Part Five - Melpomenia
第五部 梅尔波美尼亚星
Chapter 13: Away from Solaria
第十三章 远离索拉利
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The leaving was a blur. Trevize had gathered up hisfutile weapons, had opened the airlock, and they had tumbled in. Trevizedidn't notice until they were off the surface that Fallom had beenbrought in as well.
离去的过程可谓一团混乱。崔维兹捡起那两件已失效的武器，打开气闸，一伙人跌跌撞撞进了太空艇。直到他们飞离地表，崔维兹才注意到菲龙也被带上来。
They probably would not have made it in time if the Solarian useof airflight had not been so comparatively unsophisticated. It tookthe approaching Solarian vessel an unconscionable time to descend andland. On the other hand, it took virtually no time for the computer ofthe Far Star to take the gravitic ship vertically upward.
若非索拉利人的飞航技术并不高明，他们也许无法及时逃脱。那艘索拉利航空器花在降落与着地的时间，简直长得不可思议。反之，远星号的电脑几乎在一刹那间就让这艘重力太空艇垂直升空。
And although the cut-off of the gravitational interaction and,therefore, of inertia wiped out the otherwise unbearable effects ofacceleration that would have accompanied so speedy a takeoff, it didnot wipe out the effects of air resistance. The outer hull temperaturerose at a distinctly more rapid rate than navy regulations (or shipspecifications, for that matter) would have considered suitable.
以如此的高速升空，原本会产生难以承受的加速效应，但由于远星号隔绝了重力作用，惯性也因而消失，所以能将加速效应完全除去。纵然如此，它仍无法消除空气阻力的效应，是以外壳温度急遽上升，增温速率远远超过舰队规定（或太空艇规范）的合理上限。
As they rose, they could see the second Solarian ship land andseveral more approaching. Trevize wondered how many robots Bliss couldhave handled, and decided they would have been overwhelmed if they hadremained on the surface fifteen minutes longer.
在升空时，他们看到第二艘索拉利航空器已经降落，此外还有几艘正在接近。崔维兹不知道宝绮思能对付多少机器人，但根据他的判断，他们若在地面多耽搁十五分钟，就一定会被大群机器人吞没。
Once out in space (or space enough, with only tenuous wisps of theplanetary exosphere around them), Trevize made for the nightside of theplanet. It was a hop away, since they had left the surface as sunsetwas approaching. In the dark, the Far Star would have a chanceto cool more rapidly, and there the ship could continue to recede fromthe surface in a slow spiral.
一旦进入太空（或几乎到达太空，周围只剩行星“外气层”的稀薄分子），崔维兹立刻朝行星的夜面飞去。那只是段很短的航程，因为他们离开地表时正是夕阳西下时分。在黑暗中，远星号可以，较快冷却，并能继续循螺线缓缓飞离这颗行星。
Pelorat came out of the room he shared with Bliss. He said, "Thechild is sleeping normally now. We've showed it how to use the toiletand it had no trouble understanding."
此时，裴洛拉特从他与宝绮思共用的舱房走出来说：“那孩子现在安稳地睡着了。我们教它如何使用盥洗室，它学来毫不费力。”
"That's not surprising. It must have had similar facilities in themansion."
“这没什么好惊讶，那座宅邸中一定有类似的设备。”
"I didn't see any there and I was looking," said Pelorat feelingly. "Wedidn't get back on the ship a moment too soon for me."
“我在那里一间也没看到，其实我一直在找。”裴洛拉特若有所感地说：“要是我们再迟一刻回太空船，我就憋不住了。”
"Or any of us. But why did we bring that child on board?"
“我们都一样。但为什么要把那孩子带上来？”
Pelorat shrugged apologetically. "Bliss wouldn't let go. It was likesaving a life in return for the one she took. She can't bear……"
裴洛拉特歉然地耸了耸肩。“宝绮思不愿丢下它，像是想挽救一条命，来弥补她害死的另一条命。她受不了……”
"I know," said Trevize.
“我懂。”崔维兹说。
Pelorat said, "It's a very oddly shaped child."
裴洛拉特说：“这孩子的形体非常奇怪。”
"Being hermaphroditic, it would have to be," said Trevize.
“既然是雌雄同体，就在所难免。”崔维兹说。
"It has testicles, you know."
“它有两颗睾丸，你知道吧。”
"It could scarcely do without them."
“几乎不可能没有。”
"And what I can only describe as a very small vagina."
“还有个我只能形容为非常小的阴道。”
Trevize made a face. "Disgusting."
崔维兹扮了个鬼脸。“恶心。”
"Not really, Golan," said Pelorat, protesting. "It's adapted to itsneeds. It only delivers a fertilized egg-cell, or a very tiny embryo,which is then developed under laboratory conditions, tended, I dare say,by robots."
“并不尽然，葛兰，”裴洛拉特抗议道：“这刚好符合它的需要。它只要产出一个受精卵细胞，或是一个很小的胚胎，受精卵或胚胎就能在实验室中发育，而且我敢说，是由机器人负责照顾。”
"And what happens if their robot-system breaks down? If that happens,they would no longer be able to produce viable young."
“假使他们的机器人系统发生故障，那又会如何？如果发生那种情形，它们就无法产生能存活的下一代。”
"Any world would be in serious trouble if its social structure brokedown completely."
“任何一个世界，若是社会结构完全故障，都会陷入严重的危机。”
"Not that I would weep uncontrollably over the Solarians."
“不会像索拉利人那么严重，让我忍不住为它们掉泪。”
"Well," said Pelorat, "I admit it doesn't seem a very attractiveworld to us, I mean. But that's only the people and the socialstructure, which are not our type at all, dear chap. But subtract thepeople and the robots, and you have a world which otherwise……"
“嗯，一裴洛拉特说：“我承认它似乎不是非常迷人的世界——我的意思是对我们而言。但问题出在索拉利人和社会结构上，这两者跟我们完全不同，我亲爱的兄弟。但去掉了索拉利人和机器人，你会发现那个世界……”
"Might fall apart as Aurora is beginning to do," said Trevize. "How'sBliss, Janov?"
“可能会开始崩溃，像奥罗拉现在那样。”崔维兹说：“宝绮思怎么样，詹诺夫？”
"Worn out, I'm afraid. She's sleeping now. She had a very bad time, Golan."
“只怕她累垮了，她正在睡觉。她有段很不好过的经历，葛兰。”
"I didn't exactly enjoy myself either."
“我也没感到多么好过。”
Trevize closed his eyes, and decided he could use some sleep himselfand would indulge in that relief as soon as he was reasonably certainthe Solarians had no space capability and so far the computer hadreported nothing of artifactitious nature in space.
崔维兹闭上眼睛。他已经决定，只要一确定索拉利人没有太空航行能力，他立刻要睡上一觉，好好放松一下。而直到目前为止，根据电脑的报告，太空中未发现任何人工天体。
He thought bitterly of the two Spacer planets they hadvisited hostile wild dogs on one hostile hermaphroditicloners on the other and in neither place the tiniest hint as tothe location of Earth. All they had to show for the double visit wasFallom.
想到他们造访过的两个外世界，他心中充满苦涩——一个上面有满怀敌意的野狗，另一个则有满怀敌意的雌雄同体独居者，两处都找不到一丝有关地球下落的线索。他们到过那两个世界的唯一证明，只有菲龙那个孩子。
He opened his eyes. Pelorat was still sitting in place at the otherside of the computer, watching him solemnly.
他张开眼睛，裴洛拉特仍坐在电脑另一侧，以严肃的神情望着他。
Trevize said, with sudden conviction, "We should have left thatSolarian child behind."
崔维兹突然以坚定的语气说：“我们应该把那个索拉利小孩留在原地。”
Pelorat said, "The poor thing. They would have killed it."
裴洛拉特说：“可怜的小家伙，他们会杀了它。”
"Even so," said Trevize, "it belonged there. It's part of thatsociety. Being put to death because of being superfluous is the sort ofthing it's born to."
“即使这样，”崔维兹说：“它终究属于那里，是那个社会的一部分。被视为多余而遭处死，是它生来命该如此。”
"Oh, my dear fellow, that's a hardhearted way to look at it."
“喔，我亲爱的伙伴，这实在是铁石心肠的看法。”
"It's a rational way. We don't know how to care for it,and it may suffer more lingeringly with us and die anyway. What doesit eat?"
“这是合理的看法。我们不知道如何照顾它，它跟我们在一起，也许会多吃不少苦头，到头来却仍难免一死。它吃些什么东西？”
"Whatever we do, I suppose, old man. Actually, the problem is whatdo we eat? How much do we have in the way of supplies?"
“我想我们吃什么它就吃什么，老友。事实上，问题是我们要吃什么呢？我们的存粮究竟还剩多少？”
"Plenty. Plenty. Even allowing for our new passenger."
“很多，很多，即使多一位乘客也不用愁。”
Pelorat didn't look overwhelmed with happiness at this remark. He said,"It's become a pretty monotonous diet. We should have taken some itemson board on Comporellon not that their cooking was excellent."
听到这个答案，裴洛拉特并未显得多么高兴。他说：“那些食物已变得十分单调，我们应该在康普隆补充些——虽然他们的烹饪术不怎么高明。”
"We couldn't. We left, if you remember, rather hurriedly, as we leftAurora, and as we left, in particular, Solaria. But what's a littlemonotony? It spoils one's pleasure, but it keeps one alive."
“我们没办法。你应该还没忘记，我们走得相当匆忙，离开奥罗拉时也一样，而离开索拉利时尤其如此——单调一点有什么关系？虽然破坏了用餐情趣，却能让我们活命。”
"Would it be possible to pick up fresh supplies if we need to?"
“如果我们有需要，有没有可能找些新鲜食物？”
"Anytime, Janov. With a gravitic ship and hyperspatial engines, theGalaxy is a small place. In days, we can be anywhere. It's just thathalf the worlds in the Galaxy are alerted to watch for our ship and Iwould rather stay out of the way for a time."
“随时都行，詹诺夫。拥有一艘重力太空船，上面又有几具超空间发动机，那么银河就只算个小地方。几天之内，我们便可到达任何一处。只不过银河中半数的世界都在留意我们的太空船，因此我宁愿暂时避避风头。”
"I suppose that's so. Bander didn't seem interested in theship."
“我想那也对——班德似乎对这艘太空船没兴趣。”
"It probably wasn't even consciously aware of it. I suspect thatthe Solarians long ago gave up space flight. Their prime desire is tobe left completely alone and they can scarcely enjoy the security ofisolation if they are forever moving about in space and advertisingtheir presence."
“它可能根本没意识到它的存在，我想索拉利人早就放弃太空航行。它们最大的心愿是完全遗世独立，如果它们在太空中不停活动，到处宣传自身的存在，就几乎不可能享有与世无争的日子。”
"What are we going to do next, Golan?"
“我们下一步该怎么办，葛兰？”
Trevize said, "We have a third world to visit."
崔维兹说：“我们还有第三个世界有待造访。”
Pelorat shook his head. "Judging from the first two, I don't expectmuch from that ."
裴洛拉特摇了摇头。“根据前面两个来判断，我对另一个不抱太大希望。”
"Nor do I at the moment, but just as soon as I get a little sleep,I'm going to get the computer to plot our course to that third world."
“目前我也不抱什么希望。不过等我小睡片刻后，就要让电脑绘出飞往第三个世界的航线。”
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Trevize slept considerably longer than he had expectedto, but that scarcely mattered. There was neither day nor night, inany natural sense, on board ship, and the circadian rhythm neverworked absolutely perfectly. The hours were what they were made to be,and it wasn't uncommon for Trevize and Pelorat (and particularly Bliss)to be somewhat out-of-sync as far as the natural rhythms of eating andsleeping were concerned.
崔维兹的睡眠时间比预期长了许多，不过这没什么关系。太空艇上并没有自然的日夜，也从未绝对遵循“近似昼夜节律”。一天有几小时是人为的规定，诸如饮食、睡眠的自然作息规律，崔维兹与裴洛拉特就常常无法与时钟同步（宝绮思尤其如此）。
Trevize even speculated, in the course of his scrapedown (theimportance of conserving water made it advisable to scrape off the sudsrather than rinse them off), about sleeping another hour or two, whenhe turned and found himself staring at Fallom, who was as undressed ashe was.
当崔维兹在浴室擦拭身体时（由于务必节约用水，肥皂泡最好别用水冲，只要擦掉就妤），脑子里正想重要不要再睡一两个钟头，他转过身来，竟发现菲龙站在面前，跟自己一样全身赤裸。
He could not help jumping back, which, in the restricted area of thePersonal, was bound to bring part of his body against something hard.
他不由自主往后一跳。这种单人盥洗间相当狭窄，身体某部分不可避免地一定会撞到什么坚硬的物体，他马上发出“哼”的一声。
He grunted Fallom was staring curiously at him and was pointing at Trevize'spenis. What it said was incomprehensible but the whole bearing of thechild seemed to be speak a sense of disbelief.For his own peace of mind,Trevize had no choice but to put his hands over his penis.
菲龙好奇地盯着他，同时伸手指着他的阴茎。崔维兹听不懂它说什么，但从这孩子的神情看得出来，它似乎感到不可置信。为了让自己心安，崔维兹只好用双手遮住阴茎。
Then Fallom said, in its high-pitched voice, "Greetings."
然后菲龙以一贯的高亢声调说：“你好。”
Trevize started slightly at the child's unexpected use of Galactic,but the word had the sound of having been memorized.
这孩子竟然会说银河标准语，崔维兹感到有些吃惊，不过听它的口气，好像是硬生生背下来的。
Fallom continued, a painstaking word at a time,"Bliss say you wash me.
菲龙继续一个字一个字吃力地说：“宝——绮——思——说——你——洗——我。”
"Yes?" said Trevize. He put his hands on Fallom'sshoulders. "You stay here."
“是吗？”崔维兹双手按在菲龙肩膀上，“你——待——在——这——里。”
He pointed downward at the floor and Fallom, of course, lookedinstantly at the place to which the finger pointed. It showed nocomprehension of the phrase at all.
他指了指地板，菲龙当然立刻朝他所指的方向望去，看来它完全不懂那句话的意思。
"Don't move," said Trevize, holding the child tightly by both arms,pressing them toward the body as though to symbolize immobility. Hehastily dried himself and put on his shorts, and over them histrousers.
“不要动。”崔维兹一面说，一面抓住孩子的双臂，紧紧按在它身体两侧，表示叫它静止别动。然后他赶紧擦干身体，穿上内衣裤，再套上一条长裤。
He stepped out and roared, "Bliss!"
他走出去大叫：“宝绮思！”
It was difficult for anyone to be more than four meters from any oneelse on the ship and Bliss came to the door of her room at once. Shesaid, smiling, "Are you calling me, Trevize; or was that the soft breezesighing through the waving grass?"
在太空艇中，任何两个人的距离都很难超过四公尺。宝绮思随即来到她的舱房门口，带着微笑说：“是你在叫我吗，崔维兹？还是微风吹过摇曳的草地发出的声音？”
"Let's not be funny, Bliss. What is that?" He jerked his thumb overhis shoulder.
“别说笑了，宝绮思。那是什么？”他伸出拇指，猛力朝肩膀后面一甩。
Bliss looked past him and said, "Well, it looks like the young Solarianwe brought on board yesterday."
宝绮思向他身后望了望，然后说：“嗯，看来像是我们昨天带上来的小索拉利人。”
" You brought on board. Why do you want me to wash it?"
“是你带上来的，你为什么要我替它洗澡？”
"I should think you'd want to. It's a very bright creature. It'spicking up Galactic words quickly. It never forgets once I explainsomething. Of course, I'm helping it do so."
“我以为你会乐意帮忙。它是个很聪明的小家伙，银河标准语学得很快，我解释过的事它绝不会忘记。当然啦，我一直从旁帮助它。”
"Naturally."
“自然如此。”
"Yes. I keep it calm. I kept it in a daze during most of the disturbingevents on the planet. I saw to it that it slept on board ship and I'mtrying to divert its mind just a little bit from its lost robot, Jemby,that, apparently, it loved very much."
“没错，我让它保持冷静。在那颗行星上经历混乱场面时，我让它大多数时间都处于茫然状态，后来，又设法让它在太空船上睡一觉。现在我试图稍微转移它的心思，让它不再那么想念失去的机器人，它显然非常喜爱那个健比。”
"So that it ends up liking it here, I suppose."
“结果它就喜欢待在这里了，我想。”
"I hope so. It's adaptable because it's young, and I encourage thatby as much as I dare influence its mind. I'm going to teach it to speakGalactic."
“我希望如此。它的适应力很强，因为它还小，而在不过度影响它心灵的原则下，我尽量鼓励这一点。我还准备教它说银河标准语。”
"Then you wash it. Understood?"
“那么你去帮它洗澡，懂不懂？”
Bliss shrugged. "I will, if you insist, but I would want it to feelfriendly with each of us. It would be useful to have each of us performfunctions. Surely you can co-operate in that."
宝绮思耸了耸肩。“我会的，假如你坚持的话，但我希望让它觉得我们大家都很友善。如果我们每个人都分担些保姆的工作，那会很有帮助，这方面你当然能合作。”
"Not to this extent. And when you finish washing it, get rid of it. Iwant to talk to you."
“不是合作到这种程度。还有你帮它洗完澡后，就把它给弄走，我要跟你谈一谈。”
Bliss said, with a sudden edge of hostility, "How do you mean, getrid of it?"
宝绮思说：“你说把它弄走是什么意思？”她的语气突然透出敌意。
"I don't mean dump it through the airlock. I mean, put it in yourroom. Sit it down in a corner. I want to talk at you."
“我不是说把它从气闸抛出去，我的意思是把它弄到你的房间，叫它乖乖坐在角落——我要跟你谈谈。”
"I'll be at your service," she said coldly.
“任凭你吩咐。”她冷冷地说。
He stared after her, nursing his wrath for the moment, then movedinto the pilot-room, and activated the viewscreen.
崔维兹一面瞪着她的背影，一面抚平自己的怒气。然后他走到驾驶舱，开启了显像屏幕。
Solaria was a dark circle with a curving crescent of light at theleft. Trevize placed his hands on the desk to make contact with thecomputer and found his anger cooling at once. One had to be calm to linkmind and computer effectively and, eventually, conditioned reflex linkedhandhold and serenity.
索拉利星现在是个黑色圆盘，左侧有一道弯成新月形的光芒。崔维兹将双手放到桌面上，开始与电脑进行接触，竟发现他的火气立即平息。想要使心灵与电脑有效联结，就必须保持心平气和，久而久之，制约反射便将两者联系在一起。
There were no artifactitious objects about the ship in any direction,out as far as the planet itself. The Solarians (or their robots, mostlikely) could not, or would not, follow.
以远星号为中心，他们目前与那颗行星的距离为半径，这个范围内没有任何人工天体。由此可以判断，索拉利人（或它们的机器人）不能也不会再跟踪他们。
Good enough. He might as well get out of the night-shadow, then. Ifhe continued to recede, it would, in any case, vanish as Solaria's discgrew smaller than that of the more distant, but much larger, sun thatit circled.
很不错，这样的话，现在他最好驶离夜面阴影。事实上，只要他继续远离索拉利，这颗行星呈现的圆盘便会越来越小；当它变得比远方体积大许多倍的太阳更小时，阴影无论如何都会消失。
He set the computer to move the ship out of the planetary planeas well, since that would make it possible to accelerate with greatersafety. They would then more quickly reach a region where space curvaturewould be low enough to make the Jump secure.
同时，他指示电脑将太空艇驶离行星轨道面，这样可使加速过程安全许多。如此一来，他们便能更快到达一个空间曲率够小的区域，进行安全无虞的跃迁。
And, as often on such occasions, he fell to studying the stars. Theywere almost hypnotic in their quiet changelessness. All their turbulenceand instability were wiped out by the distance that left them only dotsof light.
与往常一样，他又开始凝视远方的恒星。静寂而亘古不变的星体几乎带来一种催眠效应；它们本身的动荡与不定都已被长距离遮掩，呈现眼前的只有众多闪烁的光点。
One of those dots might well be the sun about which Earthrevolved the original sun, under whose radiation life began,and under whose beneficence humanity evolved.
其中一个光点，当然就是地球环绕的太阳——第一个太阳。生命在它的热辐射下诞生，人类也在它的庇荫下演化出来。
Surely, if the Spacer worlds circled stars that were bright andprominent members of the stellar family, and that were neverthelessunlisted in the computer's Galactic map, the same might be true ofthe sun.
当然，如果外世界环绕的那些明亮而显眼的恒星，全未收录在银河舆图中，那么，同样的情形也可能发生在“这个太阳”上。
Or was it only the suns of the Spacer worlds that were omitted becauseof some primeval treaty agreement that left them to themselves? WouldEarth's sun be included in the Galactic map, but not marked off fromthe myriads of stars that were sun-like, yet had no habitable planet inorbit about itself?
再者，是否只有外世界的太阳被故意遗漏，因为早年曾有过什么条约协定，让他们得以遗世独立？会不会地球的太阳虽收录于银河舆图中，却跟那些类似的、不含可住人行星的无数恒星混在一起了？
There were after all, some thirty billion sun-like stars in the Galaxy,and only about one in a thousand had habitable planets in orbits aboutthem. There might be a thousand such habitable planets within a fewhundred parsecs of his present position. Should he sift through thesun-like stars one by one, searching for them?
毕竟，银河中这类恒星总共三百亿左右，却只有约千分之一的轨道上有可住人行星。以他目前所在的位置为中心，周围几百秒差距之内，也许就有上千颗如此的可住人行星。他是否应将那些恒星逐一筛选，将所有的可住人行星都找一遍？
Or was the original sun not even in this region of the Galaxy? Howmany other regions were convinced the sun was one of their neighbors,that they were primeval Settlers ?
再者，第一个太阳甚至不在银河这一区域？还有多少星域的居民，深信那个太阳是他们的近邻，而自己是最早一批殖民者的后裔？
He needed information, and so far he had none.
他需要更多的资料，目前为止他什么也没有。
He doubted strongly whether even the closest examination of themillennial ruins on Aurora would give information concerning Earth'slocation. He doubted even more strongly that the Solarians could be madeto yield information.
即使当初在奥罗拉的万年废墟中进行最仔细的搜寻，他也十分怀疑能否找到地球的下落。至于索拉利人，他更怀疑它们会提供任何相关资料。
Then, too, if all information about Earth had vanished out of thegreat Library at Trantor; if no information about Earth remained in thegreat Collective Memory of Gaia; there seemed little chance that anyinformation that might have existed on the lost worlds of the Spacerswould have been overlooked.
而且，如果有关地球的所有资料，都从川陀那座伟大的图书馆消失无踪：又如果盖娅伟大的集体记忆，对地球也完全一片空白，那么在那些失落的外世界上，也几乎不可能有任何资料得以幸免。
And if he found Earth's sun and, then, Earth itself, by the sheerestgood fortune would something force him to be unaware of thefact? Was Earth's defense absolute? Was its determination to remain inhiding unbreakable?
假如他纯粹出于运气，竟然找到地球之阳，进而找到地球本身——会不会有什么外力使他无法察觉自己已经找到了？地球的防卫果真滴水不漏？它保持隐匿的决心果真如此坚决？
What was he looking for anyway?
他究竟在寻找什么？
Was it Earth? Or was it the flaw in Seldon's Plan that he thought(for no clear reason) he might find on Earth?
是地球吗？或是他认为（并无明确理由）可以在地球上找到谢顿计划的漏洞？
Seldon's Plan had been working for five centuries now, and wouldbring the human species (so it was said) to safe harbor at last inthe womb of a Second Galactic Empire, greater than the First, a noblerand a freer one and yet he, Trevize, had voted against it, andfor Galaxia.
如今，谢顿计划已运作了五个世纪，（据说）最终将带领人类抵达一个安全的港湾——第二银河帝国的怀抱，它将比第一帝国更伟大、更崇高、更自由。然而他，崔维兹，却否定了第二帝国，转而支持盖娅星系。
Galaxia would be one large organism, while the Second GalacticEmpire would, however great in size and variety, be a mere union ofindividual organisms of microscopic size in comparison with itself. TheSecond Galactic Empire would be another example of the kind of union ofindividuals that humanity had set up ever since it became humanity. TheSecond Galactic Empire might be the largest and best of the species,but it would still be but one more member of that species.
盖娅星系将是个巨大的有机体；而第二银河帝国不论如何庞大，如何多样化，也只是众多独立有机体的联合组织，与它相较之下，每个有机体仅只具有微观的尺度。自人类发迹以来，不知已建构出多少的个体集合，第二银河帝国只不过是另一个例子。虽然它有可能是最大、最好的一个，却仍无法脱离既有的框架。
For Galaxia, a member of an entirely different species of organization,to be better than the Second Galactic Empire, there must be a flaw inthe Plan, something the great Hari Seldon had himself overlooked.
盖娅星系则是个完全不同的组织，比第二银河帝国更理想。因此谢顿计划必定存有瑕疵，连伟大的哈里·谢顿自己都忽略了。
But if it were something Seldon had overlooked, how could Trevizecorrect the matter? He was not a mathematician; knew nothing, absolutelynothing, about the details of the Plan; would understand nothing,furthermore, even if it were explained to him.
但若是连谢顿都忽略的问题，崔维兹又怎么可能修正？他不是数学家，对谢顿计划的细节一概不知，全然没有概念。而且，即使有人能为他解释，他仍然会听得一头雾水。
All he knew were the assumptions that a great number ofhuman beings be involved and that they not be aware of the conclusionsreached. The first assumption was self-evidently true, considering thevast population of the Galaxy, and the second had to be true since onlythe Second Foundationers knew the details of the Plan, and they kept itto themselves securely enough.
他知道的只是谢顿计划的两个假设——必须牵涉到为数众多的人类，而且他们都不知道计划的具体细节。只要想想整个银河庞大的人口，第一个假设便不证自明；第二个假设也一定正确，因为知道计划细节的只有第二基地人，而他们的保密功夫极为到家。
That left an added unacknowledged assumption, a taken-for-grantedassumption, one so taken for granted it was never mentioned nor thoughtof and yet one that might be false. An assumption that, if itwere false, would alter the grand conclusion of the Planand make Galaxia preferable to Empire.
唯一的可能，是还有个并未言明的假设，一个大家都视为理所当然的假设。由于实在太过明显，所以从来没有人提到或想到——但却有可能不成立。这个假设若不成立，就会使谢顿计划的伟大目标大打折扣，使盖娅星系比第二帝国更胜一筹。
But if the assumption was so obvious and so taken for granted thatit was never even expressed, how could it be false? And if no one evermentioned it, or thought of it, how could Trevize know it was there,or have any idea of its nature even if he guessed its existence?
可是，倘若这个假设如此显而易见，如此理所当然，甚至从未有人想去捉它，它又怎么可能会错呢？如果从来没有人提及或想到，崔维兹怎么知道有这个假设的存在？即使他猜到它的存在，对它的本质又能有什么概念？
Was he truly Trevize, the man with the flawless intuition asGaia insisted? Did he know the right thing to do even when he didn'tknow why he was doing it?
难道他真是那个崔维兹，一个拥有百分之百正确直觉的人，正如盖娅所坚持的？他总是知道怎样做才正确，即使不知自己为何要那样做？
Now he was visiting every Spacer world he knew about. Was thatthe right thing to do? Did the Spacer worlds hold the answer? Or atleast the beginning of the answer?
现在他正逐一探访所知的每个外世界。这样做是正确的吗？外世界上会有答案吗？或者至少有初步的线索？
What was there on Aurora but ruins and wild dogs? (And, presumably,other feral creatures. Raging bulls? Overgrown rats? Stalking green-eyedcats?) Solaria was alive, but what was there on it but robots andenergy-transducing human beings? What had either world to do with Seldon'sPlan unless they contained the secret of the location of the Earth?
奥罗拉除了废墟与野狗之外，还有什么呢？（想必还有些凶猛的动物——狂暴的野牛？过大的野鼠？行动鬼祟的绿眼野猫？）索拉利虽未荒芜，可是除了机器人与懂得转换能量的人类，上面还有些什么别的呢？除非这两个世界保有地球下落的秘密，它们跟谢顿计划还能有什么牵连？
And if they did, what had Earth to do with Seldon'sPlan? Was this all madness? Had he listened too long and too seriouslyto the fantasy of his own infallibility?
假如它们真藏有地球的秘密，地球与谢顿计划又有什么关联？这一切只是疯狂的想法吗？对于所谓自己料事如神的狂想，他是否听得太多又太认真了？
An overwhelming weight of shame came over him and seemed to pressupon him to the point where he could barely breathe. He looked at thestars remote, uncaring and thought: I must be the Great Foolof the Galaxy.
一股沉着无比的羞愧感向他扑来，压得他几乎要窒息。他望了望舱外遥不可及、与世无争的群星，暗自想道：我一定是银河中的头号大笨蛋。
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Bliss's voice broke in on him. "Well, Trevize, why doyou want to see Is anything wrong?" Her voice had twisted intosudden concern.
宝绮思的声音打断了他的思绪。“好啦，崔维兹，你为什么要见——有什么不对劲吗？”她突然改用关心的语气问道。
Trevize looked up and, for a moment, found it momentarily difficultto brush away his mood. He stared at her, then said, "No, no. Nothing'swrong. I I was merely lost in thought. Every once in a while,after all, I find myself thinking."
崔维兹抬起头，发现一时之间很难摆脱沉着的心情。他瞪着她说：“没有，没有，没什么不对劲。我——我只不过想得出神。反正我三天两头就会陷入沉思。”
He was uneasily aware that Bliss could read his emotions. He hadonly her word that she was voluntarily abstaining from any oversight ofhis mind.
他知道宝绮思能读出他的情绪，因此有些不自在。她只对他做过口头承诺，说她绝不偷窥他的心灵。
She seemed to accept his statement, however. She said, "Pelorat is withFallom, teaching it Galactic phrases. The child seems to eat what we dowithout undue objection. But what do you want to see me about?"
不过，她似乎接受了他的解释。她说：“裴洛拉特跟菲龙在一起，在教它简单的银河标准语。我们吃的东西，那孩子好像都能吃，它没有过分挑嘴——但你要见我是为了什么？”
"Well, not here,", said Trevize. "The computer doesn't need me atthe moment. If you want to come into my room, the bed's made and youcan sit on it while I sit on the chair. Or vice versa, if you prefer."
“嗯，别在这里讲。”崔维兹说：“电脑现在不需要我，如果你愿意到我舱房来，床铺已经整理好，你可以坐在上面，我嘛就坐在椅子上。或者倒过来也行，如果你比较喜欢那样的话。”
"It doesn't matter." They walked the short distance to Trevize'sroom. She eyed him narrowly. "You don't seem furious anymore."
“都可以。”于是他们来到崔维兹的舱房。她仔细盯着他，然后说：“你似乎不再冒火了。”
"Checking my mind?"
“你在检视我的心灵？”
"Not at all. Checking your face."
“绝对没有，只是在检视你的脸色。”
"I'm not furious. I may lose my temper momentarily, now and then,but that's not the same as furious. If you don't mind, though, thereare questions I must ask you."
“我不是冒火。我偶尔会发一阵子小脾气，但那不等于冒火。不过，如果你不介意，我得问你一些问题。”
Bliss sat down on Trevize's bed, holding herself erect, and witha solemn expression on her wide-cheeked face and in her dark browneyes. Her shoulder-length black hair was neatly arranged and her slimhands were clasped loosely in her lap. There was a faint trace of perfumeabout her.
宝绮思坐在崔维兹的床上，身子挺得笔直，宽颊的脸庞与黑色眼珠透出一种庄重的神情。她及肩的黑发梳理得很整齐，纤纤素手轻轻扶着膝头，身上还散发出一阵淡淡的幽香。
Trevize smiled. "You've dolled yourself up. I suspect you think Iwon't yell quite so hard at a young and pretty girl."
崔维兹微微一笑。“你打扮得很漂后。我猜你是认为，我不会对一个年轻、漂后的女孩大吼大叫。”
"You can yell and scream all you wish if it will make you feelbetter. I just don't want you yelling and screaming at Fallom."
“如果能让你觉得好过点，随便你怎样吼、怎样叫都行，我只是不希望你对菲龙大吼大叫。”
"I don't intend to. In fact, I don't intend to yell and scream atyou. Haven't we decided to be friends?"
“我不想这样做。其实我也无意对你大吼大叫，我们不是决定做朋友了吗？”
"Gaia has never had anything but feelings of friendship toward you,Trevize."
“盖娅对你一贯的、唯一的态度就是友善，崔维兹。”
"I'm not talking about Gaia. I know you're part of Gaia and that youare Gaia. Still there's part of you that's an individual, at least aftera fashion. I'm talking to the individual. I'm talking to someone namedBliss without regard or with as little regard as possible toGaia. Haven't we decided to be friends, Bliss?"
“我不是在说盖娅。我知道你是盖娅的一部分，也可以说你就是盖娅，但你有一部分仍是个体，至少在某个程度之内。我是在跟那个个体交谈，是在对一个叫宝绮思的人讲话，我不理会——或者说尽量不理会盖娅。我们不是决定做朋友吗，宝绮思？”
"Yes, Trevize."
“对啊，崔维兹。”
"Then how is it you delayed dealing with the robots on Solaria afterwe had left the mansion and reached the ship? I was humiliated andphysically hurt, yet you did nothing. Even though every moment mightbring additional robots to the scene and the number might overwhelm us,you did nothing."
“那么，在索拉利上，当我们离开那座宅邸，来到太空船附近时，你为何迟迟不对付那些机器人？我遭到羞辱，又受到实质的伤害，而你却袖手旁观。尽避多耽搁一分一秒，都可能会有更多机器人到达现场，数量多得足以将我们吞没，你却一直袖手旁观。”
Bliss looked at him seriously, and spoke as though she were intenton explaining her actions rather than defending them. "I was not doingnothing, Trevize. I was studying the Guardian Robots' minds, and tryingto learn how to handle them."
宝绮思以严肃的目光望着他。“我没有袖手旁观，崔维兹。我在研究那几个守护机器人的心灵，试图了解如何操纵它们。”她彷佛无意为自己的行为辩护，只是在做解释。
"I know that's what you were doing. At least you said you were at thetime. I just don't see the sense of it. Why handle the minds when youwere perfectly capable of destroying them as you finally did?"
“我知道你在那样做，至少你是这么说的，我只是不懂那有什么意义。为什么要企图操纵那些心灵？你当时有足够的力量毁掉它们，正如你最后采取的行动。”
Do you think it so easy to destroy an intelligent being?
“你认为毁灭一个智慧生灵是简单的事？”
Trevize's lips twisted into an expression of distaste. "Come, Bliss. Anintelligent being ? It was just a robot."
崔维兹噘了一下嘴唇，做出个不以为然的表情。“得了吧，宝绮思，一个智慧生灵？它只不过是个机器人。”
"Just a robot?" A little passion entered her voice. "That's theargument always. Just. Just! Why should the Solarian, Bander, havehesitated to kill us? We were just human beings without transducers. Whyshould there be any hesitation about leaving Fallom to its fate? Itwas just a Solarian, and an immature specimen at that. If you startdismissing anyone or anything you want to do away with as just a thisor just a that, you can destroy anything you wish. There are alwayscategories you can find for them."
“只不过是个机器人？”她的声音透出些许怒意，“总是这种论调，只不过，只不过！那个索拉利人班德为什么迟迟不杀害我们？我们只不过是不具转换器的人类。为什么我们不忍留下菲龙自生自灭？它只不过是个索拉利人，还是个未成年的索拉利人。假如你用‘只不过这个，只不过那个’的论调，跟你想要除去的任何人、任何事物划清界线，你就能毁掉任何东西，你总有办法将它们纳入某些范畴。”
Trevize said, "Don't carry a perfectly legitimate remark to extremesjust to make it seem ridiculous. The robot was just a robot. You can'tdeny that. It was not human. It was not intelligent in our sense. Itwas a machine mimicking an appearance of intelligence."
崔维兹说：“别将一个完全合理的说法推到极端，否则只会显得荒唐可笑。机器人就是机器人，这点你无法否认。它不是人类，没有我们所谓的智慧，它只是个机器，只会模仿智慧生灵的表象。”
Bliss said, "How easily you can talk when you know nothing about it. Iam Gaia. Yes, I am Bliss, too, but I am Gaia. I am a world that findsevery atom of itself precious and meaningful, and every organization ofatoms even more precious and meaningful. I/we/Gaia would not lightly breakdown an organization, though we would gladly build it into something stillmore complex, provided always that that would not harm the whole.
宝绮思说：“你对它一无所知，竟然一句话就将它否定。我是盖娅——没错，我也是宝绮思，但我仍是盖娅。我是一个世界，这个世界认为它的每个原子都相当珍贵，而且意义着大；而由原子构成的每个组织，则更加珍贵、更有意义。我／我们／盖娅不会轻易破坏任何组织，反之，我们总是乐于将它们建构成更复杂的组织，只要那样做不会危害到整体。
"The highest form of organization we know produces intelligence, and tobe willing to destroy intelligence requires the sorest need. Whether itis machine intelligence or biochemical intelligence scarcely matters. Infact, the Guardian Robot represented a kind of intelligence I/we/Gaiahad never encountered. To study it was wonderful. To destroy it,unthinkable except in a moment of crowning emergency."
“在我们所知的各种组织中，最高形式的组织能生出智慧。除非有万不得已的苦衷，我们不愿毁掉一个智慧。至于那是机械智慧或生化智慧，则几乎没有任何差别。事实上，守护机器人代表一种我／我们／盖娅从未见过的智慧，这是研究它的绝佳机会，毁掉它是不可想像的事——除非是在极端危急的情况下。”
Trevize said dryly, "There were three greater intelligences at stake:your own, that of Pelorat, the human being you love, and, if you don'tmind my mentioning it, mine."
崔维兹以讽刺的口吻说：“当时，有三个更重要的智慧命在旦夕：你自己，你的爱人裴洛拉特，还有——如果你不介意——我。”
"Four! You still keep forgetting to include Fallom. They werenot yet at stake. So I judged. See here Suppose you were facedwith a painting, a great artistic masterpiece, the existence of whichmeant death to you. All you had to do was to bring a wide brush of paintslam-bang, and at random, across the face of that painting and it wouldbe destroyed forever, and you would be safe. But suppose, instead, thatif you studied the painting carefully, and added just a touch of painthere, a speck there, scraped off a minute portion in a third place, andso on, you would alter the painting enough to avoid death, and yet leaveit a masterpiece. Naturally, the revision couldn't be done except withthe most painstaking care. It would take time, but surely, if that timeexisted, you would try to save the painting as well as your life."
“四个！你总是忘记把菲龙计算在内——这些性命还谈不上有何凶险，我这么判断。听我说，假如你面对一幅画，一件伟大的艺术杰作，但它的存在却威胁到你的生命。而你只需要找枝粗笔，在它上面猛然乱画一通，让这幅画从此完蛋，你的性命就能保住。但你也可以换种方式，细心研究这幅画，然后在这里画上一笔、那里点上一点，再擦掉一些些……或诸如此类的做法，就可以改造这幅画，避免自己生命受到威胁，而又不会损毁它的艺术价值。当然，要进行那样的改造，必须花下最大的苦心和耐心，这需要很多时间。但如果时间允许，除了你自己的性命，你一定也会愿意拯救这幅画。”
Trevize said, "Perhaps. But in the end you destroyed the painting pastredemption. The wide paintbrush came down and wiped out all thewonderful little touches of color and subtleties of form and shape. Andyou did that instantly when a little hermaphrodite was at risk, whereour danger and your own had not moved you."
崔维兹说：“大概会吧，但你最后还是彻底毁掉那幅画了。你大笔一挥，将细致的笔触和用色破坏殆尽，使精致的形影和构图面目全非。一个小雌雄同体人的性命受到威胁时，你马上就那样做了。可是在此之前，对于我们面临的危险，还有你自己面临的危险，你却完全无动于哀。”
"We Outworlders were still not at immediate risk,while Fallom, it seemed to me, suddenly was. I had to choose betweenthe Guardian Robots and Fallom, and, with no time to lose, I had tochoose Fallom."
“当时我们没有立即的危险，可是我觉得菲龙突然身陷险境。我必须在守护机器人和菲龙间做出抉择，不能浪费任何时间，所以我选择了菲龙。”
"Is that what it was, Bliss? A quick calculation weighing one mindagainst another, a quick judging of the greater complexity and thegreater worth?"
“真是这样吗，宝绮思？你将两个心灵迅速衡量了一遍，迅速判断出哪个较复杂、较有价值？”
Yes.
“没错。”
Trevize said, "Suppose I tell you, it was just a child that wasstanding before you, a child threatened with death. An instinctivematernalism gripped you then, and you saved it where earlier you wereall calculation when only three adult lives were at stake."
崔维兹说：“我却以为，那是因为站在你面前的是个孩子，一个性命受到威胁的孩子。不论原先三个成人命在旦夕之际，你心中如何盘算，母性本能立刻将你攫获，你毫不犹豫地便出手救它。”
Bliss reddened slightly. "There might have been something like thatin it; but it was not after the fashion of the mocking way in which yousay it. It had rational thought behind it, too."
宝绮思微微涨红了脸。“或许有那么点成分在内，但不像你冷嘲热讽说的那样，我的行动背后也有理性的想法。”
"I wonder. If there had been rational thought behind it, you mighthave considered that the child was meeting the common fate inevitablein its own society. Who knows how many thousands of children had beencut down to maintain the low number these Solarians think suitable totheir world?"
“我很怀疑。如果背后有什么理性的想法，你应该考虑到一件事实：那孩子面临的是自己社会中注定的共同命运。为了维持索拉利人心目中的低数量人口标准，谁知道还有几千几万的小孩已被解决。”
"There's more to it than that, Trevize. The child would be killedbecause it was too young to be a Successor, and that was because it hada parent who had died prematurely, and that was because Ihad killed that parent."
“情况没那么单纯，崔维兹。那孩子难逃一死，是因为它过于年幼，无法成为继承人，而这是因为它的单亲过早死亡，归根结柢是因为我杀了它的单亲。”
"At a time when it was kill or be killed."
“当时不是它死就是你死。”
"Not important. I killed the parent. I could not stand by and allowthe child to be killed for my deed. Besides, it offers for studya brain of a kind that has never been studied by Gaia."
“这不重要，我的确杀了它的单亲，我不能坐视那孩子因我的行动而遭到杀害。此外，盖娅从没研究过那种大脑，这刚好是一个难得的机会。”
"A child's brain."
“只是个孩子的大脑。”
"It will not remain a child's brain. It will further develop thetwo transducer-lobes on either side of the brain. Those lobes give aSolarian abilities that all of Gaia cannot match. Simply to keep a fewlights lit, just to activate a device to open a door, wore me out. Bandercould have kept all the power going over an estate as great in complexityand greater in size than that city we saw on Comporellon and doit even while sleeping."
“它不会永远是个孩子的大脑，它会在两侧发育出转换叶突。那种叶突带给一个索拉利人的能力，是整个盖娅望尘莫及的。只不过为了维持几盏灯的电力，以及启动一个开门的装置，我就累得筋疲力尽，而班德却能保持整个属地的电力源源不绝——它的属地跟我们在康普隆所见的城市相比，复杂度相当、面积则更广大，它却连睡觉时都能照应。”
Trevize said, "Then you see the child as an important bit offundamental brain research."
崔维兹说：“那么，你是将这孩子视为大脑基础研究的重要资源？”
"In a way, yes."
“就某方面而言，的确如此。”
"That's not the way I feel. To me, it seems we have taken dangeraboard. Great danger."
“我却不这么认为。对我而言，我们好像带了一件危险物品上来，有很大的危险。”
"Danger in what way? It will adapt perfectly with my help. Itis highly intelligent, and already shows signs of feeling affection forus. It will eat what we eat, go where we go, and I/we/Gaia will gaininvaluable knowledge concerning its brain."
“什么样的危险？它会百分之百适应——在我的帮助下。它极端聪明，也已经对我们产生好感。我们吃什么它就吃什么，我们去哪里它就去哪里。从它的脑部，我／我们／盖娅能获得许多无价的知识。”
"What if it produces young? It doesn't need a mate. It is its ownmate."
“万一它生出下一代呢？它不需要配偶，它自己就是自己的配偶。”
"It won't be of child-bearing age for many years. The Spacerslived for centuries and the Solarians had no desire to increase theirnumbers. Delayed reproduction is probably bred into the population. Fallomwill have no children for a long time."
“它还要经过许多年，才会达到生子的年龄。外世界人的寿命有好几世纪，而且索拉利人从不想增加人口，延缓生殖也许已是它们的习性，菲龙在短期内不会有孩子。”
"How do you know this?"
“你怎么知道这点？”
"I don't know it. I'm merely being logical."
“我不知道，我只是诉诸逻辑。”
"And I tell you Fallom will prove dangerous."
“我告诉你，菲龙会带来危险。”
"You don't know that. And you're not being logical, either."
“这点你不知道，你也没有诉诸逻辑。”
"I feel it Bliss, without reason. At the moment. And it is you,not I, who insists my intuition is infallible."
“我感觉到了，宝绮思——此时此刻，根本就不需要理由。还有，坚称我的直觉永远正确的人，是你而不是我。”
And Bliss frowned and looked uneasy.
宝绮思皱起眉头，显得坐立不安。
59
59
Pelorat paused at the door to the pilot-room and lookedinside in a rather ill-at-ease manner. It was as though he were tryingto decide whether Trevize was hard at work or not.
裴洛拉特在驾驶舱门口停下脚步，带着几分不安的神情向内探望，像是想判断崔维兹是否在专心工作。
Trevize had his hands on the table, as he always did when he madehimself part of the computer, and his eyes were on the viewscreen. Peloratjudged, therefore, he was at work, and he waited patiently, trying notto move or, in any way, disturb the other.
崔维兹双手一直放在桌面上；当他成为电脑的一部分时，总是双眼凝视显像屏幕，维持着这种姿势。因此，裴洛拉特判定他正在工作，于是耐心地等在外面，尽量静止不动，避免打扰或惊动他。
Eventually, Trevize looked up at Pelorat. It was not a matter oftotal awareness. Trevize's eyes always seemed a bit glazed and unfocusedwhen he was in computer-communion, as though he were looking, thinking,living in some other way than a person usually did.
最后，崔维兹终于抬头望向裴洛拉特，却不能算是完全意识到他的存在。当崔维兹与电脑融为一体时，眼光似乎总有点呆滞涣散，好像他正以异乎常人的方式看着、想着、活着。
But he nodded slowly at Pelorat, as though the sight, penetratingwith difficulty, did, at last, sluggishly impress itself on the opticlobes. Then, after a while, he lifted his hands and smiled and washimself again.
但他还是向裴洛拉特点了点头，彷佛眼前的景象通过着着障碍，终于迟缓地映到他的“视叶”。又过了一会儿，他举起双手，露出微笑，才真正恢复了自我。
Pelorat said apologetically, "I'm afraid I'm getting in your way,Golan."
裴洛拉特带着歉意道：“我恐怕妨碍到你了，葛兰。”
"Not seriously, Janov. I was just testing to see if we were ready forthe Jump. We are, just about, but I think I'll give it a few more hours,just for luck."
“没什么，詹诺夫。我只是在进行测试，看看我们现在能否进行跃迁。我们应该可以进行了，不过我想再等几小时，希望运气会好点。”
"Does luck or random factors have anything to do withit?"
“运气——或是随机的因素，和跃迁有关系吗？”
"An expression only," said Trevize, smiling, "but random factors dohave something to do with it, in theory. What's on your mind?"
“我只不过随口说说，”崔维兹微笑着答道：“理论上而言，随机因素倒是的确有关——你找我有什么事？”
"May I sit down?"
“我可以坐下吗？”
"Surely, but let's go into my room. How's Bliss?"
“当然可以，到我的舱房去吧。宝绮思还好吗？”
"Very well." He cleared his throat. "She's sleeping again. She musthave her sleep, you understand."
“非常好，”他清了清喉咙，“她又睡着了，她一定要睡够，你应该了解。”
"I understand perfectly. It's the hyperspatial separation."
“我完全了解，因为超空间分隔的关系。”
"Exactly, old chap."
“完全正确，老弟。”
"And Fallom?" Trevize reclined on the bed, leaving Pelorat thechair.
“菲龙呢？”崔维兹靠在床上，将椅子让给裴洛拉特。
"Those books out of my library that you had your computerprint up for me? The folk tales? It's reading them. Of course, itunderstands very little Galactic, but it seems to enjoy sounding outthe words. He's I keep wanting to use the masculine pronoun forit. Why do you suppose that is, old fellow?"
“从我图书馆找出的那些书，你用电脑帮我印出的那些，那些民间故事，记得吗？它正在读。当然啦，它只懂得极有限的银河标准语，但它似乎很喜欢念出那些字。他——我一直想用阳性代名词称呼它，你认为这是什么缘故，老伙伴？”
Trevize shrugged. "Perhaps because you're masculine yourself."
崔维兹耸了耸肩。“也许因为你自己是阳性。”
"Perhaps. It's fearfully intelligent, you know."
“也许吧。你可知道，它真是聪明绝顶。”
"I'm sure."
“我绝对相信。”
Pelorat hesitated. "I gather you're not very fond of Fallom."
裴洛拉特犹豫了一下，又说：“我猜你并不很喜欢菲龙。”
"Nothing against it personally, Janov. I've never had children andI've never been particularly fond of them generally. You've had children,I seem to remember."
“我对它本身绝无成见，詹诺夫。我从没有过小孩，通常也不会对小孩特别有好感。你倒是有几个孩子，我好像记得。”
"One son. It was a pleasure, I recall, having my son when he wasa little boy. Maybe that's why I want to use the masculinepronoun for Fallom. It takes me back a quarter of a century or so."
“有个儿子——我还记得，当他是个小男生的时候，那的确是一大乐趣。这也许是我用阳性代名词称呼菲龙的原因，它让我又回到大约四分之一世纪前。”
"I've no objection to your liking it, Janov."
“我绝不反对你喜欢它，詹诺夫。”
"You'd like him, too, if you gave yourself a chance."
“你也会喜欢他的，如果你给自己一个机会。”
"I'm sure I would, Janov, and maybe someday I will give myself achance to do so."
“我相信会的，詹诺夫。也许哪一天，我真会给自己一个机会。”
Pelorat hesitated again. "I also know that you must get tired ofarguing with Bliss."
裴洛拉特再度犹豫起来。“我还知道，你一定厌烦了跟宝绮思争论不休。”
"Actually, I don't think we'll be arguing much, Janov. She and I areactually getting along quite well. We even had a reasonable discussionjust the other day no shouting, no recrimination abouther delay in inactivating the Guardian Robots. She keeps saving ourlives, after all, so I can't very well offer her less than friendship,can I?"
“事实上，我想我们不会再有太多争论，詹诺夫，她和我真的越来越融洽。前几天，我们甚至做过一次理性的讨论——没有大吼大叫，也没有冷嘲热讽——讨论她为何迟迟不令那些守护机器人停摆。毕竟，她三番两次拯救我们的性命，我总不能吝于对她伸出友谊之手，对不对？”
"Yes, I see that, but I don't mean arguing, in the sense ofquarreling. I mean this constant wrangle about Galaxia as opposed toindividuality."
“没错，我看得出来，但我所谓的争论指的不是吵架，我的意思是，你们不停辩论盖娅星系和个体性孰好孰坏。”
"Oh, that! I suppose that will continue politely."
“噢，那件事！我想那会继续下去——很有风度地。”
"Would you mind, Golan, if I took up the argument on her behalf?"
“如果在这场辩论中，葛兰，我站在她那一方，你是否会介意？”
"Perfectly all right. Do you accept the idea of Galaxia on your own,or is it that you simply feel happier when you agree with Bliss?"
“绝对不会。你是自己接受了盖娅星系的理念，还是因为和宝绮思站在一边会让你感到比较快乐？”
"Honestly, on my own. I think that Galaxia is what should beforthcoming. You yourself chose that course of action and I am constantlybecoming more convinced that that is correct."
“老实说，是我自己的看法，我认为盖娅星系的时代很快会来临。你选择了这个方向，而我越来越相信这是正确的抉择。”
"Because I chose it? That's no argument. Whatever Gaia says, I maybe wrong, you know. So don't let Bliss persuade you into Galaxia onthat basis."
“只因为是我的选择？这不成理由。不论盖娅怎么说，你知道，我都有可能犯错。所以说，别让宝绮思用这个理由说服你。”
"I don't think you are wrong. Solaria showed me that, not Bliss."
“我认为你没有错。这是索拉利给我的启示，不是宝绮思。”
"How?"
“怎么说？”
"Well, to begin with, we are Isolates, you and I."
“嗯，首先，我们是孤立体，你我都是。”
" Her term, Janov. I prefer to think of us asindividuals."
“那是她的用语，詹诺夫，我比较喜欢自称个体。”
"A matter of semantics, old chap. Call it what you will, we areenclosed in our private skins surrounding our private thoughts, and wethink first and foremost of ourselves. Self-defense is our first law ofnature, even if that means harming everyone else in existence."
“这只是语意学上的争论，老弟，随便你喜欢怎么称呼都行。我们都包裹在各自的皮囊中，被各自的思想笼罩，我们最先想到的是自己，最重视的也是自己。自卫是我们的第一自然法则，即使那样会伤害到其他生命。”
"People have been known to give their lives for others."
“历史上也有许多人物，曾经牺牲自己成全别人。”
"A rare phenomenon. Many more people have been known to sacrificethe dearest needs of others to some foolish whim of their own."
“那是很罕见的现象。历史上更多的例子，是牺牲他人最深切的需要，满足自己突发的愚蠢奇想。”
"And what has that to do with Solaria?"
“这和索拉利又有什么关系？”
"Why, on Solaria, we see what Isolates or individuals, if youprefer can become. The Solarians can hardly bear to divide a wholeworld among themselves. They consider living a life of complete isolationto be perfect liberty. They have no yearning for even their own offspring,but kill them if there are too many. They surround themselves with robotslaves to which they supply the power, so that if they die, their wholehuge estate symbolically dies as well. Is this admirable, Golan? Can youcompare it in decency, kindness, and mutual concern with Gaia? Blisshas not discussed this with me at all. It is my own feeling."
“这个嘛，在索拉利，我们看到孤立体——或者你喜欢说的个体——会变成什么样子。索拉利人几乎无法跟自己同胞分享一个世界，它们认为绝对孤独地生活是完全的自由。它们甚至和自己的子嗣没有任何亲情，在人口过多时就会杀掉它们。它们在身边布满机器人奴隶，自己替这些机器人供应电力，所以它们死了之后，整个庞大的属地也形同死亡。这是值得赞美的吗，葛兰？你能将它跟盖娅的高贵、亲切、互相关怀相提并论吗？宝绮思并没和我讨论过这点，这是我自己的感受。”
Trevize said, "And it is like you to have that feeling, Janov. Ishare it. I think Solarian society is horrible, but it wasn't alwayslike that. They are descended from Earthmen, and, more immediately, fromSpacers who lived a much more normal life. The Solarians chose a path,for one reason or another, which led to an extreme, but you can't judgeby extremes. In all the Galaxy, with its millions of inhabited worlds,is there one you know that now, or in the past, has had a society likethat of Solaria, or even remotely like that of Solaria? And would evenSolaria have such a society if it were not riddled with robots? Is itconceivable that a society of individuals could evolve to such a pitchof Solarian horror without robots?"
崔维兹说：“这的确像是你该有的感受，詹诺夫，我非常同意。我认为索拉利的社会实在可怕，但它并非始终如此。他们是地球人的后裔，近代的祖先则是外世界人，那些祖先过的生活都相当正常。索拉利人由于某种原因，选择了一条通往极端的道路，但你不能根据特例做出结论。在整个银河数千万的住人世界上，你知道还有哪个——不论过去还是现在——拥有类似索拉利的社会，或者仅有一丝雷同的？即使是索拉利人，若非它们滥用机器人，难道会发展出这样的社会吗？一个由个体组成的社会，假如没有机器人，有可能演化得像素拉利这么恐怖吗？”
Pelorat's face twitched a little. "You punch holes in everything,Golan or at least I mean you don't ever seem to be at a loss in defendingthe type of Galaxy you voted against."
裴洛拉特的脸稍微抽动了一下。“你对每件事都过于吹毛求疵，葛兰——至少，你为被你自己否定的银河型态辩护时，似乎也相当理直气壮。”
"I won't knock down everything. There is a rationale for Galaxiaand when I find it, I'll know it, and I'll give in. Or perhaps, moreaccurately, if I find it."
“我不会一竿子打翻一船人。盖娅星系一定有其理论基础，当我找到的时候，我自然会知道，到时候我一定接受——或者说得更精确点，‘若是’被我找到的时候。”
"Do you think you might not?"
“你认为自己可能找不到吗？”
Trevize shrugged. "How can I say? Do you know why I'm waitinga few hours to make the Jump, and why I'm in danger of talking myselfinto waiting a few days?"
崔维兹耸了耸肩。“我怎么晓得？你知道我为何要再等几小时才进行跃迁？事实上，我甚至还可能说服自己再多等几天，为什么？”
"You said it would be safer if we waited."
“你说过，如果我们多等一下会比较安全。”
"Yes, that's what I said, but we'd be safe enough now. What I reallyfear is that those Spacer worlds for which we have the co-ordinateswill fail us altogether. We have only three, and we've already used uptwo, narrowly escaping death each time. In doing so, we have still notgained any hint as to Earth's location, or even, in actual fact, Earth'sexistence. Now I face the third and last chance, and what if it, too,fails us?"
“没错，我是那样说过，可是我们现在够安全了。我真正害怕的，是我们拥有座标的三个外世界，全都会让我们无功而返。我们只有三组座标，而我们已用掉两个，每次都是在侥幸中死里逃生。即使如此，我们仍未得到有关地球的任何线索，事实上，甚至连地球的存在也还无法肯定。现在我正面对第三个，也是最后一个机会，万一它还是令我们失望，那该怎么办？”
Pelorat sighed. "You know there are old folk tales one, in fact,exists among those I gave Fallom to practice upon in which someoneis allowed three wishes, but only three. Three seems to be a significantnumber in these things, perhaps because it is the first odd number sothat it is the smallest decisive number. You know, two out of threewins. The point is that in these stories, the wishes are of nouse. No one ever wishes correctly, which, I have always supposed, isancient wisdom to the effect that the satisfaction of your wants mustbe earned, and not……"
裴洛拉特叹了一口气。“你知道有些民间故事——其实，我给菲龙练习阅读的就有一则——内容是说某人能许三个愿，但只有三个而已。在这种情节中，‘三’似乎是个很重要的数字，也许因为它是第一个奇数，所以是能做出决定的最小数字；你知道，所谓的三战二胜。着点是在这些故事里，那些愿望根本都没用，没有人许过正确的愿望。我一直有种想法，认为那代表一种古老的智慧，意思是没有不劳而获的事，想要满足自己的心愿，你就得凭努力换取，而不是……”
He fell suddenly silent and abashed. "I'm sorry, old man, but I'mwasting your time. I do tend to rattle on when I get started on myhobby."
他突然住口，显得很不好意思。“我很抱歉，老友，我在浪费你的时间。谈到自己的本行时，我很容易喋喋不休。”
"I find you always interesting, Janov. I am willing to see theanalogy. We have been given three wishes, and we have had two and theyhave done us no good. Now only one is left. Somehow, I am sure of failureagain and so I wish to postpone it. That is why I am putting off theJump as long as possible."
“你从不会使我感到无聊，詹诺夫，我愿意接受这个类比。我们得到三个愿望，已经用掉两个，却没有任何收获，现在只剩最后一个了。不知怎么搞的，我确定我们将再度失败，所以我希望多拖一阵子，这就是我把跃迁尽量往后延的原因。”
"What will you do if you do fail again? Go back to Gaia? ToTerminus?"
“万一又失败了，你打算怎么办？回盖娅？回端点星？”
"Oh no," said Trevize in a whisper, shaking his head. "The searchmust continue if I only knew how."
“喔，不，”崔维兹一面摇头，一面细声道：“寻找必须继续下去——只要我知道该如何进行。”