16 CONFERENCE
第16章 大会
When the twenty-seven independent Trading worlds, united only by their distrust of the mother planet of the Foundation, concert an assembly among themselves, and each is big with a pride grown of its smallness, hardened by its own insularity and embittered by eternal danger……there are preliminary negotiations to be overcome of a pettiness sufficiently staggering to heartsicken the most persevering.
二十七个独立行商世界，基于对基地母星不信任的唯一共识，决定团结起来组成一个联盟。这些行商世界，个个具有夜郎自大的心态，以及井底之蛙的顽固，并且由于常年涉险而充满暴戾之气。他们在举行首次大会之前，曾经做过许多先期磋商与交涉，目的是解决一个连最有耐心的人都会被烦死的小问题。
It is not enough to fix in advance such details as methods of voting, type of representation……whether by world or by population. These are matters of involved political importance. It is not enough to fix matters of priority at the table, both council and dinner, those are matters of involved social importance.
这个小问题并非大会的技术细节，例如投票的方式、代表的产生……究竟是以世界计或以人口计，那些问题牵涉到重要的政治因素。它也不是关于代表的座次，无论是会议桌或餐桌，那些问题牵涉到重要的社会因素。
It was the place of meeting……since that was a matter of overpowering provincialism. And in the end the devious routes of diplomacy led to the world of Radole, which some commentators had suggested at the start for logical reason of central position.
这个小问题其实是开会的地点，因为那才是最具地方色彩的问题。经过了迂回曲折的外交谈判，终于选定拉多尔这个世界。在磋商开始的时候，有些新闻评论员已经猜到这个结果，因为拉多尔位置适中，是最合乎逻辑的选择。
Radole was a small world……and, in military potential, perhaps the weakest of the twenty-seven. That, by the way, was another factor in the logic of the choice.
拉多尔是个很小的世界……就军事潜力而言，可能也是二十七个世界中最弱的。不过，这也是它合乎逻辑的另一个原因。
It was a ribbon world……of which the Galaxy boasts sufficient, but among which, the inhabited variety is a rarity for the physical requirements are difficult to meet. It was a world, in other words, where the two halves face the monotonous extremes of heat and cold, while the region of possible life is the girdling ribbon of the twilight zone.
它是一个带状世界……这种行星在银河系十分普遍，但适合住人的却少之又少，因为难得有恰到好处的自然条件。所谓带状世界的行星，是指它的两个半球处于两种极端温度，生命只可能存在于环状的过渡地带。
Such a world invariably sounds uninviting to those who have not tried it, but there exist spots, strategically placed……and Radole City was located in such a one.
从未接触过这个世界的人，照例会认为它没有什么吸引力。其实它上面有好些极具价值的地点……拉多尔市就是其中之一。
It spread along the soft slopes of the foothills before the hacked-out mountains that backed it along the rim of the cold hemisphere and held off the frightful ice. The warm, dry air of the sun-half spilled over, and from the mountains was piped the water-and between the two, Radole City became a continuous garden, swimming in the eternal morning of an eternal June.
这个城市沿着山麓的缓坡展开。附近几座嵯峨崎岖的高山，阻挡了山后低温半球的酷寒冰雪，并为城市提供所需的用水。常年被太阳炙晒的另一半球，则为它送来温暖干燥的空气。处于这两个半球之间，拉多尔市成为一座常绿的花园，全年沐浴在六月天的清晨。
Each house nestled among its flower garden, open to the fangless elements. Each garden was a horticultural forcing ground, where luxury plants grew in fantastic patterns for the sake of the foreign exchange they brought……until Radole had almost become a producing world, rather than a typical Trading world.
每幢房舍四周都有露天花园。园中长满珍贵的奇花异草，全部以人工加速栽培，以便为当地人换取大量的外汇。如今，拉多尔几乎变成一个农业世界，而不再是典型的行商世界。
So, in its way, Radole City was a little point of softness and luxury on a horrible planet……a tiny scrap of Eden……and that, too, was a factor in the logic of the choice.
因此，在这个穷山恶水的行星上，拉多尔市是个小小的世外桃源。这一点，也是它被选为开会地点的原因。
The strangers came from each of the twenty-six other Trading worlds: delegates, wives, secretaries, newsmen, ships, and crews……and Radole's population nearly doubled and Radole's resources strained themselves to the limit. One ate at will, and drank at will, and slept not at all.
来自其他二十六个行商世界的会议代表、眷属、秘书、新闻记者、船舰与船员，令拉多尔的人口几乎暴涨一倍，各种资源也几乎被消耗殆尽。大家尽情吃喝，尽情玩乐，根本没有人想睡觉。
Yet there were few among the roisterers who were not intensely aware that all that volume of the Galaxy burnt slowly in a sort of quiet, slumbrous war. And of those who were aware, there were dime classes. First, there were the many who knew little and were very confident.
但在这些吃喝玩乐的人群中，只有极少数人不太了解战火已经悄悄蔓延整个银河系。而在那些了解局势的大多数人当中，又可再细分为三大类。其中第一类占大多数，他们知道得很少，可是信心十足。
Such as the young space pilot who wore the Haven cockade on the clasp of his cap, and who managed, in holding his glass before his eyes, to catch those of the faintly smiling Radolian girl opposite. He was saying: "We came fight through the war-zone to get here-on purpose. We traveled about a light-minute or so, in neutral, right past Horleggor……"
例如那位帽扣上镶着“赫汶”字样的太空船驾驶员。他正把玻璃杯举到眼前，透过杯子望着对面浅浅微笑的拉多尔女郎，同时说道：“我们直接穿越战区来到这里……故意的。经过侯里哥的时候，我们关闭发动机，飞行了大约一‘光分’的距离……”
"Horleggor?" broke in a long-legged native, who was playing host to that particular gathering. "That's where the Mule got the guts beat out of him last week, wasn't it?"
“侯里哥？”一名长腿的本地人插嘴问道，这次聚会就是由他做东。“就是上星期，骡被打得屁滚尿流的地方，对不对？”
"Where'd you hear that the Mule got the guts beat out of him?" demanded the pilot, loftily.
“你从哪里听说骡被打得屁滚尿流？”驾驶员高傲地反问。
"Foundation radio."
“基地的广播。”
"Yeah? Well, the Mule's got Horleggor. We almost ran into a convoy of his ships, and that's where they were coming from. It isn't a gut-beating when you stay where you fought, and the gut-beater leaves in a hurry."
“是吗？乱讲，是骡打下了侯里哥。我们几乎撞到他的一艘护航舰，他们就是从侯里哥来的。假使骡被打得屁滚尿流，怎么可能还留在原处；打得他屁滚尿流的基地舰队，却反而溜之大吉？”
Someone else said in a high, blurred voice, "Don't talk like that. Foundation always takes it on the chin for a while. You watch; just sit tight and watch. Ol' Foundation knows when to come back. And then……pow!" The thick voice concluded and was succeeded by a bleary grin.
另一个人用高亢而含糊的声音说：“别这么讲，基地总是先挨两下子。你等着瞧，把眼睛睁大点。老牌的基地迟早会打回来，到了那个时候……砰！”这人声音含混地说完之后，还醉醺醺地咧嘴一笑。
"Anyway." said the pilot from Haven, after a short pause, "As I say, we saw the Mule's ships, and they looked pretty good, pretty good. I tell you what……they looked new."
赫汶来的驾驶员沉默了一会儿，接着又说：“无论如何，正如我所说，我们亲眼看到骡的星舰，而且它们看来十分精良……十分精良。我告诉你，它们看来像新的。”
"New?" said the native, thoughtfully. "They build them themselves?" He broke a leaf from an overhanging branch, sniffed delicately at it, then crunched it between his teeth, the bruised tissues bleeding greenly and diffusing a minty odor. He said, "You trying to tell me they beat Foundation ships with homebuilt jobs? Go on."
“新的？”做东的本地人若有所思地说，“他们自己造的吗？”他随手摘下头顶的一片叶子，优雅地放在鼻端闻了闻，然后丢进嘴里嚼起来。嚼烂的树叶流出绿色的汁液，并弥漫着薄荷的香味。他又说：“你是想告诉我，他们用自己拼凑的星舰，击败了基地的舰队？得了吧。”
"We saw them, doc. And I can tell a ship from a comet, too, you know."
“老学究，我们亲眼见到的。你该知道，我至少还能分辨船舰和彗星。”
The native leaned close. "You know what I think. Listen, don't kid yourself. Wars don't just start by themselves, and we have a bunch of shrewd apples running things. They know what they're doing."
本地人向驾驶员凑过去。“你可知道我在想什么。听好，别跟自己开玩笑了。战争不会无缘无故打起来，我们有一大堆精明能干的领导者，他们知道自己在做什么。”
The well-unthirsted one said with sudden loudness, "You watch ol' Foundation. They wait for the last minute, then……pow!" He grinned with vacuously open mouth at the girl, who moved away from him.
那个喝醉的人突然又大声叫道：“你注意看老牌的基地。他们会忍耐到最后一分钟，然后就‘砰’！”他愣愣地张开嘴巴，对身边的女郎笑了笑，女郎赶紧走了开。
The Radolian was saying, "For instance, old man, you think maybe that this Mule guy's running things. No-ooo." And he wagged a finger horizontally. "The way I hear it, and from pretty high up, mind you, he's our boy. We're paying him off, and we probably built those ships. Let's be realistic about it……we probably did. Sure, he can't beat the Foundation in the long run, but he can get them shaky, and when he does……we get in."
拉多尔人又说：“老兄，比如说吧，你认为也许是那个什么骡在控制一切，不……对。”他伸出一根手指摇了摇，“我所听到的……顺便提醒你，我是从很高层听来的，骡根本就是我们的人。我们买通了他，那些星舰或许也是我们建造的。让我们面对现实……我们也许真的那么做了。当然，他最后不可能打败基地，却能搞得他们人心惶惶。当他做到这一点的时候，我们就趁虚而入。”
The girl said, "Is that all you can talk about, Klev? The war? You make me tired."
那女郎问道：“克雷夫，你只会说这些事吗？只会谈战争？我都听厌了。”
The pilot from Haven said, in an access of gallantry, "Change the subject. Can't make the girls tired."
赫汶来的那名驾驶员，马上用过度殷勤的口气说：“换个话题吧，我们不能让女孩们厌烦。”
The bedewed one took up the refrain and banged a mug to the rhythm. The little groups of two that had formed broke up with giggles and swagger, and a few similar groups of twos emerged from the sun-house in the background.
接着，喝醉的那人不断重复这句话，还拿啤酒杯在桌上敲着拍子。此时有几双看对了眼的男女，笑嘻嘻地大摇大摆离开餐桌；又有一些成双成对的露水鸳鸯，从后院的“阳房”走了出来。
The conversation became more general, more varied, more meaningless.
话题变得愈来愈广泛，愈来愈杂乱，愈来愈没有意义……
Then there were those who knew a little more and were less confident.
第二类的人，则是知道得多一点，信心却少一些。
Such as the one-armed Fran, whose large bulk represented Haven as official delegated, and who lived high in consequence, and cultivated new friendships……with women when he could and with men when he had to.
魁梧的独臂人弗南就是其中之一。他是赫汶出席这次大会的官方代表，因此获得很高的礼遇。他在这里忙着结交新朋友……女性朋友优先考虑，男性朋友则纯属公事。
It was on the sun platform of the hilltop home, of one of these new friends, that he relaxed for the first of what eventually proved to be a total of two times while on Radole. The new friend was Iwo Lyon, a kindred soul of Radole. Iwo's house was apart from the general cluster, apparently alone in a sea of floral perfume and insect chatter. The sun platform was a grassy strip of lawn set at a forty-five degree angle, and upon it Fran stretched out and fairly sopped up sun.
现在，他正待在一间山顶房舍的阳台上，这间房舍的主人正是弗南新交的朋友。自从来到拉多尔，这是他第一次松懈下来……后来才知道，在拉多尔这段日子，他前前后后只有两次这种机会。那位新朋友名叫埃欧·里昂，他不是道地的拉多尔人，只是有血缘关系而已。埃欧的房舍并非坐落在大众住宅区，而是独立于一片花海中，四周充满花香与虫鸣。那个阳台其实是一块倾斜四十五度的草坪，弗南摊开四肢躺在上面，尽情地享受温暖的阳光。
He said, "Don't have anything like this on Haven."
他说：“这些享受在赫汶通通没有。”
Iwo replied, sleepily, "Ever seen the cold side. There's a spot twenty miles from here where the oxygen runs like water. "
埃欧懒洋洋地应道：“你看过低温半球吗？离这里二十英里就有一处景点，那里的液态氧像水一般流动。”
"Go on.
“得了吧。”
"Fact."
“这是事实。”
"Well, I'll tell you, Iwo-In the old days before my arm was chewed off I knocked around, see……and you won't believe this, but"……The story that followed lasted considerably, and Iwo didn't believe it.
“来，埃欧，我告诉你……想当年，我的手臂还连在肩膀上的时候，知道吗，我到处闯荡……你不会相信的，不过……”他讲了一个好长的故事，埃欧果然不相信。
Iwo said, through yawns, "They don't make them like in the old days, that's the truth."
埃欧一面打呵欠，一面说：“物换星移，这是真理。”
"No, guess they don't. Well, now," Fran fired up, "don't say that. I told you about my son, didn't I? He's one of the old school, if you like. He'll make a great Trader, blast it. He's his old man up and down. Up and down, except that he gets married."
“我也这么想。唉，算了，”弗南突然发起火来，“别再说了。我跟你提过我的儿子没有？你可以说他是旧派人物。他妈的，他将来一定会成为伟大的行商。他从头到脚和他老子一模一样。从头到脚，唯一不同的是他结了婚。”
"You mean legal contract? With a girl?"
“你的意思是签了一张合同？跟一个女人？”
"That's right. Don't see the sense in it myself. They went to Kalgan for their honeymoon."
“就是这样，我自己看不出这有什么意义。他们夫妻到卡尔根度蜜月去了。”
"Kalgan? Kalgan? When the Galaxy was this?"
“卡尔根？卡……尔……根？银河啊，那是什么时候的事？”
Fran smiled broadly, and said with slow meaning, "Just before the Mule declared war on the Foundation."
弗南露出灿烂的笑容，若有深意地慢慢答道：“就在骡对基地宣战之前。”
"That so?"
“只是去度蜜月？”
Fran nodded and motioned Iwo closer with his head. He said, hoarsely, "In fact, I can tell you something, if you don't let it go any further. My boy was sent to Kalgan for a purpose. Now I wouldn't like to let it out, you know, just what the purpose was, naturally, but you look at the situation now, and I suppose you can make a pretty good guess. In any case, my boy was the man for the job. We Traders needed some sort of ruckus." He smiled, craftily. "It's here. I'm not saying how we did it, but……my boy went to Kalgan, and the Mule sent out his ships. My son!"
弗南点点头，并示意埃欧靠过来。他以沙哑的声音说：“事实上，我可以告诉你一件事，只要你别再转述出去。我的孩子去卡尔根其实另有目的。当然，你该知道，现在我还不想泄露这个目的究竟为何。但你只要看看目前的局势，我想你就能猜得八九不离十。总之，我的孩子是那件任务的不二人选。我们行商亟需一点骚动。”他露出狡猾的微笑，“现在果然来了。我不能说我们是如何做到的，但是……我的孩子一到卡尔根，骡就派出他的舰队。好儿子！”
Iwo was duly impressed. He grew confidential in his turn, "That's good. You know, they say we've got five hundred ships ready to pitch in on our own at the right time. "
埃欧感到十分佩服，他也开始对弗南推心置腹。“那太好了。你知道吗，据说我们有五百艘星舰，随时待命出发。”
Fran said authoritatively, "More than that, maybe. This is real strategy. This is the kind I like." He clawed loudly at the skin of his abdomen. "But don't you forget that the Mule is a smart boy, too. What happened at Horleggor worries me."
弗南以权威的口吻说：“也许还不只这个数目。这才是真正的战略，我喜欢这样。”他使劲抓了抓肚皮，“可是你别忘了，骡也是一个精明的人物。在侯里哥发生的状况令我担心。”
"I heard he lost about ten ships."
“我听说他损失了十艘星舰。”
"Sure, but he had a hundred more, and the Foundation had to get out. It's all to the good to have those tyrants beaten, but not as quickly as all that." He shook his head.
“没错，可是他总共动用了一百多艘，基地最后只好撤退。那些独裁者吃败仗固然大快人心，可是这样兵败如山倒却不妙。”他摇了摇头。
"The question I ask is where does the Mule get his ships? There's a widespread rumor we're making them for him."
“我的问题是，骡的星舰到底是哪里弄来的？现在谣言满天飞，说是我们帮他建造的。”
"We? The Traders? Haven has the biggest ship factories anywhere in the independent worlds, and we haven't made one for anyone but ourselves. Do you suppose any world is building a fleet for the Mule on its own, without taking the precaution of united action? That's a ... a fairy tale."
“我们？行商？赫汶拥有独立世界中最大的造舰厂，可是我们从来没有帮外人造过一艘星舰。你以为有哪个世界，会不担心其他世界的联合抵制，擅自为骡提供一支舰队？这……简直是神话。”
"Well, where does he get them?"
“那么，他到底是从哪里弄来的？”
And Fran shrugged, "Makes them himself, I suppose. That worries me, too."
弗南耸耸肩。“我想，是他自己建造的。这点也令我担心。”
Fran blinked at the sun and curled his toes about the smooth wood of the polished foot-rest. Slowly, he fell asleep and the soft burr of his breathing mingled with the insect sibilance.
弗南眯起眼睛望着太阳，并屈起脚趾，将双脚放在光滑的木制脚台上。不久他就渐渐进入梦乡，轻微的鼾声与虫鸣交织在一起。
Lastly, there were the very few who knew considerable and were not confident at all.
最后一类的人只占极少数，他们知道得最多，因而毫无信心。
Such as Randu, who on the fifth day of the all-Trader convention entered the Central Hall and found the two men he had asked to be there, waiting for him. The five hundred seats were empty……and were going to stay so.
例如蓝度就属于这一类。如今“行商大会”进行到第五天，蓝度走进会场，看到他约好的两个人已经在那里等他。会场中的五百个座位都还是空的……而且会持续一阵子。
Randu said quickly, almost before he sat down, "We three represent about half the military potential of the Independent Trading Worlds."
蓝度几乎还没有坐下来，就迫不及待地说：“我们三个人，代表了独立行商世界将近一半的军事潜力。”
"Yes," said Mangin of Iss, "my colleague and I have already commented upon the fact."
“是的，”伊斯的代表曼金答道，“我们两人已经讨论过这一点。”
"I am ready," said Randu, "to speak quickly and earnestly. I am not interested in bargaining or subtlety. Our position is radically in the worse."
蓝度说：“我准备很快、很诚恳地把话说完，我对交涉谈判或尔虞我诈毫无兴趣。我们如今的情势糟透了。”
"As a result of? urged Ovall Gri of Mnemon.
“是因为……”涅蒙的代表欧瓦·葛利问道。
"Of developments of the last hour. Please! From the beginning. First, our position is not of our doing, and but doubtfully of our control. Our original dealings were not with the Mule, but with several others; notably the ex-warlord of Kalgan, whom the Mule defeated at a most inconvenient time for us."
“是因为上一个小时的发展。拜托！让我从头说起。首先，如今的情况，并不是我们所作所为导致的结果，也无疑不在我们的掌控中。我们原先的交涉对象不是骡，而是其他几位统领。其中最重要的就是卡尔根的前任统领，可是在最紧要的关头，他竟然被骡打垮了。”
"Yes, but this Mule is a worthy substitute," said Mangin. "I do not cavil at details."
“没错，但这个骡是个不错的替代人选。”曼金说，“我一向不吹毛求疵。”
"You may when you know all the details." Randu leaned forward and placed his hands upon the table palms-up in an obvious gesture.
“知道所有的详情之后，你就会改变心意了。”蓝度身子向前倾，双手放在桌面，手掌朝上，做了一个明显的手势。
He said, "A month ago I sent my nephew and my nephew's wife to Kalgan."
他又说：“一个月前，我派我的侄子和侄媳到卡尔根去。”
"Your nephew!" cried Ovall Gri, in surprise. "I did not know he was your nephew."
“你的侄子！”欧瓦·葛利惊讶地吼道，“我不知道他就是你的侄子。”
"With what purpose," asked Mangin, dryly. "This?" And his thumb drew an inclusive circle high in the air.
“这样做有什么目的？”曼金以冷淡的口气问：“这个吗？”他用拇指在空中画了一个圆圈。
"No. If you mean the Mule's war on the Foundation, no. How could I aim so high? The young man knew nothing……neither of our organization nor of our aims. He was told I was a minor member of an intra-Haven patriotic society, and his function at Kalgan was nothing but that of an amateur observer. My motives were, I must admit, rather obscure. Mainly, I was curious about the Mule. He is a strange phenomenon……but that's a chewed cud; I'll not go into it. Secondly, it would make an interesting and educational training project for a man who had experience with the Foundation and the Foundation underground and showed promise of future usefulness to us. You see?
“不对。假如你是指骡向基地宣战那件事，不，我怎么可能期望那么高？那个年轻人什么也不知道……无论是我们的组织或是我们的目的。我只告诉他，我是赫汶一个爱国团体的普通成员，而他到卡尔根去，只是顺便帮我们观察一下状况。我必须承认，我真正的动机也相当暧昧。我最主要是对骡感到好奇，他是个不可思议的人物……关于这一点，我们已经讨论得够多了，我不想再重复。其次，我的侄子曾经到过基地，也跟那边的地下组织有过接触，他将来很可能成为我们的同志。让他去一趟卡尔根，会是一次很有意义的训练。明白了吗……”
Ovall's long face fell into vertical lines as he showed his large teeth, "You must have been surprised at the outcome, then, since there is not a world among the Traders, I believe, that does not know that this nephew of yours abducted a Mule underling in the name of the Foundation and furnished the Mule with a casus belli. Galaxy, Randu, you spin romances. I find it hard to believe you had no hand in that. Come, it was a skillful job."
欧瓦的长脸拉得更长，露出大颗大颗的牙齿。“这么说，你一定对结果大吃一惊。我相信，现在行商世界人尽皆知，都晓得是你的侄子假冒基地的名义，拐走骡的一名手下，给了骡一个宣战的借口。银河啊，蓝度，你可真会编故事。我难以相信你会跟这件事没有牵连。承认了吧，这是个精心策划的行动。”
Randu shook his white head, "Not of my doing. Nor, willfully, of my nephew's, who is now held prisoner at the Foundation, and may not live to see the completion of this so-skillful job. I have just heard from him. The Personal Capsule has been smuggled out somehow, come through the war zone, gone to Haven, and traveled from there to here. It has been a month on its travels."
蓝度甩了甩一头的白发。“不是出于我的策划，也不是我的侄子有意造成的。他如今成了基地的阶下囚，可能无法活着看到这个精心策划的行动大功告成。我刚刚收到他的讯息。不知道他用什么方法，把私人信囊偷偷传了出来，信囊通过战区辗转送达赫汶，然后又从那里转到这里。足足一个月，才到我手上。”
"And??
“信上写的是……”
Randu leaned a heavy hand upon the heel of his palm and said, sadly, "I'm afraid we are cast for the same role that the onetime warlord of Kalgan played. The Mule is a mutant!"
蓝度用单掌撑着身子，以悲切的口吻说：“恐怕我们要步上卡尔根前任统领的后尘。骡是一个突变种！”
There was a momentary qualm; a faint impression of quickened heartbeats. Randu might easily have imagined it.
这句话随即引起一阵不安。蓝度不难想象，对面两个人一定立刻心跳加速。
When Mangin spoke, the evenness of his voice was unchanged, "How do you know?"
当曼金再度开口时，平稳的口气却一点也没有变。“你是怎么知道的？”
"Only because my nephew says so, but he was on Kalgan.
“只是我侄子这么说的，不过他曾经到过卡尔根。”
"What kind of a mutant? There are all kinds, you know."
“是什么样的突变种？你知道，突变种有好多种类。”
Randu forced the rising impatience down, "All kinds of mutants, yes, Mangin. All kinds! But only one kind of Mule. What kind of a mutant would start as an unknown, assemble an army, establish, they say, a five-mile asteroid as original base, capture a planet, then a system, then a region……and then attack the Foundation, and defeat them at Horleggor. And all in two or three years!"
蓝度勉力压下不耐烦的情绪。“没错，曼金，突变种有好多种类。好多种类！可是骡却只有一个。什么样的突变种能这样白手起家，先是聚集一股军队，据说，最初只是在一颗直径五英里的小行星上建立据点，然后攻占一颗行星，接下来是一个星系、一个星区……然后开始进攻基地，并在侯里哥击败基地的舰队。这一切，前后只有两三年的时间！”
Ovall Gri shrugged, "So you think he'll beat the Foundation?"
欧瓦·葛利耸耸肩。“所以你认为，他终究会击败基地？”
"I don't know. Suppose he does?"
“我不知道。假如他真的做到了呢？”
"Sorry, I can't go that far. You don't beat the Foundation. Look, there's not a new fact we have to go on except for the statements of a ... well, of an inexperienced boy. Suppose we shelve it for a while. With all the Mule's victories, we weren't worried until now, and unless he goes a good deal further than he has, I see no reason to change that. Yes?"
“抱歉，我可不想扯那么远。基地是不可能被打败的。听好，除了这个……嗯，这个少不更事的孩子传来的消息，我们没有获悉任何新的进展。我建议把这件事暂且摆在一边。骡已经打了那么多场胜仗，在此之前我们一点也不操心，除非他打下大半个银河，我看不出何必改变我们目前这种态度。对不对？”
Randu frowned and despaired at the cobweb texture of his argument. He said to both, "Have we yet made any contact with the Mule?"
蓝度皱起眉头，对方说的一堆歪理令他灰心。他对两人说：“目前为止，我们有没有跟骡作过任何接触？”
"No," both answered.
“没有。”两人齐声答道。
"It's true, though, that we've tried, isn't it? It's true that there's not much purpose to our meeting unless we do reach him, isn't it? It's true that so far there's been more drinking than thinking, and more wooing than doing……I quote from an editorial in today's Radole Tribune……and all because we can't reach the Mule. Gentlemen, we have nearly a thousand ships waiting to be thrown into the fight at the proper moment to seize control of the Foundation. I say we should change that. I say, throw those thousand onto the board now……against the Mule."
“其实，我们曾经尝试过，对不对？其实，除非我们跟他取得联系，召开这场大会并没有什么意义，对不对？其实，目前为止，大家都是喝得多想得少，说得多做得少……我是引自今天《拉多尔论坛报》上的一篇评论……这都是因为我们无法联络到骡。两位先生，我们总共拥有近千艘的星舰，只要时机一到，就能全体出动，一举攻下基地。我认为，我们应该改变计划。我认为，应该立刻把那一千艘星舰派出去……对抗骡！”
"You mean for the Tyrant Indbur and the bloodsuckers of the Foundation?" demanded Mangin, with quiet venom.
“你的意思是，去帮助茵德布尔那个暴君，还有基地那帮吸血鬼吗？”曼金带着恨意轻声追问。
Randu raised a weary hand, "Spare me the adjectives. Against the Mule, I say, and for I-don't-care-who."
蓝度不耐烦地举起手。“请省略不必要的形容词。我只是说‘对抗骡’，我不在乎是帮助谁。”
Ovall Gri rose, "Randu, I'll have nothing to do with that, You present it to the full council tonight if you particularly hunger for political suicide."
欧瓦·葛利站了起来。“蓝度，我不要跟这件事有任何牵扯。如果你迫不及待想进行政治自杀，今晚就可以向大会提出这个动议。”
He left without another word and Mangin followed silently, leaving Randu to drag out a lonely hour of endless, insoluble consideration.
他头也不回地走了出去，曼金沉默地跟在他后面。会场只剩下蓝度一个人，他花了一个小时，不断思索着根本没有答案的问题。
At the full council that night, he said nothing.
当天晚上的大会，他没有作任何发言。
But it was Ovall Gri who pushed into his room the next morning; an Ovall Gri only sketchily dressed and who had neither shaved nor combed his hair.
第二天一大早，欧瓦·葛利却冲进蓝度的房间。当时，这位欧瓦·葛利只随便披了一件衣服，胡子没有刮，头也没有梳。
Randu stared at him over a yet-uncleared breakfast table with an astonishment sufficiently open and strenuous to cause him to drop his pipe.
蓝度刚刚吃完早餐，隔着餐桌的杯盘瞪着他，被他的狼狈模样吓了一跳，连手中的烟斗都抓不稳。
Ovall said baldly, harshly. "Mnemon has been bombarded from space by treacherous attack."
欧瓦劈头就粗声喊道：“涅蒙遭到来自太空的奇袭。”
Randu's eyes narrowed, "The Foundation?"
蓝度眯起眼睛。“是基地吗？”
"The Mule!" exploded Ovall. "The Mule!" His words raced, "It was unprovoked and deliberate. Most of our fleet had joined the international flotilla. The few left as Home Squadron were insufficient and were blown out of the sky. There have been no landings yet, and there may not be, for half the attackers are reported destroyed……but it is war……and I have come to ask how Haven stands on the matter."
“是骡！是骡！”欧瓦拼命吼道，然后一口气地说：“这是无故的、蓄意的攻击。我们的舰队中大多数的星舰，都已经加入国际联合舰队。留守的后备分遣队根本兵力不足，全被打得无影无踪。他们目前还没有登陆，也许根本不会登陆，因为根据我接到的报告，对方也损失了半数的星舰……但这毕竟是战争……我来找你，是想问你赫汶将采取什么立场。”
"Haven, I am sure, will adhere to the spirit of the Charter of Federation. But, you see? He attacks us as well."
“我肯定，赫汶一定会固守‘联盟宪章’的精神。但是，你知道吗？他一样会攻击我们的。”
"This Mule is a madman. Can he defeat the universe?" He faltered and sat down to seize Randu's wrist, "Our few survivors have reported the Mule's poss ... enemy's possession of a new weapon. A nuclear-field depressor."
“这个骡是个疯子，他能打败整个宇宙吗？”他蹒跚地走到餐桌旁坐下，抓住蓝度的手腕，“我们极少数的生还者报告说，骡……敌人拥有一种新式武器，一种核场抑制器。”
"A what?"
“一种什么？”
Ovall said, "Most of our ships were lost because their nuclear weapons failed them. It could not have happened by either accident or sabotage. It must have been a weapon of the Mule. It didn't work perfectly; the effect was intermittent; there were ways to neutralize……my dispatches are not detailed. But you see that such a tool would change the nature of war and, possibly, make our entire fleet obsolete."
欧瓦说：“我们大多数的星舰，都是因为核武器失灵才被打下来的。这种事不会是意外，也不会是遭到破坏，一定是骡的新武器造成的。这种新武器并不完美，时灵时不灵，也不难设法中和……我收到的紧急通知不够详细。但你看得出来，这种武器会改变战争的面貌，还可能使我们整个舰队变成一堆废铁。”
Randu felt an old, old man. His face sagged hopelessly, "I am afraid a monster is grown that will devour all of us. Yet we must fight him."
蓝度感到自己突然老了许多。他的脸垮下来，显得垂头丧气。“只怕这头怪兽长大了，即将把我们全部吞噬。但我们必须跟他拼一拼。”