Chapter 20 The Nearby World

第二十章邻近的世界

For four successive meals, Pelorat and Bliss had seenTrevize only at meals. During the rest of the time, he was either inthe pilot-room or in his bedroom. At mealtimes, he was silent. His lipsremained pressed together and he ate little.

连续四顿饭的时间中，裴洛拉特与宝绮思只有用餐时才得见崔维兹。其余时候，他不是在驾驶舱中，就是躲在寝舱里。用餐时他始终保持沉默，嘴唇紧紧抿住，而且总是只吃一点点。

At the fourth meal, however, it seemed to Pelorat that some ofthe unusual gravity had lifted from Trevize's countenance. Peloratcleared his throat twice, as though preparing to say something and thenretreating.

不过，在第四餐的时候，裴洛拉特察觉到，崔维兹异常凝着的神色似乎缓和了些。裴洛拉特清了喉咙两次，彷佛准备说些什么，结果两次都欲言又止。

Finally, Trevize looked up at him and said, "Well?"

最后，崔维兹抬起头来，望着他说：“怎么样？”

"Have you have you thought it out, Golan?"

“你有没有——有没有想出来，葛兰？”

"Why do you ask?"

“你为什么这样问？”

"You seem less gloomy."

“你看来好像没那么沮丧了。”

"I'm not less gloomy, but I have beenthinking. Heavily."

“不是没那么沮丧，而是我正在思考，专注地思考。”

"May we know what?" asked Pelorat.

“我们可以知道内容吗？”裴洛拉特问。

Trevize glanced briefly in Bliss's direction. She was looking firmlyat her plate, maintaining a careful silence, as though certain thatPelorat would get further than she at this sensitive moment.

崔维兹朝宝绮思那边瞥了一下，她却盯着面前的餐盘，谨慎地保持沉默。彷佛她能确定，在这个敏感时刻，裴洛拉特比她更能问出些名堂。

Trevize said, "Are you also curious, Bliss?"

崔维兹说：“你也好奇吗，宝绮思？”

She raised her eyes for a moment. "Yes. Certainly."

她抬了抬眼睛。“是的，当然啦。”

Fallom kicked a leg of the table moodily, and said, "Have we found Earth?"

菲龙踢了一下桌脚，像是在闹别扭，然后说：“我们找到地球了吗？”

Bliss squeezed the youngster's shoulder. Trevize paid no attention.

宝绮思用力搂住那孩子的肩膀，崔维兹则根本没理会。

He said, "What we must start with is a basic fact. All informationconcerning Earth has been removed on various worlds. That is bound tobring us to an inescapable conclusion. Something on Earth is beinghidden. And yet, by observation, we see that Earth is radioactivelydeadly, so that anything on it is automatically hidden. No one can landon it, and from this distance, when we are quite near the outer edge ofthe magnetosphere and would not care to approach Earth any more closely,there is nothing for us to find."

他说：“我们必须从一项基本事实开始探讨。在每个世界上，所有关于地球的资料都被移走了，这就让我们导出一个必然的结论：地球上有什么东西被藏起来。然而，根据观察的结果，我们发现地球具有致命的放射性，因此上面不论有什么，都自然而然藏了起来。登陆地球是不可能的事，我们目前所在的距离，已经相当接近磁层的外缘——而我们也不打算再靠近了——却什么也没有发现。”

"Can you be sure of that?" asked Bliss softly.

“你能确定这点吗？”宝绮思轻声问道。

"I have spent my time at the computer, analyzing Earth in every wayit and I can. There is nothing. What's more, I feel there isnothing. Why, then, has data concerning the Earth been wiped out? Surely,whatever must be hidden is more effectively hidden now than anyone caneasily imagine, and there need be no human gilding of this particularpiece of gold."

“我在电脑上花了很多时间，用它和我想得到的各种方法来分析地球，结果什么都没发现；而更重要的是，我觉得不会发现什么。如此，有关地球的资料为什么会被清除呢？需要隐藏的东西不论是什么，现在它的安全程度已超乎任何人想像，哪还需要再多费工夫，大动手脚呢？”

"It may be," said Pelorat, "that there was indeed something hiddenon Earth at a time when it had not yet grown so severely radioactive asto preclude visitors. People on Earth may then have feared that someonemight land and find this whatever-it-is. It was then thatEarth tried to remove information concerning itself. What we have nowis a vestigial remnant of that insecure time."

“有可能是这样的，”裴洛拉特说：“当地球的放射性尚未变得那么严着，还不至于使外人却步的时候，的确有什么东西藏在它上面。当时，地球上的人也许担心会有外人来到，进而发现那个秘密。因此，地球企图除去有关自身的资料，其实是那时候的事情。我们现在发现的结果，只是那个不安全的时代所留下的遗迹。”

"No, I don't think so," said Trevize. "The removal of informationfrom the Imperial Library at Trantor seems to have taken place veryrecently." He turned suddenly to Bliss, "Am I right?"

“不，我不这么想。”崔维兹说：“位于川陀的帝国图书馆，里面的资料似乎是最近被移走的。”他突然转向宝绮思，“我说得对吗？”

Bliss said evenly, "I/we/Gaia gathered that much from the troubledmind of the Second Foundationer Gendibal, when he, you, and I had themeeting with the Mayor of Terminus."

宝绮思以平静的口吻说：“当你、我、第二基地人坚迪柏，以及端点星市长聚会的时候，从坚迪柏忧心忡忡的心灵中，我／我们／盖娅捕捉到了这个讯息。”

Trevize said, "So whatever must have had to be hidden because thereexisted the chance of finding it must still be in hiding now ,and there must be danger of finding it now despite the factthat Earth is radioactive."

崔维兹说：“因此，过去有可能被发现而必须隐藏的东西，现在一定仍藏在某处。纵使地球现在已具有放射性，那东西仍旧有被人发现的危险。”

"How is that possible?" asked Pelorat anxiously.

“那怎么可能？”裴洛拉特好奇地问。

"Consider," said Trevize. "What if what was on Earth is no longeron Earth, but was removed when the radioactive danger grew greater? Yetthough the secret is no longer on Earth, it may be that if we can findEarth, we would be able to reason out the place where the secret hasbeen taken. If that were so, Earth's whereabouts would still have tobe hidden."

“想想看，”崔维兹说：“原来藏在地球的东西，有没有可能已经不在地球上；当放射性变得越来越危险时，它被移到了别处去？然而，那个秘密现在虽然不在地球上，我们若能找到地球，也许可以推论出秘密被移至何处。果真如此，地球的下落就仍有隐藏的必要。”

Fallom's voice piped up again. "Because if we can't find Earth,Bliss says you'll take me back to Jemby."

菲龙又用尖锐的声音说：“因为如果我们找不到地球，宝绮思说你就会带我回到健比身边。”

Trevize turned toward Fallom and glared and Bliss said, in alow voice, "I told you we might , Fallom. We'll talk aboutit later. Right now, go to your room and read, or play the flute, or anything else you want to do.Go……go."

崔维兹转头面向菲龙，以凶狠的目光瞪着她。宝绮思赶紧低声道：“我是说我们可能会，菲龙。我们待会儿再讨论这件事，现在回到你的舱房去看书，或是玩笛子，或是做你想做的任何事。去——快去。”

Fallom, frowning sulkily, left the table.

菲龙皱着眉头，悻悻然地离开餐桌。

Pelorat said, "But how can you say that, Golan? Here we are. We'velocated Earth. Can we now deduce where whatever it is might be if itisn't on Earth?"

裴洛拉特说：“可是你凭什么这样说呢，葛兰？我们到了这里，我们已经发现地球。不论那是什么秘密，假如它不在地球上，我们有办法推论出它可能藏在何处吗？”

It took a moment for Trevize to get over the moment of ill humorFallom had induced. Then, he said, "Why not? Imagine the radioactivity ofEarth's crust growing steadily worse. The population would be decreasingsteadily through death and emigration, and the secret, whatever it is,would be in increasing danger. Who would remain to protect it? Eventually,it would have to be shifted to another world, or the use of whateverit was would be lost to Earth. I suspect there would be reluctanceto move it and it is likely that it would be done more or less at thelast minute. Now, then, Janov, remember the old man on New Earth whofilled your ears with his version of Earth's history?"

崔维兹花了点时间才摆脱被菲龙搞坏的情绪。然后他说：“怎么不能？试想，地球表面的放射性持续不断恶化，由于死亡率与移民剧增，地球人口因此不断锐减。而那个秘密，不管它是什么，处境就越来越危险。谁还会留下来保护它呢？最后，它一定会被送往其他世界，否则这个秘密——不管它是什么——就没有作用了。我猜一定有人不愿将它移走，这件事有可能是最后一刻才完成的。好啦，詹诺夫，还记不记得新地球的那个老者，拼命对你讲述自家地球历史的那位？”

"Monolee?"

“单姓李？”

"Yes. He. Did he not say in reference to the establishment of New Earththat what was left of Earth's population was brought to the planet?"

“没错，就是他。当他提到有关新地球的建立时，是不是说地球残存的居民都被带到那颗行星？”

Pelorat said, "Do you mean, old chap, that what we're searching foris now on New Earth? Brought there by the last of Earth's populationto leave?"

裴洛拉特说：“老弟，你的意思是说，我们所要寻找的东西，如今位于新地球上？由最后一批离开地球的人带去的？”

Trevize said, "Might that not be so? New Earth is scarcely betterknown to the Galaxy in general than Earth is, and the inhabitants aresuspiciously eager to keep all Outworlders away."

崔维兹说：“难道没这个可能吗？在整个银河之中，新地球的知名度没有地球高，而那里的居民竭尽所能和外星人士隔绝，这点就很可疑。”

"We were there," put in Bliss. "We didn't find anything."

“我们到过那里，”宝绮思插嘴道：“什么也没发现。”

"We weren't looking for anything but the whereabouts of Earth."

“当时，我们一心打探地球的下落，没注意到其他事情。”

Pelorat said, in a puzzled way, "But we're looking for somethingwith a high technology; something that can remove information from under the nose of the Second Foundation itself, and even from under the nose……excuse me, Bliss……of Gaia. Those people on New Earth maybe able to control their patch of weather and may have some techniquesof biotechnology at their disposal, but I think you'll admit that theirlevel of technology is, on the whole, quite low."

裴洛拉特以困惑的口气说：“但我们要找的是跟高科技有关的东西，它能在第二基地的地盘上将资料偷走，甚至还能——对不起，宝绮思——侵入盖娅的地盘行事。那些住在新地球上的人类，或许能控制头上一小块的天气，也可能拥有某些生物科技，可是我想你也会承认，整体而言，他们的科技水准相当低。”

Bliss nodded. "I agree with Pel."

宝绮思点了点头。“我同意裴的看法。”

Trevize said, "We're judging from very little. We never did see themen of the fishing fleet. We never saw any part of the island but thesmall patch we landed on. What might we have found if we had exploredmore thoroughly? After all, we didn't recognize the fluorescent lightstill we saw them in action, and if it appeared that the technology waslow, appeared , I say……"

崔维兹说：“我们这是以偏概全。我们一直没见到渔船上的男人；除了我们着陆地点附近之外，我们没观察过岛屿的其他部分。如果我们搜寻得更彻底，有没有可能发现些什么呢？毕竟，我们本来并未认出那些萤光灯，直到目睹它们运作才恍然大悟。如果科技看来落后，我是说‘看’……”

"Yes?" said Bliss, clearly unconvinced.

“怎么样？”宝绮思显然未被说服。

"That could be part of the veil intended to obscure the truth."

“那可能是故意制造的烟幕，目的是要混淆真相。”

"Impossible," said Bliss.

“不可能。”宝绮思说。

"Impossible? It was you who told me, back on Gaia, that at Trantor,the larger civilization was deliberately held at a level of low technologyin order to hide the small kernel of Second Foundationers. Why mightnot the same strategy be used on New Earth?"

“不可能？当初在盖娅时，是你亲口告诉我说，川陀大部分的文明都故意保持低科技水准，以便隐藏第二基地人组成的核心。同样的策略为什么不能用在新地球上？”

"Do you suggest, then, that we return to New Earth and face infectionagain this time to have it activated? Sexual intercourse isundoubtedly a particularly pleasant mode of infection, but it may notbe the only one."

“那么，你是不是建议我们回新地球去，再去面对那种传染病——这次让它真正发作？性行为无疑是特别愉快的传染方式，但可能并非唯一的途径。”

Trevize shrugged. "I am not eager to return to New Earth, but we mayhave to."

崔维兹耸了耸肩。“我不急着回新地球，不过也许有这个必要。”

" May ?"

“也许？”

"May! After all, there is another possibility."

“也许！毕竟，还有另一种可能性。”

"What is that?"

“什么可能性？”

"New Earth circles the star the people call Alpha. But Alpha is part ofa binary system. Might there not be a habitable planet circling Alpha'scompanion as well?"

“新地球环绕着那颗叫作阿尔发的恒星，阿尔发则是双星系的一部分。在阿尔发那颗伴星的轨道上，难道没有可住人行星吗？”

"Too dim, I should think," said Bliss, shaking her head. "The companionis only a quarter as bright as Alpha is."

“我认为它太暗了。”宝绮思一面说一面摇头，“那颗伴星的光度只有阿尔发的四分之一。”

"Dim, but not too dim. If there is a planet fairly close to the star,it might do."

“虽然暗，但并不至于太暗。如果有行星相当接近那颗恒星，仍然可能适于住人。”

Pelorat said, "Does the computer say anything about any planets forthe companion?"

裴洛拉特说：“电脑提到那颗伴星有任何行星吗？”

Trevize smiled grimly. "I checked that. There are five planets ofmoderate size. No gas giants."

崔维兹冷笑了一下。“我已经查过了，有五颗不大不小的行星，没有气态巨行星。”

"And are any of the five planets habitable?"

“那五颗行星中，有任何适于住人的吗？”

"The computer gives no information at all about the planets, otherthan their number, and the fact that they aren't large."

“电脑只给出它们的总数，并指出它们体积不大，此外没有提供任何资料。”

"Oh," said Pelorat deflated.

“喔——”裴洛拉特显得很泄气。

Trevize said, "That's nothing to be disappointed about. None of theSpacer worlds are to be found in the computer at all. The informationon Alpha itself is minimal. These things are hidden deliberately and ifalmost nothing is known about Alpha's companion, that might almost beregarded as a good sign."

崔维兹说：“没什么好失望的，电脑中也找不到任何一个外世界，阿尔发本身的资料也少得不能再少，这些资料都被故意藏起来。如果电脑对阿尔发的伴星几乎一无所知，反倒可以视为好兆头。”

"Then," said Bliss, in a business-like manner, "what you are planningto do is this visit the companion and, if that draws a blank,return to Alpha itself."

“所以，”宝绮思一本正经地说：“你是打算这么做——先去造访那颗伴星，如果无功而返的话，再回头去找阿尔发。”

"Yes. And this time when we reach the island of New Earth, we willbe prepared. We will examine the entire island meticulously beforelanding and, Bliss, I expect you to use your mental abilities to shield……"

“没错，而这一次，当我们抵达新地球那座岛屿时，我们将有所准备。在我们着陆前，我们会仔仔细细将整座岛屿搜索一遍。宝绮思，我希望你利用精神力量来屏蔽——”

And at that moment, the Far Star lurched slightly, as thoughit had undergone a ship-sized hiccup, and Trevize cried out, halfway between anger and perplexity, "Who's at the controls?"

就在这个时候，远星号突然偏向一侧，好像太空艇打了个嗝似地。崔维兹立刻大叫：“是谁在控制台？”声音中半是愤怒半是困惑。

And even as he asked, he knew very well who was.

而在他发问的同时，他已经非常清楚那究竟是谁。

Fallom, at the computer console, was completelyabsorbed. Her small, long-fingered hands were stretched wide in order tofit the faintly gleaming handmarks on the desk. Fallom's hands seemedto sink into the material of the desk, even though it was clearly felt to be hard and slippery.

坐在电脑台前的菲龙全神贯注。她尽量张开有着修长手指的小小手掌，以便按在桌面那双微微发光的轮廓上。她的手掌似乎陷入实质的桌面，虽然感觉上它显然又硬又滑。

She had seen Trevize hold his hands so on a number of occasions,and she hadn't seen him do more than that, though it was quite plain toher that in so doing he controlled the ship.

她曾经好几次看到崔维兹双手如此摆放，除此之外，她没见过他有什么其他动作。不过她心中很明白，他这样做就能控制整艘太空艇。

On occasion, Fallom had seen Trevize close his eyes, and she closedhers now. After a moment or two, it was almost as though she hearda faint, far-off voice far off, but sounding in her own head,through (she dimly realized) her transducer-lobes. They were even moreimportant than her hands. She strained to make out the words.

有些时候，菲龙还看到崔维兹闭起双眼，因此她现在也学着这么做。过了一会儿，她似乎听到一个模糊而遥远的声音——十分遥远。（她隐约意识到）但是透过她的转换叶突，那声音在她脑际响起——转换叶突甚至比她的双手更重要——她开始努力分辨那些字句。

“Instructions,”it said, almost pleadingly.“What are your instructions?”

“指令，”那声音以近乎恳求的语气说：“您的指令是什么？”

Fallom didn't say anything. She had never witnessed Trevize saying anything to the computer but she knew what it was that she wanted with all her heart. She wanted to go back to Solaria, to the comforting endlessness of the mansion, to Jemby……by……

菲龙什么也没说，她从未目睹崔维兹对电脑说过任何话。不过她知道自己全心全意要的是什么，她要回索拉利，回到那座无边无际的舒适宅邸，回去找健比——健比——健比——

She wanted to go there and, as she thought of the world she loved,she imagined it visible on the viewscreen as she had seen other worlds she didn't want. She opened her eyes and stared at the viewscreen willing some other world there than this hateful Earth, then staring at what she saw, imagining it to be Solaria. She hated the empty Galaxy to which she had been introduced against her will. Tears came to her eyes, and the ship trembled.

她就是要去那里。一想到自己挚爱的世界，她便想像能在显像屏幕上看到它，就像屏幕上出现过许多她不想去的世界那样。她张开双眼凝视着显像屏幕，渴望看到另一个世界，而不是这个可恨的地球，然后她盯着眼前的画面，想像它就是索拉利。她憎恨这个空虚的银河，认识这个银河全然出于无奈，想到这里她的泪水夺眶而出，太空艇则开始颤动。

She could feel that tremble, and she swayed a little in response.

她能感觉到艇身的颤动，自己也微微晃了一下。

And then she heard loud steps in the corridor outside and, when sheopened her eyes, Trevize's face, distorted, filled her vision, blockingout the viewscreen, which held all she wanted. He was shouting something,but she paid no attention. It was he who had taken her from Solaria bykilling Bander, and it was he who was preventing her from returning bythinking only of Earth, and she was not going to listen to him.

接着，她听到外面走廊传来嘈杂的脚步声。当她睁开眼睛的时候，崔维兹扭曲的脸孔占满她的视野，将显像屏幕完全挡住，遮住了她心中的目的地。他在大吼大叫着什么，但她并未注意听。杀了班德而将她带离索拉利的是他；一心只有地球而不准她回家的也是他，她决定再也不要听他的话。

She was going to take the ship to Solaria, and, with the intensityof her resolve, it trembled again.

她要驾着这艘太空艇回索拉利。当她再度坚定决心时，太空艇又颤动起来。

Bliss clutched wildly at Trevize'sarm. "Don't! Don't!"

宝绮思粗暴地抓住崔维兹的手臂。“不要！不要！”

She clung strongly, holding him back, while Pelorat stood, confusedand frozen, in the background.

她紧紧抱住他，不让他向前走。裴洛拉特则僵立在远处，茫然不知所措。

Trevize was shouting, "Take your hands off the computer! Bliss,don't get in my way. I don't want to hurt you."

崔维兹咆哮大叫：“把手拿开，别碰电脑——宝绮思，别拦我，我不想害你受伤。”

Bliss said, in a tone that seemed almost exhausted, "Don't offerviolence to the child. I'd have to hurt you againstall instructions."

宝绮思近乎声嘶力竭地说：“别对这孩子动粗，否则我不得不伤害你——抗命也在所不惜。”

Trevize's eyes darted wildly from Fallom to Bliss. He said, "Thenyou get her off, Bliss. Now!"

崔维兹将目光从菲龙身上猛然转向宝绮思。“那么你把她拉开，宝绮思，现在就去！”

Bliss pushed him away with surprising strength (drawing it, Trevizethought afterward, from Gaia, perhaps).

宝绮思一把推开他，力道大得惊人。（大概是从盖娅那里吸取的力量，崔维兹事后想到。）

"Fallom," she said, "lift your hands."

“菲龙，”她说：“把手放开。”

"No," shrieked Fallom. "I want the ship to go to Solaria. I want itto go there. There." She nodded toward the viewscreen with her head,unwilling to let even one hand release its pressure on the desk forthe purpose.

“不要，”菲龙尖叫道：“我要太空船飞到索拉利，我要它去那里，那里。”她朝显像屏幕点了点头，甚至不愿让任何一只手离开桌面。

But Bliss reached for the child's shoulders and, as her hands touchedFallom, the youngster began to tremble.

宝绮思伸手探向那孩子的肩头，当她双手碰到菲龙的时候，那孩子开始发抖。

Bliss's voice grew soft. "Now, Fallom, tell the computer to be asit was and come with me. Come with me." Her hands stroked the child,who collapsed in an agony of weeping.

宝绮思改用柔和的声音说：“现在，菲龙，告诉电脑将一切恢复原状，然后跟我走，跟我走。”她双手轻轻抚摩着菲龙，菲龙随即软化，放声痛哭。

Fallom's hands left the desk, and Bliss, catching her under thearmpits, lifted her into a standing position. She turned her, held herfirmly against her breast, and allowed the child to smother her wrenchingsobs there.

菲龙双手离开桌面之后，宝绮思撑着她的胳肢窝拉她起来，然后让她转身，再紧紧抱着她，让这孩子在自己怀里痛快地大哭一场。

Bliss said to Trevize, who was now standing dumbly in the doorway,"Step out of the way, Trevize, and don't touch either of us as wepass."

崔维兹现在站在门口一言不发，宝绮思对他说：“让开，崔维兹，我们经过的时候，千万别碰我们。”

Trevize stepped quickly to one side.

崔维兹向旁闪开。

Bliss paused a moment, saying in a low voice to Trevize, "I had to getinto her mind for a moment. If I've caused any damage, I won't forgiveyou easily."

宝绮思顿了一下，又压低声音对崔维兹说：“我刚才不得不暂时进入她的心灵，假如因此造成任何伤害，我不会轻易原谅你。”

It was Trevize's impulse to tell her he didn't care a cubic millimeterof vacuum for Fallom's mind; that it was the computer for which hefeared. Against the concentrated glare of Gaia, however (surely it wasn'tonly Bliss whose sole expression could inspire the moment of cold terrorhe felt), he kept silent.

崔维兹差点就要脱口，告诉她，自己一点都不在乎菲龙的心灵，他担心的只有电脑。然而，在盖娅严厉的目光瞪视之下（当然不只是宝绮思的，她个人的表情无法使他产生不寒而栗的恐惧），他终究什么也没说。

He remained silent for a perceptible period, and motionless as well,after Bliss and Fallom had disappeared into their room. He remained so,in fact, until Pelorat said softly, "Golan, are you all right? She didn'thurt you, did she?"

宝绮思与菲龙消失在她们房间后，崔维兹沉默了许久，全身动也不动。事实上，他一直僵在那里，直到裴洛拉特柔声道：“葛兰，你还好吗？她没伤到你吧？”

Trevize shook his head vigorously, as though to shake off the touchof paralysis that had afflicted him. "I'm all right. The real questionis whether that's all right." He sat down at the computerconsole, his hands resting on the two handmarks which Fallom's handshad so recently covered.

崔维兹使劲摇了摇头，彷佛想将轻微的麻痹甩掉。“我很好，真正的问题是它好不好。”他坐到电脑台前，将双手放在刚才被菲龙按过的手掌轮廓上。

"Well?" said Pelorat anxiously.

“怎么样？”裴洛拉特焦急地问。

Trevize shrugged. "It seems to respond normally. I might conceivablyfind something wrong later on, but there's nothing that seems offnow." Then, more angrily, "The computer should not combine effectivelywith any hands other than mine, but in that hermaphrodite's case, itwasn't the hands alone. It was the transducer-lobes, I'm sure……"

崔维兹耸了耸肩。“反应似乎正常，等一下也许还是会发现问题，不过现在看不出有何异状。”然后，他以更愤怒的口气说：“除我之外，电脑应该不会和别人的手有效结合。但那个雌雄同体又另当别论，问题不在于她的手，而是她的转换叶突，这点我能肯定……”

"But what made the ship shake? It shouldn't do that, should it?"

“可是太空船为什么震动呢？应该不会这样的，对不对？”

"No. It's a gravitic ship and we shouldn't have these inertialeffects. But that she-monster……" He paused, looking angry again.

“没错，这艘重力太空船应该不会出现这些惯性效应。但那个母怪物……”他突然打住，看来又火冒三丈。

"Yes?"

“怎么样？”

"I suspect she faced the computer with two self-contradictory demands,and each with such force that the computer had no choice but to attemptto do both things at once. In the attempt to do the impossible, the computer must have released the inertia-free condition of the shipmomentarily. At least that's what I think happened."

“我猜，她对电脑下了两个互相矛盾的指令，由于每个指令具有同样的效力，电脑只好尝试将两者同时执行。为了进行这种不可能的尝试，电脑一定暂时解除了太空船的无惯性状态，至少我认为事情是这样的。”

And then, somehow, his face smoothed out. "And that might be agood thing, too, for it occurs to me now that all my talk about AlphaCentauri and its companion was flapdoodle. I know now where Earth musthave transferred its secret."

他的脸色突然间缓和下来。“或许这不是一件坏事，因为我忽然想通了。我对半人马之阿尔发，以及它的伴星所做的种种推测，其实根本是痴人说梦。现在，我知道地球将秘密转移到哪里了。”

Pelorat stared, then ignored the final remark andwent back to an earlier puzzle. "In what way did Fallom ask for twoself-contradictory things?"

裴洛拉特瞪大眼睛，但他没立刻追究最后那句话，而是回到原先的问题。“菲龙如何要求电脑执行互相矛盾的指令？”

"Well, she said she wanted the ship to go to Solaria."

“嗯，她说要让太空船飞到索拉利。”

"Yes. Of course, she would."

“对，她当然会想那么做。”

"But what did she mean by Solaria? She can't recognize Solaria fromspace. She's never really seen it from space. She was asleep when weleft that world in a hurry. And despite her readings in your library,together with whatever Bliss has told her, I imagine she can't reallygrasp the truth of a Galaxy of hundreds of billions of stars and millionsof populated planets. Brought up, as she was, underground and alone,it is all she can do to grasp the bare concept that there are differentworlds but how many? Two? Three? Four? To her any world she seesis likely to be Solaria, and given the strength of her wishful thinking,is Solaria. And since I presume Bliss has tried to quiet her by hintingthat if we don't find Earth, we'll take her back to Solaria, she mayeven have worked up the notion that Solaria is close to Earth."

“可是她所谓的索拉利是什么？她无法在太空中认出索拉利，她从未真正自太空看过那个世界。当我们匆匆离开索拉利时，她正处于睡眠状态。虽然她从你的图书馆学到很多，宝绮思又告诉她不少知识，但是对于拥有上千亿颗恒星、数千万住人行星的银河，我想她还无法真正了解它的真面目。她从小孤独地生活在地底，顶多只知道有许多不同的世界这个概念。可是究竟有多少？两个？三个？四个？对她而言，她见到的每个世界都可能是索拉利，甚至一厢情愿地将见到的世界都当成索拉利。此外，我想宝绮思为了安抚她，曾对她暗示过，说我们若是找不到地球，就会带她回索拉利，因此她可能还产生了一种想法，认为索拉利很接近地球。”

"But how can you tell this, Golan? What makes you think it's so?"

“可是你又怎么知道呢，葛兰？你为什么会这样想？”

"She as much as told us so, Janov, when we burst in upon her. She criedout that she wanted to go to Solaria and then added `there there,' nodding her head at the viewscreen. And what is on the viewscreen? Earth'ssatellite. It wasn't there when I left the machine before dinner; Earthwas. But Fallom must have pictured the satellite in her mind when sheasked for Solaria, and the computer, in response, must therefore havefocused on the satellite. Believe me, Janov, I know how this computerworks. Who would know better?"

“她几乎等于对我们说了，詹诺夫。我们闯进来找她的时候，她喊着说要到索拉利去，又加上一句‘那里——那里’，还向显像屏幕猛点头。而显像屏幕的画面是什么呢？是地球的卫星。我离开电脑去吃晚餐的时候，屏幕上并非那颗卫星，而是地球。当菲龙要求回到索拉利时，她心中一定想着那个卫星的画面，因此电脑做出的回应，必定是将镜头对准那颗卫星。相信我，詹诺夫，我知道这个电脑如何运作。谁会比我更清楚呢？”

Pelorat looked at the thick crescent of light on the viewscreen andsaid thoughtfully, "It was called `moon' in at least one of Earth'slanguages; `Luna,' in another language. Probably many other names,too. Imagine the confusion, old chap, on a world with numerouslanguages the misunderstandings, the complications, the……"

裴洛拉特看了看屏幕上一弯肥厚的新月，意味深长地说：“至少在地球的某种语言中，它被称为‘月球’，另一种语言又称为‘太阴’，此外可能还有许多不同的名称。想想看，一个有着众多语言的世界，老弟，是多么混乱啊——有多少误解，多少纠纷，多少……”

"Moon?" said Trevize. "Well, that's simple enough. Then, too,come to think of it, it may be that the child tried, instinctively,to move the ship by means of its transducer-lobes, using the ship's ownenergy-source, and that may have helped produce the momentary inertialconfusion. But none of that matters, Janov. What does matter is thatall this has brought this moon yes, I like the name to thescreen and magnified it, and there it still is. I'm looking at it now,and wondering."

“月球？”崔维兹说：“嗯，这倒是个很简单的名字——此外，你想想看，也许那孩子基于本能，试图藉着转换叶突的作用，利用太空船本身的能源驱动它，那样或许也会造成惯性暂时失调。不过这些都不重要了，詹诺夫，重要的是，这一切阴错阳差让月球——嗯，我喜欢这个名字——出现在屏幕上，它的影像被放大，而且此时仍在那里。我现在正盯着它，而且正在思索。”

"Wondering what, Golan?"

“思索什么，葛兰？”

"At the size of it. We tend to ignore satellites, Janov. They'resuch little things, when they exist at all. This one is different,though. It's a world . It has a diameter of about thirty-fivehundred kilometers."

“思索它的大小。我们一向漠视卫星，詹诺夫，它们即使存在，也都是不起眼的小东西。不过这个却不同，它可算一个世界，直径大约有三千五百公里。”

"A world? Surely you wouldn't call it a world. It can't behabitable. Even a thirty-five-hundred-kilometer diameter is too small. Ithas no atmosphere. I can tell that just looking at it. No clouds. Thecircular curve against space is sharp, so is the inner curve that boundsthe light and dark hemisphere."

“一个世界？你当然不能称它为世界，它不适于住人，三千五百公里的直径仍太小了。它也没有大气层，我一眼就能看出来。没有云气，和太空交界的圆周线条分明，内部的日夜半球分界曲线也一样。”

Trevize nodded, "You're getting to be a seasoned space traveler,Janov. You're right. No air. No water. But that only means the moon'snot habitable on its unprotected surface. What about underground?"

崔维兹点了点头。“你快要成为老练的太空旅人了，詹诺夫。你说得没错，没有空气，没有水。但那仅仅表示月球赤裸的表面不可住人，可是地底呢？”

"Underground?" said Pelorat doubtfully.

“地底？”裴洛拉特狐疑地问道。

"Yes. Underground. Why not? Earth's cities were underground, you tellme. We know that Trantor was underground. Comporellon has much of itscapital city underground. The Solarian mansions were almost entirelyunderground. It's a very common state of affairs."

“对，地底，有何不可？地球的城市曾经建筑在地底，是你告诉我的。此外，我们知道川陀是个地底都会；康普隆的首都很大一部分位于地底；索拉利的宅邸也几乎全在地下，这种情形其实非常普遍。”

"But, Golan, in every one of these cases, people were living on ahabitable planet. The surface was habitable, too, with an atmosphereand with an ocean. Is it possible to live underground when the surfaceis uninhabitable??

“可是，葛兰，在这些例于中，人类仍居住在可住人行星上。那些行星表面都有大气、有海洋，同样可以住人。假如表面不可住人，还有可能住在地底吗？”

"Come, Janov, think! Where are we living right now? The Far Star is a tiny world that has an uninhabitable surface. There's no air orwater on the outside. Yet we live inside in perfect comfort. The Galaxyis full of space stations and space settlements of infinite variety,to say nothing of spaceships, and they're all uninhabitable except forthe interior. Consider the moon a gigantic spaceship."

“拜托，詹诺夫，动动脑筋！我们现在住在哪里？远星号就是个表面不可住人的微型世界，外面既没有空气也没有水，我们却能在里面住得舒适无比。银河中充满各式各样的太空站和太空殖民地，更遑论各种太空船和星舰，这些都是只有内部才能住人。你就把月球当成一艘巨型太空船吧。”

"With a crew inside?"

“里面住着一组人员？”

"Yes. Millions of people, for all we know; and plants and animals;and an advanced technology. Look, Janov, doesn't it make sense? IfEarth, in its last days, could send out a party of Settlers to a planetorbiting Alpha Centauri; and if, possibly with Imperial help, they couldattempt to terraform it, seed its oceans, build dry land where there wasnone; could Earth not also send a party to its satellite and terraformits interior?"

“对，根据我们所知研判，可能有好几百万人，此外还有许多动植物，以及先进的科技——你看，詹诺夫，这是不是很有道理？假如地球在最后关头，能送出一批殖民者到环绕半人马之阿尔发的行星上；而且，或许是在帝国的协助下，他们有能力改造那颗行星，在它的海洋中播种，还无中生有造起一块陆地，那么，地球难道不能送另一批人到卫星上，并将它的内部改造成可住人的环境？”

Pelorat said reluctantly, "I suppose so."

裴洛拉特不大情愿地说：“我想是吧。”

"It would be done. If Earth has something to hide,why send it over a parsec away, when it could be hidden on a world lessthan a hundred millionth the distance to Alpha. And the moon would be amore efficient hiding place from the psychological standpoint. No onewould think of satellites in connection with life. For that matter Ididn't. With the moon an inch before my nose, my thoughts went haringoff to Alpha. If it hadn't been for Fallom " His lips tightened,and he shook his head. "I suppose I'll have to credit her for that. Blisssurely will if I don't."

“想必就是这样。如果地球有什么东西需要隐藏，何必送到超过一秒差距以外的地方，它附近就有另一个世界，距离还不到阿尔发的亿分之一。此外，就心理学观点而言，月球是个更佳的藏匿地点。没有人会将卫星和生命联想到一块，比如说我就没想到；月球近在眼前，我的心思却飞到阿尔发。倘若不是菲龙——”他紧抿嘴唇，同时摇了摇头。“我想我得将功劳记在她头上，我若不这么做，宝绮思也一定会的。”

Pelorat said, "But see here, old man, if there's something hidingunder the surface of the moon, how do we find it? There must be millionsof square kilometers of surface……"

裴洛拉特说：“可是我问你，老友，如果有什么东西藏在月球里面，我们又要如何去找？月球表面一定有好几百万平方公里……”

"Roughly forty million."

“差不多四千万平方公里。”

"And we would have to inspect all of that, looking for what? Anopening? Some sort of airlock?"

“而我们需要全部搜寻一遁。可是该找什么呢？一个开口？某种气闸？”

Trevize said, "Put that way, it would seem rather a task, but we'renot just looking for objects, we're looking for life; and for intelligentlife at that. And we've got Bliss, and detecting intelligence is hertalent, isn't it?"

崔维兹说：“照你这么说，它似乎是件大工程。但我们寻找的不只是物件，我们还要寻找生命，而且是有智慧的生命。我们有宝绮思，侦测智慧是她的看家本领，你说对不对？”

Bliss looked at Trevize accusingly. "I've finally got herto sleep. I had the hardest time. She was wild . Fortunately,I don't think I've damaged her."

宝绮思望着崔维兹，一副兴师问罪的模样。“我总算让她睡着了，这是我一生中最艰难的一天，她简直疯狂了。幸好，我想我没有伤到她。”

Trevize said coldly, "You might try removing her fixation on Jemby,you know, since I certainly have no intention of ever going back toSolaria."

崔维兹以冷漠的语气说：“你最好试着除去她对健比的情感执着，你知道吗，因为我绝不打算回索拉利。”

"Just remove her fixation, is that it? What do you know about suchthings, Trevize? You've never sensed a mind. You haven't the faintestidea of its complexity. If you knew anything at all about it, you wouldn'ttalk about removing a fixation as though it were just a matter of scoopingjam out of a jar."

“不过是除去她的情感执着罢了，是吗？这些事你知道多少，崔维兹？你未曾感测过任何心灵，对心灵的复杂度连一点概念也没有。假如你对这方面稍有认识，就不会将除去情感执着说得那么简单，好像只是从瓶子里舀出果酱一样。”

"Well, weaken it at least."

“那么，至少把它减弱一点。”

"I might weaken it a bit, after a month of careful dethreading."

“我如果花上一个月的时间，小心翼翼地抽丝剥茧，也许能让它减弱一点。”

"What do you mean, dethreading?"

“你所谓抽丝剥茧是什么意思？”

"To someone who doesn't know, it can't be explained."

“对一个毫无概念的人，根本无从解释。”

"What are you going to do with the child, then?"

“那么，你准备让那孩子何去何从？”

"I don't know yet; it will take a lot of consideration."

“我还不知道，这需要好好考虑一番。”

"In that case," said Trevize, "let me tell you what we're going todo with the ship."

“这样的话，”崔维兹说：“让我告诉你我们准备让太空船何去何从。”

"I know what you're going to do. It's back to New Earth and another tryat the lovely Hiroko, if she'll promise not to infect you this time."

“我知道你准备怎么做，你要飞回新地球去，还会试着跟可爱的广子再亲热一回，只要她答应这次不将病毒传染给你。”

Trevize kept his face expressionless. He said, "No, as a matter offact. I've changed my mind. We're going to the moon which is thename of the satellite, according to Janov."

崔维兹仍旧面无表情。“不对，事实上，我已经改变主意。我们要飞到月球去——月球就是那颗卫星的名字，詹诺夫说的。”

"The satellite? Because it's the nearest world at hand? I hadn'tthought of that."

“那颗卫星？因为它是最近的一个世界？我没想到这一点。”

"Nor I. Nor would anyone have thought of it. Nowhere in the Galaxyis there a satellite worth thinking about but this satellite,in being large, is unique. What's more, Earth's anonymity covers it aswell. Anyone who can't find the Earth can't find the moon, either."

“我也没想到，谁都不会想到。在整个银河中，没有任何卫星值得考虑——这颗超大型卫星是唯一的例外。况且地球的隐密也掩护了它，如果找不到地球，也就找不到这个月球。”

"Is it habitable?"

“它可以住人吗？”

"Not on the surface, but it is not radioactive, not at all, so itisn't absolutely uninhabitable. It may have life it may be teemingwith life, in fact under the surface. And, of course, you'll beable to tell if that's so, once we get close enough."

“表面不可以，不过它没有放射性，完全没有，所以并非绝对不可住人。它的表层之下也许有生命——事实上，也许充满生命。当然啦，一旦我们足够接近，你就应该可以判断。”

Bliss shrugged. "I'll try. But, then, what made you suddenly think of trying the satellite?"

宝绮思耸了耸肩。“我会试试看——不过，是什么使你突然想到试一试这颗卫星？”

Trevize said quietly, "Something Fallom did when she was at thecontrols."

崔维兹以平静的口吻说：“刚才，菲龙在控制台前的某个举动。”

Bliss waited, as though expecting more, then shrugged again. "Whateverit was, I suspect you wouldn't have gotten the inspiration if you hadfollowed your own impulse and killed her."

宝绮思等了一下，仿佛指望他多讲几句，然后她又耸了耸肩。“不论是什么举动，如果你因一时冲动而将她杀死，我想你就无法得到这个灵感了。”

"I had no intention of killing her, Bliss."

“我没有要杀死她，宝绮思。”

Bliss waved her hand. "All right. Let it be. Are we moving towardthe moon now?"

宝绮思挥了挥手。“好吧，到此为止。我们是不是正朝月球飞去？”

"Yes. As a matter of caution, I'm not going too fast, but if all goeswell, we'll be in its vicinity in thirty hours."

“是的。为了谨慎起见，我不想飞得太快。不过假如一切顺利，三十小时后，我们就能到达它的上空。”

The moon was a wasteland. Trevize watched the brightdaylit portion drifting past them below. It was a monotonous panoramaof crater rings and mountainous areas, and of shadows black against thesunlight. There were subtle color changes in the soil and occasionalsizable stretches of flatness, broken by small craters.

月球表面是一片洪荒。崔维兹望着下方不断向后掠去的白昼区域，眼前的景象是千篇一律的陨石坑、山区，以及许多黑暗的阴影。土壤的颜色不时呈现微妙变化，偶尔也会出现一大幅平地，其中仍不免有许多小陨石坑。

As they approached the nightside, the shadows grew longer and finallyfused together. For a while, behind them, peaks glittered in the sun,like fat stars, far outshining their brethren in the sky. Then theydisappeared and below was only the fainter light of the Earth in thesky, a large bluish-white sphere, a little more than half full. The shipfinally outran the Earth, too, which sank beneath the horizon so thatunder them was unrelieved blackness, and above only the faint powderingof stars, which, to Trevize, who had been brought up on the starlessworld of Terminus, was always miracle enough.

当他们快要接近夜面时，各种阴影变得越来越长，最后终于融为一体。这个时候，在他们的后方，可以见到许多山峰在阳光下闪闪发光，像是一些圆胖的星星，比太空中其他星体都明亮许多。但群山不久便消失无踪，再向下望去，天空中只剩下地球暗淡的光影，那是个白里带蓝的巨大球体，看起来比半圆丰满些。然后，地球终于也落在太空艇后面，进而沉到地平线之下，因此下方变作一片绝对的黑暗，而头上只有暗淡稀疏的星辰。不过对端点星长大的崔维兹来说，这种星空景象已足以让他啧啧称奇。

Then, new bright stars appeared ahead, first just one or two, thenothers, expanding and thickening and finally coalescing. And at once theypassed the terminator into the daylit side. The sun rose with infernalsplendor, while the viewscreen shifted away from it at once and polarizedthe glare of the ground beneath.

接着，前方开始出现一些明亮的星辰，起初只有一两颗，然后渐渐增多，范围越来越大，密度越来越高，最后聚结成一片。此时他们迅速通过昼夜界线，又回到了日照面。初升的太阳带来恶魔般的强光，显像屏幕立刻转移镜头，并偏振了来自下方地表的眩目光芒。

Trevize could see quite well that it was useless to hope to find anyway into the inhabited interior (if that existed) by mere eye inspectionof this perfectly enormous world.

崔维兹心中非常清楚，仅凭肉眼检视这个可谓巨大的世界，想要找到任何通往内部的人口（若真有可住人的地底世界），绝对会徒劳无功。

He turned to look at Bliss, who sat beside him. She did not look atthe viewscreen; indeed, she kept her eyes closed. She seemed to havecollapsed into the chair rather than to be sitting in it.

他转头看了看坐在一旁的宝绮思，她并未注视着显像屏幕，反之，还将双眼都闭起来。她好像不是坐着，而是全身瘫在椅子中。

Trevize, wondering if she were asleep, said softly, "Do you detectanything else?"

崔维兹怀疑她是不是睡着了，遂轻声道：“你侦测到什么迹象了吗？”

Bliss shook her head very slightly. "No," she whispered. "There wasjust that faint whiff. You'd better take me back there. Do you knowwhere that region was?"

宝绮思缓缓地、轻轻地摇了摇头。“没有，”她悄声道：“刚刚只有一丝微弱的讯息，你最好带我回那里去。你知道刚才经过的是哪个区域？”

"The computer knows."

“电脑知道。”

It was like zeroing in on a target, shifting this way and that and thenfinding it. The area in question was still deep in the nightside and,except that the Earth shone fairly low in the sky and gave the surfacea ghostly ashen glow between the shadows, there was nothing to make out,even though the light in the pilot-room had been blacked out for betterviewing.

就像瞄准箭靶一样，太空艇前后来回移动，最后终于锁定目标。那个地区仍旧处于夜面深处；虽然驾驶舱的灯光已尽数熄灭，但除了天际微微发后的地球，在月表阴影间映出死灰的光芒外，根本什么部看不清楚。

Pelorat had approached and was standing anxiously in the doorway. "Havewe found anything?" he asked, in a husky whisper.

裴洛拉特走过来，站在驾驶舱门口，神情显得很焦急。“有任何发现吗？”他以沙哑的声音悄悄问道。

Trevize held up his hand for silence. He was watching Bliss. He knewit would be days before sunlight would return to this spot on the moon,but he also knew that for what Bliss was trying to sense, light of anykind was irrelevant.

崔维兹正盯着宝绮思，他举起手示意裴洛拉特保持肃静。他知道还要好多天之后，阳光才会着新回到月球这一带，不过他也明白，宝绮思目前试图进行的侦测，并不受任何光线影响。

She said, "It's there."

她说：“就在那儿。”

"Are you sure?"

“你确定吗？”

"Yes."

“是的。”

"And it's the only spot?"

“只有这个地点？”

"It's the only spot I've detected. Have you been over every part ofthe moon's surface?"

“我只侦测到这个地点，你飞遍了月球表面每个角落吗？”

"We've been over a respectable fraction of it."

“绝大部分我们都经过了。”

"Well, then, in that respectable fraction, this is all I havedetected. It's stronger now, as though it has detectedus and it doesn't seem dangerous. The feeling I get is awelcoming one."

“好的，在这绝大部分中，我唯一侦测到讯息的只有这里。它现在变得更强烈，彷佛也侦测到我们了。它似乎没什么危险，我感到的是欢迎的情绪。”

"Are you sure?"

“你确定吗？”

"It's the feeling I get."

“那是我接收到的感觉。”

Pelorat said, "Could it be faking the feeling?"

裴洛拉特说：“那种情绪会不会是伪造的？”

Bliss said, with a trace of hauteur, "I would detect a fake, I assureyou."

宝绮思带着一丝骄傲答道：“我能侦测出真假，我向你保证。”

Trevize muttered something about overconfidence, then said, "Whatyou detect is intelligence, I hope."

崔维兹咕哝了几句太过自信之类的评语，然后又说：“你侦测到的是智慧吧，我希望如此。”

"I detect strong intelligence. Except……" And an odd note enteredher voice.

“我侦测到的是很强的智慧，只不过——”她的语气突然变得很奇怪。

"Except what?"

“只不过什么？”

"Ssh. Don't disturb me. Let me concentrate." The last word was a meremotion of her lips.

“嘘，不要打扰我，让我全神贯注。”最后几个字只剩下嘴唇的蠕动，根本听不见声音。

Then she said, in faint elated surprise, "It's not human."

然后，她以透着惊喜的口吻说：“不是人类。”

"Not human," said Trevize, in much stronger surprise. "Are we dealingwith robots again? As on Solaria?"

“不是人类！”崔维兹万分惊讶地说。“我们又在跟机器人打交道吗？就像在索拉利一样？”

"No." Bliss was smiling. "It's not quite robotic, either."

“不，”宝绮思微微一笑，“也不完全是机器人。”

"It has to be one or the other."

“必定是两者之一。”

"Neither." She actually chuckled. "It's not human, and yet it's notlike any robot I've detected before."

“都不是。”这回她真的咯咯笑了起来，“它不是人类，却也不像我过去侦测到的任何机器人。”

Pelorat said, "I would like to see that." He nodded his headvigorously, his eyes wide with pleasure. "It would be exciting. Somethingnew."

“我真想看看！”裴洛拉特猛点着头，张大的眼睛中充满喜悦。“多令人兴奋啊，一种新东西！”

"Something new," muttered Trevize with a sudden lift of his ownspirits and a flash of unexpected insight seemed to illuminatethe interior of his skull.

“新东西。”崔维兹喃喃说道，同时精神突然一振——一闪意料之外的灵光，似乎照亮了他的大脑。

100

Down they sank to the moon's surface, in what was almostjubilation. Even Fallom had joined them now and, with the abandonmentof a youngster, was hugging herself with unbearable joy as though shewere truly returning to Solaria.

他们向月球表面缓缓落下，全都沉浸在一股近乎喜悦的气氛中。就连菲龙也加入了他们的行列，由于小孩子特有的天真，她感到喜不自胜，彷佛真要回到索拉利一样。

As for Trevize, he felt within himself a touch of sanity tellinghim that it was strange that Earth or whatever of Earth was on the moon which had taken such measures to keep off all others,should now be taking measures to draw them in. Could the purpose be thesame in either way? Was it a case of "If you can't make them avoid you,draw them in and destroy them?" Either way, would not Earth's secretremain untouched?

但在崔维兹心里，则仍有一丝清明的神智，提醒他这事相当奇怪。地球——或者原本在地球，现在转移到月球的力量——曾经大费周章逐退所有的人，如今却采取行动吸引他们至此，两者的目的会不会殊途同归？会不会是所谓的“若无法阻止敌人，不妨将计就计藉机歼敌”？这两种做法，不是都能让地球保住秘密吗？

But that thought faded and drowned in the flood of joy that deepenedsteadily as they came closer to the moon's surface. Yet over and beyondthat, he managed to cling to the moment of illumination that had reached him just before they had begun their gliding dive to the surface of theEarth's satellite.

然而，他们越接近月球表面，喜悦的情绪就越深刻，他的疑虑也渐渐被喜悦淹没。但纵使如此，当他们正要冲向月球表面时，他仍紧紧抓住罢才心中突然闪现的那道灵光。

He seemed to have no doubt as to where the ship was going. Theywere just above the tops of the rolling hills now, and Trevize, atthe computer, felt no need to do anything. It was as though he and thecomputer, both, were being guided, and he felt only an enormous euphoriaat having the weight of responsibility taken away from him.

他似乎对太空艇的去向成竹在胸。现在，他们在一片起伏山丘的正上方，崔维兹坐在电脑前面，却感到什么事都不必做，彷佛他与电脑两者皆受到指引。他只觉得如释着负，心中满溢着极度的欣快。

They were sliding parallel to the ground, toward a cliff that raisedits menacing height as a barrier against them; a barrier glisteningfaintly in Earth-shine and in the light-beam of the Far Star . Theapproach of certain collision seemed to mean nothing to Trevize, and itwas with no surprise whatever that he became aware that the section ofcliff directly ahead had fallen away and that a corridor, gleaming inartificial light, had opened before them.

他们现在正贴着地面滑翔，前方耸立着一座险恶的峭壁，像是专门阻挡他们的屏障。在地球的光芒与远星号射出的光束照耀下，这座屏障反映出微弱的光辉。虽然眼看就要撞上去，崔维兹却似乎毫不在意。接着，他发现正前方那块峭壁倒了下来，面前出现一道灯火通明的走廊，他也一点不觉得意外。

The ship slowed to a crawl, apparently of its own accord, and fittedneatly into the opening entering sliding along Theopening closed behind it, and another then opened before it. Throughthe second opening went the ship, into a gigantic hall that seemed thehollowed interior of a mountain.

太空艇的速度减至最低，显然是自动调整的，然后对准一个大小恰好的入口飞了进去——一路滑行。后方的入口随即关闭，前方又出现另一个人口。太空艇穿过第二个人口后，来到一处像是将山挖空而形成的巨大空间。

The ship halted and all aboard rushed to the airlock eagerly. Itoccurred to none of them, not even to Trevize, to check. whether theremight be a breathable atmosphere outside or any atmosphere atall.

太空艇随即停下，四个人迫不及待地冲向气闸。包括崔维兹在内，大家皆未想到检查外面是否有适宜的大气——或是究竟有没有大气存在。

There was air, however. It was breathable and it wascomfortable. They looked about themselves with the pleased air of peoplewho had somehow come home and it was only after a while that they becameaware of a man who was waiting politely for them to approach.

不过外面的确有空气，而且呼吸起来非常舒服。他们像是终于回到家的旅人，神情愉悦地四处张望。过了一会儿，他们才发现前方站着一名男子，彬彬有礼地在那里等候他们。

He was tall, and his expression was grave. His hair was bronze incolor, and cut short. His cheekbones were broad, his eyes were bright,and his clothing was rather after the fashion one saw in ancient historybooks. Although he seemed sturdy and vigorous there was, just the same,an air of weariness about him not in anything that one could see,but rather in something appealing to no recognizable sense.

他的身材高大，表情严肃，古铜色的头发剪得很短。他的颧骨宽阔，双眼炯炯有神，衣着类似古史书籍中才得见的款式。虽然他似乎身强体壮、精力旺盛，却彷佛带有一股倦意——其实外表根本看不出来，那是属于感官外的一种气息。

It was Fallom who reacted first. With a loud, whistling scream, sheran toward the man, waving her arms and crying, "Jemby! Jemby!" in abreathless fashion.

最先有反应的是菲龙，她发出高声尖叫，像是吹口哨一样，然后拔腿向那人飞奔而去，同时不断挥着手，上气不接下气地叫着：“健比！健比！”

She never slackened her pace, and when she was close enough, the manstooped and lifted her high in the air. She threw her arms about his neck,sobbing, and still gasping, "Jemby!"

她始终没放慢脚步，她一来到那人面前，他便弯下腰来将她高高举起。她伸出双臂紧紧搂住他的脖子，哇哇大哭起来，一面仍抽抽噎噎地喊着：“健比！”

The others approached more soberly and Trevize said, slowly anddistinctly (could this man understand Galactic?), "We ask pardon,sir. This child has lost her protector and is searching for itdesperately. How it came to fasten on you is a puzzle to us, since itis seeking a robot; a mechanical "

其他三人以较冷静的步伐向前走去，崔维兹用缓慢而清晰的声音（此人听得懂银河标准语吗？）说：“我们向您致歉，阁下。这孩子失去了她的保母，正在四处拼命寻找。至于她为何抱着您不放，我们也不知该如何解释，因为她要找的是个机器人，一个机械的……”

The man spoke for the first time. His voice was utilitarian ratherthan musical, and there was a faint air of archaism clinging to it,but he spoke Galactic with perfect ease.

那人终于开口。他的声音平实，没有任何花腔，而且带着些许古风，但他说的银河标准语极为流利。

"I greet you all in friendship," he said and he seemedunmistakably friendly, even though his face continued to remain fixed inits expression of gravity. "As for this child," he went on, "she showsperhaps a greater perceptivity than you think, for I am a robot. My nameis Daneel Olivaw."

“我伸出友谊之手欢迎诸位。”他说——他的友善似乎毋庸置疑，纵使他的脸孔依然维持严肃的表情。“至于这个孩子，”他继续说：“她的感知能力或许超乎你的想像，因为我正是机器人，我的名字叫丹尼尔·奥利瓦。”