CHAPTER THIRTEEN UNIVERSITY
第13章 大学
Pelorat wrinkled his nose when he and trevize re-entered the far star.
裴洛拉特刚踏进远星号，鼻子就皱了一下。
Trevize shrugged. “The human body is a powerful dispenser of odors. Recycling never works instantaneously and artificial scents merely overlay--they do not replace.”
崔维兹耸了耸肩。“人体是强力的气味散发器。空气循环系统无法瞬间排出体臭，而人工除臭剂只能压制那些气味，并不能取而代之。”
“And I suppose no two ships smell quite alike, once they’ve been occupied for a period of time by different people.”
“我猜，任何两艘太空船的气味都不一样，除非待在上面的是同一批人。”
“That’s right, but did you smell Sayshell Planet after the first hour?”
“说得很对。但你在赛协尔行星待了一个钟头之后，还会闻到什么怪味吗？”
“No,” admitted Pelorat.
“没有了。”裴洛拉特承认。
“Well, you won’t smell this after a while, either. In fact, if you live in the ship long enough, you’ll welcome the odor that greets you on your return as signifying home. And by the way, if you become a Galactic rover after this, Janov, you’ll have to learn that it is impolite to comment on the odor of any ship or, for that matter, any world to those who live on that ship or world. Between us, of course, it is all right.”
“好，那么再过一阵子，你也就闻不到这里的味道了。事实上，假如你在某艘船上生活得够久，一旦回到船上闻到那种味道，就会有回到家的感觉。还有一件事，如果以后你成为一位银河游侠，詹诺夫，那么就得记住，批评某艘船舰或某个世界的气味，是对当事人相当失礼的行为。当然，我们两人说说倒无所谓。”
“As a matter of fact, Golan, the funny thing is Ido consider The Far Star home. At least it’s Foundation-made.” Pelorat smiled. “You know, I never considered myself a patriot. I like to think I recognize only humanity as my nation, but I must say that being away from the Foundation fills my heart with love for it.”
“说来还真有意思，崔维兹，我的确把远星号当成自己的家，至少它是基地制造的。”裴洛拉特微微一笑，“你可知道，我从来不认为自己爱国，总觉得自己把全人类都当成同胞。可是我得承认，如今一旦远离基地，我心中充满了对它的爱。”
Trevize was making his bed. “You’re not very far from the Foundation, you know. The Sayshell union is almost surrounded by Federation territory. We have an ambassador and an enormous presence here, from consuls on down. The Sayshellians like to oppose us in words, but they are usually very cautious about doing anything that gives us displeasure. --Janov, do turn in. We got nowhere today and we have to do better tomorrow.”
崔维兹正在整理床铺。“你知道吗，其实你并没有远离基地。赛协尔联盟几乎被基地联邦的疆域包围，这里有我们的大使，还有领事以下的许许多多代表。赛协尔人喜欢在口头上跟我们唱反调，可是他们通常行事非常谨慎，不敢做出任何触怒我们的举动。詹诺夫，上床睡觉吧。今天我们一无所获，明天必须加把劲。”
Still, there was no difficulty in hearing between the two rooms, however, and when the ship was dark, Pelorat, tossing restlessly, finally said in a not very loud voice, “Golan?”
两人虽然睡在不同的寝室，彼此的声音仍旧听得很清楚。熄灯之后，裴洛拉特在床上翻来覆去睡不着，终于忍不住轻轻喊了一声：“葛兰？”
“Yes.”
“嗯。”
“You’re not sleeping?”
“你还没睡吗？”
“Not while you’re talking.”
“你讲话我当然不能睡。”
“Wedid get somewhere today. Your friend, Compor……”
“其实我们今天有点收获。你的朋友康普……”
“Ex-friend,” growled Trevize.
“以前的朋友。”崔维兹吼道。
“Whatever his status, he talked about Earth and told us something I hadn’t come across in my researches before. Radioactivity!”
“不管他跟你还是不是朋友，但他提到了地球。他告诉我们一件事，是我过去在研究中从未遇到的，那就是放射性！”
Trevize lifted himself to one elbow. “Look, Golan, if Earth is really dead, that doesn’t mean we return home. Istill want to find Gaia.”
崔维兹用手肘撑着床铺，半坐了起来。“听好，詹诺夫，就算地球真的完蛋了，也不代表我们就要打道回府。无论如何，我仍然要找到盖娅。”
Pelorat made a puffing noise with his mouth as though he were blowing away feathers. “My dear chap, of course. So do I. Nor do I think Earth is dead. Compor may have been telling what he felt was the truth, but there’s scarcely a sector in the Galaxy that doesn’t have some tale or other that would place the origin of humanity on some local world. And they almost invariably call it Earth or some closely equivalent name.
裴洛拉特用力吐出一口气，像是在吹开一团羽毛。“我亲爱的兄弟，这不在话下，我也这么想。而且，我并不认为地球已经死了。康普告诉我们的事，或许他自己信以为真，但是银河的每一个星区，几乎都有自己的传说，认为人类的发源地就是附近某个世界。他们绝大多数将那个世界称为地球，或是某个同义的名称。
“We call it ‘globocentrism’ in anthropology. People have a tendency to take it for granted that they are better than their neighbors; that their culture is older and superior to that of other worlds; that what is good in other worlds has been borrowed from them, while what is bad is distorted or perverted in the borrowing or invented elsewhere. And the tendency is to equate superiority in quality with superiority in duration. If they cannot reasonably maintain their own planet to be Earth or its equivalent--and the beginnings of the human species--they almost always do the best they can by placing Earth in their own sector, even when they cannot locate it exactly.”
“在人类学中，我们将这种现象称为‘母星中心主义’。人类总有一种倾向，认为自己的世界必定比邻近世界好，自己的文化则比其他世界的更古老、更优越。其他世界的好东西都是跟自己学来的；而别人的坏东西，则是在学习过程中遭到扭曲或误用，或者根本是源自他处。此外人类还倾向于将优越和久远划上等号。如果无法自圆其说地坚称母星就是地球，亦即人类这种生物的发源地，也总是想尽办法把地球置于自己的星区中，即使说不出正确位置也不要紧。”
Trevize said, “And you’re telling me that Compor was just following the common habit when he said Earth existed in the Sirius Sector. --Still, the Sirius Sectordoes have a long history, so every world in it should be well known and it should be easy to check the matter, even without going there.”
崔维兹说：“你是想告诉我，康普也犯了这个毛病，才会说地球位于天狼星区。话说回来，天狼星区的确拥有悠久的历史，其中每个世界应该都有点名气，即使我们不到那里去，也不难查证这个说法。”
Pelorat chuckled. “Even if you were to show that no world in the Sirius Sector could possibly be Earth, that wouldn’t help. You underestimate the depths to which mysticism can bury rationality, Golan. There are at least half a dozen sectors in the Galaxy where respectable scholars repeat, with every appearance of solemnity and with no trace of a smile, local tales that Earth--or whatever they choose to call it--is located in hyperspace and cannot be reached, except by accident.”
裴洛拉特呵呵笑了几声。“就算你能证明天狼星区每个世界都不可能是地球，那也毫无帮助。葛兰，你低估了神秘主义将理性埋葬的深度。银河中至少有六七个星区，其中的权威学者都再三强调当地的传说——不论他们管地球叫什么，反正它藏在超空间里面，除非让你刚巧碰着，否则谁也找不到。他们在转述那些传说时，全都一本正经，脸上没有一丝笑容。”
“And do they say anyonehas ever reached it by accident?”
“那么他们是否提到，有人刚巧碰到过呢？”
“There are always tales and there is always a patriotic refusal to disbelieve, even though the tales are never in the least credible and are never believed by anyone not of the world that produces them.”
“那样的传说数之不尽，即使内容荒诞不经，外人从来不买账，但是在创造那些传说的世界上，由于本土意识作祟，人们总是拒绝否认。”
“Then, Janov, let’s not believe them ourselves. Let’s enter our own private hyperspace of sleep.”
“那么，詹诺夫，我们自己可别相信那些说法。让我们进入梦中世界的超空间吧。”
“But, Golan, it’s this business of Earth’s radioactivity that interests me. To me, that seems to bear the mark of truth--or a kind of truth.”
“可是，葛兰，我感到有兴趣的，是地球具有放射性这件事。我认为这种说法似乎有道理，至少有点道理。”
“What do you mean, akind of truth?”
“你所谓的有点道理，指的是什么？”
“Well, a world that is radioactive would be a world in which hard radiation would be present in higher concentration than is usual. The rate of mutation would be higher on such a world and evolution would proceed more quickly--and more diversely. I told you, if you remember, that among the points on which almost all the tales agree is that life on Earth was incredibly diverse: millions of species of all kinds of life. It is this diversity of life--thisexplosive development--that might have brought intelligence to the Earth, and then the surge outward into the Galaxy. If Earth were for some reason radioactive--that is, more radioactive than other planets--that might account for everything else about Earth that is--or was-- unique.”
“嗯，所谓具有放射性的世界，是指那个世界的放射线强度大于一般行星。因此在这种世界上，突变的几率较高，演化也就进行得较快，而且更为多样化。如果你还记得，其实我告诉过你，几乎所有的传说都有一个共通点，就是地球上的生物种类多得难以想象，共有数百万各式各样的物种。可能正是由于生命的多样化，这种爆炸式的多样化，智慧生物终于在地球出现，进而涌向银河各个角落。如果地球因为某种缘故而带有放射性——我是指有较强的放射性，也就是说，比其他行星更具有放射性——或许就能解释地球各方面的唯一性。”
Trevize was silent for a moment. Then, “In the first place, we have no reason to believe Compor was telling the truth. He may well have been lying freely in order to induce us to leave this place and go chasing madly off to Sirius. I believe that’s exactly what he was doing. And even if he were telling the truth, what he said was that there was so much radioactivity that life became impossible.”
崔维兹沉默了一阵子，然后说：“首先，我们没有理由相信康普讲的是真话。他可能根本是随口胡说，目的只是想诱使我们离开这个地方，然后疯了似地赶往天狼星区。而且我相信，事实正是如此。即使他说的是实话，他的意思也是说，地球具有过量的放射性，上面不可能再有任何生命。”
Pelorat made the blowing gesture again. “There wasn’t too much radioactivity to allow life to develop on Earth and it is easier for life to maintain itself--once established--than to develop in the first place. Granted, then, that life was established and maintained on Earth. Therefore the level of radioactivity could not have been incompatible with life to begin with and it could only have fallen off with time. There is nothing that canraise the level.”
裴洛拉特又做出撮嘴吹气的动作。“地球原本不会有太强的放射性，不至于令生命无法出现。而生命一旦形成之后，即使环境变恶劣了，还是有可能延续下去。那么假如说，地球的确出现过生命，并且不断繁衍绵延，那么最初的放射性就不可能太强，而随着时光的流逝，放射性只会逐渐衰减，因为不可能自动增加。”
“Nuclear explosions?” suggested Trevize.
“核爆有没有可能？”崔维兹举例。
“What would that have to do with it?”
“这有何相干？”
“I mean, suppose nuclear explosions took place on Earth?”
“我的意思是，假如地球上曾经发生过核爆呢？”
“On Earth’s surface? Impossible. There’s no record in the history of the Galaxy of any society being so foolish as to use nuclear explosions as a weapon of war. We would never have survived. During the Trigellian insurrections, when both sides were reduced to starvation and desperation and when Jendippurus Khoratt suggested the initiation of a fusion reaction in……”
“在地球表面？绝对不可能。没有任何社会愚蠢到那种程度，竟然想用核爆作为战争武器，即使翻遍银河历史，也找不到任何记载。那样做，会使大家同归于尽。在三胶星叛乱事件中，当双方几乎都弹尽粮绝之际，简迪普鲁斯·寇拉特曾经建议，引发一场核融合反应……”
“He was hanged by the sailors of his own fleet. I know Galactic history. I was thinking of accident.”
“结果他被自己舰队的战士吊死了。我不是没读过银河史，我是想或许发生了意外。”
“There’s no record of accidents of that sort that are capable of significantly raising the intensity of radioactivity of a planet, generally.” He sighed. “I suppose that when we get around to it, we’ll have to go to the Sirius Sector and do a little prospecting there.”
“能将整颗行星的放射性增强许多倍的意外，历史上从来没有这样的记载。”他叹了一口气，“我认为，当我们把手头的问题解决之后，一定得到天狼星区去做些探勘。”
“Someday, perhaps, we will. But for now……”
“改天也许我们会去，不过现在……”
“Yes, yes, I’ll stop talking.”
“好，好，我这就闭嘴。”
He did and Trevize lay in the dark for nearly an hour considering whether he had attracted too much attention already and whether it might not be wise to go to the Sirius Sector and then return to Gaia when attention--everyone’s attention--was elsewhere.
裴洛拉特果然不再出声。崔维兹又在黑暗中躺了将近一个小时，将情势衡量了一番。自己是否已经吸引太多的注意力？是不是应该立刻前往天狼星区，等到所有的注意力都转移之后，再悄悄转往盖娅？
He had arrived at no clear decision by the time he fell asleep. His dreams were troubled.
当他沉沉睡去之际，心中尚未作出明确的决定。他在梦中都觉得不安稳。
2
2
They did not arrive back in the city till midmorning. The tourist center was quite crowded this time, but they managed to obtain the necessary directions to a reference library, where in turn they received instruction in the use of the local models of data-gathering computers.
第二天，他们直到近午时分才进城。今天旅游中心变得相当拥挤，但他们还是设法找到参考图书馆，然后在那里，学会了如何操作当地的资料搜寻电脑。
They went carefully through the museums and universities, beginning with those that were nearest, and checked out whatever information was available on anthropologists, archaeologists, and ancient historians.
他们从最近的地点开始，仔细查遍所有的博物馆与大学，试图搜寻任何有关人类学家、考古学家以及古代史学家的资料。
Pelorat said, “Ah!”
裴洛拉特突然叫道：“啊！”
“Ah?” said Trevize with some asperity. “Ah, what?”
“啊？”崔维兹不太客气地说，“啊什么？”
“This name, Quintesetz. It seems familiar.”
“这个名字，昆特瑟兹，看来似乎有点眼熟。”
“You know him?”
“你认识他？”
“No, of course not, but I may have read papers of his. Back at the ship, where I have my reference collection……”
“不，当然不认识，但我可能读过他的论文。在太空艇上，我搜集的那些参考资料……”
“We’re not going back, Janov. If the name is familiar, that’s a starting point. If he can’t help us, he will undoubtedly be able to direct us further.” He rose to his feet. “Let’s find a way of getting to Sayshell University. And since there will be nobody there at lunchtime, let’s eat first.”
“我们可别回去，詹诺夫。这个名字如果眼熟，就是我们的第一条线索。他即使不能帮我们的忙，也必定能指点一二。”他站了起来，“我们想办法到赛协尔大学去吧。不过午餐时间不会有人在，所以我们干脆先去吃饭。”
It was not till late afternoon that they had made their way out to the university, worked their way through its maze, and found themselves in an anteroom, waiting for a young woman who had gone off in search of information and who might--or might not--lead them to Quintesetz.
结果下午过了一大半，他们才来到那所大学。然后又在迷宫般的校园里摸索半天，两人才终于找到一间接待室，请其中一位妙龄女郎代为通报。她或许会带他们去见昆特瑟兹，也可能一去不回。
“I wonder,” said Pelorat uneasily, “how much longer we’ll have to wait. It must be getting toward the close of the schoolday.”
“不知道我们还得等多久，”裴洛拉特等得有点心慌，“学校一定快要下课了。”
And, as though that were a cue, the young lady whom they had last seen half an hour before, walked rapidly toward them, her shoes glinting red and violet and striking the ground with a sharp musical tone as she walked. The pitch varied with the speed and force of her steps.
真是无巧不成书，他刚说完这句话，离去半小时之久的女郎赫然出现，快步向他们走来。她的鞋子发出红紫相间的闪光，而且每踏出一步，就响起一声尖锐的乐音，音调高低随着步伐的快慢与力道而变化。
Pelorat winced. He supposed that each world had its own ways of assaulting the senses, just as each had its own smell. He wondered if, now that he no longer noticed the smell, he might also learn not to notice the cacophony of fashionable young women when they walked.
裴洛拉特心中一凛。他想，每个世界都有折磨他人感官的独门方法，正如同各行星的气味各有千秋。既然他已经不再注意那种怪味，不知道对于时髦少女走路时发出的刺耳音调，自己是否也能练就充耳不闻的本事。
She came to Pelorat and stopped. “May I have your full name, Professor?”
她走到裴洛拉特面前，停下了脚步。“教授，我能否请问你的全名？”
“It’s Janov Pelorat, miss.”
“小姐，我的全名是詹诺夫·裴洛拉特。”
“Your home planet?”
“你的母星呢？”
Trevize began to lift one hand as though to enjoin silence, but Pelorat, either not seeing or not regarding, said, “Terminus.”
崔维兹举起右手，仿佛要让同伴保持沉默，但裴洛拉特不知是没看见还是没注意到，他脱口而出：“端点星。”
The young woman smiled broadly, and looked pleased. “When I told Professor Quintesetz that a Professor Pelorat was inquiring for him, he said he would see you if you were Janov Pelorat of Terminus, but not otherwise.”
妙龄女郎露出灿烂的笑容，显得很高兴。“当我告诉昆特瑟兹教授，说有一位裴洛拉特教授想要求见，他说你若是端点星的詹诺夫·裴洛拉特教授，他就乐意见你，否则一律不见。”
Pelorat blinked rapidly. “You--you mean, he’s heard of me?”
裴洛拉特猛眨着眼睛。“你——你的意思是，他听说过我？”
“It certainly seems so.”
“显然似乎如此。”
And, almost creakily, Pelorat managed a smile as he turned to Trevize. “He’s heard of me. I honestly didn’t think-- I mean, I’ve written very few papers and I didn’t think that anyone……” He shook his head. “They weren’t really important.”
裴洛拉特转向崔维兹，勉强挤出一个生硬的笑容。“他听说过我，我真不敢相信。我的意思是，我只发表过几篇论文而已，我并不认为任何一篇……”他摇了摇头，“那些论文都不算顶重要的。”
“Well then,” said Trevize, smiling himself, “stop hugging yourself in an ecstasy of self-underestimation and let’s go.” He turned to the woman. “I presume, miss, there’s some sort of transportation to take us to him?”
“好了，”崔维兹暗自感到好笑，“别再陶醉于这种妄自菲薄之中了，我们走吧。”他转过头来，对那女郎说：“我想，小姐，应该有什么交通工具可搭吧。”
“It’s within walking distance. We won’t even have to leave the building complex and I’ll be glad to take you there. --Are both of you from Terminus?” And off she went.
“步行就可以，我们甚至不必离开这个建筑群，我很乐意为两位带路。两位都是来自端点星吗？”说完她就迈开步伐。
The two men followed and Trevize said, with a trace of annoyance, “Yes, we are. Does that make a difference?”
两位男士紧跟在后，崔维兹略微不悦地答道：“没错，但有什么分别吗？”
“Oh no, of course not. There are people on Sayshell that don’t like Foundationers, you know, but here at the university, we’re more cosmopolitan than that. Live and let live is what I always say. I mean, Foundationers are people, too. You know what I mean?”
“喔，没有，当然没有。赛协尔上的确有些人不喜欢基地公民，你知道吧，可是在大学里面，我们都抱持着宇宙一家的胸怀。我总喜欢说，人人都有生存的权利。我的意思是，基地人也是人，你懂我的意思吗？”
“Yes, I know what you mean. Lots of us say that Sayshellians are people.”
“懂，我懂你的意思。我们有许多同胞，也常说赛协尔人一样是人。”
“That’s just the way it should be. I’ve never seen Terminus. It must be a big city.”
“本来就应该这样。我从来没有见过端点星，它一定是个大都会。”
“Actually it isn’t,” said Trevize matter-of-factly. “I suspect it’s smaller than Sayshell City.”
“事实并不尽然，”崔维兹以实事求是的态度说，“我怀疑它比赛协尔城还小。”
“You’re tweaking my finger,” she said. “It’s the capital of the Foundation Federation, isn’t it? I mean, there isn’t another Terminus, is there?”
“你在故意寻我开心。”她说，“它是基地联邦的首都吧？我的意思是，没有另一个端点星吧？”
“No, there’s only one Terminus, as far as I know, and that’s where we’re from--the capital of the Foundation Federation.”
“当然没有，据我所知，端点星只有一个，而我们就是打那儿来的，它的确是基地联邦的首都。”
“Well then, it must be an enormous city. --And you’re coming all the way here to see the professor. We’re very proud of him, you know. He’s considered the biggest authority in the whole Galaxy.”
“那么，它就一定是个大都会。你们竟然大老远飞到这里，专程来拜访教授。你知道吗，他是我们引以为傲的人物。大家都认为，他是全银河的首席权威。”
“Really?” said Trevize. “On what?”
“真的？”崔维兹应了一声，“哪一方面？”
Her eyes opened wide again, “Youare a teaser. He knows more about ancient history than--than I know about my own family.” And she continued to walk on ahead on her musical feet.
她的双眼又睁得好大。“你真会戏弄人。他对古代史的了解，超过……超过我对自己家人的了解。”她继续踏出伴着音乐的步伐。
One can only be called a teaser and a finger-tweaker so often without developing an actual impulse in that direction. Trevize smiled and said, “The professor knows all about Earth, I suppose?”
她一再拿“寻开心”“戏弄人”这种字眼扣在崔维兹身上，倒也不算冤枉了他。崔维兹微微一笑，又问：“我猜，教授对于地球应该了若指掌吧？”
“Earth?” She stopped at an office door and looked at them blankly.
“地球？”她在某间研究室门前停下脚步，对他们露出茫然的目光。
“You know. The world where humanity got its start.”
“你知道的，就是那个诞生人类的世界。”
“Oh, you mean the planet-that-was-first. I guess so. I guess heshould know all about it. After all, it’s located in the Sayshell Sector. Everyone knowsthat ! --This is his office. Let me signal him.”
“喔，你是说‘最早的行星’。我想是吧，我想他应该十分清楚。毕竟，它就在赛协尔星区，这点人人都知道！这就是他的研究室，我来按讯号钮。”
“No, don’t,” said Trevize. “Not for just a minute. Tell me about Earth.”
“不，且慢。”崔维兹说，“再等一下，先告诉我一些有关地球的事。”
“Actually I never heard anyone call it Earth. I suppose that’s a Foundation word. We call it Gaia, here.”
“其实，我从未听过有人这样称呼它，我想这应该是基地的用词。在此地，我们都管它叫盖娅。”
Trevize cast a swift look at Pelorat. “Oh? And where is it located?”
崔维兹迅速瞥了裴洛拉特一眼。“哦？那么它在哪里？”
“Nowhere. It’s in hyperspace and there’s no way anyone can get to it. When I was a little girl, my grandmother said that Gaia was once in real space, but it was so disgusted at the……”
“哪里都不在，它在超空间里面，谁也无法找到。当我还是小女孩的时候，祖母曾经跟我讲，盖娅原本在普通空间中，可是由于厌恶……”
“Crimes and stupidities of human beings,” muttered Pelorat, “that, out of shame, it left space and refused to have anything more to do with the human beings it had sent out into the Galaxy.”
“人类的罪恶和愚昧。”裴洛拉特喃喃道，“对于自己散播到银河各处的人类，它感到羞愧，于是它离开了普通空间，拒绝再和人类有任何牵扯。”
“You know the story, then. See? --A girlfriend of mine says it’s superstition. Well, I’ll tellher . If it’s good enough for professors from the Foundation……”
“这么说，你也知道这个故事？我有一位女友还说这是迷信。好，我会告诉她。如果连基地的教授都相信……”
A glittering section of lettering on the smoky glass of the door read: SOTAYN QUINTESETZ ABT in the hard-to-read Sayshellian calligraphy--and under it was printed, in the same fashion: DEPARTMENT OF ANCIENT HISTORY.
研究室门上有一扇灰暗的玻璃窗，映着两行闪闪发光的字体。上面一行印着：索塔茵·昆特瑟兹·亚博，下面一行则是：古代历史学系，两行字都是用难懂的赛协尔字体写成。
The woman placed her finger on a smooth metal circle. There was no sound, but the smokiness of the glass turned a milky white for a moment and a soft voice said, in an abstracted sort of way, “Identify yourself, please.”
女郎在一个光滑的金属圆片上按了按，并没有任何声音响起，但灰暗的玻璃曾短暂变成乳白色。同时，传出一个轻柔的声音，用心不在焉的口气说：“请表明自己的身份。”
“Janov Pelorat of Terminus,” said Pelorat, “with Golan Trevize of the same world.” The door swung open at once.
“来自端点星的詹诺夫·裴洛拉特，”裴洛拉特答道，“以及来自同一个世界的葛兰·崔维兹。”大门马上转开。
3
3
The man who stood up, walked around his desk, and advanced to meet them was tall and well into middle age. He was light brown in skin color and his hair, which was set in crisp curls over his head, was iron-gray. He held out his hand in greeting and his voice was soft and low. “I am S.Q. I am delighted to meet you, Professors.”
昆特瑟兹教授是个年过半百的高个子，有着一身淡棕色的皮肤，一头铁灰色的鬈发。当门打开后，他立刻从书桌后面站起来，绕到门口迎接客人。他伸出手来表示欢迎，并以柔和而低沉的声音说：“我就是索·昆。教授，非常高兴见到你。”
Trevize said, “I don’t own an academic title. I merely accompany Professor Pelorat. You may call me simply Trevize. I am pleased to meet you, Professor Abt.”
崔维兹说：“我没有什么学术头衔，只是陪同裴洛拉特教授前来，你称呼我崔维兹就行了。很荣幸见到你，亚博教授。”
Quintesetz held up one hand in clear embarrassment. “No no. Abt is merely a foolish title of some sort that has no significance outside of Sayshell. Ignore it, please, and call me S.Q. We tend to use initials in ordinary social intercourse on Sayshell. I’m so pleased to meet two of you when I had been expecting but one.”
昆特瑟兹连忙举起手来，神情显得相当尴尬。“不，不，亚博只是一种愚蠢的头衔，在别的世界上毫无意义。请别管它，叫我索·昆就行了。在赛协尔，一般社交场合都习惯用简称。我本来以为只有一位客人，很高兴能多见到一位。”
He seemed to hesitate a moment, then extended his right hand after wiping it unobtrusively on his trousers.
他似乎犹豫了一下，然后才伸出右手，但在伸出去之前，还在裤子上擦了擦。
Trevize took it, wondering what the proper Sayshellian manner of greeting was.
崔维兹握着对方的手，却不知道赛协尔的正统礼节该怎么做。
Quintesetz said, “Please sit down. I’m afraid you’ll find these chairs to be lifeless ones, but I, for one, don’t want my chairs to hug me. It’s all the fashion for chairs to hug you nowadays, but I prefer a hug to mean something, hey?”
昆特瑟兹说：“请坐吧，只怕两位会发现我的椅子不是活的。可是，我这个人就是不喜欢被椅子拥抱。这年头流行拥抱人的椅子，我却希望拥抱都能有点意义，嗯？”
Trevize smiled and said, “Who would not? Your name, SQ., seems to be of the Rim Worlds and not Sayshellian. I apologize if the remark is impertinent.”
崔维兹微微一笑，随口答道：“谁不这么想呢？索·昆，你的名字似乎没有赛协尔的味道，有点像是外环世界的名字。如果我这么说很失礼，请你务必原谅。”
“I don’t mind. My family traces back, in part, to Askone. Five generations back, my great-great-grandparents left Askone when Foundation domination grew too heavy.”
“我不会介意的。我的家族可以追溯到阿斯康，五代以前，由于基地的势力愈来愈深入，我的高祖父母才决定移民。”
Pelorat said, “And we are Foundationers. Our apologies.”
裴洛拉特说：“而我们正是基地人，实在很抱歉。”
Quintesetz waved his hand genially, “I don’t hold a grudge across a stretch of five generations. Not that such things haven’t been done, more’s the pity. Would you like to have something to eat? To drink? Would you like music in the background?”
昆特瑟兹亲切地挥了挥手。“我不会为五代以前的事记仇。遗憾的是，这种事情还真不少。你们想不想吃点什么？或是喝点什么？要不要来点背景音乐？”
“If you don’t mind,” said Pelorat, “I’d be willing to get right to business, if Sayshellian ways would permit.”
“如果你不介意，我倒希望直接进入正题。”裴洛拉特说，“除非赛协尔的礼节不允许。”
“Sayshellian ways are not a barrier to that, I assure you. --You have no idea how remarkable this is, Dr. Pelorat. It was only about two weeks ago that I came across your article on origin myths in theArchaeological Review and it struck me as a remarkable synthesis-- all too brief.”
“赛协尔的礼节并没有这方面的限制，我向两位保证。裴洛拉特博士，你不知道有多么巧，大约两周前，我才在《考古评论》期刊上，读到你写的那篇讨论起源神话的文章。我认为那实在是一篇了不起的综论，只可惜太短了。”
Pelorat flushed with pleasure. “How delighted I am that you have read it. I had to condense it, of course, since theReview would not print a full study. I have been planning to do a treatise on the subject.”
裴洛拉特兴奋得涨红了脸。“你竟然读过那篇文章，真是令我欣喜若狂。我当然得浓缩，因为《考古评论》不愿意刊登全文。我正打算就这个题目，写一篇详细的专论。”
“I wish you would. In any case, as soon as I had read it, I had this desire to see you. I even had the notion of visiting Terminus in order to do so, though that would have been hard to arrange……”
“我希望你赶快写。总之，我读过那篇文章后，就有了想见你一面的愿望。为了达到这个目的，我甚至想要亲访端点星，不过那很难安排……”
“Why so?” asked Trevize.
“为什么呢？”崔维兹问。
Quintesetz looked embarrassed. “I’m sorry to say that Sayshell is not eager to join the Foundation Federation and rather discourages any social communication with the Foundation. We’ve a tradition of neutralism, you see. Even the Mule didn’t bother us, except to extort from us a specific statement of neutrality. For that reason, any application for permission to visit Foundation territory generally-- and particularly Terminus--is viewed with suspicion, although a scholar such as myself, intent on academic business, would probably obtain his passport in the end. --But none of that was necessary; you have come to me. I can scarcely believe it. I ask myself: Why? Have you heard of me, as I have heard of you?”
昆特瑟兹又现出尴尬的神情。“很遗憾，我必须这么说，赛协尔并没有兴趣加入基地联邦，因而民间若想跟基地进行任何交流，政府都会横加阻挠。你知道吧，我们一向抱持中立主义。当年连骡都没有侵犯我们，只不过硬要我们发表一篇中立声明。因此之故，任何人想要造访基地领域，尤其是去端点星，政府都会认为动机可疑。不过像我这样的学者，以学术访问的名义提出申请，也许最后还是能领到护照。不过这些都不需要了，你现在就在我面前。我几乎不敢相信这个事实，我问自己：为什么呢？难道不只我听说过你，你也听说过我吗？”
Pelorat said, “I know your work, S.Q., and in my records I have abstracts of your papers. It is why I have come to you. I am exploring both the matter of Earth, which is the reputed planet of origin of the human species, and the early period of the exploration and settlement of the Galaxy. In particular, I have come here to inquire as to the founding of Sayshell.”
裴洛拉特答道：“我知道你的研究工作，索·昆，而且搜集了你每篇论文的摘要，这就是我来找你的原因。我的研究涵盖两大主题，第一个是地球，也就是所谓的人类起源行星；第二个主题，则是银河早期的探险史和殖民史。我来到这里，是想向你请教赛协尔的创建经过。”
“From your paper,” said Quintesetz, “I presume you are interested in myths and legends.”
“从你的那篇论文看来，”昆特瑟兹说，“我以为你的兴趣是在神话和传说。”
“Even more in history--actual facts--if such exist. Myths and legends, otherwise.”
“我更感兴趣的，其实是真实的历史。但如果找不到，就只好借助于神话和传说。”
Quintesetz rose and walked rapidly back and forth the length of his office, paused to stare at Pelorat, then walked again.
昆特瑟兹站了起来，在研究室里快步踱来踱去，半途停下瞪了裴洛拉特一眼，然后又继续踱步。
Trevize said impatiently, “Well, sir.”
崔维兹不耐烦地说：“教授，怎么样？”
Quintesetz said, “Odd! Really odd! It was only yesterday……”
昆特瑟兹说：“绝了！真是绝了！刚好就是昨天……”
Pelorat said, “What was only yesterday?”
裴洛拉特问道：“刚好昨天怎么样？”
Quintesetz said, “I told you, Dr. Pelorat--may I call you J.P., by the way? I find using a full-length name rather unnatural”
昆特瑟兹说：“我刚才说过，裴洛拉特博士——对了，我能不能叫你詹·裴？我觉得称呼全名相当别扭。”
“Please do.”
“请便。”
“I told you, J.P., that I had admired your paper and that I had wanted to see you. The reason I wanted to see you was that you clearly had an extensive collection of legends concerning the beginnings of the worlds and yet didn’t have ours. In other words, I wanted to see you in order to tell you precisely what you have come to see me to find out.”
“我刚才说过，詹·裴，我很钦佩你写的那篇论文，因此想要见你一面。我想要见你的目的是这样的，你显然广泛搜集了许多世界的早期传说，偏偏欠缺我们赛协尔的，所以我想为你补充这方面的资料。换句话说，我想见你的原因，和你想见我的原因完全一样。”
“What has this to do with yesterday, S.Q.?” asked Trevize.
“可是这跟昨天又有什么关系呢，索·昆？”崔维兹问道。
“We have legends. A legend. An important one to our society, for it has become our central mystery……”
“我们拥有许多传说。其中有一则，对我们的社会非常重要，因为它已经成为我们的不传之秘。”
“Mystery?” said Trevize.
“不传之秘？”崔维兹毫无概念。
“I don’t mean a puzzle or anything of that sort. That, I believe, would be the usual meaning of the word in Galactic Standard. There’s a specialized meaning here. It means ‘something secret’; something only certain adepts know the full meaning of; something not to be spoken of to outsiders. --And yesterday was the day.”
“我的意思不是神秘或悬疑的事件。我想，在银河标准语中，‘秘’这个字通常是那个意思。在此却是一个特殊的用法，意味着某种秘密的事物，某种只有少数人才能全盘明了的事物，某种不足为外人道的事物——而昨天恰好就是这一天。”
“The day of what, S.Q.?” asked Trevize, slightly exaggerating his air of patience.
“什么样的一天，索·昆？”崔维兹问道，语气中刻意带着些微不耐烦的情绪。
“Yesterday was the Day of Flight.”
“昨天正是高飞纪念日。”
“Ah,” said Trevize, “a day of meditation and quiet, when everyone is supposed to remain at home.”
“啊，”崔维兹说，“一个沉思与沉默的日子，人人都应该待在家里。”
“Something like that, in theory, except that in the larger cities, the more sophisticated regions, there is little observance in the older fashion. --But you know about it, I see.”
“理论上来说是这样的，只不过在较大的城市中、在比较现实的社会里，很少有人再奉行这种古老的风俗了。但现在我知道，你们至少听说过。”
Pelorat, who had grown uneasy at Trevize’s annoyed tone, put in hastily, “We heard a little of it, having arrived yesterday.”
由于崔维兹的语气愈来愈不客气，裴洛拉特相当不安，赶紧抢着说：“我们是昨天到的，多少听说了一点。”
“Of all days,” said Trevize sarcastically. “See here, S.Q. As I said, I’m not an academic, but I have a question. You said you were speaking of a central mystery, meaning it was not to be spoken of to outsiders. Why, then, are you speaking of it to us? We are outsiders.”
“哪天还不是一样。”崔维兹用讽刺的口吻说，“听好，索·昆，我刚才说过，我并不是学者，但我还是要问一个问题。你说那个传说是不传之秘，这就代表不可以向外人透露，那么，你又为何要告诉我们呢？我们正是外人。”
“So you are. But I’m not an observer of the day and the depth of my superstition in this matter is slight at best. J.P.’s paper, however, reinforced a feeling I have had for a long time. A myth or legend is simply not made up out of a vacuum. Nothing is--or can be. Somehow there is a kernel of truth behind it, however distorted that might be, and I would like the truth behind our legend of the Day of Flight.”
“你们的确是。但我不把这个节日当一回事，而且我对这种事的迷信，顶多只有一点点。我很早就有一种想法，而詹·裴的论文增强了我的信心，那就是神话也好，传说也罢，都不可能凭空杜撰。任何事都不会无中生有，不论神话传说如何背离事实，必定隐藏着一个真实的核心。因此我很想知道，高飞纪念日这个传说背后的真相是什么。”
Trevize said, “Is it safe to talk about it?”
崔维兹说：“讨论这个问题安全吗？”
Quintesetz shrugged. “Not entirely, I suppose. The conservative elements among our population would be horrified. However, they don’t control the government and haven’t for a century. The secularists are strong and would be stronger still, if the conservatives didn’t take advantage of our--if you’ll excuse me--anti-Foundation bias. Then, too, since I am discussing the matter out of my scholarly interest in ancient history, the League of Academicians will support me strongly, in case of need.”
昆特瑟兹耸了耸肩。“我想，并非绝对安全，会吓到这个世界上的保守分子。然而，过去这一个世纪，他们已经无法控制政府。开明人士的势力很强，而且会愈来愈强，除非保守派滥用我们的反基地情结——请原谅我这么说。此外，我是出于对古代史的兴趣，把它当成学术问题来讨论，万一有必要，学者同盟一定会全力支持我。”
“In that case,” said Pelorat, “would you tell us about your central mystery, SQ.?”
“既然如此，”裴洛拉特说，“索·昆，你愿意告诉我们那个不传之秘吗？”
“Yes, but let me make sure we won’t be interrupted or, for that matter, overheard. Even if one must stare the bull in the face, one needn’t slap its muzzle, as the saying goes.”
“愿意，不过我得先确定我们不会受到打扰，也不会有人无意间听到我们的谈话。正如俗谚所云：即使必须捋虎须，也不必顺便拔虎牙。”
He flicked a pattern on the work-face of an instrument on his desk and said, “We’re incommunicado now.”
他在桌面某个装置的工作界面上按了几下，然后说：“我切断了和外界的联络。”
“Are you sure you’re not bugged?” asked Trevize.
“你确定这个房间没有被动过手脚？”崔维兹问道。
“Bugged?”
“手脚？”
“Tapped! Eavesdropped! --Subjected to a device that will have you under observation--visual or auditory or both.”
“被窃听！被监视！在这个房间偷偷装上一个小仪器，让你的言行举止无所遁形。”
Quintesetz looked shocked. “Not here on Sayshell!”
昆特瑟兹显得很震惊。“赛协尔上绝没有这种事！”
Trevize shrugged. “If you say so.”
崔维兹耸了耸肩。“有你这句话就好。”
“Please go on, SQ.,” said Pelorat.
“请继续说下去，索·昆。”裴洛拉特说。
Quintesetz pursed his lips, leaned back in his chair (which gave slightly under the pressure) and put the tips of his fingers together. He seemed to be speculating as to just how to begin.
昆特瑟兹撅着嘴，上身往后仰（椅背随即稍微弯曲），并将两手的指尖靠在一起，像是在考虑如何从头说起。
He said, “Do you know what a robot is?”
最后他终于说：“你们晓得机仆是什么吗？”
“A robot?” said Pelorat. “No.”
“机仆？”裴洛拉特道，“没听说过。”
Quintesetz looked in the direction of Trevize, who shook his head slowly.
昆特瑟兹转头望向崔维兹，后者缓缓摇了摇头。
“You know what a computer is, however?”
“然而，你们总该晓得电脑是什么吧。”
“Of course,” said Trevize impatiently.
“那当然。”崔维兹用不耐烦的口气答道。
“Well then, a mobile computerized tool……”
“好的，那么，一个可动的电脑化工具……”
“Is a mobile computerized tool.” Trevize was still impatient. “There are endless varieties and I don’t know of any generalized term for it except mobile computerized tool.”
“就是一个可动的电脑化工具。”崔维兹益发显得不耐烦，“这种玩意种类繁多，除了‘可动的电脑化工具’之外，我不知道还有什么一般性的名称。”
“--that looks exactly like a human being is a robot.” S.Q. completed his definition with equanimity. “The distinction of a robot is that it is humaniform.”
“——如果外表跟人类一模一样，就叫做机仆。”昆特瑟兹气定神闲地将定义说完。“机仆最大的特色，就在于具有人形，因此也称为机器人。”
“Why humaniform?” asked Pelorat in honest amazement.
“为什么要做成人形呢？”裴洛拉特惊讶不已地问道。
“I’m not sure. It’s a remarkably inefficient form for a tool, I grant you, but I’m just repeating the legend. ‘Robot’ is an old word from no recognizable language, though our scholars say it bears the connotation of ‘work.”
“我也不清楚。人形工具极端缺乏效率，这点我同意，但我只是在转述传说的内容。‘机仆’是个古老的词汇，源自一种如今已经无人能懂的语言，不过我们的学者认为，它具有‘工作’的含意。”
“I can’t think of any word,” said Trevize skeptically, “that sounds even vaguely like ‘robot’ and that has any connection with ‘work.”
“我想不出有什么词汇，”崔维兹以怀疑的口气说，“哪怕只是发音和‘机仆’稍微接近，又和‘工作’扯得上任何关系的。”
“Nothing in Galactic, certainly,” said Quintesetz, “but that’s what they say.”
“显然在银河标准语中并没有，”昆特瑟兹说，“可是的确有这种说法。”
Pelorat said, “It may have been reverse etymology. These objects were used for work, and so the word was said to mean ‘work.’ --In any case, why do you tell us this?”
裴洛拉特说：“这也许是倒因为果的现象，因为那种东西被拿来做工，后来这个词汇就有了‘工作’的含意。不管了，你为什么要告诉我们这件事？”
“Because it is a firmly fixed tradition here on Sayshell that when Earth was a single world and the Galaxy lay all uninhabited before it, robots were invented and devised. There were then two sorts of human beings: natural and invented, flesh and metal, biological and mechanical, complex and simple……”
“因为在赛协尔，有个历久不衰的传说：当地球还是唯一的世界，银河各处尚未住人的时候，便有人发明并制造出机仆，也就是机器人。从此之后，人类就分成了两种：血肉之躯与铜筋铁骨、自然的与人工的、生物的与机械的、复杂的与单纯的……”
Quintesetz came to a halt and said with a rueful laugh, “I’m sorry. It is impossible to talk about robots without quoting from theBook of Flight . The people of Earth devised robots--and I need say no more. That’s plain enough.”
昆特瑟兹突然住口，苦笑一声，然后说：“很抱歉，一谈到机器人，很难不引用《高飞录》中的句子。总之，地球上的人曾经发明出机器人。我要说的就是这一点，这已经够明白了。”
“And why did they devise robots?” asked Trevize.
“他们为什么要发明机器人呢？”崔维兹问。
Quintesetz shrugged. “Who can tell at this distance in time? Perhaps they were few in numbers and needed help, particularly in the great task of exploring and populating the Galaxy.”
昆特瑟兹耸了耸肩。“这么遥远的历史，谁弄得清楚呢？也许由于他们人口稀少，因此需要帮手，尤其是像探索太空、殖民银河这种庞大的计划。”
Trevize said, “That’s a reasonable suggestion. Once the Galaxy was colonized, the robots would no longer be needed. Certainly there are no humanoid mobile computerized tools in the Galaxy today.”
崔维兹说：“这是个合理的推测。一旦人类殖民到银河各处，机器人就功成身退。如今在银河中，当然再也没有人形的电脑化工具了。”
“In any case,” said Quintesetz, “the story is as follows--if I may vastly simplify and leave out many poetic ornamentations which, frankly, I don’t accept, though the general population does or pretends to. Around Earth, there grew up colony worlds circling neighboring stars and these colony worlds were far richer in robots than was Earth itself. There was more use for robots on raw, new worlds. Earth, in fact, retreated, wished no more robots, and rebelled against them.”
“言归正传，”昆特瑟兹说，“让我尽量将内容简化，把那些诗意的情节全部省略，老实说，我并不接受那些过分渲染的情节，不过大多数的赛协尔人却信以为真，或者假装相信。故事是这样的，地球附近的一些恒星，周围渐渐兴起许多殖民世界。那些世界所拥有的机器人远多于地球，因为在有待开发的新世界上，机器人的用途更为广泛。事实上，地球在这方面却走回头路，非但不希望制造更多机器人，甚至对它们产生强烈的反感。”
“What happened?” asked Pelorat.
“结果怎么样？”裴洛拉特问道。
“The Outer Worlds were the stronger. With the help of their robots, the children defeated and controlled Earth--the Mother. Pardon me, but I can’t help slipping into quotation. But there were those from Earth who fled their world--with better ships and stronger modes of hyperspatial travel. They fled to far distant stars and worlds, far beyond the closer worlds earlier colonized. New colonies were founded--without robots--in which human beings could live freely. Those were the Times of Flight, so-called, and the day upon which the first Earthmen reached the Sayshell Sector-- this very planet, in fact--isthe Day of Flight, celebrated annually for many thousands of years.”
“那些外围世界实力愈来愈强大，他们借着机器人的帮助，子女击败并控制了母亲——地球。对不起，我又忍不住引经据典。不过地球上有些人逃了出去，因为他们拥有较佳的船舰，以及较为精良的超空间科技。他们逃得很远很远，来到比先前那批殖民世界还要远得多的恒星系。从此兴起一批新的殖民世界，人类在其中过着自由自在的生活，但不见任何机器人，这便是所谓的高飞时代。而所谓的高飞纪念日，就是首批地球人抵达赛协尔星区的那一天——事实上，正是抵达这颗行星。上万年来，每年的这一天，都还会举行纪念活动。”
Pelorat said, “My dear chap, what you are saying, then, is that Sayshell was founded directly from Earth.”
裴洛拉特说：“我亲爱的兄弟，根据你现在的说法，赛协尔是由地球直接建立的。”
Quintesetz thought and hesitated for a moment. Then he said, “That is the official belief.”
昆特瑟兹沉思和犹豫了好一阵子，然后才说：“这是官方版本的说法。”
“Obviously,” said Trevize, “you don’t accept it.”
“显然，”崔维兹道，“你并不接受这个说法。”
“It seems to me……” Quintesetz began and then burst out, “Oh, Great Stars and Small Planets, I don’t! It is entirely too unlikely, but it’s official dogma and however secularized the government has become, lip service to that, at least, is essential. --Still, to the point. In your article, J.P., there is no indication that you’re aware of this story--of robots and of two waves of colonization, a lesser one with robots and a greater one without.”
“我认为这个说法……”昆特瑟兹开始时说得很慢，突然间变得滔滔不绝，“喔，众星在上，我不接受！这实在太不可能了。但这是官方的教条，不论政府变得多么开明，口头上还是得这么讲。别扯得太远，还是回到正题吧。从你的论文看来，詹·裴，你并不知道有关机器人和两波殖民的故事——第一波有机器人参与但规模较小，第二波则刚好相反。”
“I certainly was not,” said Pelorat. “I hear it now for the first time and, my dear SQ., I am eternally grateful to you for making this known to me. I am astonished that no hint of this has appeared in any of the writings……”
“我的确不知道，”裴洛拉特说，“今天我才第一次听到。亲爱的索·昆，我将永远感激你。从来没有任何文献提到过相关的线索，这点令我十分惊讶。”
“It shows,” said Quintesetz, “how effective our social system is. It’s our Sayshellian secret--our great mystery.”
“这就显示，”昆特瑟兹说，“我们这个社会系统多么有效率。这是我们赛协尔人的秘密，我们的不传之秘。”
“Perhaps,” said Trevize dryly. “Yet the second wave of colonization--the robotless wave--must have moved out in all directions. Why is it only on Sayshell that this great secret exists?”
“或许吧。”崔维兹敷衍了一句，“然而那个第二波殖民——没有机器人的那次——一定同时奔向四面八方，为何唯独赛协尔保有这个大秘密？”
Quintesetz said, “It may exist elsewhere and be just as secret. Our own conservatives believe thatonly Sayshell was settled from Earth and that all the rest of the Galaxy was settled from Sayshell. That, of course, is probably nonsense.”
昆特瑟兹说：“它可能也在其他地方秘密流传，只是外人无法知晓。我们的保守分子相信，只有赛协尔才是地球的直接殖民地，银河其他各处都是赛协尔再殖民的结果。当然，这种说法很可能是无稽之谈。”
Pelorat said, “These subsidiary puzzles can be worked out in time. Now that I have the starting point, I can seek out similar information on other worlds. What counts is that I have discovered the question to ask and a good question is, of course, the key by which infinite answers can be educed. How fortunate that I……”
裴洛拉特说：“这些衍生的历史之谜，迟早会有答案的。既然我找到了出发点，就能在其他世界寻找相关资料。重要的是，我发现了一个值得探讨的问题，而一个好问题，当然可以引出无穷的答案。我是多么幸运……”
Trevize said, “Yes, Janov, but the good SQ. has not told us the whole story, surely. What happened to the older colonies and their robots? Do your traditions say?”
崔维兹插嘴道：“没错，詹诺夫，但好心的索·昆显然尚未把故事说完。那些较早的殖民世界，还有上面的机器人，后来的命运又如何？你们的口传历史有没有提到？”
“Not in detail, but in essence. Human and humanoid cannot live together, apparently. The worlds with robots died. They were not viable.”
“没有提到细节，但是有个大概。人类和人形机器显然无法并存；拥有机器人的世界后来都死了，它们没有长存的条件。”
“And Earth?”
“地球呢？”
“Humans left it and settled here and presumably (though the conservatives would disagree) on other planets as well.”
“人类离开地球，移民此地。想必也有去其他行星的，虽然保守派反对这种说法。”
“Surely not every human being left Earth. The planet was not deserted.”
“不可能每个人都离开地球，地球不至于遭到遗弃吧。”
“Presumably not. I don’t know.”
“想必没有，但是我不知道。”
Trevize said abruptly, “Was it left radioactive?”
崔维兹突然冒出一句：“它是否变得充满放射性？”
Quintesetz looked astonished. “Radioactive?”
昆特瑟兹显得大吃一惊。“放射性？”
“That’s what I’m asking.”
“我问的就是这个。”
“Not to my knowledge. I never heard of such a thing.”
“这点我完全不知道，我从未听说过这种事。”
Trevize put a knuckle to his teeth and considered. Finally he said, “S.Q., it’s getting late and we have trespassed sufficiently on your time, perhaps.” (Pelorat made a motion as though he were about to protest, but Trevize’s hand was on the other’s knee and his grip tightened--so Pelorat, looking disturbed, subsided.)
崔维兹咬着手指的指节，考虑了良久，最后终于说：“索·昆，时候不早了，我们也许已经占用你太多时间。”裴洛拉特动了一下，像是想要提出抗议，崔维兹却使劲抓着他的膝盖。裴洛拉特只好作罢，不安的表情兀自留在脸上。
Quintesetz said, “I was delighted to be of use.”
昆特瑟兹说：“能够帮点忙，我十分荣幸。”
“You have been and if there’s anything we can do in exchange, name it.”
“你帮了很大的忙，假如我们能为你做些什么，请尽管说。”
Quintesetz laughed gently. “If the good J.P. will be so kind as to refrain from mentioning my name in connection with any writing he does on our mystery, that will be sufficient repayment.”
昆特瑟兹轻声笑了笑。“只要好心的詹·裴可以放我一马，在他今后所写的任何相关文章中，都能避免提到我的名字，就是足够的回报了。”
Pelorat said eagerly, “You would be able to get the credit you deserve--and perhaps be more appreciated--if you were allowed to visit Terminus and even, perhaps, remain there as a visiting scholar at our university for an extended period. We might arrange that. Sayshell might not like the Federation, but they might not like refusing a direct request that you be allowed to come to Terminus to attend, let us say, a colloquium on some aspect of ancient history.”
裴洛拉特用诚挚的口吻说：“假如你能造访端点星，并设法以访问学者的身份在我们的大学里待一年半载，你一定会得到应有的学术地位，也许还会更加受到重视。我们应该有办法替你安排。赛协尔或许不喜欢基地联邦，可是他们应该不会拒绝你的申请，比方说，你要到端点星去参加一个古代史研讨会。”
The Sayshellian half-rose. “Are you saying you can pull strings to arrangethat ?”
这位赛协尔人差点站了起来。“你的意思是，你们能帮我牵线？”
Trevize said, “Why, I hadn’t thought of it, but J.P. is perfectly right. That would be feasible--if we tried. And, of course, the more grateful you make us, the harder we will try.”
崔维兹说：“哈，这点我倒没想到，但詹·裴完全说对了。只要我们愿意尝试，绝对是有可能的。当然啦，你让我们愈感激，我们就会愈努力。”
Quintesetz paused, then frowned. “What do you mean, sir?”
昆特瑟兹愣了一下，然后皱起眉头。“阁下，你这话是什么意思？”
“All you have to do is tell us about Gaia, S.Q.,” said Trevize.
“你只需要告诉我们有关盖娅的一切，索·昆。”崔维兹说。
And all the light in Quintesetz’s face died.
昆特瑟兹原本容光焕发的脸孔，陡然间变得一片死灰。
4
4
Quintesetz looked down at his desk. His hand stroked absent-mindedly at his short, tightly curled hair. Then he looked at Trevize and pursed his lips tightly. It was as though he were determined not to speak.
昆特瑟兹低头望着书桌，一只手心不在焉地拂着又短又卷的头发。然后他望向崔维兹，但一直紧紧撅着嘴，仿佛下定决心什么都不说。
Trevize lifted his eyebrows and waited and finally Quintesetz said in a strangled sort of way, “it is getting indeed late--quite glemmering.”
崔维兹扬起眉毛，等待他的回应。最后，昆特瑟兹哑着嗓子说：“实在很晚了，相当昏黄了。”
Until then he had spoken in good Galactic, but now his words took on a strange shape as though the Sayshellian mode of speech were pushing past his classical education.
在此之前，他说的都是正统的银河标准语，现在却冒出一些古怪字眼。仿佛他突然忘却了正统教育，于是赛协尔方言脱口而出。
“Glemmering, S.Q.?”
“昏黄，索·昆？”
“It is nearly full night.”
“天几乎全黑了。”
Trevize nodded. “I am thoughtless. And I am hungry, too. Could you please join us for an evening meal, S.Q., at our expense? We could then, perhaps, continue our discussion--about Gaia.”
崔维兹点了点头。“抱歉我没注意到，其实我也饿了。我们可有荣幸请你共进晚餐，索·昆？或许我们可以边吃边谈，继续讨论盖娅。”
Quintesetz rose heavily to his feet. He was taller than either of the two men from Terminus, but he was older and pudgier and his height did not lend him the appearance of strength. He seemed more weary than when they had arrived.
昆特瑟兹迟缓地站起来。他比两位来自端点星的客人都要高，但由于他年纪较大，而且较为肥胖，所以并未显得特别强壮。跟刚见面的时候比起来，他现在好像疲倦得多。
He blinked at them and said, “I forget my hospitality. You are Outworlders and it would not be fitting that you entertain me. Come to my home. It is on campus and not far and, if you wish to carry on a conversation, I can do so in a more relaxed manner there than here. My only regret” (he seemed a little uneasy) “is that I can offer you only a limited meal. My wife and I are vegetarians and if you are meat-eating, I can Only express my apologies and regrets.”
他对两位客人眨了眨眼睛，然后说：“我竟然忘了待客之道，你们两位是外星人士，怎么可以让你们请客。到我家去吧，我就住在校园里，离这儿不太远。如果你们想继续谈下去，在家里谈我会更加轻松自在。唯一的遗憾，”他似乎有点不安，“是我无法招待你们一顿盛宴。内人和我都吃素，如果你们喜欢肉类，我只能表示歉意和遗憾了。”
Trevize said, “J.P. and I will be quite content to forego our carnivorous natures for one meal. Your conversation will more than make up for it--I hope.”
崔维兹说：“詹·裴和我都乐意暂时放弃食肉的天性。但愿，你的谈话会比大鱼大肉还要值得。”
“I can promise you an interesting meal, whatever the conversation,” said Quintesetz, “if your taste should run to our Sayshellian spices. My wife and I have made a rare study of such things.”
“不论我们谈些什么，我都能保证晚餐不至于乏味。”昆特瑟兹说，“只要你们不排斥赛协尔的调味佐料就行，内人和我在这方面都很有研究。”
“I look forward to any exoticism you choose to supply, S.Q.,” said Trevize coolly, though Pelorat looked a little nervous at the prospect.
“我期待一顿充满异国风味的佳肴，索·昆。”崔维兹泰然自若地说，裴洛拉特却显得有点紧张。
Quintesetz led the way. The three left the room and walked down an apparently endless corridor, with the Sayshellian greeting students and colleagues now and then, but making no attempt to introduce his companions. Trevize was uneasily aware that others stared curiously at his sash, which happened to be one of his gray ones. A subdued color was not something that wasde rigueur in campus clothing, apparently.
于是三人步出研究室，由昆特瑟兹带路，顺着看起来永无止境的长廊一路走下去。偶尔会有些学生或同事跟昆特瑟兹打招呼，他却没有把两位同伴介绍给任何人。崔维兹发现有人好奇地打量着他的宽腰带，不巧他今天的腰带刚好是灰色的，令他感到很不自在。在这个校园中穿着素色服饰，显然并非合乎礼仪的行为。
Finally they stepped through the door and out into the open. It was indeed dark and a little cool, with trees bulking in the distance and a rather rank stand of grass on either side of the walkway.
他们好不容易才走出建筑群，来到露天的环境中。现在天色的确已经很暗，而且有几分凉意。远方隐约可以看到许多大树，走道两旁则是相当浓密的草坪。
Pelorat came to a halt--with his back to the glimmer of lights that came from the building they had just left and from the glows that lined the walks of the campus. He looked straight upward.
裴洛拉特突然停下脚步，背对着那个建筑群所发出的微弱灯光，以及校园中一排排路灯所射出的光芒，抬起头仰望天空。
“Beautiful!” he said. “There is a famous phrase in a verse by one of our better poets that speaks of ‘the speckle-shine of Sayshell’s soaring sky.”
“真美！”他说，“我们那里有一位著名的诗人，写过一首咏叹赛协尔星空的诗，其中有一个名句：赛协尔高耸的夜空，镶嵌着缤纷的星光。”
Trevize gazed appreciately and said in a low voice, “Vie are from Terminus, S.Q., and my friend, at least, has seen no other skies. On Terminus, we see only the smooth dim fog of the Galaxy and a few barely visible stars. You would appreciate your own sky even more, had you lived with ours.”
崔维兹抬头欣赏了一下星空，然后低声说：“我们是从端点星来的，索·昆，至少我的这位朋友，从未见过其他世界的夜空。在端点星上，我们只能见到迷蒙的云雾状银河，以及几颗勉强可见的恒星。你如果在我们那里住过，将更懂得欣赏自己的星空。”
Quintesetz said gravely, “We appreciate it to the full, I assure you. It’s not so much that we are in an uncrowded area of the Galaxy, but that the distribution of stars is remarkably even. I don’t think that you will find, anywhere in the Galaxy, first-magnitude stars so generally distributed. --And yet not too many, either. I have seen the skies of worlds that are inside the outer reaches of a globular cluster and there you will see too many bright stars. It spoils the darkness of the night sky and reduces the splendor considerably.”
昆特瑟兹以庄严的口气说：“我向你保证，我们对它万分欣赏。此地可算是银河中相当拥挤的区域，难得的是星辰分布得极其均匀。我想在银河其他角落，见不到分布如此平均而数目也不太多的一等星。我曾经到过某些世界，那里正好位于球状星团的外缘，他们的夜空充满明亮的星体，因而破坏了幽暗的夜色，大大减损了壮丽的美感。”
“I quite agree with that,” said Trevize.
“我很同意你的说法。”崔维兹道。
“Now I wonder,” said Quintesetz, “if you see that almost regular pentagon of almost equally bright stars. The Five Sisters, we call them. It’s in that direction, just above the line of trees. Do you see it?”
“不知道你们是否看见，”昆特瑟兹说，“那五颗差不多一样亮、几乎排成正五边形的恒星，我们称之为‘五姐妹’。在那个方向，就在那排路树的上方，你们看见了吗？”
“I see it,” said Trevize. “Very attractive.”
“我看到了。”崔维兹说，“非常迷人。”
“Yes,” said Quintesetz. “It’s supposed to symbolize success in love --and there’s no love letter that doesn’t end in a pentagon of dots to indicate a desire to make love. Each of the five stars stands for a different stage in the process and there are famous poems which have vied with each other in making each stage as explicitly erotic as possible. In my younger days, I attempted versifying on the subject myself and I wouldn’t have thought that the time would come when I would grow so indifferent to the Five Sisters, though I suppose it’s the common fate. --Do you see the dim star just about in the center of the Five Sisters.”
“没错。”昆特瑟兹说，“这五颗星象征圆满的爱情。赛协尔人写情书的时候，一律会在后面画出这五颗星的形状，来表示求爱的渴盼。每一颗星代表爱情的不同阶段，许多诗人竞相作出著名诗句，尽可能将每个阶段写得香艳露骨。我还年轻的时候，也曾经试著作过这样的情诗，当时从未想到，自己有一天会对五姐妹变得如此漠不关心，不过我想这大概就是人生吧。在五姐妹的中央，还有一颗黯淡的星辰，你们看到没有？”
“Yes.”
“看到了。”
“That,” said Quintesetz, “is supposed to represent unrequited love. There is a legend that the star was once as bright as the rest, but faded with grief.” And he walked on rapidly.
“那颗星，”昆特瑟兹说，“代表单相思。根据我们的传说，它也曾经相当明亮，后来却黯然神伤。”说完，他继续快步向前走。
5
5
The dinner, Trevize had been forced to admit to himself, was delightful. There was endless variety and the spicing and dressing were subtle but effective.
晚餐吃得相当愉快，这点连崔维兹也不得不承认。各式各样的菜肴变幻无穷，香料与调味料虽然匪夷所思，但的确滋味无穷。
Trevize said, “All these vegetables--which have been a pleasure to eat, by the way--are part of the Galactic dietary, are they not, SQ.?”
崔维兹问道：“这些蔬菜都好吃极了，它们全是银河标准食物吧，索·昆？”
“Yes, of course.”
“当然是啊。”
“I presume, though, that there are indigenous forms of life, too.”
“不过我想，此地也有些原有的生物吧。”
“Of course. Sayshell Planet was an oxygen world when the first settlers arrived, so it had to be life-bearing. And we have preserved some of the indigenous life, you may be sure. We have quite extensive natural parks in which both the flora and the fauna of Old Sayshell survive.”
“当然。第一批移民抵达赛协尔行星时，这里就是个含氧的世界，因此绝对滋生着生命。你大可放心，我们仍旧保存了一些原有的生物。我们有许多相当广阔的自然生态公园，保育着古赛协尔土生土长的动植物。”
Pelorat said sadly, “There you are in advance of us, S.Q. There was little land life on Terminus when human beings arrived and I’m afraid that for a long time no concerted effort was made to preserve the sea life, which had produced the oxygen that made Terminus habitable. Terminus has an ecology now that is purely Galactic in nature.”
裴洛拉特以悲哀的口吻说：“索·昆，这点你们比我们进步。当人类初抵端点星的时候，上面并没有什么陆地生物，长久以来，只怕我们也未曾齐心协力保存海洋生物。事实上，当初如果没有那些海洋生物制造氧气，端点星根本无法住人。如今端点星的生态，已经跟银河其他各处没什么不同了。”
“Sayshell,” said Quintesetz, with a smile of modest pride, “has a long and steady record of life-valuing.”
“赛协尔对生命的尊重，”昆特瑟兹带着自傲的笑容说，“一向有着极佳的记录。”
And Trevize chose that moment to say, “When we left your office, SQ., I believe it was your intention to feed us dinner and then tell us about Gaia.”
崔维兹利用这个时机，赶紧改变话题：“我记得离开你的研究室时，索·昆，你不但打算请我们到府上用餐，还准备告诉我们有关盖娅的事。”
Quintesetz’s wife, a friendly woman--plump and quite dark, who had said little during the meal--looked up in astonishment, rose, and left the room without a word.
昆特瑟兹的妻子是个和气的妇人，她身材丰满，肤色黝黑，晚餐从头到尾都很少讲话。此时她猛然抬起头来，露出惊惶的表情，然后一言不发，起身离开了餐厅。
“My wife,” said Quintesetz uneasily, “is quite a conservative, I’m afraid, and is a bit uneasy at the mention of--the world. Please excuse her. But why do you ask about it?”
“很抱歉，”昆特瑟兹有点不知所措，“内人就是个标准的保守分子。当她听到有人提起……那个世界，便会感到有点不安，请两位务必原谅。可是，你为什么要问这个问题呢？”
“Because it is important for J.P.’s work, I’m afraid.”
“很抱歉，但它对詹·裴的研究工作相当重要。”
“But why do you ask it ofme ? We were discussing Earth, robots, the founding of Sayshell. What has all this to do with--what you ask?”
“可是你们为何要问我呢？我们刚才在讨论地球、机器人，以及赛协尔的创建经过，这些题目跟……跟你现在问的事又有何相干？”
“Perhaps nothing, and yet there are so many oddnesses about the matter. Why is your wife uneasy at the mention of Gaia? Why areyou uneasy? Some talk of it easily enough. We have been told only today that Gaia is Earth itself and that it has disappeared into hyperspace because of the evil done by human beings.”
“或许没什么相干，但这件事透着许多古怪。为什么我一提到盖娅，尊夫人就显得不安？你自己为何也会不安？但有些人对这个话题却毫不忌讳，就在今天下午，还有人告诉我们盖娅即是地球，由于人类作恶多端，它才会消失在超空间中。”
A look of pain crossed Quintesetz’s face. “Who told you that gibberish?”
昆特瑟兹脸上闪过一阵痛苦的表情。“是谁跟你这样胡说八道的？”
“Someone I met here at the university.”
“我在这所大学遇到的一个人。”
“That’s just superstition.”
“那只是迷信罢了。”
“Then it’s not part of the central dogma of your legends concerning the Flight?”
“这么说，它并不是有关‘高飞’中心教条的一部分？”
“No, of course not. It’s just a fable that arose among the ordinary, uneducated people.”
“不，当然不是，那只是没知识的民众胡扯出来的寓言。”
“Are you sure?” asked Trevize coldly.
“你肯定吗？”崔维兹用冰冷的语气问道。
Quintesetz sat back in his chair and stared at the remnant of the meal before him. “Come into the living room,” he said. “My wife will not allow this room to be cleared and set to rights while we are here and discussing--this.”
昆特瑟兹上身靠向椅背，眼睛盯着餐桌上的残汤剩菜。“我们到起居室去吧。”他说，“假如我们一直待在这里讨论……这个问题，内人永远不会进来收拾餐桌。”
“Are you sure it is just a fable?” repeated Trevize, once they had seated themselves in another room, before a window that bellied upward and inward to give a clear view of Sayshell’s remarkable night sky. The lights within the room glimmered down to avoid competition and Quintesetz’s dark countenance melted into the shadow.
“你肯定那只是寓言吗？”崔维兹再度问道。此时他们已经来到另一个房间，坐在一扇大窗户旁边。那扇窗户设计成特殊的弧形，能将赛协尔美丽的夜空尽收眼底。室内的光线还故意调暗，以免掩盖室外的夜色，昆特瑟兹的面孔因而融入昏暗的阴影中。
Quintesetz said, “Aren’tyou sure? Do you think that any world can dissolve into hyperspace? You must understand that the average person has only the vaguest notion of what hyperspace is.”
昆特瑟兹回答说：“你自己不能肯定吗？你认为有什么世界能躲进超空间？超空间究竟是什么东西，一般人仅有极模糊的概念，这点你一定了解。”
“The truth is,” said Trevize, “that I myself have only the vaguest notion of what hyperspace is and I’ve been through it hundreds of times.”
“事实上，”崔维兹说，“我自己对超空间也仅有极模糊的概念，而我已经出入超空间数百次了。”
“Let me speak realities, then. I assure you that Earth--wherever it is--is not located within the borders of the Sayshell union and that the world you mentioned is not Earth.”
“那就让我告诉你真相吧。我向你保证，无论地球在哪里，反正绝不会在赛协尔联盟疆域之内，你提到的那个世界并不是地球。”
“But even if you don’t know where Earth is, S.Q., you ought to know where the world I mentioned is.It is certainly within the borders of the Sayshell union. We know that much, eh, Pelorat?”
“可是，即使你不知道地球在哪里，索·昆，你也该知道我提到的那个世界位于何处，它必定在赛协尔联盟疆域之内。这点我们还能肯定，是吗，裴洛拉特？”
Pelorat, who had been listening stolidly, started at being suddenly addressed and said, “If it comes to that, Golan, I know where it is.”
裴洛拉特一直傻傻地当个听众，突然间被指名回答，不禁吓了一跳。他说：“如果是这样，葛兰，我就知道它在哪里。”
Trevize turned to look at him. “Since when, Janov?”
崔维兹转头望着他。“你什么时候知道的，詹诺夫？”
“Since earlier this evening, my dear Golan. You showed us the Five Sisters, S.Q., on our way from your office to your house. You pointed out a dim star at the center of the pentagon. I’m positive that’s Gaia.”
“就在今晚稍早的时候，我亲爱的葛兰。索·昆，当我们从你的研究室走回你家时，你指给我们看五姐妹，还指出五边形中央有颗黯淡的星星。我确定那颗星就是盖娅。”
Quintesetz hesitated--his face, hidden in the dimness, was beyond any chance of interpretation. Finally he said, “Well, that’s what our astronomers tell us--privately. It is a planet that circles that star.”
昆特瑟兹犹豫了好一阵子。他的脸孔隐藏在阴暗中，无法看出他的表情如何变化。最后他终于开口：“没错，我们的天文学家的确这么说——私下说的。盖娅正是围绕那颗星的某颗行星。”
Trevize gazed contemplatively at Pelorat, but the expression on the professor’s face was unreadable. Trevize turned to Quintesetz, “Then tell us about that star. Do you have its co-ordinates?”
崔维兹赶紧观察裴洛拉特的表情，但老教授的情绪并未形之于色。于是崔维兹转向昆特瑟兹说：“那么请说说有关那颗星的一切。你有它的坐标吗？”
“I? No.” He was almost violent in his denial. “I have no stellar co-ordinates here. You can get it from our astronomy department, though I imagine not without trouble. No travel to that star is permitted.”
“我？没有。”他回绝得相当不客气，“我这里并没有恒星坐标数据。你可以向我们的天文系查询，不过我能想象绝对不容易。从未有人获准飞往那颗行星。”
“Why not? It’s within your territory, isn’t it?”
“为什么呢？它位于你们的疆域之内，难道不是吗？”
“Spaciographically, yes. Politically, no.”
“就地理位置而言，没错。就政治领域而言，答案却是否定的。”
Trevize waited for something more to be said. When that didn’t come, he rose. “Professor Quintesetz,” he said formally, “I am not a policeman, soldier, diplomat, or thug. I am not here to force information out of you. Instead, I shall, against my will, go to our ambassador. Surely, you must understand that it is not I, for my own personal interest, that request this information. This is Foundation business and I don’t want to make an interstellar incident out of this. I don’t think the Sayshell union would want to, either.”
崔维兹以为他还没有说完，等了半天不见下文之后，他站了起来。“昆特瑟兹教授，”他用正式的口吻说，“我并不是警察、军人、外交官或杀手，我不会强迫你提供资料。但是，我会去拜访我们的大使，虽然这有违我自己的意愿。当然，你一定能够了解，我向你询问这些，并非出于自身的兴趣。这是基地交代的公事，但我不希望因此惹出星际纠纷，我相信赛协尔联盟也不愿见到这种结果。”
Quintesetz said uncertainly, “What is this Foundation business?”
昆特瑟兹用迟疑的口气说：“基地究竟交代你什么公事？”
“That’s not something I can discuss with you. If Gaia is not something you can discuss with me, then we will transfer it all to the government level and, under the circumstances, it may be the worse for Sayshell. Sayshell has kept its independence of the Federation and I have no objection to that. I have no reason to wish Sayshell ill and I do not wish to approach our ambassador. In fact, I will harm my own career in doing so, for I am under strict instruction to get this informationwithout making a government matter of it. Please tell me, then, if there is some firm reason why you cannot discuss Gaia. Will you be arrested or otherwise punished, if you speak? Will you tell me plainly that I have no choice but to go to the ambassadorial height?”
“这件事恕我无法和你讨论。如果你也无法和我讨论盖娅，我们就得将这个问题交到政府手上，而在那种情况下，也许会对赛协尔有更坏的影响。赛协尔一直保持独立的地位，不愿加入基地联邦，这点我完全没有异议。我没有理由要为难赛协尔，也不想去找我们的大使。事实上，假如我那么做，便会危及自己的前途，因为我接到过严格指示，要我以私人力量得到这个情报，不准把政府牵扯进来。所以请告诉我，是否有什么坚实的理由，让你不敢讨论盖娅。是不是你说了就会因此被捕，还是会受到其他惩罚？你是不是要直截了当告诉我，除了将问题提升到大使层级，我没有其他选择？”
“No no,” said Quintesetz, who sounded utterly confused. “I know nothing about government matters. We simply don’t speak of that world.”
“不，不。”昆特瑟兹的声音听来慌乱至极，“我并不知道政府有任何禁令，我们只是不愿意谈那个世界。”
“Superstition?”
“迷信吗？”
“Well, yes! Superstition! --Skies of Sayshell, in what way am I better than that foolish person who told you that Gaia was in hyperspace--or than my wife who won’t even stay in a room where Gaia is mentioned and who may even have left the house for fear it will be smashed by……”
“好吧！就算是迷信吧！赛协尔的苍天啊，其实我也好不了多少，我和那个告诉你盖娅在超空间的傻子，还有听到盖娅就跑开的内人一样。我告诉你们，她甚至会吓得跑到外面去，因为她怕我们家会遭到……”
“Lightning?”
“天打雷劈？”
“Bysome stroke from afar. And I, even I, hesitate to pronounce the name. Gaia! Gaia! The syllables do not hurt! I am unharmed! Yet I hesitate. --But please believe me when I say that I honestly don’t know the co-ordinates for Gaia’s star. I can try to help you get it, if that will help, but let me tell you that we don’t discuss the world here in the union. We keep hands and minds off it. I can tell you what little is known--really known, rather than supposed--and I doubt that you can learn anything more anywhere in these worlds of the union.
“反正是来自远方的神秘力量。而我，甚至我自己，都不敢随便说出那个名字。盖娅！盖娅！这个发音并不会伤人！我仍旧毫发无损！但我还是畏畏缩缩。可是请相信我，我真不知道盖娅所属恒星的坐标。如果对你们有帮助，我可以帮忙找出来，但是让我老实告诉你们，我们整个联盟都不愿讨论这个世界。我们既不碰，也不想这个问题。我能告诉你一点我所知道的事——是事实，而不是臆测——我相信即使你走遍联盟各个世界，也不可能找到更多的资料。
“We know Gaia is an ancient world and there are some who think it is the oldest world in this sector of the Galaxy, but we are not certain. Patriotism tells us Sayshell Planet is the oldest; fear tells us Gaia Planet is. The only way of combining the two is to suppose that Gaia is Earth, since it is known that Sayshell was settled by Earthpeople.
“我们都知道盖娅是个古老的世界，有些人甚至认为，它是本星区最古老的世界，但这点我们并不肯定。爱国心告诉我们赛协尔行星是最古老的，恐惧却告诉我们盖娅行星才是。统合这两种说法的唯一方式，就是假设盖娅即地球，因为众所周知，赛协尔是由地球人所建立的。
“Most historians think--among themselves--that Gaia Planet was founded independently. They think it is not a colony of any world of our union and that the union was not colonized by Gaia. There is no consensus on comparative age, whether Gaia was settled before or after Sayshell was.”
“大多数历史学家认为——只是在他们圈内流传——盖娅行星是个别创建的。他们认为它不是联盟哪个世界的殖民地，反之，赛协尔联盟也并非盖娅向外殖民的结果。至于何者历史较长，连专家也没有共识，谁也不知道盖娅的创建是在赛协尔之前，还是之后。”
Trevize said, “So far, what you know is nothing, since every possible alternative is believed by someone or other.”
崔维兹道：“目前为止，你等于什么也没有说，因为每一种可能性都有人相信。”
Quintesetz nodded ruefully. “It would seem so. It was comparatively late in our history that we became conscious of the existence of Gaia. We had been preoccupied at first in forming the union, then in fighting off the Galactic Empire, then in trying to find our proper role as an Imperial province and in limiting the power of the Viceroys.
昆特瑟兹无奈地点了点头。“似乎就是如此。我们发现盖娅的存在，还是赛协尔历史上相当晚近的事。悠悠岁月中，我们最初致力于建立联盟，然后又忙着对抗银河帝国，而在成为帝国一个星省之后，又试图寻找自己适当的定位，并想尽办法限制总督的权力。
“It wasn’t till the days of Imperial weakness were far advanced that one of the later Viceroys, who was under very weak central control by then, came to realize that Gaia existed and seemed to maintain its independence from the Sayshellian province and even from the Empire itself. It simply kept to itself in isolation and secrecy, so that virtually nothing was known about it, anymore than is now known. The Viceroy decided to take it over. We have no details what happened, but his expedition was broken and few ships returned. In those days, of course, the ships were neither very good nor very well led.
“直到帝国的衰落到达相当程度，中央对此地的控制变得极微弱时，某位总督才知晓了盖娅的存在，并且怀疑它不但独立于赛协尔星省，甚至不算是帝国的一分子。它一直神秘地与世隔绝，所以大家对它一无所知，直到今天仍旧如此。于是那位总督决心接收盖娅，详细经过我们并不清楚，只知道他的远征舰队遭到重创，只有几艘逃了回来。当然，那个时代的船舰已经不怎么精良，也缺少优秀的领导。
“Sayshell itself rejoiced at the defeat of the Viceroy, who was considered an Imperial oppressor, and the debacle led almost directly to the re-establishment of our independence. The Sayshell union snapped its ties with the Empire and we still celebrate the anniversary of that event as union Day. Almost out of gratitude we left Gaia alone for nearly a century, but the time came when we were strong enough to begin to think of a little imperialistic expansion of our own. Why not take over Gaia? Why not at least establish a Customs union? We sent out a fleet and it was broken, too.
“总督的失败令赛协尔人兴高采烈，因为他被视为帝国高压统治的化身。这场败仗几乎直接导致我们恢复独立，赛协尔联盟从此挣脱帝国的缰索。我们将那天定为联盟纪念日，至今每年都还举行盛大庆典。其后将近一个世纪，主要是出于感激，我们都没有打扰盖娅。但是，等到我们自己变得足够强大，也曾想要进行一点帝国主义的扩张。何不接收盖娅呢？何不至少建立一个关税同盟？于是我们派出自己的舰队，不料也被打得溃不成军。
“Thereafter, we confined ourselves to an occasional attempt at trade--attempts that were invariably unsuccessful. Gaia remained in firm isolation and never--to anyone’s knowledge--made the slightest attempt to trade or communicate with any other world. It certainly never made the slightest hostile move against anyone in any direction. And then……”
“从此以后，我们顶多偶尔做些通商的尝试，结果没有一次成功。盖娅一直维持绝对与世隔绝的状态，从未试图和其他世界进行贸易或主动联络，至少从来没有人知道。而不论在任何方面，它也没有主动对谁表现过敌意。后来……”
Quintesetz turned up the light by touching a control in the arm of his chair. In the light, Quintesetz’s face took on a clearly sardonic expression. He went on, “Since you are citizens of the Foundation, you perhaps remember the Mule.”
昆特瑟兹按了按座椅扶手的控制钮，室内立时大放光明。他脸上带着明显的嘲讽神情，继续说：“既然你们是基地的公民，也许还记得骡这号人物。”
Trevize flushed. In five centuries of existence, the Foundation had been conquered only once. The conquest had been only temporary and had not seriously interfered with its climb toward Second Empire, but surely no one who resented the Foundation and wished to puncture its self-satisfaction would fail to mention the Mule, its one conqueror. And it was likely (thought Trevize) that Quintesetz had raised the level of light in order that he mightsee Foundational self-satisfaction punctured.
崔维兹顿时面红耳赤。在五个世纪的历史中，基地只有一次被外人征服的纪录。虽然历时短暂，对于基地迈向第二帝国的步伐并未造成太大阻碍，不过凡是痛恨基地的人，若想挫挫基地自负自满的锐气，都一定不会忘记提到骡，因为他是基地唯一的征服者。昆特瑟兹此时突然调亮灯光，（崔维兹想）很可能是为了观赏两位基地人的窘态。
He said, “Yes, we of the Foundation remember the Mule.”
他答道：“对，我们基地人一直记得他。”
“The Mule,” said Quintesetz, “ruled an Empire for a while, one that was as large as the Federation now controlled by the Foundation. He did not, however, ruleus . He left us in peace. He passed through Sayshell at one time, however. We signed a declaration of neutrality and a statement of friendship. He asked nothing more. We were the only ones of whom he asked nothing more in the days before illness called a halt to his expansion and forced him to wait for death. He was not an unreasonable man, you know. He did not use unreasonable force, he was not bloody, and he ruled humanely.”
“骡曾经统治一个短命的帝国，”昆特瑟兹又说，“它的领域和如今基地控制的联邦一样大。然而他未曾统治我们，他让我们继续过太平日子。他曾经路过赛协尔一次，要我们签订一份中立宣言，并发表一篇友好声明，除此之外，他没有作任何要求。当骡征服银河时，我们是唯一的幸运儿，直到病魔令他不得不终止扩张政策，等待死神来临，我们一直都安然无事。你知道吗，他并非不讲理的人。他不会疯狂地使用武力，他并不嗜杀，他的统治相当人道。”
“It was just that he was a conqueror,” said Trevize sarcastically.
“他只不过是个征服者而已。”崔维兹反讽道。
“Like the Foundation,” said Quintesetz.
“就像基地一样。”昆特瑟兹不甘示弱。
Trevize, with no ready answer, said irritably, “Do you have more to say about Gaia?”
崔维兹一时不知如何回答，没好气地说：“盖娅的事究竟还有没有下文？”
“Just a statement that the Mule made. According to the account of the historic meeting between the Mule and President Kallo of the union, the Mule is described as having put his signature to the document with a flourish and to have said, “You are neutral even toward Gaia by this document, which is fortunate for you. Even I will not approach Gaia.”
“只剩下一点，就是骡讲过的一句话。当年，骡和联盟主席卡洛举行过一次历史性会议，根据历史记载，骡在签下龙飞凤舞的签名之后，曾经说：‘根据这份文件，你们甚至对盖娅也是中立的，这是你们的运气。就连我自己，也不愿意接近盖娅。’”
Trevize shook his head. “Why should he? Sayshell was eager to pledge neutrality and Gaia had no record of ever troubling anyone. The Mule was planning the conquest of the entire Galaxy at the time, so why delay for trifles? Time enough to turn on Sayshelland Gaia, when that was done.”
崔维兹摇了摇头。“他有那个必要吗？赛协尔生怕不能誓言中立，盖娅则从来没有惹过麻烦。当时，骡正计划征服全银河，何必为了微不足道的敌人浪费时间？完成征服大业之后，他再回头收拾赛协尔和盖娅不迟。”
“Perhaps, perhaps,” said Quintesetz, “but according to one witness at the time, a person we tend to believe, the Mule put down his pen as he said, ‘Even I will not approach Gaia.’ His voice then dropped and, in a whisper not meant to be heard, he added ‘again.”
“或许吧，或许吧。”昆特瑟兹说，“可是根据当时一位见证人的说法——此人信誉极佳，我们都愿意相信他——骡一面放下笔，一面说：‘就连我自己，也不愿意接近盖娅。’然后他压低声音，自言自语了一句：‘再也不要了。’”
“Not meant to be heard, you say. Then how was it he was heard?”
“你说他压低声音自言自语，这句话又怎么被人听到？”
“Because his pen rolled off the table when he put it down and a Sayshellian automatically approached and bent to pick it up. His ear was close to the Mule’s mouth when the word ‘again’ was spoken and he heard it. He said nothing until after the Mule’s death.”
“因为当骡放下笔的时候，那支笔刚好滚到地下，那位赛协尔人自然而然走过去，弯下腰把笔捡了起来。当骡正在说那句‘再也不要了’的时候，他的耳朵刚好贴近骡的嘴巴。直到骡死了，他才说出这件事。”
“How can you prove it was not an invention.”
“你怎能证明这不是虚构的？”
“The man’s life is not the kind that makes it probable he would invent something of this kind. His report is accepted.”
“那人是个德高望重的人士，不是会捏造谎言的那种人。他说的话都是可信的。”
“And if it is?”
“果真如此，又如何呢？”
“The Mule was never in--or anywhere near--the Sayshell union except on this one occasion, at least after he appeared on the Galactic scene. If he had ever been on Gaia, it had to be before he appeared on the Galactic scene.”
“除了那一次，骡从未到过赛协尔联盟，甚至没在邻近星空出现过，至少在他跃上银河舞台之后再也没有。如果他曾经去过盖娅，一定是在他仍旧默默无闻的时候。”
“Well?”
“所以呢？”
“Well, where was the Mule born?”
“所以，你知道骡生在何处吗？”
“I don’t think anyone knows,” said Trevize.
“我想谁也不晓得。”崔维兹答道。
“In the Sayshell union, there is a strong feeling he was born on Gaia.”
“在赛协尔联盟，人们有一种强烈的感觉，认为他就生在盖娅。”
“Because of that one word?”
“就凭他讲的那句话？”
“Only partly. The Mule could not be defeated because he had strange mental powers. Gaia cannot be defeated either.”
“并不尽然。骡能够百战百胜，是因为他具有奇异的精神力量，而盖娅同样是无敌的。”
“Gaia has not been defeated as yet. That does not necessarily prove it cannot be.”
“你只能说盖娅至今没打过败仗，并不能证明它永远无敌。”
“Even the Mule would not approach. Search the records of his Overlordship. See if any region other than the Sayshell union was so gingerly treated. And do you know that no one who has ever gone to Gaia for the purpose of peaceful trade has ever returned? Why do you suppose we know so little about it?”
“可是连骡都不愿接近它。你去查查骡主宰银河的那段历史，看看除了赛协尔联盟，他还曾经对哪个区域如此小心谨慎。此外你可知道，凡是前往盖娅试图通商的人，也一律有去无回。否则，你以为我们怎么会对它知道得那么少？”
Trevize said, “Your attitude seems much like superstition.”
崔维兹说：“你的态度几乎和迷信没有两样。”
“Call it what you will. Since the time of the Mule, we have wiped Gaia out of our thinking. We don’t want it to think of us. We only feel safe if we pretend it isn’t there. It may be that the government has itself secretly initiated and encouraged the legend that Gaia has disappeared into hyperspace in the hope that people will forget that there is a real Star of that name.”
“你爱怎么讲随便你。自骡的时代开始，我们就把盖娅从意识中抹去，更不希望它想到我们。我们唯有假装它不存在，才能感到安全无虞。有关盖娅消失到超空间的传说，也许根本是政府偷偷鼓吹的，希望这样一来，大家就渐渐忘却真有这么一个世界。”
“You think that Gaia is a world of Mules, then?”
“那么，你认为盖娅是个充满了骡的世界？”
“It may be. I advise you, foryour good, not to go there. If you do, you will never return. If the Foundation interferes with Gaia, it will show less intelligence than the Mule did. You might tell your ambassadorthat .”
“很可能。为了你自己好，我劝你别到那里去。如果你非去不可，就注定一去不返。如果基地想要招惹盖娅，便代表基地比骡更不智。这一点，你可以转告你们的大使。”
Trevize said, “Get me the co-ordinates and I will be off your world at once. I will reach Gaia and I will return.”
崔维兹说：“帮我把坐标找来，我就立刻离开你们的世界。我将前往盖娅，而且会有去有回。”
Quintesetz said, “I will get you the co-ordinates. The astronomy department works nights, of course, and I will get it for younow , if I can. --But let me suggest once more that you make no attempt to reach Gaia.”
昆特瑟兹说：“我会帮你查到坐标。天文系晚间当然还有人，只要办得到，我马上帮你找来。可是容我再劝你一句，不要试图到盖娅去。”
Trevize said, “I intend to make that attempt.”
崔维兹说：“我决心要试一试。”
And Quintesetz said heavily, “Then you intend suicide.”
昆特瑟兹则以沉重的口吻说：“那么你就是决心要自杀。”