你已陷入致命的危机，无法保住你的职位，他的直觉这么告诉他。铎丝也说过同样的话，还用什么三大、四大法则来解释。”

"Robotics," put in Demerzel.

“机器人学法则。”丹莫刺尔接口道。

"Young Raych seems attracted to Joranum's doctrines-being of Dahlite origin, you see. And I-I am uncertain, so I come to you for comfort, I suppose. Tell me that you have the situation well in hand."

“小芮奇似乎被久瑞南的主义深深吸引——他出身达尔，你懂了吧。而我，我不能确定，所以我来找你求个心安，我想是这样的。告诉我，这个情势完全在你掌握之中。”

"I would do so if I could. However, I have no comfort to offer. I am in danger."

“我希望能这样回答你。然而，我无法让你心安，我的确身处险境。”

"Are you doing nothing?"

“你什么都不做吗？”

"No. I'm doing a great deal to contain discontent and blunt Joranum's message. If I had not done so, then perhaps I would be out of office already. But what I'm doing is not enough."

“不，我正在做许多事，用以遏止不满的情绪，并削弱久瑞南的宣传。假使我没有那样做，也许我已经下台了，可是我做得还不够。”

Seldon hesitated. Finally he said, "I believe that Joranum is actually a Mycogenian."

谢顿犹豫了一下，最后终于说：“我相信久瑞南其实是麦曲生人。”

"Is that so?"

“是吗？”

"It is my opinion. I had thought we might use that against him, but I hesitate to unleash the forces of bigotry."

“是我个人的看法。我曾经想到，我们或许能用这点来对付他，但我又不愿释放种族偏见的力量，因而迟疑不决。”

"You are wise to hesitate. There are many things that might be done that have side effects we do not want. You see, Hari, I don't fear leaving my post-if some successor could be found who would continue those principles that I have been using to keep the decline as slow as possible. On the other hand, if Joranum himself were to succeed me, then that, in my opinion, would be fatal."

“你的迟疑是明智的。有很多事虽然做得到，却会产生我们不乐见的副作用。你可了解，哈里，我不怕离开我的职位——只要能找到某个继任者，只要他继续遵循我用以尽可能减缓帝国衰落的那些原则。反之，假如久瑞南这个人接替我的位置，那么在我看来，帝国就万劫不复了。”

"Then anything we can do to stop him would be suitable."

“那么，只要能阻止他，我们怎么做都是适当的。”

"Not entirely. The Empire can grow anarchic, even if Joranum is destroyed and I stay. I must not, then, do something that will destroy Joranum and allow me to stay-if that very deed promotes the Fall of the Empire. I have not yet been able to think of anything I might do that would surely destroy Joranum and just as surely avoid anarchy."

“并不尽然。即使久瑞南被消灭，而我留了下来，帝国仍有可能变作一盘散沙。所以说，假如某项行动会加速帝国的衰亡，我就一定不能用它来对付久瑞南和保住我自己。我还想不到有什么办法，既可确保消灭久瑞南，又能确保帝国不至陷入无政府状态。”

"Minimalism,?whispered Seldon.

“极简主义。”谢顿悄声道。

"Pardon me?"

“你说什么？”

"Dors explained that you would be bound by minimalism."

“铎丝曾对我解释，说你会受制于极简主义。”

"And so I am."

“的确如此。”

"Then my visit with you is a failure, Daneel."

“那么我今天的造访一无所获，丹尼尔。”

"You mean that you came for comfort and didn't get it."

“你是指你来求个心安，却没有得到。”

"I'm afraid so."

“只怕就是这样。”

"But I saw you because I sought comfort as well."

“可是我见你，也是因为想求个心安。”

"From me?"

“从我这儿？”

"From psychohistory, which should envision the route to safety that I cannot."

“从心理史学，它应该能找到一个我找不到的安全之道。”

Seldon sighed heavily. "Daneel, psychohistory has not yet been developed to that point."

谢顿重重叹了一口气。“丹尼尔，心理史学尚未发展到那个程度。”

The First Minister looked at him gravely. "You've had eight years, Hari."

首相严肃地望着他。“你已经花了八年的时间，哈里。”

"It might be eight or eight hundred and it might not be developed to that point. It is an intractable problem."

“有可能经过八十年或八百年，仍然无法发展到那个程度。这是个很棘手的问题。”

Demerzel said, "I do not expect the technique to have been perfected, but you may have some sketch, some skeleton, some principle that you can use as guidance. Imperfectly, perhaps, but better than mere guesswork."

丹莫刺尔说：“我并未指望这个技术臻于完美，但你也许已经有了某种蓝图、某种骨架、某种原则，可以当做指导方针。它或许不完美，但总比单纯的臆测要好。”

"No more than I had eight years ago," said Seldon mournfully. "Here's what it amounts to, then. You must remain in power and Joranum must be destroyed in such a way that Imperial stability is maintained as long as possible so that I may have a reasonable chance to work out psychohistory. This cannot be done, however, unless I work out psychohistory first. Is that it?"

“不会比我八年前掌握得更多。”谢顿悲伤地说，“那么，这就是我们的结论：你必须继续掌权，久瑞南必须被消灭，好让帝国的稳定尽可能持久，以便我多少有些发展出心理史学的机会。然而，除非我先发展出心理史学，否则就做不到这一点。对不对？”

"It would seem so, Hari."

“似乎就是这样，哈里。”

"Then we argue in a useless circle and the Empire is destroyed."

“这么说，我们只是在做无用的循环论证，而帝国已注定毁灭。”

"Unless something unforeseen happens. Unless you make something unforeseen happen."

“除非发生某件意料不到的事，除非你让某件意料不到的事发生。”

"I? Daneel, how can I do it without psychohistory?"

“我？丹尼尔，没有心理史学的帮助，我怎么办得到？”

"I don't know, Hari."

“我也不知道，哈里。”

And Seldon rose to go-in despair.

于是谢顿起身离去——满怀绝望。

12

12

For days thereafter Hari Seldon neglected his departmental duties to use his computer in its news-gathering mode.

其后几天，哈里·谢顿暂且搁下系上的事务，将他的电脑设定在新闻搜集模式。

There were not many computers capable of handling the daily news from twenty-five million worlds. There were a number of them at Imperial headquarters, where they were absolutely necessary. Some of the larger Outer World capitals had them as well, though most were satisfied with hyperconnection to the Central Newspost on Trantor.

来自二千五百万个世界的每日新闻，有能力处理的电脑少之又少。但由于它不可或缺，帝国的大本营装有不少这种电脑。此外，某些大型外围世界的首都也有。不过，大多数首都仅与川陀上的中央新闻站维持超波联系，如此便已足敷需要。

A computer at an important Mathematics Department could, if it were sufficiently advanced, be modified as an independent news source and Seldon had been careful to do that with his computer. It was, after all, necessary for his work on psychohistory, though the computer's capabilities were carefully ascribed to other, exceedingly plausible reasons.

一个重要的数学系所使用的电脑，若是足够先进，就能改装成独立的新闻站，而谢顿的电脑便早已仔细改装过。毕竟，这是他发展心理史学必需的工具。不过，他刻意用其他的、更可信许多的理由，来解释那台电脑的功用。

Ideally the computer would report anything that was out of the ordinary on any world of the Empire. A coded and unobtrusive warning light would make itself evident and Seldon could track it down easily. Such a light rarely showed, for the definition of "out of the ordinary" was tight and intense and dealt with large-scale and rare upheavals.

在理想状况下，任何世界倘若发生任何异常状况，这台电脑都会立即报道。一个不起眼的警告灯会发出经过编码的闪光，让谢顿能轻易找出这条新闻。这种灯号很少亮起，因为“异常状况”的定义既严格且严谨，仅限于大型且鲜有的动乱。

What one did in its absence was to ring in various worlds at random -not all twenty-five million, of course, but some dozens. It was a depressing and even debilitating task, for there were no worlds that didn't have their daily relatively minor catastrophes. A volcanic eruption here, a flood there, an economic collapse of one sort or another yonder, and, of course, riots. There had not been a day in the last thousand years that there had not been riots over something or other on each of a hundred or more different worlds.

在没有异常状况的时候，使用者该做的则是随机检查各个世界。当然，不是二千五百万个世界一网打尽，而是每次拣选几十个。这是个令人沮丧消沉，甚至焦头烂额的工作，因为每个世界每天总会有些小型灾难。这里一场火山爆发，那里一场洪水泛滥，某处则有某种形式的经济崩溃，此外当然少不了暴动。过去一千年来，每天至少在上百个世界上，会发生由某种原因所引起的暴动。

Naturally such things had to be discounted. One could scarcely worry about riots any more than one could about volcanic eruptions when both were constants on inhabited worlds. Rather, if a day should come in which not one riot was reported anywhere, that might be a sign of something so unusual as to warrant the gravest concern.

自然，对这些事必须见怪不怪。在住人世界上，既然暴动与火山爆发皆为家常便饭，对两者就该一视同仁。反之，假使哪一天，银河各地都没有暴动的报道，那才可能是很不寻常的征兆，值得以最严肃的态度严阵以待。

Concern was what Seldon could not make himself feel. The Outer Worlds, with all their disorders and misfortunes, were like a great ocean on a peaceful day, with a gentle swell and minor heavings-but no more. He found no evidence of any overall situation that clearly showed a decline in the last eight years or even in the last eighty. Yet Demerzel (in Demerzel's absence, Seldon could no longer think of him as Daneel) said the decline was continuing and he had his finger on the Empire's pulse from day to day in ways that Seldon could not duplicate-until such time as he would have the guiding power of psychohistory at his disposal.

谢顿从不觉得需要严阵以待。外围世界就像风和日丽的汪洋，虽然混乱与灾祸从未间断，但都只是轻微的浪涛与小型的波动，如此而已。在过去这八年甚至八十年之间，他都找不到任何明白显示帝国衰落的整体趋势。然而丹莫刺尔（丹莫刺尔不在面前的时候，谢顿无法再将他想成丹尼尔）说过，帝国的衰落一直在持续，他天天都在为帝国把脉。他用的方法谢顿无法模仿，除非有一天，谢顿掌握了心理史学的指导能力。

It could be that the decline was so small that it was unnoticeable till some crucial point was reached-like a domicile that slowly wears out and deteriorates, showing no signs of that deterioration until one night when the roof collapses.

可能是衰落的程度太过微小，在达到某个临界点前察觉不出来。就像一栋慢慢损坏腐朽的住宅，除非某天晚上屋顶垮掉，根本不会显出腐朽的征兆。

When would the roof collapse? That was the problem and Seldon had no answer.

帝国的屋顶何时会垮呢？这是个大问题，谢顿没有答案。

And on occasion, Seldon would check on Trantor itself. There, the news was always considerably more substantial. For one thing, Trantor was the most highly populated of all the worlds, with its forty billion people. For another, its eight hundred sectors formed a mini-Empire all its own. For a third, there were the tedious rounds of governmental functions and the doings of the Imperial family to follow.

有些时候，谢顿会检查川陀本身的动态。相较之下，本地新闻的价值一向高得多。原因之一，川陀是所有世界中人口最多的一个，居民总共有四百亿。原因之二，八百个区本身便形成一个微型帝国。原因之三，政府的无聊活动与皇室的一言一行都是新闻。

What struck Seldon's eyes, however, was in the Dahl Sector. The elections for the Dahl Sector Council had placed five Joranumites into office. This was the first time, according to the commentary, that Joranumites had achieved sector office.

然而，此时吸引谢顿目光的却是达尔区。刚结束的那场达尔区议会选举，将五名“九九派”送进议会。根据新闻评论，这是九九派首次取得区议会的席次。

It was not surprising. Dahl was a Joranumite stronghold if any sector was, but Seldon found it a disturbing indication of the progress being made by the demagogue. He ordered a microchip of the item and took it home with him that evening.

这并不令人惊讶。若说有哪个区是久瑞南的根据地，那就非达尔莫属。但谢顿觉得这是个令人忧心的指标，标示着那位群众煽动家的进展。他命令电脑将这则新闻输进微晶片，当天傍晚将它带回家中。

Raych looked up from his computer as Seldon entered and apparently felt the need to explain himself. "I'm helping Mom on some reference material she needs," he said.

谢顿进门时，芮奇正埋首使用电脑，他抬起头来，显然感到需要自我解释一番。“我在帮妈查些她需要的参考资料。”他说。

"What about your own work?"

“你自己的功课呢？”

"Done, Dad. All done."

“做完了，爸，全做完了。”

"Good. -Look at this." He showed Raych the chip in his hand before slipping it into the microprojector.

“很好，看看这玩意。”他对芮奇扬了扬手中的晶片，才将它插进微投影机。

Raych glanced at the news item hanging in the air before his eyes and said, "Yes, I know."

芮奇瞥了一眼凭空呈现眼前的新闻，便说：“是的，我晓得。”

"You do?"

“你晓得？”

"Sure. I usually keep track of Dahl. You know, home sector and all."

“当然，我通常都很留意达尔的时事。你也知道，故乡就是故乡。”

"And what do you think about it?"

“你对这件事有什么看法？”

"I'm not surprised. Are you? The rest of Trantor treats Dahl like dirt. Why shouldn't they go for Joranum's views?"

“我并不惊讶。你呢？其他川陀人都把达尔视为粪土，达尔人为何不该赞同久瑞南的观点？”

"Do you go for them also?"

“你也赞同他们吗？”

"Well……" Raych twisted his face thoughtfully. "I got to admit some things he says appeal to me. He says he wants equality for all people. What's wrong with that?"

“这——”芮奇面孔扭曲，显得若有所思，“我必须承认，他有些话很合我的胃口。他说他希望人人平等，这有什么不对？”

"Nothing at all-if he means it. If he's sincere. If he isn't just using it as a ploy to get votes."

“完全正确——只要他是真心的，只要他有诚意，只要他并非用这些话骗取选票。”

"True enough, Dad, but most Dahlites probably figure: What's there to lose? We don't have equality now, though the laws say we do."

“很有道理，爸，可是大多数达尔人也许会想：又有什么好损失的呢？我们现在就得不到平等，虽然法律并不是这么说。”

"It's a hard thing to legislate."

“这种事很难立法。”

"That's not something to cool you off when you're sweating to death."

“当你热得要死的时候，那样做没法子帮你降温。”

Seldon was thinking rapidly. He had been thinking since he had come across this item. He said, "Raych, you haven't been in Dahl since your mother and I took you out of the sector, have you?"

谢顿心念电转，他看到这则新闻后便一直在动脑筋。然后他说：“芮奇，自从你母亲和我带你离开达尔，你就再也没有回去过，对不对？”

"Sure I was, when I went with you to Dahl five years ago on your visit there."

“我当然回去过。五年前，你访问达尔的时候，我跟你们一块去了。”

"Yes yes"-Seldon waved a hand in dismissal……"but that doesn't count. We stayed at an intersector hotel, which was not Dahlite in the least, and, as I recall, Dors never once let you out on the streets alone. After all, you were only fifteen. How would you like to visit Dahl now, alone, in charge of yourself-now that you're fully twenty?"

“没错，没错，”谢顿挥了挥手，表示无需讨论，“但那次不算。我们住在一家区际旅馆，里面一点也不像达尔。而且我记得，铎丝一次也不准你单独上街。毕竟，当时你只有十五岁。现在，既然你已经满二十岁，你想不想再次造访达尔，单独前往，一切自己做主？”

Raych chuckled. "Mom would never allow that."

芮奇呵呵大笑。“妈绝不会准的。”

"I don't say that I enjoy the prospect of facing her with it, but I don't intend to ask her permission. The question is: Would you be willing to do this for me?"

“我可没说我喜欢想象说服她的难度，但我不打算征得她的同意。现在的问题是：你愿不愿意为我做这件事？”

"Out of curiosity? Sure. I'd like to see what's happened to the old place."

“出于好奇吗？当然。我很想看看老家发生些什么变化。”

"Can you spare the time from your studies?"

“你从课业中抽得出时间吗？”

"Sure. I'll never miss a week or so. Besides, you can tape the lectures and I'll catch up when I get back. I can get permission. After all, my old man's on the faculty-unless you've been fired, Dad."

“当然，我耽误个一周不算什么。何况，你可以帮我把讲课录下，我回来就会补上。我请假不成问题，毕竟我老爸也是一名教授——除非你被开除了，爸。”

"Not yet. But I'm not thinking of this as a fun vacation."

“还没有，但我可不认为这是一次旅游假期。”

"I'd be surprised if you did. I don't think you know what a fun vacation is, Dad. I'm surprised you know the phrase."

“假如你那么想，我才觉得奇怪呢。我认为你根本不知道什么是旅游假期，爸，你知道这几个字，都令我很讶异。”

"Don't be impertinent. When you go there, I want you to meet with Laskin Joranum."

“别没大没小的。你到那里之后，我要你去找拉斯金·久瑞南。”

Raych looked startled. "How do I do that? I don't know where he's gonna be."

芮奇看来吃了一惊。“我该怎么做呢？我又不知道他会在哪里。”

"He's going to be in Dahl. He's been asked to speak to the Dahl Sector Council with its new Joranumite members. We'll find out the exact day and you can go a few days earlier."

“他正准备到达尔去。刚选出几个九九派新议员的达尔区议会，邀请他去发表演说。我们会查出确切日期，你可以提早几天出发。”

"And how do I get to see him, Dad? I don't figure he keeps open house."

“我怎样才能见到他呢，爸？我可不认为他会随时候教。”

"I don't, either, but I'll leave that up to you. You would have known how to do it when you were twelve. I hope your keen edge hasn't blunted too badly in the intervening years."

“我也不这么想，但我要把这个问题留给你解决。你十二岁的时候，就知道该如何进行了，我希望这几年下来，你的机灵没给磨得太钝。”

Raych smiled. "I hope not. But suppose I do see him. What then?"

芮奇微微一笑。“我希望没有。可是假定我真见到他，那下一步呢？”

"Well, find out what you can. What's he's really planning. What he's really thinking."

“那么，尽可能打探各种情报。他真正在计划什么，他真正在想什么。”

"Do you really think he's gonna tell me?"

“你真以为他会告诉我吗？”

"I wouldn't be surprised if he does. You have the trick of inspiring confidence, you miserable youngster. Let's talk about it."

“如果他那样做，我也不会惊讶。你自有办法博取他的信任，你这个小滑头。我们来商议一下细节吧。”

And so they did. Several times.

此后，两人总共商议了好几次。

Seldon's thoughts were painful. He was not sure where all this was leading to, but he dared not consult Yugo Amaryl or Demerzel or (most of all) Dors. They might stop him. They might prove to him that his idea was a poor one and he didn't want that proof. What he planned seemed the only gateway to salvation and he didn't want it blocked.

谢顿内心相当痛苦。他不确定这一切会导致什么结果，但他不敢去找雨果·阿马瑞尔、丹莫刺尔，或（尤其是）铎丝交换意见。他们可能会阻止他，可能会向他证明他出的是馊主意，而他不想要那种证明。他的计划似乎是拯救帝国唯一的途径，他不希望有任何阻挠。

But did the gateway exist at all? Raych was the only one, it seemed to Seldon, who could possibly manage to worm himself into Joranum's confidence, but was Raych the proper tool for the purpose? He was a Dahlite and sympathetic to Joranum. How far could Seldon trust him?

但这个途径果真存在吗？在谢顿看来，似乎只有芮奇有可能逐渐赢得久瑞南的信任。但芮奇是适当的工具吗？他是个达尔人，而且赞同久瑞南。谢顿能够信任他几分？

Horrible? Raych was his son-and Seldon had never had occasion to mistrust Raych before.

真可怕！芮奇是他的儿子，谢顿以前从来没有怀疑过芮奇。

13

13

If Seldon doubted the efficacy of his notion, if he feared that it might explode matters prematurely or move them desperately in the wrong direction, if he was filled with an agonizing doubt as to whether Raych could be entirely trusted to fulfill his part suitably, he nevertheless had no doubt-no doubt whatever-as to what Dors's reaction would be when presented with the fait accompli.

若说谢顿怀疑这个意图的功效；若说他害怕这可能使事件过早引爆，或是使对方狗急跳墙；若说他心中充满痛苦的疑虑，不知可否百分之百信任芮奇能达成任务，然而他从未怀疑——一点也没有——当他将这个既成事实告知铎丝时，她的反应会怎么样。

And he was not disappointed-if that was quite the word to express his emotion.

而他并没有失望——或许这几个字勉强可以形容他如今的情绪。

Yet, in a manner, he was disappointed, for Dors did not raise her voice in horror as he had somehow thought she would, as he had prepared himself to withstand.

然而，就某方面而言，他还是失望了。因为铎丝并未像他预料中那样、像他早已准备好承受的那样，在一阵惊骇中提高嗓门。

But how was he to know? She was not as other women were and he had never seen her truly angry. Perhaps it was not in her to be truly angry -or what he would consider to be truly angry.

可是他又怎么知道呢？她与其他女子不同，他从未见过她真正生气。说不定她根本不能真正生气，或是不能生出他眼中真正的怒气。

She was merely cold-eyed and spoke with low-voiced bitter disapproval. "You sent him to Dahl? Alone?" Very softly. Questioningly.

她只是透着冰冷的目光，低声而苛刻地非难这件事。“你送他到达尔去？一个人去？”声音非常轻柔，带着诧异的口气。

For a moment Seldon quailed at the quiet voice. Then he said firmly, "I had to. It was necessary."

一时之间，这个平静的语调令谢顿语塞。然后他坚定地说：“我必须如此，确有这个必要。”

"Let me understand. You sent him to that den of thieves, that haunt of assassins, that conglomeration of all that is criminal?"

“让我弄明白点。你把他送到那个贼窝，那个刺客的巢穴，那个所有罪犯的大本营？”

"Dors! You anger me when you speak like that. I would expect only a bigot to use those stereotypes."

“铎丝！你这样说让我很生气，我以为只有偏执狂才会用那些陈腔滥调。”

"You deny that Dahl is as I have described?"

“你难道否认达尔正像我描述的那样？”

"Of course. There are criminals and slums in Dahl. I know that very well. We both know that. But not all of Dahl is like that. And there are criminals and slums in every sector, even in the Imperial Sector and in Streeling."

“当然，达尔是有罪犯和贫民窟。这点我非常清楚，我俩都清楚。但并非整个达尔都像那样，况且每一区都有罪犯和贫民窟，就连皇区和斯璀璘也不例外。”

"There are degrees, are there not? One is not ten. If all the worlds are crime-ridden, if all the sectors are crime-ridden, Dahl is among the worst, is it not? You have the computer. Check the statistics."

“总有程度上的差别，不是吗？一不等于十。即使每个世界都罪恶充斥，即使每一区都罪恶充斥，达尔也是名列前茅，对不对？你有电脑，查查统计数据。”

"I don't have to. Dahl is the poorest sector on Trantor and there is a positive correlation between poverty, misery, and crime. I grant you that."

“我不需要那样做。达尔是川陀上最贫穷的一区，而贫穷、不幸和犯罪有明确的关联，这点我承认。”

"You grant me that! And you sent him alone? You might have gone with him, or asked me to go with him, or sent half a dozen of his schoolmates with him. They would have welcomed a respite from their work, I'm sure."

“这点你承认！而你还是派他一个人去？你可以跟他一起去，或是要我跟他一起去，或是派五六个他的同学和他同行。他们会喜欢暂时抛下课业喘口气，我十分确定。”

"What I need him for requires that he be alone."

“我需要他做的事，需要他独自前往。”

"And what do you need him for?"

“你到底需要他做什么？”

But Seldon was stubbornly silent about that.

谢顿却坚决地三缄其口。

Dors said, "Has it come to this? You don't trust me?"

铎丝说：“到了这个地步吗？你连我都不相信了？”

"It's a gamble. I alone dare take the risk. I can't involve you or anyone else."

“这是一场赌博。我一个人敢冒这个险，却不能把你或其他人牵扯进来。”

"But it's not you taking the risk. It's poor Raych."

“但冒这个险的不是你，而是可怜的芮奇。”

"He's not taking any risk," said Seldon impatiently. "He's twenty years old, young and vigorous and as sturdy as a tree-and I don't mean the saplings we have here under glass on Trantor. I'm talking about a good solid tree in the Heliconian forests. And he's a twister, which the Dahlites aren't."

“他并没有冒什么险。”谢顿不耐烦地说，“他今年二十岁，年轻又有活力，而且壮得像棵树——我不是指川陀此地那些玻璃温室里的树苗，我说的是赫利肯森林里那种高大结实的树木。而且他还是个角力士，而达尔人都不会角力。”

"You and your twisting," said Dors, her coldness not thawing one whit. "You think that's the answer to everything. The Dahlites carry knives. Every one of them. Blasters, too, I'm sure."

“你的角力可真了不起。”铎丝的冰冷一点也没有解冻，“你以为那是一切问题的解决之道。达尔人身上带着刀，每个人都有，此外还有手铳，我可以确定。”

"I don't know about blasters. The laws are pretty strict when it comes to blasters. As for knives, I'm positive Raych carries one. He even carries a knife on campus here, where it's strictly against the law. Do you think he won't have one in Dahl?"

“我不知道有没有手铳，法律对手铳的管制是相当严的。至于刀嘛，我肯定芮奇也带着一把。他甚至在这儿校园都带着刀，那是绝对违法的行为。你以为他到达尔去，不会带一把吗？”

Dors remained silent.

铎丝沉默不语。

Seldon was also silent for a few minutes, then decided it might be time to placate her. He said, "Look, I'll tell you this much. I'm hoping he'll see Joranum, who will be visiting Dahl."

谢顿也沉默了几分钟，然后判断该是安抚她的时候了。于是他说：“听好，我只告诉你一点，我希望他见到即将访问达尔的久瑞南。”

"Oh? And what do you expect Raych to do? Fill him with bitter regrets over his wicked politics and send him back to Mycogen?"

“哦？你指望芮奇做些什么？设法让他对自己的邪恶政治手段悔恨不已，再把他送回麦曲生？”

"Come. Really. If you're going to take this sardonic attitude, there's no use discussing it." He looked away from her, out the window at the blue-gray sky under the dome. "What I expect him to do"-and his voice faltered for a moment "is save the Empire."

“得了吧，真是的。你若准备采取这种尖酸刻薄的态度，那就没什么好讨论的。”他将目光从她身上移开，望向窗外穹顶之下的青灰色天空。“我指望他做的——”他支吾了一下，“是拯救帝国。”

"To be sure. That would be much easier."

“老实说，那还容易得多。”

Seldon's voice firmed. "It's what I expect. You have no solution. Demerzel himself has no solution. He as much as said that the solution rests with me. That's what I'm striving for and that's what I need Raych for in Dahl. After all, you know that ability of his to inspire affection. It worked with us and I'm convinced it will work with Joranum. If I am right, all may be well."

谢顿以坚定的声音说：“我正是如此指望。你没有解决之道，丹莫刺尔自己也没有，他甚至说如何解决全看我了。那正是我努力的目标，正是我需要芮奇去达尔的目的。毕竟，你也知道他博取他人好感的本事。它曾在我们身上发生作用，我确信对久瑞南也会有同样的效果。如果我是对的，一切都有可能圆满解决。”

Dors's eyes widened a trifle. "Are you now going to tell me that you are being guided by psychohistory?"

铎丝的眼睛稍微张大了些。“你是准备告诉我，你在利用心理史学指导你？”

"No. I'm not going to lie to you. I have not reached the point where I can be guided in any way by psychohistory, but Yugo is constantly talking about intuition-and I have mine."

“不，我不准备对你说谎。我尚未达到那一步，还无法用心理史学作任何指导。可是雨果不断谈论直觉，而我也有我的直觉。”

"Intuition! What's that? Define it!"

“直觉！那是什么？定义一下！”

"Easily. Intuition is the art, peculiar to the human mind, of working out the correct answer from data that is, in itself, incomplete or even, perhaps, misleading."

“很简单，直觉是人类心灵特有的一种艺术。根据本身并不完整，甚至或许误导的资料，能够整理出正确的答案，这种艺术就是直觉。”

"And you've done it."

“而你做到了。”

And Seldon said with firm conviction, "Yes, I have."

谢顿以坚定不移的口吻说：“是的，我做到了。”

But to himself, he thought what he dared not share with Dors. What if Raych's charm were gone? Or, worse, what if the consciousness of being a Dahlite became too strong for him?

但在他自己心中，却萦绕着不敢与铎丝分享的一句话。万一芮奇的魅力消失了，那该怎么办？或是更糟的情况，万一他的达尔意识变得太强，那又该怎么办？

14

14

Billibotton was Billibotton-dirty, sprawling, dark, sinuous Billibotton-exuding decay and yet full of a vitality that Raych was convinced was to be found nowhere else on Trantor. Perhaps it was to be found nowhere else in the Empire, though Raych knew nothing, firsthand, of any world but Trantor.

脐眼就是脐眼。肮脏、参差不齐、阴暗、弯弯曲曲的脐眼，散发着腐朽的气味，却又充满一种生命力。而芮奇深信，川陀其他地方都找不到这种生命力，说不定帝国其他地方也都找不到。不过除了川陀，芮奇对其他世界一概欠缺第一手的认识。

He had last seen Billibotton when he was not much more than twelve, but even the people seemed to be the same; still a mixture of the hangdog and the irreverent; filled with a synthetic pride and a grumbling resentment; the men marked by their dark rich mustaches and the women by their sacklike dresses that now looked tremendously slatternly to Raych's older and more worldly wise eyes.

与脐眼告别时，他才刚满十二岁。但现在看来，连居民似乎也没有什么改变；仍是低贱者与不逊者的混合体；充满着虚假的骄傲与不平的怨恨；男性的标志是深浓的八字胡，女性则是有如布袋的服装，而在芮奇较成熟、较世故的眼中，后者实在邋遢至于极点。

How could women with dresses like that attract men? -But it was a foolish question. Even when he was twelve, he had had a pretty clear idea of how easily and quickly they could be removed.

穿着这种服装的女人怎能吸引男人？但这是个愚蠢的问题。即使十二岁的时候，他也已经有十分清楚的概念，知道多么容易和多么迅速就能除去那些衣服。

So he stood there, lost in thought and memory, passing along a street of store windows and trying to convince himself that he remembered this particular place or that and wondering if, among them all, there were people he did remember who were now eight years older. Those, perhaps, who had been his boyhood friends-and he thought uneasily of the fact that, while he remembered some of the nicknames they had pinned on each other, he could not remember any real names.

就这样，他陷入沉思与回忆，一面走过一条满是橱窗的街道，一面试图说服自己他认识某某地方，同时还在寻思，不知道人群中有没有他真正记得的人，只不过他们现在大了八岁。说不定，那些人就是他的儿时玩伴。他又不安地想到，虽然他记得些他们互相取的绰号，却不记得任何一个人的真实姓名。

In fact, the gaps in his memory were enormous. It was not that eight years was such a long time, but it was two fifths of the lifetime of a twenty-year-old and his life since leaving Billibotton had been so different that all before it had faded like a misty dream.

事实上，他记忆中的鸿沟十分巨大。八年虽然不算很长的时间，却是二十岁少年一生的五分之二，而且自从离开脐眼后，他的生活有了重大的改变，过去的一切早已淡出，就像一场迷蒙的梦境。

But the smells were there. He stopped outside a bakery, low and dingy, and smelled the coconut icing that reeked through the air-that he had never quite smelled elsewhere. Even when he had stopped to buy tarts with coconut icing, even when they were advertised as "Dahl-style," they had been faint imitations-no more.

不过气味仍然记忆犹新。他在一间低矮、污黑的糕饼店外停下脚步，闻着弥漫空气中的椰子糖霜味——他从未在别处闻过同样的味道。即使他曾在别处买过涂着椰子糖霜的蛋挞，即使它们以“达尔风味”作号召，那些气味也只有一两分相似，如此而已。

He felt strongly tempted. Well, why not? He had the credits and Dors was not there to wrinkle her nose and wonder aloud how clean-or, more likely, not clean-the place might be. Who worried about clean in the old days?

他觉得受到强烈的诱惑。嗯，有何不可？他身上有信用点，而铎丝又不在这里，不会皱起鼻子来，高声质疑这个地方有多干净，或者更有可能干脆说多不干净。在以前那些日子里，谁会为干不干净操心？

The shop was dim and it took a while for Raych's eyes to acclimate. There were a few low tables in the place, with a couple of rather insubstantial chairs at each, undoubtedly where people might have a light repast, the equivalent of moka and tarts. A young man sat at one of the tables, an empty cup before him, wearing a once-white T-shirt that probably would have looked even dirtier in a better light.

店内相当昏暗，芮奇的眼睛花了点时间才能适应。里面有几张矮桌，桌旁都有几把相当脆弱的椅子，显然顾客可以在此小吃一顿，享用些等同于咖啡与蛋挞的饮食。其中一张矮桌旁坐着一个年轻人，面前摆着一个空杯子。那人穿着一件曾是白色的短衫，若非光线不好，那件衣服或许会显得更肮脏。

The baker or, in any case, a server stepped out from a room in the rear and said in a rather surly fashion, "What'll ya have?"

那位烘焙师，或至少是个侍者，从后面一间屋子走出来，以相当粗鲁的口气说：“你要吃啥？”

"A coke-icer," said Raych in just as surly a fashion (he would not be a Billibottoner if he displayed courtesy), using the slang term he remembered well from the old days.

“一个椰子霜。”芮奇以同样粗鲁的口气答道（他若表现礼貌就不是脐眼人了），用的是他记得清清楚楚的那个俗称。

The term was still current, for the server handed him the correct item, using his bare fingers. The boy, Raych, would have taken that for granted, but now the man, Raych, felt taken slightly aback.

这个名称仍然通用，因为侍者拿的东西没错，不过竟是徒手抓给他的。若是过去那个小男孩芮奇，会将这件事视为理所当然，但成年的芮奇却稍稍吃了一惊。

"You want a bag?"

“你要袋子吗？”

"No," said Raych, "I'll eat it here." He paid the server and took the coke-icer from the other's hand and bit into its richness, his eyes half closing as he did so. It had been a rare treat in his boyhood-sometimes when he had scrounged the necessary credit to buy one with, sometimes when he had received a bite from a temporarily wealthy friend, most often when he had lifted one when nobody was watching. Now he could buy as many as he wished.

“不，”芮奇说，“我就在这儿吃。”他付了账，从侍者手中接过那个椰子霜，立刻咬下香浓的一口，同时双眼半闭起来。在他的孩提时代，这是一种难得的享受。他弄到足够信用点的时候会去买一个；有时也能从暂时发一笔小财的朋友那里分一口；而最常见的情形，则是在没人注意之际偷一个。如今，他想要多少就能买多少。

"Hey," said a voice.

“嘿。”一个声音喊道。

Raych opened his eyes. It was the man at the table, scowling at him.

芮奇张开眼睛。那是坐在桌旁的那个人，正冲着他横眉竖目。

Raych said gently, "Are you speaking to me, bub?"

芮奇和气地说：“你在和我说话吗，小弟弟？”

"Yeah. What'chuh Join'?"

“是啊，你在干啥？”

"Eatin' a coke-icer. What's it to ya?" Automatically he had assumed the Billibotton way of talking. It was no strain at all.

“吃个椰子霜，跟你有啥相干？”他自然而然用起脐眼的说话方式，丝毫没有困难。

"What'chuh doin' in Billibotton?"

“你在脐眼干啥？”

"Born here. Raised here. In a bed. Not in a street, like you." The insult came easily, as though he had never left home.

“生在这儿，长在这儿。在一张床上，不是在街上，和你不一样。”侮辱的话语脱口而出，仿佛他从未离开家乡。

"That so? You dress pretty good for a Billibottoner. Pretty fancy-dancy. Got a perfume stink about ya." And he held up a little finger to imply effeminacy.

“是吗？就一个脐眼人来说，你穿得相当好，相当拉风喔，身上还带着香水的骚味。”他举起小指，暗示芮奇娘娘腔。

"I won't talk about your stink. I went up in the world."

“我不想讲你身上的骚味。我出人头地了。”

"Up in the world? La-dee-da. " Two other men stepped into the bakery. Raych frowned slightly, for he wasn't sure whether they had been summoned or not. The man at the table said to the newcomers, "This guy's gone up in the world. Says he's a Billibottoner."

“出人头地？又——怎——样？”又有两名男子走进糕饼店。芮奇微微皱起眉头，因为他不确定他们是不是被召来的。桌旁那人对刚进来的两人说：“这哥儿们出人头地了，他说他是脐眼人。”

One of the two newcomers shambled a mock salute and grinned with no appearance of amiability. His teeth were discolored. "Ain't that nice? It's always good to see a Billibottoner go up in the world. Gives 'em a chance to help their poor unfor'chnit sector people. Like, credits. You can always spare a credit or two for the poor, hey?"

刚进来的两人之一，吊儿郎当、虚情假意地行了个礼，同时咧嘴笑了笑，并未表现出丝毫亲切，倒是露出一口黄板牙。“那不好吗？看到脐眼同胞出人头地总是好事，让他们有机会帮助贫穷不幸的本区同胞。比方说，信用点。你随时可施舍一两个信用点给穷人，对不对？”

“你要多少？”芮奇问。

"How many you got, mister?" said the other, the grin disappearing.

“你有多少，先生？”那人说，他脸上的笑容消失了。

"Hey," said the man behind the counter. "All you guys get out of my store. I don't want no trouble in here."

“嘿，”柜台后面那个侍者说，“你们全滚出我的店去，我这里可不想惹啥麻烦。”

"There'll be no trouble," said Raych. "I'm leaving."

“不会有麻烦的。”芮奇说，“我要走了。”

He made to go, but the seated man put a leg in his way. "Don't go, pal. We'd miss yer company."

他正准备离去，但坐着的那人伸出一条腿拦住他。“别走，兄弟，我们会想念你的。”

(The man behind the counter, clearly fearing the worst, disappeared into the rear.)

柜台后面那人钻到后头去了，显然害怕会出现最糟的情况。

Raych smiled. He said, "One time when I was in Billibotton, guys, I was with my old man and old lady and there were ten guys who stopped us. Ten. I counted them. We had to take care of them."

芮奇微微一笑。“有一回我在脐眼，哥儿们，我跟我老爸和老妈一块儿，被十个哥儿们拦住。十个，我数过。我们不得不收拾他们。”

"Yeah?" said the one who had been speaking. "Yer old man took care of ten?"

“是吗？”一直说话的那个人又说，“你老爸收拾了十个人？”

"My old man? Nah. He wouldn't waste his time. My old lady did. And I can do it better than she can. And there are only three of you. So, if you don't mind, out of the way."

“我老爸？才不呢。他不会浪费这个时间，是我老妈干的。我能做得比她更好，而且现在你们只有三个。所以说，如果你不介意，赶紧给我闪开。”

"Sure. Just leave all your credits. Some of your clothes, too."

“当然行。只要留下你所有的信用点，还有身上几件衣服。”

The man at the table rose to his feet. There was a knife in his hand.

桌旁那人站了起来，手中握着一把刀。

"There you are," said Raych. "Now you're going to waste my time." He had finished his coke-icer and he half-turned. Then, as quickly as thought, he anchored himself to the table, while his right leg shot out and the point of his toe landed unerringly in the groin of the man with the knife.

“你来真的，”芮奇说，“你非要浪费我的时间不可。”他已经吃完椰子霜，现在半转过身来。然后，说时迟那时快，他将身子定在桌缘，右腿猛然踢出，趾尖不偏不倚落在持刀那人的鼠蹊。

Down he went with a loud cry. Up went the table, driving the second man toward the wall and keeping him there, while Raych's right arm flashed out, with the edge of the palm striking hard against the larynx of the third, who coughed and went down.

他大吼一声，身形一矮，桌子便飞起来，将另一人推到墙边并将他定住。芮奇的右手同时挥出，快如闪电，掌缘重重击在第三个人的喉结，那人一阵呛咳，随即仆倒在地。

It had taken two seconds and Raych now stood there with a knife in each hand and said, "Now which one of you wants to move?"

这几下只花了两秒钟的时间。此时芮奇站在那里，双手各握着一把刀，说道：“现在你们谁还想动？”

They glared at him but remained frozen in place and Raych said, "In that case, I will now leave."

他们愤愤地瞪着他，却全都僵在原处。芮奇又说：“这样的话，我要走了。”

But the server, who had retreated to the back room, must have summoned help, for three more men had now entered the store, while the server screeched, "Troublemakers! Nothing but troublemakers!"

可是，躲到后面去的侍者一定发过求救讯号，因为这时又有三名男子走进店里，而那名侍者随即尖叫：“一群捣蛋鬼！不折不扣的捣蛋鬼！”

The newcomers were dressed alike in what was obviously a uniform-but one that Raych had never seen. Trousers were tucked into boots, loose green T-shirts were belted, and odd semispherical hats that looked vaguely comic were perched on top of their heads. On the front of the left shoulder of each T-shirt were the letters Jc.

刚进来的三个人穿着相同的服装，那显然是一种制服，却是芮奇从未见过的一种。他们的裤子塞进皮靴里，宽松的绿色短衫以皮带束紧，头上罩着一顶古怪的半球形帽子，看来有点滑稽。此外，每件短衫的左肩都有“久卫”两个字。

They had the Dahlite look about them but not quite the Dahlite mustache. The mustaches were black and thick, but they were carefully trimmed at lip level and were kept from luxuriating too widely. Raych allowed himself an internal sneer. They lacked the vigor of his own wild mustache, but he had to admit they looked neat and clean.

他们的样子看起来像达尔人，脸上的八字胡却不太像。三人的胡子虽然又黑又密，却不让它蔓延太广，靠嘴唇的一侧还经过仔细修剪。芮奇暗自嘲笑一番——与他自己狂野的八字胡比起来，它们缺乏一股生气，但他必须承认它们看起来干净清爽。

The leader of these three men said, "I'm Corporal Quinber. What's been going on here?"

三人当中带头的那个说：“我是昆柏下士，这里到底发生了什么事？”

The defeated Billibottoners were scrambling to their feet, clearly the worse for wear. One was still doubled over, one was rubbing his throat, and the third acted as though one of his shoulders had been wrenched.

几个被打败的脐眼人连滚带爬挣扎而起，显然状况不妙。其中一人仍直不起腰，另外一人揉着喉咙，第三个则表现得仿佛扭伤一侧肩膀。

The corporal stared at them with a philosophic eye, while his two men blocked the door. He turned to Raych-the one man who seemed untouched. "Are you a Billibottoner, boy?"

下士以练达的目光瞪着他们，他的两名手下则堵住门口。他又转向芮奇——唯一似乎毫发无损的那个人。“你是脐眼人吗，孩子？”

"Born and bred, but I've lived elsewhere for eight years." He let the Billibotton accent recede, but it was still there, at least to the extent that it existed in the corporal's speech as well. There were other parts of Dahl aside from Billibotton and some parts with considerable aspirations to gentility.

“生在这儿，长在这儿，但我在别处住了八年。”他不再用脐眼腔说话，但不免还有一点口音，至少与下士保有的程度差不多。达尔不只脐眼一处，某些地方的人还是十分渴望做上流人士。

Raych said, "Are you security officers? I don't seem to recall the uniform you're……"

芮奇说：“你们是保安官吗？我似乎不记得你们的制服……”

"We're not security officers. You won't find security officers in Billibotton much. We're the Joranum Guard and we keep the peace here. We know these three and they've been warned. We'll take care of them. You're our problem, buster. Name. Reference number."

“我们不是保安官，你在脐眼找不到多少保安官。我们是久瑞南卫队，负责维持此地的治安。我们认识这三个人，他们早就受到警告，我们自会处置他们。你才是我们的麻烦，小子，你的名字和识别号码？”

Raych told them.

芮奇对他们说了。

"And what happened here?"

“这里发生了什么事？”

Raych told them.

芮奇也对他们说了。

"And your business here?"

“你在这里干什么？”

Raych said, "Look here. Do you have the right to question me? If you're not security officers……"

芮奇说：“我问你，你有权力质问我吗？如果你不是保安官……”

"Listen," said the corporal in a hard voice, "don't you question rights. We're all there is in Billibotton and we have the right because we take the right. You say you beat up these three men and I believe you. But you won't beat us up. We're not allowed to carry blasters……" And with that, the corporal slowly pulled out a blaster.

“听着，”下士厉声道，“你别质问什么权力。脐眼就只有我们，我们的权力是我们争取来的。你说你打倒了这三个人，我相信你的说法，可是你打不倒我们。我们不准携带手铳——”说到这里，下士缓缓抽出一柄手铳。

"Now tell me your business here."

“现在告诉我，你在这里干什么？”

Raych sighed. If he had gone directly to a sector hall, as he should have done-if he had not stopped to drown himself in nostalgia for Billibotton and coke-icers-

芮奇叹了一口气。假使他依照原定计划，直接前往区政厅；假使他没有停下来，让自己沉湎于脐眼与椰子霜的旧日情怀……

He said, "I have come on important business to see Mr. Joranum, and since you seem to be part of his organi-'

他说：“我来是有重要公事求见久瑞南先生，既然你们似乎隶属他的组织……”

"To see the leader?"

“求见领导人？”

"Yes, Corporal."

“是的，下士。”

"With two knives on you?"

“身上带着两把刀？”

"For self-defense. I wasn't going to have them on me when I saw Mr. Joranum."

“为了自卫。我去见久瑞南先生时，不准备把刀带在身上。”

"So you say. We're taking you into custody, mister. We'll get to the bottom of this. It may take time, but we will."

“你当然这么说。先生，我们要把你拘留起来。我们会彻底调查这件事，这也许得花点时间，但我们会查到底。”

"But you don't have the right. You're not the legally const "

“可是你们没有这个权力，你们不是合法的警……”

"Well, find someone to complain to. Till then, you're ours."

“好啦，去找别人抱怨吧。在此之前，你是我们的。”

And the knives were confiscated and Raych was taken into custody.

于是两把刀被没收了，而芮奇则遭到拘留。

15

15

Cleon was no longer quite the handsome young monarch that his holographs portrayed. Perhaps he still was-in the holographs-but his mirror told a different story. His most recent birthday had been celebrated with the usual pomp and ritual, but it was his fortieth just the same.

克里昂已不再是全息像中那位年轻英俊的君主。或许他在全息像中仍是如此，但镜子告诉他的则是另一回事。他最近的一次寿辰，照常在盛大典礼与仪式中欢度，却掩不了四十岁这件事实。

The Emperor could find nothing wrong with being forty. His health was perfect. He had gained a little weight but not much. His face would perhaps look older, if it were not for the microadjustments that were made periodically and that gave him a slightly enameled look.

大帝实在找不出年届四十有何不妥。他的健康状况极佳，体重增加了些，但没有太多。由于周期性进行微调，他的面容稍显光滑细嫩，使他看起来或许比实际年龄更年轻些。

He had been on the throne for eighteen years-already one of the longer reigns of the century-and he felt there was nothing that might necessarily keep him from reigning another forty years and perhaps having the longest reign in Imperial history as a result.

他在位已有十八年，已经是本世纪在位较长的皇帝之一。而他觉得没有任何必然的理由，可能阻止他再坐四十年皇位。说不定，最后他会成为帝国历史上在位最久的皇帝。

Cleon looked at the mirror again and thought he looked a bit better if he did not actualize the third dimension.

克里昂又照了照镜子，想到倘若关掉第三维，自己会更好看一点。

Now take Demerzel-faithful, reliable, necessary, unbearable Demerzel. No change in him. He maintained his appearance and, as far as Cleon knew, there had been no microadjustments, either. Of course, Demerzel was so close-mouthed about everything. And he had never been young. There had been no young look about him when he first served Cleon's father and Cleon had been the boyish Prince Imperial. And there was no young look about him now. Was it better to have looked old at the start and to avoid change afterward?

且说丹莫刺尔——忠诚、可靠、不可或缺、令人难以忍受的丹莫刺尔。他没有任何改变，他的外表一如往昔。据克里昂所知，他从未做过任何微调手术。当然，话说回来，丹莫刺尔对每件事都守口如瓶。而且他从未年轻过，当初他侍奉克里昂的父亲，而克里昂还是稚嫩的皇太子时，他看起来就已经不再年轻。如今，他看起来同样不年轻。那么，是不是一开始便显得老成，以免日后发生变化会比较好呢？

Change!

变化！

It reminded him that he had called Demerzel in for a purpose and not just so that he might stand there while the Emperor ruminated. Demerzel would take too much Imperial rumination as a sign of old age.

这提醒了他，他召来丹莫刺尔确有目的，并非只是让他站在那里陪着皇帝沉思默想。皇帝若是沉思默想太久，会被丹莫刺尔视为老迈的征兆。

"Demerzel," he said.

“丹莫刺尔。”他说。

"Sire?"

“陛下？”

"This fellow Joranum. I tire of hearing of him."

“久瑞南这家伙，我已经听得烦了。”

"There is no reason you should hear of him, Sire. He is one of those phenomena that are thrown to the surface of the news for a while and then disappears."

“启禀陛下，您根本没有必要听到他。他不过是那些浮上台面的新闻之一，过一阵子就会自动消失。”

"But he doesn't disappear."

“可是他并未消失。”

"Sometimes it takes a while, Sire."

“有时还真需要点时间，陛下。”

"What do you think of him, Demerzel?"

“你对他有什么看法，丹莫刺尔？”

"He is dangerous but has a certain popularity. It is the popularity that increases the danger."

“他是个危险人物，但拥有一定的民望。正是这个民望，增加了他的危险性。”

"If you find him dangerous and if I find him annoying, why must we wait? Can't he simply be imprisoned or executed or something?"

“如果你觉得他有危险，而我觉得他很烦人，我们还等什么呢？不能就这么把他下狱或处决，或是做些什么吗？”

"The political situation on Trantor, Sire, is delicate……"

“川陀的政治情势，陛下，可是相当敏感……”

"It is always delicate. When have you told me that it is anything but delicate?"

“总是敏感。你什么时候告诉过我某件事不敏感？”

"We live in delicate times, Sire. It would be useless to move strongly against him if that would but exacerbate the danger."

“启禀陛下，我们生在敏感的时代。假如以强硬的手段对付他，因而使得危机恶化，那就一点用也没有。”

"I don't like it. I may not be widely read-an Emperor doesn't have the time to be widely read-but I know my Imperial history, at any rate. There have been a number of cases of these populists, as they are called, that have seized power in the last couple of centuries. In every case, they reduced the reigning Emperor to a mere figurehead. I do not wish to be a figurehead, Demerzel."

“我不喜欢这样。或许我不够博学，当皇帝没时间变得博学，可是无论如何，我知道帝国的历史。过去几个世纪，曾有许多这些所谓‘民望分子’掌权的例子。在每个例子中，他们都把在位的皇帝贬成一个摆饰。我可不希望当个摆饰，丹莫刺尔。”

"It is unthinkable that you would be, Sire."

“难以想象您会如此，陛下。”

"It won't be unthinkable if you do nothing."

“如果你什么都不做，就不难想象了。”

"I am attempting to take measures, Sire, but cautious ones."

“我正在试图采取对策，陛下，不过是谨慎的对策。”

"There's one fellow, at least, who isn't cautious. A month or so ago, a University professor-a professor-stopped a potential Joranumite riot single-handedly. He stepped right in and put a stop to it."

“至少，有一个人并不谨慎。差不多一个月前，一个大学教授，一、个、教、授，独力阻止了一场潜在的九九派暴动。他就那么挺身而出，适时将它制止。”

"So he did, Sire. How did you come to hear of it?"

“的确是这样，陛下。您是怎么听到这个消息的？”

"Because he is a certain professor in whom I am interested. How is it that you didn't speak to me of this?"

“因为他是某个令我感兴趣的教授。你怎么没把这件事告诉我？”

Demerzel said, almost obsequiously, "Would it be right for me to trouble you with every insignificant detail that crosses my desk?"

丹莫刺尔以近乎谄媚的口吻说：“把送到我面前的每件小事都拿来烦您，这样做对吗？”

"Insignificant? This man who took action was Hari Seldon."

“小事？这个采取行动的人是哈里·谢顿。”

"That was, indeed, his name."

“那的确是他的名字。”

"And the name was a familiar one. Did he not present a paper, some years ago, at the last Decennial Convention that interested us?"

“而且是个熟悉的名字。几年前，在上届十载会议中，他不是提出一篇引起我们注意的论文吗？”

"Yes, Sire."

“是的，陛下。”

Cleon looked pleased. "As you see, I do have a memory. I need not depend on my staff for everything. I interviewed this Seldon fellow on the matter of his paper, did I not?"

克里昂看来很高兴。“你看，我的记性还不差，我不需要事事依赖我的幕僚。我曾经因为这个谢顿的论文约见过他，对不对？”

"Your memory is indeed flawless, Sire."

“您的记性真是完美无缺，陛下。”

"What happened to his idea? It was a fortune-telling device. My flawless memory does not bring to mind what he called it."

“他的构想怎么样了？那是个算命的门道，我完美无缺的记性想不起来他管它叫什么。”

"Psychohistory, Sire. It was not precisely a fortune-telling device but a theory as to ways of predicting general trends in future human history."

“启禀陛下，心理史学。严格说来，那不是算命的门道，而是一种理论，探讨的是预测未来历史一般趋势的方法。”

"And what happened to it?"

“它后来怎么样？”

"Nothing, Sire. As I explained at the time, the idea turned out to be wholly impractical. It was a colorful idea but a useless one."

“启禀陛下，一事无成。正如我当时解释的，结果证明那个构想完全不切实际。它是个生动的构想，可是毫无用处。”

"Yet he is capable of taking action to stop a potential riot. Would he have dared do this if he didn't know in advance he would succeed? Isn't that evidence that this-what?-psychohistory is working?"

“但他却能采取行动阻止一场潜在的暴动。如果不是事先知道自己会成功，他还敢这样做吗？这不就证明那个什么——心理史学在发挥功效吗？”

"It is merely evidence that Hari Seldon is foolhardy, Sire. Even if the psychohistoric theory were practical, it would not have been able to yield results involving a single person or a single action."

“那只不过证明哈里·谢顿是个有勇无谋的人，陛下。即使心理史学理论实际可行，也不能针对某一个人或某项行动作出预测。”

"You're not the mathematician, Demerzel. He is. I think it is time I questioned him again. After all, it is not long before the Decennial Convention is upon us once more."

“你不是数学家，丹莫刺尔，他才是。我想，现在是我再次询问他的时候了，毕竟，距离十载会议再度召开的日子也不远了。”

"It would be a useless……"

“那将毫无用处……”

"Demerzel, I desire it. See to it."

“丹莫刺尔，吾意已决，不得有误。”

"Yes, Sire."

“遵命，陛下。”

16

16

Raych was listening with an agonized impatience that he was trying not to show. He was sitting in an improvised cell, deep in the warrens of Billibotton, having been accompanied through alleys he no longer remembered. (He, who in the old days could have threaded those same alleys unerringly and lost any pursuer.)

芮奇坐在一间临时改建的牢房里，万分不耐烦地聆听对方讲话，尽量不将真实情绪表现出来。这间牢房深藏在龙蛇杂处的脐眼住宅区，他不记得穿过了多少巷道才被押到这里。在以前那些日子里，他能准确无误地穿梭于同样的巷道，甩掉任何追赶他的人。

The man with him, clad in the green of the Joranumite Guard, was either a missionary, a brainwasher, or a kind of theologian-manque. At any rate, he had announced his name to be Sander Nee and he was delivering a long message in a thick Dahlite accent that he had clearly learned by heart.

面前那人身穿久瑞南卫队的绿色制服，他若不是传道者便是洗脑员，否则就是某种失败的神学家。无论如何，他声称自己名叫桑德·尼，这时他正用浓重的达尔口音，传述一段他熟记在心的冗长福音。

"If the people of Dahl want to enjoy equality, they must show themselves worthy of it. Good rule, quiet behavior, seemly pleasures are all requirements. Aggressiveness and the bearing of knives are the accusations others make against us to justify their intolerance. We must be clean in word and……"

“假如达尔的人民想要享有平等，他们必须证明自己值得。良好的规矩、温文的行为，以及得体的娱乐都是必要的条件。外人总是指控我们具侵略性和携带刀械，借此将他们的偏狭心态合理化。我们必须谈吐文雅，而且……”

Raych broke in. "I agree with you, Guardsman Nee, every word. But I must see Mr. Joranum."

芮奇插嘴道：“我同意你的话，尼卫士，每一句都同意。可是我必须见久瑞南先生。”

Slowly the guardsman shook his head. "You can't 'less you got some appointment, some permission."

这名卫士缓缓摇了摇头。“除非你事先约好，并获得批准，否则你见不到。”

"Look, I'm the son of an important professor at Streeling University, a mathematics professor."

“听好，我父亲是斯璀璘大学一位重量级的教授，一位数学教授。”

"Don't know no professor. -I thought you said you was from Dahl."

“我不识什么教授不教授，我记得你说过自己是达尔人。”

"Of course I am. Can't you tell the way I talk?"

“我当然是，你听不出我的口音吗？”

"And you got an old man who's a professor at a big University? That don't sound likely."

“而你却有个老子，是个大牌大学的教授？听来不大可能。”

"Well, he's my foster father."

“好吧，他是我的养父。”

The guardsman absorbed that and shook his head. "You know anyone in Dahl?"

卫士听了进去，仍然摇了摇头。“你在达尔认识任何人吗？”

"There's Mother Rittah. She'll know me." (She had been very old when she had known him. She might be senile by now-or dead.)

“有个瑞塔嬷嬷，她会认得我。”她认识他的时候就已经很老了，现在她可能行将就木，或是已经去世了。

"Never heard of her."

“从没听说她这个人。”

(Who else? He had never known anyone likely to penetrate the dim consciousness of this man facing him. His best friend had been another youngster named Smoodgie-or at least that was the only name he knew him by. Even in his desperation, Raych could not see himself saying: "Do you know someone my age named Smoodgie?")

还有谁呢？他以前认识的那些人，都不太可能敲响面前这个人的浆糊脑袋。他当年最要好的朋友是个叫史慕吉的少年，或者应该说，芮奇只知道他叫这个名字。但即使在如今走投无路之际，芮奇也绝不会让自己说：“你认识一个和我同年、叫做史慕吉的人吗？”

Finally he said, "There's Yugo Amaryl."

最后他终于说：“有个叫雨果·阿马瑞尔的。”

A dim spark seemed to light Nee's eyes. "Who?"

尼卫士的眼睛似乎微微一亮。“谁？”

"Yugo Amaryl," said Raych eagerly. "He works for my foster father at the University."

“雨果·阿马瑞尔，”芮奇急切地说，“他在那所大学里，为我的养父工作。”

"He a Dahlite, too? Everyone at the University Dahlites?"

“他也是达尔人吗？那所大学里每个人都是达尔人吗？”

"Just he and I. He was a heatsinker."

“只有他和我是。他以前是个热闾工。”

"What's he doing at the University?"

“他在那所大学干什么？”

"My father took him out of the heatsinks eight years ago."

“八年前，我父亲把他从热闾带出来。”

"Well- I'll send someone."

“好吧，我去找个人。”

Raych had to wait. Even if he escaped, where would he go in the intricate alleyways of Billibotton without being picked up instantly?

芮奇不得不等在那儿。即使他逃跑，在脐眼错综复杂的巷道中，要跑到哪里才不会立刻被逮住？

Twenty minutes passed before Nee returned with the corporal who had arrested Raych in the first place. Raych felt a little hope; the corporal, at least, might conceivably have some brains.

过了二十分钟，尼卫士再度出现，带来了当初逮捕芮奇的那位下士。芮奇觉得生出一线希望，至少那位下士应该有点头脑。

The corporal said, "Who is this Dahlite you know?"

下士说：“你认识的那个达尔人是谁？”

"Yugo Amaryl, Corporal, a heatsinker who my father found here in Dahl eight years ago and took to Streeling University with him."

“雨果·阿马瑞尔。下士，八年前我父亲在达尔遇到这个热闾工，就把他带到斯璀璘大学去了。”

"Why did he do that?"

“他为什么那样做？”

"My father thought Yugo could do more important things than heatsink, Corporal."

“我父亲认为，下士，雨果能作出比热闾工更重要的贡献。”

"Like what?"

“比如说？”

"Mathematics. He……"

“在数学上。他……”

The corporal held up his hand. "What heatsink did he work in?"

下士举起一只手。“他当初在哪个热闾工作？”

Raych thought for a moment. "I was only a kid then, but it was at C-2, I think."

芮奇想了一下。“我当时还小，不过我想是丙二。”

"Close enough. C-3."

“很接近了，是丙三。”

"Then you know about him, Corporal?"

“这么说你认识他，下士？”

"Not personally, but the story is famous in the heatsinks and I've worked there, too. And maybe that's how you've heard of it. Have you any evidence that you really know Yugo Amaryl?"

“不认识他本人，但这个故事在热闾间流传很广，而我在那里工作过。也许你就是那么听来的，你可有任何证据，证明你真认识雨果·阿马瑞尔？”

"Look. Let me tell you what I'd like to do. I'm going to write down my name on a piece of paper and my father's name. Then I'm going to write down one word. Get in touch-any way you want-with some official in Mr. Joranum's group-Mr. Joranum will be here in Dahl tomorrow-and just read him my name, my father's name, and the one word. If nothing happens, then I'll stay here till I rot, I suppose, but I don't think that will happen. In fact, I'm sure that they will get me out of here in three seconds and that you'll get a promotion for passing along the information. If you refuse to do this, when they find out I am here-and they will-you will be in the deepest possible trouble. After all, if you know that Yugo Amaryl went off with a big-shot mathematician, just tell yourself that same big-shot mathematician is my father. His name is Hari Seldon."

“听好，我来告诉你我想怎么做。我准备把自己的名字写在一张纸上，再写上我父亲的名字，此外我还要写一个名词。然后随便你用什么方法，联络上久瑞南先生手下某位官员——久瑞南先生明天会到达尔来。你只要把我的名字、我父亲的名字，还有那个名词念给他听就好。如果不起任何作用，我想我就得待在这儿直到老死，可是我不相信会有那种事。事实上，我确定他们三秒钟之内就会把我弄出去，而你会因为传递这项讯息，获得升迁的机会。如果你拒绝这样做，等到他们发现我在这儿——他们一定会的——你的麻烦就会像无底洞。总而言之，如果你知道雨果·阿马瑞尔是随一位大名鼎鼎的数学家离去，那就说服你自己，我父亲正是那位大名鼎鼎的数学家，他的名字是哈里·谢顿。”

The corporal's face showed clearly that the name was not unknown to him.

下士的表情明白显示，他并非没有听过这个名字。

He said, "What's the one word you're going to write down?"

他说：“你要写的那个名词是什么？”

"Psychohistory."

“心理史学。”

The corporal frowned. "What's that?"

下士皱了皱眉头。“那是什么？”

"That doesn't matter. Just pass it along and see what happens."

“这无关紧要。只要把它传上去，看看会有什么结果。”

The corporal handed him a small sheet of paper, torn out of a notebook. "All right. Write it down and we'll see what happens."

下士从笔记本上撕下一小张纸，递给了芮奇。“好吧，把它写下来，我们看看会有什么结果。”

Raych realized that he was trembling. He wanted very much to know what would happen. It depended entirely on who it was that the corporal would talk to and what magic the word would carry with it.

芮奇发觉自己正在发抖，他非常想知道会有什么结果。那完全取决于中士找到的是什么人，以及这个名词带有什么魔力。

17

17

Hari Seldon watched the raindrops form on the wraparound windows of the Imperial ground-car and a sense of nostalgia stabbed at him unbearably.

哈里·谢顿望着雨滴落在皇家地面车的大型车窗上，一股难忍的乡愁刺痛了他的心。

It was only the second time in his eight years on Trantor that he had been ordered to visit the Emperor in the only open land on the planet-and both times the weather had been bad. The first time, shortly after he had arrived on Trantor, the bad weather had merely irritated him. He had found no novelty in it. His home world of Helicon had its share of storms, after all, particularly in the area where he had been brought up.

他来到川陀已有八年，不过，奉命前往这颗行星唯一的露天地表觐见大帝，这只是第二次而已，而两次的天气都很糟。第一次是在他刚到川陀不久，恶劣的天气只令他生厌，不觉得有任何新奇之处。毕竟，他的故乡世界赫利肯也有暴风雨，尤其是他从小到大居住的那一带。

But now he had lived for eight years in make-believe weather, in which storms consisted of computerized cloudiness at random intervals, with regular light rains during the sleeping hours. Raging winds were replaced by zephyrs and there were no extremes of heat and cold-merely little changes that made you unzip the front of your shirt once in a while or throw on a light jacket. And he had heard complaints about even so mild a deviation.

可是如今，他在人工气候下生活了八年，所谓的风雨，仅是随机出现的电脑化云量，以及睡眠时间降下的规律细雨。肆虐的强风为和风所取代，而且没有极端的冷热——有的只是轻微的变化，偶尔会让人拉开衬衫前胸的拉链，或者披上一件轻便的外套。即使变化如此和缓，他还是听过有人抱怨。

But now Hari was seeing real rain coming down drearily from a cold sky-and he had not seen such a thing in years-and he loved it; that was the thing. It reminded him of Helicon, of his youth, of relatively carefree days, and he wondered if he might persuade the driver to take the long way to the Palace.

然而此时，谢顿见到真正的雨水从寒冷的天空硬生生落下。他有好多年没见过这种东西，而他十分喜爱，因为那是老朋友。雨水使他想起赫利肯，想起他的青少年时代，想起那些相当无忧无虑的日子。他不禁心想，不知道应不应该怂恿司机绕个远路。

Impossible! The Emperor wanted to see him and it was a long enough trip by ground-car, even if one went in a straight line with no interfering traffic. The Emperor, of course, would not wait.

不可能！大帝想要见他，而搭地面车本身已经很花时间——即使他们沿直线行走，途中又没有任何交通阻碍。当然，大帝是不会等人的。

It was a different Cleon from the one Seldon had seen eight years before. He had put on about ten pounds and there was a sulkiness about his face. Yet the skin around his eyes and cheeks looked pinched and Hari recognized the results of one too many microadjustments. In a way, Seldon felt sorry for Cleon-for all his might and Imperial sway, the Emperor was powerless against the passage of time.

克里昂看来与八年前谢顿见到的那位很不一样。他增加了大约十磅的体重，而且脸上多了一重阴霾。他眼圈附近与双颊的皮肤好像被人掐过，谢顿认得出那是微调过度的结果。就某方面而言，谢顿为克里昂感到难过——纵使拥有至高的权势与皇威，这位皇帝对时光的流逝仍无可奈何。

Once again Cleon met Hari Seldon alone-in the same lavishly furnished room of their first encounter. As was the custom, Seldon waited to be addressed.

克里昂又是单独会见哈里·谢顿，仍是在上次那间陈设豪奢的房间。谢顿谨遵惯例，等待大帝陛下先开口。

After briefly assessing Seldon's appearance, the Emperor said in an ordinary voice, "Glad to see you, Professor. Let us dispense with formalities, as we did on the former occasion on which I met you."

打量了一下谢顿的外表后，大帝以平常的口吻说：“很高兴见到你，教授。让我们免除一切形式，就像我们上次见面那样。”

"Yes, Sire," said Seldon stiffly. It was not always safe to be informal, merely because the Emperor ordered you to be so in an effusive moment.

“遵命，陛下。”谢顿生硬地说。大帝由于一时兴起而命令你一切不拘形式，并不代表你这么做就一定安全。

Cleon gestured imperceptibly and at once the room came alive with automation as the table set itself and dishes began to appear. Seldon, confused, could not follow the details.

克里昂做了一个难以察觉的动作，整个房间立刻活起来，餐桌自动摆好，碗盘一个个出现。谢顿眼花撩乱，无法看清所有的细节。

The Emperor said casually, "You will dine with me, Seldon?"

大帝随口道：“谢顿，你和我一同进餐吧？”

It had the formal intonation of a question but the force, somehow, of an order.

这句话的语调完全属于问句，但其中的力量却使它成为命令。

"I would be honored, Sire," said Seldon. He looked around cautiously. He knew very well that one did not (or, at any rate, should not) ask questions of the Emperor, but he saw no way out of it. He said, rather quietly, trying to make it not sound like a question, "The First Minister will not dine with us?"

“这是我的荣幸，陛下。”谢顿说完，又谨慎地环顾四周。他非常明白臣民不会（或说绝对不该）向皇帝陛下发问，但他实在忍不住。于是，他以相当平静的口气，试图让这句话听起来不像一个问题，问道：“首相不和我们一起用餐？”

"He will not," said Cleon. "He has other tasks at this moment and I wish, in any case, to speak to you privately."

“他不会来，”克里昂说，“此刻他正在忙别的事。而且无论如何，我希望和你私下谈谈。”

They ate quietly for a while, Cleon gazing at him fixedly and Seldon smiling tentatively. Cleon had no reputation for cruelty or even for irresponsibility, but he could, in theory, have Seldon arrested on some vague charge and, if the Emperor wished to exert his influence, the case might never come to trial. It was always best to avoid notice and at the moment Seldon couldn't manage it.

他们默默吃了一会儿，克里昂定睛凝视着他，谢顿则尝试以微笑回应。克里昂并没有残酷的恶名，甚至没有不负责任的传闻，但在理论上，他能让谢顿因某个含糊的罪名而遭逮捕。此外，假使大帝希望运用他的影响力，这件案子或许永远得不到审判。能避免他的注意总是上上策，而此时此刻，谢顿却无法做到这一点。

Surely it had been worse eight years ago, when he had been brought to the Palace under armed guard. -This fact did not make Seldon feel relieved, however.

不用说，八年前的情况还要更糟，那次他是由武装卫士带进宫的。然而，这项事实并没有使谢顿感到轻松。

Then Cleon spoke. "Seldon" he said. "The First Minister is of great use to me, yet I feel that, at times, people may think I do not have a mind of my own. Do you think that?"

然后克里昂开口了。“谢顿，”他说，“首相对我极其有用，但我有些时候觉得，百姓也许认为我自己没有主见。你会这么想吗？”

"Never, Sire," said Seldon calmly. No use protesting too much.

“启禀陛下，从来不会。”谢顿冷静地答道，过分辩白根本没用。

"I don't believe you. However, I do have a mind of my own and I recall that when you first came to Trantor you had this psychohistory thing you were playing with."

“我不相信你。然而，我的确有自己的主见。而我记得你刚到川陀的时候，正在搞一个叫心理史学的东西。”

"I'm sure you also remember, Sire," said Seldon softly, "that I explained at the time it was a mathematical theory without practical application."

“我确信陛下也一定记得，”谢顿柔声道，“当时我就解释过，那只是个数学理论，并没有实际的应用。”

"So you said. Do you still say so?"

“当时你是那么说的。现在你还那么说吗？”

"Yes, Sire."

“是的，陛下。”

"Have you been working on it since?"

“后来你有没有继续研究？”

"On occasion I toy with it, but it comes to nothing. Chaos unfortunately interferes and predictability is not……"

“偶尔我会玩一玩，可是一无所获。非常遗憾，混沌总是产生干扰，可预测性并不……”

The Emperor interrupted. "There is a specific problem I wish you to tackle. -Do help yourself to the dessert, Seldon. It is very good."

大帝打岔道：“有个特定的问题，我希望你着手研究一下——务必用些甜点，谢顿，很不错的。”

"What is the problem, Sire?"

“什么问题，陛下？”

"This man Joranum. Demerzel tells me-oh, so politely-that I cannot arrest this man and I cannot use armed force to crush his followers. He says it will simply make the situation worse."

“就是久瑞南这个人。丹莫刺尔告诉我——喔，他可真委婉——说我不能逮捕此人，也不能派军队消灭他的党羽，他说那样只会使情势恶化。”

"If the First Minister says so, I presume it is so."

“如果首相这么说，我想应该就是如此。”

"But I do not want this man Joranum . At any rate, I will not be his puppet. Demerzel does nothing."

“可是我不想要久瑞南这个人……无论如何，我不会当他的傀儡。偏偏丹莫刺尔什么也不做。”

"I am sure that he is doing what he can, Sire."

“启禀陛下，我确信他正在尽力而为。”

"If he is working to alleviate the problem, he certainly is not keeping me informed."

“如果他正在为缓和问题而努力，他显然没有随时向我报告。”

"That may be, Sire, out of a natural desire to keep you above the fray. The First Minister may feel that if Joranum should-if he should……"

“那或许是个很自然的心愿，他希望让陛下高高在上，避免沾到这场纷争。首相或许觉得，如果久瑞南竟然……如果他竟然……”

"Take over," said Cleon with a tone of infinite distaste.

“取而代之。”克里昂以无比嫌恶的语气说。

"Yes, Sire. It would not be wise to have it appear that you were personally opposed to him. You must remain untouched for the sake of the stability of the Empire."

“是的，陛下。您个人不能表现得反对他，否则就是不智之举。为了帝国的稳定，您必须保持中立。”

"I would much rather assure the stability of the Empire without Joranum. What do you suggest, Seldon?"

“我实在宁可除掉久瑞南，来确保帝国的稳定。你有什么建议，谢顿？”

"I, Sire?"

“我，陛下？”

"You, Seldon," said Cleon impatiently. "Let me say that I don't believe you when you say that psychohistory is just a game. Demerzel stays friendly with you. Do you think I am such an idiot as not to know that? He expects something from you. He expects psychohistory from you and since I am no fool, I expect it, too. -Seldon, are you for Joranum? The truth!"

“你，谢顿。”克里昂不耐烦地说，“我这么讲吧，如果你说心理史学只是个游戏，我可不相信你。丹莫刺尔一直和你保持友好关系，你以为我那么白痴，连这件事都不知道吗？他指望你能贡献些什么，他指望你发展出心理史学。既然我不是傻瓜，我同样指望这玩意。谢顿，你支持久瑞南吗？说实话！”

"No, Sire, I am not for him. I consider him an utter danger to the Empire."

“不，陛下，我不支持他，我认为他对帝国十足是个威胁。”

"Very well, I believe you. You stopped a potential Joranumite riot at your University grounds single-handedly, I understand."

“很好，我相信你。你曾在你们的大学校园里，独力阻止一场潜在的九九派暴动，我晓得这件事。”

"It was pure impulse on my part, Sire."

“那纯粹是我个人一时的冲动，陛下。”

"Tell that to fools, not to me. You had worked it out by psychohistory."

“去对傻瓜说吧，别跟我来这一套，你是用心理史学做到的。”

"Sire!"

“陛——下！”

"Don't protest. What are you doing about Joranum? You must be doing something if you are on the side of the Empire."

“别抗议了。你究竟在如何对付久瑞南？你若是站在帝国这边，一定正在做些什么。”

"Sire," said Seldon cautiously, uncertain as to how much the Emperor knew. "I have sent my son to meet with Joranum in the Dahl Sector."

“启禀陛下，”谢顿谨慎地说，他不确定大帝知道了多少，“我已经派小儿去达尔区见久瑞南。”

"Why?"

“为什么？”

"My son is a Dahlite-and shrewd. He may discover something of use to us."

“小儿是达尔人，而且很机灵，他也许会发现些对我们有用的情报。”

"May?"

“也许？”

"Only may, Sire."

“只是也许，陛下。”

"You'll keep me informed?"

“你会随时向我报告吗？”

"Yes, Sire."

“会的，陛下。”

"And, Seldon, do not tell me that psychohistory is just a game, that it does not exist. I do not want to hear that. I expect you to do something about Joranum. What it might be, I can't say, but you must do something. I will not have it otherwise. You may go."

“还有，谢顿，别再告诉我心理史学只是游戏，也别再说它不存在，我不要听这些。我指望你对久瑞南做点什么，该怎么做我不敢说，但你必须做点什么。我不要见到别的结果，你可以走了。”

Seldon returned to Streeling University in a far darker mood than when he had left. Cleon had sounded as though he would not accept failure.

谢顿回到斯璀璘大学，心情比离开时更沉重许多。听克里昂的口气，仿佛他绝不会接受失败。

It all depended on Raych now.

现在一切都看芮奇的了。

18

18

Raych sat in the anteroom of a public building in Dahl into which he had never ventured-never could have ventured-as a ragamuffin youth. He felt, in all truth, a little uneasy about it now, as though he were trespassing.

芮奇坐在达尔区一栋公共建筑的前厅。当他还是个衣衫褴褛的少年时，他从未到过这里探险——从来无法到此探险。现在，他实实在在感到有点不安，仿佛他是非法侵入此地。

He tried to look calm, trustworthy, lovable.

他试着让自己看起来镇定、值得信赖，而且惹人怜爱。

Dad had told him that this was a quality he carried around with him, but he had never been conscious of it. If it came about naturally, he would probably spoil it by trying too hard to seem to be what he really was.

爸爸告诉过他，可爱是他与生俱来的一种特质，但他自己却从未意识到。假如它会自然而然流露出来，而他却太努力表现出这个本色，或许反而会弄巧成拙。

He tried relaxing while keeping an eye on the official who was manipulating a computer at the desk. The official was not a Dahlite. He was, in fact, Gambol Deen Namarti, who had been with Joranum at the meeting with Dad that Raych had attended.

他一面试着放松心情，一面望着坐在桌前操作电脑的那位官员。那官员并不是达尔人，事实上，他就是坎伯尔·丁恩·纳马提；他曾陪同久瑞南拜见谢顿，当时芮奇也在场。

Every once in a while, Namarti would look up from his desk and glance at Raych with a hostile glare. This Namarti wasn't buying Raych's lovability. Raych could see that.

每隔一会儿，伏案的纳马提便抬起头来，以充满敌意的目光瞪芮奇一眼。这位纳马提并不欣赏芮奇的可爱，这点芮奇看得出来。

Raych did not try to meet Namarti's hostility with a friendly smile. It would have seemed too artificial. He simply waited. He had gotten this far. If Joranum arrived, as he was expected to, Raych would have a chance to speak to him.

芮奇并未试图以友善的笑容面对纳马提的敌意，那样会显得太做作，因此他只是默默等待。他已经走到这一步，假如久瑞南不出所料来到这里，芮奇便有和他说话的机会。

Joranum did arrive, sweeping in, smiling his public smile of warmth and confidence. Namarti's hand came up and Joranum stopped. They spoke together in low voices while Raych watched intently and tried in vain to seem as if he wasn't. It seemed plain to Raych that Namarti was arguing against the meeting and Raych bridled a bit at that.

久瑞南果真来了，他大摇大摆走进来，脸上挂着他在公众面前惯有的笑容，热情洋溢且信心十足。纳马提举起一只手，久瑞南便停下脚步。他们两人开始低声交谈，芮奇则在一旁专心观察，试图表现得若无其事却欲盖弥彰。芮奇觉得情势很明显，纳马提是在反对这次会晤，芮奇却敢怒而不敢言。

Then Joranum looked at Raych, smiled, and pushed Namarti to one side. It occurred to Raych that, while Namarti was the brains of the team, it was Joranum who clearly had the charisma.

然后久瑞南望向芮奇，微微一笑，并将纳马提推到一旁。芮奇突然想通了，虽然纳马提是这个组织的头脑，但拥有领袖魅力的显然是久瑞南。

Joranum strode toward him and held out a plump, slightly moist hand. "Well well. Professor Seldon's young man. How are you?"

久瑞南大步向他走来，伸出一只丰满而稍嫌潮湿的手掌。“稀客稀客，谢顿教授的公子。你好吗？”

"Fine, thank you, sir."

“很好，谢谢你，阁下。”

"You had some trouble getting here, I understand."

“我了解你在途中遇到些麻烦。”

"Not too much, sir."

“不太严重，阁下。”

"And you've come with a message from your father, I trust. I hope he is reconsidering his decision and has decided to join me in my great crusade."

“而我相信，你来这里是为令尊送口信的。我希望他正在重新考虑他的决定，并已决心在这场圣战中加入我方阵营。”

"I don't think so, sir."

“我可不这么想，阁下。”

Joranum frowned slightly. "Are you here without his knowledge?"

久瑞南微微皱起眉头。“你是背着他来这里的吗？”

"No, sir. He sent me."

“不，阁下，是他派我来的。”

"I see. -Are you hungry, lad?"

“我懂了。你饿不饿，小伙子？”

"Not at the moment, sir."

“现在不饿，阁下。”

"Then would you mind if I eat? I don't get much time for the ordinary amenities of life," he said, smiling broadly.

“那么你介不介意我吃点东西？我没有留太多时间给生活上的普通享受。”他露出灿烂的笑容。

"It's all right with me, sir."

“我绝不介意，阁下。”

Together, they moved to a table and sat down. Joranum unwrapped a sandwich and took a bite. His voice slightly muffled, he said, "And why did he send you, son?"

两人来到一张餐桌旁，坐了下来。久瑞南打开一个三明治，咬了一口，再以有些含糊的声音说：“他为什么派你来呢，孩子？”

Raych shrugged. "I think he thought I might find out something about you that he could use against you. He's heart and soul with First Minister Demerzel."

芮奇耸了耸肩。“我想他以为，我也许能发现你的什么秘密，好让他用来对付你。他全心全意忠于丹莫刺尔首相。”

"And you're not?"

“而你不是？”

"No, sir. I'm a Dahlite."

“没错，阁下，我是达尔人。”

"I know you are, Mr. Seldon, but what does that mean?"

“我知道你是，谢顿先生，但你这句话是什么意思？”

"It means I'm oppressed, so I'm on your side and I want to help you. Of course, I wouldn't want my father to know."

“意思是我受到压迫，所以我站在你这边，我想要帮助你。当然，我可不想让我父亲知道。”

"There's no reason he should know. How do you propose to help me?" He glanced quickly at Namarti, who was leaning against his desk, listening, with his arms folded and his expression lowering. "Do you know anything about psychohistory?"

“没有理由让他知道。你打算怎样帮助我？”他瞥了纳马提一眼，后者倚在那张电脑桌旁，正在聆听这场对话，他的双臂交抱，脸拉得好长。“你对心理史学知道一些吗？”

"No, sir. My father don't talk to me about that-and if he did, I wouldn't get it. I don't think he's getting anywhere with that stuff."

“不知道，阁下。我父亲从不和我谈这东西，即使他提起，我也听不懂。我认为他在那方面搞不出任何名堂。”

"Are you sure?"

“你确定吗？”

"Sure I'm sure. There's a guy there, Yugo Amaryl, also a Dahlite, who talks about it sometimes. I'm sure nothing is happening."

“我当然确定。那里还有个哥儿们，雨果·阿马瑞尔，也是个达尔人，他有时会提到这件事。我确定什么结果都没有。”

"Ah! And can I see Yugo Amaryl sometime, do you suppose?"

“啊！你看改天我能见见雨果·阿马瑞尔吗？”

"I don't think so. He ain't much for Demerzel, but he's all for my father. He wouldn't cross him."

“我看不行。他不怎么向着丹莫刺尔，可是他死心塌地向着我父亲，他是不会出卖他的。”

"But you would?"

“可是你会？”

Raych looked unhappy and he muttered stubbornly, "I'm a Dahlite."

芮奇看起来很不高兴，他倔强地喃喃道：“我是达尔人。”

Joranum cleared his throat. "Then let me ask you again. How do you propose to help me, young man?"

久瑞南清了清喉咙。“那么让我再问你一遍，年轻人，你打算怎样帮助我？”

"I've got something to tell you that maybe you won't believe."

“我有件事要告诉你，但你不见得会相信。”

"Indeed? Try me. If I don't believe it, I will tell you so."

“是吗？试试看。如果我不相信，我会坦白告诉你。”

"It's about First Minister Eto Demerzel."

“是关于伊图·丹莫刺尔首相的事。”

"Well?"

“什么事？”

Raych looked around uneasily. "Can anyone hear me?"

芮奇不安地四下张望。“有什么人听得到我说话吗？”

"Just Namarti and myself."

“只有纳马提和我自己。”

"All right, then listen. This guy Demerzel ain't a guy. He's a robot."

“好吧，那么听好。丹莫刺尔这哥儿们其实不是哥儿们，他是机器人。”

"What!" exploded Joranum.

“什么！”久瑞南暴喝一声。

Raych felt moved to explain. "A robot is a mechanical man, sir. He ain't human. He's a machine."

芮奇觉得需要解释一番。“机器人就是人形机器，阁下。他不是人类，他是个机器。”

Namarti broke out passionately, "Jo-Jo, don't believe that. It's ridiculous."

纳马提突然激动地喊道：“九九，别相信这些，这是无稽之谈。”

But Joranum held up an admonitory hand. His eyes were gleaming. "Why do you say that?"

久瑞南却举起一只手做训诫状，他的双眼还闪闪发光。“你为何这样说？”

"My father was in Mycogen once. He told me all about it. In Mycogen they talk about robots a lot."

“我父亲去过麦曲生，他把一切告诉了我。在麦曲生，人们常常谈论机器人。”

"Yes, I know. At least, I have heard so."

“是的，我知道。至少，我也那么听说过。”

"The Mycogenians believe that robots were once very common among their ancestors, but they were wiped out."

“麦曲生人相信，机器人曾在他们祖先的社会非常普遍，可是后来被消灭了。”

Namarti's eyes narrowed. "But what makes you think that Demerzel is a robot? From what little I have heard of these fantasies, robots are made out of metal, aren't they?"

纳马提眯起眼睛。“但你凭什么认为丹莫刺尔是机器人？根据我听来的一点点奇幻故事，机器人是金属制造的，对不对？”

"That's so," said Raych earnestly. "But what I heard is that there were a few robots that look just like human beings and they live forever……"

“没错。”芮奇一本正经地说，“可是根据我听来的故事，有些机器人看起来和人类一模一样，而且他们长生不死……”

Namarti shook his head violently. "Legends! Ridiculous legends! JoJo, why are we listening……"

纳马提猛力摇了摇头。“传说！无稽的传说！九九，我们为什么要听……”

But Joranum cut him off quickly. "No, G.D. I want to listen. I've heard these legends, too."

但久瑞南迅速打断他的话。“不，坎·丁，我要听下去，我也听过这些传说。”

"But it's nonsense, Jo-Jo."

“但这实在荒谬，九九。”

"Don't be in such a rush to say `nonsense.' And even if it were, people live and die by nonsense. It's not what is so much as what people think is. -Tell me, young man, putting legends to one side, what makes you think Demerzel is a robot? Let's suppose that robots exist. What is it, then, about Demerzel that makes you say he is a robot? Did he tell you so?"

“别这么急着说‘荒谬’，即使真是如此，人们还不是都在荒谬中生生死死。事实不算什么，重要的是众人心中怎么想。年轻人，把传说摆到一边，告诉我，你为什么认为丹莫刺尔是机器人？让我们假设机器人的确存在，那么丹莫刺尔究竟做了什么，而让你说他是个机器人？是他自己告诉你的吗？”

"No, sir," said Raych.

“不是，阁下。”芮奇答道。

"Did your father tell you so?" asked Joranum.

“是你父亲告诉你的吗？”久瑞南又问。

"No, sir. It's just my own idea, but I'm sure of it."

“也不是，阁下。那只是我自己的想法，但我可以确定。”

"Why? What makes you so sure?"

“为什么？是什么使你如此确定？”

"It's just something about him. He doesn't change. He doesn't get older. He doesn't show emotions. Something about him looks like he's made of metal."

“只不过是根据他的一些言行举止。他的样子不会改变，他不会衰老，他从来不表现情绪，他有些特征透出他是金属制的。”

Joranum sat back in his chair and looked at Raych for an extended time. It was almost possible to hear his thoughts buzzing.

久瑞南上身靠回椅背，望了芮奇好长一段时间，他的心思仿佛在嗡嗡作响。

Finally he said, "Suppose he is a robot, young man. Why should you care? Does it matter to you?"

最后他终于说：“假定他真是机器人，年轻人，你又何必在乎呢？这和你有什么关系吗？”

"Of course it matters to me," said Raych. "I'm a human being. I don't want no robot in charge of running the Empire."

“当然和我有关系，”芮奇说，“我是人类，我不要啥子机器人来治理帝国。”

Joranum turned to Namarti with a gesture of eager approval. "Do you hear that, G.D.? `I'm a human being. I don't want no robot in charge of running the Empire.' Put him on holovision and have him say it. Have him repeat it over and over till it's drummed into every person on Trantor……"

久瑞南转向纳马提，做出双手赞成的手势。“你听到了吗，坎·丁？‘我是人类，我不要啥子机器人来治理帝国。’让他上全息电视去说，让他一遍又一遍重复，直到敲响川陀每个人的耳膜为止……”

"Hey," said Raych, finally catching his breath. "I can't say that on holovision. I can't let my father find out……"

“嘿，”芮奇总算喘过气来，“我不能在全息电视上说那句话，我不能让我父亲发现……”

"No, of course not," said Joranum quickly. "We couldn't allow that. We'll just use the words. We'll find some other Dahlite. Someone from each of the sectors, each in his own dialect, but always the same message: `I don't want no robot in charge of running the Empire.'"

“不，当然不会。”久瑞南立即接口道，“我们不会那么做，我们只会用那句话。我们会另外找个达尔人，会在每一区都找一个人，每个人都用自己的方言，但总是同样的宣示：‘我不要啥子机器人来治理帝国。’”

Namarti said, "And what happens when Demerzel proves he's not a robot?"

纳马提说：“如果丹莫刺尔证明自己不是机器人，那怎么办？”

"Really," said Joranum. "How will he do that? It would be impossible for him to do so. Psychologically impossible. What? The great Demerzel, the power behind the throne, the man who has twitched the strings attached to Cleon I all these years and those attached to Cleonís father before him? Will he climb down now and whine to the public that he is, too, a human being? That would be almost as destructive to him as being a robot. G.D., we have the villain in a no-win situation and we owe it all to this fine young man here."

“真是的。”久瑞南说，“他要怎么做？他根本不可能做得到，心理上不可能。什么？伟大的丹莫刺尔，皇帝身后的掌权者；这些年来，他一直扯弄着克里昂一世身上的绳索，在此之前则扯弄着钉在其父身上的绳索，现在他竟然会放下身段，当众哭诉他也是人类吗？那样做对他而言，几乎和他真是机器人具有同样的杀伤力。坎·丁，这坏蛋这回输定了，而这都要归功于这位优秀的年轻人。”

Raych flushed.

芮奇面红耳赤。

Joranum said, "Raych is your name, isn't it? Once our party is in a position to do so, we won't forget. Dahl will be treated well and you will have a good position with us. You're going to be Dahl's sector leader someday, Raych, and you're not going to regret you've done this. Are you, now?"

久瑞南说：“你的名字是芮奇，对吗？一旦我党得以执政，我们不会忘记你的。达尔会被照顾得很好，你会在我们这里有个好职位。总有一天，你将成为达尔区的领袖，芮奇，你不会后悔曾经这么做。你现在后悔吗？”

"Not on your life," said Raych fervently.

“打死也不后悔。”芮奇慷慨激昂地说。

"In that case, we'll see that you get back to your father. You let him know that we intend him no harm, that we value him greatly. You can tell him you found that out in any way you please. And if you find anything else you think we might be able to use-about psychohistory, in particular, you let us know."

“既然如此，我们要确保你回到你父亲身边。你要让他知道，我们不打算伤害他，我们极为重视他。你告诉他这就是你的发现，你爱编个什么故事都行。从今以后，如果发现任何其他事情，你认为可能对我们有用，尤其是关于心理史学的，你就立刻通知我们。”

"You bet. But do you mean it when you say you'll see to it that Dahl gets some breaks?"

“不在话下。但是，你说你保证达尔有翻身的机会，你是真心的吗？”

"Absolutely. Equality of sectors, my boy. Equality of worlds. We'll have a new Empire with all the old villainies of privilege and inequality wiped out."

“绝对是的，我的好孩子。各区平等，各个世界平等。我们会有个崭新的帝国，特权和不平等所造成的一切罪恶将连根拔除。”

And Raych nodded his head vigorously. "That's what I want."

芮奇使劲点了点头。“那正是我想要的。”

19

19

Cleon, Emperor of the Galaxy, was walking hurriedly through the arcade that led from his private quarters in the Small Palace to the offices of the rather tremendous staff that lived in the various annexes of the Imperial Palace, which served as the nerve center of the Empire.

克里昂一世，银河的共主，此时正匆匆忙忙走过拱廊。透过这道拱廊，偏殿的寝宫连接着相当庞大的官僚系统所使用的办公室，而那些官僚则散居皇宫各个别馆，因此整座皇宫就是帝国的神经中枢。

Several of his personal attaches walked after him, with looks of the deepest concern on their faces. The Emperor did not walk to others. He summoned them and they came to him. If he did walk, he never showed signs of haste or emotional trauma. How could he? He was the Emperor and, as such, far more a symbol of all the worlds than a human being.

他的几名贴身侍从走在他后面，脸上挂着深切无比的忧虑。一般说来，皇帝不会移驾找什么人；他只要召唤他们，他们便会赶来见他。假如他真迈开脚步，也绝不会显现出焦急或情感受创的样子。他怎么能呢？身为一位皇帝，与其说是个重要人物，不如说更像所有世界的一个象征。

Yet now he seemed to be a human being. He motioned everyone aside with an impatient wave of his right hand. In his left hand he held a gleaming hologram.

但他现在似乎就是个普通人。他不耐烦地挥动右手，示意每个人退到一旁。而他的左手，则握着一张闪闪发光的全息像。

"The First Minister," he said in an almost strangled voice, not at all like the carefully cultivated tones he had painstakingly assumed along with the throne. "Where is he?"

“首相，他在哪里？”他用近乎掐住脖子的声音说，完全不像那种刻意训练出来的声调（它与皇位同样是他身上的重担）。

And all the high functionaries who were in his way fumbled and gasped and found it impossible to manage coherence. He brushed past them angrily, making them all feel, undoubtedly, as though they were living through a waking nightmare.

一路上的高级官员通通不知所措，他们纷纷喘着大气，根本不可能保持镇定。大帝气呼呼地掠过他们，使他们全部觉得仿佛活在一场白日恶梦中。

Finally he burst into Demerzel's private office, panting slightly, and shouted-literally shouted- "Demerzel!"

最后他终于冲进丹莫刺尔的个人办公室。他微微喘着气，大吼道——不折不扣地大吼道：“丹、莫、刺、尔！”

Demerzel looked up with a trace of surprise and rose smoothly to his feet, for one did not sit in the presence of the Emperor unless specifically invited to. "Sire?" he said.

丹莫刺尔带着一丝惊讶抬起头来，接着不急不徐地起身，因为除非受到特别的恩准，任何人在皇帝面前都不会坐着。“陛下？”他答道。

And the Emperor slammed the hologram down on Demerzel's desk and said, "What is this? Will you tell me that?"

大帝将那张全息像摔到丹莫刺尔的办公桌上，问道：“这是什么？你能告诉我吗？”

Demerzel looked at what the Emperor had given him. It was a beautiful hologram, sharp and alive. One could almost hear the little boy-perhaps ten years old-speaking the words that were included in the caption: "I don't want no robot in charge of running the Empire."

丹莫刺尔看了看大帝丢给他的东西。那是一张美丽的全息像，鲜明而生动。几乎能听见那个十岁左右的小男孩，正在说着字幕上那句话：“我不要啥子机器人来治理帝国。”

Demerzel said quietly, "Sire, I have received this, too."

丹莫刺尔平静地说：“启禀陛下，我也收到了。”

"And who else has?"

“还有谁收到了？”

"I am under the impression, Sire, that it is a flier that is being widely spread over Trantor."

“我的感觉是，陛下，它是一份正在川陀各处广为散发的传单。”

"Yes, and do you see the person at whom that brat is looking?" He tapped his Imperial forefinger at it. "Isn't that you?"

“没错，你有没有看到那小鬼望着什么人？”他伸出至尊的食指，轻轻敲了敲那个人像，“那不是你吗？”

"The resemblance is striking, Sire."

“真是十分相似，陛下。”

"Am I wrong in supposing that the whole intent of this flier, as you call it, is to accuse you of being a robot?"

“你所谓的这份传单，唯一的意图就是指控你是机器人，我这样猜有没有错？”

"That does seem to be its intention, Sire."

“那似乎的确是它的意图，陛下。”

"And stop me if I'm wrong, but aren't robots the legendary mechanical human beings one finds in-in thrillers and children's stories?"

“我要是说错了，立刻纠正我，机器人不就是传说中的人形机器，那种在……在惊悚影片和儿童故事中才有的东西？”

"The Mycogenians have it as an article of faith, Sire, that robots……"

“麦曲生人将它当成信仰的对象，陛下，而机器人……”

"I'm not interested in the Mycogenians and their articles of faith. Why are they accusing you of being a robot?"

“我对麦曲生人和他们信仰的对象并没有兴趣。他们为什么指控你是机器人？”

"Merely a metaphorical point, I'm sure, Sire. They wish to portray me as a man of no heart, whose views are the conscienceless calculations of a machine."

“我确定那只是一种比喻，陛下。他们希望将我刻画成一个没有心肠的人；我的观点缺乏良知，只是一台机器的计算结果。”

"That's too subtle, Demerzel. I'm no fool." He tapped the hologram again. "They're trying to make people believe you are really a robot."

“那太隐晦了，丹莫刺尔，我可不是傻瓜。”他又轻轻敲了敲那张全息像，“他们试图让百姓相信你真是机器人。”

"We can scarcely prevent it, Sire, if people choose to believe that."

“假如百姓愿意相信，陛下，我们几乎无法阻止。”

"We cannot afford it. It detracts from the dignity of your office. Worse than that, it detracts from the dignity of the Emperor, The implication is that I-I would choose as my First Minister a mechanical man. That is impossible to endure. See here, Demerzel, aren't there laws that forbid the denigration of public officers of the Empire?"

“我们承受不起。它有损你这个首相的尊严，更糟的是，它还有损我这个皇帝的尊严。那暗示的是我，我，竟然会选一个机器人当我的首相，这是忍无可忍的事。听好，丹莫刺尔，不是有些禁止诋毁帝国官员的法律吗？”

"Yes, there are-and quite severe ones, Sire, dating back to the great Law Codes of Aburamis."

“启禀陛下，的确有，而且相当严苛，可以追溯到伟大的《亚布拉米斯法典》。”

"And to denigrate the Emperor himself is a capital offense, is it not?"

“而诋毁皇帝本人，则是罪大恶极的死罪，对不对？”

"Death is the punishment, Sire. Yes."

“的确难逃一死，陛下，一点都没错。”

"Well, this not only denigrates you, it denigrates me-and whoever did it should be executed forthwith. It was this Joranum, of course, who is behind it."

“好啦，这不只诋毁你，还诋毁了我。无论是谁干的，都该立即处决。当然，幕后的主使者就是那个久瑞南。”

"Undoubtedly. Sire, but proving it might be rather difficult."

“毫无疑问，陛下，但要证明这点可能相当困难。”

"Nonsense! I have proof enough! I want an execution."

“荒谬！我有足够的证据！我要处决他。”

"The trouble is, Sire, that the laws of denigration are virtually never enforced. Not in this century, certainly."

“问题是，陛下，诋毁罪实际上从未遭到追究。至少，本世纪绝对没有。”

"And that is why society is becoming so unstable and the Empire is being shaken to its roots. The laws are still in the books, so enforce them."

“这就是社会变得如此不稳定，而帝国也开始动摇根本的原因。那些法律仍是白纸黑字，所以赶快执行吧。”

Demerzel said, "Consider, Sire, if that would be wise. It would make you appear to be a tyrant and a despot. Your rule has been a most successful one through kindness and mildness……"

丹莫刺尔说：“请陛下三思这是否明智，那会使您显得像个暴君和独裁者。您以仁慈与和善为念的统治，一向是最成功的……”

"Yes and see where that got me. Let's have them fear me for a change, rather than love me-in this fashion."

“没错，但是看看我得到了什么。让我们换个方式，叫他们开始怕我，而不是敬爱我——以这种方式敬爱我。”

"I strongly recommend that you not do so, Sire. It may be the spark that will start a rebellion."

“我极力劝告您别这么做，陛下，它可能会成为点燃一场叛乱的火花。”

"What would you do, then? Go before the people and say, `Look at me. I am no robot."'

“那么，你要怎么做呢？走到百姓面前说：‘看看我，我不是机器人。’”

"No, Sire, for as you say that would destroy my dignity and, worse yet, yours."

“不，因为正如陛下所说，那样会毁掉我的尊严，更糟的是，也会毁掉您的尊严。”

"Then?"

“那该怎么办？”

"I am not certain, Sire. I have not yet thought it through."

“我不确定，陛下，我尚未好好想过。”

"Not yet thought it through? -Get in touch with Seldon."

“尚未好好想过？去联络谢顿。”

"Sire?"

“陛下？”

"What is so difficult to understand about my order? Get in touch with Seldon!"

“我的命令为何那么难以理解？去、联、络、谢、顿！”

"You wish me to summon him to the Palace, Sire?"

“陛下希望我召他进宫吗？”

"No, there's no time for that. I presume you can set up a sealed communication line between us that cannot be tapped."

“不，没时间那么做了。我相信你能帮我们架设一条密封通讯线路，无法窃听的那种。”

"Certainly, Sire."

“没问题，陛下。”

"Then do so. Now!"

“那就去办吧。赶快！”

20

20

Seldon lacked Demerzel's self-possession, being, as he was, only flesh and blood. The summons to his office and the sudden faint glow and tingle of the scrambler field was indication enough that something unusual was taking place. He had spoken by sealed lines before but never to the full extent of Imperial security.

谢顿欠缺丹莫刺尔那份泰然自若，他毕竟只是血肉之躯。传到研究室的那些召唤，以及“扰乱场”突然生出的微弱光芒与滋滋噪音，足以显示发生了不寻常的事。他以前也曾经用过密封线路通话，但从未达到帝国安全标准的极限。

He expected some government official to clear the way for Demerzel himself. Considering the slowly mounting tumult of the robot flier, he could expect nothing less.

他预期会有某位政府官员来为丹莫刺尔传话。有鉴于那份机器人传单逐渐掀起的骚动，他的预期不会低于这个层级。

But he did not expect anything more, either, and when the image of the Emperor himself, with the faint glitter of the scramble field outlining him, stepped into his office (so to speak), Seldon fell back in his seat, mouth wide open, and could make only ineffectual attempts to rise.

但他的预期也并未高于这个层级。因此当大帝本人的影像，周围泛着扰乱场的微弱闪光，跨进（姑且这么说）他的研究室时，谢顿跌回座椅中，嘴巴张得老大，只能徒劳无功地试图站起来。

Cleon motioned him impatiently to keep his seat. "You must know what's going on, Seldon."

克里昂做个不耐烦的手势，示意他继续坐着。“你一定知道发生了什么事，谢顿。”

"Do you mean about the robot flier, Sire?"

“您是指那份机器人传单，陛下？”

"That's exactly what I mean. What's to be done?"

“那正是我的意思。现在该怎么做？”

Seldon, despite the permission to remain seated, finally rose. "There's more, Sire. Joranum is organizing rallies all over Trantor on the robot issue. At least, that's what I hear on the newscasts."

尽管大帝恩准他继续坐着，谢顿终究还是站了起来。“启禀陛下，不只如此而已。久瑞南针对机器人这个议题，正在川陀各地组织示威活动。至少，我听新闻幕上是这么说的。”

"It hasn't reached me yet. Of course not. Why should the Emperor know what is going on?"

“它还没传到我耳朵里。当然没有，皇帝何必知道发生了什么事？”

"It is not for the Emperor to be concerned, Sire. I'm sure that the First Minister……"

“这种事不劳陛下操心，我确信首相……”

"The First Minister will do nothing, not even keep me informed. I turn to you and your psychohistory. Tell me what to do. "

“首相什么也不会做，甚至不会向我报告最新状况。现在我要向你和心理史学求助，告、诉、我、该、怎、么、做。”

"Sire?"

“陛下？”

"I'm not going to play your game, Seldon. You've been working on psychohistory for eight years. The First Minister tells me I must not take legal action against Joranum. What, then, do I do?"

“我不准备和你玩游戏，谢顿，你在心理史学上已经花了八年时间。首相告诉我，我一定不能采取法律行动对付久瑞南，那么，我该做些什么呢？”

Seldon stuttered. "S-sire! Nothing!"

谢顿结结巴巴地说：“陛……陛下！什么也别做！”

"You have nothing to tell me?"

“你什么也不能告诉我吗？”

"No, Sire. That is not what I mean. I mean you must do nothing. Nothing! The First Minister is quite right if he tells you that you must not take legal action. It will make things worse."

“不，陛下，我不是这个意思。我是指您一定不能采取行动，任何行动都不能！首相若告诉您不能采取法律行动，那他说得很对，否则只会使情况更糟。”

"Very well. What will make things better?"

“很好。那怎么做才能使情况更好呢？”

"For you to do nothing. For the First Minister to do nothing. For the government to allow Joranum to do just as he pleases."

“您什么事也别做，首相什么事也别做，政府则允许久瑞南放手去做。”

"How will that help?"

“那会有什么帮助？”

And Seldon said, trying to suppress the note of desperation in his voice, "That will soon be seen."

谢顿尽量压抑声音中的绝望语调，说道：“很快就会看出来。”

The Emperor seemed to deflate suddenly, as though all the anger and indignation had been drawn out of him. He said, "Ah! I understand! You have the situation well in hand!"

大帝突然像是放了气的气球，仿佛所有的怒意与愤慨都被抽出体外。他说：“啊！我懂了！你完全掌握了局势！”

"Sire! I have not said that……"

“陛下！我可没那么说……”

"You need not say. I have heard enough. You have the situation well in hand, but I want results. I still have the Imperial Guard and the armed forces. They will be loyal and, if it comes to actual disorders, I will not hesitate. But I will give you your chance first."

“你不必说，我已经听到很多了。你完全掌握了局势，但我要的是结果。我仍保有禁卫军和武装部队，他们会忠心耿耿。倘若出现真正的混乱，我绝不会犹豫，但我会先给你一个机会。”

His image flashed out and Seldon sat there, simply staring at the empty space where the image had been.

他的影像一闪就消失了，谢顿坐在那里，干瞪着显像早已消失的空洞空间。

Ever since the first unhappy moment when he had mentioned psychohistory at the Decennial Convention eight years before, he had had to face the fact that he didn't have what he had incautiously talked about.

八年前，他在十载会议上首度提到心理史学，从那个不愉快的时刻开始，他就必须面对一个事实：他根本没有自己脱口而出的那个东西。

All he had was the wild ghost of some thoughts-and what Yugo Amaryl called intuition.

他有的只是一些虚无缥缈的疯狂想法，以及雨果·阿马瑞尔所谓的直觉。

21

21

In two days Joranum had swept Trantor, partly by himself, mostly through his lieutenants. As Hari muttered to Dors, it was a campaign that had all the marks of military efficiency. "He was born to be a war admiral in the old days," he said. "He's wasted on politics."

短短两天内，久瑞南的示威横扫整个川陀，少数由他亲自出马，大部分是他的副手们所领导。正如谢顿对铎丝喃喃抱怨的，这次行动具有军事效率的一切特征。“倘若在古代，他是天生的大将。”他说，“他的天分浪费在政治上了。”

And Dors said, "Wasted? At this rate, he's going to make himself First Minister in a week and, if he wishes, Emperor in two weeks. There are reports that some of the military garrisons are cheering him."

铎丝则说：“浪费？照这个速度，他能在一周内当上首相，而他只要有心，两周内就能当上皇帝。根据报道，有些戍卫部队正为他喝彩呢。”

Seldon shook his head. "It will collapse, Dors."

谢顿摇了摇头。“会瓦解的，铎丝。”

"What? Joranum's party or the Empire?"

“什么？久瑞南的政党还是帝国？”

"Joranum's party. The story of the robot has created an instant stir, especially with the effective use of that flier, but a little thought, a little coolness, and the public will see it for the ridiculous accusation it is."

“久瑞南的政党。机器人的说法的确制造出一时的轰动，尤其是因为他们有效地利用那份传单，但只要稍微深思一下，稍微冷静一点，民众就会看出那是多么无稽的指控。”

"But, Hari," said Dors tightly, "you needn't pretend with me. It is not a ridiculous story. How could Joranum possibly have found out that Demerzel is a robot?"

“可是，哈里，”铎丝坚定地说，“你不必跟我假装，那可不是无稽的说法。久瑞南怎么可能发现丹莫刺尔是机器人呢？”

"Oh, that.' Why, Raych told him so."

“喔，那件事！哈，是芮奇告诉他的。”

"Raych!"

“芮奇！”

"That's right. He did his job perfectly and got back safely with the promise of being made Dahl's sector leader someday. Of course he was believed. I knew he would be."

“没错。他圆满达成任务，已经平安归来，他们还对他承诺，有一天会让他成为达尔区的领袖。他当然深获信任，我早就知道他做得到。”

"You mean you told Raych that Demerzel was a robot and had him pass on the news to Joranum?" Dors looked utterly horrified.

“你的意思是，你告诉芮奇说丹莫刺尔是机器人，还让他把这个消息传给久瑞南？”铎丝看来吓坏了。

"No, I couldn't do that. You know I couldn't tell Raych-or anyone-that Demerzel was a robot. I told Raych as firmly as I could that Demerzel was not a robot-and even that much was difficult. But I did ask him to tell Joranum that he was. He is under the firm impression that he lied to Joranum."

“不，我不可能那么做。你知道我不能告诉芮奇，或是任何人，说丹莫刺尔是机器人。我以尽可能坚定的口吻告诉芮奇，丹莫刺尔不是机器人——就连那样说也不容易。但我的确要他告诉久瑞南，说他是个机器人。芮奇深深相信他对久瑞南撒了谎。”

"But why, Hari? Why?"

“可是为什么呢，哈里？为什么？”

"It's not psychohistory, I'll tell you that. Don't you join the Emperor in thinking I'm a magician. I just wanted Joranum to believe that Demerzel was a robot. He's a Mycogenian by birth, so he was filled from youth with his culture's tales of robots. Therefore, he was predisposed to believe and he was convinced that the public would believe with him."

“我可以告诉你，这和心理史学无关。你别和大帝一样，以为我是魔法师。我只是要久瑞南相信丹莫刺尔是机器人。他本是麦曲生人，所以自小听多了机器人的民间故事。因此，他很容易相信这种事，而他深信民众也会和他一样。”

"Well, won't they?"

“怎么，不是吗？”

"Not really. After the initial shock is over, they will realize that it's madcap fiction-or they will think so. I've persuaded Demerzel that he must give a talk on subetheric holovision to be broadcast to key portions of the Empire and to every sector on Trantor. He is to talk about everything but the robot issue. There are enough crises, we all know, to fill such a talk. People will listen and will hear nothing about robots. Then, at the end, he will be asked about the flier and he need not answer a word. He need only laugh."

“不见得。等到初期的震撼消失，他们就会了解，或者说会认为，那只是狂人的幻想。我已经说服丹莫刺尔，他必须透过次乙太全息电视发表一场演说，广播到帝国各个重镇，以及川陀每一个区。他会谈论各种问题，唯独不提机器人这档事。如今危机重重，大家都知道，所以这种演说不会冷场。人们会凝神聆听，偏偏听不到和机器人有关的事。然后，到了最后，自会有人问起那份传单。他一个字也不必回答，他只需要哈哈大笑。”

"Laugh? I've never known Demerzel to laugh. He almost never smiles."

“哈哈大笑？我从来不知道丹莫刺尔会哈哈大笑，他甚至几乎不曾微笑。”

"This time, Dors, he'll laugh. It is the one thing that no one ever visualizes a robot doing. You've seen robots in holographic fantasies, haven't you? They're always pictured as literal-minded, unemotional, inhuman- That's what people are sure to expect. So Demerzel need merely laugh. And on top of that- Do you remember Sunmaster Fourteen, the religious leader of Mycogen?"

“这一回，铎丝，他会的。这是一件谁也未曾目睹机器人做过的事。你在全息奇幻节目中看过机器人吧？他们总是被塑造成一板一眼、毫无情感、缺乏人性，那是人们预料中的必然形象，所以丹莫刺尔只需要笑几声就好。此外，你还记得日主十四吗，那位麦曲生的宗教领袖？”

"Of course I do. Literal-minded, unemotional, inhuman. He's never laughed, either."

“我当然记得。一板一眼、毫无情感、缺乏人性，他也从来不发笑。”

"And he won't this time. I've done a lot of work on this Joranum matter since I had that little set-to at the Field. I know Joranum's real name. I know where he was born, who his parents were, where he had his early training, and all of it, with documentary proof, has gone to Sunmaster Fourteen. I don't think Sunmaster likes Breakaways."

“这回他还是笑不出来。自从我在运动场和他们比划几下之后，我就对久瑞南这个人做了许多研究。我知道久瑞南的真实姓名，还知道他生在何处，他的双亲是什么人，他早年在哪里接受训练。这些相关资料，连同证明文件，都已经送到日主十四手上。我想日主是不会喜欢脱缰者的。”

"But I thought you said you don't wish to spark off bigotry."

“可是我记得你说过，你不希望点燃种族偏见的火种。”

"I don't. If I had given the information to the holovision people, I would have, but I've given it to Sunmaster, where, after all, it belongs."

“我是不希望。假使我把那些资料交给全息电视台，就的确会发生那种事。但我却是将它交给日主，这只能算物归原主而已。”

"And he'll start off the bigotry."

“而他将会点燃这个火种。”

"Of course he won't. No one on Trantor would pay any attention to Sunmaster-whatever he might say."

“他当然不会。无论日主说什么，川陀上都不会有任何人注意。”

"Then what's the point?"

“那么用意何在？”

"Well, that's what we'll see, Dors. I don't have a psychohistorical analysis of the situation. I don't even know if one is possible. I just hope that my judgment is right."

“嗯，这点我们等着瞧，铎丝。我并没有一份针对时局的心理史学分析，我甚至不知道这种分析有没有可能，我只希望我的判断是正确的。”

22

22

Eto Demerzel laughed.

伊图·丹莫刺尔哈哈大笑，已经数不清是第几次了。

It was not the first time. He sat there, with Hari Seldon and Dors Venabili in a tap-free room, and, every once in a while, at a signal from Hari, he would laugh. Sometimes he leaned back and laughed uproariously, but Seldon shook his head. "That would never sound convincing."

他坐在那里，与哈里·谢顿以及铎丝·凡纳比里同在一间无法窃听的房间内。每隔一会儿，只要谢顿做个手势，他便会开始发笑。有时他会仰靠在椅背上，发出刺耳的大笑声，但谢顿总是摇摇头。“那样听来绝无说服力。”

So Demerzel smiled and then laughed with dignity and Seldon made a face. "I'm stumped," he said. "It's no use trying to tell you funny stories. You get the point only intellectually. You will simply have to memorize the sound."

于是丹莫刺尔微微一笑，然后发出尊贵的笑声，结果换来谢顿一个鬼脸。“我认输了，”他说，“试着跟你讲滑稽故事也没用，你只能了解故事的知性层面。你必须牢记那种声音才行。”

Dors said, "Use a holographic laughtrack."

铎丝说：“用全息笑声轨带。”

"No! That would never be Demerzel. That's a bunch of idiots being paid to yak. It's not what I want. Try again, Demerzel."

“不！那绝不是丹莫刺尔，只是一伙为了赚钱而傻笑的白痴，那可不是我要的。再试一遍，丹莫刺尔。”

Demerzel tried again until Seldon said, "All right, then, memorize that sound and reproduce it when you're asked the question. You've got to look amused. You can't make the sound of laughing, however proficient, with a grave face. Smile a little, just a little. Pull back the corner of your mouth." Slowly Demerzel's mouth widened into a grin. "Not bad. Can you make your eyes twinkle?"

丹莫刺尔一试再试，最后谢顿终于说：“好了，就记住这个声音，当有人问你那个问题时就复制出来。你一定得显得被逗乐了，不论笑得多么熟练，你也不能板着脸孔制造那些笑声。露出一点笑容，一点就好，把一侧嘴角向后拉。”丹莫刺尔的嘴巴慢慢咧开，形成一个笑容。“不坏嘛，你能让双眼闪烁吗？”

"What do you mean, 'twinkle,"' said Dors indignantly. "No one makes their eyes twinkle. That's a metaphorical expression."

“你所谓‘闪烁’是什么意思？”铎丝愤愤地说，“谁也不能让自己的眼睛闪烁，那只是比喻的说法。”

"No, it's not," said Seldon. "There's the hint of tears in the eye-sadness, joy, surprise, whatever-and the reflection of light from that hint of fluid is what does it."

“不，不是的。”谢顿说，“有时眼里会有一点泪水，不论是因为悲伤、喜悦或惊讶，当那一点液体反射光线，就会造成闪烁。”

"Well, do you seriously expect Demerzel to produce tears?"

“好吧，你当真指望丹莫刺尔能制造眼泪吗？”

And Demerzel said, matter-of-factly, "My eyes do produce tears for general cleansing-never in excess. Perhaps, though, if I imagine my eyes to be slightly irritated……"

丹莫刺尔一本正经地说：“我的眼睛的确会制造泪水，那是为了一般性的清洗，绝不会过量。不过，说不定，我若想象眼睛受到轻微的刺激……”

"Try it," said Seldon. "It can't hurt."

“试试看，”谢顿说，“不会有害的。”

And so it was that when the talk on subetheric holovision was over and the words were streaking out to millions of worlds at thousands of times the effective speed of light words that were grave, matter-of-fact, informative, and without rhetorical embellishment-and that discussed everything but robots-Demerzel declared himself ready to answer questions.

于是，当次乙太全息电视上的演说结束，演说的内容（严肃的、实事求是的、报道性的；没有任何华丽的修饰、除了机器人无所不谈）正以光速的数千倍奔向几百万个世界之际，丹莫刺尔宣布他准备接受发问。

He did not have to wait long. The very first question was: "Mr. First Minister, are you a robot?"

他不需要等多久，第一个问题就是：“首相先生，您是机器人吗？”

Demerzel simply stared calmly and let the tension build. Then he smiled, his body shook slightly, and he laughed. It was not a loud uproarious laugh, but it was a rich one, the laugh of someone enjoying a moment of fantasy. It was infectious. The audience tittered and then laughed along with him.

丹莫刺尔只是冷静地瞪着现场观众，让紧张的情绪升高。然后他微微一笑，身体轻微晃动，接着便笑出声来。那并非过分刺耳的大笑声，但声音相当嘹亮，意味着某个古怪念头把他逗乐了。而这是有传染性的，观众先是吃吃窃笑，不久便成了哄堂大笑。

Demerzel waited for the laughter to die down and then, eyes twinkling, said, "Must I really answer that? Is it necessary to do so?" He was still smiling as the screen darkened.

丹莫刺尔一直等到笑声平息，才透着炯炯的目光说：“我必须回答这个问题吗？真有必要那么做吗？”当荧幕转趋漆黑之际，他脸上仍带着笑容。

Chapter 23

23

"I'm sure it worked," said Seldon. "Naturally we won't have a complete reversal instantly. It takes time. But things are moving in the right direction now. I noticed that when I stopped Namarti's talk at the University Field. The audience was with him until I faced him and showed spunk against odds. The audience began to change sides at once."

“我确定有效。”谢顿说，“自然，不会立刻使情势完全逆转，那需要时间，但事态已经朝正确方向发展。当我在大学运动场打断纳马提的演讲时，我就注意到了这点。听众本来站在他那边，等到我挺身而出，展现以寡敌众的勇气后，听众马上开始转变立场。”

"Do you think this is an analogous situation?" asked Dors dubiously.

“你认为如今的情势可依此类推吗？”铎丝透着疑惑问道。

"Of course. If I don't have psychohistory, I can use analogy-and the brains I was born with, I suppose. There was the First Minister, beleaguered on all sides with the accusation, and he faced it down with a smile and a laugh, the most nonrobot thing he could have done, so that in itself was an answer to the question. Of course sympathy began to slide to his side. Nothing would stop that. But that's only the beginning. We have to wait for Sunmaster Fourteen and hear what he has to say."

“当然。即使没有心理史学，我想我还能用类推法，以及与生俱来的头脑。看看我们的首相，遭到来自四面八方的围剿，而他用一个笑容和笑声就化解了，这是他能做到的最不像机器人的事，所以它本身就是那个问题的答案。同情当然会开始靠向他那边，任何力量都阻止不了。但这只是个开始，我们还得等日主十四的消息，得听听他怎么说。”

"Are you confident there, too?"

“你对那边也有信心吗？”

"Absolutely."

“绝对有。”

Chapter 24

24

Tennis was one of Hari's favorite sports, but he preferred to play rather than watch others. He watched with impatience, therefore, as the Emperor Cleon, dressed in sports fashion, loped across the court to return the ball. It was Imperial tennis, actually, so-called because it was a favorite of Emperors, a version of the game in which a computerized racket was used that could alter its angle slightly with appropriate pressures on the handle. Hari had tried to develop the technique on several occasions but found that mastering the computerized racket would take a great deal of practice-and Hari Seldon's time was far too precious for what was clearly a trivial pursuit.

网球是谢顿最喜爱的运动之一，但他对打球的兴趣远胜于当个观众。因此，当穿着运动装的克里昂大帝漫步穿梭球场接球之际，他不耐烦地坐在观众席中。事实上，这是所谓的皇家网球，因为它是历代皇帝所钟爱的一项运动。使用的是一种电脑化球拍，只要在握把上施加适度的压力，便能稍加改变拍面的角度。谢顿曾有几次试图练成这种技巧，却发现需要大量的练习，才能纯熟地使用这种电脑化球拍。而哈里·谢顿的时间太宝贵了，不能浪费在显然无谓的目的上。

Cleon placed the ball in a nonreturnable position and won the game. He trotted off the court to the careful applause of the functionaries who were watching and Seldon said to him, "Congratulations, Sire. You played a marvelous game."

克里昂将球打到一个救不回的位置，赢了这场球赛。他快步走出球场，迎向观众席中大小官员谨慎的掌声。谢顿对他说：“恭喜陛下，您这场球打得好极了。”

Cleon said indifferently, "Do you think so, Seldon? They're all so careful to let me win. I get no pleasure out of it."

克里昂淡然道：“你真这么想吗，谢顿？他们全都小心翼翼让我赢球，我赢得没有一点乐趣。”

5eldon said, "In that case, Sire, you might order your opponents to play harder."

谢顿说：“这样的话，陛下可以命令对手更卖力些。”

"It wouldn't help. They'd be careful to lose anyway. And if they did win, I would get even less pleasure out of losing than out of winning meaninglessly. Being an Emperor has its woes, Seldon. Joranum would have found that out-if he had ever succeeded in becoming one."

“没有用的，他们无论如何会刻意输给我。而他们要是真的赢了，我又会觉得比起赢得毫无意义，输球更没乐趣。身为皇帝自有其悲哀，谢顿。久瑞南也会发现这点，假使他成功地当上皇帝。”

He disappeared into his private shower facility and emerged in due time, scrubbed and dried and dressed rather more formally.

说完，他便消失在御用沐浴间。不久他重新出现，全身已经洗净蒸干，并穿上正式许多的服装。

"And now, Seldon" he said, waving all the others away, "the tennis court is as private a place as we can find and the weather is glorious, so let us not go indoors. I have read the Mycogenian message of this Sunmaster Fourteen. Will it do?"

“好了，谢顿，”他一面说，一面挥手逐退所有的人，“我们再也找不到比网球场更隐密的地方，而且天气这么好，所以我们别进屋去。我读了麦曲生那个日主十四的来信，那样行得通吗？”

"Entirely, Sire. As you have read, Joranum was denounced as a Mycogenian Breakaway and is accused of blasphemy in the strongest terms."

“启禀陛下，完全行得通。正如您读到的，他们谴责久瑞南是麦曲生的脱缰者，而且以最严重的亵渎罪指控他。”

"And does that finish him?"

“那样能了结他吗？”

"It diminishes his importance fatally, Sire. There are few who accept the mad story of the First Minister's robothood now. Furthermore, Joranum is revealed as a liar and a poseur and, worse, one who was caught at it."

“对他的威势有致命的打击，陛下。如今，只剩少数人还接受首相是机器人的疯狂说法。非但如此，久瑞南还被揭发为一名骗徒和伪君子，更糟的是，他被逮个正着。”

"Caught at it, yes," said Cleon thoughtfully. "You mean that merely to be underhanded is to be sly and that may be admirable, while to be caught is to be stupid and that is never admirable."

“逮个正着，没错。”克里昂若有所思地说，“你的意思是，光是耍阴谋只能算狡猾，或许还有人佩服；但被逮个正着则是愚蠢，绝对不会有人钦佩。”

"You put it succinctly, Sire."

“您真是一针见血，陛下。”

"Then Joranum is no longer a danger."

“那么久瑞南不再是威胁了。”

"We can't be certain of that, Sire. He may recover, even now. He still has an organization and some of his followers will remain loyal. History yields examples of men and women who have come back after disasters as great as this one-or greater."

“启禀陛下，这点我们还不能确定。即使是现在，他也可能东山再起。他仍拥有一个组织，他的一些追随者仍会忠心耿耿。曾有人在遭逢这么大的打击，甚至更大的打击后又卷土重来，历史上这样的例子可不少。”

"In that case, let us execute him, Seldon."

“这样的话，我们把他处决吧，谢顿。”

Seldon shook his head. "That would be inadvisable, Sire. You would not want to create a martyr or to make yourself appear to be a despot."

谢顿摇了摇头。“那将是不智之举，陛下。您不会想制造一名烈士，或是让您自己显得像独裁者吧。”

Cleon frowned. "Now you sound like Demerzel. Whenever I wish to take forceful action, he mutters the word `despot.' There have been Emperors before me who have taken forceful action and who have been admired as a result and have been considered strong and decisive."

克里昂皱起眉头。“你现在的口气和丹莫刺尔简直一样。每当我希望采取强硬行动，他就会嘀咕‘独裁者’三个字。在我之前有些皇帝，他们采取强硬行动的结果是赢得赞誉，是被视为强势和果决的君主。”

"Undoubtedly, Sire, but we live in troubled times. Nor is execution necessary. You can accomplish your purpose in a way that will make you seem enlightened and benevolent."

“这点毫无疑问，陛下，但我们却是处于动荡的时代。而且没有必要处决他，您大可用别的方式达成您的目的，而使您显得开明和仁厚。”

"Seem enlightened?"

“显得开明？”

"Be enlightened, Sire. I misspoke. To execute Joranum would be to take revenge, which might be regarded as ignoble. As Emperor, however, you have a kindly-even paternal-attitude toward the beliefs of all your people. You make no distinctions, for you are the Emperor of all alike."

“本来就很开明，陛下，是我说错了。处决久瑞南等于是在报复，或许会被视为卑劣。然而，身为皇帝，您对所有子民的信仰，都抱持着仁爱——甚至慈父般的态度。您对他们一视同仁，因为您是每位子民的皇帝。”

"What is it you're saying?"

“你在说些什么？”

"I mean, Sire, that Joranum has offended the sensibilities of the Mycogenians and you are horrified at his sacrilege, he having been born one of them. What better can you do but hand Joranum over to the Mycogenians and allow them to take care of him? You will be applauded for your proper Imperial convern."

“我的意思是，陛下，久瑞南碰触了麦曲生人的痛处，而您对他的冒渎行为甚为震怒。久瑞南本是他们的一员，还有什么比将他交给麦曲生人处置更好的办法呢？您会由于皇恩浩荡而受世人喝彩。”

"And the Mycogenians will execute him, then?"

“然后，麦曲生人会处决他？”

"They may, Sire. Their laws against blasphemy are excessively severe. At best, they will imprison him for life at hard labor."

“有此可能，陛下，他们惩罚亵渎罪的法律极其严酷。最好的情况，他们也会将他终身囚禁于苦役监狱。”

Cleon smiled. "Very good. I get the credit for humanity and tolerance and they do the dirty work."

克里昂微微一笑。“好极了。我得到人道和宽容的美名，而由他们当刽子手。”

"They would, Sire, if you actually handed Joranum over to them. That would, however, still create a martyr."

“启禀陛下，假使您真将久瑞南交给他们，他们会的。然而，那样仍会制造一名烈士。”

"Now you confuse me. What would you have me do?"

“这回你把我搞糊涂了。你究竟要我怎么做？”

"Give Joranum the choice. Say that your regard for the welfare of all the people in your Empire urges you to hand him over to the Mycogenians for trial but that your humanity fears the Mycogenians may be too severe. Therefore, as an alternative, he may choose to be banished to Nishaya, the small and secluded world from which he claimed to have come, to live the rest of his life in obscurity and peace. You'll see to it that he's kept under guard, of course."

“让久瑞南自己选择。就说基于帝国黎民的福祉，您有责任将他交给麦曲生人审判，但是，您的人道胸怀却深恐麦曲生人可能太严酷。因此，还有另一条路，他可以选择流放到尼沙亚，在那里默默地、平静地度过余生。毕竟，那个与世隔绝的小世界，正是他对外声称的故乡。不用说，您一定会将他置于监视之下。”

"And that will take care of things?"

“那样就会解决一切吗？”

"Certainly. Joranum would be committing virtual suicide if he chose to be returned to Mycogen-and he doesn't strike me as the suicidal type. He will certainly choose Nishaya, and though that is the sensible course of action, it is also an unheroic one. As a refugee in Nishaya, he can scarcely lead any movement designed to take over the Empire. His following is sure to disintegrate. They could follow a martyr with holy zeal, but it would be difficult, indeed, to follow a coward."

“当然，久瑞南若选择被遣返麦曲生，实际上无异于自杀。在我的感觉中，他不是那种会自杀的人，他必然会选择尼沙亚。不过，那虽然是合乎常理的做法，却不是英雄好汉的行径。在尼沙亚当个流亡者，他几乎不可能再领导什么征服帝国的运动。他的追随者必定作鸟兽散；他们能以神圣的狂热追随一名烈士，可是实在很难追随一个懦夫。”

"Astonishing! How did you manage all this, Seldon?" There was a distinct note of admiration in Cleon's voice.

“妙透了！你是怎么想出这一切的，谢顿？”克里昂的声音中透出明显的钦佩。

Seldon said, "Well, it seemed reasonable to suppose……"

谢顿说：“嗯，这么假设似乎很合理……”

"Never mind," said Cleon abruptly. "I don't suppose you'll tell me the truth or that I would understand you if you did, but I'll tell you this much. Demerzel is leaving office. This last crisis has proved to be too much for him and I agree with him that it is time for him to retire. But I can't do without a First Minister and, from this moment onward, you are he."

“算了。”克里昂突然说，“我不信你会告诉我实话，即使你说了，我想我也不会了解。但我要告诉你一点，丹莫刺尔即将离职。这次的危机已经证明他力有未逮，而我也同意该让他退休了。但是我不能没有一个首相，所以从此刻起，你就是他。”

"Sire.'" exclaimed Seldon in mingled astonishment and horror.

“陛——下！”谢顿高声喊道，声音中交杂着惊愕与惶恐。

"First Minister Hari Seldon." said Cleon calmly. "The Emperor wishes it."

“哈里·谢顿首相。”克里昂平静地说，“这乃是皇帝的旨意。”

25

25

"Don't be alarmed," said Demerzel. "It was my suggestion. I've been here too long and the succession of crises has reached the point where the consideration of the Three Laws paralyzes me. You are the logical successor."

“不用惊慌，”丹莫刺尔说，“这是我提出的建议。我在这里已经待得太久，而且一连串的危机累积到这个程度，三大法则的考量已经使我寸步难行。你是合理的继任人选。”

"I am not the logical successor," said Seldon hotly. "What do I know about running an Empire? The Emperor is foolish enough to believe that I solved this crisis by psychohistory. Of course I didn't."

“我并不是合理的继任人选。”谢顿激动地说，“我知道如何治理一个帝国吗？大帝愚蠢到相信我是用心理史学解决这场危机的，我当然不是。”

"That doesn't matter, Hari. If he believes you have the psychohistorical answer, he will follow you eagerly and that will make you a Good First Minister."

“那没有关系，哈里。只要他相信你拥有心理史学的答案，他会对你言听计从，这就会使你成为一位好首相。”

"He may follow me straight into destruction."

“对我言听计从，他会一路走向毁灭。”

"I feel that your good sense-or intuition-will keep you on target . with or without psychohistory."

“我觉得你的判断力，或说直觉，会让你保持正确的目标……不论有没有心理史学。”

"But what will I do without you-Daneel?"

“可是没有你，我要怎么做呢——丹尼尔？”

"Thank you for calling me that. I am Demerzel no more, only Daneel. As to what you will do without me- Suppose you try to put into practice some of Joranum's ideas of equality and social justice? He may not have meant them-he may have used them only as ways of capturing allegiance-but they are not bad ideas in themselves. And find ways of having Raych help you in that. He clung to you against his own attraction to Joranum's ideas and he must feel torn and half a traitor. Show him he isn't. In addition, you can work all the harder on psychohistory, for the Emperor will be there with you, heart and soul."

“谢谢你这么称呼我。我不再是丹莫刺尔，只是丹尼尔而已。至于你没有我该怎么做，何不试着实现一些久瑞南对平等和社会公义的构想？他或许不是真心的，或许只是用来当做笼络人心的手段，但是这些构想本身并不坏。想办法让芮奇在这方面助你一臂之力——他抗拒了久瑞南的主张对他的吸引，坚决对你效忠，现在他一定感到很无奈，认为自己是半个叛徒。对他证明他没有做错。此外，你还能加倍努力研究心理史学，因为大帝会支持你，全心全意支持你。”

"But what will you do, Daneel?"

“但你自己准备做什么呢，丹尼尔？”

"I have other things in the Galaxy to which I must attend. There is still the Zeroth Law and I must labor for the good of humanity, insofar as I can determine what that might be. And, Hari……"

“银河中另有许多事需要我照顾。别忘了还有第零法则，而在我能明确决定的范围内，我必须为人类整体的福祉努力。还有，哈里——”

"Yes, Daneel."

“啊，丹尼尔。”

"You still, have Dors."

“你仍有铎丝。”

Seldon nodded. "Yes, I still have Dors." He paused for a moment before grasping Daneel's firm hand with his own. "Good-bye, Daneel."

谢顿点了点头。“是的，我仍有铎丝。”他顿了一下，才伸手握住丹尼尔结实的手掌。“再见，丹尼尔。”

"Good-bye, Hari," Daneel replied.

“再见，哈里。”丹尼尔答道。

And with that, the robot turned, his heavy First Minister's robe rustling as he walked away, head up, back ramrod straight, along the Palace hallway.

说完，这位机器人便转身离去。他昂首阔步，背脊挺得笔直，沿着皇宫走廊渐行渐远，厚重的首相袍拖出沙沙的声响。

Seldon stood there for a few minutes after Daneel had gone, lost in thought. Suddenly he began moving in the direction of the First Minister's apartment. Seldon had one more thing to tell Daneel-the most important thing of all.

丹尼尔离去后，谢顿陷入沉思，在原处呆立了几分钟。然后，他突然向首相寓所的方向前进。谢顿还有一件事要告诉丹尼尔——一件再重要不过的事。

Seldon hesitated in the softly lit hallway before entering. But the room was empty. The dark robe was draped over a chair. The First Minister's chambers echoed Hari's last words to the robot: "Good-bye, my friend." Eto Demerzel was gone; R. Daneel Olivaw had vanished.

走进寓所之前，谢顿曾在光线柔和的走廊中迟疑了一下。但房间是空的，只有那件黑袍披在一张椅子上。于是，首相的房间里，回荡着谢顿对机器人说的最后一句话：“别了，我的朋友。”伊图·丹莫刺尔走了；机·丹尼尔·奥利瓦消失了。