PART V The Merchant Princes

第五章 商业王侯

TRADERS:……With psychohistoric inevitability. economic control of theFoundation grew. The traders grew rich; and with riches came power……

行商：……基于心理史学的必然性，基地的经济支配力量越来越强。行商越来越富有，权力亦随之而来……

It is sometimes forgotten that Hober Mallow began life as an ordinarytrader. It is never forgotten that he ended it as the first of the MerchantPrinces……

人们有时不太记得侯伯·马洛原本只是一位平凡的行商，却永远忘不了他后来成为第一位商业王侯……

ENCYCLOPEDIA GALACTICA

——《银河百科全书》

Jorane Sutt put the tips of carefully-manicured fingers together and said,"It's something of a puzzle. In fact--and this is in the strictest ofconfidence-- it may be another one of Hari Seldon's crises."

乔兰·瑟特把修剪得整齐漂亮的指尖并在一起，然后说：“这可以说是一个谜。事实上——这是绝对机密——它有可能是另一个谢顿危机。”

The man opposite felt in the pocket of his short Smyrnian jacket for acigarette. "Don't know about that, Sutt. As a general rule, politiciansstart shouting 'Seldon crisis' at every mayoralty campaign."

坐在瑟特对面那个人，从司密尔诺式短上衣的口袋掏出一根香烟。“这我就不知道了，瑟特。每次市长选举时，政客们都会大声疾呼‘谢顿危机’，这几乎已经是惯例了。”

Sutt smiled very faintly, "I'm not campaigning, Mallow. We're facingnuclear weapons, and we don't know where they're coming from."

瑟特露出一丝微笑。“马洛，我不是在竞选。我们现在面临核武器的威胁，却不知道那些武器来自何方。”

Hober Mallow of Smyrno, Master Trader, smoked quietly, almostindifferently. "Go on. If you have more to say, get it out." Mallow nevermade the mistake of being overpolite to a Foundation man. He might be anOutlander, but a man's a man for a'that.

司密尔诺出身的行商长侯伯·马洛静静抽着烟，几乎漠不关心。“继续啊，如果你还有话要说，就一吐为快吧。”马洛对基地人一向不会过分客气。纵然他是个异邦人，却从不认为自己比道地的基地公民矮了一截。

Sutt indicated the trimensional star-map on the table. He adjusted thecontrols and a cluster of some half-dozen stellar systems blazed red.

瑟特指指桌上的三维星图，调整了一下控制钮，就有一团红色光芒出现，它们代表六七个恒星系。

That," he said quietly, "is the Korellian Republic."

“那里，”他轻声说，“就是科瑞尔共和国。”

The trader nodded, "I've been there. Stinking rathole! I suppose you cancall it a republic but it's always someone out of the Argo family that getselected Commdor each time. And if you ever don't like it--things happen toyou." He twisted his lip and repeated, "I've been there."

行商马洛点点头。“我去过那里，简直是个臭老鼠窝！你虽然可以称之为共和国，但是每次当选‘领袖’的，都是艾哥家族的人。任何人如果有异议，就会惹祸上身。”他又撇着嘴再度强调：“我去过那里。”

"But you've come back, which hasn't always happened. Three trade ships,inviolate under the Conventions, have disappeared within the territory ofthe Republic in the last year. And those ships were armed with all the usual nuclear explosives and force-field defenses."

“但是你回来了，并不是每个人都能那样幸运。去年有三艘太空商船，虽然受到公约的保护，却在那个共和国境内无缘无故失踪。而且那些太空船上，都照例配备有核弹和力场防护罩。”

"What was the last word heard from the ships?"

“那些太空商船在最后一次通讯中，有没有说些什么？”

"Routine reports. Nothing else."

“只是例行报告，没有什么别的。”

What did Korell say?

“科瑞尔怎么说？”

Sutt's eyes gleamed sardonically, "There was no way of asking. TheFoundation's greatest asset throughout the Periphery is its reputation ofpower. Do you think we can lose three ships and ask for them?"

瑟特的眼睛闪现出嘲弄的神色。“这是没法问的，基地立足银河外缘的最大资本就是威名。你以为我们丢了三艘船之后，还能向对方打听它们的下落吗？”

Well, then, suppose you tell me what you want with me.

“好吧，那么你告诉我，你到底要我做什么呢？”

Jorane Sutt did not waste his time in the luxury of annoyance. As secretaryto the mayor, he had held off opposition councilmen, jobseekers, reformers,and crackpots who claimed to have solved in its entirety the course offuture history as worked out by Hari Seldon. With training like that, ittook a good deal to disturb him.

瑟特从来不会为了无谓的麻烦浪费时间。身为市长的机要秘书，无论是反对党的议员、求职者、改革家，或自称完全解出谢顿计划中未来历史轨迹的狂人，他都一一应付过。有了这些实战经验，他很难再碰到手足无措的情况。

He said methodically, "In a moment. You see, three ships lost in the samesector in the same year can't be accident, and nuclear power can beconquered only by more nuclear power. The question automatically arises: ifKorell has nuclear weapons, where is it getting them?"

因此，他有条不紊地说：“我马上就会告诉你。要知道，一年内，有三艘太空船在同一个星区失踪，这绝不可能是意外。而且，想要打败核武船舰，只有更强大的核能武器才做得到。于是问题来了，如果科瑞尔拥有核武，它究竟是从哪里弄来的？”

"And where does it?"

“从哪里？”

"Two alternatives. Either the Korellians have constructed them themselves?

“这有两种可能。第一，是科瑞尔人自己制造的……”

"Far-fetched!"

“太不可能了！”

"Very! But the other possibility is that we are being afflicted with a caseof treason."

“没错！但是，另一个可能就是我们内部出了叛徒。”

"You think so?" Mallow's voice was cold.

“你真的这么想吗？”马洛的声音很冷漠。

The secretary said calmly, "There's nothing miraculous about thepossibility. Since the Four Kingdoms accepted the Foundation Convention, wehave had to deal with considerable groups of dissident populations in eachnation. Each former kingdom has its pretenders and its former noblemen, whocan't very well pretend to love the Foundation. Some of them are becomingactive, perhaps."

市长机要秘书平静地说：“这个可能性绝对存在。自从四王国接受‘基地公约’之后，我们就面临四王国内众多异议人士的威胁。在这些解体的王国中，原本有许多觊觎王位的人，以及既得利益的贵族阶级，他们不可能心甘情愿效忠基地，也许其中有些人已经开始活动。”

Mallow was a dull red. "I see. Is there anything you want to say to me? I'ma Smyrnian."

马洛有点不高兴。“我知道了。你到底要告诉我什么？请注意我是司密尔诺人。”

"I know. You're a Smyrnian-- born in Smyrno, one of the former FourKingdoms. You're a Foundation man by education only. By birth, you're anOutlander and a foreigner. No doubt your grandfather was a baron at thetime of the wars with Anacreon and Loris, and no doubt your family estateswere taken away when Sef Sermak redistributed the land."

“我知道你是司密尔诺人——你生于司密尔诺，它是当年的四王国之一。你只是在基地受教育而已，以你的出身来说，你是一个异邦人。在你们和安纳克里昂以及洛瑞斯王国交战之际，你的祖父还是一位男爵；而当赛夫·瑟麦克实施土地改革时，你们的家族领地就全被没收了。”

"No, by Black Space, no! My grandfather was a blood-poor son-of-a-spacerwho died heaving coal at starving wages before the Foundation took over. Iowe nothing to the old regime. But I was born in Smyrno, and I'm notashamed of either Smyrno or Smyrnians, by the Galaxy. Your sly little hintsof treason aren't going to panic me into licking Foundation spittle. Andnow you can either give your orders or make your accusations. I don't carewhich."

“不对，太空啊，大错特错！我的祖父出身卑微，他是‘太空族’的后裔，是一个赤贫的矿工，一生仅靠挖煤糊口。在基地接管司密尔诺之前他早已去世，我并未受到以前那个政权的任何荫庇。但我的确生于司密尔诺，银河在上，我并不会因此自卑。你狡猾地暗示我是叛徒，这可吓不倒我，我不会因此对基地卑躬屈膝地讨饶。现在你可以命令我，也可以指控我，反正我都不在乎。”

"My good Master Trader, I don't care an electron whether your grandfatherwas King of Smyrno or the greatest pauper on the planet. I recited thatrigmarole about your birth and ancestry to show you that I'm not interestedin them. Evidently, you missed the point. Let's go back now. You're aSmyrnian. You know the Outlanders. Also, you're a trader and one of thebest. You've been to Korell and you know the Korellians. That's whereyou've got to go."

“我的好行商长，你的祖父究竟是司密尔诺国王，还是那颗行星上的头号乞丐，我连半点也不关心。我之所以不厌其烦地提到你的出身和祖先，只是向你表示我对这些毫无兴趣。显然你是会错意了，让我们从头再来一次吧。你是司密尔诺人，你了解异邦人的情形，同时你是一名行商，而且是其中的佼佼者。你到过科瑞尔，也了解科瑞尔人，所以你要再跑一趟。”

Mallow breathed deeply, "As a spy?"

马洛深深吸了一口气。“要我去当间谍？”

"Not at all. As a trader--but with your eyes open. If you can find outwhere the power is coming from--I might remind you, since you're aSmyrnian, that two of those lost trade ships had Smyrnian crews."

“绝对不是。你仍然以行商身份前去——只是眼睛要放亮一点，希望你能找到他们的核能来源。既然你是司密尔诺人，我也许应该提醒你，在失踪的三艘商船中，其中两艘都有司密尔诺船员。”

"When do I start?"

“我什么时候出发？”

"When will your ship be ready?"

“你的太空船什么时候能准备好？”

"In six days."

“六天内。”

"Then that's when you start. You'll have all the details at the Admiralty."

“那么你就六天之后出发，一切详细数据可以找舰队总部要。”

"Right!" The trader rose, shook hands roughly, and strode out.

“好！”行商长马洛站起来，与瑟特用力握了握手，便大步走出去。

Sutt waited, spreading his fingers gingerly and rubbing out the pressure;then shrugged his shoulders and stepped into the mayor's office.

瑟特将右手的五根手指松开，慢慢搓掉刚才握手带来的压力，然后他耸耸肩，走进了市长室。

The mayor deadened the visiplate and leaned back. "What do you make of it,Sutt?"

市长关上显像板，上身向后靠。“瑟特，你认为怎么样？”

"He could be a good actor," said Sutt, and stared thoughtfully ahead.

“他会是个好演员。”瑟特若有所思地瞪着前方。

2

It was evening of the same day, and in Jorane Sutt's bachelor apartment onthe twenty-first floor of the Hardin Building, Publis Manlio was sippingwine slowly.

同一天傍晚，在哈定大厦二十一楼，乔兰·瑟特的单身公寓里，帕布利斯·曼里欧正在慢条斯理呷着酒。

It was Publis Manlio in whose slight, aging body were fulfilled two greatoffices of the Foundation. He was Foreign Secretary in the mayor's cabinet,and to all the outer suns, barring only the Foundation itself, he was, inaddition, Primate of the Church, Purveyor of the Holy Food, Master of theTemples, and so forth almost indefinitely in confusing but sonoroussyllables.

曼里欧虽然瘦弱矮小又老态龙钟，却身兼基地两项重要职位。他既是市长内阁的外长，又是基地之外各恒星系的“首席教长”，并且拥有“圣粮供给者”、“灵殿主持”等莫测高深却声势惊人的头衔。

He was saying, "But he agreed to let you send out that trader. It is apoint."

这时，他说：“可是市长已经同意你派那个行商去，这才是重点。”

"But such a small one," said Sutt. "It gets us nothing immediately. Thewhole business is the crudest sort of stratagem, since we have no way offoreseeing it to the end. It is a mere paying out of rope on the chancethat somewhere along the length of it will be a noose."

“但这个重点太小，”瑟特说，“不能立刻见效。整个计划还只是最粗浅的谋略而已，因为我们无法预见最后的结果。我们现在这样做，只是以最小的代价等待愿者上钩。”

"True. And this Mallow is a capable man. What if he is not an easy prey todupery?"

“的确如此。不过，这位马洛是个相当精明的人。我们拿他做饵，万一瞒不过他怎么办？”

"That is a chance that must be run. If there is treachery, it is thecapable men that are implicated. If not, we need a capable man to detectthe truth. And Mallow will be guarded. Your glass is empty."

“我们非得冒这个险不可。假如真有叛变阴谋，一定跟某些精明的人有牵连。但如果不是内奸干的事，我们仍然需要一个精明的人来查明真相。我会派人好好监视马洛，你的杯子空了。”

"No, thanks. I've had enough."

“谢谢，我不喝了。”

Sutt filled his own glass and patiently endured the other's uneasy reverie.

瑟特自己又倒了一杯，耐心地等着对方从焦虑的沉思中回过神来。

Of whatever the reverie consisted, it ended indecisively, for the primatesaid suddenly, almost explosively, "Sutt, what's on your mind?"

不过，无论这位首席教长在沉思什么，他显然并没有得到结论，因为他突然拼命大叫：“瑟特，你到底在打什么主意？”

"I'll tell you, Manlio." His thin lips parted, "We're in the middle of aSeldon crisis."

“曼里欧，是这样的，”瑟特张开薄薄的嘴唇说，“我们正处于另一个谢顿危机中。”

Manlio stared, then said softly, "How do you know? Has Seldon appeared inthe Time Vault again?"

曼里欧张大眼睛瞪着瑟特，然后轻声问：“你怎么知道？难道谢顿又在时光穹窿中出现了？”

"That much, my friend, is not necessary. Look, reason it out. Since theGalactic Empire abandoned the Periphery, and threw us on our own, we havenever had an opponent who possessed nuclear power. Now, for the first time,we have one. That seems significant even if it stood by itself. And itdoesn't. For the first time in over seventy years, we are facing a majordomestic political crisis. I should think the synchronization of the twocrises, inner and outer, puts it beyond all doubt."

“老朋友，这完全不需要谢顿现身。你仔细想想看，理由其实呼之欲出。自从帝国放弃银河外缘，任由我们自生自灭之后，我们从未遇到任何拥有核能的对手。直到如今，才算是头一次碰上，单单这件事就可说意义重大。但是无独有偶，我们如今还面临七十多年来首度的国内重大政治危机。我认为内外两种危机同时发生，就足以证明谢顿危机又来临了。”

Manlio's eyes narrowed, "If that's all, it's not enough. There have beentwo Seldon crises so far, and both times the Foundation was in danger ofextermination. Nothing can be a third crisis till that danger returns."

曼里欧眯起眼睛。“假如只是这样，其实还不能算。目前为止，基地总共经历两次谢顿危机，两次都令基地险遭覆亡的命运。如果没有出现这种致命的威胁，其他的情况都不能算第三次危机。”

Sutt never showed impatience, "That danger is coming. Any fool can tell acrisis when it arrives. The real service to the state is to detect it inembryo. Look, Manlio, we're proceeding along a planned history. We knowthat Hari Seldon worked out the historical probabilities of the future. Weknow that some day we're to rebuild the Galactic Empire. We know that itwill take a thousand years or thereabouts. And we know that in the intervalwe will face certain definite crises.

瑟特始终表现得极有耐心。“威胁已经迫近了。当危机降临后，再笨的人也看得出来。我们对国家能作的真正贡献，是在危机酝酿之际便趁早侦测到。听好，曼里欧，我们正在根据一个计划好的历史在前进。我们知道哈里·谢顿已将未来的历史几率算了出来；也知道有朝一日我们将要重建银河帝国；还知道这个伟业需要大约一千年的时间；而且我们更知道，其间我们必然会面临许多危机。

Now the first crisis came fifty years after the establishment of theFoundation, and the second, thirty years later than that. Almostseventy-five years have gone since. It's time, Manlio, it's time."

“第一次的危机，发生在基地成立后第五十年，而三十年之后，又发生了第二次危机。如今又过了差不多七十五年，是时候了，曼里欧，是时候了。”

Manlio rubbed his nose uncertainly, "And you've made your plans to meetthis crisis?"

曼里欧不安地摸摸鼻子。“那么，你已经拟定好应付这个危机的计划了？”

Sutt nodded.

瑟特点了点头。

"And I," continued Manlio, "am to play a part in it?"

“而我，”曼里欧继续说，“也要在这个计划中扮演一角？”

Sutt nodded again, "Before we can meet the foreign threat of atomic power,we've got to put our own house in order. These traders?

瑟特又点点头。“在应付外来的核武威胁之前，我们必须先整顿自己的国家。那些行商……”

"Ah!" The primate stiffened, and his eyes grew sharp.

“哈！”首席教长态度转趋强硬，目光也变得更锐利。

"That's right. These traders. They are useful, but they are too strong--and too uncontrolled. They are Outlanders, educated apart from religion. Onthe one hand, we put knowledge into their hands, and on the other, weremove our strongest hold upon them."

“没错，那些行商。他们虽然很有用，但是他们的势力太强了——而且也太难驾驭。他们都是异邦人，没有受过宗教教育。我们一方面将知识交到他们手中，另一方面，却又放弃了对他们最有效的控制手段。”

"If we can prove treachery?"

“假如我们能证明他们叛变？”

"If we could, direct action would be simple and sufficient. But thatdoesn't signify in the least. Even if treason among them did not exist,they would form an uncertain element in our society. They wouldn't be boundto us by patriotism or common descent, or even by religious awe. Undertheir secular leadership, the outer provinces, which, since Hardin's time,look to us as the Holy Planet, might break away."

“假如我们能够证明，那么直接采取行动就够了。但这样说一点意义也没有，即使行商全都无意叛变，仍然是我们这个社会的不安因素。他们不会因为爱国心或宗族的缘故而受我们约束，甚至宗教的威慑也无济于事。自从哈定时代以来，银河外围就尊称基地为‘神圣行星’，可是在行商的世俗式领导下，他们可能很快就会脱离掌控。”

"I see all that, but the cure?

“这点我知道，但有什么补救办法……”

"The cure must come quickly, before the Seldon Crisis becomes acute. Ifnuclear weapons are without and disaffection within, the odds might be toogreat." Sutt put down the empty glass he had been fingering, "This isobviously your job."

“必须及时补救才来得及，在谢顿危机升到顶点前就要赶快行动。否则一旦外有核能武器的威胁，内部又有叛乱发生，那时胜算就太小了。”瑟特放下把弄许久的空酒杯，“这显然是你的责任。”

"Mine?"

“我？”

"I can't do it. My office is appointive and has no legislative standing."

“我没有办法。我的职位是市长委派的，没有民意基础。”

"The mayor?

“市长……”

"Impossible. His personality is entirely negative. He is energetic only inevading responsibility. But if an independent party arose that mightendanger re-election, he might allow himself to be led."

“不可能指望他。他的性格非常消极，最积极的动作就是推卸责任。假如有某个独立政党兴起，威胁到他的连任，他很可能会甘愿被牵着鼻子走。”

"But, Sutt, I lack the aptitude for practical politics."

“可是，瑟特，我缺乏实际的从政经验。”

"Leave that to me. Who knows, Manlio? Since Salvor Hardin's time, theprimacy and the mayoralty have never been combined in a single person. Butit might happen now--if your job were well done."

“全包在我身上。曼里欧，这种事谁说得准？自塞佛·哈定之后，从来没有人兼任首席教长和市长。但说不定现在就要重演了——如果你好好干的话。”

3

And at the other end of town, in homelier surroundings, Hober Mallow kept asecond appointment. He had listened long, and now he said cautiously, "Yes,I've heard of your campaigns to get trader representation in the council.

在端点市的另一端，一个普普通通的房间里，侯伯·马洛正在赴当天的第二个约会。他已经听对方说了很久，现在才小心翼翼地问道：“是的，我听说过你正在筹划，想要送一名行商进市议会，作为我们大家的代表。但是，杜尔，为什么选我呢？”

But why me, Twer?"Jaim Twer, who would remind you any time, asked or unasked, that he was inthe first group of Outlanders to receive a lay education at the Foundation,beamed.

詹姆·杜尔微微一笑。他这个人总爱主动提醒人家——不管对方有没有问他——他是第一批在基地接受普通教育的异邦人。

"I know what I'm doing," he said. "Remember when I met you first, lastyear."

“我知道自己在做什么，”杜尔说，“还记得去年我第一次见到你的场合吗？”

"At the Trader's Convention."

“是在行商大会上。”

"Right. You ran the meeting. You had those red-necked oxen planted in theirseats, then put them in your shirtpocket and walked off with them. Andyou're all right with the Foundation masses, too. You've got glamor--or,at any rate, solid adventure-publicity, which is the same thing."

“对，你是大会的主办人。从头到尾你盯牢了那些极端分子，让他们枯坐干等、有口难言，简直吃定了他们。而且你和基地人民关系良好。你魅力四射——或者说，你的冒险家作风深得人心，这其实是一回事儿。”

"Very good," said Mallow, dryly. "But why now?"

“说得好。”马洛冷淡地接口道，“但是为什么选在这个时候？”

"Because now's our chance. Do you know that the Secretary of Education hashanded in his resignation? It's not out in the open yet, but it will be."

“因为现在我们的机会来了。你知不知道教育部长已经递出辞呈？这件事尚未正式公布，不过也快了。”

"How do you know?"

“你又是怎么知道的？”

"That-- never mind? He waved a disgusted hand. "It's so. The Actionistparty is splitting wide open, and we can murder it right now on a straightquestion of equal rights for traders; or, rather, democracy, pro- andanti--"

“这——你就不用管了——”他不耐烦地摇摇手，“反正情形就是这样。行动党已经严重分裂，我们只要正面提出行商的平权问题，也就是为民主请命，不论他们赞成或反对，都会受到致命的一击。”

Mallow lounged back in his chair and stared at his thick fingers, "Uh-uh.Sorry, Twer. I'm leaving next week on business. You'll have to get someoneelse."

马洛懒洋洋地半躺在椅子里，瞪着自己粗壮的手指。“唔——杜尔，很抱歉。下星期我就要去出差，恐怕你得找别人了。”

Twer stared, "Business? What kind of business?"

杜尔瞪大眼睛。“出差？出哪门子差？”

"Very super-secret. Triple-A priority. All that, you know. Had a talk withthe mayor's own secretary."

“这是超级的最高机密，而且绝对第一优先，这种情形你了解吧。我已经跟市长的机要秘书谈好了。”

"Snake Sutt?" Jaim Twer grew excited. "A trick. The son-of-a-spacer isgetting rid of you. Mallow……"

“毒蛇瑟特吗？”杜尔激动起来，“那是诡计。那个太空族的杂种想把你支开，马洛……”

"Hold on!" Mallow's hand fell on the other's balled fist. "Don't go into ablaze. If it's a trick, I'll be back some day for the reckoning. if itisn't, your snake, Sutt, is playing into our hands. Listen, there's aSeldon crisis coming up."

“等一等！”马洛按住对方捏紧的拳头，“别那么激动。如果这是诡计，改天我自然会回来找他算账；但如果不是，那条毒蛇反而会被我们玩弄于股掌之上。听好，谢顿危机又要来了。”

Mallow waited for a reaction but it never came. Twer merely stared. "What'sa Seldon crisis?"

马洛期待对方会有所反应。杜尔却不为所动，只是瞪大眼睛。“什么是谢顿危机？”

"Galaxy!" Mallow exploded angrily at the anticlimax, "What the blue blazesdid you do when you went to school? What do you mean anyway by a foolquestion like that?"

“银河啊！”对于这种意想不到的反高潮，马洛简直气炸了，“你上学的时候究竟在做些什么？你问这种幼稚的问题，到底是什么意思？”

The elder man frowned, "If you'll explain……"

比马洛年长的杜尔皱皱眉。“能否请你解释……”

There was a long pause, then, "I'll explain." Mallow's eyebrows lowered,and he spoke slowly. "When the Galactic Empire began to die at the edges,and when the ends of the Galaxy reverted to barbarism and dropped away,Hari Seldon and his band of psychologists planted a colony, the Foundation,out here in the middle of the mess, so that we could incubate art, science,and technology, and form the nucleus of the Second Empire."

沉默了好一阵子，马洛才说：“好，我来解释。”他双眉深锁，一句句说得很慢。“自从银河帝国从外围开始分崩离析，银河外缘回到蛮荒时代，哈里·谢顿和他手下的一批心理学家，在这片蛮荒的中心建立了一个自治殖民市，也就是我们这个基地。目的是要我们继续培育艺术、科学和科技，使它成为第二帝国的种籽。”

"Oh, yes, yes?

“喔，对，对……”

"I'm not finished," said the trader, coldly. "The future course of theFoundation was plotted according to the science of psychohistory, thenhighly developed, and conditions arranged so as to bring about a series ofcrises that will force us most rapidly along the route to future Empire. Each crisis, each Seldon crisis, marks an epoch in our history. We'reapproaching one now--our third."

“我还没有说完，”马洛冷冷道，“基地未来的历史轨迹，是根据心理史学所规划的。心理史学这门科学，到了谢顿手中已经登峰造极。谢顿在我们未来的历史中，安排了一连串的危机，这些危机会迫使我们以最迅速的步伐，朝未来的帝国前进。每一次的危机，每一次的‘谢顿危机’，都会在我们的历史上标出一个新纪元。现在我们又接近另一个危机——第三次的危机。”

Twer shrugged. "I suppose this was mentioned in school, but I've been outof school a long time--longer than you."

杜尔耸耸肩。“当年在学校，我一定也听老师讲过。不过，我已经毕业好久了——至少比你久。”

"I suppose so. Forget it. What matters is that I'm being sent out into themiddle of the development of this crisis. There's no telling what I'll havewhen I come back, and there is a council election every year."

“我也这么想。算了，现在的重点是，我被派了出去，而且刚好被派到这个危机的漩涡中心。等到我回来，不知道会变成什么样子，何况每年都有市议员选举。”

Twer looked up, "Are you on the track of anything?"

杜尔抬起头。“你找到了什么线索吗？”

"No."

“没有。”

"You have definite plans?"

“有没有什么具体计划？”

"Not the faintest inkling of one."

“半点概念也没有。”

"Well?

“那么……”

"Well, nothing. Hardin once said: 'To succeed, planning alone is insufficient. One must improvise as well.' I'll improvise."

“那么，没有关系。哈定说过：‘想要成功，单凭计划绝对不够，还得时时随机应变。’我就是打算随机应变。”

Twer shook his head uncertainly, and they stood, looking at each other.

杜尔不放心地摇摇头，然后两人同时站起来，互相望着对方。

Mallow said, quite suddenly, but quite matter-of-factly, "I tell you what,how about coming with me? Don't stare, man. You've been a trader before youdecided them was more excitement in politics. Or so I've heard."

马洛忽然以相当实事求是的口吻说：“我有个主意，你跟我一起去好不好？别瞪我，老兄。我听说你原来也是一名行商，后来才发现搞政治更刺激更有趣。”

Where are you going? Tell me that.

“你要到哪里去？请你先告诉我。”

“Towards the Whassallian Rift. I can't be more specific till we're out inspace. What do you say?"

“现在只能说是向瓦沙尔裂隙飞去。上了太空之后，我才能进一步告诉你详情。怎么样？”

"Suppose Sutt decides he wants me where he can see."

“万一瑟特要我待在他看得见的地方呢？”

"Not likely. If he's anxious to get rid of me, why not of you as well? Besides which, no trader would hit space if he couldn't pick his own crew. I take whom I please."

“不太可能。如果他急着想把我赶走，难道不想连你也眼不见为净？此外，行商如果不能挑选到自己中意的人手，绝对不会愿意升空的，我当然也不例外。”

There was a queer glint in the older man's eyes, "All right. I'll go." Heheld out his hand, "It'll be my first trip in three years."

杜尔眼中忽然闪出一丝奇异的光采。“好，我去。”他伸出右手，“这将是我三年来的第一次旅行。”

Mallow grasped and shook the other's hand, "Good! All fired good! And nowI've got to round up the boys. You know where the Far Star docks, don 'tyou? Then show up tomorrow. Good-by."

马洛和对方握了握手。“好，好极了！现在我还要赶去召集船员，你知道远星号停在哪里吧？明天自己来报到，再见。”

4

Korell is that frequent phenomenon in history: the republic whose ruler hasevery attribute of the absolute monarch but the name. It therefore enjoyedthe usual despotism unrestrained even by those two moderating influences inthe legitimate monarchies: regal "honor" and court etiquette.

科瑞尔的政体是历史上常见的一种现象：虽有共和国之名，统治者却比专制君主有过之而无不及。因此，他们不但能行独裁专政之实，又能避免像正统君主那样，处处要考虑王室的荣誉，还得受到宫廷规范的束缚。

Materially, its prosperity was low. The day of the Galactic Empire haddeparted, with nothing but silent memorials and broken structures totestify to it. The day of the Foundation had not yet come-- and in thefierce determination of its ruler, the Commdor Asper Argo, with his strictregulation of the traders and his stricter prohibition of the missionaries,it was never coming.

显然，这个国家的经济并不繁荣。银河帝国统治的时代早已结束，只剩下无言的纪念碑与残破的建筑物，勉强证明这段时期的存在。然而，由于领袖阿斯培·艾哥的铁腕政策，科瑞尔严格限制行商的活动，更严禁传教士入境，因此“基地时代”的来临遥遥无期。

The spaceport itself was decrepit and decayed, and the crew of the Far Starwere drearily aware of that. The moldering hangars made for a molderingatmosphere and Jaim Twer itched and fretted over a game of solitaire.

现在，远星号停在科瑞尔境内一座陈旧的太空航站中，船员都感到一股阴森之意。破烂的船库内充满腐朽的气氛，而随行的詹姆·杜尔正在起劲地玩着单人牌戏。

Hober Mallow said thoughtfully, "Good trading material here." He wasstaring quietly out the viewport. So far, there was little else to be saidabout Korell. The trip here was uneventful. The squadron of Korellian shipsthat had shot out to intercept the Far Star had been tiny, limping relicsof ancient glory or battered, clumsy hulks. They had maintained theirdistance fearfully, and still maintained it, and for a week now, Mallow'srequests for an audience with the local go government had been unanswered.

侯伯·马洛静静地由眺望窗往外望，若有深意地说：“这里有很好的物资，可以做些好买卖。”目前为止，科瑞尔这个地方简直乏善可陈。旅途一路平安无事，当天升空拦截远星号的星舰中队，是由一些小型的旧时战舰组成，不是显得有气无力就是外表百孔千疮。那些星舰始终小心翼翼地与远星号保持一段距离，直到现在仍旧如此，双方已经僵持了整整一个星期。马洛早已提出与当地政府官员会面的要求，却至今尚未得到答复。

Mallow repeated, "Good trading here. You might call this virgin territory."

马洛重复道：“这里可以做些好买卖，简直可以称为贸易处女地。”

Jaim Twer looked up impatiently, and threw his cards aside, "What the devildo you intend doing, Mallow? The crew's grumbling, the officers areworried, and I知 wondering……"

杜尔不耐烦地抬起头来，把扑克牌丢到一边。“马洛，你到底在搞什么鬼？现在船员已经开始发牢骚，军官已经在担心，而我也开始纳闷……”

"Wondering? About what?"

“纳闷？纳闷什么？”

"About the situation. And about you. What are we doing?"

“这里的情势，还有你。我们究竟在干什么？”

"Waiting."

“在等待。”

The old trader snorted and grew red. He growled, "You're going it blind,Mallow. There's a guard around the field and there are ships overhead. Suppose they're getting ready to blow us into a hole in the ground."

这位老行商闷哼几声，涨红了脸。他咆哮道：“马洛，你简直瞎了眼。太空航站已经被警卫包围，我们头上又有星舰盘旋。他们也许就快准备好了，随时能把我们炸到地底去。”

"They've had a week."

“过去一周他们都能这么做。”

"Maybe they're waiting for reinforcements." Twer's eyes were sharp andhard.

“说不定他们在等待增援。”杜尔的目光既锐利又冷峻。

Mallow sat down abruptly, "Yes, I'd thought of that You see, it poses apretty problem. First, we got here without trouble. That may mean nothing,however, for only three ships out of better than three hundred wenta-glimmer last year. The percentage is low. But that may mean also that thenumber of their ships equipped with nuclear power is small, and that theydare not expose them needlessly, until that number grows.

马洛忽然坐下来。“是啊，我也考虑到这点。你可知道，这里面有很大的问题。第一，我们很顺利地抵达这里。然而，这点也许没有什么意义，去年有超过三百艘船舰经过此地，却只有三艘被击毁，这个比例算是低的。但是，这也可能意味着他们只有少数星舰具有核动力，在数量增加之前，他们不敢让这些星舰轻易曝光。

"But it could mean, on the other hand, that they haven't nuclear powerafter all. Or maybe they have and are keeping undercover, for fear we knowsomething. It's one thing, after all, to piratize blundering, light-armedmerchant ships. It's another to fool around with an accredited envoy of theFoundation when the mere fact of his presence may mean the Foundation isgrowing suspicious.

“可是另一方面，这也可能意味着他们根本没有核能。或者他们虽然拥有，却绝不轻易示人，生怕让我们发现什么。无论如何，打劫轻武装的太空商船，和骚扰基地正式派遣的特使，是完全不同的两件事。基地会派遣特使前来此地，就表示已经起了疑心。

"Combine this?

“综合以上几点……”

"Hold on, Mallow, hold on." Twer raised his hands. "You're just aboutdrowning me with talk. What're you getting at? Never mind the in-betweens."

“等等，马洛，等一等。”杜尔举起双手，“我都快被你的口水淹死了。你究竟想说什么？请省略分析的过程好吗？”

"You've got to have the in-betweens, or you won't understand, Twer. We'reboth waiting. They don't know what I'm doing here and I don't know whatthey've got here. But I'm in the weaker position because I'm one andthey're an entire world--maybe with atomic power. I can't afford to be theone to weaken. Sure it's dangerous. Sure there may be a hole in the groundwaiting for us. But we knew that from the start. What else is there to do?"

“杜尔，你一定得听我的分析，否则你不会了解。其实我们双方都在等待；他们不知道我来这里要做什么，我也不晓得他们的企图何在。但是我方实力较弱，因为我就一个人，而他们背后有整个世界——可能还拥有核能。即使如此，我绝对不能示弱。这样当然会很危险，当然随时可能被轰到地底去。但是我们一开始就晓得会有这种状况。现在除了等待还能做什么呢？”

"I don't?Who's that, now?"

“这我就不……咦，什么人？”

Mallow looked up patiently, and tuned the receiver. The visiplate glowedinto the craggy face of the watch sergeant.

马洛抬起头，迅速调整着收讯器，显像板很快便出现值班中士有棱有角的脸孔。

"Speak, sergeant."

“中士，说吧。”

The sergeant said, "Pardon, sir. The men have given entry to a Foundation missionary."

那名中士说：“报告船长，船员将一名基地传教士放了进来。”

"A what?" Mallow's face grew livid.

“一名什么？”马洛变得面如土色。

"A missionary, sit. He's in need of hospitalization, sir-"

“报告船长，一名传教士。船长，他需要医生……”

"There'll be more than one in need of that, sergeant, for this piece ofwork. Order the men to battle stations."

“中士，你们干的这件好事，会使许多人都要找医生。立刻叫大家进入战备状态！”

Crew's lounge was almost empty. Five minutes after the order, even the menon the off-shift were at their guns. It was speed that was the great virtuein the anarchic regions of the interstellar space of the Periphery, and itwas in speed above all that the crew of a master trader excelled.

船员休闲室几乎已经空无一人。命令发布五分钟后，连轮休人员也都拿起武器各就各位。在银河外缘群星间的无政府地带，速度是最重要的生存条件。而行商长手下的人，更是以所向披靡的速度着称。

Mallow entered slowly, and stared the missionary up and down and around. His eye slid to Lieutenant Tinter, who shifted uneasily to one side and toWatch-Sergeant Demen, whose blank face and stolid figure flanked the other.

马洛缓缓走进休闲室，上下左右仔细打量着这名传教士。然后他向汀特中尉瞄了一眼，中尉不安地挪到一旁；接着他又看了看值班的第门中士，这位中士面无表情地呆站在中尉身边。

The Master Trader turned to Twer and paused thoughtfully, "Well, then,Twer, get the officers here quietly, except for the co-ordinators and thetrajectorian. The men are to remain at stations till further orders."

马洛转向杜尔，若有所思地顿了顿。“好吧，杜尔，除了导航官和弹道官之外，把其他军官都悄悄带到这里来，船员则一律留在岗位上待命。”

There was a five-minute hiatus, in which Mallow kicked open the doors tothe lavatories, looked behind the bar, pulled the draperies across thethick windows. For half a minute he left the room altogether, and when hereturned he was humming abstractedly.

杜尔离开后，马洛将每个洗手间的门都踢开，并且探头向吧台后面瞧了瞧，再把厚实的窗帘通通拉上。然后他离开了半分钟，又若无其事地哼着歌走回来。

Men filed in. Twer followed, and closed the door silently.

五分钟过后，军官们鱼贯进入休闲室。杜尔跟在最后面，顺手将门轻轻关上。

Mallow said quietly, "First, who let this man in without orders from me?"

马洛平静地问道：“首先，是谁没有得到我的准许，就让这个人进来的？”

The watch sergeant stepped forward. Every eye shifted. "Pardon, sir. It wasno definite person. It was a sort of mutual agreement. He was one of us,you might say, and these foreigners here……"

值班中士向前走了几步，所有的目光都集中在他身上。“报告船长，这不是哪一个人的意思，而是大家一致同意让他进来的。这个人可说是我们的同胞，而这里的异邦人……”

Mallow cut him short, "I sympathize with your feelings, sergeant, andunderstand them. These men, were they under your command?"

马洛打断他的话。“中士，你们这种同胞爱，我很同情，也很了解。那些船员是你的手下吗？”

"Yes, sir."

“报告船长，是的。”

"When this is over, they're to be confined to individual quarters for aweek. You yourself are relieved of all supervisory duties for a similarperiod. Understood?"

“这件事结束后，让他们在自己的寝室中禁足一周。这期间你的指挥权也暂时解除，明白吗？”

The sergeant's face never changed, but there was the slightest droop to hisshoulders. He said, crisply, "Yes, sir."

中士脸色不变，双肩却微微下垂。他简洁有力地答道：“报告船长，明白了。”

"You may leave. Get to your gun-station."

“你们可以离开了，赶紧回到你们的炮位去。”

The door closed behind him and the babble rose.

关上门之后，外面就响起一阵嘈杂声。

Twer broke in, "Why the punishment, Mallow? You know that these Korellianskill captured missionaries."

杜尔忍不住质问：“马洛，为什么要处罚他们？你明明知道，科瑞尔人逮到传教士就会处死。”

"An action against my orders is bad in itself whatever other reasons theremay be in its favor. No one was to leave or enter the ship withoutpermission."

“任何行动无论有什么好理由，只要是违背我的命令，本身就是不可饶恕的错误。没有我的批准，任何人都不能上下这艘太空船。”

Lieutenant Tinter murmured rebelliously, "Seven days without action. Youcan't maintain discipline that way."

汀特中尉不服气地喃喃道：“七天不准行动。你不能用这种方式来维持军纪。”

Mallow said icily, "I can. There's no merit in discipline under idealcircumstances. I'll have it in the face of death, or it's useless. Where'sthis missionary? Get him here in front of me."

马洛却冷冷地说：“我能。在理想状况下，看不出军纪的价值。唯有在生死关头，才显得出它的重要性，否则这种军纪根本没用。那位传教士呢？把他带到我面前来。”

The trader sat down, while the scarlet-cloaked figure was carefully broughtforward.

马洛刚刚坐下，身穿红色斗篷的传教士就被小心地扶了过来。

"What's your name, reverend?"

“上师，请问大名？”

"Eh?" The scarlet-robed figure wheeled towards Mallow, the whole bodyturning as a unit. His eyes were blankly open and there was a bruise on onetemple. He had not spoken, nor, as far as Mallow could tell, moved duringall the previous interval.

“啊？”传教士像陀螺一样转了过来，面向着马洛。他双眼茫然地睁得老大，一侧太阳穴上带着擦伤。他一直没有开口，马洛还注意到，他几乎一动也不动。

Your name, revered one?

“上师，您的大名？”

The missionary started to sudden feverish life. His arms went out in anembracing gesture. "My son-- my children. May you always be in the protecting arms of the Galactic Spirit."

传教士像是忽然活过来。他将双手向前伸，作拥抱状。“孩子——我的孩子，愿银河圣灵永远保护你。”

Twer stepped forward, eyes troubled, voice husky, "The man's sick. Take himto bed, somebody. Order him to bed, Mallow, and have him seen to. He'sbadly hurt."

杜尔向前走几步，带着忧虑的眼神，以沙哑的声音说：“这个人受伤了，谁带他去休息。马洛，下令送他去休息，再找个人照顾他，他伤得很重。”

Mallow's great arm shoved him back, "Don't interfere, Twer, or I'll haveyou out of the room. Your name, revered one?"

马洛用结实的手臂将杜尔推开。“杜尔，这件事你别插手，否则我就把你赶出去。上师，您的大名？”

The missionary's hands clasped in sudden supplication, "As you areenlightened men, save me from the heathen." The words tumbled out, "Save mefrom these brutes and darkened ones who raven after me and would afflictthe Galactic Spirit with their crimes. I am Jord Parma, of the Anacreonianworlds. Educated at the Foundation; the Foundation itself, my children. Iam a Priest of the Spirit educated into all the mysteries, who have come here where the inner voice called me." He was gasping. "I have suffered atthe hands of the unenlightened. As you are Children of the Spirit; and in the name of that Spirit, protect me from them."

传教士突然双手合十作哀求状。“你们既然是受过教化的文明人，请救我离开这个异教之邦吧。”他慌慌张张地说，“救救我吧，那些蒙昧的畜牲要捕杀我，要以他们的罪恶亵渎银河圣灵。我叫裘德·帕尔玛，来自安纳克里昂，曾经在基地接受教育。是基地本土，我的孩子。我修习到无上的教义，成为一名灵的使者。我来到这里，是由于内心的召唤。”他喘得上气不接下气，“我落在那些无明的野蛮人手中。你们既是圣灵之子，奉圣灵之名，请你们保护我吧。”

A voice broke in upon them, as the emergency alarm box clamored metallically:

紧急警报盒突然发出响亮而尖厉的声音，其中夹杂着一句话：

"Enemy units in sight! Instruction desired!"

“发现敌方部队，请示命令！请示命令！”

Every eye shot mechanically upward to the speaker.

所有的眼睛都不自觉地盯着上方的扩音器。

Mallow swore violently. He clicked open the reverse and yelled, "Maintainvigil! That is all!" and turned it off.

马洛大声咒骂，同时按下通讯器的回答键，大声喊道：“继续监视！没有别的指示了！”然后就切断了通话开关。

He made his way to the thick drapes that rustled aside at a touch and stared grimly out.

他走到厚厚的窗帘前，“唰”的一声拉开窗帘，用冷峻的目光注视着外面。

Enemy units! Several thousands of them in the persons of the individualmembers of a Korellian mob. The rolling rabble encompassed the port fromextreme end to extreme end, and in the cold, hard light of magnesium flaresthe foremost straggled closer.

敌方部队！不，其实是数千名科瑞尔民众；这些乌合之众以排山倒海之势席卷而来。在冷冽的镁光照耀下，最前面的人潮已经零零星星逼近了。

"Tinter!" The trader never turned, but the back of his neck was red. "Getthe outer speaker working and find out what they want. Ask if they have arepresentative of the law with them. Make no promises and no threats, orI'll kill you."

“汀特！”马洛并未回头，可是颈部涨红了，“打开外面的扩音器，问他们究竟要什么。再问问这些人里面有没有法定代表。不要答应任何事，也不要恐吓他们，否则我先枪毙你。”

Tinter turned and left.

汀特中尉转身走了出去。

Mallow felt a rough hand on his shoulder and he struck it aside. It wasTwer. His voice was an angry hiss in his ear, "Mallow, you're bound to holdonto this man. There's no way of maintaining decency and honor otherwise. He's of the Foundation and, after all, he-- is a priest. These savagesoutside?Do you hear me?"

马洛感到一只手掌按在自己的肩膀，想也不想就把它推开。那当然是杜尔，他在马洛的耳旁叱道：“马洛，你有义务收容这个人，否则我们无法维持正义和光荣的名声。他来自基地，毕竟，他是一名教士。外面那些野蛮人……你听见我说的话没有？”

"I hear you, Twer." Mallow's voice was incisive. "I've got more to do herethan guard missionaries. I'll do, sir, what I please, and, by Seldon andall the Galaxy, if you try to stop me, I'll tear out your stinkingwindpipe. Don't get in my way, Twer, or it will be the last of you."

“杜尔，我在听。”马洛的声音很尖刻，“我不是来护教的，我来这里有更重要的事。杜尔先生，我将照着自己的意思行事，而且我向谢顿和银河发誓，如果你想阻止我，我会把你的喉管捏碎。杜尔，别挡我的路，不然你就死定了。”

He turned and strode past. "You! Revered Parma! Did you know that, byconvention, no Foundation missionaries may enter the Korellian territory?"

马洛转身向那位传教士走去。“你，帕尔玛上师！你知不知道，根据公约，基地的传教士绝对不能进入科瑞尔境内？”

The missionary was trembling, "I can but go where the Spirit leads, my son. If the darkened ones refuse enlightenment, is it not the greater sign oftheir need for it?"

传教士浑身发抖。“孩子，我只遵照灵的指引前进。如果那些蒙昧的人拒绝接受教化，岂不是更证明了他们真的需要？”

"That's outside the question, revered one. You are here against the law ofboth Korell and the Foundation. I cannot in law protect you."response.

“上师，这话离题了。既然你来到这里，就是违反科瑞尔和基地双方的法律，依法我不能保护你。”

The missionary's hands were raised again. His earlier bewilderment was gone. There was the raucous clamor of the ship's outer communication systemin action, and the faint, undulating gabble of the angry horde in.The sound made his eyes wild.

传教士又举起双手，先前的狼狈模样已经消失无踪。此时，太空船外面的通讯装置正发出刺耳的喊话，而激愤的群众所作的回应，传到舱内则变成微弱的、此起彼落的叽喳声。这些声音令那名传教士发狂。

"You hear them? Why do you talk of law to me, of a law made by men? Thereare higher laws. Was it not the Galactic Spirit that said: Thou shalt notstand idly by to the hurl of thy fellowman. And has he not said: Even asthou dealest with the humble and defenseless, thus shalt thou be dealtwith.

“你听到没有？为什么要跟我谈法律？法律是凡人定的，天地之间还有更高的‘法’。银河圣灵不是说过：汝等不可坐视同胞蒙受伤害；它还说过：今日尔等如何对待卑微无助之人，明日他人亦将如何待之。

"Have you not guns? Have you not a ship? And behind you is there not theFoundation? And above and all-about you is there not the Spirit that rulesthe universe?" He paused for breath.

“你没有枪炮吗？你没有太空船吗？基地难道不是你的后盾吗？在你头上和你的四面八方，难道不存在主宰宇宙万物的圣灵吗？”他停下来喘了一口气。

And then the great outer voice of the Far Star ceased and Lieutenant Tinterwas back, troubled.

这时，远星号外面的喧嚣停止了，汀特中尉一脸为难地走回来。

"Speak!" said Mallow, shortly.

“讲吧！”马洛不耐烦地说。

"Sir, they demand the person of Jord Parma."

“报告船长，他们要求把裘德·帕尔玛这个人交给他们。”

"If not?"

“如果不交呢？”

"There are various threats, sir. It is difficult to make much out. Thereare so many--and they seem quite mad. There is someone who says he governsthe district and has police powers, but he is quite evidently not his ownmaster."

“报告船长，他们作出各种威胁，但是都没有什么具体内容。他们人数太多了——而且似乎相当疯狂。有个人说自己是这个地区的负责人，控制着警力，但是他很显然只是傀儡。”

"Master or not," shrugged Mallow, "he is the law. Tell them that if thisgovernor, or policeman, or whatever he is, approaches the ship alone, hecan have the Revered Jord Parma."

“不管是不是傀儡，”马洛耸耸肩，“无论如何他都代表法律。告诉外面那些群众，让那个人，不管他是总督还是警察局长，还是其他什么官，只要他单独到太空船这边来，就能把裘德·帕尔玛教士带走。”

And there was suddenly a gun in his hand. He added, "I don't know what in subordination is. I have never had any experience with it. But if there's anyone here who thinks he can teach me, I'd like to teach him my antidotein return."

马洛手上突然多出一把核铳，他补充道：“我不懂什么叫做抗命，我自己从来没有这种经验。但是如果这里有谁认为他能教我如何抗命，我会马上教他如何化解。”

The gun swiveled slowly, and rested on Twer. With an effort, the oldtrader's face untwisted and his hands unclenched and lowered. His breathwas a harsh rasp in his nostrils.

铳口慢慢转向，最后对准杜尔。这位老行商勉力克制住脸部肌肉，紧握着的拳头也松开放下，呼吸却仍然急促而粗重。

Tinter left, and in five minutes a puny figure detached itself from thecrowd. It approached slowly and hesitantly, plainly drenched in fear andapprehension. Twice it turned back, and twice the patently obvious threatsof the many-headed monster urged him on.

汀特中尉再度离开，不到五分钟，一个小小的人影离开了人群。那个人影缓慢而迟疑地往前走，显得极为惶恐不安。他两度想向后转，都被群众的威胁与怒吼赶了回来。

"All right," Mallow gestured with the hand-blaster, which remained unsheathed. "Grun and Upshur, take him out."

“好，”马洛用手中核铳比划着，“葛朗、乌普舒，把他带出去。”

The missionary screeched. He raised his arms and rigid fingers spearedupward as the voluminous sleeves fell away to reveal the thin, veined arms. There was a momentary, tiny flash of light that came and went in a breath. Mallow blinked and gestured again, contemptuously.

传教士发出骇人的尖叫。他举起双手，结实的手指朝天张开；宽敞的袖子滑下来，露出细瘦且血管凸起的手臂。与此同时，还有一道微弱的光芒一闪即逝。马洛轻蔑地眨眨眼睛，又做了一下手势。

The missionary's voice poured out as he struggled in the two-fold grasp,"Cursed be the traitor who abandons his fellowman to evil and to death. Deafened be the ears that are deaf to the pleadings of the helpless. Blindbe the eyes that are blind to innocence. Blackened forever be the soul thatconsorts with blackness……"

传教士被两人夹在中间，他不断挣扎，同时喊道：“将同胞推进邪恶和死亡的叛徒不得好死。不理会无助者求救的耳朵都要变聋。无视冤屈者的眼睛通通瞎掉。跟邪灵打交道的灵魂永远堕入黑暗地狱……”

Twer clamped his hands tightly over his ears.

杜尔用双手紧紧捂住耳朵。

Mallow flipped his blaster and put it away. "Disperse," he said, evenly,"to respective stations. Maintain full vigil for six hours after dispersionof crowd. Double stations for forty-eight hours thereafter. Furtherinstructions at that time. Twer, come with me."

马洛将核铳插回皮套。“现在解散，”他以平静的口吻说，“回到各自的岗位。等群众散去后，继续严密监视六个小时。然后维持四十八小时的双倍戒备，之后我会另行指示。杜尔，你跟我来。”

They were alone in Mallow's private quarters. Mallow indicated a chair andTwer sat down. His stocky figure looked shrunken.

两人来到马洛的寝室。马洛向一张椅子指了指，杜尔便坐下来，矮胖的身子显得有些畏缩。

Mallow stared him down, sardonically. "Twer," he said, "I'm disappointed. Your three years in politics seem to have gotten you out of trader habits. Remember, I may be a democrat back at the Foundation, but there's nothingshort of tyranny that can run my ship the way I want it run. I never had topull a blaster on my men before, and I wouldn't have had to now, if youhadn't gone out of line.

马洛低着头，以嘲讽的目光瞪着他。“杜尔，”他说，“我很失望。你从政三年，似乎忘记了行商的一切。请你记住，我在基地的时候，也许是个民主人士，但是现在我指挥这艘太空商船，就不得不独裁专制。我以前从来不必用手铳指着我的手下，刚才要不是你太过分，我也用不着破例。

"Twer, you have no official position, but you're here on my invitation, andI'll extend you every courtesy--in private. However, from now on, in thepresence of my officers or men, I'm 'sir,' and not 'Mallow.' And when Igive an order, you'll jump faster than a third-class recruit just for luck,or I'll have you handcuffed in the sub-level even faster. Understand?"

“杜尔，你是我请来的，没有正式的职务，私底下我会对你尽量礼遇——但只限于私下。然而从现在开始，在我的军官和船员面前，我就是‘船长’，不可以喊我‘马洛’。如果我再下任何命令，你的动作最好比三等船员还要快，否则我会以更快速度将你铐在底舱。明白了吗？”

The party-leader swallowed dryly. He said, reluctantly, "My apologies."

这位政党领袖只好忍气吞声，用很勉强的口气说：“我向你道歉。”

"Accepted! Will you shake?"

“我接受！我们握个手好吗？”

Twer's limp fingers were swallowed in Mallow's huge palm. Twer said, "Mymotives were good. It's difficult to send a man out to be lynched. Thatwobbly-kneed governor or whatever-he-was can't save him. It's murder."

杜尔柔弱的手指，被马洛粗壮的手掌包住。然后杜尔说：“我劝你是出于好意，我不忍心看你将传教士送到暴民手中受私刑。来提人的那个胆小鬼，不管他是总督还是什么官，他救不了那名传教士的。这简直就是谋杀。”

"I can't help that. Frankly, the incident smelled too bad. Didn't younotice?"

“我也没办法。坦白说，这件事太不对劲。你难道没有注意到吗？”

"Notice what?"

“注意到什么？”

"This spaceport is deep in the middle of a sleepy far section. Suddenly amissionary escapes. Where from? He comes here. Coincidence? A huge crowdgathers. From where? The nearest city of any size must be at least ahundred miles away. But they arrive in half an hour. How?"

“这座太空航站位于荒郊野外，却突然有一位传教士逃到这里。他是从哪里来的？他来到这里是巧合吗？然后又有大批群众追来，他们又是从哪里来的？离这里最近的任何城市，都至少在一百英里之外。他们却在半小时内就到了，这又是怎么做到的？”

"How?" echoed Twer.

“怎么做到的？”杜尔重复道。

"Well, what if the missionary were brought here and released as bait. Ourfriend, Revered Parma, was considerably confused. He seemed at no time tobe in complete possession of his wits."

“嗯，有可能这位传教士是个诱饵，被人故意带到这附近来。我们这位同胞，帕尔玛大师，看起来根本神志不清，他的精神好像始终没有正常过。”

"Hard usage? murmured Twer bitterly.

“这种做法太过分了……”杜尔悲愤地喃喃道。

"Maybe! And maybe the idea was to have us go all chivalrous and gallant,into a stupid defense of the man. He was here against the laws of Korelland the Foundation. If I withhold him, it is an act of war against Korell,and the Foundation would have no legal right to defend us."

“也许吧！也许他们这么做，是故意诱骗我们见义勇为，不顾一切地保护这个人。他来这里，便是触犯了科瑞尔和基地的法律。假使我将他留下，等于是向科瑞尔宣战，基地也没有任何权利保护我们。”

"That--that's pretty far-fetched."

“这——这种说法太牵强。”

The speaker blared and forestalled Mallow's answer: "Sir, official communication received."

马洛还没有回答，扩音器就响了起来。“报告船长，刚收到一份官方信函。”

Submit immediately!

“马上送过来！”

The gleaming cylinder arrived in its slot with a click. Mallow opened itand shook out the silver-impregnated sheet it held. He rubbed itappreciatively between thumb and finger and said, "Teleported direct fromthe capital. Commdor's own stationery."

“啪”的一声，一个发光的圆筒从传送槽中跳出来。马洛将圆筒打开，倒出一张镶银的纸卷。他玩味似的用手指揉了揉，然后说：“从首都直接遥传过来的，是领袖的专用信笺。”

He read it in a glance and laughed shortly, "So my idea was far-fetched,was it?"

他对信笺瞄了一眼，干笑了一声：“我的想法太牵强吗？”

He tossed it to Twer, and added, "Half an hour after we hand back themissionary, we finally get a very polite invitation to the Commdor's augustpresence--after seven days of previous waiting. I think we passed a test."

他将信笺扔给杜尔，又补充道：“我们把传教士交出去半小时后，总算接到这封十分客气的邀请函，请我们去谒见领袖——之前却苦苦等了七天。我想，我们已经通过了一项测验。”

5

Commdor Asper was a man of the people, by self-acclamation. His remainingback-fringe of gray hair drooped limply to his shoulders, his shirt neededlaundering, and he spoke with a snuffle.

领袖阿斯培自诩为“人民之子”。他的头发稀疏，只剩后脑的一撮灰发松软地垂在肩上。他的衬衣显然需要烫洗了，而他说话时带着浓重的鼻音。

"There is no ostentation here, Trader Mallow," he said. "No false show. Inme, you see merely the first citizen of the state. That's what Commdormeans, and that's the only title I have."

“马洛行商，我们这里民风纯朴。”他说，“你不要做任何不实宣传。在你面前的人，只是这个国家的第一公民。所谓的领袖正是这个意思，而这也是我唯一的头衔。”

He seemed inordinately pleased with it all, "in fact, I consider that factone of the strongest bonds between Korell and your nation. I understand youpeople enjoy the republican blessings we do."

他似乎非常喜欢这个话题。“事实上，我认为这一点，是科瑞尔和贵国的密切关联之一。我了解贵国人民和我们一样，也在享受着共和制度的福祉。”

"Exactly, Commdor," said Mallow gravely, taking mental exception to thecomparison, "an argument which I consider strongly in favor of continuedpeace and friendship between our governments."

“领袖，正是如此，”马洛郑重其事地说，心中却绝对不敢苟同，“我深信就是这个原因，维持了两国政府的和平与邦谊。”

"Peace! Ah!" The Commdor's sparse gray beard twitched to the sentimentalgrimaces of his face. "I don't think there is anyone in the Periphery whohas so near his heart the ideal of Peace, as I have. I can truthfully saythat since I succeeded my illustrious father to the leadership of thestate, the reign of Peace has never been broken. Perhaps I shouldn't sayit" 防e coughed gently? "but I have been told that my people, myfellow-citizens rather, know me as Asper, the Well-Beloved."

“和平！啊！”领袖稀疏的灰白胡子抽动着，表情显得感慨万千，“我认为在银河外缘各个世界，没有人比我更有和平的理想了。不瞒你说，自从我继家父成为这个国家的统治者之后，就一直在实行和平统治，从来也没有间断过。也许我不该这么说——”他轻轻咳嗽一声，“但是有人告诉我，我的人民，不，应该说我的同胞，他们都称我为‘万民拥戴的阿斯培’。”

Mallow's eyes wandered over the well-kept garden. Perhaps the tall men andthe strangely-designed but openly-vicious weapons they carried justhappened to be lurking in odd comers as a precaution against himself. Thatwould be understandable. But the lofty, steel-girdered walls that circledthe place had quite obviously been recently strengthened-- an unfittingoccupation for such a Well-Beloved Asper.

马洛环顾富丽堂皇的庭院。他看到好些身材高大的人部署在偏僻的角落，他们佩戴着奇形怪状但显然威力强大的武器，也许是在防备自己。他想，这是可以理解的。然而，这里四周都围着高耸的钢筋混凝土墙，而且显然最近又加强过——对于“万民拥戴的阿斯培”而言，这并不能算是很合适的居所。

He said, "It is fortunate that I have you to deal with then, Commdor. Thedespots and monarchs of surrounding worlds, which haven't the benefit ofenlightened administration, often lack the qualities that would make aruler well-beloved."

马洛说：“领袖，我很庆幸自己能与您交涉。邻近世界那些不肯实施开明统治的专制君主，大多欠缺王者风范，因而无法成为万民拥戴的统治者。”

"Such as?" There was a cautious note in the Commdor's voice.

“比方说？”领袖以谨慎的口气问。

"Such as a concern for the best interests of their people, You, on theother hand, would understand,"

“比方说，他们就不懂得关心人民最大的福祉。而您不同，您最了解这一点。”

The Commdor kept his eyes on the gravel path as they walked leisurely, Hishands caressed each other behind his back.

两人一面说，一面在庭院里悠闲地漫步。领袖的眼睛凝注在碎石子路上，两只手放在背后互相揉搓。

Mallow went on smoothly, "Up to now, trade between our two nations hassuffered because of the restrictions placed upon our traders by yourgovernment. Surely, it has long been evident to you that unlimited trade……"

马洛继续流畅地说：“直到目前为止，贵我两国的贸易仍然无法展开，这是因为贵国政府对我国的行商做出重重限制。当然，我想您一定早就很清楚，不设限的贸易……”

"Free Trade!" mumbled the Commdor.

“自由贸易！”领袖咕哝着。

"Free Trade, then. You must see that it would be of benefit to both of us. There are things you have that we want, and things we have that you want.It asks only an exchange to bring increased prosperity. An enlightenedruler such as yourself, a friend of the people--I might say, a member ofthe people-- needs no elaboration on that theme. I won't insult yourintelligence by offering any."

“好吧，自由贸易。您一定了解，那会使我们双方受惠。你们拥有一些我们需要的物资，我们也有不少你们想要的货品。只要能够互通有无，就能增进彼此的繁荣。像您这么开明的统治者，人民之友——或者我斗胆说，您就是人民的一分子——根本用不着我在这个题目上大做文章，我绝不会侮辱您的智慧。”

"True! I have seen this. But what would you?" His voice was a plaintivewhine. "Your people have always been so unreasonable. I am in favor of allthe trade our economy can support, but not on your terms. I am not solemaster here." His voice rose, "I am only the servant of public opinion. Mypeople will not take commerce which carries with it a compulsory religion."

“确实如此！这些我都了解，但是你打算怎么办？”领袖故意以哀求的口吻说，“你们的人一直很不讲理。只要我们的经济体制许可，任何贸易我都赞成，但是绝不能根据你们的条件。我并不是这个国家唯一的主人——”他提高了嗓门，“我只不过是民意的公仆。附带着强迫性宗教的贸易，我的人民可不会接受。”

Mallow drew himself up, "A compulsory religion?"

马洛挺起胸膛。“强迫性宗教？”

"So it has always been in effect. Surely you remember the case of Askonetwenty years ago. First they were sold some of your goods and then yourpeople asked for complete freedom of missionary effort in order that thegoods might be run properly; that Temples of Health be set up. There wasthen the establishment of religious schools; autonomous rights for allofficers of the religion and with what result? Askone is now an integralmember of the Foundation's system and the Grand Master cannot call hisunderwear his own. Oh, no! Oh, no! The dignity of an independent peoplecould never suffer it."

“你们一向如此，想必你还记得二十年前的‘阿斯康事件’吧。你们一开始先推销商品，接着就要求绝对的传教自由，以便教导对方妥善使用那些商品，以及建立‘健康灵殿’。然后又设立了宗教学校，并为神职人员争取到自治权。最后的结果如何呢？阿斯康如今已经成为基地体系的一分子，他们的大公连一点实权也没有了。喔！不行，不行！有尊严的独立邦国绝对不能忍受这些。”

"None of what you speak is at all what I suggest," interposed Mallow.

“我想建议的通商方式，和您所说的完全不同。”马洛插嘴道。

"No?"

“不同？”

"No. I'm a Master Trader. Money is my religion. All this mysticism andhocus-pocus of the missionaries annoy me, and I'm glad you refuse tocountenance it. It makes you more my type of man."

“没错，我是一名行商长，金钱才是我的宗教。我最讨厌传教士那些神秘兮兮的秘法，还有那些叽里呱啦的咒语，所以我很高兴您拒绝接受这些。这样我们就更加意气相投了。”

The Commdor's laugh was high-pitched and jerky, "Well said! The Foundationshould have sent a man of your caliber before this."

领袖发出尖锐而颤抖的笑声。“说得好！基地早就该派你这种能干的人来。”

He laid a friendly hand upon the trader's bulking shoulder, "But man, youhave told me only half. You have told me what the catch is not. Now tell mewhat it is."

他亲热地将手放在马洛厚实的肩膀上。“但是老兄，你只说了一半。你刚才只告诉我不会有什么坏处。现在，说说究竟又会有什么好处？”

"The only catch, Commdor, is that you're going to be burdened with animmense quantity of riches."

“领袖，唯一的好处，就是您将获得数不清的财富。”

"Indeed?" he snuffled. "But what could I want with riches? The true wealthis the love of one's people. I have that."

“是吗？”领袖嗤之以鼻，“我要财富做什么？真正的财富就是人民的爱戴，而我已经有了。”

"You can have both, for it is possible to gather gold with one hand andlove with the other."

“两者并不冲突啊，您可以腾出一只手捞黄金，另一只手仍旧拥抱人民。”

"Now that, my young man, would be an interesting phenomenon, if it werepossible. How would you go about it?"

“年轻人，果真有此可能，那就太有意思了。你要我怎么做呢？”

"Oh, in a number of ways. The difficulty is choosing among them. Let's see. Well, luxury items, for instance. This object here, now……"

“喔，方法实在很多，困难在于如何选择。让我想想看，嗯，比如说奢侈品，我带来的这个样品……”

Mallow drew gently out of an inner pocket a flat, linked chain of polishedmetal. "This, for instance."

马洛从衣袋里慢慢掏出一条扁扁的金属链子。“比如这个。”

"What is it?"

“这是什么？”

"That's got to be demonstrated. Can you get a woman? Any young female willdo. And a mirror, full length."

“必须示范才能明白。您能找个女子来吗？任何年轻女性都行，此外还要一面照全身的大镜子。”

Hm-mmm. Let's get indoors, then.

“嗯，那么我们进去吧。”

The Commdor referred to his dwelling place as a house. The populaceundoubtedly would call it a palace. To Mallow's straightforward eyes, itlooked uncommonly like a fortress. it was built on an eminence thatoverlooked the capital. Its walls were thick and reinforced. Its approacheswere guarded, and its architecture was shaped for defense. Just the type ofdwelling, Mallow thought sourly, for Asper, the Well-Beloved.

领袖称自己的住处为“一间房子”，但是民众必定称之为一座宫殿。在马洛这个外人眼中，它简直就像一座堡垒。这座大宅建在一处俯瞰首都的丘陵上，城墙十分厚实坚固。各个通道都有警卫站岗，整个建筑的结构都着眼于易守难攻。马洛在心中暗笑，“万民拥戴的阿斯培”住在这里再适当不过了。

A young girl was before them. She bent low to the Commdor, who said, "Thisis one of the Commdora's girls. Will she do?"

一位年轻少女来到他们面前，对领袖鞠躬行礼。领袖对马洛说：“这是领袖夫人的侍女，她可以吗？”

"Perfectly!"

“好极了！”

The Commdor watched carefully while Mallow snapped the chain about thegirl's waist, and stepped back.

马洛将金属链子环绕在少女的腰际，扣好后再退开几步。从头到尾，领袖一直目不转睛仔细看着。

The Commdor snuffled, "Well. Is that all?"

然后领袖哼了两声。“喔，就这样吗？”

"Will you draw the curtain, Commdor. Young lady, there's a little knob justnear the snap. Will you move it upward, please? Go ahead, it won't hurt you."

“领袖，请您把窗帘拉上。小姐，钮扣旁边有个小圆钮，请你拉一下好吗？放心，不会有事的。”

The girl did so, drew a sharp breath, looked at her hands, and gasped,"Oh!"

少女依言照做，随即大吃一惊，望着自己的双手惊呼：“哎呀！”

From her waist as a source she was drowned in a pale, streamingluminescence of shifting color that drew itself over her head in a flashingcoronet of liquid fire. It was as if someone had tom the aurora borealisout of the sky and molded it into a cloak.

自腰际以上，她整个人都被朦胧而流转的冷光所笼罩。这股色彩变幻不定的光芒一直延伸到她的头顶，形成一顶绚丽夺目的冠冕。就像是有人从天上摘下北极光，替她铸成一件无形的披风。

The girl stepped to the mirror and stared, fascinated.

少女走到镜子前面，出神地望着镜中的自己。

"Here, take this." Mallow handed her a necklace of dull pebbles. "Put it around your neck."

“来，拿着这个，”马洛又取出一串由黯淡无光的珠子串成的项链，“把它带在颈上。”

The girl did so, and each pebble, as it entered the luminescent fieldbecame an individual flame that leaped and sparkled in crimson and gold.

少女戴上之后，每颗珠子在冷光范围内，也都散发出深红与金黄色的光焰。

"What do you think of it?" Mallow asked her. The girl didn't answer butthere was adoration in her eyes. The Commdor gestured and reluctantly, shepushed the knob down, and the glory died. She left-- with a memory.

“你喜欢吗？”马洛问那少女。她虽然没有回答，眼中却充满艳羡之意。直到领袖做了一个手势，少女才依依不舍地推下那颗圆钮开关，眩目的光彩立时消失。她随即退下，但一定永难忘记这段经历。

"It's yours, Commdor," said Mallow, "for the Commdora. Consider it a smallgift from the Foundation."

“领袖，这就送给领袖夫人，”马洛说，“算是基地的一点心意。”

"Hm-mmm.' The Commdor turned the belt and necklace over in his hand asthough calculating the weight. "How is it done?"

“嗯——”领袖将两件饰物拿在手中来回拨弄，像是在估量它们的重量，“这是怎么做到的？”

Mallow shrugged, "That's a question for our technical experts. But it willwork for you without-- mark you, without-- priestly help."

马洛耸耸肩。“这种问题只有我们的技术专家可以回答。不过我想特别强调，重要的是它不需要——不需要教士的指导就能使用。”

"Well, it's only feminine frippery after all. What could you do with it? Where would the money come in?"

“嗯，这只不过是女人的饰物罢了。你能拿它做什么？又怎么能靠它赚钱？”

"You have balls, receptions, banquets-- that sort of thing?"

“你们这里可有舞会、欢迎会、宴会等等的社交活动？”

"Oh, yes."

“喔，当然有。”

"Do you realize what women will pay for that sort of jewelry? Ten thousandcredits, at least."

“您知道妇女肯花多少钱买这种珠宝吗？至少一万信用点。”

The Commdor seemed struck in a heap, "Ah!"

领袖似乎大吃一惊。“啊！”

"And since the power unit of this particular item will not last longer thansix months, there will be the necessity of frequent replacements. Now wecan sell as many of these as you want for the equivalent in wrought iron ofone thousand credits. There's nine hundred percent profit for you."

“而且由于它的能源顶多只能维持六个月，所以必须经常换新。我们愿意以一千信用点一个的价钱无限量供应，请您以等值的锻铁支付。您的利润是百分之九百。”

The Commdor plucked at his beard and seemed engaged in awesome mentalcalculations, "Galaxy, how they would fight for them. I'll keep the supplysmall and let them bid. Of course, it wouldn't do to let them know that Ipersonally……"

领袖拼命扯着胡子，似乎正在进行复杂的心算。“银河啊，她们一定会打破头来抢购。我故意只供应极少的数量，让她们来竞标。当然，不能让任何人知道是我自己……”

Mallow said, "We can explain the workings of dummy corporations, if you would like. Then, working further at random, take our complete line ofhousehold gadgets. We have collapsible stoves that will roast the toughestmeats to the desired tenderness in two minutes. We've got knives that won'trequire sharpening. We've got the equivalent of a complete laundry that canbe packed in a small closet and will work entirely automatically. Dittodish-washers. Ditto-ditto floor-scrubbers, furniture polishers,dust-precipitators, lighting fixtures--oh, anything you like. Think ofyour increased popularity, if you make them available to the public. Thinkof your increased quantity of, uh, worldly goods, if they're available as agovernment monopoly at nine hundred percent profit. It will be worth manytimes the money to them, and they needn't know what you pay for it. And,mind you, none of it will require priestly supervision. Everybody will behappy."

马洛又说：“如果您有兴趣，我能为您说明我们暗中合作的方式——然后，再从我们全套的家庭用品中，随缘挑选一些合作项目。例如折叠式烤炉，可以在两分钟内，把最硬的肉烤成您喜欢的熟度；还有不必磨的利刀；还有整套袖珍型的全自动洗衣机，整个可以放进小柜子里；此外还有同类型的洗碗机、同类型的地板清洁机、家具清拭机，尘埃收集机、照明装置等等——喔，您想要的，应有尽有。请想想看，如果您让大众都能买到这些商品，您的声望会再增加多少。请再想想看，以百分之九百的利润，采取政府专卖的方式，您可以借此迅速累积……喔，累积多少财富。对于民众而言，这些装置仍然价廉物美，他们也绝对不会晓得您进货的价格。我还要再提醒您一次，这些家庭用品都不需要教士的监督指导，这岂不是皆大欢喜。”

"Except you, it seems. What do you get out of it?"

“似乎只有你例外。你图的是什么呢？”

"Just what every trader gets by Foundation law. My men and I will collecthalf of whatever profits we take in. Just you buy all I want to sell you,and we'll both make out quite well. Quite well."

“我所能得到的，就是根据基地的法律，一个行商应得的利润。我和我的手下，可以得到整个利润的一半。您只要将我想卖给您的东西照单全收，我们双方就都是赢家，都是赢家。”

The Commdor was enjoying his thoughts, "What did you say you wanted to bepaid with? Iron?"

领袖已经陶醉在想象中。“你说希望我们用什么付账？铁吗？”

"That, and coal, and bauxite. Also tobacco, pepper, magnesium, hardwood. Nothing you haven't got enough of."

“是的，或者是煤、铁铝氧石。烟草、胡椒、镁或硬木也行，这些都是你们盛产的东西。”

"It sounds well."

“条件还算合理。”

"I think so. Oh, and still another item at random, Commdor. I could retoolyour factories."

“我也这么想。喔，还有一点也是随缘，领袖，我能替你们改良工厂的设备。”

"Eh? How's that?"

“啊？那是什么意思？”

"Well, take your steel foundries. I have handy little gadgets that could dotricks with steel that would cut production costs to one percent ofprevious marks. You could cut prices by half, and still split extremely fatprofits with the manufacturers. I tell you, I could show you exactly what Imean, if you allowed me a demonstration. Do you have a steel foundry inthis city? It wouldn't take long."

“嗯，以炼钢厂为例吧。我有一些小机器，能够轻易地处理钢铁加工，可以使成本降低到原来的百分之一。您只要将售价减半，还是能和制造业者分享巨大的利润。我跟您说，如果您允许我作一次示范，我就能证明我说的话。城里头有没有炼钢厂？不会花太多时间的。”

"It could be arranged, Trader Mallow. But tomorrow, tomorrow. Would youdine with us tonight?"

“马洛行商，这不难安排。不过那是明天的事，明天再说。今晚和我共进晚餐如何？”

"My men? began Mallow.

“我的手下……”马洛一开口就被打断了。

"Let them all come," said the Commdor, expansively. "A symbolic friendlyunion of our nations. It will give us a chance for further friendlydiscussion. But one thing," his face lengthened and grew stem, "none ofyour religion. Don't think that all this is an entering wedge for themissionaries."

“让他们一起来，”领袖大方地说，“这是我们两国亲善的象征，能让我们有机会多作一些友好的会谈。不过，我只想提醒你一件事——”他拉长了脸，表情严肃，“绝对别提你们的宗教，别以为这些能当传教士的敲门砖。”

"Commdor," said Mallow, dryly, "I give you my word that religion would cutmy profits."

“领袖，”马洛淡淡地说道，“我向您保证，宗教只会令我的利润折损。”

"Then that will do for now. You'll be escorted back to your ship."

“那么目前为止，我还觉得满意。我会派人护送你回太空船去。”

6

The Commdora was much younger than her husband. Her face was pale andcoldly formed and her black hair was drawn smoothly and tightly back.

领袖夫人比她的丈夫年轻很多。她的脸色苍白，面容冷峻，乌黑的长发在脑后梳成一个光润紧致的髻。

Her voice was tart. "You are quite finished, my gracious and noble husband? Quite, quite finished? I suppose I may even enter the garden if I wish,now."

她的声音听来很泼辣。“我仁慈高贵的夫君，你事儿都办了吗？全部，全部办完了吗？现在，我想如果我有这个愿望，应该可以到花园走走了。”

"There is no need for dramatics, Licia, my dear," said the Commdor, mildly. "The young man will attend at dinner tonight, and you can speak with himall you wish and even amuse yourself by listening to all I say. Room willhave to be arranged for his men somewhere about the place. The stars grantthat they be few in numbers."

“莉西雅，亲爱的，别这么夸张。”领袖好言好语地说，“那个年轻人今晚会出席晚宴，你可以跟他自由交谈，你如果有兴趣，甚至可以听听我说些什么。此外，我们还要为他的手下安排地方，众星保佑他们不会来太多人。”

"Most likely they'll be great hogs of eaters who will eat meat by thequarter-animal and wine by the hogshead. And you will groan for two nightswhen you calculate the expense."

“他们一定个个都是馋鬼，大块吃肉，大碗喝酒。等到算出这一顿的开销，保证你会心疼得呻吟两个晚上。”

"Well now, perhaps I won't. Despite your opinion, the dinner is to be onthe most lavish scale."

“嗯，也许这次不会。不管你怎么说，我还是要筹备一场最丰盛的晚宴。”

"Oh, I see." She stared at him contemptuously. "You are very friendly withthese barbarians. Perhaps that is why I was not to be permitted to attendyour conversation. Perhaps your little weazened soul is plotting to turnagainst my father."

“喔，我知道了。”她轻蔑地瞪着他，“你对那些蛮子倒很热络嘛。也许就是因为这样，才不准我参加刚才的会谈。也许你的小心眼里，正计划着如何背叛我的父亲。”

"Not at all."

“绝对没有。”

"Yes, I'd be likely to believe you, wouldn't I? If ever a poor woman wassacrificed for policy to an unsavory marriage, it was myself. I could havepicked a more proper man from the alleys and mudheaps of my native world."

“一定是这样，难道我应该相信你啊？我是个可怜的女人，为了政治而牺牲，陷身不幸福的婚姻当中。我从自己国家的大街小巷，甚至贫民窟里头，都能随便挑一个更适合我的丈夫。”

"Well, now, I'll tell you what, my lady. Perhaps you would enjoy returningto your native world. Except that, to retain as a souvenir that portion ofyou with which I am best acquainted, I could have your tongue cut outfirst. And," he tolled his head, calculatingly, to one side, "as a finalimproving touch to your beauty, your ears and the tip of your nose aswell."

“好吧，听着，夫人，我来告诉你怎么办。也许你真的应该高高兴兴回娘家去，不过，得留下身体的一部分给我当纪念品，就留下我最熟悉的部分吧。我要先割掉你的舌头，然后，”他把脑袋倚在椅背上，像是在精打细算，“为了使你变得更美丽，耳朵和鼻头也得割下来。”

"You wouldn't dare, you little pug-dog. My father would pulverize your toynation to meteoric dust. In fact, he might do it in any case, if I told himyou were treating with these barbarians."

“你不敢，你这只哈巴狗，我父亲会把你这个小小国家轰成一片星尘。事实上，只要我告诉他说你正在和那些蛮子打交道，他就一定会这么做。”

"Hm-mmm. Well, there's no need for threats. You are free to question theman yourself tonight. Meanwhile, madam, keep your wagging tongue still."

“哼，哼。好啦，你用不着威胁我。今天晚上你可以自己问那个人。现在，夫人，把你的三寸不烂之舌收起来。”

"At your orders?"

“这是你的命令吗？”

"Here, take this, then, and keep still."

“这个，拿去吧，给我保持安静。”

The band was about her waist and the necklace around her neck. He pushedthe knob himself and stepped back.

领袖将金属链子缠到她的腰际，又拿项链给她戴上。他亲自按下按钮，再后退几步。

The Commdora drew in her breath and held out her hands stiffly. Shefingered the necklace gingerly, and gasped again.

领袖夫人倒抽了一口气，僵硬地伸出双手。她小心翼翼地抚摸着项链，然后又开始喘气。

The Commdor rubbed his hands with satisfaction and said, "You may wear ittonight--and I'll get you more. Now keep still."

领袖满意地搓搓手，说：“今晚你就可以戴着出席——将来我还会弄更多给你。现在，保持安静。”

The Commdora kept still.

领袖夫人果然安静下来。

7

Jaim Twer fidgeted and shuffled his feet. He said, "What's twisting yourface?"

詹姆·杜尔慌慌张张踱着步走过来，对马洛说：“你为什么臭着一张脸？”

Hober Mallow lifted out of his brooding, "Is my face twisted? It's notmeant so."

侯伯·马洛从沉思中抬起头来。“我臭着脸吗？我不是故意的。”

"Something must have happened yesterday, I mean, besides that feast." Withsudden conviction, "Mallow, there's trouble, isn't there?"

“昨天一定发生了什么事——我的意思是，除了晚宴以外。”然后，杜尔改以肯定的口气说：“马洛，有麻烦了，对不对？”

"Trouble? No. Quite the opposite. In fact, I'm in the position of throwingmy full weight against a door and finding it ajar at the time. We'regetting into this steel foundry too easily."

“麻烦？没有，而且正好相反。事实是，我正准备用全身的重量去撞门，却发现那扇门及时开了一条缝。我们即将到炼钢厂去，这似乎太容易了。”

"You suspect a trap?"

“你怀疑是陷阱吗？”

"Oh, for Seldon's sake, don't be melodramatic." Mallow swallowed hisimpatience and added conversationally, "It's just that the easy entrancemeans there will be nothing to see.

“喔，看在谢顿的份上，别那么悲观好吗？”马洛压抑着不耐烦的情绪，以平常的口吻补充道：“只是，太容易去的地方，代表什么也看不到。”

"Nuclear power, huh?" Twer ruminated. "I'll tell you. There's just about noevidence of any nuclear power economy here in Korell. And it would bepretty hard to mask all signs of the widespread effects a fundamentaltechnology such as nucleics would have on everything."

“你是指核能，嗯？”杜尔若有所思，“让我告诉你，我们在科瑞尔，是不会看到任何核能迹象的。像核能这种对国计民生有深远影响的科技，如果有的话，一定随处可见，很难百分之百遮掩起来。”

"Not if it was just starting up, Twer, and being applied to a war economy. You'd find it in the shipyards and the steel foundries only."

“杜尔，但如果是刚刚起步，而且应用在军事方面，那就另当别论。果真这样，就只能在太空船坞和炼钢厂看到。”

"So if we don't find it, then?

“如果我们在那里还找不到，那么……”

"Then they haven't got it--or they're not showing it. Toss a coin or takea guess."

“那就表示他们还没有核能——或是故意藏起来。让我们猜猜看，或者掷硬币卜一卦。”

Twer shook his head, "I wish I'd been with you yesterday."

杜尔摇摇头。“假使昨天我和你在一起就好了。”

"I wish you had, too," said Mallow stonily. "I have no objection to moralsupport. Unfortunately, it was the Commdor who set the terms of themeeting, and not myself. And what is coming now would seem to be the royalgroundcar to escort us to the foundry. Have you got the gadgets?"

“我也希望如此。”马洛面无表情地说，“我不反对你给我精神上的支持。可惜决定会谈条件的人是领袖，而不是我自己。现在来的车子，似乎就是领袖派来的专车，准备接我们到炼钢厂去。东西带好了吗？”

"All of them."

“都齐了。”

8

The foundry was large, and bore the odor of decay which no amount ofsuperficial repairs could quite erase. It was empty now and in quite anunnatural state of quiet, as it played unaccustomed host to the Commdor andhis court.

炼钢厂的规模相当大，空气中弥漫着腐朽的气息，除非彻底翻修，否则不可能除去这种怪味道。为了接待领袖与随行官员的大驾，闲杂人等全被赶走，因此显得异常冷清。

Mallow had swung the steel sheet onto the two supports with a carelessheave. He had taken the instrument held out to him by Twer and was grippingthe leather handle inside its leaden sheath.

马洛已经顺手举起一块钢板，放在两具支架上，并且握住了杜尔递给他的工具。此时他将手伸进铅套中，紧紧抓着里面的皮质把手。

"The instrument," he said, "is dangerous, but so is a buzz saw. You justhave to keep your fingers away."

“这个工具很危险，”他说，“不过普通的圆锯一样危险。无论如何，手指头都得避开。”

And as he spoke, he drew the muzzle-slit swiftly down the length of thesteel sheet, which quietly and instantly fell in two.

马洛一面说，一面用刃口迅速将钢板齐中划开，钢板立时悄无声息地裂为两半。

There was a unanimous jump, and Mallow laughed. He picked up one of thehalves and propped it against his knee, "You can adjust the cutting-lengthaccurately to a hundredth of an inch, and a two-inch sheet will slit downthe middle as easily as this thing did. If you've got the thickness exactlyjudged, you can place steel on a wooden table, and split the metal withoutscratching the wood."

众人都吓了一跳。马洛则哈哈大笑，拾起其中一块撑在膝盖上。“这个机器的切割精度能微调到百分之一英寸，一块两英寸厚的钢板也能像这样轻易地一剖为二。只要厚度量得准确，就可以把钢板放在木桌上切割，却一点都不会伤到桌面。”

And at each phrase, the nuclear shear moved and a gouged chunk of steelflew across the room.

他每说一句，就用这个核能钢剪把钢板切下一块，顿时室内满是钢板的碎片。

"That," he said, "is whittling--with steel."

“这是，”他说，“真正的削钢如泥。”

He passed back the shear. "Or else you have the plane. Do you want todecrease the thickness of a sheet, smooth out an irregularity, removecorrosion? Watch!"

他将钢剪递还给杜尔。“此外还有钢刨。你们想不想让钢板变薄一点，或者将凹凸不平或锈蚀的地方刨平？请看！”

Thin, transparent foil flew off the other half of the original sheet insix-inch swarths, then eight-inch, then twelve.

随着马洛的舞动，一片片透明的钢箔飘落下来。钢板的表面被刨了六英寸宽、八英寸宽……十二英寸宽。

"Or drills? It's all the same principle."

“想不想要核能钢钻？都是应用相同的原理。”

They were crowded around now. It might have been a sleight-of-hand show, acomer magician, a vaudeville act made into high-pressure salesmanship. Commdor Asper fingered scraps of steel. High officials of the governmenttiptoed over each other's shoulders, and whispered, while Mallow punchedclean, beautiful round holes through an inch of hard steel at every touchof his nuclear drill.

在场人士通通围了上来。这像是为了推销商品而进行的一场魔术或杂耍，而马洛就是今天的街头魔术师。领袖用手指抚摸着刨下来的钢屑。而当马洛用钢钻轻易在一英寸厚的钢板上，打出一个个完美无暇的圆洞时，高级官员们全都踮起脚尖来看，还不时低声交换意见。

"Just one more demonstration. Bring two short lengths of pipe, somebody."

“现在我准备进行最后一个表演，谁能帮我拿两根短的钢管来。”

An Honorable Chamberlain of something-or-other sprang to obedience in thegeneral excitement and thought-absorption, and stained his hands like anylaborer.

此时众人看得如痴如狂，还好总算有某某高官听到这句话，赶紧依言找来钢管，却把两手弄得满是油污。

Mallow stood them upright and shaved the ends off with a single stroke ofthe shear, and then joined the pipes, fresh cut to fresh cut.

马洛将两根钢管竖起来，用钢剪将上端都削去一小节，然后让削开的两端相对，把两根钢管接在一起。

And there was a single pipe! The new ends, with even atomic irregularitiesmissing, formed one piece upon joining.

结果两根钢管变成了一根！接合处连原子尺度的瑕疵都没有，根本看不出任何接痕。

Then Mallow looked up at his audience, stumbled at his first word andstopped. There was the keen stirring of excitement in his chest, and thebase of his stomach went tingly and cold.

马洛抬起头望着他的观众，正想要说话，喉咙却突然哽住，发不出任何声音。他的胸口感到强烈的悸动，胃部却发冷而刺痛。

The Commdor's own bodyguard, in the confusion, had struggled to the frontline, and Mallow, for the first time, was near enough to see theirunfamiliar hand-weapons in detail.

因为他终于和领袖的贴身保镖面对面了。在混乱中，他们全都挤到最前排来保护领袖，让马洛第一次看清楚他们的随身武器。

They were nuclear! There was no mistaking it; an explosive projectileweapon with a barrel like that was impossible. But that wasn't the bigpoint. That wasn't the point at all.

那是核能武器！绝对错不了。使用火药的手铳，铳管绝不可能像那个样子。然而这不是重点，绝对不是。

The butts of those weapons had, deeply etched upon them, in worn goldplating, the Spaceship-and-Sun!

重点是在那些武器的把手上，都有着镀金的薄片，上面镂刻着“星舰与太阳”的标志！

The same Spaceship-and-Sun that was stamped on every. one of the greatvolumes of the original Encyclopedia that the Foundation had begun and notyet finished. The same Spaceship-and-Sun that had blazoned the banner ofthe Galactic Empire through millennia.

在基地陆续出版的百科全书每一巨册的封面上，全都盖着同样的标志。数千年来，这个“星舰与太阳”的标志，也纹绣在银河帝国每一面旗帜上。

Mallow talked through and around his thoughts, "Test that pipe! It's onepiece. Not perfect; naturally, the joining shouldn't be done by hand."

马洛心中一瞬间兴起无数的念头，但他还是勉力镇定地说：“请试试这根钢管！简直就是一根。当然，它还不算完美，因为我是用手工接合的。”

There was no need of further legerdemain. It had gone over. Mallow wasthrough. He had what he wanted. There was only one thing in his mind. Thegolden globe with its conventionalized rays, and the oblique cigar shapethat was a space vessel.

一切已经结束，不需要再变任何戏法了。马洛的目的已经达到，他想找的东西已经找到了。现在他脑海中只有一个画面：一个金球，周围有着象徽性的光芒，上面叠着一艘倾斜的雪茄状星舰。

The Spaceship-and-Sun of the Empire!

那就是帝国的国徽，“星舰与太阳”的标志！

The Empire! The words drilled! A century and a half had passed but therewas still the-Empire, somewhere deeper in the Galaxy. And it was emergingagain, out into the Periphery.

帝国！这两个字在马洛心中不断回荡。一个半世纪过去了，帝国仍旧存在于银河深处。如今它又出现了，势力再度触及银河外缘。

Mallow smiled!

马洛露出了微笑！

9

The Far Star was two days out in space, when Hober Mallow, in his privatequarters with Senior Lieutenant Drawt, handed him an envelope, a roll ofmicrofilm, and a silvery spheroid.

远星号已经在太空中飞行了两天。侯伯·马洛将卓特上尉叫到自己的寝室来，交给他一个信封、一卷微缩胶片以及一个银色的小球。

"As of an hour from now, Lieutenant, you're Acting Captain of the Far Star,until I return, or forever."

“上尉，一小时后，你就是远星号的代理船长，直到我回来为止——或是永远代理下去。”

Drawt made a motion of standing but Mallow waved him down imperiously.

卓特刚要站起来，马洛立刻挥手示意他别动。

"Quiet, and listen. The envelope contains the exact location of the planetto which you're to proceed. There you will wait for me for two months. If,before the two months are up, the Foundation locates you, the microfilm ismy report of the trip.

“别说话，仔细听着。信封里是某颗行星的准确坐标，你率领远星号飞到那颗行星，在那里等我两个月。如果在这两个月间，基地的人找到你们，那卷微缩胶片就是我给基地的报告。”

"If, however," and his voice was somber, "I do not return at the end of twomonths, and Foundation vessels do not locate you, proceed to the planet,Terminus, and hand in the Time Capsule as the report. Do you understandthat?"

“然而，”马洛的声音变得有些忧郁，“假如两个月后我没有回来，而基地的船舰也没有发现你，就立刻回端点星去，将那个定时信囊交给基地政府，作为这次任务的报告。明白了吗？”

"Yes, sir."

“报告船长，明白了。”

"At no time are you, or any of the men, to amplify in any single instance,my official report."

“不论在任何时候，你自己或其他船员，都不得将我的报告内容泄漏一丝一毫。”

"If we are questioned, sir?"

“报告船长，如果有人问我们呢？”

"Then you know nothing."

“就说你们什么也不知道。”

Yes, sir.

“报告船长，记住了。”

The interview ended, and fifty minutes later, a lifeboat kicked lightly offthe side of the Far Star.

他们的会谈到此结束，五十分钟之后，一架救生艇便从远星号的腹侧轻轻弹开。

10

Onum Barr was an old man, too old to be afraid. Since the lastdisturbances, he had lived alone on the fringes of the land with what bookshe had saved from the ruins. He had nothing he feared losing, least of allthe worn remnant of his life, and so he faced the intruder withoutcringing.

欧南·巴尔是一位老人，已经老得无所畏惧。自从上次动乱之后，他就独自一人住在这个偏僻的地方，陪伴着他的，只有他从废墟中抢救出来的书籍。他从不担心会丢失任何东西，尤其是这条苟延残喘的老命。所以，他毫无惧色地面对闯进家里的陌生人。

"Your door was open," the stranger explained.

“您家的门开着。”陌生人解释道。

His accent was clipped and harsh, and Barr did not fail to notice thestrange blue-steel hand-weapon at his hip. In the half gloom of the smallroom, Barr saw the glow of a force-shield surrounding the man.

他的腔调听来很陌生，巴尔也注意到他的腰际挂着精钢制成的随身武器。在这个相当昏暗的小房间里，巴尔还看得出陌生人周围闪耀着力场防护罩的光芒。

He said, wearily, "There is no reason to keep it closed. Do you wishanything of me?"

巴尔以疲倦的声音说：“我没有需要关门的理由。你希望我帮什么忙吗？”

"Yes." The stranger remained standing in the center of the room. He waslarge, both in height and bulk. "Yours is the only house about here."

“是的。”陌生人继续站在房间中央，他的体形很高很壮。他又说：“这附近只有您一户人家。”

"It is a desolate place," agreed Barr, "but there is a town to the east. Ican show you the way'."

“这里是很偏僻的地方。”巴尔说，“不过东边有座城镇，我可以告诉你怎么走。”

"In a while. May I sit?"

“等会儿吧。我可以坐下来吗？”

"If the chairs will hold you," said the old man, gravely. They were old,too. Relics of a better youth.

“只要椅子支撑得住你。”老人严肃地说。那些家具也都老了，早就该报废了。

The stranger said, "My name is Hober Mallow. I come from a far province."

陌生人说：“我名叫侯伯·马洛，来自一个遥远的地方。”

Barr nodded and smiled, "Your tongue convicted you of that long ago. I amOnum Barr of Siwenna-- and once Patrician of the Empire."

巴尔点了点头，微微一笑。“你的舌头早就泄露了这个秘密。我是西维纳人欧南·巴尔——曾经是帝国的贵族。”

"Then this is Siwenna. I had only old maps to guide me."

“那么这里的确是西维纳。我不确定，是因为我只有一些旧星图作参考。”

"They would have to be old, indeed, for star-positions to be misplaced."

“那些星图一定很旧了，连恒星的位置都不对。”

Barr sat quite still, while the other's eyes drifted away into a reverie. He noticed that the nuclear force-shield had vanished from about the manand admitted dryly to himself that his person no longer seemed formidableto strangers-- or even, for good or for evil, to his enemies.

巴尔一直静静坐着，马洛则将目光转到一侧，好像在想什么心事。巴尔注意到他周围的核能力场已经消失，明白这代表马洛——不论是敌是友——已经不再像刚才那样提防自己。

He said, "My house is poor and my resources few. You may share what I haveif your stomach can endure black bread and dried corn."

巴尔又说：“我的房子很破旧，物资也极为贫乏。如果你咽得下黑面包和干玉米，欢迎你和我分享一切。”

Mallow shook his head, "No, I have eaten, and I can't stay. All I need arethe directions to the center of government."

马洛摇摇头。“谢谢您，我已经吃饱了。我也不能久留，只想请您指点去政府中枢的方向。”

"That is easily enough done, and poor though I am, deprives me of nothing. Do you mean the capital of the planet, or of the Imperial Sector?"

“虽然我穷得一无所有，但是这个忙对我而言还是很简单。你指的是这颗行星的首邑，还是本星区的首府？”

The younger man's eyes narrowed, "Aren't the two identical? Isn't thisSiwenna?"

马洛眯起眼睛。“这两个地方不同吗？这里难道不是西维纳？”

The old patrician nodded slowly, "Siwenna, yes. But Siwenna is no longercapital of the Normannic Sector. Your old map has misled you after all. Thestars may not change even in centuries, but political boundaries are alltoo fluid."

老贵族缓缓点了点头。“这里是西维纳没错。但是西维纳已经不是诺曼星区的首府，你被那些旧星图误导了。星辰也许几个世纪都不会改变，可是政治疆界却始终变幻无常。”

"That's too bad. In fact, that's very bad. Is the new capital far off?"

“那就太糟了。事实上，简直是糟透了。诺曼星区的新首府离这里很远吗？”

"It's on Orsha II. Twenty parsecs off. Your map will direct you. How old isit?"

“在奥夏二号行星上，离此地二十秒差距，你的星图上应该有。这星图有多旧了？”

"A hundred and fifty years."

“一百五十年。”

"That old?" The old man sighed. "History has been crowded since. Do youknow any of it?"

“那么旧了？”老人叹了一口气，“这段时间的历史非常热闹。你可略知一二？”

Mallow shook his bead slowly.

马洛缓缓摇了摇头。

Barr said, "You're fortunate. It has been an evil time for the provinces,but for the reign of Stannell VI, and he died fifty years ago. Since thattime, rebellion and ruin, ruin and rebellion." Barr wondered if he weregrowing garrulous. It was a lonely life out here, and he had so littlechance to talk to men.

巴尔说：“你很幸运。过去一百多年，这里经历一段邪恶的时代，唯有斯达涅尔六世在位时例外，而他崩逝也有五十年了。从那时候开始，就不断发生叛乱谋反、烧杀掳掠；烧杀掳掠、叛乱谋反。”巴尔担心自己是不是太啰唆，但是这里的生活孤单寂寞，这个说话的机会太难得了。

Mallow said with sudden sharpness, "Ruin, eh? You sound as if the provincewere impoverished."

马洛突然尖声问道：“烧杀掳掠，啊？听您的口气，好像这个星省已经一片荒芜。”

"Perhaps not on an absolute scale. The physical resources of twenty-fivefirst-rank planets take a long time to use up. Compared to the wealth ofthe last century, though, we have gone a long way downhill--and there isno sign of turning, not yet. Why are you so interested in all this, youngman? You are all alive and your eyes shine!"

“也许还没有那么严重。想要耗尽二十五颗一级行星的资源，得花上很长一段时间。不过，和上个世纪的富庶相比，我们已经走了好长的下坡路——而且，至今没有任何好转的迹象。年轻人，你对这一切为何那么有兴趣？看你全身充满活力，目光也神采奕奕！”

The trader came near enough to blushing, as the faded eyes seemed to looktoo deep into his and smile at what they saw.

这些话令马洛几乎面红耳赤。老人虽然双眼失去光采，却仍然能看透对方的内心，仿佛正在发出会心微笑。

He said, "Now look here. I'm a trader out there--out toward the rim of theGalaxy. I've located some old maps, and I'm out to open new markets. Naturally, talk of impoverished provinces disturbs me. You can't get moneyout of a world unless money's there to be got. Now how's Siwenna, forinstance?"

马洛说：“让我告诉您吧。我是一名行商，来自——来自银河的边缘。我发现了一批旧星图，来到这里打算开发新市场。所以一提到荒芜的地区，我自然就浑身不舒服。在一个没有钱的世界，我怎么可能赚到钱呢？西维纳这个地方，目前的情况究竟如何？”

The old man leaned forward, "I cannot say. It will do even yet, perhaps. But you a trader? You look more like a fighting man. You hold your handnear your gun and there is a scar on your jawbone."

老人身体微微向前倾。“我也说不准。也许，还算过得去吧。但你居然是一名行商？你看起来更像一名战士。你的手一直紧挨着佩枪，下颚还有一道疤痕。”

Mallow jerked his head, "There isn't much law out there where I come from. Fighting and scars are part of a trader's overhead. But fighting is onlyuseful when there's money at the end, and if I can get it without, so muchthe sweeter. Now will I find enough money here to make it worth thefighting? I take it I can find the fighting easily enough."

马洛猛然抬起头来。“我们那个地方法律不张，打斗和挂彩都是行商成本的一部分。不过只有在有利可图的时候，打斗才算有意义；假如不用动武就能赚到钱，那岂不是更妙。我能否在此地找到值得一战的财富呢？我想打斗的机会倒是很容易找。”

"Easily enough," agreed Barr. "You could join Wiscard's remnants in the RedStars. I don't know, though, if you'd call that fighting or piracy. Or youcould join our present gracious viceroy-- gracious by right of murder,pillage, rapine, and the word of a boy Emperor, since rightfullyassassinated."

“太容易了。”巴尔表示同意，“你可以加入红星地带的威斯卡余党，不过我不知道，你会管他们的勾当叫打斗还是打劫。或者你也可以投效我们的现任总督，他很仁慈——在幼年皇帝的默许下，他可以随意杀人、尽情劫掠，不过那位皇帝当然也被暗杀了。”

The patrician's thin cheeks reddened. His eyes closed andthen opened, bird-bright.

老贵族瘦削的双颊转红，他将眼睛闭上再张开，目光变得如鹰隼般锐利。

"You don't sound very friendly to the viceroy, Patrician Barr," saidMallow. "What if I'm one of his spies?"

“巴尔贵族，听来您对总督似乎并不很友善。”马洛说，“万一我是他的间谍怎么办？”

"What if you are?" said Barr, bitterly. "What can you take?" He gestured awithered arm at the bare interior of the decaying mansion.

“你果真是间谍又如何？”巴尔挖苦道，“你能从我这里得到什么？”他用枯瘦的手，指了指残破而几乎空无一物的屋子。

"Your life."

“您的性命。”

"It would leave me easily enough. It has been with me five years too long. But you are not one of the viceroy's men. If you were, perhaps even nowinstinctive self-preservation would keep my mouth closed."

“生命随时会离我而去，我已经多活了五个年头。但是你绝非总督的人，否则，也许只是出于本能的自保心理，就会让我闭上嘴巴。”

How do you know?

“您又怎么知道？”

The old man laughed, "You seem suspicious--Come, I'll wager you think I'mtrying to trap you into denouncing the government. No, no. I am pastpolitics."

老人哈哈大笑。“你好像很多疑。我敢打赌，你以为我试图引诱你诽谤政府。不，不，我早已脱离政治了。”

"Past politics? Is a man ever past that? The words you used to describe theviceroy--what were they? Murder, pillage, all that. You didn't soundobjective. Not exactly. Not as if you were past politics."

“脱离政治？人脱离得了政治吗？您用来形容总督的那些话——是怎么说的？随意杀人、尽情劫掠等等，听来并不客观，至少不完全客观，不像是您已经脱离政治。”

The old man shrugged, "Memories sting when they come suddenly. Listen! Judge for yourself! When Siwenna was the provincial capital, I was apatrician and a member of the provincial senate. My family was an old andhonored one. One of my great-grandfathers had been……No, never mind that. Past glories are poor feeding."

老人耸耸肩。“过去的记忆突然浮现，总是令人感到痛苦。听好！然后你自己判断！当西维纳仍是星区首府的时候，我是一名贵族，并且是星省的议员。我的家族拥有光荣悠久的历史，曾祖那一辈曾经出过……不，别提了，昔日的光荣如今于事无补。”

"I take it," said Mallow, "there was a civil war, or a revolution."

“我想您的意思是，”马洛说，“这里曾经发生过内战，或是一场革命？”

Barr's face darkened. "Civil wars are chronic in these degenerate days, butSiwenna had kept apart. Under Stannell VI, it had almost achieved itsancient prosperity. But weak emperors followed, and weak emperors meanstrong viceroys, and our last viceroy--the same Wiscard, whose remnantsstill prey on the commerce among the Red Stars--aimed at the ImperialPurple. He wasn't the first to aim. And if he had succeeded, he wouldn'thave been the first to succeed.

巴尔脸色阴沉。“在如今这个人心不古的世代，内战可说是家常便饭，不过西维纳仍能侥幸避免。斯达涅尔六世在位期间，这里几乎恢复了昔日的繁荣。但是后继的皇帝都是懦弱无能之辈，使得总督一个个坐大。而我们上一任的总督——就是刚才提到的那个威斯卡，他仍然率领余党盘踞在红星地带，时常出没抢劫路过的商人——当年曾经觊觎帝国的帝位。他并不是第一个具有如此野心的人，即使他当初成功了，也不会是第一个篡位的总督。

"But he failed. For when the Emperor's Admiral approached the province atthe head of a fleet, Siwenna itself rebelled against its rebel viceroy." Hestopped, sadly.

“但他最后失败了。因为当帝国的远征舰队兵临城下之际，西维纳人民也开始反抗这位反叛的总督。”说到这里，他悲伤地停了下来。

Mallow found himself tense on the edge of his seat, and relaxed slowly,"Please continue, sir."

马洛发觉自己紧张得快要从椅子上滑下来，于是慢慢放松些。“老贵族，请继续说下去。”

"Thank you," said Barr, wearily. "It's kind of you to humor an old man. They rebelled; or I should say, we rebelled, for I was one of the minorleaders. Wiscard left Siwenna, barely ahead of us, and the planet, and withit the province, were thrown open to the admiral with every gesture ofloyalty to the Emperor. Why we did this, I'm not sure. Maybe we felt loyal to the symbol, if not the person, of the Emperor, a cruel and vicious child. Maybe we feared the horrors of a siege."

“谢谢你，”巴尔有气无力地说，“你真好，愿意让一个老人开心。他们开始反抗，或者我应该说，是我们开始反抗，因为我也是领导者之一。结果威斯卡逃离了西维纳，只差一点就被我们抓到。然后，我们立刻开放这颗行星，以及整个星省，欢迎远征舰队的司令官驾临，以此充分表现我们对皇帝陛下的忠心。至于我们为何这么做，我自己也不确定，也许，我们即使不认同那位皇帝——他是个既残忍又邪恶的小鬼，仍然想对皇帝这个象征效忠。不过也有可能，是我们害怕被帝国军队攻下。”

"Well?" urged Mallow, gently.

“后来呢？”马洛轻声追问。

"Well, came the grim retort, "that didn't suit the admiral. He wanted theglory of conquering a rebellious province and his men wanted the loot suchconquest would involve. So while the people were still gathered in everylarge city, cheering the Emperor and his admiral, he occupied all armedcenters, and then ordered the population put to the nuclear blast."

“后来啊，”老人感伤地回答，“我们这么做，仍然不能让那位舰队司令满意。他此行的目的，就是要立下征服叛乱星省的彪炳战功，而他的部下都在等着征服之后大肆劫掠战利品。因此当许多民众仍然聚集在各大城市中，为皇帝和司令高声欢呼之际，那位司令竟然占领所有的武装据点，然后下令用核炮对付那些平民。”

"On what pretext?"

“用什么名义？”

"On the pretext that they had rebelled against their viceroy, the Emperor'sanointed. And the admiral became the new viceroy, by virtue of one month ofmassacre, pillage and complete horror. I had six sons. Five died--variously. I had a daughter. I hope she died, eventually. I escaped becauseI was old. I came here, too old to cause even our viceroy worry." He benthis gray head, "They left me nothing, because I had helped drive out arebellious governor and deprived an admiral of his glory."

“名义就是他们反抗原来的总督，因为他仍是钦命的官员。接着，这位司令借着一个月的屠杀、劫掠和恐怖统治，使他自己成为新任总督。我原来有六个儿子，其中五个死了——死法各异。我还有一个女儿，我宁可她现在也死了。我能安全逃离，只是因为我太老了。我来到这里，新总督完全不把我放在心上。”满头白发的他垂下头来，“但是他们将我的一切全部没收了，因为我曾经出力赶走那个叛变的总督，损及了舰队司令的战功。”

Mallow sat silent, and waited. Then, "What of your sixth son?" he askedsoftly.

马洛坐着默然不语，等了好一阵子，然后才轻声问：“您的最后一个儿子现在如何？”

"Eh?" Barr smiled acidly. "He is safe, for he has joined the admiral as acommon soldier under an assumed name. He is a gunner in the viceroy'spersonal fleet. Oh, no, I see your eyes. He is not an unnatural son. Hevisits me when he can and gives me what he can. He keeps me alive. And someday, our great and glorious viceroy will grovel to his death, and it willbe my son who will be his executioner."

“啊？”巴尔露出苦笑，“他很安全，他用化名投到司令麾下，如今是总督私人舰队的一名炮手。喔，不，我从你眼中看出来了。不，他并不是一个不肖的儿子。他只要有时间就会来看我，并且带来他能找到的各种物资，我如今是靠他养活的。将来若有一天，我们这位伟大而仁慈的总督一命呜呼，一定就是我儿子下的手。”

"And you tell this to a stranger? You endanger your son."

“而您将这种事告诉一个陌生人？这样会危及令公子的性命。”

"No. I help him, by introducing a new enemy. And were I a friend of theviceroy, as I am his enemy, I would tell him to string outer space withships, clear to the rim of the Galaxy."

“不，我是在帮助他，我正在为总督制造一个新的敌人。假使我并非总督的敌人，而是他的朋友，我会劝他在外太空用星舰筑成长城，一直部署到银河边缘。”

"There are no ships there?"

“你们的外太空没有星舰巡弋吗？”

"Did you find any? Did any space-guards question your entry? With ships fewenough, and the bordering provinces filled with their share of intrigue andiniquity, none can be spared to guard the barbarian outer suns. No dangerever threatened us from the broken edge of the Galaxy, 勃ntil you came."

“你看到了吗？你来的时候，遭到任何警戒舰队的拦截吗？由于星舰不足，边境的星省又为自家的叛变和犯罪问题所困扰，没有一个星省能分派出星舰来警戒外围的蛮荒星空。银河边缘的残破世界从来不曾威胁过我们——直到如今，你来了。”

"I? I'm no danger."

“我？我一点也不危险。”

"There will be more after you."

“你来过之后，就会有更多人陆续来到。”

Mallow shook his head slowly, "I'm not sure I understand you."

马洛缓缓摇了摇头。“我不确定是否明白您的话。”

"Listen!" There was a feverish edge to the old man's voice. "I knew youwhen you entered. You have a force-shield about your body, or had when Ifirst saw you."

“听好！”老人的声音突然充满激动，“你一进来，我就知道你的来历了。我注意到你的身边围绕着力场防护罩，虽然现在没有了。”

Doubtful silence, then, "Yes, I had."

迟疑地沉默了好一会儿，马洛才说：“是的……我的确有。”

"Good. That was a flaw, but you didn't know that. There are some things Iknow. It's out of fashion in these decaying times to be a scholar. Eventsrace and flash past and who cannot fight the tide with nuclear-blast inhand is swept away, as I was.

“很好，这就让你露出马脚，可是你自己还不晓得。我知道不少事情。在这种衰败的世代，已经不流行做学者了。各种突如其来的变化，来得急去得也快，不能用手中的核铳保护自己的人，很快就会被潮流吞噬，我就是现成的例子。

But I was a scholar, and I know that in allthe history of nucleics, no portable force-shield was ever invented. Wehave force-shields--huge, lumbering powerhouses that will protect a city,or even a ship, but not one, single man."

“但我曾经是一名学者，我知道在核能装置的发展历史中，从来没有出现过这种随身防护罩。我们的确拥有力场防护罩，但是非常庞大，耗用大量的能源，可以保护一座城市，或是一艘星舰，却无法用在个人身上。”

"Ah?" Mallow's underlip thrust out. "And what do you deduce from that?"

“啊？”马洛努起嘴，“所以您推出什么结论？”

"There have been stories percolating through space. They travel strangepaths and become distorted with every parsec, 肪ut when I was young therewas a small ship of strange men, who did not know our customs and could nottell where they came from. They talked of magicians at the edge of theGalaxy; magicians who glowed in the darkness, who flew unaided through theair, and whom weapons would not touch.

“在浩淼的太空中流传着许多故事。这些故事经由各种奇异的管道扩散，每前进一秒差距就会扭曲一次。不过当我年轻的时候，曾经遇到一群异邦人，他们驾驶一艘小型太空船前来。那些人不了解我们的风俗习惯，也说不出自己从何处来。他们曾经提到银河边缘的魔术师，说那些魔术师能在黑暗中发出光芒，还能徒手在空气中飞行，而且任何武器也无法损伤他们。

"We laughed. I laughed, too. I forgot it till today. But you glow in thedarkness, and I don't think my blaster, if I had one, would hurt you. Tellme, can you fly through air as you sit there now?"

“当时我们忍不住捧腹大笑，我也跟着大家一起笑。我早就忘记这件事，直到今天才想起来。你的确能在黑暗中放光，假使现在我握有核铳，我想也不可能伤到你。告诉我，你是不是随时能飞起来？”

Mallow said calmly, "I can make nothing of all this."

马洛镇定地说：“这些我全都做不到。”

Barr smiled, "I'm content with the answer. I do not examine my guests. Butif there are magicians; if you are one of them; there may some day be agreat influx of them, or you. Perhaps that would be well. Maybe we need newblood."

巴尔微微一笑。“我接受你的答案，我不会搜客人的身。不过，如果那些魔术师真的存在，又如果你是其中一分子，那么他们，或者应该说你们，有朝一日也许会蜂拥而至。这样可能也有好处，或许我们需要一些新血。”

He muttered soundlessly to himself, then, slowly, "But it works theother way, too. Our new viceroy also dreams, as did our old Wiscard."

巴尔无声地喃喃自语了几句，然后再慢慢说：“但是这也会带来另一方面的影响。我们的新总督也有一个梦想——正如前总督威斯卡的梦想一样。”

"Also after the Emperor's crown?"

“他也在觊觎帝位？”

Barr nodded, "My son hears tales. In the viceroy's personal entourage, onecould scarcely help it. And he tells me of them. Our new viceroy would not refuse the Crown if offered, but he guards his line of retreat. There arestories that, failing Imperial heights, he plans to carve out a new Empirein the Barbarian hinterland. It is said, but I don't vouch for this, thathe has already given one of his daughters as wife to a Kinglet somewhere inthe uncharted Periphery."

巴尔点点头。“我的儿子听到许多传言。他既然在总督身边，自然不想听也不可能，而他把听到的事都告诉我了。我们的新总督打着如意算盘，若能顺利取得帝位当然最好，不过他也安排了退路。假如篡位失败，有人说他打算在蛮荒地区建立一个新的帝国。还有一项传言，但我不能保证，是说总督已经将他的一个女儿，下嫁给外缘一个不知名小国的君主。”

"If one listened to every story?

“如果这些传言都能采信……”

"I know. There are many more. I'm old and I babble nonsense. But what doyou say?" And those sharp, old eyes peered deep.

“我知道，传言还有很多很多。我老了，喋喋不休地净说些废话。你的看法又如何呢？”老人锐利的目光似乎能直视马洛的心底。

The trader considered, "I say nothing. But I'd like to ask something. DoesSiwenna have nuclear power? Now, wait, I know that it possesses theknowledge of nucleics. I mean, do they have power generators intact, or didthe recent sack destroy them?"

行商马洛考虑了一下。“我什么都说不上来，但是我还想再问一件事。西维纳究竟有没有核能？不，等一等，我知道你们会制造核能用品。我的意思是说，这里有没有完好的核能发电机？还是最近的劫掠把它们也摧毁了？”

"Destroy them? Oh, no. Half a planet would be wiped out before the smallestpower station would be touched. They are irreplaceable and the suppliers ofthe strength of the fleet." Almost proudly, "We have the largest and beston this side of Trantor itself."

“摧毁？喔，当然没有。即使这颗行星有一半被夷为平地，最小的发电厂也都不会受到影响。它们的重要性无可取代，而且是舰队的动力来源。”他又近乎骄傲地说：“从川陀一路算过来，我们这里的发电厂是最大、最好的。”

"Then what would I do first if I wanted to see these generators?"

“那么，如果我想看看这些发电机，第一步该怎么做呢？”

"Nothing!" replied Barr, decisively. "You couldn't approach any militarycenter without being shot down instantly. Neither could anyone. Siwenna isstill deprived of civic rights."

“做什么都没用！”巴尔斩钉截铁地答道，“一旦接近任何军事据点，你立刻会被击毙。任何人都不可能，西维纳仍旧是个没有公民权的地方。”

"You mean all the power stations are under the military?"

“您的意思是，所有的发电厂都由军方监管吗？”

"No. There are the small city stations, the ones supplying power forheating and lighting homes, powering vehicles and so forth. Those arealmost as bad. They're controlled by the tech-men."

“不一定。有些小规模的市内发电厂就不是，它们负责供应家用照明和暖气的能源，以及交通工具的动力等等。不过这些发电厂同样门禁森严，由一群‘技官’负责管理。”

"Who are they?"

“那又是什么人？”

"A specialized group which supervises the power plants. The honor ishereditary, the young ones being brought up in the profession asapprentices. Strict sense of duty, honor, and all that. No one but atech-man could enter a station."

“一群监督和管理发电厂的专业技术人员。这种光荣的职业是世袭的，他们的学徒就是自己的子弟，从小就接受专职训练，灌输强烈的责任感、荣誉心等等。除了技官之外，没有人能进入那些发电厂。”

"I see."

“我明白了。”

"I don't say, though," added Barr, "that there aren't cases where tech-menhaven't been bribed. In days when we have nine emperors in fifty years andseven of these are assassinated, 殆hen every space-captain aspires to theusurpation of a viceroyship, and every viceroy to the Imperium,I suppose even a tech-man can fall prey to money. But it would require agood deal, and I have none. Have you?"

“不过，”巴尔补充道，“我可没有说每一位技官都是清廉的。过去五十年间，一连换了九个皇帝，其中有七个是遇刺身亡——这种年头，每艘星舰的舰长都想当上总督，每位总督又都想篡夺帝位，我猜即使是技官也一定能用钱买通。可是这要很多很多钱，我自己一文不名，你呢？”

"Money? No. But does one always bribe with money?"

“钱？我也没有，难道行贿一定要用钱吗？”

"What else, when money buys all else."

“在这个金钱万能的时代，还能有什么替代品？”

"There is quite enough that money won't buy. And now if you'll tell me thenearest city with one of the stations, and how best to get there, I'llthank you."

“金钱买不到的东西多着呢。请您告诉我，拥有这种发电厂的城市哪个最近，还有怎样才能最快到达那里，我会很感激您的。”

"Wait!" Barr held out his thin hands. "Where do you rush? You come here,but I ask no questions. In the city, where the inhabitants are still calledrebels, you would be challenged by the first soldier or guard who heardyour accent and saw your clothes."

“等一等！”巴尔伸出枯瘦的双手，“你急什么？你到这里来，但我什么都没问。然而，城里的居民仍被驻军视为叛徒，你一旦进了城，任何一名军人或警卫只要听出你的口音、看到你的服饰，就会马上把你拦下。”

He rose and from an obscure comer of an old chest brought out a booklet. "My passport, forged. I escaped with it."

老人站起来，从一个老旧柜子的角落掏出一个小本子。“这是我的护照——伪造的，我就是靠它逃出来的。”

He placed it in Mallow's hand and folded the fingers over it. "Thedescription doesn't fit, but if you flourish it, the chances are many toone they will not look closely."

他把护照放到马洛手上，将马洛的手指合起来。“照片和数据当然和你不符，不过如果虚晃一下，过关的机会还是很大的。”

"But you. You'll be left without one."

“但是您呢，您自己就没有了。”

The old exile shrugged cynically, "What of it? And a further caution. Curbyour tongue! Your accent is barbarous, your idioms peculiar, and every oncein a while you deliver yourself of the most astounding archaisms. The lessyou speak, the less suspicion you will draw upon yourself. Now I'll tellyou how to get to the city?

老人耸耸肩，显得毫不在乎。“我要它有什么用？我再警告你一件事，最好少开尊口。你的腔调很不文雅，用语又很古怪，还不时会吐出惊人的古文。你说得越少，就越不容易让别人怀疑你。现在我来告诉你怎么去那座城市……”

Five minutes later, Mallow was gone.

五分钟之后，马洛离开了。

He returned but once, for a moment, to the old patrician's house, beforeleaving it entirely, however.

但是不久之后他又回来了，这次只在老贵族的门口逗留片刻。

And when Onum Barr stepped into his littlegarden early the next morning, he found a box at his feet. It containedprovisions, concentrated provisions such as one would find aboard ship, andalien in taste and preparation.

第二天早上，当欧南·巴尔走进小小的庭院时，发现脚下有一个盒子。盒子里装的是食物，好像是太空船携带的浓缩口粮，不论口味或烹调方式都很陌生。

But they were good, and lasted long.

但是这些食物既营养又好吃，而且能保存很久。

11

The tech-man was short, and his skin glistened with well-kept plumpness. His hair was a fringe and his skull shone through pinkly. The rings on hisfingers were thick and heavy, his clothes were scented, and he was thefirst man Mallow had met on the planet who hadn't looked hungry.

这位技官个子矮胖，皮肤透着一层养尊处优的油光。他的头发只剩边缘的一圈，中间的头皮泛着粉红色的光芒。他戴的戒指每一枚都又粗又重，他的衣服还洒了香水。马洛在这颗行星上已经遇到不少人，目前为止只有他并未面露饥色。

The tech-man's lips pursed peevishly, "Now, my man, quickly. I have thingsof great importance waiting for me. You seem a stranger? He seemed toevaluate Mallow's definitely un-Siwennese costume and his eyelids wereheavy with suspicion.

技官不高兴地撇着嘴。“喂，你，快一点。我还有许多非常重要的事有待处理，你像是外地来的……”他似乎在打量马洛那一身绝非西维纳传统服饰的衣着，而他的眼睑现出浓厚的怀疑。

"I am not of the neighborhood," said Mallow, calmly, "but the matter isirrelevant. I have had the honor to send you a little gift yesterday?

“我的确不住在附近，”马洛镇定地说，“但是这点并不重要。我感到很荣幸，昨天有机会送你一件小礼物……”

The tech-man's nose lifted, "I received it. An interesting gewgaw. I mayhave use for it on occasion."

技官翘起鼻子。“我收到了，挺有意思的廉价品，哪一天我或许用得着。”

"I have other and more interesting gifts. Quite out of the gewgaw stage."

“我还有许多更有趣的礼物，而且绝对不是廉价品。”

"Oh-h?" The tech-man's voice lingered thoughtfully over the monosyllable. "I think I already see the course of the interview; it has happened before.You are going to give me some trifle or other. A few credits, perhaps acloak, second-rate jewelry; anything your little soul may think sufficientto corrupt a tech-man." His lower lip puffed out belligerently, "And I knowwhat you wish in exchange. There have been others and to spare with thesame bright idea. You wish to be adopted into our clan. You wish to betaught the mysteries of nucleics and the care of the machines. You thinkbecause you dogs of Siwenna--and probably your strangerhood is assumed forsafety's sake--are being daily punished for your rebellion that you canescape what you deserve by throwing over yourselves the privileges andprotections of the tech-man's guild."

“哦？”技官持续发出这个声音，沉思了良久，“我想，我已经了解你来见我的目的，这种事情以前也发生过。你想要送点什么给我，比如说一些信用点，或是一件披风，或是二流的珠宝。你们这种没见识的人，以为这些东西就能让一位技官腐化。”他凶巴巴地鼓起嘴，“我也知道你想要交换什么，以前也有人打过同样的如意算盘。你希望我们能收容你，希望学习核能装置的秘密和维修核电厂的技术。你们打这个主意，是因为你们这些西维纳奴才，还因为当年的叛变而天天受到惩罚——也许你根本就是西维纳人，故意扮成异邦人以求自保。你以为投靠技官公会，就能享有我们的特权和保护，就能逃掉应受的惩罚吗？”

Mallow would have spoken, but the tech-man raised himself into a suddenroar. "And now leave before I report your name to the Protector of theCity. Do you think that I would betray the trust? The Siwennese traitorsthat preceded me would have--perhaps! But you deal with a different breednow. Why, Galaxy, I marvel that I do not kill you myself at this momentwith my bare hands."

马洛正想说话，技官却突然提高音量吼道：“现在赶快滚吧，否则我马上向本城的护民官告发你。你以为我会辜负所托吗？在我之前的西维纳叛徒也许会——可能会！但是你现在面对的是另一个典型。唉，银河啊，我怎么还没有赤手取你的性命，连我自己也很惊讶。”

Mallow smiled to himself. The entire speech was patently artificial in toneand content, so that all the dignified indignation degenerated intouninspired farce.

马洛心里暗笑。技官所说的这番话，无论语调或内容都明显地矫揉造作。因此他口中义正辞严的愤慨，在马洛耳中却成了蹩脚的独白。

The trader glanced humorously at the two flabby hands that had been namedas his possible executioners then and there, and said, "Your Wisdom, youare wrong on three counts. First, I am not a creature of the viceroy cometo test your loyalty. Second, my gift is something the Emperor himself inall his splendor does not and will never possess. Third, what I wish inreturn is very little; a nothing; a mere breath."

马洛带着笑意瞥了瞥那两只柔软无力、却据称能掐死他的手掌，然后说：“睿智的阁下，你总共误会了三件事。第一，我不是总督派来试探你忠诚与否的走狗；第二，我要送你的礼物，即使显赫如皇帝陛下也一辈子见不到；第三，我要求的回报非常小，微不足道，不费吹灰之力。”

"So you say!" He descended into heavy sarcasm. "Come, what is this imperialdonation that your godlike power wishes to bestow upon me? Something theEmperor doesn't have, eh?" He broke into a sharp squawk of derision.

“这可是你说的！”技官的口气变得充满讥讽，“好，你到底有什么奇珍异宝要献给我？竟然连皇帝陛下也没有，啊？”他忍不住拼命哈哈大笑。

Mallow rose and pushed the chair aside, "I have waited three days to seeyou, Your Wisdom, but the display will take only three seconds. If you willjust draw that blaster whose butt I see very near your hand?

马洛站起来，将椅子推到一旁。“睿智的阁下，我足足等了三天才见到你，但是我的展示只需要三秒钟。我注意到你的手一直放在核铳附近，请拔出来吧。”

"Eh?"

“啊？”

"And shoot me, I will be obliged."

“然后劳驾你对准我射击。”

"What?"

“什么？”

"If I am killed, you can tell the police I tried to bribe you intobetraying guild secrets. You'll receive high praise. If I am not killed,you may have my shield."

“假使我被打死了，你可以告诉警察，说我试图贿赂你出卖公会的秘密。这样你就会得到很高的赞誉。假如我没有死，我就把身上的防护罩送给你。”

For the first time, the tech-man became aware of the dimly-whiteillumination that hovered closely about his visitor, as though he had beendipped in pearl-dust. His blaster raised to the level and with eyesa-squint in wonder and suspicion, he closed contact.

直到这时，技官才注意到这位访客周身笼罩着一层黯淡的白光，好像被一团珍珠粉末包围着。于是他举起核铳，以充满疑惧的心情瞄准马洛，然后扣下扳机。

The molecules of air caught in the sudden surge of atomic disruption, toreinto glowing, burning ions, and marked out the blinding thin line thatstruck at Mallow's heart--and splashed!

巨大的能量在一瞬间释放，令周围的空气分子立刻受热燃烧，进而被撕裂成白热的离子。核铳的能束划出一条眩目的直线，一端正中马洛的心脏——随即迸溅开来！

While Mallow's look of patience never changed, the nuclear forces that toreat him consumed themselves against that fragile, pearly illumination, andcrashed back to die in mid-air.

马洛耐心的表情没有丝毫改变。至于被那团黯淡的珍珠般光芒所挡住的能束，则尽数反弹而消失在半空中。

The tech-man's blaster dropped to the floor with an unnoticed crash.

技官手中的核铳掉到地上，他却浑然不觉。

Mallow said, "Does the Emperor have a personal force-shield? You can haveone."

马洛说：“皇帝陛下有个人力场防护罩吗？你可以有一个。”

The tech-man stuttered, "Are you a tech-man?"

技官结结巴巴地说：“你也是一名技官？”

"No."

“不是。”

"Then--then where did you get that?"

“那么——那么你是从哪里弄来的？”

"What do you care?" Mallow was coolly contemptuous. "Do you want it?" Athin, knobbed chain fell upon the desk, "There it is."

“你又何必管呢？”马洛的口吻变得轻蔑而不客气，“你到底想不想要？”桌上突然出现一条细小的链子，上面有许多圆形凸起。“就在这里。”

The tech-man snatched it up and fingered it nervously, "Is this complete?"

技官一把将链子抓起来，疑神疑鬼地抚摸着。“这是完整的套件？”

"Complete."

“完整。”

"Where's the power?"

“能源在哪里呢？”

Mallow's finger fell upon the largest knob, dull in its leaden case.

马洛指着链子上最大的圆形凸起，那是个毫不起眼的铅质容器。

The tech-man looked up, and his face was congested with blood, "Sir, I am atech-man, senior grade. I have twenty years behind me as supervisor and Istudied under the great Bier at the University of Trantor. If you have theinfernal charlatanry to tell me that a small container the size of a--of awalnut, blast it, holds a nuclear generator, I'll have you before theProtector in three seconds."

技官抬起头来，满脸涨得通红。“先生，我是一名技官，一名资深技官。我曾经在川陀大学，受业于伟大的布勒教授，而我担任主管也有二十年的历史。如果你想用这种下三烂的伎俩骗我，要我相信这么一个……一个胡桃大小的容器中，他妈的，里面竟然有一个核能发电机，我在三秒钟之内，就送你到护民官那里去。”

"Explain it yourself then, if you can. I say it's complete."

“你如果不相信，就自己找出来。我说这是一组完整的套件。”

The tech-man's flush faded slowly as he bound the chain about his waist,and, following Mallow's gesture, pushed the knob. The radiance thatsurrounded him shone into dim relief. His blaster lifted, then hesitated. Slowly, he adjusted it to an almost burnless minimum.

技官开始将链子系在腰际，脸色逐渐恢复正常。然后他依照马洛的指示，按下其中一个凸起，全身立刻被一团不太明显的光辉所笼罩。他拾起核铳，却犹豫不决。终于，他慢慢地将核铳调到几乎无害的程度。

And then, convulsively, he closed circuit and the nuclear fire dashedagainst his hand, harmlessly.

然后，他用颤抖的手按下扳机。核铳的光焰喷到他另一只手上，他却一点感觉也没有。

.He whirled, "And what if I shoot you now, and keep the shield."

技官猛然转身。“假如我现在向你射击，把这个防护罩据为己有，你又能怎么办？”

"Try!" said Mallow. "Do you think I gave you my only sample?" And he, too,was solidly incased in light.

“试试看啊！”马洛说，“你以为我给你的，是我唯一的样品吗？”他的四周又泛起一团光芒。

The tech-man giggled nervously. The blaster clattered onto the desk. Hesaid, "And what is this mere nothing, this breath, that you wish inreturn'?"

技官心虚地吃吃笑着，并将手中的核铳扔到桌上。“你刚才说的那个微不足道、几乎不费吹灰之力的回报是什么？”

"I want to see your generators."

“我要看看你们的发电机。”

"You realize that that is forbidden. It would mean ejection into space forboth of us?

“你明明晓得这是严格禁止的事。搞不好，我们两个都会被投射到太空去……”

"I don't want to touch them or have anything to do with them. I want to seethem--from a distance."

“我并不想碰触或操作那些机器。我只是想看看——远远地看一看就行。”

"If not?"

“万一我不答应呢？”

"If not, you have your shield, but I have other things. For one thing, ablaster especially designed to pierce that shield."

“万一你不答应，你还是可以留下防护罩，但我身边还有其他的玩意。比如说，专门用来射穿那种防护罩的特制核铳。”

"Hm-mmm." The tech-man's eyes shifted. "Come with me."

“嗯——”技官的眼珠左右游移，“跟我来吧。”

12

The tech-man's home was a small two-story affair on the Outskirts of thehuge, cubiform, windowless affair that dominated the center of the city. Mallow passed from one to the other through an underground passage, andfound himself in the silent, ozone-tinged atmosphere of the powerhouse.

他们离开了技官的家，那是位于发电厂外围，一幢小型的双层楼房。而发电厂占据着这个城市的中心地带，是一个庞大、方形、没有任何窗户的建筑物。马洛尾随技官穿过一条又一条的地下通道，终于来到静寂且充满臭氧气味的发电室。

For fifteen minutes, he followed his guide and said nothing. His eyesmissed nothing. His fingers touched nothing. And then, the tech-man said instrangled tones, "Have you had enough? I couldn't trust my underlings inthis case."

其后的十五分钟，马洛一言不发地跟着技官到处参观。他的眼睛没有遗漏任何一处，手指却没有碰触任何地方。然后，技官压低声音说：“你看够了没有？这件事，我可信不过我的那些手下。”

"Could you ever?" asked Mallow, ironically. "I've had enough."

“你何时信得过他们了？”马洛讽刺地问道，“我看够了。”

They were back in the office and Mallow said, thoughtfully, "And all thosegenerators are in your hands?"

他们回到技官的办公室，马洛又若有所思地问：“所有的发电机都在你的管理下？”

"Every one," said the tech-man, with more than a touch of complacency.

“每一台都归我管。”技官以分外骄傲的口气说。

"And you keep them running and in order?"

“你负责维护它们正常运转？”

"Right!"

“没错！”

"And if they break down?"

“若是发生故障怎么办？”

The tech-man shook his head indignantly, "They don't break down. They neverbreak down. They were built for eternity."

技官很不高兴地摇摇头。“这些机器不会故障，它们绝不会发生故障，能够永远运作下去。”

"Eternity is a long time. Just suppose?

“永远可是很长的时间。我只是说假设……”

"It is unscientific to suppose meaningless cases."

“假设不可能的情况，是不科学的。”

"All right. Suppose I were to blast a vital part into nothingness? Isuppose the machines aren't immune to nuclear forces? Suppose I fuse avital connection, or smash a quartz D-tube?"

“好吧，那么假设我用核铳将某个重要零件轰掉，我想这些机器还抵挡不了核铳吧？又假设我将某个重要的接点烧熔，或是打爆一根石英Ｄ型管？”

"Well, then," shouted the tech-man, furiously, "you would be killed."

“哼，这样的话，”技官怒气冲冲地吼道，“你会被处决。”

"Yes, I know that," Mallow was shouting, too, "but what about thegenerator? Could you repair it?"

“是的，这我知道。”马洛也开始咆哮，“但发电机会怎么样？你能修理吗？”

"Sir," the tech-man howled his words, "you have had a fair return. You'vehad what you asked for. Now get out! I owe you nothing more!"

“先生，”技官继续狂嗥，“你已经得到回报，看到你想看的东西。现在给我滚蛋！我再也不欠你什么了！”

Mallow bowed with a satiric respect and left.

马洛嘲弄似的向他一鞠躬，便离开了。

Two days later he was back where the Far Star waited to return with him tothe planet, Terminus.

两天后，马洛来到远星号停泊之处，准备回到端点星。

And two days later, the tech-man's shield went dead, and for all hispuzzling and cursing never glowed again.

与此同时，技官的防护罩失灵了。不论他如何苦思，不论他怎样咒骂，那种光芒却再也不曾出现。

13

Mallow relaxed for almost the first time in six months. He was on his backin the sunroom of his new house, stripped to the skin. His great, brownarms were thrown up and out, and the muscles tautened into a stretch, thenfaded into repose.

六个月以来，马洛几乎直到今天才得空偷闲。他躺在新居的太阳室中，一丝不挂地享受着日光浴。他还不时张开两只壮硕棕黑的手臂，来回伸着懒腰，结实的肌肉也随着一收一张。

The man beside him placed a cigar between Mallow's teeth and lit it. Hechamped on one of his own and said, "You must be overworked. Maybe you needa long rest."

站在一旁的安可·杰尔将一根雪茄塞进马洛嘴里，并为他点上火。他自己也含了一根，然后对马洛说：“你一定累坏了，也许应该好好休息一段日子。”

"Maybe I do, Jael, but I'd rather rest in a council seat. Because I'm goingto have that seat, and you're going to help me."

“也许吧，杰尔，但我宁愿进市议会去休息。我要取得市议员的席位，而你要帮助我。”

Ankor Jael raised his eyebrows and said, "How did I get into this?"

杰尔扬扬眉毛：“怎么把我也牵扯进去？”

"You got in obviously. Firstly, you're an old dog of a politico. Secondly,you were booted out of your cabinet seat by Jorane Sutt, the same fellowwho'd rather lose an eyeball than see me in the council. You don't thinkmuch of my chances, do you?"

“这是理所当然的事。第一，你是个经验老到的政治人物；第二，你曾被乔兰·瑟特踢出内阁，而那家伙宁愿失去一只眼睛，也不愿意见到我当上市议员。你认为我没有什么机会，是吗？”

"Not much," agreed the ex-Minister of Education. "You're a Smyrnian."

“机会当然不大。”这位前教育部长表示同意，“因为你是司密尔诺人。”

"That's no legal bar. I've had a lay education."

“根据法律，这不成问题，我接受过基地的普通教育。”

"Well, come now. Since when does prejudice follow any law but its own. Now,how about your own man-- this Jaim Twer? What does he say?"

“这个，你想想看，根深蒂固的成见何时尊重过法律？不过，你们自己人——那个詹姆·杜尔怎么说？他的看法如何？”

"He spoke about running me for council almost a year ago," replied Malloweasily, "but I've outgrown him. He couldn't have pulled it off in any case. Not enough depth. He's loud and forceful--but that's only an expression ofnuisance value. I'm off to put over a real coup. I need you. "

“差不多一年前，他就说要帮我竞选市议员。”马洛流畅地答道，“但我现在的实力已经比他还强，他无论如何帮不了我的忙。这个人没有什么深度，声音太大，手段太强——这样做只会惹人反感。我要赢得漂漂亮亮，所以我需要您。”

"Jorane Sutt is the cleverest politician on the planet and he'll be againstyou. I don't claim to be able to outsmart him. And don't think he doesn'tfight hard, and dirty."

“乔兰·瑟特是这颗行星上最精明的政客，而他必定会跟你唱反调。论智谋，我不敢说能胜过他。还有，别以为他不会使出各种卑鄙狠毒的手段。”

"I've got money."

“我有钱。”

"Mat helps. But it takes a lot to buy off prejudice, you dirty Smyrnian."

“这倒很有帮助。但是想要消除偏见，需要的可不是一笔小数目——你这丑陋的司密尔诺人。”

"I'll have a lot."

“我会砸下很多钱。”

"Well, I'll look into the matter. But don't ever you crawl up on your hindlegs and bleat that I encouraged you in the matter. Who's that?"

“好吧，我会好好考虑一下。不过丑话说在前头，到时候可别反咬我一口，说是我怂恿你蹚这滩浑水的。是谁来了？”

Mallow pulled the corners of his mouth down, and said, "Jorane Sutthimself, I think. He's early, and I can understand it. I致e been dodginghim for a month. Look, Jael, get into the next room, and turn the speakeron low. I want you to listen."

马洛嘴角下扯：“我想就是乔兰·瑟特，他来早了，这点我可以理解。我跟他玩捉迷藏，已经足足玩了一个月。听好，杰尔，你到隔壁房间去，把扬声器的声音调低。我要你也听听我们的谈话。”

He helped the council member out of the room with a shove of his bare foot,then scrambled up and into a silk robe. The synthetic sunlight faded tonormal power.

马洛赤脚踢了这位市议员一下，将他赶到隔壁房间。然后他才爬起来，穿上丝质睡袍，并将人工日光调到普通的强度。

The secretary to the mayor entered stiffly, while the solemn major-domotiptoed the door shut behind him.

市长机要秘书板着脸走进来，表情严肃的管家蹑手蹑脚在他后面将门关上。

Mallow fastened his belt and said, "Take your choice of chairs, Sutt."

马洛一面系腰带，一面说：“瑟特，请随便坐。”

Sutt barely cracked a flickering smile. The chair he chose was comfortablebut he did not relax into it. From its edge, he said, "If you'll state yourterms to begin with, we'll get down to business."

瑟特勉强咧开嘴角笑了笑。他选了一张很舒服的椅子，可是只坐在椅子边缘，全身仍然紧绷。他说：“如果你开门见山提出条件，我们就立刻进入正题。”

"What terms?"

“什么条件？”

"You wish to be coaxed? Well, then, what, for instance, did you do atKorell? Your report was incomplete."

“你希望慢慢磨吗？好吧，那我从头说起，比如说，你在科瑞尔到底做了些什么？你的报告并不完整。”

"I gave it to you months ago. You were satisfied then."

“我几个月前就交给你了，当时你很满意。”

Yes, Sutt rubbed his forehead thoughtfully with one finger, "but sincethen your activities have been significant. We know a good deal of whatyou're doing, Mallow. We know, exactly, how many factories you're puttingup; in what a hurry you're doing it; and how much it's costing you. Andthere's this palace you have," he gazed about him with a cold lack ofappreciation, "which set you back considerably more than my annual salary;and a swathe you've been cutting--a very considerable and expensive swathe?through the upper layers of Foundation society."

“是的，”瑟特若有所思地用一根手指搓着额头，“但是从那时开始，你的一切行动都饶有深义。马洛，我们对你正在进行的事知道不少。我们知道你正在兴建多少座工厂，你为什么急着做这件事，还有你总共花了多少钱。而你现在住的这座宫殿——”他环顾四周，却没有带着任何欣赏的目光。“你在这座建筑上的花费，是我年薪的许许多多倍。此外，你摆的那些排场——你耗费巨资所摆的排场，是为了打进基地的上流社会。”

"So? Beyond proving that you employ capable spies, what does it show?"

“所以呢？除了证明你雇了许多高明的侦探，这还能说明什么？”

"It shows you have money you didn't have a year ago. And that can showanything-- for instance, that a good deal went on at Korell that we knownothing of. Where are you getting your money?"

“这说明你在一年之间，财富暴增了许多。而这个事实又意味着很多可能——比如说，你在科瑞尔的时候，发生了很多我们不知道的事。那些钱你究竟是从哪里弄来的？”

"My dear Sutt, you can't really expect me to tell you."

“亲爱的瑟特，你不会真的指望我告诉你吧。”

"I don't."

“不会。”

"I didn't think you did. That's why I'm going to tell you. It's straightfrom the treasure-chests of the Commdor of Korell."

“我就知道你不会，所以我偏要告诉你。那些钱，是直接来自科瑞尔领袖的金库。”

Sutt blinked.

瑟特不禁猛眨眼睛。

Mallow smiled and continued. "Unfortunately for you, the money is quitelegitimate. I'm a Master Trader and the money I received was a quantity ofwrought iron and chromite in exchange for a number of trinkets I was ableto supply him with. Fifty per cent of the profit is mine by hideboundcontract with the Foundation. The other half goes to the government at theend of the year when all good citizens pay their income tax."

马洛微笑着继续说：“你一定会很遗憾，那些钱都是完全合法的。我是一名行商长，我和那位领袖做成一笔交易，卖给他一大批饰物，收取锻铁和铬铁矿作为代价。根据我和基地签订的苛刻契约，利润的百分之五十归我所有。等到年底，好公民都要缴所得税的时候，我会将另外一半缴交政府。”

"There was no mention of any trade agreement in your report."

“在你的报告中，并没有提到任何的贸易协议。”

"Nor was there any mention of what I had for breakfast that day, or thename of my current mistress, or any other irrelevant detail." Mallow'ssmile was fading into a sneer. "I was sent--to quote yourself--to keep myeyes open. They were never. shut. You wanted to find out what happened tothe captured Foundation merchant ships. I never saw or heard of them. Youwanted to find out if Korell had nuclear power. My report tells of nuclearblasters in the possession of the Commdor's private bodyguard. I saw noother signs. And the blasters I did see are relics of the old Empire, andmay be show-pieces that do not work, for all my knowledge.

“但是也没有提到那天我的早餐吃了什么，或是我现在的情妇叫什么名字，或者其他任何不相干的细节。”马洛的微笑化作冷嘲，“我被派到那里去——引用你自己的话——是要我把眼睛放亮一点，而我保证从未闭起来。你要我去调查失踪的基地太空商船，我从来没有看到过它们。也从来没有听说过。你要我查出科瑞尔有没有核能，我在报告中已经提到，领袖的贴身保镖佩有核铳，除此之外我没有看到其他迹象。据我所知，我看到的核铳是帝国的遗物，也许已经失效了，只是一种装饰而已。

"So far, I followed orders, but beyond that I was, and. still am, a freeagent. According to the laws of the Foundation, a Master Trader may openwhatever new markets he can, and receive therefrom his due half of theprofits. What are your objections? I don't see them."

“前面提到的这些，我都是奉命行事，但是除此之外，我始终保有自由之身。根据基地的法律，行商长可以尽量开发新市场，从中取得一半的利润。你到底在反对什么呢？我实在不明白。”

Sutt bent his eyes carefully towards the wall and spoke with a difficultlack of anger, "It is the general custom of all traders to advance thereligion with their trade."

瑟特谨慎地将目光转移到墙壁上，勉强压抑着怒意说：“根据一般性的惯例，行商在推展贸易时还要宣教。”

"I adhere to law, and not to custom."

“我遵奉的是法律，而不是惯例。”

"There are times when custom can be the higher law."

“有些时候，惯例的力量超过法律。”

"Then appeal to the courts."

“那你去法院告我好了。”

Sutt raised somber eyes which seemed to retreat into their sockets. "You'rea Smyrnian after all. It seems naturalization and education can't wipe outthe taint in the blood. Listen, and try to understand, just the same.

瑟特扬起深陷在眼窝中的忧郁眼珠。“你毕竟是司密尔诺人，归化基地并且接受基地教育似乎并不能让你脱胎换骨。注意听，并且试着搞清楚。

"This goes beyond money, or markets. We have the science of the great HariSeldon to prove that upon us depends the future empire of the Galaxy, andfrom the course that leads to that Imperium we cannot turn.

“这件事和金钱或市场无关，伟大的哈里·谢顿所发扬光大的那门科学，证明了未来的银河帝国要靠我们来建立，对这项神圣的使命我们义无反顾。

"The religion wehave is our all-important instrument towards that end. With it we havebrought the Four Kingdoms under our control, even at the moment when theywould have crushed us. It is the most potent device known with which tocontrol men and worlds.

“而我们所拥有的宗教，是达成这个目标不可或缺的工具。利用这个宗教，当四王国有力量粉碎基地的时候，我们就能令他们臣服。这个宗教是控制其他世界最强而有力的手段，找不到比它更有效的办法了。

"The primary reason for the development of trade and traders was tointroduce and spread this religion more quickly, and to insure that theintroduction of new techniques and a new economy would be subject to ourthorough and intimate control."

“我们发展贸易和奖励行商的主要原因，就是为了能更迅速有效地宣教，以便保证我们输出的新科技体系，都能在我们彻底而直接的控制之下。”

He paused for breath, and Mallow interjected quietly, "I know the theory. Iunderstand it entirely."

瑟特停下来缓一口气，马洛趁机轻声插嘴：“我知道这个理论，我完全了解。”

"Do you? It is more than I expected. Then you see, of course, that yourattempt at trade for its own sake; at mass production of worthless gadgets,which can only affect a world's economy superficially; at the subversion ofinterstellar policy to the god of profits; at the divorce of nuclear powerfrom our controlling religion-- can only end with the overthrow andcomplete negation of the policy that has worked successfully for acentury."

“你了解？这可出乎我意料之外。那么，你当然应该明白你所做的事，像是试图将贸易独立；大量生产没有价值、不能动摇经济体系的小东西；将我们的星际政策交到财神手中；让核能和控制它的宗教脱离——你的这些行为，等于全盘否定并终将推翻基地成功实施了一个世纪的政策。”

"And time enough, too," said Mallow, indifferently, "for a policy outdated,dangerous and impossible. However well your religion has succeeded in theFour Kingdoms, scarcely another world in the Periphery has accepted it. Atthe time we seized control of the Kingdoms, there were a sufficient numberof exiles, Galaxy knows, to spread the story of how Salvor Hardin used thepriesthood and the superstition of the people to overthrow the independenceand power of the secular monarchs. And if that wasn't enough, the case ofAskone two decades back made it plain enough. There isn't a ruler in thePeriphery now that wouldn't sooner cut his own throat than let a priest ofthe Foundation enter the territory.

“也是该推翻的时候了，”马洛轻描淡写地说，“因为这个政策已经过时，变得危险又不可行。纵使你的宗教成功控制了四王国，银河外缘却鲜有其他世界接受它。当我们取得四王国的控制权时，曾有为数不少的人士流亡到其他世界，银河在上，谁晓得他们会如何宣传这段历史，指控塞佛·哈定利用教士制度和人民的迷信，推翻了君主的地位、剥夺了君主的威权。倘若这还不足以说明，二十年前的‘阿斯康事件’是个更明显的例子。如今，银河外缘每一位统治者，都宁死也不愿意让基地的教士入境。

"I don't propose to force Korell or any other world to accept something Iknow they don't want. No, Sutt. If nuclear power makes them dangerous, asincere friendship through trade will be many times better than an insecureoverlordship, based on the hated supremacy of a foreign spiritual power,which, once it weakens ever so slightly, can only fall entirely and leavenothing substantial behind except an immortal fear and hate."

“我认为不应该强迫科瑞尔，或是其他任何世界，接受我自己明知道他们不想要的东西。瑟特，这是不对的。如果他们因为拥有核能而变得危险，那么我们靠贸易关系和他们建立亲密邦谊，要比借助不可靠的宗教宰制他们好得多。因为后者依靠的是外来的神秘力量，无异于一种令人憎恨的霸权，一旦稍微呈现疲弱的趋势，它就会全面崩溃。最后除了无止尽的畏惧和恨意，其他什么都不会剩下来。”

Suit said cynically, "Very nicely put. So, to get back to the originalpoint of discussion, what are your terms? What do you require to exchangeyour ideas for mine?"

瑟特以讥讽的口吻说：“说得非常好。那么，回到我们原来的题目，你的条件是什么？你要得到什么好处，才会放弃自己的观点而接受我的想法？”

"You think my convictions are for sale?"

“你以为我会出卖自己的信仰？”

"Why not?" came the cold response. "Isn't that your business, buying andselling?"

“有何不可？”瑟特冷冷地答道，“你的本行不就是做买卖吗？”

"Only at a profit," said Mallow, unoffended. "Can you offer me more thanI'm getting as is?"

“只在有利可图的情况下。”马洛一点也不动气，“你难道有什么办法，能让我赚得比现在更多吗？”

"You could have three-quarters of your trade profits, rather than half."

“你可以保留利润的七成半，而不是如今的五成。”

Mallow laughed shortly, "A fine offer. The whole of the trade on your termswould fall far below--a tenth share on mine. Try harder than that."

马洛干笑了几声。“的确是很优惠的条件。可是依照你的做法，贸易额会降到远低于我如今的十分之一。你得提出更好的条件。”

"You could have a council seat."

“你还能在市议会中获得一个席位。”

"I'll have that anyway, without and despite you."

“无论如何我都会当选的，你不帮忙或帮倒忙都一样。”

With a sudden movement, Sutt clenched his fist, "You could also saveyourself a prison term. Of twenty years, if I have my way. Count the profitin that."

瑟特陡然捏紧了拳头。“此外，你还能免除一场牢狱之灾。否则，我可以让你坐二十年的牢。把这项利益也考虑进去。”

"No profit at all, but can you fulfill such a threat?"

“这不算利益，但你能拿什么罪名威胁我？”

"How about a trial for murder?"

“谋杀罪如何？”

"Whose murder?" asked Mallow, contemptuously.

“谋杀什么人？”马洛轻蔑地问道。

Sutt's voice was harsh now, though no louder than before, "The murder of anAnacreonian priest, in the service of the Foundation."

瑟特的声音变得尖厉，不过音量并未提高。“谋杀一名为基地工作的安纳克里昂教士。”

Is that so now? And what's your evidence?T

“真的吗？你又有什么证据？”

he secretary to the mayor leaned forward, "Mallow, I'm not bluffing. Thepreliminaries are over. I have only to sign one final paper and the case ofthe Foundation versus Hober Mallow, Master Trader, is begun. You abandoneda subject of the Foundation to torture and death at the hands of an alienmob, Mallow, and you have only five seconds to prevent the punishment dueyou. For myself, I'd rather you decided to bluff it out. You'd be safer asa destroyed enemy, than as a doubtfully-converted friend."

市长机要秘书将上身向前倾。“马洛，我不是在虚张声势。搜证工作已经完成，我只要签署最后一份文件，基地控告行商长侯伯·马洛的案件就能成立。你曾经遗弃一名基地公民，令他落在异邦暴民手中遭受酷刑致死。马洛，你只有五秒钟的时间决定是否妥协。对我个人而言，我倒宁愿你不加理会。与其将你变成一名可疑的盟友，不如毁掉你这个敌人来得安全。”

Mallow said solemnly, "You have your wish."

马洛一本正经地说：“那我让你如愿吧。”

"Good!" and the secretary smiled savagely. "It was the mayor who wished thepreliminary attempt at compromise, not I. Witness that I did not try toohard."

“好极了！”瑟特露出狰狞的笑容，“是市长要我试着和你先礼后兵，而不是我自己的意思。你也看得出来，我并未努力试图说服你。”

The door opened before him, and he left.

说完，他便转身开门离去。

Mallow looked up as Ankor Jael re-entered the room.

安可·杰尔又走进来，马洛随即抬起头。

Mallow said, "Did you hear him?"

“他说的话你都听到了吗？”马洛问。

The politician flopped to the floor. "I never heard him as angry as that,since I've known the snake."

杰尔来回踱步。“自从我认识这条毒蛇以来，从未见过他发这么大的脾气。”

"All right. What do you make of it?"

“好，你的看法如何？”

"Well, I'll tell you. A foreign policy of domination through spiritualmeans is his idee fixe, but it's my notion that his ultimate aims aren'tspiritual. I was fired out of the Cabinet for arguing on the same issue, asI needn't tell you."

“嗯，我来告诉你吧。利用宗教取得支配权的对外政策，是他脑袋中的顽固教条，可是我却认为，他最终的目的并不在于宗教。我被赶出内阁，也是因为驳斥这一点，这就不用我再多说了。”

"You needn't. And what are those unspiritual aims according to yournotion?"

“不用了。那么根据你的想法，那些非宗教的目的又是什么呢？”

Jael grew serious, "Well, he's not stupid, so he must see the bankruptcy ofour religious policy, which has hardly made a single conquest for us inseventy years. He's obviously using it for purposes of his own.

杰尔转趋严肃。“嗯，他并不笨，所以一定也看得出我们的宗教政策已经破产。在过去七十年间，这个宗教几乎没有帮我们征服过任何世界。他显然是想利用宗教，达成自己的目的。

"Now any dogma primarily based on faith and emotionalism, is a dangerousweapon to use on others, since it is almost impossible to guarantee thatthe weapon will never be turned on the user.

“任何宗教，出发点都是诉诸信仰和感情。如果将宗教当成武器，那是非常危险的一件事——因为谁也不敢保证这种武器不会反过来伤到自己。

For a hundred years now, we'vesupported a ritual and mythology that is becoming more and more venerable,traditional-- and immovable. In some ways, it isn't under our control anymore."

“过去一百年来，我们所发展的这些仪典和神话，已经变得越来越神圣、越来越传统——而且越来越深植人心。就某方面而言，它已经不在我们的控制之下。”

"In what ways?" demanded Mallow. "Don't stop. I want your thoughts."

“这怎么说呢？”马洛追问，“别停下来，我想知道你的想法。”

"Well, suppose one man, one ambitious man, uses the force of religionagainst us, rather than for us."

“嗯，假设有一个人，一个野心勃勃的人，想要利用宗教来对付我们，而不是帮助我们。”

"You mean Sutt?

“你是指瑟特……”

"You're right. I mean Sutt. Listen, man, if he could mobilize the varioushierarchies on the subject planets against the Foundation in the name oforthodoxy, what chance would we stand? By planting himself at the head ofthe standards of the pious, he could make war on heresy, as represented byyou, for instance, and make himself king eventually. After all, it wasHardin who said: 'A nuclear blaster is a good weapon, but it can point bothways.'"

“你猜对了，我说的就是他。听好，老兄，如果他能假借正统之名，动员基地所属诸行星上各级神职人员反抗基地，我们是否应付得了？他让自己成为那些虔诚信徒的领袖，就能发动一场战争来声讨异教徒，例如以你作为代表，而最后他就有可能称王。总之，正如哈定说的：‘核铳是很好的武器，可惜无法分辨敌我。’”

Mallow slapped his bare thigh, "All right, Jael, then get me in thatcouncil, and I'll fight him."

马洛使劲一拍赤裸的大腿。“好吧，杰尔，把我送进市议会，我再好好跟他斗。”

Jael paused, then said significantly, "Maybe not. What was all that abouthaving a priest lynched? Is isn't true, is it?"

杰尔好一会儿不做声，然后若有深意地说：“也许不行了。他刚才说一名教士被人以私刑处决，这究竟是怎么回事？不可能是真的吧？”

"It's true enough," Mallow said, carelessly.

“可以说是真的。”马洛毫不在意地回答。

Jael whistled, "Has he definite proof?"

杰尔吹了一声口哨。“他有真凭实据吗？”

"He should have." Mallow hesitated, then added, "Jaim Twer was his man fromthe beginning, though neither of them knew that I knew that. And Jaim Twerwas an eyewitness."

“他应该有。”马洛犹豫了一下，然后补充道：“詹姆·杜尔从头到尾都在为他工作，不过他俩都不知道我早已察觉。那件事情，杜尔就是现场目击者。”

Jael shook his head. "Uh-uh. That's bad."

杰尔摇摇头。“喔，这就糟糕了。”

"Bad? What's bad about it? That priest was illegally upon the planet by theFoundation's own laws. He was obviously used by the Korellian government asa bait, whether involuntary or not. By all the laws of common-sense, I hadno choice but one action--and that action was strictly within the law. Ifhe brings me to trial, he'll do nothing but make a prime fool of himself."

“糟糕？有什么好糟糕的？根据基地的法律，那教士去那颗行星是非法的行为，他显然是被科瑞尔政府拿来当做诱饵，不论他是否出于自愿。基于常识，我别无选择，只能采取一种行动——而这个行动是百分之百合法的。假如他真要控告我，只会在众人面前丢人现眼。”

And Jael shook his head again, "No, Mallow, you've missed it. I told you heplayed dirty. He's not out to convict you; he knows he can't do that. Buthe is out to ruin your standing with the people. You heard what he said. Custom is higher than law, at times. You could walk out of the trialscot-free, but if the people think you threw a priest to the dogs, yourpopularity is gone.

杰尔再度摇了摇头。“不对，马洛，你忽略了一点。我告诉过你，什么卑鄙手段他都使得出来。他并不是要将你定罪，他也知道没办法做到。但是他真正的企图，是要破坏你在群众心目中的地位。你听到他刚才说的，有些时候，惯例的力量超过法律。你自然可以大摇大摆走出法庭，但是如果让群众知道，你将一名教士丢给野蛮的暴民，那你的声望就泡汤了。

"They'll admit you did the legal thing, even the sensible thing. But justthe same you'll have been, in their eyes, a cowardly dog, an unfeelingbrute, a hard-hearted monster. And you would never get elected to thecouncil.

“群众会承认你所做的完全合法，甚至是合理的。但是在他们心目中，你却变成一个懦弱的家伙、一个没有感情的野兽、一个铁石心肠的怪物。这样你就永远不可能选得上市议员。

You might even lose your rating as Master Trader by having yourcitizenship voted away from you. You're not native born, you know. Whatmore do you think Sutt can want?"

“更糟的是，他们还能用公民投票的方式取消你的公民权，这样你的行商长资格也会丢了。你记得吧，你不是基地土生土长的。想想看，这样能不能让瑟特满意？”

Mallow frowned stubbornly, "So!"

马洛紧紧皱着眉。“原来如此！”

Myboy, said Jael. "I'll stand by you, but I can't help. You're on the spot,head center."

“小老弟，”杰尔说，“我会站在你这边，但我帮不了什么忙。你已是他们的头号眼中钉——必欲除之而后快。”

14

The council chamber was full in a very literal sense on the fourth day ofthe trial of Hober Mallow, Master Trader. The only councilman absent wasfeebly cursing the fractured skull that had bedridden him. The gallerieswere filled to the aisleways and ceilings with those few of the crowd whoby influence, wealth, or sheer diabolic perseverance had managed to get in. The rest filled the square outside, in swarming knots about the open-airtrimensional 'visors.

行商长马洛的公审进行到第四天，市议厅可说是名副其实的“爆满”。唯一缺席的一名市议员是因为头骨挫伤卧病在床，为此他还一直长吁短叹。旁听席上则挤满群众，甚至快要挤爆走道和天花板。这些人都是借着过人的影响力、财力、体力或耐力，才有幸挤进来的。其他民众则挤在外面的广场上，在每个三维电视幕周围形成一群群的人潮。

Ankor Jael made his way into the chamber with the near-futile aid andexertions of the police department, and then through the scarcely smallerconfusion within to Hober Mallow's seat.

安可·杰尔靠着警方的帮助，费了九牛二虎之力钻进市议厅。然后他又努力穿过里面几乎同样拥挤的人群，才终于来到马洛的座位旁。

Mallow turned with relief, "By Seldon, you cut it thin. Have you got it?"

马洛转过头，松了一口气。“谢顿保佑，你总算及时赶到。东西带来了吗？”

"Here, take it," said Jael. "It's everything you asked for."

“在这里，拿去。”杰尔说，“正是你要的东西。”

"Good. How are they taking it outside?"

“太好了，外面情形如何？”

"They're wild clear through." Jael stirred uneasily, "You should never haveallowed public hearings. You could have stopped them."

“他们简直疯狂透顶了，”杰尔不安地挪动着，“你根本不该答应接受公审，你本来可以阻止他们的。”

"I didn't want to."

“我并不想这么做。”

"There's lynch talk. And Publis Manlio's men on the outer planets?

“有人提到要对你动私刑，而曼里欧在其他行星的手下……”

"I wanted to ask you about that, Jael. He's stirring up the Hierarchyagainst me, is he?"

“杰尔，我正想问你这件事。他想要煽动教士阶级对付我，是吗？”

" Is he? It's the sweetest setup you ever saw, As Foreign Secretary, hehandles the prosecution in a case of interstellar law. As High Priest andPrimate of the Church, he rouses the fanatic hordes?

“是吗？保证那是你所见过最厉害的诡计。他一方面以外长的身份，用星际法起诉这件案子；另一方面，他又以首席教长和灵殿主持的身份，挑起狂热信徒们的……”

"Well, forget it. Do you remember that Hardin quotation you threw at melast month? We'll show them that the nuclear blaster can point both ways."

“好了，别管这些。还记不记得上个月你对我引述的哈定警语？我们会让他们明白，核铳其实可以瞄准任何一方。”

The mayor was taking his seat now and the council members were rising inrespect.

此时市长准备就坐，议员们都起立致意。

Mallow whispered, "It's my turn today. Sit here and watch the fun."

马洛压低声音对杰尔说：“今天轮到我表演了，你坐在这里等着看好戏吧。”

The day's proceedings began and fifteen minutes later, Hober Mallow steppedthrough a hostile whisper to the empty space before the mayor's bench. Alone beam of light centered upon him and in the public 'visors of the city,as well as on the myriads of private 'visors in almost every home of theFoundation's planets, the lonely giant figure of a man stared outdefiantly.

当天的流程随即展开，十五分钟后，侯伯·马洛穿过发出轻声咒骂的人群，走到市长席前面的空位。一束灯光立时聚焦在他身上，于是在市内各个公共电视幕，以及端点星每个家庭的私人电视幕，都能看到一个孤单魁梧的男子正不屈不挠地凝视前方。

He began easily and quietly, "To save time, I will admit the truth of everypoint made against me by the prosecution. The story of the priest and themob as related by them is perfectly accurate in every detail."

他开始以平静温和的语气说：“为了节省时间，我承认检方对我所指控的每一点。他们所陈述的有关教士和暴民的故事，所有的细节也都是千真万确的。”

There was a stirring in the chamber and a triumphant mass-snarl from thegallery. He waited patiently for silence.

大厅中立刻起了一阵骚动，旁听席上则爆出得意的吼叫。马洛耐心地等待众人静下来。

"However, the picture they presented fell short of completion. I ask theprivilege of supplying the completion in my own fashion. My story may seemirrelevant at first. I ask your indulgence for that."

“然而，他们所展现的记录并不完整，我请求允许我用自己的方式提供完整的版本。我要叙述的故事，乍听之下似乎和本案无关，请各位多多包涵。”

Mallow made no reference to the notes before him.

马洛并未翻看面前的笔记本，径自说下去：

"I begin at the same time as the prosecution did; the day of my meetingwith Jorane Sutt and Jaim Twer. What went on at those meetings you know. The conversations have been described, and to that description I havenothing to add--except my own thoughts of that day.

“检方的陈述是从我和乔兰·瑟特以及詹姆·杜尔会面的那天开始，我也准备从那里讲起。这两次会面的详细经过，各位都已经知道了。证人们已经描述过那些对话，我没有任何需要补充的——只想补充一些我个人的想法。

"They were suspicious thoughts, for the events of that day were queer. Consider. Two people, neither of whom I knew more than casually, makeunnatural and somewhat unbelievable propositions to me. One, the secretaryto the mayor, asks me to play the part of intelligence agent to thegovernment in a highly confidential matter, the nature and importance ofwhich has already been explained to you. The other, self-styled leader of apolitical party, asks me to run for a council seat.

“我的想法是感到疑惑，因为那天发生的事十分古怪。请各位想想看，两位先生和我都只是点头之交，却在同一天对我提出极其古怪、甚至有点不可思议的提议。首先，市长的机要秘书请求我，要我为政府从事极机密的情报工作，至于这项工作的性质和重要性，之前已经解释得很清楚了。随后，那位自封的政党领袖，又鼓励我去竞选市议员。

"Naturally I looked for the ulterior motive. Sutt's seemed evident. Hedidn't trust me. Perhaps he thought I was selling nuclear power to enemiesand plotting rebellion. And perhaps he was forcing the issue, or thought hewas. In that case, he would need a man of his own near me on my proposedmission, as a spy. The last thought, however, did not occur to me untillater on, when Jaim Twer came on the scene.

“我当然分析过他们的真正动机。瑟特的动机似乎很明显，他根本不信任我，也许他以为我在把核能卖给敌人，并且想要谋反。他这么做，可能是想逼我露出马脚，或者他自以为如此。这样的话，他就需要在我替他执行任务之际，在我身边安插一个自己人，作为他的眼线。然而最后这一点，我是后来才想到的，那就是詹姆·杜尔出场的时候。

"Consider again: Twer presents himself as a trader, retired into politics,yet I know of no details of his trading career, although my knowledge ofthe field is immense. And further, although Twer boasted of a layeducation, he had never heard of a Seldon crisis."

“请各位再想想：杜尔以一位转入政界的退休行商身份出现，我却完全不清楚他的行商生涯，偏偏我对这一行所知甚详。此外，虽然杜尔总爱夸耀他受的是普通教育，他却从未听过‘谢顿危机’。”

Hober Mallow waited to let the significance sink in and was rewarded withthe first silence he had yet encountered, as the gallery caught itscollective breath. That was for the inhabitants of Terminus itself. The menof the Outer Planets could hear only censored versions that would suit therequirements of religion. They would hear nothing of Seldon crises. Butthere would be further strokes they would not miss.

侯伯·马洛停了下来，好让言外之意渗入每个人的思绪。旁听席上人人屏气凝神，这是马洛发言以来全场第一次鸦雀无声。不过只有端点星上的居民，才能听到他所说的最后几句话。其他行星上的电视幕只能接收到经过剪接、适合宗教尺度的版本。那些世界的居民都不会听到谢顿危机，但是他们并不会错过后面的精彩表演。

Mallow continued:

马洛继续说下去：

"Who here can honestly state that any man with a lay education can possiblybe ignorant of the nature of a Seldon crisis? There is only one type ofeducation upon the Foundation that excludes all mention of the plannedhistory of Seldon and deals only with the man himself as a semi-mythicalwizard?

“在座各位有谁敢说，一个受过普通教育的人，竟然会不晓得什么是谢顿危机？在基地，只有一种教育完全避免提到谢顿所规划的历史，只是将他描述为接近神话的传奇人物。

"I knew at that instant that Jaim Twer had never been a trader. I knew thenthat he was in holy orders and perhaps a full-fledged priest; and,doubtless, that for the three years he had pretended to head a politicalparty of the traders, he had been a bought man of Jorane Sutt.

“我当时就立刻明白，詹姆·杜尔根本没有做过行商。我也想到他一定是神职人员，也许还是一位合格的教士。所以这三年来，他假装领导一个由行商组成的政党，无疑是另有目的。因为打从一开始，他就被乔兰·瑟特收买了。

"At the moment, I struck in the dark. I did not know Sun's purposes withregard to myself, but since he seemed to be feeding me rope liberally, Ihanded him a few fathoms of my own. My notion was that Twer was to be withme on my voyage as unofficial guardian on behalf of Jorane Sutt. Well, ifhe didn't get on, I knew well there'd be other devices waiting--and thoseothers I might not catch in time. A known enemy is relatively safe. Iinvited Twer to come with me. He accepted.

“这个时候，我像是在黑暗中摸索。我不知道瑟特对我有什么图谋，但既然他似乎是在跟我故弄玄虚，我也决定礼尚往来。我的想法是，杜尔应该会设法与我同行，替乔兰·瑟特暗中监视我。反之，假如杜尔没有如此要求，我知道一定还会有别的诡计——可是我一时可能无法识破。曝光的敌人其实不危险，我就主动邀请杜尔同行，而他一口就答应了。

"That, gentlemen of the council, explains two things. First, it tells youthat Twer is not a friend of mine testifying against me reluctantly and forconscience' sake, as the prosecution would have you believe. He is a spy,performing his paid job. Secondly, it explains a certain action of mine onthe occasion of the first appearance of the priest whom I am accused ofhaving murdered-- an action as yet unmentioned, because unknown."

“各位议员先生，这解释了两件事。第一，它说明了杜尔并不是我的朋友，他出庭作证，并非像检方要各位相信的那样，是出于良知才勉强站出来。他其实是一名间谍，收钱之后奉命行事。第二点，它解释了当那名教士——就是检方指控我所谋杀的那个人——首度出现的时候，我自己的一些行动。这些行动目前尚未提及，因为检方并不知道。”

Now there was a disturbed whispering in the council. Mallow cleared histhroat theatrically, and continued:

此时市议厅内又传来一阵窃窃私语。马洛夸张地清了清喉咙，再继续说下去：

"I hate to describe my feelings when I first heard that we had a refugeemissionary on board. I even hate to remember them. Essentially, theyconsisted of wild uncertainty. The event struck me at the moment as a moveby Sutt, and passed beyond my comprehension or calculation. I was at sea--and completely.

“听说有个逃难的传教士上了太空船，我当时的感受，我不想描述，甚至不想再回忆。简单地说，我完全不知所措。起初我以为这是瑟特玩的把戏，可是这一招并不在我的算计和了解之内。我失去了方向——完全失去了方向。

"There was one thing I could do. I got rid of Twer for five minutes bysending him after my officers. In his absence, I set up a Visual Recordreceiver, so that whatever happened might be preserved for future study. This was in the hope, the wild but earnest hope, that what confused me at the time might become plain upon review.

“我至少还能做一件事。我故意将杜尔支开五分钟，叫他帮我把军官都找来。当他离开后，我趁机在隐密处架设起影像记录器，以便无论发生什么事，都能记录下来以供日后研究。虽然没有把握，我却抱着很大的希望，希望当时令我困惑不解的情况，事后会有可能真相大白。

I have gone over that Visual Record some fifty times since. I have it herewith me now, and will repeat the job a fifty-first time in your presenceright now.

“这段影像记录我总共看过五十遍。现在我把它带来了，准备在各位面前再放映一遍。”

The mayor pounded monotonously for order, as the chamber lost itsequilibrium and the gallery roared. In five million homes on Terminus,excited observers crowded their receiving sets more closely, and at theprosecutor's own bench, Jorane Sutt shook his head coldly at the nervoushigh priest, while his eyes blazed fixedly on Mallow's face.

这时大厅内出现阵阵骚动，旁听席上则响起嘈杂的吆喝，市长只好使劲一下一下敲着议事槌。端点星上的五百万户家庭，全都挤在自家的电视幕前激动不已。乔兰·瑟特坐在检察席上，向紧张兮兮的首席教长冷静地摇摇头，后者充满愤怒的目光则紧盯在马洛脸上。

The center of the chamber was cleared, and the lights burnt low. AnkorJael, from his bench on the left, made the adjustments, and with apreliminary click, a holographic scene sprang to view; in color, inthree-dimensions, in every attribute of life but life itself.

市议厅的中央已清理出来，灯光也已经调暗。安可·杰尔坐在左方的座椅上负责调整放映装置，“咔嗒”一声之后，就映出一个彩色的、三维的全息影像，所有的一切都栩栩如生。

There was the missionary, confused and battered, standing between thelieutenant and the sergeant. Mallow's image waited silently, and then menfiled in, Twer bringing up the rear.

影像中包括那名传教士，他站在中尉与中士之间，显得神情惶惑，身上还有不少伤痕。马洛的影像则在沉默地等待着，然后军官鱼贯而入，而杜尔是最后一位。

The conversation played itself out, word for word. The sergeant wasdisciplined, and the missionary was questioned. The mob appeared, theirgrowl could be heard, and the Revered Jord Parma made his wild appeal. Mallow drew his gun, and the missionary, as he was dragged away, lifted hisarms in a mad, final curse and a tiny flash of light came and went.

全息影像中的人物开始一句一句说话。马洛先把中士训诫一顿，然后再询问传教士。接着外面出现大批暴民，他们的吼声也都听得见，裘德·帕尔玛教士开始尖声苦苦哀求。然后马洛拔出核铳。传教士被拖走的时候，他举起手臂疯狂地诅咒众人，而附近有一点光芒一闪即逝。

The scene ended, with the officers frozen at the horror of the situation,while Twer clamped shaking hands over his ears, and Mallow calmly put hisgun away.

放映到此告一段落。军官们目瞪口呆的身形在那一刻凝结，杜尔双手紧紧捂住耳朵，马洛则冷静地收起核铳。

The lights were on again; the empty space in the center of the floor was nolonger even apparently full. Mallow, the real Mallow of the present, tookup the burden of his narration:

市议厅重新大放光明，刚才出现在中央的全息影像立时消失无踪。马洛——真的马洛——又继续开始他的陈述：

"The incident, you see, is exactly as the prosecution has presented it--onthe surface. I'll explain that shortly. Jaim Twer's emotions through thewhole business shows clearly a priestly education, by the way.

“各位看得出来，这件事的经过和检方描述的完全一样——但只是表面上如此。我很快就会再加以说明。顺便提一下，詹姆·杜尔从头到尾的情绪化反应，明白显示他曾经受过教士培训教育。

"It was on that same day that I pointed out certain incongruities in theepisode to Twer. I asked him where the missionary came from in the midst ofthe near-desolate tract we occupied at the time. I asked further where thegigantic mob had come from with the nearest sizable town a hundred milesaway. The prosecution has paid no attention to such problems.

“当天稍后，我曾向杜尔指出这个突发事件的不合理之处。我问他，我们停在这个几乎荒芜的空旷地带，那名传教士是怎么找上这艘太空船的？我还问他，既然稍具规模的城镇离此地至少有一百英里，大批的暴民又是从哪里来的？检方却完全没有注意到这方面的问题。

"Or to other points; for instance, the curious point of Jord Parma'sblatant conspicuousness. A missionary on Korell, risking his life indefiance of both Korellian and Foundation law, parades about in a very newand very distinctive priestly costume. There's something wrong there. Atthe time, I suggested that the missionary was an unwitting accomplice ofthe Commdor, who was using him in an attempt to force us into an act ofwildly illegal aggression, to justify, in law, his subsequent destructionof our ship and of us.

“此外还有其他的疑点，比如说，裘德·帕尔玛为什么穿着那么显眼而华丽的法衣？他冒着生命的危险，甘犯基地和科瑞尔双方的法律，偷偷跑到科瑞尔传教，却穿着新颖又极其显眼的法衣到处招摇。这里头绝对有问题。当时，我曾怀疑他是在不知不觉间被科瑞尔领袖利用，迫使我们在慌乱中做出违法的侵略行为。这样一来，那领袖立刻就有借口，马上就能合法地摧毁我们的船舰和人员。

"The prosecution has anticipated this justification of my actions. Theyhave expected me to explain that the safety of my ship, my crew, my missionitself were at stake and could not be sacrificed for one man, when that manwould, in any case, have been destroyed, with us or without us. They replyby muttering about the Foundation's 'honor' and the necessity of upholdingour 'dignity' in order to maintain our ascendancy.

“检方就是期待我会对我的行动这样答辩。他们希望我会辩称，由于我的太空船、我的手下，以及我的任务都遭到威胁，我不能为一个人而牺牲一切。因为不论我们是否保护那名传教士，他都是死定了。而检方又声称，唯有维护基地的‘光荣’与‘尊严’，才有可能维持基地既有的霸权。

"For some strange reason, however, the prosecution has neglected Jord Parmahimself, 紡s an individual. They brought out no details concerning him;neither his birthplace, nor his education, nor any detail of previoushistory. The explanation of this will also explain the incongruities I havepointed out in the Visual Record you have just seen. The two are connected.

“然而，由于某种不明的原因，检方忽略了裘德·帕尔玛的背景——他的个人背景。他们没有详细说明他的个人资料，例如出生地、所受的教育，或是过去的经历。其中真正的原因，正好能解释我刚才指出的影像记录中的疑点。这两者之间是有关联的。

"The prosecution has advanced no details concerning Jord Parma because itcannot. That scene you saw by Visual Record seemed phoney because JordParma was phoney. There never was a Jord Parma. This whole trial is thebiggest farce ever cooked up over an issue that never existed."

“检方没有进一步提出裘德·帕尔玛的个人资料，是因为他们根本做不到。各位刚才所看到的影像记录，内容好像大有问题，那是因为裘德·帕尔玛这个人大有问题。其实，根本就没有裘德·帕尔玛这号人物。这场审判是根据子虚乌有的事件来炮制的，本身就是一场最大的闹剧。”

Once more he had to wait for the babble to die down. He said, slowly:

马洛又得停下来，等待喧哗声渐渐消失。然后他再慢慢说：

"I'm going to show you the enlargement of a single still from the VisualRecord. It will speak for itself. Lights again, Jael."

“让我将一幅静止的影像记录放大，给各位看清楚，真相就会大白。杰尔，灯光再熄掉。”

The chamber dimmed, and the empty air filled again with frozen figures inghostly, waxen illusion. The officers of the Far Star struck their stiff,impossible attitudes. A gun pointed from Mallow's rigid hand. At his left,the Revered Jord Parma, caught in mid-shriek, stretched his claws upward,while the failing sleeves hung halfway.

市议厅再度暗下来，半空中又凭空出现许多朦胧苍白的静止身形。远星号上的军官都摆出固定不动的姿势，马洛粗壮的手握着一把核铳。裘德·帕尔玛教士站在马洛左方，正尖叫到一半，他的十指朝天，袖子滑下半截。

And from the missionary's hand there was that little gleam that in theprevious showing had flashed and gone. It was a permanent glow now.

这位传教士手背上有个亮点，显然就是刚才那道一闪即逝的光芒，如今被冻结成固定的光点。

"Keep your eye on that light on his hand," called Mallow from the shadows. "Enlarge that scene, Jael!"

“请各位注意看他手背上的亮点，”马洛在暗处叫道，“杰尔，将这一部分放大！”

The tableau bloated quickly. Outer portions fell away as the missionarydrew towards the center and became a giant. Then there was only a hand andan arm, and then only a hand, which filled everything and remained there inimmense, hazy tautness.

于是那部分开始迅速膨胀。传教士的身形逐渐变成一个巨人，并且向中央移动，其他的全息影像则逐渐消失。很快就只剩下一只巨大的手臂，到最后则只有一只手。这只巨手占满整个空间，由朦胧而紧绷的光线所组成。

The light had become a set of fuzzy, glowing letters: K S P.

原先那个亮点，此时变成一组模糊而闪烁的字母：ＫＳＰ。

"That," Mallow's voice boomed out, "is a sample of tatooing, gentlemen. Under ordinary light it is invisible, but under ultraviolet light--withwhich I flooded the room in taking this Visual Record, it stands out inhigh relief. I'll admit it is a naive method of secret identification, butit works on Korell, where UV light is not to be found on street comers. Even in our ship, detection was accidental.

“各位，”马洛的声音震耳欲聋，“那是一种特殊的刺青。它在普通光线之下是隐形的，但在紫外线照射下，它就会变得鲜明而显着。而我为了拍摄这个影像记录，刚好开启了那个房间的紫外线。这种秘密身份的识别法虽然十分原始，但是在科瑞尔还行得通，因为那里并非到处都有紫外线灯。即使在我们的太空船上，这个发现也纯粹要靠运气。

"Perhaps some of you have already guessed what K S P stands for. Jord Parmaknew his priestly lingo well and did his job magnificently. Where he hadlearned it, and how, I cannot say, but K S P stands for 'Korellian SecretPolice.'"

“也许有人已经猜到ＫＳＰ代表什么。裘德·帕尔玛对于教士的用语相当熟悉，他的演技也非常高明。至于他是如何，又是从哪里学来这一套的，这我也不清楚，重要的是ＫＳＰ代表‘科瑞尔秘密警察’。”

Mallow shouted over the tumult, roaring against the noise, "I havecollateral proof in the form of documents brought from Korell, which I canpresent to the council if required.

马洛继续用力吼着，试图盖过全场嘈杂的噪音。“我这里还有从科瑞尔带回来的文件，能够作为辅助证物。若有需要，我可以呈给议会参考。

"And where is now the prosecution's case? They have already made andre-made the monstrous suggestion that I should have fought for themissionary in defiance of the law, and sacrificed my mission, my ship, andmyself to the 'honor' of the Foundation.

“现在，检方公诉的这件案子究竟有什么意义？他们一而再、再而三地大声疾呼，认为我应该不顾任何法律，为那名传教士而战；应该为了基地的‘光荣’而牺牲我的任务、我的船舰，甚至我自己！

"But to do it for an impostor?

“可是值得为一个骗子那么做吗？

"Should I have done it then for a Korellian secret agent tricked out in the robes and verbal gymnastics probably borrowed of an Anacreonian exile? Would Jorane Sutt and Publis Manlio have had me fall into a stupid, odioustrap?

“那名科瑞尔秘密警察，也许是从安纳克里昂的流亡者那里借到法衣，并学会那些传教士用语，当时我应该为他而战吗？乔兰·瑟特和帕布利斯·曼里欧两人，希望我掉进这么一个愚蠢而卑鄙的陷阱……”

His hoarsened voice faded into the featureless background of a shoutingmob. He was being lifted onto shoulders, and carried to the mayor's bench. Out the windows, he could see a torrent of madmen swarming into the squareto add to the thousands there already.

马洛嘶哑的声音被群众杂乱的吼叫声所掩盖。他被许多人扛在肩膀上，抬到了市长席。由大厅的窗户，他能看到外面广场上聚集了数千名群众，而疯狂的人潮仍然不断地继续涌进广场。

Mallow looked about for Ankor Jael, but it was impossible to find anysingle face in the incoherence of the mass. Slowly he became aware of arhythmic, repeated shout, that was spreading from a small beginning, andpulsing into insanity:

马洛四下张望，想要寻找杰尔，但是在这种极度混乱的场面中，他不可能看清楚任何一个人。而在嘈杂的喧哗中，他渐渐听到一种规律的吼叫声。这声音不断重复，由小而大，最后变成疯狂的呐喊：

"Long live Mallow-- long live Mallow-- long live Mallow?

“马洛万岁——马洛万岁——马洛万岁——”

15

Ankor Jael blinked at Mallow out of a haggard face. The last two days hadbeen mad, sleepless ones.

安可·杰尔看来形容憔悴，他无精打采地向马洛眨眨眼。过去两天他始终处于亢奋状态，一直没有阖过眼。

"Mallow, you've put on a beautiful show, so don't spoil it by jumping toohigh. You can't seriously consider running for mayor. Mob enthusiasm is apowerful thing, but it's notoriously fickle."

“马洛，你做了一场精彩的表演，但是千万要见好就收。你说要竞选市长，该不是认真的吧？群众的热情的确是一股很大的力量，却也是出了名的反复无常。”

"Exactly!" said Mallow, grimly, "so we must coddle it, and the best way todo that is to continue the show."

“一点都不错！”马洛绷着脸说，“所以我们一定要尽力维持，而最好的办法，就是把这出戏唱下去。”

"Now what?"

“现在该做什么呢？”

"You're to have Publis Manlio and Jorane Sutt arrested?

“现在你该想办法，将曼里欧和瑟特下狱……”

"What!"

“什么！”

"Just what you hear. Have the mayor arrest them! I don't care what threatsyou use. I control the mob, 貿or today, at any rate. He won't dare facethem."

“你没有听错，现在就去叫市长逮捕他们两人！我不在乎你用什么威胁手段。群众控制在我手上——至少今天如此，市长绝对不敢跟群众唱反调。”

"But on what charge, man?"

“可是老兄，用什么罪名呢？”

"On the obvious one. They've been inciting the priesthood of the outerplanets to take sides in the factional quarrels of the Foundation. That'sillegal, by Seldon. Charge them with 'endangering the state.' And I don'tcare about a conviction any more than they did in my case. Just get themout of circulation until I'm mayor."

“就挑最明显的一项，他们煽动其他世界的教士介入基地的党争。谢顿在上，那可是不法的举动。你就告发他们犯了‘危害国家安全罪’。他们控告我是另有所谋，我同样不在乎他们会不会被定罪。只要让他们暂时无法行动，直到我当上市长为止。”

"It's half a year till election."

“可是，离选举还有半年啊。”

"Not too long!" Mallow was on his feet, and his sudden grip of Jael's armwas tight. "Listen, I'd seize the government by force if I had to--the waySalvor Hardin did a hundred years ago. There's still that Seldon crisiscoming up, and when it comes I have to be mayor and high priest. Both!"

“没多久了！”马洛站起来，使劲抓住杰尔的手臂。“听好，假如真有必要，我会以武力夺取政权——就像一百年前塞佛·哈定那样。另一个谢顿危机已经逼近，当危机来到时，我一定要成为市长兼首席教长。缺一不可！”

Jael's brow furrowed. He said, quietly, "What's it going to be? Korell,after all?"

杰尔皱起眉头，轻声问道：“会有什么事情发生？科瑞尔还会惹麻烦吗？”

Mallow nodded, "Of course. They'll declare war, eventually, though I'mbetting it'll take another pair of years."

马洛点点头。“当然。他们终究会对基地宣战，不过我在赌他们还会再等两年。”

"With nuclear ships?"

“他们会用核武星舰吗？”

"What do you think? Those three merchant ships we lost in their spacesector weren't knocked over with compressed-air pistols. Jael, they'regetting ships from the Empire itself. Don't open your mouth like a fool. Isaid the Empire! It's still there, you know. It many be gone here in thePeriphery but in the Galactic center it's still very much alive. And onefalse move means that it, itself, may be on our neck. That's why I must bemayor and high priest. I'm the only man who knows how to fight the crisis."

“你想呢？我们有三艘太空商船在他们的星区失踪，不可能是被气枪击毁的。杰尔，科瑞尔直接从帝国取得星舰。别像傻瓜一样把嘴巴张那么大。没错，我说的就是那个银河帝国！你知道吗，它还存在。虽然银河外缘不再是帝国的势力范围，可是在银河的核心区域，帝国依然十分巩固。我们只要走错一步，帝国就可能直接打过来。所以我必须成为市长兼首席教长，只有我才知道如何应付这次的危机。”

Jael swallowed dryly, "How? What are you going to do?"

杰尔硬邦邦地吞了一下口水。“怎么应付？你准备怎么做？”

"Nothing."

“什么都不做。”

Jael smiled uncertainly, "Really! All of that!"

杰尔露出疑惑的笑容。“真的？就是这样？”

But Mallow's answer was incisive, "When I'm boss of this Foundation, I'mgoing to do nothing. One hundred percent of nothing, and that is the secretof this crisis."

但是马洛回答得斩钉截铁。“等到我能够替基地当家做主，我什么都不要做，百分之百地无为而治，这正是渡过这次危机的秘诀。”

16

Asper Argo, the Well-Beloved, Commdor of the Korellian Republic greeted hiswife's entry by a hangdog lowering of his scanty eyebrows. To her at least,his self-adopted epithet did not apply. Even he knew that.

阿斯培·艾哥，万民拥戴的科瑞尔共和国领袖，正皱起稀疏的眉毛，露出卑微的表情迎接他的夫人。在这个国家，他自封的名号至少对一个人不适用，这点连他自己都很明白。

She said, in a voice as sleek as her hair and as cold as her eyes, "Mygracious lord, I understand, has finally come to a decision upon the fateof the Foundation upstarts."

她说：“我亲爱的主公，我知道，你终于对基地那些暴发户的命运有所决定。”她的声音与她的头发一般光润，与她的眼睛一样冷冽。

"Indeed?" said the Commdor, sourly. "And what more does your versatileunderstanding embrace?"

“是吗？”领袖不悦地说，“你的消息可真灵通，你究竟还知道些什么？”

"Enough, my very noble husband. You had another of your vacillatingconsultations with your councilors. Fine advisors." With infinite scorn, "Aherd of palsied purblind idiots hugging their sterile profits close totheir sunken chests in the face of my father's displeasure."

“够多了，我尊贵无比的夫君。你如往常一样优柔寡断，又找了那些顾问官，开了一次咨商会议。真是了不起的顾问。”她以轻蔑至极的口吻说：“一群口歪眼斜的白痴，把一点蝇头小利紧紧抱在皮包骨的怀里，竟然不怕令我父亲震怒。”

"And who, my dear," was the mild response, "is the excellent source fromwhich your understanding understands all this?"

“亲爱的，”领袖故意以温和的口气回应，“到底是谁那么有本事，让你变得无所不知、无所不晓？”

The Commdora laughed shortly, "If I told you, my source would be morecorpse than source."

领袖夫人干笑了一声。“假如我告诉你是谁，他自己的小命就保不住了。”

"Well, you'll have your own way, as always." The Commdor shrugged andturned away. "And as for your father's displeasure: I much fear me itextends to a niggardly refusal to supply more ships."

“好吧，你总是有你的办法。”领袖耸耸肩，别过头去。“至于会令你父亲不高兴，我倒十分害怕，怕他因此小气得不再提供星舰。”

"More ships!" She blazed away, hotly, "And haven't you five? Don't deny it. I know you have five; and a sixth is promised."

“你还要星舰！”她激动得拼命吼道，“你不是已经有五艘了吗？别否认，我知道你已经有五艘，他还允诺要再给你一艘。”

"Promised for the last year."

“他去年就一直这么说。”

"But one--just one--can blast that Foundation into stinking rubble. Justone! One, to sweep their little pygmy boats out of space."

“但是任何一艘——只要一艘——就能将基地轰成一团碎石子。只要一艘！一艘，就能把他们的侏儒船舰一扫而光。”

"I couldn't attack their planet, even with a dozen."

“即使我有一打星舰，也不能去攻击他们的行星。”

"And how long would their planet hold out with their trade ruined, andtheir cargoes of toys and trash destroyed?"

“但是如果他们的贸易被摧毁，所有那些玩具、那些破烂都被毁掉，他们的世界还能再撑多久？”

"Those toys and trash meanmoney," he sighed. "A good deal of money."

“那些玩具和那些破烂都可以换钱，”他叹了一口气，“很多很多的钱。”

"But if you had the Foundation itself, would you not have all itcontained'? And if you had my father's respect and gratitude, would you nothave more than ever the Foundation could give you? It's been three years--more-- since that barbarian came with his magic sideshow. It's long enough."

“可是如果你拿下基地，不就能拥有那里的一切吗？而你若能赢得我父亲的敬重和感激，难道不会得到比整个基地更多的东西吗？已经三年了——其实还不止——自从那个蛮子来这里表演魔术，到现在已经很久很久了。”

"My dear!" The Commdor turned and faced her. "I am growing old. I am weary. I lack the resilience to withstand your rattling mouth. You say you knowthat I have decided. Well, I have. It is over, and there is war betweenKorell and the Foundation."

“亲爱的！”领袖又转过身来面对着她，“我年纪越来越大，身体越来越虚弱，没有精力忍受你的喋喋不休。你说知道我已经有了决定，好吧，我的确决定了。科瑞尔和基地的关系已经结束，两国马上就要开战了。”

"Well!" The Commdora's figure expanded and her eyes sparkled, "You learnedwisdom at last, though in your dotage. And now when you are master of thishinterland, you may be sufficiently respectable to be of some weight andimportance in the Empire. For one thing, we might leave this barbarousworld and attend the viceroy's court. Indeed we might."

“好！”领袖夫人眉开眼笑，神情振奋，“你活了这么一大把年纪，如今总算开窍了。一旦你成为一方之主，在帝国中就能取得重要的一席之地，会受到充分的敬重。而我们就有可能离开这个蛮荒世界，到总督府去谋个职位。我们真的做得到。”

She swept out, with a smile, and a hand on her hip. Her hair gleamed in thelight.

她翩然离去，脸上带着微笑，一手叉着腰，黑发显得熠熠生光。

The Commdor waited, and then said to the closed door, with malignance andhate, "And when I am master of what you call the hinterland, I may besufficiently respectable to do without your father's arrogance and hisdaughter's tongue. Completely--without!"

领袖静待她走远，才关上门破口大骂，声音充满恶毒与恨意。“当我真的成为你所谓的一方之主，就一定能得到足够的敬重，不必再忍受你父亲的傲慢自大，还有他女儿的伶牙俐齿。完全——不必！”

17

The senior lieutenant of the Dark Nebula stared in horror at the visiplate.

黑暗星云号的一位上尉，正万分恐惧地盯着显像板。

"Great Galloping Galaxies!" It should have been a howl, but it was awhisper instead, "What's that?"

“我的银河啊！”这本来应该是一声狂啸，但他却是压低声音说的，“那是什么东西？”

It was a ship, but a whale to the Dark Nebula's minnow; and on its side wasthe Spaceship-and-Sun of the Empire. Every alarm on the ship yammered hysterically.

那是一艘星际战舰，但是黑暗星云号与之相比，简直就像小虾米对大鲸鱼。在那艘巨型星舰的两侧，还能看到帝国的国徽“星舰与太阳”。黑暗星云号的每一个警报器，都发出疯狂的呜鸣。

The orders went out, and the Dark Nebula prepared to run if it could, andfight if it must, 殆hile down in the hyperwave room, a message stormed itsway through hyperspace to the Foundation.

命令很快下达，黑暗星云号能逃就逃，逃不掉就奋力应战。与此同时，它的超波通讯室射出一束超波讯息，经由超空间向基地奔去。

Over and over again! Partly a plea for help, but mainly a warning ofdanger.

这道讯息发射了一遍又一遍！虽然也有求救的成分，但主要还是在向基地示警。

18

Hober Mallow shuffled his feet wearily as he leafed through the reports. Two years of the mayoralty had made him a bit more housebroken, a bitsofter, a bit more patient, 肪ut it had not made him learn to likegovernment reports and the mind-breaking officialese in which they were written.

侯伯·马洛一面不耐烦地踱步，一面翻阅手中许多份报告。当了两年市长，他变得比较能待在室内，比较温和圆滑，也比较有耐心。然而，他却始终没有培养出对政府公文的兴趣，一看到这些官样文章就头痛。

"How many ships did they get?" asked Jael.

杰尔问：“我们损失多少艘星舰？”

"Four trapped on the ground. Two unreported. All others accounted for andsafe." Mallow grunted, "We should have done better, but it's just ascratch."

“四艘困在地面，两艘目前下落不明，其余的据报都还平安。”马洛喃喃道，“我们应该做得更好，但这只不过是一点轻伤。”

There was no answer and Mallow looked up, "Does anything worry you?"

没有听到对方答话，马洛抬起头来。“你在担心什么事吗？”

"I wish Sutt would get here," was the almost irrelevant answer.

“我希望瑟特会过来。”杰尔几乎是答非所问。

"Ah, yes, and now we'll hear another lecture on the home front."

“喔，对啊，我们可以让他再为我们上一堂内政课。”

"No, we won't," snapped Jael, "but you're stubborn, Mallow. You may haveworked out the foreign situation to the last detail but you've never givena care about what goes on here on the home planet."

“不，不要。”杰尔吼道，“马洛，你也太固执了。对外事务你事必躬亲，巨细靡遗，可是对于母星上发生的事，你却从来没有关心过。”

"Well, that's your job, isn't it? What did I make you Minister of Educationand Propaganda for?"

“嗯，那是你的差事吧？我任命你当教育兼宣传部长是干什么的？”

"Obviously to send me to an early and miserable grave, for all theco-operation you give me. For the last year, I've been deafening you withthe rising danger of Sutt and his Religionists. What good will your plansbe, if Sutt forces a special election and has you thrown out?"

“照你这种合作态度，你的这项任命显然是想让我早日惨死。去年一整年，我在你耳边不停唠叨，提醒你注意瑟特和他的基本教义派，他们变得越来越危险。如果瑟特强行要求举行特别投票将你罢免，你的因应对策是什么？”

"None, I admit."

“我承认，根本没有对策。”

"And your speech last night just about handed the election to Sutt with asmile and a pat. Was there any necessity for being so frank?"

“而你昨晚的演说，等于是把这个选举恭敬地交到瑟特手上。你有必要做得那么直率吗？”

"Isn't there such a thing as stealing Sutt's thunder?"

“难道我不是在抢瑟特的风头吗？”

"No," said Jael, violently, "not the way you did it. You claim to haveforeseen everything, and don't explain why you traded with Korell to theirexclusive benefit for three years. Your only plan of battle is to retirewithout a battle. You abandon all trade with the sectors of space nearKorell. You openly proclaim a stalemate. You promise no offensive, even inthe future. Galaxy, Mallow, what am I supposed to do with such a mess?"

“不，”杰尔激动地说，“你这样做不是在抢风头。你宣称预见了一切，却从未解释为何在过去三年间，你对科瑞尔实施的贸易政策让他们占尽便宜。你对这场战争的唯一战略，就是不战而退。你放弃了科瑞尔附近星区每一个贸易机会；你公开宣布战争进入胶着状态；你承诺不会主动出击，甚至将来也不会。银河啊，马洛，你要我怎么收拾残局？”

"It lacks glamor?"

“这样做缺乏魅力吗？”

"It lacks mob emotion-appeal."

“缺乏对群众情绪的煽动力。”

"Same thing."

“一回事嘛。”

"Mallow, wake up. You have two alternatives. Either you present the peoplewith a dynamic foreign policy, whatever your private plans are, or you makesome sort of compromise with Sutt."

“马洛，醒醒吧。你现在只有两条路，一是立刻公布一个强势的对外政策，姑且不论你私下如何盘算；另一条路，就是和瑟特达成某种程度的妥协。”

Mallow said, "All right, if I've failed the first, let's try the second.

马洛回答说：“好吧，就当我做不到第一点，让我们试试第二个办法吧。瑟特也刚好到了。”

Sutt's just arrived."Sutt and Mallow had not met personally since the day of the trial, twoyears back. Neither detected any change in the other, except for thatsubtle atmosphere about each which made it quite evident that the roles ofruler and defier had changed.

自从两年前那场审判结束后，瑟特与马洛就没有再碰过面。今天再度相遇，彼此察觉不出对方有任何改变，只是这次会面的微妙气氛，让人很清楚地感到情势早已主客易位。

Sutt took his seat without shaking hands.

瑟特没有跟马洛握手，直接坐下来。

Mallow offered a cigar and said, "Mind if Jael stays? He wants a compromiseearnestly. He can act as mediator if tempers rise."

马洛递给他一根雪茄，然后说：“不介意杰尔也留下吧？他十分渴望达成妥协。万一我俩过于激动，他还可以做个调停者。”

Sutt shrugged, "A compromise will be well for you. Upon another occasion Ionce asked you to state your terms. I presume the positions are reversednow."

瑟特耸耸肩。“你的确很需要一个妥协方案。上次我曾经要求你提出自己的条件，我想如今情势刚好相反。”

"You presume correctly."

“你想得很正确。”

"Then there are my terms. You must abandon your blundering policy ofeconomic bribery and trade in gadgetry, and return to the tested foreignpolicy of our fathers."

“那么以下就是我的条件。你必须放弃那些愚蠢幼稚的对外政策，诸如经济贿赂、小型器具的贸易等，回归父老所制定并通过考验的传统政策。”

"You mean conquest by missionary."

“你是说以宣教手段征服其他世界？”

"Exactly."

“正是如此。”

"No compromise short of that?"

“否则就没有妥协的余地？”

"None."

“绝对没有。”

"Um-mmm." Mallow lit up very slowly and inhaled the tip of his cigar into abright glow. "In Hardin's time, when conquest by missionary was new andradical, men like yourself opposed it. Now it is tried, tested, hallowed,貌verything a Jorane Sutt would find well. But, tell me, how would you getus out of our present mess?"

“嗯——”马洛以极缓慢的动作点着雪茄，吸了一口，雪茄头立刻发出红光，“在哈定的时代，靠宣教来征服其他世界是个崭新且激进的手段，像你们这种人全都反对。如今，这个政策通过了考验，进而被神圣化——像你瑟特这样的人，就认为它每一方面都是好的。可是，请告诉我，你如何让我们脱出目前的困境？”

"Your present mess. I had nothing to do with it."

“你目前的困境，和我完全没有关系。”

"Consider the question suitably modified."

“就照你的意思修正这个问题吧。”

"A strong offensive is indicated. The stalemate you seem to be satisfiedwith is fatal. It would be a confession of weakness to all the worlds ofthe Periphery, where the appearance of strength is all-important, andthere's not one vulture among them that wouldn't join the assault for itsshare of the corpse. You ought to understand that. You're from Smyrno,aren't you?"

“我们需要以强大的力量主动出击。你似乎对目前的胶着状态很满意，其实它有致命的危险。这样等于我们对外缘的所有世界示弱，然而在银河外缘这个星际丛林，最重要的生存之道就是展现实力。否则其他世界都会像秃鹰一样攻击我们，每个世界都希望能分一杯羹。你应该明白这点。你来自司密尔诺，对不对？”

Mallow passed over the significance of the remark. He said, "And if youbeat Korell, what of the Empire? That is the real enemy."

马洛却故意忽略最后一句话的言外之意，他说：“即使你能击败科瑞尔，又要如何对付帝国？那才是我们真正的敌人。”

Sutt's narrow smile tugged at the comers of his mouth, "Oh, no, yourrecords of your visit to Siwenna were complete. The viceroy of theNormannic Sector is interested in creating dissension in the Periphery forhis own benefit, but only as a side issue. He isn't going to stakeeverything on an expedition to the Galaxy's rim when he has fifty hostileneighbors and an emperor to rebel against. I paraphrase your own words."

瑟特的嘴角用力扯出一丝笑容。“喔，不，你在访问西维纳的报告中写得很完整。诺曼星区的总督在外缘制造纠纷，纯粹是为了个人的考虑，但这只是枝节问题。当他周围有五十个虎视眈眈的强邻，又要筹划如何叛变帝国的时候，他绝对不会贸然派遣远征军到银河的边缘。这些都是摘录自你的报告。”

"Oh, yes he might, Sutt, if he thinks we're strong enough to be dangerous. And he might think so, if we destroy Korell by the main force of frontalattack. We'd have to be considerably more subtle."

“喔，瑟特，你错了。如果他觉得我们强大到足以构成威胁，他就可能那么做。假使我们以主力做正面攻击，一举击溃科瑞尔，就会令他有这种感受。我们必须更迂回、更微妙才行。”

"As for instance?

“比如说——”

Mallow leaned back, "Sutt, I'll give you your chance. I don't need you, butI can use you. So I'll tell you what it's all about, and then you caneither join me and receive a place in a coalition cabinet, or you can playthe martyr and rot in jail."

马洛上身靠向椅背。“瑟特，我会给你机会。我不需要你，但能让你派上用场。所以我会告诉你一切的来龙去脉，然后由你自己决定是否和我合作，成为联合内阁的一员；不然你也可以扮演烈士，在监牢里度过余生。”

"Once before you tried that last trick."

“以前你也用过这一套。”

"Not very hard, Sutt. The right time has only just come. Now listen."Mallow's eyes narrowed.

“瑟特，当时我并没有尽全力，适当的时机才刚刚来临。现在听好。”马洛眯起双眼。

"When I first landed on Korell," he began, A bribed the Commdor with thetrinkets and gadgets that form the trader's usual stock. At the start,that. was meant only to get us entrance into a steel foundry. I had no planfurther than that, but in that I succeeded. I got what I wanted. But it wasonly after my visit to the Empire that I first realized exactly what aweapon I could build that trade into.

“那次我奉命到科瑞尔去，”马洛开始说，“我拿一些饰品和器具贿赂那位领袖，那些都是货舱中最普通的东西。我的本意，只是想藉此获得进入炼钢厂的机会。除此之外我并没有进一步的计划。但一切进行得很顺利，我看到了想看的东西。可是，直到我去帝国的一角探访过之后，才终于想到如何利用贸易作为一种武器。

"This is a Seldon crisis we're facing, Sutt, and Seldon crises are notsolved by individuals but by historic forces. Hari Seldon, when he plannedour course of future history, did not count on brilliant heroics but on thebroad sweeps of economics and sociology. So the solutions to the variouscrises must be achieved by the forces that become available to us at thetime.

“瑟特，目前我们正面临另一个谢顿危机。而谢顿危机绝不能靠个人来解决，必须仰赖历史的力量才行。当哈里·谢顿为我们规划未来的历史轨迹时，并未考虑到什么英雄豪杰，他寄望的是经济和社会的历史巨流。所以每一个不同的危机，都有不同的解决之道，端视当时我们手中有什么力量。

In this case……trade!

“而这一次——是贸易！”

Sutt raised his eyebrows skeptically and took advantage of the pause, "Ihope I am not of subnormal intelligence, but the fact is that your vaguelecture isn't very illuminating."

瑟特狐疑地扬起眉毛，趁着马洛停顿的机会插嘴道：“我希望不是自己过于低能，但是你的演说实在有点含混不清。”

"It will become so," said Mallow. "Consider that until now the power oftrade has been underestimated. It has been thought that it took apriesthood under our control to make it a powerful weapon. That is not so,and this is my contribution to the Galactic situation. Trade withoutpriests! Trade alone! It is strong enough. Let us become very simple andspecific. Korell is now at war with us. Consequently our trade with her hasstopped. But, 墨otice that I am making this as simple as a problem inaddition, 吠n the past three years she has based her economy more and moreupon the nuclear techniques which we have introduced and which only we cancontinue to supply. Now what do you suppose will happen once the tinynuclear generators begin failing, and one gadget after another goes out ofcommission?

“你很快就会清楚的。”马洛答道，“想想看，直到目前为止，贸易的力量始终被人低估。过去，大家都以为必须有个受我们控制的教士阶级，才能使贸易成为威力强大的武器。事实却不然，这个发现可说是我对整个银河的贡献。没有教士的贸易！纯粹的贸易！它本身就威力无穷。让我们来讨论一个很简单而具体的例子。科瑞尔现在和我们交战，因此双方的贸易完全中断。然而——请注意，我把这个情况简化成一项个案来讨论——在过去三年间，科瑞尔的经济体系变得越来越仰赖核能科技，而这些科技都是我们引进的，也只有我们能提供维修服务。现在我们来假设一下，当那些微型核能发电机停摆了，而各种小器具也一个接一个失效时，究竟会发生些什么事？

"The small household appliances go first. After a half a year of thisstalemate that you abhor, a woman's nuclear knife won't work any more. Herstove begins failing. Her washer doesn't do a good job. Thetemperature-humidity control in her house dies on a hot summer day. Whathappens?"

“首先发生问题的是小型的家用核能装置。经过半年你所谓的胶着状态之后，主妇的核能削刀就失灵了。核能烤炉、洗衣机也停摆了。在炎热的夏天，温湿度调节器也罢工了。这会导致什么结果？”

He paused for an answer, and Sutt said calmly, "Nothing. People endure agood deal in war."

马洛停下来等待对方回答。瑟特以平静的口吻说：“什么都不会。战争期间，人民会表现出充分的韧性和耐力。”

"Very true. They do. They'll send their sons out in unlimited numbers todie horribly on broken spaceships. They'll bear up under enemy bombardment,if it means they have to live on stale bread and foul water in caves half amile deep. But it's very hard to bear up under little things when thepatriotic uplift of imminent danger is not present. It's going to, be astalemate. There will be no casualties, no bombardments, no battles.

“说得很对。人民在战时会共体时艰，还会将自己的子弟一个个送去从军，忍心让他们惨死在被击毁的星舰中。他们不会屈服于敌人的空袭轰炸，即使必须躲藏在半英里深的掩体中，靠发霉的面包和馊水度日。话又说回来，假如没有什么迫在眉睫的危险，人民的爱国心就不会激发出来，小小的问题就会令人难以忍受。这会酿成一种胶着状态。没有任何的死伤、没有空袭，也没有真正的战争。

"There will just be a knife that won't cut, and a stove that won't cook,and a house that freezes in the winter. It will be annoying, and peoplewill grumble."

“会发生的变化，只是刀子再也切不动食物、炉子再也不能烹饪，而到了冬天，房间里就冷得要死。面对种种不便，人民势必发出怨言。”

Sutt said slowly, wonderingly, "Is that what you're setting your hopes on,man? What do you expect? A housewives' rebellion? A Jacquerie? A suddenuprising of butchers and grocers with their cleavers and bread-knivesshouting 'Give us back our Automatic Super-Kleeno Nuclear WashingMachines.'"

瑟特以怀疑的口气慢慢说：“老兄啊，这就是你所抱的希望吗？你究竟在指望什么？家庭主妇革命？农民暴动？卖肉和卖食品的小贩突然叛乱，拿着他们切肉和切面包的刀子，走上街头高喊：‘还我自动超净核能洗衣机！’”

"No, sir," said Mallow, impatiently, "I do not. I expect, however, ageneral background of grumbling and dissatisfaction which will be seized onby more important figures later on."

“不，瑟特兄。”马洛用不耐烦的口吻说，“我不是指这些。然而，我真正期待的，是这种普遍不满的情绪，会渐渐传染给更具影响力的人士。”

"And what more important figures are these?"

“谁又是更具影响力的人士？”

"The manufacturers, the factory owners, the industrialists of Korell. Whentwo years of the stalemate have gone, the machines in the factories will,one by one, begin to fail. Those industries which we have changed fromfirst to last with our new nuclear gadgets will find themselves verysuddenly ruined. The heavy industries will find themselves, en masse and ata stroke, the owners of nothing but scrap machinery that won't work."

“例如科瑞尔境内的制造业者、工厂厂主、实业家等等。等到这种胶着状态持续两年，工厂里的机器就会一个接一个停摆。那些经过我们利用核能装置彻头彻尾改良过的工业，将在短期之内全部瘫痪。而重工业的大老板，会发现他们的机器一下子全部变成废铁。”

"The factories ran well enough before you came there, Mallow."

“马洛，在你去那里之前，他们的工厂也营运得很好。”

"Yes, Sutt, so they did--at about one-twentieth the profits, even if youleave out of consideration the cost of reconversion to the originalpre-nuclear state. With the industrialist and financier and the average manall against him, how long will the Commdor hold out?"

“没错，瑟特，当时的确如此——不过利润大约只有现在的十二分之一。即使忽略掉转换回非核能体系的成本，仍将是十二倍的衰退。当实业家、资本家，还有大多数的人民都对领袖极度不满时，那位领袖还能做多久？”

As long as he pleases, as soon as it occurs to him to get new nucleargenerators from the Empire.

“他要再做多久都行，只要他能想到向帝国索取新的核能发电机。”

And Mallow laughed joyously, "You've missed, Sutt, missed as badly as theCommdor himself. You've missed everything, and understood nothing. Look,man, the Empire can replace nothing. The Empire has always been a realm ofcolossal resources. They've calculated everything in planets, in stellarsystems, in whole sectors of the Galaxy. Their generators are giganticbecause they thought in gigantic fashion.

马洛开心地哈哈大笑。“瑟特，你搞错了，错得和领袖本人一样严重。你将所有的事都弄拧了，完全搞不清楚状况。请注意，老兄，帝国帮不上任何忙。因为帝国一直是个庞然大物，拥有几乎无穷无尽的资源。他们所考虑的每一个问题，都是以行星、星系、星区为单位；他们所制造的发电机也庞大无比，因为他们习惯了这样的思考模式。

"But we,--we , our little Foundation, our single world almost withoutmetallic resources, 防ave had to work with brute economy. Our generatorshave had to be the size of our thumb, because it was all the metal we couldafford. We had to develop new techniques and new methods, 釦echniques andmethods the Empire can't follow because they have degenerated past thestage where they can make any really vital scientific advance.

“然而我们——我们，我们这个小小的基地，我们这个没有金属资源的单一世界——必须建立完全不同的体系。我们的发电机只有拇指大小，因为我们只有那么一点金属。我们不得不发展新的科技和新的方法——而这些都是帝国望尘莫及的，因为帝国整体的创造力已经消退，无法作出任何重大的科技进展。

"With all their nuclear shields, large enough to protect a ship, a city, anentire world; they could never build one to protect a single man. To supplylight and heat to a city, they have motors six stories high……I saw them--where ours could fit into this room. And when I told one of their nuclearspecialists that a lead container the size of a walnut contained a nucleargenerator, he almost choked with indignation on the spot.

“他们虽然有巨大的核能防护罩，足以保护一艘星舰、一座城市，甚至整个世界，却无论如何造不出个人用的防护罩。为了供给一座城市的光和热，他们使用六层楼高的发电机——我亲眼看到过——而我们的却能放在这个房间里。当我告诉一位帝国训练出的核能专家，说发电机能装进一个胡桃大小的铅盒中，他几乎气得当场窒息。

"Why, they don't even understand their own colossi any longer. The machineswork from generation to generation automatically, and the caretakers are ahereditary caste who would be helpless if a single D-tube in all that vaststructure burnt out.

“没错，他们自己也不再了解那些庞大的怪物。一代又一代，所有的机器都全自动运作，连维修人员也是世袭的特权阶级。即使只是一根Ｄ型管烧坏了，那些人同样束手无策。

"The whole war is a battle between those two systems, between the Empireand the Foundation; between the big and the little. To seize control of aworld, they bribe with immense ships that can make war, but lack alleconomic significance. We, on the other hand, bribe with little things,useless in war, but vital to prosperity and profits.

“这一场战争，其实是两种不同体系之战。基地体系对抗帝国体系，毫微体系对抗巨型体系。帝国控制一个世界的办法，是提供巨型星舰作为贿赂，它们是战场上的利器，却对国计民生没有任何意义。而我们刚好相反，我们专门以小玩意收买人心，这些东西在战场上当然没用，却是经济繁荣、工商发展所不可或缺的。

"A king, or a Commdor, will take the ships and even make war. Arbitraryrulers throughout history have bartered their subjects' welfare for whatthey consider honor, and glory, and conquest. But it's still the littlethings in life that count--and Asper Argo won't stand up against theeconomic depression that will sweep all Korell in two or three years."

“对国王或领袖而言，他们宁愿选择星舰，甚至因而发动战争。在历史上，每一个独裁专制的统治者，都会以人民的福祉换取他们心目中的光荣和胜利。可是和广大民众有切身关系的，仍然只是那些小东西——因此两三年内，经济萧条会横扫科瑞尔共和国，而阿斯培·艾哥将无法再撑下去。”

Sutt was at the window, his back to Mallow and Jael. It was early eveningnow, and the few stars that struggled feebly here at the very rim of theGalaxy sparked against the background of the misty, wispy Lens thatincluded the remnants of that Empire, still vast, that fought against them.

瑟特此时来到窗前，背对着马洛与杰尔。现在已经是黄昏时分，在这个银河边缘的上空，有几颗星星吃力地眨着眼睛。在这些星光背后，则是朦胧的透镜状银河主体，帝国的残躯仍然蛰居其中，依旧势力强大，与基地隐隐遥相对峙。

Sutt said, "No. You are not the man."

瑟特说：“不，不该由你担任这个角色。”

"You don't believe me?"

“你不相信我的话？”

"I mean I don't trust you. You're smooth-tongued. You befooled me properlywhen I thought I had you under proper care on your first trip to Korell. When I thought I had you cornered at the trial, you wormed your way out ofit and into the mayor's chair by demagoguery. There is nothing straightabout you; no motive that hasn't another behind it; no statement thathasn't three meanings.

“我的意思是我不信任你，你是个油嘴滑舌的家伙。当初我派你去科瑞尔，以为将一切安排得天衣无缝，到头来还是被你耍了。在公审时，我以为你已是瓮中之鳖，你仍然有办法脱困，还利用群众的力量谋得市长的位子。你一点也不坦诚，你的每一项动机都另有用意，你的每一句话都有三重含义。

"Suppose you were a traitor. Suppose your visit to the Empire had broughtyou a subsidy and a promise of power. Your actions would be precisely whatthey are now. You would bring about a war after having strengthened theenemy. You would force the Foundation into inactivity. And you wouldadvance a plausible explanation of everything, one so plausible it wouldconvince everyone."

“假如你是叛徒，假如你去帝国时被金钱和权力收买了，你目前也正好会采取这些行动。你会把敌人养肥了再开战，你会迫使基地坐以待毙。你对每件事都会提出花言巧语的解释，每个人都会被你唬住。”

"You mean there'll be no compromise?" asked Mallow, gently.

“你的意思是，没有妥协的余地了？”马洛温和地问。

"I mean you must get out, by free will or force."

“我的意思是你必须下台，不论是辞职还是被赶走。”

"I warned you of the only alternative to co-operation."

“不跟我合作的唯一下场，我刚才已经警告过你。”

Jorane Sutt's face congested with blood in a sudden access of emotion. "AndI warn you, Hober Mallow of Smyrno, that if you arrest me, there will be noquarter. My men will stop nowhere in spreading the truth about you, and thecommon people of the Foundation will unite against their foreign ruler. They have a consciousness of destiny that a Smyrnian can never understand--and that consciousness will destroy you."

瑟特突然万分激动，满脸涨得通红。“司密尔诺来的侯伯·马洛，我也警告你，如果你逮捕我，就等于自掘坟墓。我的人立刻会到处宣扬你的底细，基地民众则会团结起来反抗你这个外来统治者。我们对基地的命运有一种自觉，绝非你们司密尔诺人所能了解——这种自觉足以将你摧毁。”

Hober Mallow said quietly to the two guards who had entered, "Take himaway. He's under arrest."

侯伯·马洛对走进来的两名警卫轻声道：“把他带走，他被捕了。”

Sutt said, "Your last chance."

瑟特说：“这是你最后的机会。”

Mallow stubbed out his cigar and never looked up.

马洛并没有抬起头来，只是自顾自将雪茄捻熄。

And five minutes later, Jael stirred and said, wearily, "Well, now thatyou've made a martyr for the cause, what next?"

五分钟之后，杰尔才忧心忡忡、有气无力地说：“好了，你已经制造了一名烈士，接下来怎么办？”

Mallow stopped playing with the ash tray and looked up, "That's not theSutt I used to know. He's a blood-blind bull. Galaxy, he hates me."

马洛这才停止拨弄烟灰缸，抬起头来。“这不是我所认识的瑟特，他简直像一头被刺瞎的蛮牛。银河啊，他可真恨我呢。”

"All the more dangerous then."

“这会使得他更危险。”

"More dangerous? Nonsense! He's lost all power of judgement."

“更危险？胡说八道！他已经完全失去判断力。”

Jael said grimly, "You're overconfident, Mallow. You're ignoring the possibility of a popular rebellion."

杰尔绷着脸说：“马洛，你实在过度自信了。你忽略了群众造反的可能性。”

Mallow looked up, grim in his turn, "Once and for all, Jael, there is nopossibility of a popular rebellion."

马洛抬起头，也绷起了脸。“杰尔，我只说一次，绝对不可能有群众造反。”

"You're sure of yourself!"

“你实在太过自信！”

"I'm sure of the Seldon crisis and the historical validity of theirsolutions, externally and internally. There are some things I didn't tellSuit right now. He tried to control the Foundation itself by religiousforces as he controlled the outer worlds, and he failed, 殆hich is thesurest sign that in the Seldon scheme, religion is played out.

“我是对谢顿危机，以及解决之道的历史合理性——内在和外在皆然——具有充分的信心。有些事我刚才并没有告诉瑟特。他试图仿照他控制其他世界的方法，用宗教的力量控制基地本身，结果失败了——这就明确表示在谢顿计划中，宗教已经功成身退。

"Economic control worked differently. And to paraphrase that famous SalvorHardin quotation of yours, it's a poor nuclear blaster that won't pointboth ways. If Korell prospered with our trade, so did we. If Korellianfactories fail without our trade; and if the prosperity of the outer worldsvanishes with commercial isolation; so will our factories fail and ourprosperity vanish.

“经济的力量却完全不同。套用塞佛·哈定著名的警语，它对敌我双方一视同仁。假如科瑞尔由于和我们贸易而变得繁荣，我们自己的经济也会一并受惠。反之，假如因为和我们贸易中断而使科瑞尔的工厂倒闭，其他世界又因为贸易孤立而萧条，我们的工厂同样会关门，基地也会因而陷入不景气。

"And there isn't a factory, not a trading center. not a shipping line thatisn't under my control; that I couldn't squeeze to nothing if Sutt attemptsrevolutionary propaganda. Where his propaganda succeeds, or even looks asthough it might succeed, I will make certain that prosperity dies. Where itfails, prosperity will continue, because my factories will remain fullystaffed.

“如今所有的工厂、贸易中心、运输航线等等，无一不在我的管辖之下，倘若瑟特试图进行革命宣传，我绝对不能缩头不管。假使他的宣传手段成功了，哪怕只是看起来似乎会成功，我保证会让这里的繁荣毁掉。反之如果他失败了，我的工厂就能保持全线开工，繁荣就能持续下去。

"So by the same reasoning which makes me sure that the Korellians willrevolt in favor of prosperity, I am sure we will not revolt against it. Thegame will be played out to its end."

“我既然相信科瑞尔的人民会为了追求繁荣而爆发革命，基于同样的理由，我相信我们的人民绝不想把繁荣毁掉。这出戏的结局大致就是这个样子。”

So then, said Jael, "you're establishing a plutocracy. You're making us aland of traders and merchant princes. Then what of the future?"

“照你这么说，”杰尔道，“你正在建立一种财阀政治。你要把我们这里变成行商和商业王侯的乐园。这样下去，将来会变成什么局面？”

Mallow lifted his gloomy face, and exclaimed fiercely, "What business ofmine is the future? No doubt Seldon has foreseen it and prepared againstit. There will be other crises in the time to come when money power hasbecome as dead a force as religion is now. Let my successors solve thosenew problems, as I have solved the one of today."

马洛扬起板着的脸孔，厉声吼道：“未来关我什么事？谢顿必定早已预见，也早就准备好锦囊妙计。当金钱的力量像如今的宗教一样过气时，自然还会有其他危机出现。我已经解决了当前的难题，再有新的问题，就留给那些继任者吧。”

KORELL:……And so after three years of a war which was certainly the mostunfought war on record, the Republic of Korell surrendered unconditionally,and Hober Mallow took his place next to Hari Seldon and Salvor Hardin inthe hearts of the people of the Foundation.

科瑞尔：……经过三年有史以来战事最少的战争，科瑞尔共和国终于无条件投降。侯伯·马洛因此成为继哈里·谢顿与塞佛·哈定之后，基地人民心目中的第三位英雄。

ENCYCLOPEDIA GALACTICA

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Isaac Asimov was born in the Soviet union to his great surprise. He moved quickly to correct the situation. When his parents emigrated to the UnitedStates, Isaac (three years old at the time) stowed away in their baggage.

He has been an American citizen since the age of eight.

Brought up in Brooklyn, and educated in its public schools, he eventuallyfound his way to Columbia University and, over the protests of the schooladministration, managed to annex a series of degrees in chemistry, up toand including a Ph.D. He then infiltrated Boston University and climbed theacademic ladder, ignoring all cries of outrage, until he found himselfProfessor of Biochemistry.

Meanwhile, at the age of nine, he found the love of his life (in theinanimate sense) when he discovered his first science-fiction magazine. Bythe time he was eleven, he began to write stories, and at eighteen, heactually worked up the nerve to submit one. It was rejected. After fourlong months of tribulation and suffering, he sold his first story and,thereafter, he never looked back.

In 1941, when he was twenty-one years old, he wrote the classic short story"Nightfall" and his future was assured. Shortly before that he had begunwriting his robot stories, and shortly after that he had begun hisFoundation series.

What was left except quantity? At the present time, he has published over260 books, distributed through every major division of the Dewey system oflibrary classification, and shows no signs of slowing up. He remains asyouthful, as lively, and as lovable as ever, and grows more handsome witheach year. You can be sure that this is so since he has written this littleessay himself and his devotion to absolute objectivity is notorious.

He is married to Janet Jeppson, psychiatrist and writer, has two childrenby a previous marriage, and lives in New York City.