PART II CLEON I

第二部 克里昂一世

CLEON I:……Though often receiving panegyrics for being the last Emperor under whom the First Galactic Empire was reasonably united and reasonably prosperous, the quarter-century reign of Cleon I was one of continuous decline. This cannot be viewed as his direct responsibility, for the Decline of the Empire was based on political and economic factors too strong for anyone to deal with at the time. He was fortunate in his selection of First Ministers-Eto Demerzel and then Hari Seldon, in whose development of psychohistory the Emperor never lost faith. Cleon and Seldon, as the objects of the final Joranumite Conspiracy, with its bizarre climax-

克里昂一世：……虽然屡屡受人歌颂，赞扬在其统治之下，第一银河帝国勉强维持最后的统一与繁荣，克里昂一世在位的四分之一世纪，却是帝国持续衰落的一段时期。这不能视为他直接的责任，因为导致帝国衰微的政治与经济因素盘根错节，并非当时任何一个人所能解决的。他幸运地选择了两位良相，伊图·丹莫刺尔及后继的哈里·谢顿。对于后者所发展的心理史学，这位皇帝从未失去信心。克里昂与谢顿两人，曾是最后一次“九九派阴谋”的目标，其出人意表的结局……

ENCYCLOPEDIA GALACTICA

——《银河百科全书》

1

1

Mandell Gruber was a happy man. He seemed so to Hari Seldon, certainly. Seldon stopped his morning constitutional to watch him.

曼德尔·葛鲁柏是个快乐的人，至少在哈里·谢顿眼中绝对没错。此时，谢顿暂停了晨间运动，驻足望着他。

Gruber, perhaps in his late forties, a few years younger than Seldon, was a bit gnarled from his continuing work in the Imperial Palace grounds, but he had a cheerful, smoothly shaven face, topped by a pink skull, not much of which was hidden by his thin sandy hair. He whistled softly to himself as he inspected the leaves of the bushes for any signs of insect infestation.

葛鲁柏大概是坐四望五的年纪，比谢顿年轻几岁。由于长期在皇宫御苑工作，皮肤显得有点粗糙，但他有一张笑口常开、刮得干净的脸孔。他的头顶呈粉红色，稀疏的沙色头发所剩无几。这时，他一面轻吹着口哨，一面检查灌木丛的树叶，看看是否有昆虫出没的迹象。

He was not the Chief Gardener, of course. The Chief Gardener of the Imperial Palace grounds was a high functionary who had a palatial office in one of the buildings of the enormous Imperial complex, with an army of men and women under him. The chances are he did not inspect the Palace grounds more often than once or twice a year.

他当然不是园丁长，皇宫御苑的园丁长是一位高级官员，在巨大的皇宫建筑群中拥有一间宫殿般的办公室，手下有一大群男女园丁。而园丁长亲自检视御苑的机会，每年大概不会超过一两次。

Gruber was but one of that army. His title, Seldon knew, was Gardener First-Class and it had been well earned, with thirty years of faithful service.

葛鲁柏只不过是园丁长手下的一员。谢顿知道，他的头衔是一品园丁，那是三十年的忠实服务为他赢得的荣衔。

Seldon called to him as he paused on the perfectly level crushed gravel walk, "Another marvelous day, Gruber."

谢顿停在极为平坦的碎石子小径上，和他打招呼。“又是美好的一天，葛鲁柏。”

Gruber looked up and his eyes twinkled. "Yes, indeed, First Minister, and it's sorry I am for those who be cooped up indoors."

葛鲁柏抬起头来，双眼透着闪烁的目光。“是啊，的确没错，首相，我为那些关在室内的人感到难过。”

"You mean as I am about to be."

“你的意思是，马上就要去室内的我。”

"There's not much about you, First Minister, for people to sorrow over, but if you're disappearing into those buildings on a day like this, it's a bit of sorrow that we fortunate few can feel for you."

“至于您嘛，首相，还不至于让人太过惋惜。但是像这种天气，您如果准备钻进那些建筑里头，我们这些幸运的少数，还真能为您稍感惋惜呢。”

"I thank you for your sympathy, Gruber, but you know we have forty billion Trantorians under the dome. Are you sorry for all of them?"

“我要谢谢你的同情，葛鲁柏，但你也知道，我们有四百亿川陀人生活在穹顶之下。难道你替他们每个人都难过吗？”

"Indeed, I am. I am grateful I am not of Trantorian extraction myself so that I could qualify as a gardener. There be few of us on this world that work in the open, but here I be, one of the fortunate few."'

“我的确如此。我很庆幸自己没有川陀血统，所以有资格当一名园丁。在这个世界上，只有极少数人在露天中工作，而我就在这儿，我是极少数的幸运儿之一。”

"The weather isn't always this ideal."

“天气并非总是这么理想。”

"That is true. And I have been out here in the sluicing rains and the whistling winds. Still, as long as you dress fittingly……Look-" And Gruber spread his arms open, wide as his smile, as if to embrace the vast expanse of the Palace grounds. "I have my friends-the trees and the lawns and all the animal life forms to keep me company-and growth to encourage in geometric form, even in the winter. Have you ever seen the geometry of the grounds, First Minister?"

“那倒是真的，我也在这外头经历过倾盆大雨和飕飕的强风。话说回来，只要你穿着合适的服装……看——”葛鲁柏将双臂展得和他的笑容一样开，仿佛要拥抱这片广大的御苑，“我有许多朋友，树木、草地，以及所有的动物都和我作伴，还有排成几何图形的植物令我开怀，即使在冬天也一样。您见过御苑的形状吗，首相？”

"I am looking at it right now, am I not?"

“我正望着它呢，不是吗？”

"I mean the plans spread out so you can really appreciate it all-and marvelous it is, too. It was planned by Tapper Savand, over a hundred years ago, and it has been little changed since. Tapper was a great horticulturist, the greatest-and he came from my planet."

“我是指一览无遗的鸟瞰图，让您能真正欣赏整体的美感——它实在无与伦比。它是一百多年前，由泰柏·沙万德设计的，这些年来只有极少的改变。泰柏是一位伟大的园艺家，有史以来最伟大的，他也是来自我的行星。”

"That was Anacreon, wasn't it?"

“是安纳克里昂，对不对？”

"Indeed. A far-off world near the edge of the Galaxy, where there is still wilderness and life can be sweet. I came here when I was still an earwet lad, when the present Chief Gardener took power under the old Emperor. Of course, now they're talking of redesigning the grounds." Gruber sighed deeply and shook his head. "That would be a mistake. They are just right as they are now properly proportioned, well balanced, pleasing to the eye and spirit. But it is true that in history, the grounds have occasionally been redesigned. Emperors grow tired of the old and are always seeking the new, as if new is somehow always better. Our present Emperor, may he live long, has been planning the redesign with the Chief Gardener. At least, that is the word that runs from gardener to gardener." This last he added quickly, as if abashed at spreading Palace gossip.

“没错，一个靠近银河边缘的遥远世界，那里仍有许多荒野，日子过得怡然自得。我来到这儿的时候，还是个乳臭未干的小伙子，现任园丁长刚刚接受老皇帝的任命。当然，现在他们已经在讨论重新设计御苑。”葛鲁柏深深叹了一口气，又摇了摇头。“那会是个错误。它现在的样子再好不过，比例恰当、构图均衡，对视觉和精神都是一大享受。不过在历史上，御苑的确经过好些次重新设计。皇帝们总是喜新厌旧，好像新的似乎总是好的。当今的皇帝陛下，愿他长命百岁，一直在和园丁长讨论要重新设计。至少，园丁间是这么流传的。”他很快补充了最后一句，仿佛为自己散布宫内流言感到难为情。

"It might not happen soon."

“可能不会很快实现。”

"I hope not, First Minister. Please, if you have the chance to take some time from all the heart-stopping work you must be after doing, study the design of the grounds. It is a rare beauty and, if I have my way, there should not be a leaf moved out of place, nor a flower, nor a rabbit, anywhere in all these hundreds of square kilometers."

“我希望不要，首相，您若有机会从令您喘不过气的工作中抽出些时间，拜托，请研究一下御苑的设计。它有一种罕见的美感，如果我有办法，这几百平方公里内，任何一片树叶、一朵花、一只兔子我都不让移走。”

Seldon smiled. "You are a dedicated man, Gruber. I would not be surprised if someday you were Chief Gardener."

谢顿微微一笑。“你是个十分敬业的人，葛鲁柏。哪天你当上园丁长，我也不会惊讶。”

"May Fate protect me from that. The Chief Gardener breathes no fresh air, sees no natural sights, and forgets all he has learned of nature. He lives there"-Gruber pointed scornfully-"and I think he no longer knows a bush from a stream unless one of his underlings leads him out and places his hand on one or dips it into the other."

“愿命运之神保佑我不会。园丁长呼吸不到新鲜空气，见不到自然景观，还会忘掉他从大自然学到的一切。他住在那里——”葛鲁柏轻蔑地指了指远方，“而且我认为，他已经分不清灌木和小溪的差别，除非哪个下属带他出来，把他的手放在树上或浸入溪水中。”

For a moment it seemed as though Gruber would expectorate his scorn, but he could not find any place on which he could bear to spit.

一时之间，葛鲁柏仿佛要吐出心中的轻蔑，却找不到一处他忍心吐痰的地方。

Seldon laughed quietly. "Gruber, it's good to talk to you. When I am overcome with the duties of the day, it is pleasant to take a few moments to listen to your philosophy of life."

谢顿轻轻笑了几声。“葛鲁柏，和你聊天真好。我每天被重担压得透不过气来，花几分钟听听你的人生哲学真是愉快。”

"Ah, First Minister, it is no philosopher I am. My schooling was very sketchy."

“啊，首相，我不是什么哲学家，我受的教育很粗浅。”

"You don't need schooling to be a philosopher. Just an active mind and experience with life. Take care, Gruber. I just might have you promoted."

“不一定要受教育才能成为哲学家，需要的只是活泼的心灵，以及生活中的体验。保重，葛鲁柏，我很可能会晋升你。”

"If you but leave me as I am, First Minister, you will have my total gratitude."

“您只要让我保持现状，首相，我就对您感激不尽了。”

Seldon was smiling as he moved on, but the smile faded as his mind turned once more to his current problems. Ten years as First Minister-and if Gruber knew how heartily sick Seldon was of his position, his sympathy would rise to enormous heights. Could Gruber grasp the fact that Seldon's progress in the techniques of psychohistory showed the promise of facing him with an unbearable dilemma?

谢顿带着微笑迈开步伐，不过一旦他的心思再度回到眼前的问题，他的笑容随即消失。当了十年首相——葛鲁柏若知道谢顿对这个职位厌倦到什么程度，他的同情会升高许多倍。如今，谢顿在心理史学技术上的进展，显示他即将面临一个无法承受的两难局面，葛鲁柏能了解这个事实吗？

2

2

Seldon's thoughtful stroll across the grounds was the epitome of peace. It was hard to believe here, in the midst of the Emperor's immediate domain, that he was on a world that, except for this area, was totally enclosed by a dome. Here, in this spot, he might be on his home world of Helicon or on Gruber's home world of Anacreon.

谢顿在御苑中这段若有所思的漫步，是太平岁月的一个缩影。很难相信在这里，在直隶于皇帝的领地正中心，除了这块土地之外，整个世界都包在一个穹顶之内。他站在这里，在这个位置上，就好像回到了他的故乡世界赫利肯，或置身于葛鲁柏的故乡世界安纳克里昂。

Of course, the sense of peace was an illusion. The grounds were guarded-thick with security.

当然，太平的感觉只是一种错觉。御苑有警卫戍守，而且戒备森严。

Once, a thousand years ago, the Imperial Palace grounds-much less palatial, much less differentiated from a world only beginning to construct domes over individual regions-had been open to all citizens and the Emperor himself could walk along the paths, unguarded, nodding his head in greeting to his subjects.

一千年前，皇宫周围的御苑——绝对比不上如今的宏伟壮丽，在一个刚开始零零星星建筑穹顶的世界上绝不突出——曾经对所有的公民开放，而皇帝自己能行走其间，对他的子民点头答礼，身边没有任何护卫。

No more. Now security was in place and no one from Trantor itself could possibly invade the grounds. That did not remove the danger, however, for that, when it came, came from discontented Imperial functionaries and from corrupt and suborned soldiers. It was within the grounds that the Emperor and his staff were most in danger. What would have happened if, on that occasion, nearly ten years before, Seldon had not been accompanied by Dors Venabili?

不再是那样了。如今御苑有重重警卫，川陀上任何人都不可能闯进来。然而，这样做仍旧不能保证绝对安全，因为当危险真正来临时，是来自心怀不满的帝国官员，以及自甘堕落、遭到收买的军人。事实上，对皇帝与其幕僚而言，最危险的地方莫过于御苑内。比方说，在将近十年前那次事件中，倘若铎丝·凡纳比里不在谢顿身边，会发生什么结果呢？

It had been in his first year as First Minister and it was only natural, he supposed (after the fact), that there would be jealous heart-burning over his unexpected choice for the post. Many others, far better qualified in training-in years of service and, most of all, in their own eyes-could view the appointment with anger. They did not know of psychohistory or of the importance the Emperor attached to it and the easiest way to correct the situation was to corrupt one of the sworn protectors of the First Minister.

那是他担任首相的第一年。事后他才想通，他这匹黑马令某些人妒火中烧，实在是很自然的一件事。有许多许多人，不论在学识上、年资上，最重要的是在他们自己眼中，都要比他有资格得多，因此会对这项任命忿忿不平。他们不晓得什么是心理史学，以及大帝赋予它多大的使命。而矫正这个情况最简单的办法，就是买通某个宣誓效忠首相的贴身侍卫。

Dors must have been more suspicious than Seldon himself was. Or else, with Demerzel's disappearance from the scene, her instructions to guard Seldon had been strengthened. The truth was that, for the first few years of his First Ministership, she was at his side more often than not.

当年，铎丝一定比谢顿自己更为警觉。也有可能，是丹莫刺尔在退场之际，加强了她保护谢顿的指令。实际的情况则是，在他担任首相的前几年，她比往日更常跟在他身边。

And on the late afternoon of a warm sunny day, Dors noted the glint of the westering sun-a sun never seen under Trantor's dome-on the metal of a blaster.

在一个温暖晴朗的下午，接近黄昏的光景，铎丝注意到西下的太阳——在川陀的穹顶下从来见不到的太阳——在一柄手铳的金属部位映出闪光。

"Down, Hari!" she cried suddenly and her legs crushed the grass as she raced toward the sergeant.

“趴下，哈里！”她突然大喊，同时立刻踩过草坪，向一名侍卫疾冲而去。

"Give me that blaster, Sergeant," she said tightly.

“把手铳给我，侍卫。”她以严厉的口吻说。

The would-be assassin, momentarily immobilized by the unexpected sight of a woman running toward him, now reacted quickly, raising the drawn blaster.

看到一名女子出乎意料地跑过来，这名刺客惊呆了片刻，但是他迅速做出反应，举起那柄已抽出的手铳。

But she was already at him, her hand enclosing his right wrist in a steely grip and lifting his arm high. "drop it," she said through clenched teeth.

但她已经来到他面前，她的手像钢箍般扣住他的右腕，将他的右臂高高举起。“丢下。”她咬牙切齿地说。

The sergeant's face twisted as he attempted to yank his arm loose.

那名侍卫扭曲着脸孔，试图挣脱她的掌握。

"Don't try, Sergeant," said Dors. "My knee is three inches from your groin and, if you so much as blink, your genitals will be history. So just freeze. That's right. Okay, now open your hand. If you don't drop the blaster right now, I will shatter your arm."

“别试了，侍卫。”铎丝说，“我的膝盖离你的鼠蹊只有三寸，只要你敢眨一眨眼，你的生殖器就会报销。所以你最好一动不动，这就对了。好，现在松开你的手。你要是不马上丢掉那柄手铳，我就抓碎你的手臂。”

A gardener came running up with a rake. Dors motioned him away. The sergeant dropped the blaster to the ground.

一名园丁抓着一支耙子跑过来，铎丝示意他站开。这时，那名侍卫将手铳丢到了地上。

Seldon had arrived. "I'll take over, Dors."

谢顿也赶到了。“我来接手，铎丝。”

"You will not. Get in among those trees and take the blaster with you. Others may be involved-and ready to act."

“你别来。捡起手铳，赶快躲进那个树丛。可能还有其他人涉案，随时准备行动。”

Dors had not loosened her grip on the sergeant. She said, "Now, Sergeant, I want the name of whoever it was who persuaded you to make an attempt on the First Minister's life-and the name of everyone else ho is in this with you."

铎丝始终未曾松开那名侍卫。“听好，侍卫，到底是谁怂恿你谋害首相，我要知道他的名字。此外我也要知道，还有哪些人参与这项行动。”

The sergeant was silent.

侍卫沉默不语。

"Don't be foolish," said Dors. "Speak!" She twisted his arm and he sank down to his knees. She put her shoe on his neck. "If you think silence becomes you, I can crush your larynx and you will be silent forever. And even before that, I am going to damage you badly-t won't (cave one bone unbroken. You had better talk."

“别傻了，”铎丝道，“说！”她扭转他的手臂，令他跪了下来，她便一脚踏在他的颈部。“假如你认为自己适于沉默，我能踩碎你的喉结，让你永远保持沉默。而且在那样做之前，我还要好好折磨你一顿，不会留下一根完好的骨头。你最好开口。”

The sergeant talked.

侍卫一五一十招了。

Later Seldon had said to her, "How could you do that, Dors? I never believed you capable of such……violence. "

事后谢顿曾对她说：“你是怎么做到的，铎丝？我从不相信你能够这么……暴力。”

Dors said coolly, "I did not actually hurt him much, Hari. The threat was sufficient. In any case, your safety was paramount."

铎丝淡淡地说：“其实我没有伤他多少，哈里，口头威胁就足够了。无论如何，你的安全是首要考量。”

"You should have let me take care of him."

“你该让我对付他。”

"Why? To salvage your masculine pride? You wouldn't have been fast enough, for one thing. Secondly, no matter what you would have succeeded in doing, you are a man and it would have been expected. I am a woman and women, in popular thought, are not considered as ferocious its men and most, in general, do not have the strength to do what I did. The story will improve in the telling and everyone will be terrified of me. No one will dare to try to harm you for fear of me."

“为什么？抢救你的男性自尊吗？你的动作根本不够快，这是第一点。第二点，不论你有办法做得多好，你总是男人，那会在对方预料之中。而我是女人，通常人们不会认为女人和男人一样凶猛，而且一般说来，大多数女人没力气做出我刚刚那些动作。这件事经过流传，便会有人添油加醋，从此人人都会怕我。而由于对我心存畏惧，以后就没有人敢试图伤害你。”

"For fear of you and for fear of execution. The sergeant and his cohorts are to be killed, you know."

“对你以及对处决都心存畏惧。那名侍卫和他的同谋都会送命，你该知道。”

At this, an anguished look clouded Dors's usually composed visage, as if she could not stand the thought of the traitorous sergeant being put to death, even though he would have cut down her beloved Hari without a second thought.

一听到这点，铎丝平时镇定的面容立刻蒙上痛苦的阴影，仿佛她无法承受那名叛逆的侍卫将被处决的说法，即使他差点毫不犹豫地杀害了她挚爱的谢顿。

"But," she exclaimed, "there is no need to execute the conspirators. Exile will do the job."

“可是，”她惊叫道，“没有必要处决这些谋反者，放逐就能达到目的。”

"No, it won't," said Seldon. "It's too late. Cleon will hear of nothing but executions. I can quote him-if you wish."

“不，不够。”谢顿说，“太迟了，除了处决之外，克里昂听不进别的。如果你希望听，我可以引述他的话。”

"You mean he's already made up his mind?"

“你的意思是他已下定决心？”

"At once. I told him that exile or imprisonment would be all that was necessary, but he said no. He said, `Every time I try to solve a problem by direct and forceful action, first Demerzel and then you talk of "despotism" and "tyranny." But this is my Palace. These are my grounds. These are my guardsmen. My safety depends on the security of this place and the loyalty of my people. Do you think that any deviation from absolute loyalty can be met with anything but instant death? How else would you be safe? How else would I be safe?'

“立刻就决定了。我告诉他需要做的只是放逐或下狱，可是他说不。他说：‘每次我试图用直接和强硬的行动解决一个问题，先是丹莫刺尔，然后现在是你，就会提到“独裁”和“暴虐”。但这是我的皇宫，这是我的御苑，这是我的卫士。我的平安有赖于此地的安全，以及手下那些人的忠贞。你认为任何偏离绝对忠贞的行为，能用就地正法之外的方式处置吗？不这样做你怎能安然无事？不这样做，我又怎能安然无事？’

"I said there would have to be a trial. `Of course,' he said, `a short military trial and I don't expect a single vote for anything but execution. I shall make that quite clear.' "

“我说总该有个审判才行。‘当然，’他说，‘一场简短的军事审判，除了处决，我不要见到任何其他意见。我要把这个立场表达得很清楚。’”

Dors looked appalled. "You're taking this very quietly. Do you agree with the Emperor?"

铎丝显得不寒而栗。“你说得十分心平气和。难道你同意大帝的做法吗？”

Reluctantly Seldon nodded. "I do."

谢顿勉强点了点头。“我同意。”

"Because there was an attempt on your life. Have you abandoned your principles for mere revenge?"

“因为有人试图取你性命。你为了报复，就放弃你自己的原则？”

"Now, Dors, I'm not a vengeful person. However, it was not myself alone at risk or even the Emperor. If there is anything that the recent history of the Empire shows us, it is that Emperors come and go. It is psychohistory that must be protected. Undoubtedly, even if something happens to me, psychohistory will someday be developed, but the Empire is falling fast and we cannot wait-and only I have advanced far enough to obtain the necessary techniques in time."

“不，铎丝，我不是个有仇必报的人。然而，这并非我个人的安全受到威胁，甚至不是皇帝的安全。若说帝国的近代史对我们有任何昭示，那就是皇帝来来去去。我们必须保护的是心理史学。毫无疑问，即使我遇到什么不测，心理史学也总有发展成功的一天。但是帝国正在迅速衰落，我们没有时间再等——而目前只有我有这个功力，能及时发展出必需的技术。”

"Then you should teach what you know to others," said Dors gravely.

“那你就该把自己知道的教给别人。”铎丝严肃地说。

"I'm doing so. Yugo Amaryl is a reasonable successor and I have gathered a group of technicians who will someday be useful, but they won't be as-" He paused.

“我是在这样做。雨果·阿马瑞尔是理所当然的继任人选，而且我已经网罗了一群技术人员，总有一天他们会派上用场。可是他们不会像……”他突然打住。

"They won't be as good as you-as wise, as capable? Really?"

“他们不会像你这么优秀——这么聪明，这么能干？真的吗？”

"I happen to think so," said Seldon. "And I happen to be human. Psychohistory is mine and, if I can possibly manage it, I want the credit."

“我刚巧这么想，”谢顿说，“而且我刚巧是凡人。心理史学是我的，如果我有可能发展出来，我想要这份荣耀。”

"Human," sighed Dors, shaking her head almost sadly.

“凡人啊。”铎丝叹了一口气，近乎悲痛地摇了摇头。

The executions went through. No such purge had been seen in over a century. Two Ministers, five officials of lower ranks, and four soldiers, including the hapless sergeant, met their deaths. Every guardsman who could not withstand the most rigorous investigation was relieved of duty and exiled to the remote Outer Worlds.

处决执行了。一个多世纪以来，从未见过如此的整肃。两名部长、五名较低阶的官员，以及四名军人，包括那个倒霉的侍卫，一起被押至刑场。所有无法通过最严格调查的禁卫军，全部遭到解职处分，并放逐到遥远的外围世界。

Since then, there had been no whisper of disloyalty and so notorious had become the care with which the First Minister was guarded, to say nothing of the terrifying woman-called "The Tiger Woman" by many-who watched over him, that it was no longer necessary for Dors to accompany him everywhere. Her invisible presence was an adequate shield and the Emperor Cleon enjoyed nearly ten years of quiet and absolute security.

从此，再也没有不忠的风吹草动。首相受到的保护被渲染得人尽皆知，至于守着他的那个可怕的女人——许多人口中的“虎女”——就更不用说了。因此，铎丝不必再到处陪着他，她的无形威势已经是足够的屏障。克里昂大帝也安享了将近十年的平静与绝对的安全。

Now, however, psychohistory was finally reaching the point where predictions, of a sort, could be made and, as Seldon crossed the grounds in his passage from his office (First Minister) to his laboratory (psychohistorian), he was uneasily aware of the likelihood that this era of peace might be coming to an end.

然而，如今，心理史学终于达到勉强能作预测的阶段。当谢顿穿过御苑，从他的（首相）办公室来到他的（心理史学家）实验室，他不安地意识到一种可能，那就是这段太平岁月或许即将结束。

3

3

Yet, even so, Hari Seldon could not repress the surge of satisfaction that he felt as he entered his laboratory.

但即使如此，哈里·谢顿走进实验室时，仍然压抑不住一股澎湃汹涌的满足感。

How things had changed.

变化多么大。

It had begun twenty years earlier with his own doodlings on his second-rate Heliconian computer. It was then that the first hint of what was to become parachaotic math came to him in a cloudy fashion.

这一切的开始，乃是二十年前，他在自己那台二级赫利肯电脑上的涂鸦之作。就是在那个时候，后来发展成“仲混沌数学”的第一道线索，首度模模糊糊在他脑中浮现。

Then there were the years at Streeling University, when he and Yugo Amaryl, working together, attempted to renormalize the equations, get rid of the inconvenient infinities, and find a way around the worst of the chaotic effects. They made very little progress, indeed.

接着是在斯璀璘大学的那些年，他与雨果·阿马瑞尔一同工作，试图“重归一”那些方程式，除去构成麻烦的无限大，寻找迂回之道绕过最糟的混沌效应。事实上，他们得到的进展非常小。

But now, after ten years as First Minister, he had a whole floor of the latest computers and a whole staff of people working on a large variety of problems.

但是现在，当了十年首相之后，他拥有一整层楼最新型的电脑，以及一整组研究各方面问题的工作人员。

Of necessity, none of his staff-except for Yugo and himself, of course-could really know much more than the immediate problem they were dealing with. Each of them worked with only a small ravine or outcropping on the gigantic mountain range of psychohistory that only Seldon and Amaryl could see as a mountain range-and even they could see it only dimly, its peaks hidden in clouds, its slopes veiled by mist.

出于必要，除了雨果与他自己之外，研究人员都只能了解各人直接负责的问题，对其他部分则不大清楚。在心理史学这座巨大的山脉中，他们每个人仅在某个小峡谷或矿脉露头工作，唯有谢顿与雨果看得见整座山脉。甚至他们两人也看不太清楚，它的顶峰都隐藏在云端，山坡则全被浓雾遮掩。

Dors Venabili was right, of course. He would have to begin initiating his people into the entire mystery. The technique was getting well beyond what only two men could handle. And Seldon was aging. Even if he could look forward to some additional decades, the years of his most fruitful breakthroughs were surely behind him.

当然，铎丝·凡纳比里说得对，他必须开始引领研究人员深入整个神秘的国度。心理史学技术发展到这个程度，已经不再是两个人所能掌握的。而且谢顿渐渐上了年纪，即使他能再活好几十年，最有成就的黄金岁月当然早已成为过去。

Even Amaryl would be thirty-nine within a month and, though that was still young, it was perhaps not overly young for a mathematician-and he had been working on the problem almost as long as Seldon himself. His capacity for new and tangential thinking might be dwindling, too.

就连雨果，也差一个月就要满三十九岁。虽然仍算年轻，对一位数学家而言却可能并不尽然。而且他研究这个问题的历史，几乎与谢顿同样长久，他作出创见与神来之笔的能力或许也在走下坡。

Amaryl had seen him enter and was now approaching. Seldon watched him fondly. Amaryl was as much a Dahlite as Seldon's foster son, Raych, was, and yet Amaryl, despite his muscular physique and short stature, did not seem Dahlite at all. He lacked the mustache, he lacked the accent, he lacked, it would seem, Dahlite consciousness of any kind. He had even been impervious to the lure of Jo-Jo Joranum, who had appealed so thoroughly to the people of Dahl.

雨果看到他进来，便起身向他走过去。谢顿则以怜爱的目光望着他——雨果与谢顿的养子芮奇一样，都是不折不扣的达尔人。然而，尽管拥有强壮的体格与粗短的身材，如今他似乎一点也不像达尔人。他没有了两撇八字胡，他没有了那种口音，总之，他似乎不再有任何一种达尔意识。他甚至对九九·久瑞南的诱惑也无动于衷，虽然久瑞南曾经彻底打动达尔区民。

It was as though Amaryl recognized no sectoral patriotism, no planetary patriotism, not even Imperial patriotism. He belonged-completely and entirely-to psychohistory.

仿佛雨果不再认同对母区之爱，对母星之爱，甚至对帝国之爱。他只属于心理史学——完完全全、百分之百。

Seldon felt a twinge of insufficiency. He himself remained conscious of his first two decades on Helicon and there was no way he could keep from thinking of himself as a Heliconian. He wondered if that consciousness was not sure to betray him by causing him to skew his thinking about psychohistory. Ideally, to use psychohistory properly, one should be above worlds and sectors and deal only with humanity in the faceless abstract-and this was what Amaryl did.

谢顿感到一种自愧弗如的自责。对于一生最初二十年在赫利肯上的岁月，他一直保有强烈的自觉，根本无法不把自己当赫利肯人。他常常怀疑，这个自觉会不会无意间背叛自己，导致他在心理史学上误入歧途。在理想状况下，想要将心理史学运用得当，应当有超越各个世界与行政区的眼光，将人类群体视为毫无特色的抽象对象，而这正是雨果做到的一件事。

And Seldon didn't, he admitted to himself, sighing silently.

谢顿则做不到，他对自己承认，同时默默叹了一口气。

Amaryl said, "We are making progress, Hari, I suppose."

雨果说：“我猜想，哈里，我们就要有些进展了。”

"You suppose, Yugo? Merely suppose?"

“你猜想，雨果？只是猜想而已？”

"I don't want to jump into outer space without a suit." He said this quite seriously (he did not have much of a sense of humor, Seldon knew) and they moved into their private office. It was small, but it was also well shielded.

“我可不想没穿太空衣就跳进外太空。”他以相当认真的态度说（谢顿知道，他没有多少幽默感）。说完两人便走进他们的私人研究室，那是一个小房间，但具有极佳的屏蔽。

Amaryl sat down and crossed his legs. He said, "Your latest scheme for getting around chaos may be working in part-at the cost of sharpness, of course."

雨果坐下来，翘起二郎腿。“你最新提出的那个回避混沌的方案，也许一部分行得通。当然，要付出锐度作为代价。”

"Of course. What we gain in the straightaway, we lose in the roundabouts. That's the way the Universe works. We've just got to fool it somehow."

“那当然。以直接方法所获得的结果，以迂回之道便得不到。这就是宇宙运作的方式，我们也只好取个巧。”

"We've fooled it a little bit. It's like looking through frosted glass."

“我们已经有点取巧，就像从毛玻璃望出去一样。”

"Better than the years we spent trying to look through lead."

“总比过去那些年，我们试着从铅板望出去好多了。”

Amaryl muttered something to himself, then said, "We can catch glimmers of light and dark."

雨果喃喃自语了几句，然后说：“我们已经能捕捉到明暗的光影。”

"Explain!"

“解释一下！”

"I can't, but I have the Prime Radiant, which I've been working on like a-a-"

“我无法解释，但是我有元光体。为了制作这玩意，我累得像个……像个……”

"Try lamec. That's an animal-a beast of burden-we have on Helicon. It doesn't exist on Trantor."

“试试用瘸驮作比喻。那是我们赫利肯的一种动物，一种负重的兽类，川陀上见不到。”

"If the lamec works hard, then that is what my work on the Prime Radiant has been like."

“如果瘸驮夜以继日埋头苦干，那我花在元光体上的心血就是这样。”

He pressed the security keypad on his desk and a drawer unsealed and slid open noiselessly. He took out a dark opaque cube that Seldon scrutinized with interest. Seldon himself had worked out the Prime Radiantís circuitry, but Amaryl had put it together-a clever man with his hands was Amaryl.

他按下书桌上的键板，一个抽屉便解除了保安设定，接着无声无息地滑开。他从里面取出一个不透明的深色方块，谢顿立刻兴致勃勃地查看一番。元光体的线路是谢顿自己设计的，但将它拼装起来的则是雨果。一个巧手的聪明人，就是雨果最佳的写照。

The room darkened and equations and relationships shimmered in the air. Numbers spread out beneath them, hovering just above the desk surface, as if suspended by invisible marionette strings.

房间暗了下来，方程式与关系式在空气中微微发光。许多数字在他们眼底展开，刚好翱翔于书桌正上方，仿佛悬挂在隐形木偶线的末端。

Seldon said, "Wonderful. Someday, if we live long enough, we'll have the Prime Radiant produce a river of mathematical symbolism that will chart past and future history. In it we can find currents and rivulets and work out ways of changing them in order to make them follow other currents and rivulets that we would prefer."

谢顿说：“太棒了。总有一天，只要我们活得够长，我们会让元光体产生一条数学符号所构成的河流，用来画出过去和未来的历史。我们能在里面找到许多支流和小河，并研究出改变它们的方法，好将它们导向我们偏爱的支流和小河。”

"Yes," said Amaryl dryly, "if we can manage to live with the knowledge that the actions we take, which we will mean for the best, may turn out to be for the worst."

“前提是，”雨果冷淡地说，“假如我们明明知道自己弄巧成拙，却还活得下去。”

"Believe me, Yugo, I never go to bed at night without that particular thought gnawing at me. Still, we haven't come to it yet. All we have is this -which, as you say, is no more than seeing light and dark fuzzily through frosted glass."

“相信我，雨果，每天夜里上床的时候，这个想法都还在折磨我。话说回来，我们尚未达到那个阶段。我们有的就只是这个，正如你说的，顶多像是透过毛玻璃看到模糊的光影。”

"True enough."

“够真实了。”

"And what is it you think you see, Yugo?" Seldon watched Amaryl closely, a little grimly. He was gaining weight, getting just a bit pudgy. He spent too much time bent over the computers (and now over the Prime Radiant)-and not enough in physical activity. And, though he saw a woman now and then, Seldon knew, he had never married. A mistake! Even a workaholic is forced to take time off to satisfy a mate, to take care of the needs of children.

“你认为自己看到些什么呢，雨果？”谢顿仔细打量雨果，眼神有些严厉。近来他越来越胖，变得有点臃肿。他俯身电脑前的时间太多（如今则是俯身元光体前），四肢的活动实在不够。而且，虽然他偶尔会与某位女子约会，这点谢顿知道，他却一直没有结婚。这是个错误！即使一个工作狂，也会不得不腾出一点时间陪陪另一半，以及满足孩子们的需要。

Seldon thought of his own still-trim figure and of the manner in which Dors strove to make him keep it that way.

谢顿想到自己仍然苗条的身材，以及铎丝想尽办法要他维持身材的努力。

Amaryl said, "What do I see? The Empire is in trouble."

雨果说：“我看到些什么？帝国有了麻烦。”

"The Empire is always in trouble."

“帝国一向都有麻烦。”

"Yes, but it's more specific. There's a possibility that we may have trouble at the center."

“没错，但是这次比较特别，我们可能在核心会有麻烦。”

"At Trantor?"

“在川陀？”

"I presume. Or at the Periphery. Either there will be a bad situation here-perhaps civil war-or the outlying Outer Worlds will begin to break away."

“我是这么想，但也可能是在银河外缘。要就是这里会有很糟的情况，说不定是内战，不然就是偏远的外围世界会开始四分五裂。”

"Surely it doesn't take psychohistory to point out these possibilities."

“根本不必心理史学来指出这两种可能。”

"The interesting thing is that there seems a mutual exclusivity. One or the other. The likelihood of both together is very small. Here! Look! It's your own mathematics. Observe!"

“有趣的是两者似乎有互斥性，有你无我，两者同时发生的可能性非常小。这里！你看！这是你自己的数学，好好观察！”

They bent over the Prime Radiant display for a long time.

他们俯身面对元光体所显现的内容，注视了良久。

Seldon said finally, "I fail to see why the two should be mutually exclusive."

最后谢顿终于说：“我看不出两者为何会互相排斥。”

"So do I, Hari, but where's the value of psychohistory if it shows us only what we would see anyway? This is showing us something we wouldn't see. What it doesn't show us is, first, which alternative is better, and second, what to do to make the better come to pass and depress the possibility of the worse."

“我也一样，哈里，但心理史学倘若只能显示你我看得出的结果，那又有什么价值呢？现在它对我们显示的，是某种我们看不出的东西。而它没有显示的则是，第一，哪种情况比较好；第二，我们要怎么做，才能使较好的情况发生，并压抑另一种的可能性。”

Seldon pursed his lips, then said slowly, "I can tell you which alternative is preferable. Let the Periphery go and keep Trantor."

谢顿噘起嘴唇，接着缓缓道：“我能告诉你哪个情况比较好，那就是放弃外缘，保住川陀。”

"Really?"

“真的？”

"No question. We must keep Trantor stable, if for no other reason than that we're here."

“毫无疑问。我们必须保持川陀的稳定，最起码的原因就是我们住在这里。”

"Surely our own comfort isn't the decisive point."

“我们自身的安逸当然不是决定性因素。”

"No, but psychohistory is. What good will it do us to keep the Periphery intact if conditions on Trantor force us to stop work on psychohistory? I don't say that we'll be killed, but we may be unable to work. The development of psychohistory is on what our fate will depend. As for the Empire, if the Periphery secedes it will only begin a disintegration that may take a long time to reach the core."

“没错，但心理史学是。如果川陀的情势迫使我们终止心理史学的研究，保持外缘的完整对我们又有什么好处？我不是说我们会遭到杀害，但我们可能会无法工作。心理史学的发展和我们的命运已是一体。至于帝国，如果外缘正式脱离，那只会为帝国的分裂起个头，可能需要很长的时间才会抵达核心。”

"Even if you're right, Hari, what do we do to keep Trantor stable?"

“即使你是对的，哈里，我们要怎么做，才能维持川陀的稳定呢？”

"To begin with, we have to think about it."

“首先，我们必须思考一番。”

A silence fell between them and then Seldon said, "Thinking doesn't make me happy. What if the Empire is altogether on the wrong track and has been for all its history? I think of that every time I talk to Gruber."

两人突然沉默下来，然后谢顿说：“思考不会让我感到快乐。如果帝国完全走在歧途上，而且开国以来始终如此，那该怎么办？每次和葛鲁柏聊天，我都会想到这一点。”

"Who's Gruber?"

“葛鲁柏是谁？”

"Mandell Gruber. A gardener."

“曼德尔·葛鲁柏，一名园丁。”

"Oh. The one who came running up with the rake to rescue you at the time of the assassination attempt?"

“喔，就是那次行刺事件中，带着耙子跑来救你的那个人？”

"Yes. I've always been grateful to him for that. He had only a rake against possibly other conspirators with blasters. That's loyalty. Anyhow, talking to him is like a breath of fresh air. I can't spend all my time talking to court officials and to psychohistorians."

“是的。由于那件事，我对他一直心存感激。他只有一支耙子，而其他潜在的同谋则有手铳，这才叫忠心。总之，和他聊天就像呼吸一阵清新的空气，我实在没办法把所有的时间都用来和宫廷官员或心理史学家谈话。”

"Thank you."

“谢谢你啊。”

"Come! You know what I mean. Gruber likes the open. He wants the wind and the rain and the biting cold and everything else that raw weather can bring to him. I miss it myself sometimes."

“得了吧！你知道我的意思。葛鲁柏喜欢露天的环境，他想要接触大大小小的风雨、刺骨的寒冷，以及天然气候所能带给他的一切。有些时候，我自己也怀念这些。”

"I don't. I wouldn't care if I never go out there."

“我可不。即使我从不到外面去，我也不在乎。”

"You were brought up under the dome-but suppose the Empire consisted of simple unindustrialized worlds, living by herding and farming, with thin populations and empty spaces. Wouldn't we all be better off?"

“你是在穹顶之下长大的。但假设帝国是由一些简单的、未工业化的世界所组成，居民靠放牧和农耕为生，人口稀少而空间开阔，大家的日子会不会更好？”

"It sounds horrible to me."

“我觉得那样糟透了。”

"I found some spare time to check it as best I could. It seems to me it's a case of unstable equilibrium. A thinly populated world of the type I describe either grows moribund and impoverished, falling off into an uncultured near-animal level-or it industrializes. It is standing on a narrow point and topples over in either direction and, as it just so happens, almost every world in the Galaxy has fallen over into industrialization."

“我找出一点空闲的时间，尽我所能检查了这个假设。在我看来，它似乎是个不稳平衡的例子。我所描述的那种地广人稀的世界，要不就是变得奄奄一息、荒芜贫瘠，跌落到毫无文化而近乎禽兽的层次——要不就是逐渐工业化。它就像竖起来的一根针，一定会朝其中一方倾倒。而实际的结果，则是几乎银河中每个世界都倒向工业化这边。”

"Because that's better."

“因为那样比较好。”

"Maybe. But it can't continue forever. We're watching the results of the overtoppling now. The Empire cannot exist for much longer because it has-it has overheated. I can't think of any other expression. What will Follow we don't know. If, through psychohistory, we manage to prevent the Fall or, more likely, force a recovery after the Fall, is that merely to ensure another period of overheating? Is that the only future humanity has, to push the boulder, like Sisyphus, up to the top of a hill, only to see it roll to the bottom again?"

“也许，但它无法永远持续。如今，我们正在见证过度倾倒的结果。帝国无法再存在太久，因为它已经……已经过热了，我想不出其他的表达方式。其后的发展我们还不知道，如果借着心理史学，我们有可能设法阻止这场衰亡，或是更可能的情况，在衰亡之后强行复兴，会不会只是召来另一个过热周期？这是人类唯一的未来吗？就像西西弗斯那样，将圆石推到山顶，却眼看它再滚到山脚下？”

"Who's Sisyphus?"

“西西弗斯是谁？”

"A character in a primitive myth. Yugo, you must do more reading."

“原始神话中的一个人物。雨果，你必须多读点书。”

Amaryl shrugged. "So I can learn about Sisyphus? Not important. Perhaps psychohistory will show us a path to an entirely new society, one altogether different from anything we have seen, one that would be stable and desirable."

雨果耸了耸肩。“好让我能了解西西弗斯的故事？那不重要。说不定，心理史学能指引我们走向一个崭新的社会，它和我们所见过的制度完全不同，是个既稳定又令人向往的社会。”

"I hope so," sighed Seldon. "I hope so, but there's no sign of it yet. For the near future, we will just have to labor to let the Periphery go. That will mark the beginning of the Fall of the Galactic Empire."

“但愿如此，”谢顿叹了一口气，“但愿如此，但至今还没有它的踪影。在可见的未来，我们只好努力设法使外缘脱离，那将标示着银河帝国衰亡的开始。”

4

4

"And so I said," said Hari Seldon. " `That will mark the beginning of the Fall of the Galactic Empire.' And so it will, Dors."

“我那样说，”谢顿道，“‘那将标示着银河帝国衰亡的开始。’而事实真是那样，铎丝。”

Dors listened, tight-lipped. She accepted Seldon's First Ministership as she accepted everything-calmly. Her only mission was to protect him and his psychohistory, but that task, she well knew, was made harder by his position. The best security was to go unnoticed and, as long as the Spaceship-and-Sun, the symbol of the Empire, shone down upon Seldon, all of the physical barriers in existence would be unsatisfactory.

铎丝嘴唇紧绷，专心聆听这番话。当初，她以接受每件事物的一贯态度——平静，接受了谢顿的首相任命。她唯一的任务，就是保护他与他的心理史学。而她十分明白，他的新职位令这项任务更加艰巨。最佳的安全防范是不动声色，反正，只要帝国的标志“星舰与太阳”仍映在谢顿身上，世上一切有形的屏障都无法令人满意。

The luxury in which they now lived-the careful shielding from spy beams, as well as from physical interference; the advantages to her own historical research of being able to make use of nearly unlimited funds-did not satisfy her. She would gladly have exchanged it all for their old quarters at Streeling University. Or, better yet, for a nameless apartment in a nameless sector where no one knew them.

他们现在的生活十分豪华——对间谍波束以及有形的干扰皆有完善的屏蔽；她还能运用几乎无限的经费，对她自己的历史研究有莫大的助益——但这些都无法令她满足。她很乐意放弃这一切，只求换回斯璀璘大学原来的那间宿舍，如果能在某个没有熟人的不知名行政区，找一间无名的寓所则更好。

"That's all very well, Hari dear," she said, "but it's not enough."

“这都非常有道理，哈里吾爱，”她说，“但是还不够。”

"What's not enough?"

“什么还不够？”

"The information you're giving me. You say we might lose the Periphery. How? Why?"

“你提供给我的资讯。你说我们可能失去银河外缘，如何失去？为何失去？”

Seldon smiled briefly. "How nice it would be to know, Dors, but psychohistory is not yet at the stage where it could tell us."

谢顿浅浅一笑。“要是能知道该多好，铎丝，但心理史学尚未达到能够告诉我们答案的程度。”

"In your opinion, then. Is it the ambition of local faraway governors to declare themselves independent?"

“那么，依你看，是不是那些遥远的地方总督，他们有野心要宣布独立？”

"That's a factor, certainly. It's happened in past history-as you know far better than I-but never for long. Maybe this time it will be permanent."

“当然，那是一项因素。历史上发生过这种事——这点你比我清楚得多——但从未维持多久，也许这次会是永久性的。”

"Because the Empire is weaker?"

“因为帝国变弱了？”

"Yes, because trade flows less freely than it once did, because communications are stiffer than they once were, because the governors in the Periphery are, in actual fact, closer to independence than they have ever been. If one of them arises with particular ambitions-"

“是的，因为贸易不像以前那么顺畅，因为沟通管道变得比过去僵硬，因为事实上，外缘的总督都比以往更接近独立状态。如果其中之一，怀着特殊的野心崛起……”

"Can you tell which one it might be?"

“你能判断可能是哪个吗？”

"Not in the least. All we can force out of psychohistory at this stage is the definite knowledge that if a governor of unusual ability and ambition arises, he would find conditions more suitable for his purposes than he would have in the past. It could be other things, too-some great natural disaster or some sudden civil war between two distant Outer World coalitions. None of that can be precisely predicted as of now, but we can tell that anything of the sort that happens will have more serious consequences than it would have had a century ago."

“绝对办不到。在如今这个阶段，我们能从心理史学榨出来的明确知识只有一项，那就是若有哪个怀有非凡能力和野心的总督崛起，他将发现各种条件都比过去更为有利。但也可能还有其他事件：某些巨大的天然灾害，或是两个遥远的外围世界联盟突然爆发内战。目前为止，这些事件都还无法精确预测，但我们能断言，若有任何这类事件发生，都会导致远比一个世纪前严重许多的后果。”

"But if you don't know a little more precisely what will happen in the Periphery, how can you so guide actions as to make sure the Periphery goes, rather than Trantor?"

“但如果你无法对外缘会发生什么事知道得更精确些，又怎能确定你采取的行动会使外缘脱离，而不是使川陀崩溃？”

"By keeping a close eye on both and trying to stabilize Trantor and not trying to stabilize the Periphery. We can't expect psychohistory to order events automatically without much greater knowledge of its workings, so we have to make use of constant manual controls, so to speak. In days to come, the technique will be refined and the need for manual control will decrease."

“我将同时密切注意两者，并试着稳定川陀，而不干涉外缘的变化。在对它的运作只有这点了解的情况下，不能指望心理史学会自动指挥各个事件，所以我们必须不断用手动控制，姑且这样比方。在未来的日子里，心理史学技术将精益求精，手动控制的需要就会逐年降低。”

"But that," said Dors, "is in days to come. Right?"

“但是，”铎丝说，“那是在未来，对不对？”

"Right. And even that is only a hope."

“没错，甚至这点也只是个希望罢了。”

"And just what kind of instabilities threaten Trantor-if we hang on to the Periphery?"

“假如我们死守外缘，究竟是什么样的不稳定在威胁川陀呢？”

"The same possibilities-economic and social factors, natural disasters, ambitious rivalries among high officials. And something more. I have described the Empire to Yugo as being overheated-and Trantor is the most overheated portion of all. It seems to be breaking down. The infrastructure-water supply, heating, waste disposal, fuel lines, everything-seems to be having unusual problems and that's something I've been turning my attention to more and more lately."

“同样的可能性：经济和社会因素、天然灾害、高级官员间的野心倾轧，此外还有别的。我曾对雨果打个比方，说帝国正处于过热状态，而川陀则是其中最热的部分。它似乎即将瓦解，各种基础公共设施——供水、暖气、废物处理、燃料管线，以及一切的一切——似乎都有不寻常的问题。最近，我越来越将注意力转移到这方面。”

"What about the death of the Emperor?"

“皇帝驾崩又如何呢？”

Seldon spread his hands. "That happens inevitably, but Cleon is in good health. He's only my age, which I wish was younger, but he isn't too old. His son is totally inadequate for the succession, but there will be enough claimants. More than enough to cause trouble and make his death distressing, but it might not prove a total catastrophe-in the historic sense."

谢顿摊开双手。“那是无可避免的事，但克里昂目前健康状况良好。他和我同年，虽然我希望我们都更年轻些，但他并不算太老。他的儿子完全无法继承皇位，可是排队的人会很多，多到足以引起纷争，而使他的驾崩成为危机。但就历史的角度而言，它或许不至于酿成一场大祸。”

"Let's say his assassination, then."

“那么，谈谈万一他遇刺吧。”

Seldon looked up nervously. "Don't say that. Even if we're shielded, don't use the word."

谢顿紧张兮兮地抬起头来。“别那么说，即使我们有屏蔽，也别用那样的字眼。”

"Hari, don't be foolish. It's an eventuality that must be reckoned with. There was a time when the Joranumites might have taken power and, if they had, the Emperor, one way or another-"

“哈里，别傻了，那是必须考量的一个可能性。曾有那么一段时间，九九派差点就取得政权，假使他们成功了，那么大帝迟早……”

"Probably not. He would have been more useful as a figurehead. And in any case, forget it. Joranum died last year on Nishaya, a rather pathetic figure."

“或许不会，他当个傀儡会更有用。无论如何，忘掉这件事吧。久瑞南去年死在尼沙亚，一个相当可悲的人物。”

"He had followers."

“他还有追随者。”

"Of course. Everyone has followers. Did you ever come across the Globalist party on my native world of Helicon in your studies of the early history of the Kingdom of Trantor and of the Galactic Empire?"

“当然，每个人都有追随者。你在研究川陀王国和银河帝国早期历史的过程中，有没有读到过我的故乡赫利肯上的星球党？”

"No, I haven't. I don't want to hurt your feelings, Hari, but I don't recall coming across any piece of history in which Helicon played a role."

“没有，没读到过。我不想伤你的心，哈里，但我不记得读过任何和赫利肯有关的历史事件。”

"I'm not hurt, Dors. Happy the world without a history, I always say. -In any case, about twenty-four hundred years ago, there arose a group of people on Helicon who were quite convinced that Helicon was the only inhabited globe in the Universe. Helicon was the Universe and beyond it there was only a solid sphere of sky speckled with tiny stars."

“我并不伤心，铎丝。没有历史的世界是快乐的，我总是这么说。言归正传，大约两千四百年前，赫利肯上出现一群人，深信赫利肯是宇宙中唯一的住人星球；赫利肯就是整个宇宙，外面就只是固体球壳所构成的天空，点缀着许多微小的星辰。”

"How could they believe that?" said Dors. "They were part of the Empire, I presume."

“他们怎能相信这种事？”铎丝说，“我推测，他们当时已是帝国的一部分。”

"Yes, but Globalists insisted that all evidence to the effect that the Empire existed was either illusion or deliberate deceit, that Imperial emissaries and officials were Heliconians playing a part for some reason. They were absolutely immune to reason."

“是的，但是星球党人坚持，一切有关帝国的证据不是幻觉便是蓄意的欺骗，而帝国的使者和官员，则是赫利肯人基于某种原因所假扮的。他们完全不可理喻。”

"And what happened?"

“后来怎么样？”

"I suppose it's always pleasant to think that your particular world is the world. At their peak, the Globalists may have persuaded 10 percent of the population of the planet to be part of the movement. Only 10 percent, but they were a vehement minority that drowned out the indifferent majority and threatened to take over."

“我想，认为你自己的世界是唯一的世界，总是一件令人愉快的事。在星球党的全盛期，他们可能说动了全球百分之十的人口加入他们的运动。虽然只有百分之十，但他们是狂热的少数，因而淹没了冷漠的多数，险些就要接掌政权。”

"But they didn't, did they?"

“但他们没做到，对不对？”

"No, they didn't. What happened was that Globalism caused a diminishing of Imperial trade and the Heliconian economy slid into the doldrums. When the belief began to affect the pocketbooks of the population, it lost popularity rapidly. The rise and fall puzzled many at the time, but psychohistory, I'm sure, would have shown it to be inevitable and would have made it unnecessary to give it any thought."

“对，他们没做到。后来的发展是星球主义导致帝国型贸易锐减，赫利肯的经济滑落谷底。当信仰开始影响民众的荷包时，便很快不再受欢迎了。当时许多人对这段大起大落十分不解，可是我确定，心理史学将会证明这是必然现象，根本没有必要为它花任何心思。”

"I see. But, Hari, what is the point of this story? I presume there's some connection with what we were discussing."

“我懂了。可是，哈里，这个故事的意义何在？我推测它和我们刚才讨论的题目有些关联。”

"The connection is that such movements never completely die, no matter how ridiculous their tenets may seem to sane people. Right now, on Helicon, right now there are still Globalists. Not many, but every once in a while seventy or eighty of them get together in what they call a Global Congress and take enormous pleasure in talking to each other about Globalism. -Well, it is only ten years since the Joranumite movement seemed such a terrible threat on this world and it would not be at all surprising if there weren't still some remnants left. There may still be some remnants a thousand years from now."

“关联就是，不论他们的主义在头脑清醒的人看来多么无稽，这样的运动绝不会完全消失。直到现在，在赫利肯上，直、到、现、在，仍然有些星球党人。为数不多，但每隔一段时间，就会有七八十个这样的人聚在一起，召开他们所谓的星球议会，彼此畅谈星球主义，从中获得极大的乐趣。好，短短十年之前，九九派运动对这个世界几乎构成极大的威胁，如果今天仍有余党残存，根本就不值得惊讶。即使在一千年后，仍旧可能有些残余的势力。”

"Isn't it possible that a remnant may be dangerous?"

“这些余党难道不可能构成危险吗？”

"I doubt it. It was Jo-Jo's charisma that made the movement dangerous-and he's dead. He didn't even die a heroic death or one that was in any way remarkable; he just withered away and died in exile, a broken man."

“我不大相信。当初是九九的领袖魅力，使那个运动变得危险，如今他已经死了。他甚至没有死得轰轰烈烈，或有任何引人注目之处；他只是逐渐凋零，死于潦倒落魄的放逐生涯。”

Dors stood up and walked the length of the room quickly, swinging her arms at her sides and clenching her fists. She returned and stood before the seated Seldon.

铎丝站了起来，双手紧握成拳，双臂前后摆动，迅速走到房间另一端。然后她又踱回来，站在仍坐着的谢顿面前。

"Hari," she said, "let me speak my mind. If psychohistory points to the possibility of serious disturbances on Trantor, then if there are Joranumites still left, they may still be plotting the Emperor's death."

“哈里，”她说，“让我说出心里的话。假如心理史学指出川陀有发生严重动乱的可能，那么若是九九派仍然存在，他们就可能仍在图谋行刺大帝。”

Seldon laughed nervously. "You jump at shadows, Dors. Relax."

谢顿神经质地笑了几声。“你在捕风捉影，铎丝，放轻松点。”

But he found that he could not dismiss what she had said quite that easily.

可是他发现，自己却不容易忘掉她这番话。

5

5

The Wye Sector had a tradition of opposition to the Entun Dynasty of Cleon I that had been ruling the Empire for over two centuries. The opposition dated back to a time when the line of Mayors of Wye had contributed members who had served as Emperor. The Wyan Dynasty had neither lasted long nor had it been conspicuously successful, but the people and rulers of Wye found it difficult to forget that they had once been-however imperfectly and temporarily-supreme. The brief period when Rashelle, as the self-appointed Mayor of Wye, had challenged the Empire, eighteen years earlier, had added both to Wye's pride and to its frustration.

克里昂一世所属的恩腾皇朝，统治帝国已经超过两个世纪，而卫荷区则一向有反恩腾皇朝的传统，此一心态可远溯早年卫荷区长出任皇帝的时代。卫荷皇朝并未持续多久，也没有出色的成就，可是卫荷的人民与统治者，皆难以忘怀一度拥有的至尊地位——不论它多不完美，多么短暂。十八年前，自命的卫荷区长芮喜尔那次挑战帝国的短命行动，同时提高了卫荷的自尊心与挫折感。

All this made it reasonable that the small band of leading conspirators should feel as safe in Wye as they would feel anywhere on Trantor.

基于上述事实，不难了解在一小撮主谋者的感觉中，藏身卫荷如同躲在川陀其他各地一样安全。

Five of them sat around a table in a room in a run-down portion of the sector. The room was poorly furnished but well shielded.

此时，在本区某个废弃部分的一间屋子里，他们五人围桌而坐。这间屋子陈设简陋，但拥有极佳的屏蔽。

In a chair which, by its marginal superiority in quality to the others, sat the man who might well be judged to be the leader. He had a thin face, a sallow complexion, and a wide mouth with lips so pale as to be nearly invisible. There was a touch of gray in his hair, but his eyes burned with an inextinguishable anger.

其中一张椅子，品质比其他几张稍显精致，根据这一点，即可判断坐在上面那名男子是领导者。他面容瘦削，脸色蜡黄，有一张宽阔的嘴巴，嘴唇则苍白得几乎看不见。他的头发有点灰白，但他的双眼燃烧着浇不熄的怒火。

He was staring at the man seated exactly opposite him-distinctly older and softer, his hair almost white, his plump cheeks tending to quiver when he spoke.

他瞪着坐在他正对面那个人。与前者相较之下，那人显然年纪大得多，而且和蔼得多，他的头发几乎全白了，每当他说话时，丰满的双颊总是像要颤抖。

The leader said sharply, "Well? It is quite apparent that you have done nothing. Explain that!"

那领导者以严厉的口吻说：“怎么样？你什么也没做，这点十分明显。解释一下！”

The older man said, "I am an old Joranumite, Namarti. Why do I have to explain my actions?"

那位年长者说：“我是老九九派，纳马提。我为什么需要解释我的行动？”

Gambol Deen Namarti, once the right-hand man of Laskin "Jo-Jo" Joranum, said, "There are many old Joranumites. Some are incompetent, some are soft, some have forgotten. Being an old Joranumite may mean no more than that one is an old fool."

一度曾是拉斯金·九九·久瑞南左右手的坎伯尔·丁恩·纳马提，随即答道：“老九九派多得是。有些无能，有些软弱，有些忘了自己的身份。身为一个老九九派，不比一个老笨蛋更有意义。”

The older man sat back in his chair. "Are you calling me an old fool? Me? Kaspal Kaspalov? I was with Jo-Jo when you had not yet joined the party, when you were a ragged nothing in search of a cause."

那位年长者上身靠回椅背。“你在骂我是老笨蛋？我？卡斯帕·卡斯帕洛夫？我追随九九的时候，你甚至还没入党，只是个穷兮兮的无名小辈，正在四处寻找信仰。”

"I am not calling you a fool," said Namarti sharply. "I say simply that some old Joranumites are fools. You have a chance now to show me that you are not one of them."

“我不是骂你笨蛋，”纳马提厉声道，“我只是说有些老九九派是笨蛋。你有个现成的机会，对我证明你不是他们的一员。”

"My association with Jo-Jo-"

“我和九九的关系……”

"Forget that. He's dead!"

“别提啦，他已经死了！”

"I should think his spirit lives on."

“我可认为他的精神长存。”

"If that thought will help us in our fight, then his spirit lives on. But to others-not to us. We know he made mistakes."

“如果这种想法对我们的斗争有帮助，就让他的精神长存吧。不过那是对别人，而不是对我们自己，我们知道他犯了一些错误。”

"I deny that."

“我否认这一点。”

"Don't insist on making a hero out of a mere man who made mistakes. He thought he could move the Empire by the strength of oratory alone, by words-"

“别硬要把一个犯了错的普通人塑造成英雄。他以为光靠口舌之能，光靠言语，就能摇撼帝国……”

"History shows that words have moved mountains in the past."

“历史告诉我们，过去曾有言语摇撼山岳的例子。”

"Not Joranum's words, obviously, because he made mistakes. He hid his Mycogenian origins far too clumsily. Worse, he let himself be tricked into accusing First Minister Eto Demerzel of being a robot. I warned him against that accusation, but he wouldn't listen-and it destroyed him. Now let's start fresh, shall we? Whatever use we make of Joranum's memory for outsiders, let us not ourselves be transfixed by it."

“显然并非久瑞南的言语，因为他犯了错误。他以极其拙劣的手法，掩藏他的麦曲生出身。更糟的是，他让自己中了圈套，竟然指控首相伊图·丹莫刺尔是机器人。我警告过他，我反对提出那种指控，但他听不进去，结果被整垮了。现在让我们重新开始，好不好？不论我们对外如何利用久瑞南的精神，我们自己可别被它钉死了。”

Kaspalov sat silent. The other three transferred their gaze from Namarti to Kaspalov and back, content to let Namarti carry the weight of the discussion.

卡斯帕洛夫默默坐在椅子上。其他三人轮流打量着纳马提与卡斯帕洛夫，三人都心甘情愿让纳马提主导这场讨论。

"With Joranum's exile to Nishaya, the Joranumite movement fell apart and seemed to vanish," said Namarti harshly. "It would, indeed, have vanished-but for me. Bit by bit and rubble by rubble, I rebuilt it into a network that extends over all of Trantor. You know this, I take it."

“随着久瑞南被放逐到尼沙亚，九九派运动四分五裂，眼看就要烟消云散。”纳马提粗声道，“事实上，要是没有我，它早已消失无踪。我一点一滴，一砖一瓦，将它重建成一个延伸川陀各个角落的网络。这点，我相信你是知道的。”

"I know it, Chief," mumbled Kaspalov. The use of the title made it plain that Kaspalov was seeking reconciliation.

“我知道，首领。”卡斯帕洛夫喃喃道。使用这个头衔称呼对方，明白显示卡斯帕洛夫在寻求和解。

Namarti smiled tightly. He did not insist on the title, but he always enjoyed hearing it used. He said, "You're part of this network and you have your duties."

纳马提硬邦邦地笑了笑。他不坚持这个头衔，但他总是乐意听到别人这么称呼。他说：“你是这个网络的一环，你有你的责任。”

Kaspalov stirred. He was clearly debating with himself internally and finally he said slowly, "You tell me, Chief, that you warned Joranum against accusing the old First Minister of being a robot. You say he didn't listen, but at least you had your say. May I have the same privilege of pointing out what I think is a mistake and have you listen to me as Joranum listened to you, even if, like him, you don't take the advice given you?"

卡斯帕洛夫动来动去，显然内心正在自我交战。最后，他终于缓缓说道：“你刚才告诉我，首领，你曾经警告久瑞南，反对他指控老首相是机器人。你说他听不进去，但你至少说了出来。我能否有同样的权利，指出我眼中的一个错误，并且让你听听我的说法，就像当初久瑞南听你说那样，即使你同样不接受我的忠告？”

"Of course you can speak your piece, Kaspalov. You are here in order that you might do so. What is your point?"

“你当然可以说出你的意见，卡斯帕洛夫。你到这里来，就是为了能这样做。你要指出什么？”

"These new tactics of ours, Chief, are a mistake. They create disruption and do damage."

“我们采用的那些新战术，首领，本身就是个错误。它们导致了瘫痪，造成了破坏。”

"Of course! They are designed to do that." Namarti stirred in his seat, controlling his anger with an effort. "Joranum tried persuasion. It didn't work. We will bring Trantor down by action."

“当然！那正是我们的目的。”纳马提在座椅中动来动去，努力控制着满腔怒火，“久瑞南试图说之以理，结果不成功，现在我们要以行动拉垮川陀。”

"For how long? And at what cost?"

“需要多久？代价是什么？”

"For as long as it takes-and at very little cost, actually. A power stoppage here, a water break there, a sewage backup, an air-conditioning halt. Inconvenience and discomfort-that's all it means."

“需要多久就多久，至于代价嘛，其实微乎其微。这里一场停电，那里一场断水，一次污水淤塞，一次空调停摆。只会造成不方便和不舒适，如此而已。”

Kaspalov shook his head. "These things are cumulative."

卡斯帕洛夫摇了摇头。“这种事是会累积的。”

"Of course, Kaspalov, and we want public dismay and resentment to be cumulative, too. Listen, Kaspalov. The Empire is decaying. Everyone knows that. Everyone capable of intelligent thought knows that. The technology will fail here and there, even if we do nothing. We're just helping it along a little."

“当然啦，卡斯帕洛夫，但我们要大众的沮丧和愤怒同样累积。听好，卡斯帕洛夫，帝国正在衰败，这点人人都知道，凡是有能力思考的人都知道。即使我们什么都不做，科技也会到处出问题。我们只是这里推推，那里拉拉，帮它加点速而已。”

"It's dangerous, Chief. Trantor's infrastructure is incredibly complicated. A careless push may bring it down in ruins. Pull the wrong string and Trantor may topple like a house of cards."

“那会很危险，首领。川陀的基础公共设施复杂得不可思议，乱推一通可能令它整个瓦解。而要是拉错了线，川陀就会像积木屋一样垮掉。”

"It hasn't so far."

“目前为止还没有。”

"It may in the future. And what if the people find out that we are behind it? They would tear us apart. There would be no need to call in the security establishment or the armed forces. Mobs would destroy us."

“将来可能就会。而且，如果人们发现是我们动的手脚，那该怎么办？他们会把我们撕烂。不必召来保安部门或武装部队，暴民就会消灭我们。”

"How would they ever learn enough to blame us? The natural target for the people's resentment will be the government-the Emperor's advisers. They will never look beyond that."

“他们怎么会知道该找我们算账？民怨的箭靶自然会是政府，会是皇帝的那些幕僚，他们不会再去找其他的目标。”

"And how do we live with ourselves, knowing what we have done?"

“明知是我们自己干的，我们又怎能活得心安理得？”

This last was asked in a whisper, the old man clearly moved by strong emotion. Kaspalov looked pleadingly across the table at his leader, the man to whom he had sworn allegiance. He had done so in the belief that Namarti would truly continue to bear the standard of freedom passed on by Jo-Jo Joranum; now Kaspalov wondered if this is how Jo-Jo would have wanted his dream to come to pass.

最后这句话是悄声问出来的，这位老者显然受到强烈情绪的驱使。卡斯帕洛夫以恳求的眼神，望着桌子对面的领导者——他曾宣誓效忠的对象。当初宣誓的时候，他相信纳马提会真正继承九九·久瑞南的作风，坚守自由的原则。现在卡斯帕洛夫却不禁怀疑，九九会希望他的梦想如此实现吗？

Namarti clucked his tongue, much as a reproving parent does when confronting an errant child.

纳马提把舌头咂得咯咯响，活脱一个正在训诫犯错子女的家长。

"Kaspalov, you can't seriously be turning sentimental on us, are you? Once we are in power, we will pick up the pieces and rebuild. We will gather in the people with all of Joranum's old talk of popular participation in government, with greater representation, and when we are firmly in power we will establish a more efficient and forceful government. We will then have a better Trantor and a stronger Empire. We will set up some sort of discussion system whereby representatives of other worlds can talk themselves into a daze-but we will do the governing."

“卡斯帕洛夫，你不能变得这么感情用事，对不对？一旦我们掌权，我们就会收拾残局，重建一切。我们将遵照久瑞南提倡的大众参与政府的遗训，增加民意代表，号召人民加入我们的行列。等到我们的政权巩固了，我们会建立一个更有效且更有力的政府。然后我们就会有个更好的川陀，以及一个更强大的帝国。我们会设立某种论坛制度，让其他世界的代表能够畅所欲言，但统治者一定得是我们。”

Kaspalov sat there, irresolute.

卡斯帕洛夫坐在那里，心中犹豫不决。

Namarti smiled joylessly. "You are not certain? We can't lose. It's been working perfectly and it will continue working perfectly. The Emperor doesn't know what's going on. He hasn't the faintest notion. And his First Minister is a mathematician. He ruined Joranum, true, but since then he has done nothing."

纳马提冷笑了一下。“你不确定吗？我们不会输的。目前为止一切十分顺利，今后仍会十分顺利。大帝还不晓得正在发生什么事，他连一点概念也没有。而他的首相是个数学家，没错，他毁了久瑞南，但此后他什么也没做。”

"He has something called-called-"

“他有个东西叫做……叫做……”

"Forget it. Joranum attached a great deal of importance to it, but it was a part of his being Mycogenian, like his robot mania. This mathematician has nothing-"

“别提了。久瑞南对它极其重视，但那是由于他来自麦曲生，就像他对机器人的狂热一样。这个数学家什么也……”

"Historical psychoanalysis or something like that. I heard Joranum once say-"

“叫做‘历史心理分析’或类似的东西，有一次我听久瑞南说……”

"Forget it. Just do your part. You handle the ventilation in the Anemoria Sector, don't you? Very well, then. Have it misfunction in a manner of your choosing. It either shuts down so that the humidity rises or it produces a peculiar odor or something else. None of this will kill anyone, so don't get yourself into a fever of virtuous guilt. You will simply make people uncomfortable and raise the general level of discomfort and annoyance. Can we depend on you?"

“别提了！你只要做好分内的事。你负责安纳摩瑞亚区的通风系统，对不对？很好，很好。随便你让它出什么毛病：或是让它停摆而使湿度升高，或是产生一种怪味，或是其他什么手段都好。这些都不会害死任何人，所以你不必有天大的罪恶感。你这么做，只会使人们觉得不舒服，升高大众的不快和恼怒。我们能信赖你吗？”

"But what would only be discomfort and annoyance to the young and healthy may be more than that to infants, the aged, and the sick……"

“可是，只会让年轻和健康的人不快或恼怒的事，也许会对婴儿、老人、病人有更大的……”

"Are you going to insist that no one at all must be hurt?"

“你是不是要坚持任何人都不能受到伤害？”

Kaspalov mumbled something.

卡斯帕洛夫咕哝了几句。

Namarti said, "It's impossible to do anything with a guarantee that no one at all will be hurt. You just do your job. Do it in such a way that you hurt as few as possible-if your conscience insists upon it-but do it!"

纳马提说：“不论做任何事，都不可能保证不会有人受到伤害，你只要做好分内工作就行。尽可能让受到伤害的人越少越好——倘若你的良心坚持如此——但给我做到！”

Kaspalov said, "Look! I have one thing more to say, Chief."

卡斯帕洛夫说：“听好！我还有一件事要说，首领。”

"Then say it," said Namarti wearily.

“那么说吧。”纳马提厌烦地答道。

"We can spend years poking at the infrastructure. The time must come when you take advantage of gathering dissatisfaction to seize the government. How do you intend to do that?"

“我们可以花许多年戳弄基础公共设施，但是总有一天，你会利用累积起来的不满情绪夺取政权。到时你打算怎么做？”

"You want to know exactly how we'll do it?"

“你想知道我们究竟要怎么做吗？”

"Yes. The faster we strike, the more limited the damage, the more efficiently the surgery is performed."

“是的。我们的攻击行动越快，破坏的程度就越有限，这个手术也就越有效率。”

Namarti said slowly, "I have not yet decided on the nature of this `surgical strike.' But it will come. Until then, will you do your part?"

纳马提慢慢地说：“我尚未决定这个‘外科手术’的本质，但它总会来到。在此之前，你会做好分内的事吗？”

Kaspalov nodded his head in resignation. "Yes, Chief."

卡斯帕洛夫顺从地点了点头。“会的，首领。”

"Well then, go," said Namarti with a sharp gesture of dismissal.

“好了，那就走吧。”纳马提一面说，一面做了个表示解散的明快手势。

Kaspalov rose, turned, and left. Namarti watched him go. He said to the man at his right, "Kaspalov is not to be trusted. He has sold out and it's only so that he can betray us that he wants to know my plans for the future. Take care of him "

卡斯帕洛夫站起来，转身走了出去。纳马提目送他的背影，并对坐在自己右侧的人说：“卡斯帕洛夫不能信任了，他已经成了叛徒。他之所以想知道我们未来的计划，只是为了要出卖我们。去把他解决掉。”

The other nodded and all three left, leaving Namarti alone in the room. He switched off the glowing wall panels, leaving only a lonely square in the ceiling to provide the light that would keep him from being entirely in the darkness.

那人点了点头，便和其他两人一同离去，留下纳马提单独坐在屋内。纳马提关掉发出光芒的壁板，只留下天花板上的一小方光源，使他不至置身全然的黑暗中。

He thought: Every chain has weak links that must be eliminated. We have had to do this in the past and the result is that we have an organization that is untouchable.

他想：每条铁链都有必须剔除的脆弱环节。过去我们不得不这样做，结果是我们有了一个牢不可破的组织。

And in the dimness, he smiled, twisting his face into a kind of feral joy. After all, the network extended even into the Palace itself-not quite firmly, not quite reliably, but it was there. And it would be strengthened.

他在昏暗中露出微笑，将表情扭曲成一种凶猛的喜悦。毕竟，这个网络甚至延伸到了皇宫——虽然不太巩固，不太可靠，但它的确存在，而且今后会更强化。

6

6

The weather was holding up over the undomed area of the Imperial Palace grounds-warm and sunny.

没有穹顶遮盖的露天御苑，今天依旧是个温暖晴朗的天气。

It didn't often happen. Hari remembered Dors telling him once how this particular area with its cold winters and frequent rains had been chosen as the site.

这样的天气并不常见。谢顿记得铎丝曾告诉他，当初，这个冬季寒冷且终年多雨的地区，是如何获选为皇宫所在地的。

"It wasn't actually chosen, " she said. "It was a family estate of the Morovian family in the early days of the Kingdom of Trantor. When the Kingdom became an Empire, there were numerous sites where the Emperor could live-summer resorts, winter places, sports lodges, beach properties. And, as the planet was slowly domed, one reigning Emperor, living here, liked it so much that it remained undomed. And, just because it was the only area left undomed, it became special-a place apart-and that uniqueness appealed to the next Emperor……and the next……and the next.……And so, a tradition was born."

“其实并不是被选上的，”她说，“在川陀王国早期，它本是莫洛夫家族的属地。当王国变成帝国时，有许多地方可供皇帝居住，夏日避暑胜地、冬季避寒山庄、狩猎暂憩的小屋、海滨的度假别墅。后来，这颗行星逐渐被穹顶笼罩，当时住在这里的那位皇帝，由于太喜欢此地，所以让它一直保持露天。于是，只因为是唯一没有建造穹顶的地方，它变得分外特别，是个与众不同之地。这个独一无二的特点吸引了下一任皇帝……然后又是下一任……又是下一任……如此，传统于焉诞生。”

And as always, when hearing something like that, Seldon would think: And how would psychohistory handle this? Would it predict that one area would remain undomed but be absolutely unable to say which area? Could it go even so far? Could it predict that several areas would remain undomed or none-and be wrong? How could it account for the personal likes and dislikes of an Emperor who happened to be on the throne at the crucial time and who made a decision in a moment of whimsy and nothing more. That way lay chaos-and madness.

如同以往一样，每次听到类似的话，谢顿总会想到：心理史学会如何处理这种现象？它能预测到某处不会被穹顶遮盖，却绝对无法说出准确地点吗？它能做到即使只是这种程度吗？它会不会错误地预测有几处或没有一处保持露天？那位在关键时刻刚好在位、在突发奇想之下刚好作出决定的皇帝，心理史学如何能解释他的个人好恶？这样只会是一片混沌，还有疯狂。

Cleon I was clearly enjoying the good weather.

克里昂一世显然喜爱这个好天气。

"I'm getting old, Seldon," he said. "I don't have to tell you that. We're the same age, you and I. Surely it's a sign of age when I don't have the impulse to play tennis or go fishing, even though they've newly restocked the lake, but am willing to walk gently over the pathways."

“我老了，谢顿。”他说，“这点根本不必我告诉你。我们同龄，我是指你和我。我不再有打网球或钓鱼的兴致，即使最近刚补了一批鱼苗，我只愿在小径上悠闲地漫步，这当然是上了年纪的征兆。”

He was eating nuts as he spoke, which resembled what on Seldon's native world of Helicon would have been called pumpkin seeds, but which were larger and a little less delicate in taste. Cleon cracked them gently between his teeth, peeled the thin shells and popped the kernels into his mouth.

他一面说一面吃着坚果，那是一种类似谢顿的故乡赫利肯上称为南瓜子的食物，不过体积较大，味道则没有那么可口。克里昂将它们轻轻咬碎，剥开薄薄的外壳，再将果仁丢进嘴里。

Seldon did not like the taste particularly but, of course, when he was offered some by the Emperor, he accepted them and ate a few.

谢顿不会特别喜欢那种口味，不过，大帝既然赏赐他一些，他当然接下来，并且吃了几粒。

The Emperor had a number of shells in his hand and looked vaguely around for a receptacle of some sort that he could use for disposal. He saw none, but he did notice a gardener standing not far away, his body at attention (as it should be in the Imperial presence) and his head respectfully bowed.

大帝手中握着几个果壳，正在胡乱四下张望，想找个容器之类的东西当垃圾桶。虽然没找着，他却注意到不远处站着一名园丁。那名园丁正立定站好（在皇帝面前理应如此），并且恭敬地低着头。

Cleon said, "Gardener!"

克里昂说：“园丁！”

The gardener approached quickly. "Sire!"

那名园丁迅速走过来。“参见陛下！”

"Get rid of these for me," he said, tapping the shells into the gardener's hand.

“帮我把这些丢掉。”他一面说，一面将果壳拍到园丁手上。

"Yes, Sire."

“遵命，陛下。”

Seldon said, "I have a few, too, Gruber."

谢顿说：“我这儿也有一些，葛鲁柏。”

Gruber held out his hand and said, almost shyly, "Yes, First Minister."

葛鲁柏伸出手，近乎羞怯地说：“遵命，首相。”

He hurried away and the Emperor looked after him curiously. "Do you know the fellow, Seldon?"

他随即退下，大帝却好奇地望着他的背影。“你认识这个人吗，谢顿？”

"Yes, indeed, Sire. An old friend."

“启禀陛下，的确认识，是个老朋友。”

"The gardener is an old friend? What is he? A mathematical colleague fallen on hard times?"

“那个‘园丁’是你的老朋友？他是什么人？一个家道中落的数学界同仁？”

"No, Sire. Perhaps you remember the story. It was the time when"-he cleared his throat, searching for the most tactful way to recall the incident-"the sergeant threatened my life shortly after I was appointed to my present post through your kindness."

“不是的，陛下。或许您还记得那件事，那是在——”他清了清喉咙，寻思一个最有技巧的方式来叙述那个事件，“在陛下恩赐我这个职位不久之后，有个侍卫威胁到我的性命。”

"The assassination attempt." Cleon looked up to heaven, as though seeking patience. "I don't know why everyone is so afraid of that word."

“企图行刺。”克里昂抬头望向天空，仿佛是在保持耐性，“我不知道为何大家都那么怕用这个字眼。”

"Perhaps," said Seldon smoothly, slightly despising himself for the ease with which he had become able to flatter, "the rest of us are more perturbed at the possibility of something untoward happening to our Emperor than you yourself are."

“也许，”谢顿流利地说，“对于吾皇遭遇不幸事件的可能性，我们远比您自己更感忧心。”奉承话竟然出口成章，令他觉得有点瞧不起自己。

Cleon smiled ironically. "I dare say. And what has this to do with Gruber? Is that his name?"

克里昂露出嘲讽般的笑容。“我想是吧。这和葛鲁柏又有什么关系？那是他的名字吗？”

"Yes, Sire. Mandell Gruber. I'm sure you will recall, if you cast your mind back, that there was a gardener who came rushing up with a rake to defend me against the armed sergeant."

“是的，陛下，曼德尔·葛鲁柏。只要您稍加回忆，我确定您就会记起来，当初有个园丁带着一支耙子冲过来救我，勇敢地面对手持武器的侍卫。”

"Ah yes. Was that fellow the gardener who did that?"

“啊，对。刚才那个人就是那名园丁吗？”

"He was the man, Sire. I've considered him a friend ever since and I meet him almost every time I am on the grounds. I think he watches for me, feels proprietary toward me. And, of course, I feel kindly toward him."

“启禀陛下，就是他。从此以后，我一直把他当成朋友，而我几乎每次来到御苑都会碰到他。我想他是在守护我，觉得我的命是属于他的。当然，我对他也很有亲切感。”

"I don't blame you. -And while we're on the subject, how is your formidable lady, Dr. Venabili? I don't see her often."

“我不怪你。既然我们谈起这件事，你那位令人畏惧的夫人，凡纳比里博士好吗？我不常见到她。”

"She's a historian, Sire. Lost in the past."

“陛下，她是个历史学家，沉迷于过去的岁月中。”

"She doesn't frighten you? She'd frighten me. I've been told how she treated that sergeant. One could almost be sorry for him."

“她不令你害怕吗？她真吓倒了我。我听说过她如何对付那个侍卫，令人几乎忍不住替他难过。”

"She grows savage on my behalf, Sire, but has not had occasion to do so lately. It's been very quiet."

“她是为了我才变得粗暴，陛下，但她最近没有机会那么做。如今非常平静。”

The Emperor looked after the disappearing gardener. "Have we ever rewarded that man?"

大帝又望着那名逐渐远去的园丁。“我们是否奖赏过此人？”

"I have done so, Sire. He has a wife and two daughters and I have arranged that each daughter will have a sum of money put aside for the education of any children she may have."

“我已经做了，陛下。他有妻子和两个女儿，我已经作好安排，为两个女儿都存了一笔钱，将来作为她们的子女教育费用。”

"Very good. But he needs a promotion, I think. -Is he a good gardener?"

“很好。可是，我想，还需要给他升官。他是个好园丁吗？”

"Excellent, Sire."

“极为优秀，陛下。”

"The Chief Gardener, Malcomber-I'm not quite sure I remember his name-is getting on and is, perhaps, not up to the job anymore. He is well into his late seventies. Do you think this Gruber might be able to take over?"

“现任园丁长，莫康博——我不太确定记不记得他的名字——已经上了年纪，而且，说不定早已无法胜任那份工作，他眼看就要八十岁了。你认为这个葛鲁柏有能力接替他吗？”

"I'm certain he can, Sire, but he likes his present job. It keeps him out in the open in all kinds of weather."

“我确信他有能力，陛下，可是他喜欢目前的工作。这让他能待在露天的环境，接触各式各样的天气。”

"A peculiar recommendation for a job. I'm sure he can get used to administration and I do need someone for some sort of renewal of the grounds. Hmmm. I must think upon this. Your friend Gruber may be just the man I need. -By the way, Seldon, what did you mean by saying it's been very quiet?"

“这个推荐倒很特别。我确定他能习惯行政工作，而且我实在需要找个人，把御苑改头换面一番。嗯……我得好好想一想，你的朋友葛鲁柏可能正是我需要的人。对了，谢顿，你说如今非常平静是什么意思？”

"I merely meant, Sire, that there has been no sign of discord at the Imperial Court. The unavoidable tendency to intrigue seems to be as near a minimum as it is ever likely to get."

“我不过是指，陛下，宫廷中没有任何不和的迹象。而无可避免的弄权倾向，似乎也降到有史以来的最低点。”

"You wouldn't say that if you were Emperor, Seldon, and had to contend with all these officials and their complaints. How can you tell me things are quiet when reports seem to reach me every other week of some serious breakdown here and there on Trantor?"

“假使你是皇帝，必须应付所有的官员以及他们的牢骚，谢顿，你就不会这么说了。现在似乎每隔一周，我就会收到川陀某处发生某种严重故障的报告，你怎能告诉我一切平静？”

"These things are bound to happen."

“这些事是一定会发生的。”

"I don't recall such things happening so frequently in previous years."

“我可不记得这种事在过去发生得那么频繁。”

"Perhaps that was because they didn't, Sire. The infrastructure grows older with time. To make the necessary repairs properly would take time, labor, and enormous expense. This is not a time when a rise in taxes will be looked on favorably."

“启禀陛下，也许是因为过去并不频繁。基础公共设施随着时间逐渐老化，想要切实做好修理的工作，需要时间、人力以及大量的经费。如今这个年头，人民是不会欣然接受加税的。”

"There's never any such time. I gather that the people are experiencing serious dissatisfaction over these breakdowns. It must stop and you must see to it, Seldon. What does psychohistory say?"

“从来没有那样的年头。在我看来，这些故障正在给百姓带来极度的不便。一定不能继续这样，谢顿，你必须负责做到。心理史学是怎么说的？”

"It says what common sense says, that everything is growing older."

“它所说的和常识的判断一样，每样东西都会逐渐老化。”

"Well, all this is quite spoiling the pleasant day for me. I leave it in your hands, Seldon."

“好啦，这种事足以把原本愉快的一天给我破坏了。我把这个问题留给你处理，谢顿。”

"Yes, Sire," said Seldon quietly.

“遵命，陛下。”谢顿平静地说。

The Emperor strode off and Seldon thought that it was all spoiling the pleasant day for him, too. This breakdown at the center was the alternative he didn't want. But how was he to prevent it and switch the crisis to the Periphery?

皇帝大摇大摆离去后，谢顿心想，这也足以破坏他原本愉快的一天。这个发生在核心的崩溃，正是他不欲见到的情况。可是他要如何阻止，并将危机转移到银河外缘呢？

Psychohistory didn't say.

心理史学没有说明。

7

7

Raych Seldon felt extraordinarily contented, for it was the first dinner en famille that he had had in some months with the two people he thought of as his father and mother. He knew perfectly well that they were not his parents in any biological sense, but it didn't matter. He merely smiled at them with complete love.

芮奇·谢顿今天感到格外满足，因为这是几个月以来，他第一次和自己视为父母亲的两个人，享受一顿全家团圆的晚餐。他心里十分明白，就任何生物学角度而言，这两人都不是他的双亲，可是这并不重要。他只是怀着满腔的敬爱，微笑着面对他们。

The surroundings were not as warm as they had been at Streeling in the old days, when their home had been small and intimate, a virtual gem in the larger setting of the University. Now, unfortunately, nothing could hide the grandeur of the First Minister's Palace suite.

此地环境不如昔日在斯璀璘那般温馨，那时他们的家很小，充满亲切感，像是镶在大学里的一颗宝石。如今，十分遗憾，首相官邸的豪华气派根本无从遮掩。

Raych sometimes stared at himself in the mirror and wondered how it could be. He was not tall, only 163 centimeters in height, distinctly shorter than either parent. He was rather stocky but muscular-and not fat, with black hair and the distinctive Dahlite mustache that he kept as dark and as thick as possible.

芮奇有时会瞪着镜中的自己，怀疑这一切是怎么来的。他的个子不高，只有一米六三，比他的双亲都矮很多。虽然他的身材相当粗短，但结实健壮，绝不算胖。他有一头黑发，蓄着达尔人特有的八字胡，并尽可能将两撇胡子保养得又黑又密。

In the mirror he could still see the street urchin he had once been before the chanciest of great chances had dictated his meeting with Hari and Dors. Seldon had been much younger then and his appearance now made it plain that Raych himself was almost as old now as Seldon had been when they met. Amazingly, Dors had hardly changed at all. She was as sleek and fit as the day Raych had first showed Hari and Dors the way to Mother Rittah's in Billibotton. And he, Raych, born to poverty and misery, was now a member of the civil service, a small cog in the Ministry of Population.

在镜子里，他仍然看得见当年那个街头顽童的影子。直到天大的幸运降临，让他巧遇谢顿与铎丝，他才脱离那种环境。当时谢顿年轻多了，而芮奇现在的样子，足以说明他自己几乎和当年的谢顿一样大了。奇怪的是，铎丝简直一点也没有变。她依然那么光鲜，那么精瘦，如同芮奇带他俩去脐眼找瑞塔嬷嬷那天一样。而他自己，出身穷苦的芮奇，如今已是政府的一员，是人口部里的一个小齿轮。

Seldon said, "How are things going at the Ministry, Raych? Any progress?"

谢顿问：“部里的事怎么样？有任何进展吗？”

"Some, Dad. The laws are passed. The court decisions are made. Speeches are pronounced. Still, it's difficult to move people. You can preach brotherhood all you want, but no one feels like a brother. What gets me is that the Dahlites are as bad as any of the others. They want to be treated as equals, they say, and so they do, but, given a chance, they have no desire to treat others as equals."

“有一些，爸。法律通过了，法院裁定了，宣导也进行了。话说回来，要说动民众实在很困难。你爱怎么鼓吹手足之爱都行，可是没有人觉得情同手足。我的体认是达尔人和其他人一样坏，他们希望受到平等待遇，他们这么说，他们也这么想，可是有机会的时候，他们却不愿平等对待别人。”

Dors said, "It's all but impossible to change people's minds and hearts, Raych. It's enough to try and perhaps eliminate the worst of the injustices."

铎丝说：“想要改变人们的观念和心理，几乎是不可能的事，芮奇。只要试着做，倘若能消除最不公平的情况，那也就够了。”

"The trouble is," said Seldon, "that through most of history, no one's been working on this problem. Human beings have been allowed to fester in the delightful game of I'm-better-than-you and cleaning up that mess isn't easy. If we allow things to follow their own bent and grow worse for a thousand years, we can't complain if it takes, say, a hundred years to work an improvement."

“困难在于，”谢顿说，“有史以来，几乎没有人试过解决这个问题。人类一向被放任在‘我比你好’的美妙游戏中腐化，收拾这个烂摊子可不容易。如果我们放任事态自行发展，持续恶化一千年，然后，比方说如果得花上一百年才能改善，我们是没什么好抱怨的。”

"Sometimes, Dad," said Raych, "I think you gave me this job to punish me."

“有时我会想，爸，”芮奇说，“你给我这个工作是要惩罚我。”

Seldon's eyebrows raised. "What motivation could I have had to punish you?"

谢顿扬起眉毛。“我能有什么惩罚你的动机？”

"For feeling attracted to Joranum's program of sector equality and for greater popular representation in government."

“因为我曾受到久瑞南的政治主张吸引，例如各区平等，以及在政府中增加民意代表。”

"I don't blame you for that. These are attractive suggestions, but you know that Joranum and his gang were using it only as a device to gain power. Afterward-"

“这件事我不怪你，那些都是很吸引人的政见。但你也知道，久瑞南和他的同党只是拿它当夺权工具，事后……”

"But you had me entrap him, despite my attraction to his views."

“可是你仍派我去骗他自投罗网，尽管我被他的论点吸引。”

Seldon said, "it wasn't easy for me to ask you to do that."

谢顿说：“我要你去做那件事，对我而言可不容易。”

"And now you keep me working at the implementation of Joranum's program, just to show me how hard the task is in reality."

“现在，你又要我替久瑞南履行他的政治主张，只为了让我了解这件事实际上多么困难。”

Seldon said to Dors, "How do you like that, Dors? The boy attributes to me a kind of sneaky underhandedness that simply isn't part of my character."

谢顿转向铎丝道：“你怎么说，铎丝？这孩子给我扣上卑鄙阴险的帽子，那根本不是我的性格。”

"Surely," said Dors with the ghost of a smile playing at her lips, "you are attributing no such thing to your father."

“这还用说，”铎丝的嘴角挂着一抹飘忽的笑容，“你不该给你父亲扣上那种帽子。”

"Not really. In the ordinary course of life, there's no one straighter than you, Dad. But if you have to, you know you can stack the cards. Isn't that what you hope to do with psychohistory?"

“并不尽然。在日常生活中，再也没有比你更正直的人了，爸。但如果有必要，你知道你能够不择手段。这不正是你希望用心理史学做到的吗？”

Seldon said sadly, "So far, I've done very little with psychohistory."

谢顿悲伤地说：“目前为止，我用心理史学只做到很少很少。”

"Too bad. I keep thinking that there is some sort of psychohistorical solution to the problem of human bigotry."

“太糟了。我一直在想，对于人类冥顽不灵这个问题，心理史学能够提出某种解答。”

"Maybe there is, but, if so, I haven't found it."

“或许有，但即使如此，我也还没找到。”

When dinner was over, Seldon said, "You and I, Raych, are going to have a little talk now."

晚餐结束后，谢顿说：“你我两人，芮奇，要来浅谈一番。”

"Indeed?" said Dors. "I take it I'm not invited."

“真的？”铎丝说，“我想我并未受到邀请。”

"Ministerial business, Dors."

“部里的公事，铎丝。”

"Ministerial nonsense, Hari. You're going to ask the poor boy to do something I wouldn't want him to do."

“部里才没事，哈里。你是要这可怜的孩子做些我不希望他做的事。”

Seldon said firmly, "I'm certainly not going to ask him to do anything he doesn't want to do."

谢顿坚定地说：“我当然不会要他去做任何他自己不希望做的事。”

Raych said, "It's all right, Mom. Let Dad and me have our talk. I promise I'll tell you all about it afterward."

芮奇说：“没关系，妈。让我和爸谈一谈，我保证事后全部告诉你。”

Dors's eyes rolled upward. "You two will plead `state secrets.' I know

铎丝双眼向上翻。“事后，你们两个会声称是‘国家机密’，我知道。”

"As a matter of fact," said Seldon firmly, "that's exactly what I must discuss. And of the first magnitude. I'm serious, Dors."

“事实上，”谢顿又以坚定的口吻说，“我需要讨论的正是国家机密，而且是最高机密。我没有开玩笑，铎丝。”

Dors rose, her lips tightening. She left the room with one final injunction. "Don't throw the boy to the wolves, Hari."

铎丝站起来，嘴唇绷得很紧。她离开餐厅前，还不忘丢下最后一句告诫：“别把这孩子往狼群里丢，哈里。”

And after she was gone, Seldon said quietly, "I'm afraid that throwing you to the wolves is exactly what I'll have to do, Raych."

等她走了之后，谢顿心平气和地说：“只怕把你往狼群里丢，正是我不得不做的事，芮奇。”

8

8

They faced each other in Seldon's private office, his "thinking place," as he called it. There, he had spent uncounted hours trying to think his way past and through the complexities of Imperial and Trantorian government.

他们面对面坐在谢顿的私人研究室。谢顿将此地称为他的“思考空间”，他曾在这里花了无数个钟头，试图思考如何解决帝国与川陀政府种种复杂的问题。

He said, "Have you read much about the recent breakdowns we've been having in planetary services, Raych?"

他说：“你是否读到不少有关全球性设施最近故障频仍的消息，芮奇？”

"Yes," said Raych, "but you know, Dad, we've got an old planet here. What we gotta do is get everyone off it, dig the whole thing up, replace everything, add the latest computerizations, and then bring everyone back-or at least half of everyone. Trantor would be much better off with only twenty billion people."

“是的，”芮奇说，“但你也知道，爸，我们住在一颗老行星上。我们应该做的是把大家撤离，挖出所有的东西，一样一样换新，并加上最新的电脑化设备，然后再把大家带回来，或者顶多带回一半。如果只有两百亿人口，川陀的情况会好得多。”

"Which twenty billion?" asked Seldon smiling.

“哪两百亿？”谢顿带着微笑说。

"I wish I knew," said Raych darkly. "The trouble is, we can't redo the planet, so we just gotta keep patching."

“但愿我晓得。”芮奇黯然道，“问题是，我们不能翻新这颗行星，所以我们只好不停修修补补。”

"I'm afraid so, Raych, but there are some peculiar things about it. Now I want you to check me out. I have some thoughts about this."

“只怕正是如此，芮奇，可是这里头有些奇特之处。我对这件事有些想法，我要你帮我确定一下。”

He brought a small sphere out of his pocket.

他从口袋里掏出一个小球体。

"What's that?" asked Raych.

“那是什么？”芮奇问。

"It's a map of Trantor, carefully programmed. Do me a favor, Raych, and clear off this tabletop."

“川陀的地图，内建有精密的程序。帮我个忙，芮奇，把桌面清理干净。”

Seldon placed the sphere more or less in the middle of the table and placed his hand on a keypad in the arm of his desk chair. He used his thumb to close a contact and the light in the room went out while the tabletop glowed with a soft ivory light that seemed about a centimeter deep. The sphere had flattened and expanded to the edges of the table.

谢顿将球体放在差不多桌面正中央的位置，再将右手放到座椅扶手的键板上面。他用拇指按下一个开关，室内的光线便暗下来，桌面上则映着柔和的乳白色光芒，似乎有一厘米那么厚。而那个球体早已摊平，一直伸展到桌面边缘。

The light slowly darkened in spots and took on a pattern. After some thirty seconds, Raych said in surprise, "It is a map of Trantor."

这片光芒有多处慢慢变暗，逐渐形成一个图案。大约三十秒之后，芮奇惊讶地说：“这真是一张川陀地图。”

"Of course. I told you it was. You can't buy anything like this at a sector mall, though. This is one of those gadgets the armed forces play with. It could present Trantor as a sphere, but a planar projection would more clearly show what I want to show."

“当然，我早就说了。不过，你在各区的购物中心都买不到这种东西，这是武装部队所使用的装置。它能以球面表现川陀，但我想要说明的事，平面投影会显现得更清楚。”

"And what is it you want to show, Dad?"

“你想要说明什么，爸？”

"Well, in the last year or two, there have been breakdowns. As you say, it's an old planet and we've got to expect breakdowns, but they've been coming more frequently and they would seem, almost uniformly, to be the result of human error."

“嗯，过去一两年来，各地的设施发生了许多故障。正如你说的，这是一颗老行星，故障在所难免，可是它们出现得越来越频繁，而且好像几乎都是人为错误的结果。”

"Isn't that reasonable?"

“这难道不合理吗？”

"Yes, of course. Within limits. This is true, even where earthquakes are involved."

“当然合理，但总有个限度。即使是和地震有关的意外，情形也是这样。”

"Earthquakes? On Trantor?"

“地震？在川陀？”

"I admit Trantor is a fairly nonseismic planet-and a good thing, too, because enclosing a world in a dome when the world is going to shake itself badly several times a year and smash a section of that dome would be highly impractical. Your mother says that one of the reasons Trantor, rather than some other world, became the Imperial capital is that it was geologically moribund-that's her unflattering expression. Still, it might be moribund, but it's not dead. There are occasional minor earthquakes -three of them in the last two years."

“我承认川陀是个地震相当少的行星。这也是件好事，因为整个世界包在穹顶之下，如果这个世界每年剧烈摇晃好几次，把穹顶的一部分震得粉碎，那将是极不切实际的。你母亲常说，帝国的首都会定在川陀，而不是其他世界，原因之一就是它在地质上死气沉沉——那是她不加修饰的说法。话说回来，它或许死气沉沉，却尚未真正死去。有些时候仍会有小型地震，过去两年就发生了三次。”

"I wasn't aware of that, Dad."

“我没有察觉，爸。”

"Hardly anyone is. The dome isn't a single object. It exists in hundreds of sections, each one of which can be lifted and set ajar to relieve tensions and compressions in case of an earthquake. Since an earthquake, when one does occur, lasts for only ten seconds to a minute, the opening endures only briefly. It comes and goes so rapidly that the Trantorians beneath are not even aware of it. They are much more aware of a mild tremor and a faint rattling of crockery than of the opening and closing of the dome overhead and the slight intrusion of the outside weather-whatever it is."

“几乎没有人察觉。穹顶并不是单一的结构，它包括好几百个部分，若有地震发生，每一部分都能升高而形成隙缝，以纾解拉张力和压缩力。地震果真发生时，只会持续十秒至一分钟，因此穹顶裂开的时间很短。这种事来得疾去得快，底下的川陀人甚至毫无感觉。比起上头的穹顶裂开又阖上，以及闯入少许外界气候——不论是冷是热，他们对于轻微的震动，以及器皿的微弱声响要敏感得多。”

"That's good, isn't it?"

“那样很好，不是吗？”

"It should be. It's computerized, of course. The onset of an earthquake anywhere sets off the key controls for the opening and closing of that section of the dome so that it opens just before the vibration becomes strong enough to do damage."

“应该是的。当然，这是由电脑控制。任何地方一有地震，便会立刻触发控制当地穹顶开合的主控器，在震动强到足以造成破坏前，当地的穹顶便已开启。”

"Still good."

“这还是很好。”

"But in the case of the three minor earthquakes over the last two years, the dome controls failed in each case. The dome never opened and, in each case, repairs were required. It took some time, it took some money, and the weather controls were less than optimum for a considerable period of time. Now, what, Raych, are the chances that the equipment would have failed in all three cases?"

“可是，在过去两年的三次小型地震里，穹顶控制器却每次都失灵。穹顶一直没有打开，因此事后都得修理。这需要花些时间，需要花些金钱，而且有好长一段时间，气候控制无法达到最佳标准。想想，芮奇，这类设备三次都失灵的机会有多少？”

"Not high?"

“不高？”

"Not high at all. Less than one in a hundred. One can suppose that someone had gimmicked the controls in advance of an earthquake. Now, about once a century, we have a magma leak, which is far more difficult to control-and I'd hate to think of the results if it went unnoticed until it was too late. Fortunately that hasn't happened and isn't likely to, but consider- Here on this map you will find the location of the breakdowns that have plagued us over the past two years and that seem to be attributable to human error, though we haven't once been able to tell to whom each might be attributed."

“一点也不高，低于百分之一。我们可以假设，在地震发生前，控制器已被人动了手脚。再说，大约每一个世纪，我们会碰到一次岩浆泄漏，那种意外要更难控制得多。我真不敢想象，如果发生那种事，我们却未能及早察觉，将会造成什么后果。幸好它并未发生，而且不大可能，但是想想看……在这张地图上，你会看到过去两年间，似乎能归咎于人为错误的故障所发生的地点，虽然我们一向无法判断该归咎于什么人。”

"That's because everyone is busy protecting his back."

“那是因为每个人都忙着保护自己。”

"I'm afraid you're right. That's a characteristic of any bureaucracy and Trantor's is the largest in history. -But what do you think of the locations?"

“只怕你的说法没错。这是任何官僚体系的共同特征，而川陀的官僚体系又是历史上最庞大的。可是，你对这些地点有什么看法？”

The map had lit up with bright little red markings that looked like small pustules covering the land surface of Trantor.

地图已经亮起许多小红光点，看来像是散布在川陀地表的小脓疱。

"Well," said Raych cautiously, "they seem to be evenly spread."

“这个嘛，”芮奇谨慎地说，“它们似乎分散得很均匀。”

"Exactly- and that's what's interesting. One would expect that the older sections of Trantor, the longest-domed sections, would have the most decayed infrastructure and would be more liable to events requiring quick human decision and laying the groundwork for possible human error. -I'll superimpose the older sections of Trantor on the map in a bluish color and you'll notice that the breakdowns don't seem to be taking place any oftener on the blue areas."

“一点也没错，这正是耐人寻味之处。在我们的想象中，川陀上较古老的区域，或加盖穹顶最久的区域，它们的基础公共设施最为老旧，比较容易发生需要迅速决断的事件，因此会是人为错误的温床。好，我来把川陀较老的区域罩上蓝色，你将会发现，蓝色部分中的故障似乎没有较为频繁。”

"And?"

“所以说？”

"And what I think it means, Raych, is that the breakdowns are not of natural origin but are deliberately caused and spread out in this fashion to affect as many people as possible, thus creating a dissatisfaction that is as widespread as possible."

“所以说，我认为其中的意义，芮奇，就是这些故障并非自然的意外，而是蓄意的破坏，它的分布方式是要尽可能影响最多的人，使不满的情绪尽可能广布。”

"It don't seem likely."

“似乎不太像。”

"No? Then let's look at the breakdowns as spread through time rather than through space."

“不吗？那么让我们看看，这些故障在时间中的分布又如何。”

The blue areas and the red spots disappeared and, for a time, the map of Trantor was blank-and then the markings began to appear and disappear one at a time, here and there.

蓝色部分与红点同时消失，一时之间，这张川陀地图成了一片空白。然后红色记号开始在各处出现，一次一个，此起彼落。

"Notice," said Seldon, "that they don't appear in clumps in time, either. One appears, then another, then another, and so on, almost like the steady ticking of a metronome."

“注意，”谢顿说，“它们在时间上也没有凑在一起。先出现一个，接着是另一个，接着又是另一个，依此类推，几乎像是节拍机稳定的滴答声。”

"Do ya think that's on purpose, too?"

“你认为这也是故意的？”

"It must be. Whoever is bringing this about wants to cause as much disruption with as little effort as possible, so there's no use doing two at once, where one will partially cancel the other in the news and in the public consciousness. Each incident must stand out in full irritation."

“一定是。不论是谁干的，他要以最小的力气导致最大程度的瘫痪，所以同时干两桩并没有用，因为就新闻的价值和大众的关注而言，效果会彼此部分抵消。也就是说，每次事件必须突显于充分的愤怒中。”

The map went out and the lights went on. Seldon returned the sphere, shrunken back to its original size, to his pocket.

地图的光芒熄灭，室内照明重新开启，缩回原来大小的球体也被谢顿放回了口袋。

Raych said, "Who would be doing all this?"

芮奇说：“谁会想干这一切？”

Seldon said thoughtfully, "A few days ago I received a report of a murder in Wye Sector."

谢顿若有所思地说：“几天前，我接到一份卫荷区的凶杀案报告。”

"That's not unusual," said Raych. "Even though Wye isn't one of your really lawless sectors, there must be lots of murders there every day."

“那没什么不寻常。”芮奇说，“就算卫荷不属于那种无法无天的行政区，每天一定也有许多凶杀案。”

"Hundreds," said Seldon, shaking his head. "We've had bad days when the number of deaths by violence on Trantor as a whole approaches the million-a-day mark. Generally there's not much chance of finding every culprit, every murderer. The dead just enter the books as statistics. This one, however, was unusual. The man had been knifed-but unskillfully. He was still alive when found, just barely. He had time to gasp out one word before he died and that word was `Chief.'

“好几百件。”谢顿一面说一面摇头，“曾经有些大凶的日子，川陀一天之内横死的人数逼近百万大关。一般说来，找到每一个罪犯、每一名凶手的机会并没有多少。死者只是登记在案，成了统计数据。然而，这一宗则非比寻常。这个人是被人用刀杀死的，但手法并不熟练。他被发现时还活着，虽然已经奄奄一息。在咽气之前，他还来得及吐出两个字，那就是‘首领’。

"That roused a certain curiosity and he was actually identified. He works in Anemoria and we don't know what he was doing in Wye. But some worthy officer managed to dig up the fact that he was an old Joranumite. His name was Kaspal Kaspalov and he is well known to have been one of the intimates of Laskin Joranum. And now he's deadknifed."

“办案人员起了好奇心，于是验明了他的身份。他在安纳摩瑞亚工作，我们不知道他去卫荷干什么。但有个杰出的保安官，设法挖出了他是老九九派。他的名字叫卡斯帕·卡斯帕洛夫，众所周知他曾是拉斯金·久瑞南的亲信之一。现在他死了，被人用刀杀死的。”

Raych frowned. "Do you suspect another Joranumite Conspiracy, Dad? There aren't any Joranumites around anymore."

芮奇皱起眉头。“你怀疑这又是一次九九派阴谋，爸？现在已经没有任何九九派了。”

"It wasn't long ago that your mother asked me if I thought that the Joranumites were still active and I told her that any odd belief always retained a certain cadre, sometimes for centuries. They're usually not very important, just splinter groups that simply don't count. Still, what if the Joranumites have kept up an organization, what if they have retained a certain strength, what if they are capable of killing someone they consider a traitor in their ranks, and what if they are producing these breakdowns as a preliminary to seizing control?"

“就在不久之前，你母亲还问我，是不是认为九九派仍在积极活动。我告诉她，任何古怪信仰总能保有一些中坚分子，有时可长达数世纪之久。他们通常不会很重要，只是一些零星集团，起不了什么作用。话说回来，万一九九派仍然维持一个组织，万一他们保有一定的力量，万一他们有办法杀害一个被视为叛徒的人，万一他们制造这些故障，是为了替夺权作准备，那该怎么办？”

"That's an awful lot of `what if 's,' Dad."

“‘万一’可真不少，爸。”

"I know that. And I might be totally wrong. The murder happened in Wye and, as it so happens, there have been no infrastructure breakdowns in Wye."

“我知道，也许我全猜错了。那宗凶杀案发生在卫荷，而无巧不巧，卫荷从未发生过基础公共设施的故障。”

"What does that prove?"

“那又证明什么？”

"It might prove that the center of the conspiracy is in Wye and that the conspirators don't want to make themselves uncomfortable, only the rest of Trantor. It also might mean that it's not the Joranumites at all but members of the old Wyan family who still dream of ruling the Empire once again."

“这或许证明阴谋的中心就在卫荷，那些主谋者不想让他们自己不舒服，只想让川陀其他的人受罪。这也可能意味着一切根本和九九派无关，而是卫荷家族的成员干的，他们仍在梦想再度统治帝国。”

"Oh boy, Dad. You're building all this on very little."

“喔，天啊，爸，你这个长篇大论只有一点点根据。”

"I know. Now suppose it is another Joranumite Conspiracy. Joranum had, as his right-hand man, Gambol Deen Namarti. We have no record of Namarti's death, no record of his having left Trantor, no record of his life over the last decade or so. That's not terribly surprising. After all, it's easy to lose one person among forty billion. There was a time in my life when I tried to do just that. Of course, Namarti may be dead. That would be the easiest explanation, but he may not be."

“我知道。现在，姑且假设这的确是另一个九九派阴谋。久瑞南曾有个左右手，叫做坎伯尔·丁恩·纳马提。我们找不到纳马提死亡的记录，找不到他离开川陀的记录，也找不到他过去十年下落的记录。这没什么大不了的，毕竟在四百亿人口中，弄丢一个人是很容易的。我一生中曾有一段时期，也正是试图这样做。当然，纳马提或许死了，那会是最简单的解释，但是他也可能没死。”

"What do we do about it?"

“我们要做些什么呢？”

Seldon sighed. "The logical thing would be to turn to the security establishment, but I can't. I don't have Demerzel's presence. He could cow people; I can't. He had a powerful personality; I'm just a-mathematician. I shouldn't be First Minister at all; I'm not cut out for it. And I wouldn't be-if the Emperor weren't fixated on psychohistory to a far greater extent than it deserves."

谢顿叹了一口气。“最合理的做法，就是交给保安部门处理，但我做不到。我没有丹莫刺尔的风采，他能震慑众人，我却不行。他拥有强势性格，而我只是个——数学家。我根本不该当首相，我天生就不适合。若非大帝对心理史学念念不忘，远超过它应得的重视，我绝不会当上首相。”

"You're kinda whipping yourself, ain't you, Dad?"

“你有那么点苛求自己，对不对，爸？”

"Yes. I suppose I am, but I have a picture of myself going to the security establishment, for instance, with what I have just shown you on the map"-he pointed to the now-empty tabletop-"and arguing that we were in great danger of some conspiracy of unknown consequence and nature. They would listen solemnly and, after I had left, they would laugh among themselves about `the crazy mathematician'-and then do nothing.'

“是的，我想的确如此。但我能够想象到，比方说我若是前往保安部门，带着我刚才用地图对你所作的推论，”他指了指已经腾空的桌面，“对他们解释说，我们正面临一桩极其危险的阴谋，但是对它的目的和性质却一无所知。他们会一本正经地听我说完，而在我离去后，他们就会笑成一团，笑我是个‘疯狂数学家’，然后什么也不做。”

"Then what do we do about it?" said Raych, returning to the point.

“那我们要做些什么呢？”芮奇又回到原来的话题。

"It's what you will do about it, Raych. I need more evidence and I want you to find it for me. I would send your mother, but she won't leave me under any circumstances. I myself can't leave the Palace grounds at this time. Next to Dors and myself, I trust you. More than Dors and myself, in fact. You're still quite young, you're strong, you're a better Heliconian Twister than I ever was, and you're smart.

“是‘你’要做些什么，芮奇。我需要更多的证据，而我要你帮我找出来。我应该派你母亲去，但她在任何情况下都不会离开我。此时此刻，我自己则无法离开皇宫御苑。除了铎丝和我自己，我最相信的就是你；事实上，我对你的信任超过了我对铎丝和我自己。你仍然相当年轻，你身强体壮，你是个比我更优秀的赫利肯角力士，而且你很聪明。

"Mind you, now, I don't want you to risk your life. No heroism, no derring-do. I couldn't face your mother if anything happened to you. Just find out what you can. Perhaps you'll find that Namarti is alive and operating-or dead. Perhaps you'll find out that the Joranumites are an active group-or moribund. Perhaps you'll find out that the Wyan ruling family is active-or not. Any of that would be interesting-but not vital. What I want you to find out is whether the infrastructure breakdowns are of human manufacture, as I think they are, and, far more important still, if they are deliberately caused, what else the conspirators plan to do. It seems to me they must have plans for some major coup and, if so, I must know what that will be."

“现在注意听，我不要你冒生命危险。别充英雄，别逞匹夫之勇。你若有个三长两短，我将无颜面对你的母亲。你只要尽力打探就好。你可能会发现纳马提仍然活着，正在运作——或是死了；你可能会发现九九派是个积极活动的团体——或是已经沉寂；你可能会发现卫荷的统治家族相当活跃——或是并非如此。任何这类情报都有价值，但并不是绝对重要。我真正要你查清的是，基础公共设施的故障是不是人为的，正如我所推测的那样，而更重要更重要的是，如果真是蓄意的破坏，那些主谋者还计划做些什么。在我看来，他们一定正在筹划致命的一击，如果是这样，我必须知道那是什么行动。”

Raych said cautiously, "Do you have some kinda plan to get me started?"

芮奇谨慎地问：“你可有让我如何着手的计划吗？”

"Yes indeed, Raych. I want you to go down to the area of Wye where Kaspalov was killed. Find out if you can if he was an active Joranumite and see if you can't join a Joranumite cell yourself."

“我的确有，芮奇。我要你前往卫荷，前往卡斯帕洛夫遭到杀害的地方。可能的话，查出他是不是个积极的九九派，并且试试能否加入九九派的基层组织。”

"Maybe that's possible. I can always pretend to be an old Joranumite. It's true that I was pretty young when Jo-Jo was sounding off, but I was very impressed by his ideas. It's even sorta true."

“那也许有可能，我总是能假扮一个老九九派。没错，九九大发议论的时候我还相当年轻，但他的理念深深打动我，这甚至可以说是真的。”

"Well yes, but there's one important catch. You might be recognized. After all, you're the son of the First Minister. You have appeared on holovision now and then and you have been interviewed concerning your views on sector equality."

“这倒没错，但是有个很重要的问题，你可能让人认出来。毕竟，你是首相的儿子，你不时会在全息电视上出现，而且你接受过访问，谈论你对各区平等的观点。”

"Sure, but-"

“当然，可是……”

"No buts, Raych. You'll wear elevated shoes to add three centimeters to your height and we'll have someone show you how to change the shape of your eyebrows and make your face fuller and change the timbre of your voice."

“没什么可是，芮奇。你要穿上增高鞋，让你的身高增加三厘米。我们还要找个人来，教你如何修改眉毛的形状，如何使你的脸型更饱满，以及如何改变你的音色。”

Raych shrugged. "A lotta trouble for nothing."

芮奇耸了耸肩。“一大堆无谓的麻烦。”

"And," said Seldon with a distinct quaver, "you will shave off your mustache."

“还有！”谢顿以明显发颤的声音说，“你要剃掉你的八字胡。”

Raych's eyes widened and for a moment he sat there in appalled silence. Finally he said in a hoarse whisper, "Shave my mustache?"

芮奇双眼张得老大，一时之间，他呆坐在骇然的沉默中。最后，他嘶哑地悄声道：“剃掉我的八字胡？”

"Clean as a whistle. No one would recognize you without it."

“剃得和勺子一样干净，这样就没人会认出你来。”

"But it can't be done. Like cutting off your- Like castration."

“可是这办不到，这就像割掉你的——就像阉割一样。”

Seldon shook his head. "It's just a cultural curiosity. Yugo Amaryl is as Dahlite as you are and he wears no mustache."

谢顿摇了摇头。“这只不过是一种文化。雨果·阿马瑞尔和你一样是达尔人，他就剃掉了八字胡。”

"Yugo is a nut. I don't think he's alive at all, except for his mathematics."

“雨果是个怪人。除了他的数学，我根本不觉得他还为什么活着。”

"He's a great mathematician and the absence of a mustache does not alter that fact. Besides, it's not castration. Your mustache will grow back in two weeks."

“他是个伟大的数学家，少了八字胡并不会改变这个事实。况且，这也不是什么阉割。你的胡子两个星期就会长回来。”

"Two weeks! It'll take two years to reach this-this-"

“两个星期！至少两年才能长到这样的……这样的……”

He put his hand up, as though to cover and protect it.

他举起一只手，仿佛要遮住并保护那两撇胡子。

Seldon said inexorably, "Raych, you have to do it. It's a sacrifice you must make. If you act as my spy with your mustache, you may-come to harm. I can't take that chance."

谢顿无动于衷地说：“芮奇，你一定要这么做，这是你必须作的牺牲。如果你带着八字胡替我做间谍，你可能会——遭到伤害，我不能冒那种险。”

"I'd rather die," said Raych violently.

“我宁可死。”芮奇慷慨激昂地说。

"Don't be melodramatic," said Seldon severely. "You would not rather die and this is something you must do. However"-and here he hesitated-"don't say anything about it to your mother. I will take care of that."

“别那么戏剧化。”谢顿以严厉的口吻说，“你宁可不死，这是你必须做的一件事。然而——”说到这里，他犹豫了一下，“什么也别对你母亲说，我会设法安抚她。”

Raych stared at his father in frustration and then said in a low and despairing tone, "All right, Dad."

芮奇满怀挫折地瞪着父亲，然后以低沉而绝望的声调说：“好吧，爸。”

Seldon said, "I will get someone to supervise your disguise and then you will go to Wye by air-jet. -Buck up, Raych, it's not the end of the world."

谢顿道：“我会找个人来指导你化装，然后你将搭乘喷射机到卫荷去。振作点，芮奇，这不是世界末日。”

Raych smiled wanly and Seldon watched him leave, a deeply troubled look on his face. A mustache could easily be regrown, but a son could not. Seldon knew perfectly well that he was sending Raych into danger.

芮奇露出无力的微笑。谢顿目送他离去，脸上挂着深切的愁容。两撇胡子很容易能长回来，可是儿子则不能。谢顿心中十分清楚，他正将芮奇送往虎穴。

9

9

We all have our small illusions and Cleon-Emperor of the Galaxy, King of Trantor, and a wide collection of other titles that on rare occasions could be called out in a long sonorous roll-was convinced that he was a person of democratic spirit.

我们每个人都有些小小的幻想，而克里昂——银河之帝，川陀之王，以及其他一大串在特殊场合能高声宣诵许久的头衔——则深信自己是个具有民主精神的人。

It always angered him when he was warned off a course of action by Demerzel (or, later, by Seldon) on the grounds that such action would be looked on as "tyrannical" or "despotic."

每当丹莫刺尔（后来是谢顿）对他想要采取的行动提出劝阻，理由是这种行动会被视为“暴虐”与“独裁”，总是会令他愤愤不已。

Cleon was not a tyrant or despot by disposition, he was certain; he only wanted to take firm and decisive action.

克里昂本质上并非暴君或独夫，这点他很确定，他只是想要采取坚定而果决的行动。

He spoke many times with nostalgic approval of the days when Emperors could mingle freely with their subjects, but now, of course, when the history of coups and assassinations-actual or attempted-had become a dreary fact of life, the Emperor had, of necessity, been shut off from the world.

他曾多次带着怀旧的赞许口吻，谈到皇帝能自由自在和子民打成一片的日子，可是如今，随着（成功的或未遂的）政变与行刺成为生活中可怕的事实，出于实际需要，皇帝当然只好与世隔绝。

It is doubtful that Cleon, who had never in his life met with people except under the most constricted of conditions, would really have felt at home in offhand encounters with strangers, but he always imagined he would enjoy it. He was excited, therefore, for the rare chance of talking to one of the underlings on the grounds, to smile and to doff the trappings of Imperial rule for a few minutes. It made him feet democratic.

克里昂一生中，唯有在最严格控制的场合才见得到外人。可想而知，假如在毫无准备的情况下遇到陌生人，很难相信他会真正感到自在，但他总是幻想自己会喜欢。因此若能有个难得的机会，在御苑中和某个下属谈笑风生，将皇家规范暂时抛掉几分钟，他会感到十分兴奋，那将使他觉得自己很民主。

There was this gardener whom Seldon had spoken of, for instance. It would be fitting, even a pleasure, to reward him belatedly for his loyalty and bravery-and to do so himself, rather than leaving it to some functionary.

比如说，谢顿提到过的那名园丁，就是很好的人选。对他的忠心与英勇做个迟来的奖赏，并由克里昂亲自执行，而不是假手某个官员，那将会十分合适，甚至是一件赏心乐事。

He therefore arranged to meet the fellow in the spacious rose garden, which was in full bloom. That would be appropriate, Cleon thought, but, of course, they would have to bring the gardener there first. It was unthinkable for the Emperor to be made to wait. It is one thing to be democratic, quite another to be inconvenienced.

因此，在这个玫瑰盛开的季节，他安排自己在广阔的玫瑰园中见这个人。那样会很适当，克里昂心想，可是，当然需要先将那名园丁带去那里。让皇帝等待是不可思议的，民主是一回事，造成不便则另当别论。

The gardener was waiting for him among the roses, his eyes wide, his lips trembling. It occurred to Cleon that it was possible that no one had told the man the exact reason for the meeting. Well, he would reassure him in kindly fashion-except that, now he came to think of it, he could not remember the fellow's name.

那名园丁正站在玫瑰丛中等他，双眼睁得老大，嘴唇打着哆嗦。克里昂忽然想到，可能还没有人告诉园丁召见的确实理由。好吧，他将以和蔼亲切的方式安抚他。只不过，他现在才想到，他不记得这个人的名字。

He turned to one of the officials at his side and said, "What is the gardener's name?"

他转头对身旁的一名官员说：“这个园丁叫什么名字？”

"Sire, it is Mandell Gruber. He has been a gardener here for thirty years."

“启禀陛下，他叫曼德尔·葛鲁柏，他在这里已经当了三十年的园丁。”

The Emperor nodded and said, "Ah, Gruber. How glad I am to meet a worthy and hardworking gardener."

大帝点了点头。“啊，葛鲁柏，我多么高兴接见一个杰出而努力的园丁。”

"Sire," mumbled Gruber, his teeth chattering. "I am not a man of many talents, but it is always my best I try to do on behalf of your gracious self."

“启禀陛下，”葛鲁柏的声音含糊不清，他的牙齿正在打战，“我不是个多才多艺的人，但我总是竭尽全力为仁厚的陛下办事。”

"Of course, of course," said the Emperor, wondering if the gardener suspected him of sarcasm. These men of the lower class lacked the finer feelings that came with refinement and manners, which always made any attempt at democratic display difficult.

“当然，当然。”大帝嘴里这样说，心里则怀疑这名园丁是否以为自己在讽刺他。这些低下阶层的人，欠缺良好的教养和敏锐的心思，总是使他难以展现民主作风。

Cleon said, "I have heard from my First Minister of the loyalty with which you once came to his aid and of your skill in taking care of the grounds. The First Minister tells me that he and you are quite friendly."

克里昂说：“我从我的首相那里，听到你当初冒死拯救他的一番忠心，以及你照顾御苑的技艺。首相还告诉我，说你和他相当友好。”

"Sire, the First Minister is most gracious to me, but I know my place. I never speak to him unless he speaks first."

“启禀陛下，首相对我再和气不过。可是我知道自己的地位，我绝不主动和他说话，除非他先开口。”

"Quite, Gruber. That shows good manners on your part, but the First Minister, like myself, is a man of democratic impulses and I trust his judgment of people."

“没错，葛鲁柏，这显示出你的好规矩。不过，首相和我一样，是个具有民主素养的人，而我信任他的识人之明。”

Gruber bowed low.

葛鲁柏深深鞠了一躬。

The Emperor said, "As you know, Gruber, Chief Gardener Malcomber is quite old and longs to retire. The responsibilities are becoming greater than even he can bear."

大帝又说：“你也知道，葛鲁柏，园丁长莫康博相当老了，一直渴望退休。责任变得越来越重，连他都已无法承担。”

"Sire, the Chief Gardener is much respected by all the gardeners. May he be spared for many years so that we can all come to him for the benefit of his wisdom and judgment."

“陛下，园丁长深受全体园丁的尊敬。愿他长命百岁，好让我们能继续领受他的智慧和见识。”

"Well said, Gruber," said the Emperor carelessly, "but you very well know that that is just mumbo-jumbo. He is not going to be spared, at least not with the strength and wit necessary for the position. He himself requests retirement within the year and I have granted him that. It remains to find a replacement."

“说得好，葛鲁柏，”大帝漫不经心地说，“可是你心知肚明，那只是一句废话。他不会长命百岁，至少不会再有这个职位所必需的精力和智力。他自己请求在今年退休，而我已经批准，只等找到替代的人选。”

"Oh, Sire, there are fifty men and women in this grand place who could be Chief Gardener."

“喔，陛下，在这个堂皇的御苑中，有五十个男女园丁能胜任园丁长。”

"I dare say," said the Emperor, "but my choice has fallen upon you." The Emperor smiled graciously. This was the moment he had been waiting for. Gruber would now, he expected, fall to his knees in an ecstasy of gratitude.

“我想是吧，”大帝说，“但我的选择落在你身上。”大帝露出优雅亲善的笑容。这是他一直等待的一刻，在他的期待中，葛鲁柏现在会感激涕零而双膝落地。

He did not and the Emperor frowned.

他并没有那么做，大帝因而皱起眉头。

Gruber said, "Sire, it is an honor that is too great for me-entirely."

葛鲁柏说：“启禀陛下，这么大的荣耀，小人担当不起，万万不可。”

"Nonsense," said Cleon, offended that his judgment should be called into question. "It is about time that your virtues are recognized. You will no longer have to be exposed to weather of all kinds at all times of the year. You will have the Chief Gardener's office, a fine place, which I will have redecorated for you, and where you can bring your family. -You do have a family, don't you, Gruber?"

“胡说八道。”自己的判断竟受到质疑，令克里昂深感不快，“该是你的美德得到褒扬的时候了。你再也不必经年累月暴露在各种天气中，而将坐镇于园丁长的办公室。那是个好地方，我会替你重新装潢，你可以把全家搬过来。你的确有个家，对不对，葛鲁柏？”

"Yes, Sire. A wife and two daughters. And a son-in-law."

“是的，陛下。我有妻子和两个女儿，还有一个女婿。”

"Very good. You will be very comfortable and you will enjoy your new life, Gruber. You will be indoors, Gruber, and out of the weather, like a true Trantorian."

“很好，你会过得非常舒服，会喜欢你的新生活，葛鲁柏。你将待在室内，葛鲁柏，远离室外的天气，像个真正的川陀人。”

"Sire, consider that I am an Anacreonian by upbringing-"

“陛下，念在我本是安纳克里昂人……”

"I have considered, Gruber. All worlds are alike to the Emperor. It is done. The new job is what you deserved."

“我想过，葛鲁柏。在皇帝眼中，所有的世界都是一样的。就这么决定了，这个新工作是你应得的。”

He nodded his head and stalked off. Cleon was satisfied with this latest show of his benevolence. Of course, he could have used a little more gratitude from the fellow, a little more appreciation, but at least the task was done.

他点了点头，便大摇大摆地走了。对于刚才这场施恩的表演，克里昂感到还算满意。当然，他应该还能从此人身上多挤出一点感激和谢忱，但至少这件工作完成了。

And it was much easier to have this done than to settle the matter of the failing infrastructure.

比起解决基础公共设施故障的问题，这件事要容易得多。

Cleon had, in a moment of testiness, declared that whenever a breakdown could be attributed to human error, the human being in question should forthwith be executed.

克里昂曾在一时暴怒中，宣称无论任何故障，只要能归咎于人为错误，犯错的人就该立即处决。

"Just a few executions," he said, "and it will be remarkable how careful everyone will become."

“只要处决几个人，”他说，“你无法想象人人会变得多么小心。”

"I'm afraid, Sire," Seldon had said, "that this type of despotic behavior would not accomplish what you wish. It would probably force the workers to go on strike-and if you try to force them back to work, there would then be an insurrection-and if you try to replace them with soldiers, you will find they do not know how to control the machinery, so that breakdowns will begin to take place much more frequently."

“启禀陛下，”谢顿则说，“只怕这类独裁行为不会达到您所预期的结果。它或许会逼得工人罢工，而陛下若试图强迫他们复工，就会引发一场叛乱；您若试图以军人取而代之，将发现他们根本不懂如何操作那些机器，所以故障的发生反倒会变得频繁得多。”

It was no wonder that Cleon turned to the matter of appointing a Chief Gardener with relief.

难怪克里昂转而处理园丁长的任命案，并且感到是一大解脱。

As for Gruber, he gazed after the departing Emperor with the chill of sheer horror. He was going to be taken from the freedom of the open air and condemned to the constriction of four walls. -Yet how could one refuse the Emperor?

至于葛鲁柏，他望着逐渐走远的皇帝，在极度惊恐中不寒而栗。他将要失去呼吸新鲜空气的自由，将要被关在四面墙壁筑成的牢房中。然而，他又怎能拒绝皇帝的旨意？

10

10

Raych looked in the mirror of his Wye hotel room somberly (it was a pretty run-down hotel room, but Raych was not supposed to have too many credits). He did not like what he saw. His mustache was gone; his sideburns were shortened; his hair was clipped at the sides and back.

在卫荷一家旅馆的房间中，芮奇满面愁容地照着镜子。这是一间相当残破的套房，但芮奇照理不该有太多信用点。他不喜欢镜中的影像，他的八字胡没了，他的侧腮须短了，两侧与后脑的头发也经过修剪。

He looked-plucked.

他看来好像——被拔了毛。

Worse than that. As a result of the change in his facial contours, he looked baby-faced.

更糟的是，由于脸型轮廓的改变，他成了一个娃娃脸。

It was disgusting.

真丑怪。

Nor was he making any headway. Seldon had given him the security reports on Kaspal Kaspalov's death, which he had studied. There wasn't much there. Just that Kaspalov had been murdered and that the local security officers had come up with nothing of importance in connection with that murder. It seemed quite clear that the security officers attached little or no importance to it, anyway.

而他的任务也毫无进展。谢顿给了他一份有关卡斯帕·卡斯帕洛夫之死的报告，他已经研究过了。里面没有写些什么，只提到卡斯帕洛夫是被谋杀的，当地保安官并未查出这宗凶案有任何重大牵连。反正，保安官对它并不重视甚至毫不重视，这点似乎相当明显。

That was not surprising. In the last century, the crime rate had risen markedly in most worlds, certainly in the grandly complex world of Trantor, and nowhere were the local security officers up to the job of doing anything useful about it. In fact, the security establishment had declined in numbers and efficiency everywhere and (while this was hard to prove) had become more corrupt. It was inevitable this should be so, with pay refusing to keep pace with the cost of living. One must pay civil officials to keep them honest. Failing that, they would surely make up for their inadequate salaries in other ways.

这并不令人惊讶。过去这一个世纪，大多数世界的犯罪率都有显着的上升，川陀这个极度复杂的世界更不例外，却没有任何一处的保安官有心解决这个问题。事实上，无论就数量或效率而言，各地的保安部门都在走下坡，而且越来越腐败（虽然这点难以证明）。既然待遇跟不上生活消费的涨幅，这种现象乃是必然的。想要公务员保持清廉，必须喂饱他们才行。倘若做不到，他们一定会用其他方式来补贴薪资。

Seldon had been preaching this doctrine for some years now, but it did no good. There was no way to increase wages without increasing taxes and the populace would not sit still for increased taxes. It seemed they would rather lose ten times the credits in graft.

谢顿鼓吹这个道理已经有好些年，却收不到任何成效。调整薪资不可能不加税，而民众对于加税绝不会乖乖就范，却宁可在行贿上损失十倍的信用点。

It was all part (Seldon had said) of the general deterioration of Imperial society over the previous two centuries.

谢顿曾经说过，这是过去两个世纪以来，帝国社会整体恶化的一部分表现。

Well, what was Raych to do? He was here at the hotel where Kaspalov had lived during the days immediately before his murder. Somewhere in the hotel there might be someone who had something to do with that-or who knew someone who had.

好了，芮奇该怎么做呢？他现在下榻的这家旅馆，就是卡斯帕洛夫遇害前所住的那一家。在这家旅馆里，或许有人与这宗谋杀案有关，或者知道谁是关系人。

It seemed to Raych that he must make himself conspicuous. He must show an interest in Kaspalov's death and then someone would get interested in him and pick him up. It was dangerous, but if he could make himself sound harmless enough, they might not attack him immediately.

在芮奇想来，他必须使自己十分显眼。换句话说，他必须对卡斯帕洛夫的死显得关切，然后才会有人对他关切，进而找上门来。这样做很危险，但他若能使自己看来没什么恶意，他们或许不会立刻发动攻击。

Well-

好吧……

Raych looked at his timeband. There would be people enjoying their predinner aperitifs in the bar. He might as well join them and see what would happen-if anything.

芮奇看了看自己的计时带。现在酒吧中会有些人，正在享受晚餐前的开胃酒。他最好加入他们，看看会不会发生什么事。

11

11

In some respects, Wye could be quite puritanical. (This was true of all the sectors, though the rigidity of one sector might be completely different from the rigidity of another.) Here, the drinks were not alcoholic but were synthetically designed to stimulate in other ways. Raych did not like the taste, finding himself utterly unused to it, but it meant that he could sip his drink slowly and look around.

就某些方面而言，卫荷可以说是个相当禁欲的地方。（每一区皆是如此，只不过某区的标准可能与另一区完全不同。）在此地，饮料中不含酒精，而是以合成配方达到提神的目的。芮奇不喜欢这种口味，发觉自己根本无法适应，但是一杯在手，他就能一面慢慢喝，一面四下张望。

He caught the eye of a young woman several tables away and had difficulty in looking away. She was attractive and it was clear that Wye's ways were not puritanical in every fashion.

有一位年轻女子坐在数张桌子之外，接触到她的目光后，他的视线便难以转开。她相当吸引人，显然卫荷并非每一方面都禁欲。

After a few moments, the young woman smiled slightly and rose. She drifted toward Raych's table, while Raych watched her speculatively. He could scarcely (he thought with marked regret) afford a side adventure just now.

一会儿之后，这位年轻女子浅浅一笑，站了起来。她轻飘飘地走向芮奇，芮奇则满腹心事地望着她。此时此刻（他万分遗憾地想到），他简直不可能再节外生枝。

She stopped for a moment when she reached Raych and then let herself slide smoothly into an adjacent chair.

她来到芮奇身边，站了一下，然后轻巧地滑进旁边一张椅子。

"Hello," she said. "You don't look like a regular here."

“嗨，”她说，“你看来不像这儿的常客。”

Raych smiled. "I'm not. Do you know all the regulars?"

芮奇微微一笑。“我不是。你认识所有的常客吗？”

"Just about," she said, unembarrassed. "My name is Manella. What's yours?"

“差不多。”她一点也没有不好意思，“我叫玛妮拉，你呢？”

Raych was more regretful than ever. She was quite tall, taller than he himself was without his heels-something he always found attractive-had a milky complexion, and long, softly wavy hair that had distinct glints of dark red in it. Her clothing was not too garish and she might, if she had tried a little harder, have passed as a respectable woman of the not-too-hardworking class.

芮奇此时更感遗憾。她个子相当高，比他自己没穿高跟鞋时更高（这一向是吸引他的一项特点），有着乳白色的肌肤，而一头稍带起伏的长发则透着显着的深红色光辉。她的衣着不太鲜艳，而假使她再努力一点模仿，应该就能像个“不必辛勤工作阶级”的体面女子。

Raych said, "My name doesn't matter. I don't have many credits."

芮奇说：“我的名字不重要，我没多少信用点。”

"Oh. Too bad." Manella made a face. "Can't you get a few?"

“喔，太可惜了。”玛妮拉做个鬼脸，“你不能弄些吗？”

"I'd like to. I need a job. Do you know of any?"

“我想啊。我需要一份差事，你知道有什么机会吗？”

"What kind of job?"

“什么样的差事？”

Raych shrugged. "I don't have any experience in anything fancy, but I ain't proud."

芮奇耸了耸肩。“我没有任何不得了的工作经验，但我可不自大。”

Manella looked at him thoughtfully. "I'll tell you what, Mr. Nameless. Sometimes it doesn't take any credits at all."

玛妮拉若有所思地望着他。“告诉你一件事，无名氏先生，有些时候根本不必任何信用点。”

Raych froze at once. He had been successful enough with women, but with his mustache-his mustache. What could she see in his baby face?

芮奇立时愣住了。过去他对异性相当有办法，但那是有八字胡的时候——有八字胡的时候！现在，她能在他的娃娃脸上看到什么？

He said, "Tell you what. I had a friend living here a couple of weeks ago and I can't find him. Since you know all the regulars, maybe you know him. His name is Kaspalov." He raised his voice slightly. "Kaspal Kaspalov."

他说：“告诉你一件事，几个星期之前，我有个朋友住在这里，现在我却找不到他。既然你认识所有的常客，或许你也认识他。他名叫卡斯帕洛夫，”他稍微提高音量，“卡斯帕·卡斯帕洛夫。”

Manella stared at him blankly and shook her head. "I don't know anybody by that name."

玛妮拉茫然地瞪着他，同时摇了摇头。“我不认识什么人叫那个名字。”

"Too bad. He was a Joranumite and so am L" Again, a blank look. "Do you know what a Joranumite is?"

“太可惜了。他是个九九派，而我也是。”对方再度现出茫然的表情。“你知道九九派是什么吗？”芮奇问。

She shook her head. "N-no. I've heard the word, but I don't know what it means. Is it some kind of job?"

她又摇了摇头。“不知道。我听过这个名称，但我不知道是什么意思。那是某种工作吗？”

Raych felt disappointed.

芮奇觉得很失望。

He said, "It would take too long to explain."

他说：“那可说来话长。”

It sounded like a dismissal and, after a moment of uncertainty, Manella rose and drifted away. She did not smile and Raych was a little surprised that she had remained as long as she did.

这话听来像是打发她走。迟疑一下之后，玛妮拉便起身飘然而去，这回没有再露出笑容。她竟然待了那么久，芮奇不禁有点惊讶。

(Well, Seldon had always insisted that Raych had the capacity to inspire affection-but surely not in a businesswoman of this sort. For them, payment was the thing.)

不过，谢顿始终坚持芮奇有讨人喜欢的本事——但当然不是指这一类“职业妇女”。对她们而言，酬劳就是一切。

His eyes followed Manella automatically as she stopped at another table, where a man was seated by himself. He was of early middle age, with butter-yellow hair, slicked back. He was very smooth-shaven, but it seemed to Raych that he could have used a beard, his chin being too prominent and a bit asymmetric.

他的目光自然而然跟着玛妮拉，看到她停在另一张桌子旁边。该处独坐着一名男子，那人刚届中年，一头乳黄色头发平滑地向后梳。他的脸庞刮得非常干净，芮奇却觉得他可以留一把络腮胡，因为他的下巴太过突出，而且有点不对称。

Apparently Manella had no better luck with this beardless one. A few words were exchanged and she moved on. Too bad, but surely it was impossible for her to fail often. She was unquestionably desirable.

显然玛妮拉也未能从那名男子身上捞到什么。他们交谈几句，她便走了开。太糟了，但她绝不可能常常失败，她无疑是那种引人遐思的女子。

Raych found himself thinking, quite involuntarily, of what the upshot would be if he, after all, could- And then Raych realized that he had been joined by someone else. It was a man this time. It was, in fact, the man to whom Manella had just spoken. He was astonished that his own preoccupation had allowed him to be thus approached and, in effect, caught by surprise. He couldn't very well afford this sort of thing.

芮奇相当不自觉地开始寻思，假使自己能采取行动，会有什么样的结局？然后，芮奇察觉又有人来到身边，这回是个男的；事实上，正是玛妮拉刚才攀谈的那个人。他感到十分震惊，自己竟然想得出神，让人在不知不觉间凑近，还着实冷不防吓自己一跳。他实在承担不起这种风险。

The man looked at him with a glint of curiosity in his eyes. "You were just talking to a friend of mine."

那名男子望着他，眼中射出好奇的光芒。“你刚刚和我的朋友在聊天。”

Raych could not help smiling broadly. "She's a friendly person."

芮奇不禁露出灿烂的笑容。“她是个很友善的人。”

"Yes, she is. And a good friend of mine. I couldn't help overhearing what you said to her."

“是的，没错。而且她是我的‘好友’，我忍不住偷听了你对她说的话。”

"Wasn't nothing wrong, I think."

“没啥不对劲吧，我想。”

"Not at all, but you called yourself a Joranumite."

“一点也没有，但你自称是九九派。”

Raych's heart jumped. His remark to Manella had hit dead-center after all. It had meant nothing to her, but it seemed to mean something to her "friend."

芮奇的心脏几乎跳出来。他对玛妮拉说的那番话，终究还是正中红心。那些话对她毫无意义，但对她的“朋友”似乎不然。

Did that mean he was on the road now? Or merely in trouble?

这表示他找到了门路吗？或者只是找到麻烦？

12

12

Raych did his best to size up his new companion, without allowing his own face to lose its smooth naivete. The man had sharp greenish eyes and his right hand clenched almost threateningly into a fist as it rested on the table.

芮奇尽全力打量这位新朋友，却不让自己满脸的纯真消失无踪。此人有一对尖锐的淡绿色眼睛，他的右手握成拳头放在桌上，看起来颇具威胁性。

Raych looked owlishly at the other and waited.

芮奇一脸严肃地望着对方，默默等待。

Again, the man said, "I understand you call yourself a Joranumite."

于是，这人又说：“据我了解，你自称是九九派。”

Raych did his best to look uneasy. It was not difficult. He said, "Why do you ask, mister?"

芮奇尽量显得坐立不安，这倒不难。他说：“先生，问这做什么？”

"Because I don't think you're old enough."

“因为我认为你年纪不够。”

"I'm old enough. I used to watch Jo-Jo Joranum's speeches on holovision."

“我的年纪足够，我以前常在全息电视上，看九九·久瑞南的演讲。”

"Can you quote them?"

“你能引述几句吗？”

Raych shrugged. "No, but I got the idea."

芮奇耸了耸肩。“不能，但我掌握了概念。”

"You're a brave young man to talk openly about being a Joranumite. Some people don't like that."

“你真是个勇敢的年轻人，竟敢公然宣称是九九派，有些人不喜欢听到这种事。”

"I'm told there are lots of Joranumites in Wye."

“我听说卫荷有许多九九派。”

"That may be. Is that why you came here?"

“有可能。这就是你来这里的原因吗？”

"I'm looking for a job. Maybe another Joranumite would help me."

“我在找一份差事，也许其他的九九派会帮我。”

"There are Joranumites in Dahl, too. Where are you from?"

“达尔也有些九九派。你是从哪里来的？”

There was no question that he recognized Raych's accent. That could not be disguised.

毫无疑问，他听出了芮奇的口音，这点是无法伪装的。

He said, "I was born in Millimaru, but I lived mostly in Dahl when I was growing up."

芮奇说：“我生在千丸区，但我青少年时期几乎都住在达尔。”

"Doing what?"

“做些什么？”

"Nothing much. Going to school some."

“没做什么，上上学什么的。”

"And why are you a Joranumite?"

“你为什么是九九派？”

Raych let himself heat up a bit. He couldn't have lived in downtrodden, discriminated-against Dahl without having obvious reasons for being a Joranumite. He said, "Because I think there should be more representative government in the Empire, more participation by the people, and more equality among the sectors and the worlds. Doesn't anyone with brains and a heart think that?"

芮奇故意让自己变得激动些。他既然住在饱受压迫与歧视的达尔，不可能没有成为九九派的明显理由。他说：“因为我认为，帝国应该有个更能代表民意的政府，让更多的民众参与，而各区还有各世界之间应该更加平等。任何有头脑、有心肠的人不都是这么想吗？”

"And you want to see the Emperorship abolished?"

“你想见到帝制被废除吗？”

Raych paused. One could get away with a great deal in the way of subversive statements, but anything overtly anti-Emperor was stepping outside the bounds. He said, "I ain't saying that. I believe in the Emperor, but ruling a whole Empire is too much for one man."

芮奇顿了顿。虽然发表任何颠覆性言论都能没事，但公然反帝的论点则超出这个界限了。于是他说：“我可没那么讲。我信任皇帝陛下，可是整个帝国远非一个人治理得了的。”

"It isn't one man. There's a whole Imperial bureaucracy. What do you think of Hari Seldon, the First Minister?"

“不是一个人，还有整个的帝国官僚体系。你对首相哈里·谢顿有什么看法？”

"Don't think nothing about him. Don't know about him."

“对他没啥看法，对他并不清楚。”

"All you know is that people should be more represented in the affairs of government. Is that right?"

“你只知道政府事务应当更加反映民意，对不对？”

Raych allowed himself to look confused. "That's what Jo-Jo Joranum used to say. I don't know what you call it. I heard someone once call it `democracy,' but I don't know what that means."

芮奇让自己露出一副困惑状。“那是九九·久瑞南以前常说的。我不知道你管它叫什么，我听过有人管它叫‘民主’，但我不知道那是什么意思。”

"Democracy is something that some worlds have tried. Some still do. I don't know that those worlds are run better than other worlds. So you're a democrat?"

“民主是某些世界尝试过的一种制度，有些世界则仍在尝试，但我没听说那些世界治理得比其他世界更好。所以说，你是个民主人士？”

"Is that what you call it?" Raych let his head sink, as if in deep thought. "I feel more at home as a Joranumite."

“这是你用的称呼吗？”芮奇故意垂下头来，仿佛陷入沉思，“我觉得称九九派自在多了。”

"Of course, as a Dahlite-"

“当然，身为达尔人——”

"I just lived there awhile."

“我只不过在那里住过一阵子。”

"-you're all for people's equalities and such things. The Dahlites, being an oppressed group, would naturally think in that fashion."

“——你完全赞成诸如人人平等这类的主张。达尔人身为被压迫的一群，自然会有那样的想法。”

"I hear that Wye is pretty strong in Joranumite thinking. They're not oppressed."

“我听说卫荷人对九九思想也十分热衷，他们可没受到压迫。”

"Different reason. The old Wye Mayors always wanted to be Emperors. Did you know that?"

“理由不同。历任卫荷区长总是想当皇帝，你知道这件事吗？”

Raych shook his head.

芮奇摇了摇头。

"Eighteen years ago," said the man, "Mayor Rashelle nearly carried through a coup in that direction. So the Wyans are rebels, not so much Joranumite as anti-Cleon."

“十八年前，”那人继续说，“芮喜尔区长差点就发动一场成功的政变。所以与其说卫荷人是九九派，不如说他们是反克里昂的叛逆。”

Raych said, "I don't know nothing about that. I ain't against the Emperor."

芮奇说：“我对这种事啥也不晓得，我可不反对皇帝。”

"But you are for popular representation, aren't you? Do you think that some sort of elected assembly could run the Galactic Empire without bogging down in politics and partisan bickering? Without paralysis?"

“但你赞成伸张民意，对不对？你是否认为某种民选的集会能治理银河帝国，而不至于陷入政争和党同伐异？不至于瘫痪？”

Raych said, "Huh? I don't understand."

芮奇说：“啥？我可不懂。”

"Do you think a great many people could come to some decision quickly in times of emergency? Or would they just sit around and argue?"

“你是否认为在紧要关头，一大群人能很快作出决定？或是他们只会坐在那里争论不休？”

"I don't know, but it doesn't seem right that just a few people should have all the say over all the worlds."

“我不知道。可是，目前只有少数人能为所有的世界作决定，这似乎不太合理。”

"Are you willing to fight for your beliefs? Or do you just like to talk about them?"

“你愿意为你的信仰而战吗？或者你只是喜欢口头说说？”

"No one asked me to do any fighting," said Raych.

“没人要我作任何战斗。”芮奇答道。

"Suppose someone did. How important do you think your beliefs about democracy-or Joranumite philosophy-are?"

“假设有人要你这么做，你认为你对民主——或是对九九哲学的信仰有多少分量？”

"I'd fight for them-if I thought it would do any good."

“我会为它而战，只要我认为这样会有好处。”

"There's a brave lad. So you came to Wye to fight for your beliefs."

“好个勇敢的小伙子。所以说，你来卫荷是为了你的信仰而战。”

"No," said Raych uncomfortably, "I can't say I did. I came to look for a job, sir. It ain't easy to find no jobs these days-and I ain't got no credits. A guy's gotta live."

“不，”芮奇不自在地说，“我不能这么讲。先生，我是来找一份差事。这年头，找份差事可不容易。而且我没啥信用点，人总得活下去。”

"I agree. What's your name?"

“我同意。你叫什么名字？”

The question shot out without warning, but Raych was ready for it. "Planchet, sir."

这个问题在毫无预警之下冒出来，但芮奇早已有所准备。“普朗什。”

"First or last name?"

“是名还是姓？”

"Only name, as far as I know."

“据我所知，就这么个名字。”

"You have no credits and, I gather, very little education."

“你没有信用点，而且我猜，受的教育也极少吧。”

"Afraid so."

“只怕就是这样。”

"And no experience at any specialized job?"

“没有任何专业工作经验？”

"I ain't worked much, but I'm willing."

“我没做过啥事，但我愿意做。”

"All right. I'll tell you what, Planchet." He took a small white triangle out of his pocket and pressed it in such a way as to produce a printed message on it. Then he rubbed his thumb across it, freezing it. "I'll tell you where to go. You take this with you and it may get you a job."

“好的。我告诉你怎么办，普朗什。”他从口袋里掏出一个白色的小三角形，按了几下，上面便显出一行字迹。然后他用拇指抹了一抹，将那行字迹固定。“我会告诉你该到哪里去。你带着这东西，它能帮你得到一份工作。”

Raych took the card and glanced at it. The signals seemed to fluoresce, but Raych could not read them. He looked at the other man warily. "What if they think I stole it?"

芮奇接过那张三角卡片，瞄了一眼。那行字迹似乎会发出萤光，但芮奇却读不懂。他机警地望向对方，问道：“万一他们以为是我偷来的呢？”

"It can't be stolen. It has my sign on it and now it has your name."

“这东西是偷不走的。它上面有我的标志，现在又有你的名字。”

"What if they ask me who you are?"

“万一他们问我你是谁呢？”

"They won't. -You say you want a job. There's your chance. I don't guarantee it, but there's your chance." He gave him another card. "This is where to go." Raych could read this one.

“不会的，你就说你要一份工作。这是你的机会，我不能保证，但这是你的机会。”他又给了芮奇一张卡片，“这是你该去的地方。”这回芮奇看懂了上面的字。

"Thank you," he mumbled.

“谢谢你。”他咕哝道。

The man made little dismissing gestures with his hand.

那人做了一个打发他走的小手势。

Raych rose and left-and wondered what he was getting into.

芮奇起身离去，不知道自己将碰到什么。

13

13

Up and down. Up and down. Up and down.

来来回回，来来回回，来来回回。

Gleb Andorin watched Gambol Deen Namarti trudging up and down. Namarti was obviously unable to sit still under the driving force of the violence of his passion.

葛列布·安多闰望着坎伯尔·丁恩·纳马提，后者踏着沉重的步伐来来回回。在狂暴的激情驱动下，纳马提显然无法安分地坐着。

Andorin thought: He's not the brightest man in the Empire or even in the movement, not the shrewdest, certainly not the most capable of rational thought. He has to be held back constantly-but he's driven as none of the rest of us are. We would give up, let go, but he won't. Push, pull, prod, kick. -Well, maybe we need someone like that. We must have someone like that or nothing will ever happen.

安多闰心想：他并不是帝国中甚至这个运动中最聪明的人，也不是最机灵的人，更绝非最具理性思考能力的人，所以必须时时有人替他踩煞车——但他的自我驱策却是其他人都比不上的。我们会放弃，会罢手，而他不会。或推，或拉，或刺，或踢，他无所不用其极。嗯，也许我们需要一个像这样的人。不，我们一定得有个像这样的人，否则将一事无成。

Namarti stopped, as though he felt Andorin's eyes boring into his back. He turned around and said, "If you're going to lecture me again on Kaspalov, don't bother."

纳马提停下脚步，仿佛感到安多闰的目光有如芒刺在背。他转过身来，说道：“如果你要为卡斯帕洛夫的事教训我，那就省省吧。”

Andorin shrugged lightly. "Why bother lecturing you? The deed is done. The harm-if any-has been done."

安多闰微微耸了耸肩。“何必教训你呢？事情已经干下了，伤害——如果真有的话——已经造成了。”

"What harm, Andorin? What harm? If I had not done it, then we would have been harmed. The man was on the edge of being a traitor. Within a month, he would have gone running "

“什么伤害，安多闰？什么伤害？假使我没那样做，我们才会受到伤害。那人眼看就要成为一名叛徒，不出一个月，他就会跑去……”

"I know. I was there. I heard what he said."

“我知道。当时我在场，我听到他说些什么。”

"Then you understand there was no choice. No choice. You don't think I liked to have an old comrade killed, do you? I had no choice."

“那么你该了解我别无选择，别无选择！你不会以为我喜欢杀害一位老同志吧？我别无选择。”

"Very well. You had no choice."

“很好，你别无选择。”

Namarti resumed his tramping, then turned again. "Andorin, do you believe in gods?"

纳马提再度迈开沉重的步伐，然后又转过身来。“安多闰，你相信神吗？”

Andorin stared, "In what?"

安多闰双眼圆睁。“相信什么？”

"In gods."

“神。”

"I never heard the word. What is it?"

“我从来没听过这个字眼。那是什么？”

Namarti said, "It's not Galactic Standard. Supernatural influences. How's that?"

纳马提说：“它不是银河标准语。就是超自然影响力，这样懂了吗？”

"Oh, supernatural influences. Why didn't you say so? No, I don't believe in that sort of thing. By definition, something is supernatural if it exists outside the laws of nature and nothing exists outside the laws of nature. Are you turning into a mystic?" Andorin asked it as though he were joking, but his eyes narrowed with sudden concern.

“喔，超自然影响力。你何不早说呢？不，我不相信那种事。根据定义，存在于自然律之外的事物才称为超自然，可是没有任何事物存在于自然律之外。你变成一名神秘论者了？”安多闰的问法仿佛在开玩笑，但他的眼睛眯起来，并透出突如其来的关切。

Namarti stared him down. Those blazing eyes of his could stare anyone down. "Don't be a fool. I've been reading about it. Trillions of people believe in supernatural influences."

纳马提将他的目光逼回去，他那对冒火的眼睛能逼回任何人的目光。“别傻了。我一直在读这方面的资料，好几兆人都相信超自然影响力。”

"I know," said Andorin. "They always have."

“我知道，”安多闰说，“人们总是这样。”

"They've done so since before the beginning of history. The word 'gods' is of unknown origin. It is, apparently, a hangover from some primeval language of which no trace any longer exists, except that word. -Do you know how many different varieties of beliefs there are in various kinds of gods?"

“在有历史之前，人们就有这种信仰。‘神’这个字出处不详，显然是某种原始语言的遗物，除了这个字，那种语言本身已无迹可寻。你可知道各式各样对各种神的信仰有多少吗？”

"Approximately as many as the varieties of fools among the Galactic population, I should say."

“我敢说，大约和银河人口中各式各样的傻瓜一样多。”

Namarti ignored that. "Some people think the word dates back to the time when all humanity existed on but a single world."

纳马提并未理会这句话。“有些人认为，这个字起源于所有的人类都活在同一个世界上的时代。”

"Itself a mythological concept. That's just as lunatic as the notion of supernatural influences. There never was one original human world."

“那本身就是个神话概念，和超自然影响力的想法一样疯狂，其实从来没有什么人类的起源世界。”

"There would have to be, Andorin," said Namarti, annoyed. "Human beings can't have evolved on different worlds and ended as a single species."

“一定有的，安多闰。”纳马提有点恼怒，“人类不可能在许多不同的世界上演化，而结果却变成单一的物种。”

"Even so, there's no effective human world. It can't be located, it can't he defined, so it can't be spoken of sensibly, so it effectively doesn't exist."

“即使如此，实际上也没有什么起源世界。它没法找到，它无法界定，所以不能有条有理地叙述，所以它实际上并不存在。”

"These gods," said Namarti, continuing to follow his own line of thought, "are supposed to protect humanity and keep it safe or at least to care for those portions of humanity that know how to make use of the gods. At a time when there was only one human world, it makes sense to suppose they would be particularly interested in caring for that one tiny world with a few people. They would care for such a world as though they were big brothers-or parents."

“这些神，”纳马提循着自己的思路说下去，“据说会保护人类，庇佑他们平安，至少会照顾其中懂得利用神的那些人。在只有一个人类世界的时代，大可假设他们对那个人数不多的小世界特别眷顾。他们会照顾那样一个世界，仿佛他们是老大哥，或是父母。”

"Very nice of them. I'd like to see them try to handle the entire Empire."

“他们可真好，我倒想看看他们如何应付整个帝国。”

"What if they could? What if they were infinite?"

“倘若他们做得到呢？倘若他们的能力无穷无尽呢？”

"What if the Sun were frozen? What's the use of `what if?"

“倘若太阳冻结了呢？‘倘若’这种说法有什么用？”

"I'm just speculating. Just thinking. Haven't you ever let your mind wander freely? Do you always keep everything on a leash?"

“我只是在臆测，只是在想。你从没让自己的心灵自由翱翔吗？你总是把一切都拴起来吗？”

"I should imagine that's the safest way, keeping it on a leash. What does your wandering mind tell you, Chief?"

“在我的想象中，拴起来是最安全的办法。你那翱翔的心灵告诉你些什么，首领？”

Namarti's eyes flashed at the other, as though he suspected sarcasm, but Andorin's face remained good-natured and blank.

纳马提的目光猛然射向对方，仿佛他怀疑那是一句讽刺，但安多闰的脸庞依旧透着和气与茫然。

Namarti said, "What my mind is telling me is this- If there are gods, they must be on our side."

纳马提说：“我的心灵告诉我的是——倘若真有神，他们一定站在我们这边。”

"Wonderful-if true. Where's the evidence?"

“太好了——果真如此的话。但证据在哪里？”

"Evidence? Without the gods, it would just be a coincidence, I suppose, but a very useful one." Suddenly Namarti yawned and sat down, looking exhausted.

“证据？如果没有神，我想那就只是巧合，不过却是非常有用的巧合。”纳马提突然打了一个呵欠，并且坐下来，显得十分疲倦。

Good, thought Andorin. His galloping mind has finally wound itself down and he may talk sense now.

很好，安多闰心想。他那疾驰的心灵终于减速，现在他比较不会语无伦次了。

"This matter of internal breakdown of the infrastructure-" said Namarti, his voice distinctly lower.

“基础公共设施内部故障这件事……”纳马提的音量明显地降低。

Andorin interrupted. "You know, Chief, Kaspalov was not entirely wrong about this. The longer we keep it up, the greater the chance that Imperial forces will discover the cause. The whole program must, sooner or later, explode in our faces."

安多闰打岔道：“你可知道，首领，卡斯帕洛夫对此事的看法并非全无道理。我们持续得越久，帝国军警发现真相的机会就越大。而这整个计划，迟早一定会在我们面前引爆。”

"Not yet. So far, everything is exploding in the Imperial face. The unrest on Trantor is something I can feel." He raised his hands, rubbing his fingers together. "I can feel it. And we are almost through. We are ready for the next step."

“还没有。目前为止，每件事都是在皇帝面前引爆，川陀的不安是我感觉得到的。”他举起双手，十指互相搓揉，“我感觉得到。而且我们几乎大功告成，我们即将跨出下一步。”

Andorin smiled humorlessly. "I'm not asking for details, Chief. Kaspalov did and look where that got him. I am not Kaspalov."

安多闰冷笑了一下。“我不是在问细节，首领。卡斯帕洛夫曾经那样做，看看他现在哪儿去了，我可不是卡斯帕洛夫。”

"It's precisely because you're not Kaspalov that I can tell you. And because I know something now I didn't then."

“正因为你不是卡斯帕洛夫，所以我能告诉你。另一个原因是，我现在知道了一件当时不知道的事。”

"I presume," said Andorin, only half-believing what he was saying, "that you intend a strike on the Imperial Palace grounds."

“我推测，”安多闰对自己要说的话半信半疑，“你打算对皇宫御苑发动攻击。”

Namarti looked up. "Of course. What else is there to do? The problem, however, is how to penetrate the grounds effectively. I have my sources of information there, but they are only spies. I'll need men of action on the spot."

纳马提抬起头来。“当然，否则还能怎么做？然而，问题是如何有效地渗透进御苑。我在那里有情报来源，但他们只是间谍，我需要战斗人员潜入该处。”

"To get men of action into the most heavily guarded region in all the galaxy will not be easy."

“派遣战斗人员潜入全银河防卫最森严的地区，不会是一件容易的事。”

"Of course not. That's what has been giving me an unbearable headache till now-and then the gods intervened."

“当然不会，长久以来，那正是让我头痛欲裂的问题。现在，神来帮助我们了。”

Andorin said gently (it was taking all his self-restraint to keep from showing his disgust), "I don't think we need a metaphysical discussion. What has happened-leaving the gods to one side?"

安多闰温和地说（他要极力克制自己，才不会显露厌恶感）：“我认为我们不需要做形而上的讨论，把那些神搁在一边吧，究竟发生了什么事？”

"My information is that His Gracious and Ever to Be Beloved Emperor Cleon I has decided to appoint a new Chief Gardener. This is the first new appointee in nearly a quarter of a century."

“我获得的情报是，仁慈温厚、永受兆民爱戴的克里昂大帝一世，已经决定任命一名新的园丁长。将近四分之一世纪以来，这是第一次重新任命。”

"And if so?"

“那又怎样？”

"Do you see no significance?"

“你看不出其中的玄机吗？”

Andorin thought for a moment. "I am not a favorite of your gods. I don't see any significance."

安多闰想了一下。“我不是你口中那些神的宠儿，我看不出任何玄机。”

"If you have a new Chief Gardener, Andorin, the situation is the same as having a new administrator of any other type-the same as if you had a new First Minister or a new Emperor. The new Chief Gardener will certainly want his own staff. He will force into retirement what he considers dead wood and will hire younger gardeners by the hundreds."

“新的园丁长上任，安多闰，情形就和任何类型的新任行政官上任一样，甚至和一名新首相或新皇帝上任没有两样。新任园丁长当然想要自己的班底，他会强迫他眼中的朽木退休，会雇用几百名年轻的园丁。”

"That's possible."

“有可能。”

"It's more than possible. It's certain. Exactly that happened when the present Chief Gardener was appointed and the same when his predecessor was appointed and so on. Hundreds of strangers from the Outer Worlds-"

“不只有可能，是一定会。现任园丁长刚上任的时候，就发生过这种事情，他的前任也一样，每一任都一样。来自外围世界的几百个陌生面孔……”

"Why from the Outer Worlds?"

“为何来自外围世界？”

"Use your brains-if you have any, Andorin. What do Trantorians know about gardening when they've lived under domes all their lives, tending potted plants, zoos, and carefully arranged crops of grains and fruit trees? What do they know about life in the wild?"

“动动你的脑筋——要是你还有的话，安多闰。川陀人一辈子住在穹顶之下，照顾的都是盆栽植物、笼中鸟兽，以及排得整整齐齐的谷类作物和果树，他们对园艺懂得些什么？他们又对野生世界懂得些什么？”

"Ahhh. Now I understand."

“啊啊啊，现在我懂了。”

"So there will be these strangers flooding the grounds. They will be carefully checked, I presume, but they won't be as tightly screened as they would be if they were Trantorians. And that means, surely, that we should be able to supply just a few of our own people, with false identifications, and get them inside. Even if some are screened out, a few might make it-a few must make it. Our people will enter, despite the supertight security established since the failed coup in the early days of First Minister Seldon." (He virtually spat out the name, as he always did.) "We'll finally have our chance."

“所以这些陌生面孔将涌进御苑。据我推测，他们将接受仔细的检查，但如果他们是川陀人，受到的审查就不会那么严格。而这就意味着，不用说，我们应该能派几个自己人，利用伪造的身份混进去。即使有些被剔出来，仍然可能有人成功——一定得有人成功。尽管在谢顿就任首相之初，”正如以往一样，他简直是啐出“谢顿”这个名字来的，“发生那场失败的政变后，皇宫建立起超级严密的安全体系，我们的人仍将混进去。我们终于等到机会了。”

Now it was Andorin who felt dizzy, as if he'd fallen into a spinning vortex. "It seems odd for me to say so, Chief, but there is something to this `gods' business after all, because I have been waiting to tell you something that I now see fits in perfectly."

现在轮到安多闰觉得头昏眼花，好像跌进一个打转的漩涡。“我这样讲似乎有点奇怪，首领，可是它和‘神’这档子事还真有些关联，因为我有件事一直等着告诉你，现在我看出来，它配合得天衣无缝。”

Namarti stared at the other suspiciously and looked around the room, as though he suddenly feared for security. But such fear was groundless. The room was located deep in an old-fashioned residential complex and was well shielded. No one could overhear and no one, even with detailed directions, could find it easily-nor get through the layers of protection provided by loyal members of the organization.

纳马提以狐疑的目光望向对方，同时又将房间扫视一遍，仿佛突然担心起安全问题。但是这种担忧毫无根据，这个房间深藏在一组老式的住宅建筑群中，并具有完备的屏蔽。没有人能窃听他们的谈话，而且即使获得详细的路线指示，也没有人能轻易找到此处，何况还必须穿过组织的忠贞成员所提供的层层保护。

Namarti said, "What are you talking about?"

纳马提道：“你在说些什么？”

"I've found a man for you. A young man-very naive. A quite likable fellow, the kind you feel you can trust as soon as you see him. He's got an open face, wide-open eyes; he's lived in Dahl; he's an enthusiast for equality; he thinks Joranum was the greatest thing since Dahlite cokeicers; and I'm sure we can easily talk him into doing anything for the cause."

“我已经帮你找到一个人，一个年轻人——非常天真。他是个讨人喜欢的小伙子，是你一看就觉得可以信任的那种人。他有一张正直的面孔，一双精明的大眼睛。他住在达尔，对平等有着狂热，他认为久瑞南的伟大只有达尔椰子霜才比得上。而且我确定，我们能轻易说服他为政治信仰做任何事。”

"For the cause?" said Namarti, whose suspicions were not in the least alleviated. "Is he one of us?"

“为政治信仰？”纳马提的疑心丝毫未曾减轻，“他是我们的一分子吗？”

"Actually, he's not one of anything. He's got some vague notions in his head that Joranum wanted sector equality."

“实际上，他不属于任何组织。他脑袋里有点模糊的概念，知道久瑞南提倡各区平等。”

"That was his lure. Sure."

“当然，那是久瑞南的诱饵。”

"It's ours, too, but the kid believes it. He talks about equality and popular participation in government. He even mentioned democracy."

“也是我们的诱饵，但这小子真心相信。他大谈平等以及大众参与政府的主张，他甚至提到了民主。”

Namarti snickered. "In twenty thousand years, democracy has never been used for very long without falling apart."

纳马提暗笑几声。“两万年以来，民主从来没有存在过多久，而且结局总是四分五裂。”

"Yes, but that's not our concern. It's what drives the young man and I tell you, Chief, I knew we had our tool just about the moment I saw him, but I didn't know how we could possibly use him. Now I know. We can get him onto the Imperial Palace grounds as a gardener."

“没错，但那和我们无关，重要的是，它是那个年轻人的原动力。我告诉你，首领，几乎在我看到他的那一刻，我就知道我们找到了工具，只是我还不知道我们该怎样用他。现在我知道了，我们可以让他扮成园丁，把他送进皇宫御苑。”

"How? Does he know anything about gardening?"

“怎么送？他对园艺有任何了解吗？”

"No. I'm sure he doesn't. He's never worked at anything but unskilled labor. He's operating a hauler right now and I think that he had to be taught how to do that. Still, if we can get him in as a gardener's helper, if he just knows how to hold a pair of shears, then we've got it."

“没有，我确定没有。除了无需技术的劳力，他没做过任何工作。目前，他负责操作一架牵引机，我想他连这个工作都得有人教。话说回来，我们若能让他以园丁助手的身份混进去，只要他懂得怎么拿大剪刀，那我们就成功了。”

"Got what?"

“成功什么？”

"Got someone who can approach anyone we wish-and do so without raising the flutter of a suspicion-and get close enough to strike. I'm telling you he simply exudes a kind of honorable stupidity, a kind of foolish virtue that inspires confidence."

“成功送进一个人，他能接近我们的任何目标，而不至于引起猜疑，并能在足够近的距离发动攻击。我告诉你，他全身散发着一种正直的憨态，一种傻乎乎的美德，会博取任何人的信任。”

"And he'll do what we tell him to do?"

“而他会遵照我们的指示行事？”

"Absolutely."

“正是这样。”

"How did you meet this person?"

“你是怎么遇到这个人的？”

"It wasn't I. It was Manella who really spotted him."

“不是我，真正发掘他的是玛妮拉。”

"Who?"

“谁？”

"Manella. Manella Dubanqua."

“玛妮拉，玛妮拉·杜邦夸。”

"Oh. That friend of yours." Namarti's face twisted into a look of prissy disapproval.

“喔，你的那个朋友。”纳马提挤出一个不以为然的夸张表情。

"She's the friend of many people," said Andorin tolerantly. "That's one of the things that makes her so useful. She can weigh a man quickly and with very little to go on. She talked to this fellow because she was attracted to him at sight-and I assure you that Manella is not one who is usually attracted by anything but the bottom line-so, you see, this man is rather unusual. She talked to this fellow-his name is Planchet, by the way-and then told me, `I have a live one for you, Gleb.' I'll trust her on the matter of live ones any day of the week."

“她是许多人的朋友，”安多闰表现得宽宏大量，“那是她这么有用的原因之一。只要浅谈几句，她很快便能衡量一个人的分量。她会和这个人攀谈，是因为一眼就被他吸引。我向你保证，玛妮拉不是那种常被三流货色吸引的人。所以你看，此人颇不寻常。她和这个人谈了一阵子——对了，他名叫普朗什——然后告诉我：‘我帮你找到个活生生的，葛列布。’对于活生生这一点，我永远都会相信她。”

Namarti said slyly, "And what do you think this wonderful tool of yours would do once he had the run of the grounds, eh, Andorin?"

纳马提狡猾地说：“一旦你这个绝佳的工具能在御苑自由行走，你认为他会做些什么，啊，安多闰？”

Andorin took a deep breath. "What else? If we do everything right, he will dispose of our dear Emperor Cleon, First of that Name, for us."

安多闰深深吸了一口气。“还能做什么？如果一切顺利，他就会为我们除掉我们亲爱的克里昂大帝一世。”

Namarti's face blazed into anger. "What? Are you mad? Why should we want to kill Cleon? He's our hold on the government. He's the facade behind which we can rule. He's our passport to legitimacy. Where are your brains? We need him as a figurehead. He won't interfere with us and we'll be stronger for his existence."

纳马提的脸孔立刻显现怒意。“什么？你疯了？我们为什么要杀克里昂？他是我们掌控政府的握柄，是我们统治帝国的门面，还是我们通向正统的通行证。你的脑袋在哪里？我们需要他当傀儡，他不会干扰我们，我们却会因为他而更加强大。”

Andorin's fair face turned blotchy red and his good humor finally exploded. "What do you have in mind, then? What are you planning? I'm getting tired of always having to second-guess."

安多闰的脸庞逐渐由白转红，他的好脾气终于爆掉了。“那么，你心里到底在想什么？你到底在计划什么？我厌烦了总是这么后知后觉。”

Namarti raised his hand. "All right. All right. Calm down. I meant no harm. But think a bit, will you? Who destroyed Joranum? Who destroyed our hopes ten years ago? It was that mathematician. And it is he who rules the Empire now with his idiotic talk about psychohistory. Cleon is nothing. It is Hari Seldon we must destroy. It is Hari Seldon whom I've been turning into an object of ridicule with these constant breakdowns. The miseries they entail are placed at his doorstep. It is all being interpreted as his inefficiency, his incapacity." There was a trace of spittle in the corners of Namarti's mouth. "When he's cut down, there will be a cheer from the Empire that will drown out every holovision report for hours. It won't even matter if they know who did it." He raised his hand and let it drop, as if he were plunging a knife into someone's heart. "We will be looked upon as heroes of the Empire, as saviors. -Eh? Eh? Do you think your youngster can cut down Hari Seldon?"

纳马提举起一只手。“好啦，好啦，冷静下来，我没有恶意。可是你动动脑筋，好不好？是谁毁掉久瑞南？是谁十年前毁掉我们的希望？是那个数学家。如今，打着愚蠢的心理史学招牌统治帝国的还是他。克里昂不算什么，我们必须摧毁的是哈里·谢顿。我一直不断制造那些故障，正是要将哈里·谢顿打成众人的笑柄。它们造成的灾难正堆放在他的门口，一切都被解释成是他毫无效率、毫无能力。”纳马提的嘴角冒出几丝唾沫，“当他被砍倒时，帝国会响起一片欢呼，会把所有的全视报道淹没好几小时，即使人们知道是谁干的也没关系。”他举起手来，再用力砸下，仿佛将一把刀刺入某人的心脏，“我们会被视为帝国的英雄、帝国的救星。啊？啊？你认为那小子能砍倒哈里·谢顿吗？”

Andorin had recovered his sense of equanimity-at least outwardly.

安多闰已经恢复平静，至少表面上如此。

"I'm sure he would," he said with forced lightness. "For Cleon, he might have some respect; the Emperor has a mystical aura about him, as you know." (He stressed the "you" faintly and Namarti scowled.) "He would have no such feelings about Seldon."

“我确定他会。”他勉强以轻松的口吻说，“对克里昂，他或许有几分尊敬；皇帝周围总有一圈神秘的光环，这点你也知道。”他稍微加重了“你”这个字，纳马提立刻绷起脸来。“他对谢顿则不会有这样的感觉。”

Inwardly, however, Andorin was furious. This was not what he wanted. He was being betrayed.

然而在内心深处，安多闰正怒火中烧。这不是他所要的，他遭到背叛了。

14

14

Manella brushed the hair out of her eyes and smiled up at Raych. "I told you it wouldn't cost you any credits."

玛妮拉掠开眼前的头发，抬头对芮奇微微一笑。“我告诉过你，不会花你任何信用点。”

Raych blinked and scratched at his bare shoulder. "But are you going to ask me for some now?"

芮奇眨了眨眼睛，又抓了抓自己赤裸的肩膀。“但你现在准备向我要些吗？”

She shrugged and smiled rather impishly. "Why should I?"

她耸了耸肩，露出相当顽皮的笑容。“我为什么要？”

"Why shouldn't you?"

“为什么不要？”

"Because I'm allowed to take my own pleasure sometimes."

“因为有时我也可以为自己找点乐子。”

"With me?"

“和我？”

"There's no one else here."

“这儿没有别人。”

There was a long pause and then Manella said soothingly, "Besides, you don't have that many credits anyway. How's the job?"

沉默了很长一段时间，玛妮拉改以抚慰的口吻说：“何况，反正你也没有那么多信用点。你的工作如何？”

Raych said, "Ain't much but better than nothing. Lots better. Did you tell that guy to get me one?"

芮奇说：“不怎么样，但总比啥也没有来得强，强多了。是你告诉那哥儿们帮我找份差事的？”

Manella shook her head slowly. "You mean Gleb Andorin? I didn't tell him to do anything. I just said he might be interested in you."

玛妮拉缓缓摇了摇头。“你是说葛列布·安多闰？我没有要他做任何事，我只说他也许会对你有兴趣。”

"Is he going to be annoyed because you and I-"

“他会不会恼羞成怒，因为你和我……”

"Why should he? None of his business. And none of yours, either."

“他为什么恼怒？这根本和他无关，而且也和你无关。”

"What's he do? I mean, what does he work at?"

“他是干啥的？我的意思是，他做什么样的工作？”

"I don't think he works at anything. He's rich. He's a relative of the old Mayors."

“我看他什么工作也不做。他很有钱，是历任区长的亲戚。”

"Of Wye?"

“卫荷区长吗？”

"Right. He doesn't like the Imperial government. None of those old Mayor people do. He says Cleon should-"

“没错。他不喜欢帝国政府，老区长身边那些人都不喜欢。他说克里昂应该……”

She stopped suddenly and said, "I'm talking too much. Don't you go repeating anything I say."

她突然停下来，改口道：“我说得太多了，你可别把我说的任何话传出去。”

"Me? I ain't heard you say nothing at all. And I ain't going to."

“我？我根本啥也没听你说，我也啥都不要听。”

"All right."

“很好。”

"But what about Andorin? Is he high up in Joranumite business? Is tae an important guy there?"

“可是安多闰是怎样的人？他在九九派的地位是不是很高？他是不是里面一个重要的哥儿们？”

"I wouldn't know."

“我不会知道的。”

"Don't he ever talk about that kind of stuff?"

“他从来没提过那种事吗？”

"Not to me."

“没对我提过。”

"Oh," said Raych, trying not to sound annoyed.

“喔。”芮奇尽量不让自己透出懊恼的口气。

Manella looked at him shrewdly. "Why are you so interested?"

玛妮拉机灵地望着他。“你为何那么有兴趣？”

"I want to get in with them. I figure I'll get higher up that way. Better job. More credits. You know."

“我想和他们接近。我觉得这样能爬得更高，会有更好的差事，更多的信用点，你知道的。”

"Maybe Andorin will help you. He likes you. I know that much."

“也许安多闰会帮你。他喜欢你，这点我还知道。”

"Could you make him like me more?"

“你能让他更喜欢我一点吗？”

"I can try. I don't know why he shouldn't. I like you. I like you more than I like him."

“我可以试试，我看不出他有不肯的理由。而且我喜欢你，我喜欢你胜过喜欢他。”

"Thank you, Manella. I like you, too. -A lot." He ran his hand down the side of her body and wished ardently that he could concentrate more on her and less on his assignment.

“谢谢你，玛妮拉。我也喜欢你，非常喜欢。”他一只手从她的腋下一路向下探，衷心希望能将心思多放些在她身上，而不是在他的任务上。

15

15

"Gleb Andorin," said Hari Seldon wearily, rubbing his eyes.

“葛列布·安多闰。”谢顿一面揉着眼睛，一面透着倦意说。

"And who is he?" asked Dors Venabili, her mood as cold as it had teen every day since Raych had left.

“他又是谁？”铎丝问。自从芮奇离开后，她的心情每天都是那么阴沉。

"Until a few days ago I never heard of him," said Seldon. "That's the trouble with trying to run a world of forty billion people. You never hear of anyone, except for the few who obtrude themselves on your notice. With all the computerized information in the world, Trantor remains a planet of anonymities. We can drag up people with their reference numbers and their statistics, but whom do we drag up? Add twenty-five million Outer Worlds and the wonder is that the Galactic Empire has remained a working phenomenon for all these millennia. Frankly I think it has existed only because it very largely runs itself. And now it is finally running down."

“几天前，我还从未听过这个人。”谢顿道，“试图治理一个拥有四百亿人口的世界，就是有这种麻烦。除了少数硬要引起你注意的，你从不会听说任何人。整个世界的资讯都已经电脑化，川陀却仍是由无名氏所组成的行星。我们可以抽出某些人的识别号码和统计资料，但我们抽出的又是些什么人？再加上两千五百万个外围世界，这些仟年以来，银河帝国竟能维持运作，本身就是一个奇迹。坦白讲，我认为它唯一能够存在的原因，就是它几乎都在自我运作。如今，它的步调终于慢了下来。”

"So much for philosophizing, Hari," said Dors. "Who is this Andorin?"

“大道理说得够多了，哈里。”铎丝道，“这个安多闰究竟是谁？”

"Someone I admit I ought to have known about. I managed to cajole the security establishment into calling up some files on him. He's a member of the Wyan Mayoralty family-the most prominent member, in fact -so the security people have kept tabs on him. They think he has ambitions but is too much of a playboy to do anything about them."

“我得承认自己早该知道这个人。我设法哄诱保安部门，调出一些他的档案。他是卫荷区长家族的一员——事实上，是其中最突出的一员——所以安全人员一直在留意他。他们认为他虽有野心，却是十足的花花公子，因此只是空有野心而已。”

"And is he involved with the Joranumites?"

“他是不是和九九派有勾结？”

Seldon made an uncertain gesture. "I'm under the impression that the security establishment knows nothing about the Joranumites. That may mean that the Joranumites no longer exist or that, if they do, they are of no importance. It may also mean that the security establishment just isn't interested. Nor is there any way in which I can force it to be interested. I'm only thankful the officers give me any information at all. And I am the First Minister."

谢顿做个不确定的手势。“保安部门给我的感觉是对九九派一无所知。这也许代表九九派不复存在，或是虽然存在，却已无足轻重。不过，也可能只是代表保安部门不感兴趣，而我也没有任何办法能强迫它产生兴趣，只能感激那些官员为我提供一点情报。我可是首相啊！”

"Is it possible that you're not a very good First Minister?" said Dors, dryly.

“有没有可能，你并不是一个非常好的首相？”铎丝语带讽刺地说。

"That's more than possible. It's probably been generations since there's been an appointee less suited to the job than myself. But that has nothing to do with the security establishment. It's a totally independent arm of the government. I doubt that Cleon himself knows much about it, though, in theory, the security officers are supposed to report to him through their director. Believe me, if we only knew more about the security establishment, we'd be trying to stick its actions into our psychohistorical equations, such as they are."

“不只有可能而已。或许已有好几代的时间，没出过像我这么不适任的首相了。但这点和保安部门毫无关系，它是政府中完全独立的一支。我怀疑克里昂自己对它都不太清楚，虽然在理论上，保安官应该透过长官向他提出报告。相信我，假使我们对保安部门多点了解，我们会试着把它的行动纳入心理史学方程式，即使这么做有些勉强。”

"Are the security officers on our side, at least?"

“保安官至少站在我们这边吧？”

"I believe so, but I can't swear to it."

“我相信是这样，但我不敢发誓。”

"And why are you interested in this what's-his-name?"

“你为何对这个叫葛什么的感兴趣？”

"Gleb Andorin. Because I received a roundabout message from Raych."

“葛列布·安多闰。因为我收到芮奇辗转传来的一封电讯。”

Dors's eyes flashed. "Why didn't you tell me? Is he all right?"

铎丝眼睛一亮。“你为什么不告诉我？他还好吗？”

"As far as I know, but I hope he doesn't try any further messages. If he's caught communicating, he won't be all right. In any case, he has made contact with Andorin."

“据我所知还好，但我希望他别再试图传出任何讯息。万一在通讯时被人逮个正着，那他就好不了。总之，他和安多闰有了接触。”

"And the Joranumites, too?"

“还有那些九九派？”

"I don't think so. It would sound unlikely, for the connection is not something that would make sense. The Joranumite movement is predominantly lower-class-a proletarian movement, so to speak. And Andorin is an aristocrat of aristocrats. What would he be doing with the Joranumites?"

“我想没有。这听来不大可能，因为那种勾结并没有什么道理。九九派运动绝大多数由低下阶层组成，可以说是无产阶级运动，而安多闰则是贵族中的贵族，他和九九派在一起做什么？”

"If he's of the Wyan Mayoralty family, he might aspire to the Imperial throne, might he not?"

“假如他是卫荷区长家族的一员，他或许会觊觎皇位，对不对？”

"They've been aspiring for generations. You remember Rashelle, I trust. She was Andorin's aunt."

“他们觊觎皇位的历史久远。我相信，你一定还记得芮喜尔，她是安多闰的姑母。”

"Then he might be using the Joranumites as a stepping-stone, don't you think?"

“那么他可能在利用九九派当垫脚石，你不这样想吗？”

"If they exist. And if they do-and if a stepping-stone is what Andorin wants-I think he'd find himself playing a dangerous game. The Joranumites-if they exist-would have their own plans and a man like Andorin may find he's simply riding a greti-"

“假若他们存在的话。如果真是这样，又如果垫脚石正是安多闰所要的，我认为他将发觉自己是在玩一个危险的游戏。那些九九派——假若他们存在——会有他们自己的计划，像安多闰这样的人，终将发现根本是骑狻难下……”

"What's a greti?"

“狻是什么？”

"Some extinct animal of a ferocious type, I think. It's just a proverbial phrase back on Helicon. If you ride a greti, you find you can't get off, for then it will eat you."

“已经绝种的一种猛兽，我这么想。那不过是赫利肯上的一句成语，如果你骑上一只狻，你将发现再也下不来，因为下来就会被它吃了。”

Seldon paused. "One more thing. Raych seems to be involved with a woman who knows Andorin and through whom, he thinks, he may get important information. I'm telling you this now so that you won't accuse me afterward of keeping anything from you."

谢顿停了一下，又继续说：“还有一件事。芮奇似乎和一个认识安多闰的女人混在一起，他认为透过她，或许能得到重要的情报。我现在告诉你这件事，免得你事后指责我对你有所隐瞒。”

Dors frowned. "A woman?"

铎丝皱起眉头。“一个女人？”

"One, I gather, who knows a great many men who will talk to her unwisely, sometimes, under intimate circumstances."

“我猜想，是个认识很多很多男人的女人。有些时候，在亲密的情况下，他们会对她口无遮拦。”

"One of those." Her frown deepened. "I don't like the thought of Raych-"

“那种女人。”她的眉头锁得更深，“我不喜欢想到芮奇……”

"Come, come. Raych is thirty years old and undoubtedly has much experience. You can leave this woman-or any woman, I think-safely to Raych's good sense." He turned toward Dors with a look so worn, so weary, and said, "Do you think I like this? Do you think I like any of this?"

“好啦，好啦。芮奇三十岁了，无疑已经很有经验。我想，你大可放心让芮奇老练地应付这个女人，或是任何女人。”他转向铎丝，露出十分疲惫、十分困倦的神情。“你认为我喜欢这种事吗？你认为我喜欢其中任何一点吗？”

And Dors could find nothing to say.

铎丝无言以对。

16

16

Gambol Deen Namarti was not, at even the best of times, noted for his politeness and suavity-and the approaching climax of a decade of planning had left his disposition sour.

即使在最得意的时候，坎伯尔·丁恩·纳马提也不曾客气或和气地对待他人。此时，十年来的经营即将面临转折点，使得他的性情更加败坏。

He rose from his chair with some agitation and said, "You've taken your time getting here, Andorin."

他有点焦躁地站了起来，说道：“你这一路真是不慌不忙，安多闰。”

Andorin shrugged. "But I'm here."

安多闰耸了耸肩。“我还是来了。”

"And this young man of yours-this remarkable tool that you're touting. Where is he?"

“你说的那个年轻人，你极力推荐的那个非凡的工具，他在哪里？”

"He'll be here eventually."

“他迟早会来。”

"Why not now?"

“为什么不是现在？”

Andorin's rather handsome head seemed to sink a bit, as though he were lost in thought or coming to a decision, and then he said abruptly, "I don't want to bring him until I know where I stand."

安多闰颇为英俊的脸孔似乎垂下一点，仿佛他正陷入沉思或即将作出一个决定，接着他突然说：“在我知道我的地位之前，我不想把他带来。”

"What does that mean?"

“这话什么意思？”

"Simple words in Galactic Standard. How long has it been your aim to get rid of Hari Seldon?"

“一句简单的银河标准语。你想除掉哈里·谢顿的计划已经酝酿多久了？”

"Always! Always! Is that so hard to understand? We deserve revenge for what he did to Jo-Jo. Even if he hadn't done that, since he's the First Minister, we'd have to put him out of the way."

“始终都是！始终都是！这点会那么难懂吗？我们理应报复他对九九所做的一切。即使他未曾那样做，冲着他是当今的首相，我们也一定要铲除这个障碍。”

"But it's Cleon-Cleon-who must be brought down. If not only he, then at least he, in addition to Seldon."

“但一定要拉下来的是克里昂，克里昂！如果要拉下谢顿，也不能漏了他。”

"Why does a figurehead concern you?"

“一个傀儡为何让你那么在乎？”

"You weren't born yesterday. I've never had to explain my part in this because you're not so ignorant a fool as not to know. What can I possibly care about your plans if they don't include a replacement on the throne?"

“你可不是昨天出生的婴儿。我从来不必解释我所扮演的角色，因为你也不是个无知到那种程度的笨蛋。你的计划若不包括改朝换代，我怎么可能关心呢？”

Namarti laughed. "Of course. I've known for a long time that you look upon me as your footstool, your way of climbing up to the Imperial throne."

纳马提哈哈大笑。“当然。我老早就知道你把我视为你的脚凳，视为你爬上皇位的工具。”

"Would you expect anything else?"

“你指望别的什么吗？”

"Not at all. I will do the planning, take the chances, and then, when all is quite done, you gather in the reward. It makes sense, doesn't it?"

“绝对没有。我会负责计划，负责冒险，然后，大功告成之际，你就能坐收成果。这相当合理，不是吗？”

"Yes, it does make sense, for the reward will be yours, too. Won't you become the First Minister? Won't you be able to count on the full support of a new Emperor, one who is filled with gratitude? Won't I be?and his face twisted with irony as he spat out the words-"the new figurehead?"

“是的，相当合理，因为成果也有你一份。难道你不会当上首相吗？新皇帝将满怀感激，难道你不能得到他百分之百的支持吗？难道我不会是个——新的傀儡吗？”啐出最后几个字的时候，他挤出一个讽刺的表情。

"Is that what you plan to be? A figurehead?"

“那就是你所计划的目标？当个傀儡？”

"I plan to be the Emperor. I supplied advances of credit when you had none. I supplied the cadre when you had none. I supplied the respectability you needed to build a large organization here in Wye. I can still withdraw everything I've brought in."

“我计划要当皇帝。当你一文不名时，我提供信用点让你预支；当你手下无人时，我提供人马供你差遣。此外，我还提供你所需要的社会地位，让你得以在卫荷建立一个庞大的组织。现在，我仍旧能将给你的一切收回来。”

"I don't think so."

“我可不这么想。”

"Do you want to risk it? Don't think you can treat me the way you treated Kaspalov, either. If anything happens to me, Wye will become uninhabitable for you and yours-and you will find that no other sector will supply you with what you need."

“你敢试试看吗？你也别以为能用对付卡斯帕洛夫的手段对付我。万一我出了什么事，你和你的手下便无法在卫荷待下去，到时你将发觉，没有别的区会提供你所需的一切。”

Namarti sighed. "Then you insist on having the Emperor killed."

纳马提叹了一口气。“那么你坚持要把皇帝杀掉？”

"I didn't say `killed.' I said `brought down.' The details I leave to you." This last statement was accompanied with an almost dismissive wave of the hand, a flick of the wrist, as if Andorin were already sitting on the Imperial throne.

“我没有说‘杀掉’，我是说‘赶下台’，细节部分我就留给你了。”安多闰说最后这句话的时候，以近乎轻慢的动作摆了摆手，同时手腕轻轻一挥，仿佛他已经坐在皇位上。

"And then you'll be Emperor?"

“然后你就成了皇帝。”

"Yes."

“没错。”

"No, you won't. You'll be dead-and not at my hands, either. Andorin, let me teach you some of the facts of life. If Cleon is killed, then the matter of the succession comes up and, to avoid civil war, the Imperial Guard will at once kill every member of the Wyan Mayoral family they can find-you first of all. On the other hand, if only the First Minister is killed, you will be safe."

“不，不会的。你会死掉，却也不是死在我手里。安多闰，让我教你一些严酷的现实。如果克里昂遇害，那么继位问题立刻浮上台面，为了避免内战，禁卫军马上会杀尽卫荷区长家族的每一个成员，而你会是头号目标。另一方面，如果只是首相被杀，你却能安然无事。”

"Why?"

“为什么？”

"A First Minister is only a First Minister. They come and go. It is possible that Cleon himself may have grown tired of him and arranged the murder. Certainly we would see to it that rumors of this sort are spread. The Imperial Guard would hesitate and would give us a chance to put the new government into place. Indeed, it is quite possible that they themselves would be grateful for the end of Seldon."

“首相只不过是首相，他们来来去去毫不稀奇。有可能是克里昂自己对他感到厌烦，而安排了一场谋杀。我们当然要让这种谣言四处散播，这样禁卫军就会犹豫不决，就会带给我们组成新政府的机会。真的，他们自己很有可能会庆幸谢顿时代的结束。”

"And with the new government in place, what am I to do? Keep on waiting? Forever?"

“而在新政府组成后，我又要做什么呢？继续等待？直到永远？”

"No. Once I'm First Minister, there will be ways of dealing with Cleon. I may even be able to do something with the Imperial Guard-and even with the security establishment-and use them all as my instruments. I will then manage to find some safe way of getting rid of Cleon and replacing him with you."

“不。一旦我当上首相，便会有很多方法可以对付克里昂。我甚至也许有办法和禁卫军搭上线，甚至保安部门也不例外——把他们都当成我的工具。然后我会设法找个安全的方式除掉克里昂，让你取代他的位置。”

Andorin burst out, "Why should you?"

安多闰突然冒出一句：“你何必那样做？”

Namarti said, "What do you mean, why should I?"

纳马提说：“我何必那样做？你是什么意思？”

"You have a personal grudge against Seldon. Once he is gone, why should you run unnecessary risks at the highest level? You will make your peace with Cleon and I will have to retire to my crumbling estate and my impossible dreams. And perhaps, to play it safe, you will have me killed."

“你和谢顿有私人宿怨。一旦他完了，你何必还要冒不必要的天大风险？你会跟克里昂和平共处，而我不得不退隐，回到我那破碎的属地，拥抱我那不可能的梦想。而且说不定，为了安全起见，你会把我给杀了。”

Namarti said, "No! Cleon was born to the throne. He comes from several generations of Emperors-the proud Entun Dynasty. He would he very difficult to handle, a plague. You, on the other hand, would come to the throne as a member of a new dynasty, without any strong ties to tradition, for the previous Wyan Emperors were, you will admit, totally undistinguished. You will be seated on a shaky throne and will need someone to support you-me. And I will need someone who is dependent upon me and whom I can therefore handle you. -Come, Andorin, ours is not a marriage of love, which fades in a year; it is a marriage of convenience, which can last as long as we both live. Let us trust each other."

纳马提说：“不！克里昂生来就要坐上皇位。他的先人做了好几代皇帝——高傲的恩腾皇朝。他会很难应付，会是我的眼中钉。反之，你若登上皇位，则会建立一个新的皇朝，不会有任何强大的传统羁绊，因为你必须承认，过去的卫荷皇朝完全微不足道。你将坐在一个颤巍巍的皇位上，需要一个人支持你，那个人就是我。而我将需要一个依赖我，因此我能应付的人，那个人就是你。好啦，安多闰，你我的关系不是因爱结合的婚姻，那在一年之内便会褪色；它是由于互利而做的结合，在我们有生之年都能维持不坠。我们要互相信任。”

"You swear I will be Emperor."

“你发誓我会当上皇帝。”

"What good would swearing do if you couldn't trust my word? Let us say I would find you an extraordinarily useful Emperor and I would want you to replace Cleon as soon as that can safely be managed. Now introduce me to this man you think will be the perfect tool for your purposes."

“如果你无法相信我说的话，发誓又有什么用？让我们这样说，我会认为你是个极为有用的皇帝，一旦一切安排得万无一失，我马上会要你取代克里昂。现在，为我介绍那个你心目中的完美工具吧。”

"Very well. And remember what makes him different. I have studied him. He's a not-very-bright idealist. He will do what he's told, unconcerned by danger, unconcerned by second thoughts. And he exudes a kind of trustworthiness so that his victim will trust him, even if he has a blaster in his hand."

“很好，请注意他与众不同的地方。我曾经研究过他，他是个不算很聪明的理想主义者，要他怎么做他就会怎么做，不会在乎危险，不会三思而行。而且他散发着一种值得信赖的气质，让他的猎物也会信任他，即使他手中握着一柄手铳。”

"I find that impossible to believe."

“我觉得简直难以置信。”

"Wait till you meet him," said Andorin.

“等你见到他再说吧。”安多闰道。

17

17

Raych kept his eyes down. He had taken a quick look at Namarti and it was all he needed. He had met the man ten years before, when Raych had been sent to lure Jo-Jo Joranum to his destruction, and one look was more than enough.

芮奇保持目光低垂。他已经瞥了纳马提一眼，那就足够了。十年前，芮奇被谢顿派去引诱九九·久瑞南自投罗网时，他曾经见过这个人，因此看一眼即绰绰有余。

Namarti had changed little in ten years. Anger and hatred were still the dominant characteristics one could see in him-or that Raych could see in him, at any rate, for he realized he was not an impartial witness-and those seemed to have marinated him into leathery permanence. His face was a trifle more gaunt, his hair was flecked with gray, but his thin-lipped mouth was set in the same harsh line and his dark eyes were as brilliantly dangerous as ever.

十年的时间，纳马提并没有多少改变。谁都看得出来，愤怒与仇恨仍是他最主要的特征——或者应该说，至少芮奇看得出来，因为他了解自己多少有些偏见——而这两点似乎将他的外表定了型，永远不会再改变。他的脸孔更加瘦削一点，他的头发已经斑白，但他的薄嘴唇仍旧拉出同样冷酷的线条，他的黑眼珠依然射出如昔的危险光芒。

That was enough and Raych kept his eyes averted. Namarti, he felt, was not the type of person who would take to someone who could stare lm straight in the face.

这就够了，于是芮奇一直没有再望向他。在芮奇的感觉中，纳马提这种人不会喜欢一个敢面对面瞪着他的人。

Namarti seemed to devour Raych with his own eyes, but the slight sneer his face always seemed to wear remained.

纳马提似乎要用双眼吞噬芮奇，但脸上总是挂着的冷笑却并未敛去。

He turned to Andorin, who stood uneasily to one side, and said, quite ;is though the subject of conversation were not present, "This is the man, then."

他转向不安地站在一旁的安多闰，开口道：“所以说，这个人就是了。”听他的口气，仿佛他提到的对象并不在场。

Andorin nodded and his lips moved in a soundless "Yes, Chief."

安多闰点了点头，做出几个无声的口型：“是的，首领。”

Namarti said to Raych abruptly, "Your name."

纳马提突然对芮奇说：“你的名字。”

"Planchet, sir."

“回阁下，普朗什。”

"You believe in our cause?"

“你相信我们的理念？”

"Yes, sir." He spoke carefully, in accordance with Andorin's instructions. "I am a democrat and want greater participation of the people in the governmental process."

“是的，阁下。”他依照安多闰先前的指示，谨慎地对答，“我是个民主人士，我希望人民进一步参与政府的运作。”

Namarti's eyes flicked in Andorin's direction. "A speechmaker."

纳马提的目光扫向安多闰的方向。“好个演说家。”

He looked back at Raych. "Are you willing to undertake risks for the cause?"

他再度望着芮奇，问道：“你愿意为政治信仰而冒险吗？”

"Any risk, sir."

“任何危险都愿意，阁下。”

"You will do as you are told? No questions? No hanging back?"

“你会遵照指示行事吗？毫无异议？绝不退缩？”

"I will follow orders."

“我会听从命令。”

"Do you know anything about gardening?"

“你懂得任何园艺吗？”

Raych hesitated. "No, sir."

芮奇犹豫了一下。“不懂，阁下。”

"You're a Trantorian, then? Born under the dome?"

“那么你是川陀人？生在穹顶之下？”

"I was born in Millimaru, sir, and I was brought up in Dahl."

“我在千丸出生，阁下，但在达尔长大。”

"Very well," said Namarti. Then to Andorin, "Take him out and deliver him temporarily to the men waiting there. They will take good care of him. Then come back, Andorin. I want to speak to you."

“很好。”接着，纳马提又对安多闰说：“把他带出去，将他暂时交给等在外面的人，他们会好好照顾他。然后回来这里，安多闰，我要和你谈谈。”

When Andorin returned, a profound change had come over Namarti. Ibis eyes were glittering and his mouth was twisted into a feral grin.

等到安多闰回来后，纳马提整个人有了巨大的转变。他的双眼放出精光，嘴巴扭成一个狰狞的笑容。

"Andorin," he said, "the gods we spoke of the other day are with us to an extent I couldn't have imagined."

“安多闰，”他说，“前些天我们谈到的神，灵验的程度超出我的想象。”

"I told you the man was suitable for our purposes."

“我告诉过你，这个人很适合我们的目的。”

"Far more suitable than you think. You know, of course, the tale of how Hari Seldon our revered First Minister, sent his son-or foster son, rather-to see Joranum and to set the trap into which Joranum, against my advice, fell."

“远比你想象中更适合。你当然知道一个故事，哈里·谢顿，我们可敬的首相，如何派他的儿子——或者该说养子——去见久瑞南，对他设下陷阱，而久瑞南不听我的劝告，结果中了圈套。”

"Yes," said Andorin, nodding wearily, "I know the story." He said it with the air of one who knew the story entirely too well.

“是的，”安多闰不耐烦地点着头，“我知道这个故事。”他说这句话的神态，代表他对这个故事了若指掌。

"I saw that boy only that once, but his image burned into my brain. Do you suppose that ten years' passage and false heels and a shaved mustache could fool me? That Planchet of yours is Raych, the foster son of Hari Seldon."

“我只有那次仔细看过那孩子，但他的形象已烙印在我的脑海。你以为十年的岁月、高跟鞋，以及剃掉八字胡就能骗过我吗？你那个普朗什就是芮奇，就是哈里·谢顿的养子。”

Andorin paled and held his breath for a moment. He said, "Are you sure of that, Chief?"

安多闰面无血色，他屏息了一阵子，然后说：“你确定吗，首领？”

"As sure as I am that you're standing here in front of me and that you have introduced an enemy into our midst."

“就和我确定你站在我面前一样确定，我确定你引了敌人登堂入室。”

"I had no idea-"

“我毫无概念……”

"Don't get nervous," said Namarti. "I consider it the best thing you have ever done in your idle aristocratic life. You have played the role that the gods have marked out for you. If I had not known who he was, he might have fulfilled the function for which he was undoubtedly intended: to be a spy in our midst and an informant of our most secret plans. But since I know who he is, it won't work that way. Instead, we now have everything. " Namarti rubbed his hands together in delight and, haltingly, as if he realized how far out of character it was for him, he smiled-and laughed.

“别紧张，”纳马提说，“我认为，在你游手好闲的贵族生活中，你从来没做过比这更好的一件事，你扮演的角色正是神为你所圈选的。假使我不知道他是谁，他的确有可能完成任务，不外是在我们里面卧底，窃取我们最机密的计划。但既然我知道他是谁，事情就不是那样了。反之，我们现在掌握了一切的一切。”纳马提兴奋得猛搓双手，却又有点不太自然，仿佛了解到对他而言这样做多么失态。他先是微微一笑，接着哈哈大笑。

18

18

Manella said thoughtfully, "I guess I won't be seeing you anymore, Planchet."

玛妮拉若有所思地说：“我猜我再也见不到你了，普朗什。”

Raych was drying himself after his shower. "Why not?"

芮奇刚淋完浴，正在吹干身子。“为什么？”

"Gleb Andorin doesn't want me to."

“葛列布·安多闰不要我再见你。”

"Why not?"

“为什么？”

Manella shrugged her smooth shoulders. "He says you have important work to do and no more time to fool around. Maybe he means you'll get a better job."

玛妮拉耸了耸柔滑的肩膀。“他说你有重要的事要做，没有时间再瞎混了，也许他是指你会有个更好的工作。”

Raych stiffened. "What kind of work? Did he mention anything in particular?"

芮奇愣住了。“做什么样的事？他特别提到任何事情吗？”

"No, but he said he would be going to the Imperial Sector."

“没有，但他说他要到皇区去。”

"Did he? Does he often tell you things like that?"

“是吗？他常常告诉你这一类事情吗？”

"You know how it is, Planchet. When a fellow's in bed with you, he talks a lot."

“你也晓得是怎么回事，普朗什。男生和你在床上的时候，总会扯上一大堆。”

"I know," said Raych, who was always careful not to. "What else does he say?"

“我晓得。”芮奇说，他自己则总是刻意避免，“他还说了些什么？”

"Why do you ask?" She frowned a bit. "He always asks about you, too. I noticed that about men. They're curious about each other. Why is that, do you suppose?"

“你为何要问？”她稍微皱起眉头，“他也总是问起你。我注意到男人这一点，他们彼此感到好奇。你说为什么会这样呢？”

"What do you tell him about me?"

“你和他说了我些什么？”

"Not much. Just that you're a very decent sort of guy. Naturally I don't tell him that I like you better than I like him. That would hurt his feelings-and it might hurt me, too."

“不多，只说你是那种非常高尚的人。我自然不会告诉他，说我喜欢你胜过喜欢他。那样会伤他的心，也可能伤害到我。”

Raych was getting dressed. "So it's good-bye, then."

芮奇开始穿衣服。“所以说，这就是再见了。”

"For a while, I suppose. Gleb may change his mind. Of course, I'd like to go to the Imperial Sector-if he'd take me. I've never been there."

“会有一阵子吧，我想，但葛列布也许会改变心意。当然，我很想到皇区去——如果他带我同行的话。我从来没去过那里。”

Raych almost slipped, but he managed to cough, then said, "I've never been there, either."

芮奇差点说溜了嘴，但他及时咳嗽一下，然后说：“我也从没去过那里。”

"It's got the biggest buildings and the nicest places and the fanciest restaurants-and that's where the rich people live. I'd like to meet some rich people-besides Gleb, I mean."

“那里有最高大的建筑，有最优美的名胜，还有最高级的餐厅；那里是有钱人住的地方。我很想碰见些有钱人，我是指除了葛列布之外。”

Raych said, "I suppose there's not much you can get out of a person like me."

芮奇说：“我想，从我这种人身上，你得不到什么东西。”

"You're all right. You can't think of credits all the time, but you've got to think of them some of the time. Especially since I think Gleb is getting tired of me."

“你人很好。你不能时时刻刻想着信用点，但有些时候总得想到它。尤其是，我认为葛列布已经逐渐厌倦我。”

Raych felt compelled to say, "No one could get tired of you," and then found, a little to his own confusion, that he meant it.

芮奇感到不得不说一句：“没有人会厌倦你。”然后才发觉这是由衷之言，令他不禁有些困惑。

Manella said, "That's what men always say, but you'd be surprised. Anyway, it's been good, you and I, Planchet. Take care of yourself and, who knows, we may see each other again."

玛妮拉说：“男人总是那样讲，但终究会令你感到意外。无论如何，我们处得很好，你和我，普朗什。好好保重，谁知道呢，我们也许会再见面。”

Raych nodded and found himself at a loss for words. There was no way in which he could say or do anything to express his feelings.

芮奇点了点头，发觉自己无言以对。他无法说些什么或做些什么，来表达自己的感情。

He turned his mind in other directions. He had to find out what the Namarti people were planning. If they were separating him from Manella, the crisis must be rapidly approaching. All he had to go on was that odd question about gardening.

他将心思转到别的方向。他必须查出纳马提等人在计划些什么，若是他们要让他和玛妮拉分开，那么危机一定正迅速迫近。他手头唯一的线索，就是有关园艺的那个怪问题。

Nor could he get any further information back to Seldon. He had been kept under close scrutiny since his meeting with Namarti and all avenues of communication were cut off-surely another indication of an approaching crisis.

他也无法再将任何情报传给谢顿，自从见到纳马提后，他始终处于严密监视之下，所有的通讯管道全被切断。不用说，这是危机迫近的另一个征兆。

But if he were to find out what was going on only after it was done-and if he could communicate the news only after it was no longer news-he would have failed.

可是，假如他在事后才查出是怎么回事，假如他在新闻不再是新闻时，才将这个消息传出去，那他就注定失败。

19

19

Hari Seldon was not having a good day. He had not heard from Raych since his first communique; he had no idea what was happening.

哈里·谢顿这一天很不好过。自从收到芮奇的第一封电讯后，就再也没有他的音讯，他对发生些什么事毫无概念。

Aside from his natural concern for Raych's safety (surely he would hear if something really bad had happened), there was his uneasiness over what might be planned.

除了他对芮奇的安危自然而然的关切（若发生什么实在很糟的事，他当然会得到消息），还有潜在的阴谋令他坐立不安。

It would have to be subtle. A direct attack on the Palace itself was totally out of the question. Security there was far too tight. But if so, what else could be planned that would be sufficiently effective?

它一定十分精妙。直接攻击皇宫是绝不可能的，那里的安全防范太过严密。但若真是这样，还有什么其他计划会足够有效呢？

The whole thing was keeping him awake at night and distracted by day.

整件事使他彻夜未眠，白天则心神不宁。

The signal light flashed.

讯号灯闪了一下。

"First Minister. Your two o'clock appointment, sir-"

“首相。两点钟的约会……”

"What two o'clock appointment is this?"

“两点钟的约会是见谁？”

"Mandell Gruber, the gardener. He has the necessary certification."

“曼德尔·葛鲁柏，那名园丁，他有必要的证明。”

Seldon remembered. "Yes. Send him in."

谢顿记起来了。“好，让他进来。”

This was no time to see Gruber, but he had agreed to it in a moment of weakness-the man had seemed distraught. A First Minister should not have such moments of weakness, but Seldon had been Seldon long before he had become First :Minister.

现在不是见葛鲁柏的时候，但他曾因一时心软而答应下来——当时那人似乎心乱如麻。首相不该有那种心软的时候，但谢顿早在当上首相前便已经是谢顿。

"Come in, Gruber," he said kindly.

“进来，葛鲁柏。”他和颜悦色地说。

Gruber stood before him, head ducking mechanically, eyes darting this way and that. Seldon was quite certain the gardener had never been in any room as magnificent as this one and he had the bitter urge to say: "Do you like it? Please take it. I don't want it."

葛鲁柏站在他面前，机械性点着头，双眼到处乱瞄。谢顿相当确定，这名园丁从未来过如此富丽堂皇的房间。他有一股恶毒的冲动，想要说：你喜欢吗？请拿去吧，我根本不想要。

But he only said, "What is it, Gruber? Why are you so unhappy"

不过他只是说：“什么事，葛鲁柏？你为何这么难过？”

There was no immediate answer; Gruber merely smiled vacantly.

葛鲁柏并未立即回答，只是露出茫然的微笑。

Seldon said, "Sit down, man. Right there in that chair."

谢顿说：“坐下，老兄，就坐那张椅子吧。”

"Oh no, First Minister. It would not be fitting. I'll get it dirty."

“喔，不，首相。那可不合适，我会把它弄脏。”

"If you do, it will be easy to clean. Do as I say. -Good! Now just sit there a minute or two and gather your thoughts. Then, when you are ready, tell me what's the matter."

“即使弄脏了，也不难清洗，照我的话做。好！就坐在那里一两分钟，整理一下你的思绪。然后，等你准备好的时候，再告诉我是怎么回事。”

Gruber sat silent for a moment, then the words came out in a panting rush. "First Minister. It is Chief Gardener I am to be. The blessed Emperor himself told me so."

葛鲁柏静静坐了一下子，然后急速喘着气说：“首相，我就要当园丁长了，是万岁的大帝自己告诉我的。”

"Yes, I have heard of that, but that surely isn't what is troubling you. Your new post is a matter of congratulations and I do congratulate you. I may even have contributed to it, Gruber. I have never forgotten your bravery at the time I was nearly killed and you can be sure I mentioned it to His Imperial Majesty. It is a suitable reward, Gruber, and you would deserve the promotion in any case, for it is quite clear from your record that you are fully qualified for the post. So, now that that's out of the way, tell me what is troubling you."

“是的，我听说了，但困扰你的当然不是这件事。你的新职位是可喜可贺的，而我衷心恭喜你。我甚至可能还有功劳喔，葛鲁柏。当年我险些遇害时，你所表现的英勇我从没忘记，而你大可相信我对大帝陛下提过这件事。这次晋升是个适当的奖赏，葛鲁柏，而且你无论如何当之无愧，因为你的记录明白显示你绝对胜任。好，既然这点说清楚了，告诉我是什么事在困扰你。”

"First Minister, it is the very post and promotion that's troubling me. It is something I cannot manage, for I am not qualified."

“首相，困扰我的正是这个职位和这次晋升。这是我无能为力的一件事，因为我无法胜任。”

"We are convinced you are."

“我们深信你能胜任。”

Gruber grew agitated. "And is it in an office I will have to sit? I can't sit in an office. I could not go out in the open air and work with the plants and animals. I would be in prison, First Minister."

葛鲁柏变得焦躁不安。“我是不是得坐在一间办公室里？我不能坐在办公室里，那样我就不能走到露天的空气中，在植物和动物的陪伴下工作。我会像是在坐牢，首相。”

Seldon's eyes opened wide. "No such thing, Gruber. You needn't stay in the office longer than you have to. You could wander around the grounds freely, supervising everything. You will have all the outdoors you want and you will merely spare yourself the hard work."

谢顿的眼睛张得老大。“没这回事，葛鲁柏。你不需要成天待在办公室里，你可以随意在御苑中闲逛，监督每一件事物。你能做你想做的一切户外活动，只是免除了辛苦的工作。”

"I want the hard work, First Minister, and it's no chance at all they will let me come out of the office. I have watched the present Chief Gardener. He couldn't leave his office, though he wanted to, ever so. There is too much administration, too much bookkeeping. Sure, if he wants to know what is going on, we must go to his office to tell him. He watches things on holovision "-he said with infinite contempt "as though you can tell anything about growing, living things from pictures. It is not for me, First Minister."

“我就是要做辛苦的工作，首相。他们会让我走出办公室的机会根本等于零，我注意过现任的园丁长，他就不能离开他的办公室，虽然他也想，想得不得了。有太多的行政工作、太多的簿记资料需要处理。当然啦，如果他想知道有些什么事，我们得去他的办公室向他报告。他在全息电视上观看外界——”他以极度轻蔑的口吻说，“仿佛你能从画面中看出有关生物生长的一切。我可不要那样，首相。”

"Come, Gruber, be a man. It's not all that bad. You'll get used to it. You'll work your way in slowly."

“好了，葛鲁柏，做个男子汉。并非全都那么糟，你会习惯的，你会慢慢克服的。”

Gruber shook his head. "First off-at the very first-I will have to deal with all the new gardeners. I'll be buried." Then, with sudden energy, "It is a job I do not want and must not have, First Minister."

葛鲁柏摇了摇头。“马上，头一件事，我必须管好所有的新园丁，那会要我的命。”接着，他突然中气十足地说：“首相，这份工作我不想要也绝不能要。”

"Right now, Gruber, perhaps you don't want the job, but you are not alone. I'll tell you that right now I wish I were not First Minister. This job is too much for me. I even have a notion that there are times when the Emperor himself is tired of his Imperial robes. We're all in this Galaxy to do our work and the work isn't always pleasant."

“此时此刻，葛鲁柏，或许你不想要这份工作，但你并不孤独。我可以告诉你，我也希望此时我并不是首相，这份工作超出我的能力范围。我甚至有一种想法，有些时候大帝自己也想脱下身上的皇袍。在这个银河中，我们都有自己的工作，而工作不会总是愉快的。”

"I understand that, First Minister, but the Emperor must be Emperor, for he was born to that. And you must be First Minister, for there is no one else who can do the job. But in my case, it is just Chief Gardener we are ruminating upon. There are fifty gardeners in the place who could do it as well as I could and who wouldn't mind the office. You say that you spoke to the Emperor about how I tried to help you. Can't you speak to him again and explain that if he wants to reward me for what I did, he can leave me as I am?"

“这点我懂，首相。可是大帝必须当皇帝，因为他生来就注定了。而您必须当首相，因为再也没有别人能做这份工作。可是我的情形不同，我们讨论的只是当个园丁长。这里至少有五十名园丁能把这份工作做得和我一样好，却不在乎待在办公室里。您说您曾经告诉大帝，说我如何试图搭救您。难道您就不能再跟他解释一下，他如果要为那件事奖赏我，大可让我保持原状？”

Seldon leaned back in his chair and said solemnly, "Gruber, I would do that for you if I could, but I must explain something to you and I can only hope that you will understand it. The Emperor, in theory, is absolute ruler of the Empire. In actual fact, there is very little he can do. I run the Empire right now much more than he does and there is very little I can do, too. There are millions and billions of people at all levels of government, all making decisions, all making mistakes, some acting wisely and heroically, some acting foolishly and thievishly. There's no controlling them. Do you understand me, Gruber?"

谢顿上身靠回椅背，以严肃的口吻说：“葛鲁柏，假使我有办法，我愿意为你那样做。但我必须对你解释一件事，而我只能希望你会了解。理论上，大帝是帝国的绝对统治者；实际上，他能够做的事非常少。此时此刻，我治理帝国的程度远超过他，但我能够做的也非常少。政府各个阶层中有百千万亿的人，大家都在作决定，都在犯错误，有些行事睿智且光明磊落，有些行事愚蠢且偷偷摸摸，根本没法管他们。你懂我的意思吗，葛鲁柏？”

"I do, but what has this to do with my case?"

“我懂，但这和我的情形又有什么关系？”

"Because there is only one place where the Emperor is really absolute ruler-and that is over the Imperial grounds. Here, his word is law and the layers of officials beneath him are few enough for him to handle. For him to be asked to rescind a decision he has made in connection with the Imperial Palace grounds would be to invade the only area that he would consider inviolate. If I were to say, `Take back your decision on Gruber, Your Imperial Majesty,' he would be much more likely to relieve me of my duties than to take back his decision. That might be a good thing for me, but it wouldn't help you any."

“因为只有在一个地方，大帝才是真正的绝对统治者，那就是在皇宫御苑之内。在这里，他说的话就是法律，底下的官员层级少得他足以应付。他既然已经对御苑的事务作出决定，若请求他撤回，等于侵犯他视为固若金汤的唯一堡垒。假使我对他说：‘收回您对葛鲁柏的决定吧，皇帝陛下。’他非但不会接受，更可能的结果是解除我的职务。那对我而言可能是好事，但对你却毫无帮助。”

Gruber said, "Does that mean there's no way things can be changed?"

葛鲁柏说：“这是不是代表一切已经无法改变？”

"That's exactly what it means. But don't worry, Gruber, I'll help you all I can. I'm sorry. But now I have really spent all the time with you that I am able to spare."

“正是这个意思。不过别担心，葛鲁柏，我会尽力帮助你。很抱歉，但我能分给你的时间实在全用完了。”

Gruber rose to his feet. In his hands he twisted his green gardening cap. There was more than a suspicion of tears in his eyes. "Thank you, First Minister. I know you would like to help. You're-you're a good man, First Minister."

葛鲁柏站了起来，双手扭着那顶绿色的园丁帽，眼中的泪水不只一点点。“谢谢您，首相。我知道您很想帮我，您是——您是个大好人，首相。”

He turned and left, sorrowing.

他转身离去，一副悲伤不已的样子。

Seldon looked after him thoughtfully and shook his head. Multiply Gruber's woes by a quadrillion and you would have the woes of all the people of the twenty-five million worlds of the Empire and how was he, Seldon, to work out salvation for all of them, when he was helpless to solve the problem of one single man who had come to him for help?

谢顿若有所思地望着他的背影，然后摇了摇头。将葛鲁柏的悲伤乘上万兆倍，便等于帝国二千五百万个世界上所有人民的悲伤。而他，谢顿，对一个向他求助的人都爱莫能助，又怎能拯救所有的人脱离苦海？

Psychohistory could not save one man. Could it save a quadrillion?

心理史学救不了一个人，但能拯救万兆人吗？

He shook his head again, checked the nature and time of his next appointment, and then suddenly stiffened. He shouted into his communications wire in sudden wild abandon, quite unlike his usually strict control. "Get that gardener back! Get him back here right now!"

他又摇了摇头，查了查下个约会的性质与时间，却忽然间愣住了。接着，他突然对通话线放肆地高声吼叫，与他平日严谨的言行大相径庭。“把那园丁找回来！马上把他找回来！”

20

20

"What's this about new gardeners?" exclaimed Seldon. This time he did not ask Gruber to sit down.

“那些新园丁是怎么回事？”谢顿叫道，这回他没有请葛鲁柏坐下。

Gruber's eyes blinked rapidly. He was in a panic at having been recalled so unexpectedly. "N-new g-gardeners?" he stammered.

葛鲁柏急速眨着眼。这么突然被叫回来，他目前还惊魂未定。“新……新园……园丁？”他结结巴巴地说。

"You said `all the new gardeners.' Those were your words. What new gardeners?"

“你刚才说‘所有的新园丁’，那是你自己的话。究竟是什么新园丁？”

Gruber was astonished. "Sure, if there is a new Chief Gardener, there will be new gardeners. It is the custom."

葛鲁柏吃了一惊。“如果有个新园丁长，当然就会有一批新园丁，这是惯例。”

"I have never heard of this."

“我从来没听过这种事。”

"The last time we had a change of Chief Gardeners, you were not First Minister. It is likely you were not even on Trantor."

“上回我们更换园丁长的时候，您还没当上首相，很有可能甚至还没来到川陀。”

"But what's it all about?"

“但这究竟是怎么回事？”

"Well, gardeners are never discharged. Some die. Some grow too old and are pensioned off and replaced. Still, by the time a new Chief Gardener is ready for his duties, at least half the staff is aged and beyond their best years. They are all pensioned off generously and new gardeners are brought in."

“这个嘛，园丁从来不会被解雇。有些死于任上，有些年纪大了，就领一笔退休金回家养老，自有人替代他。话说回来，当新园丁长准备就任时，至少一半的园丁都老了，黄金年华早已成为过去。他们都会领到一笔丰厚的退休金，由一批新园丁取代他们。”

"For youth."

“因为他们年轻。”

"Partly and partly because by that time there are usually new plans for the gardens and it is new ideas and new schemes we must have. There are almost five hundred square kilometers in the gardens and parklands and it usually takes some years to reorganize it and it is myself who will have to supervise it all. Please, First Minister." Gruber was gasping. "Surely a clever man like your own self can find a way to change the blessed Emperor's mind."

“那是原因之一，此外还因为到了那个时候，通常都会有新的造园计划，我们必须找些新的构想和新的方案。花园和苑囿占地几乎五百平方公里，通常要好几年才能改头换面，而我必须亲自监督一切。求求您，首相，”葛鲁柏气喘吁吁，“像您自己这么聪明的人，一定找得到法子改变万岁大帝的心意。”

Seldon paid no attention. His forehead was creased in concentration. "Where do the new gardeners come from?"

谢顿并未留意这番话，他的前额在深思中皱成一团。“那些新园丁从哪里来？”

"There are examinations on all the worlds-there are always people waiting to serve as replacements. They'll be coming in by the hundreds in a dozen batches. It will take me a year, at the least-"

“所有的世界都经常举行考试，随时有人等候递补这个差事。他们会分十多个梯次来，总共有好几百人。至少要花我一年的时间……”

"From where do they come? From where?"

“他们从哪里来？哪里来？”

"From any of a million worlds. We want a variety of horticultural knowledge. Any citizen of the Empire can qualify."

“上百万个世界中的任何一个。帝国任何公民都有资格，而且我们需要各式各样的园艺知识。”

"From Trantor, too?"

“也有从川陀来的？”

"No, not from Trantor. There is no one from Trantor in the gardens." His voice grew contemptuous. "You can't get a gardener out of Trantor. The parks they have here under the dome aren't gardens. They are potted plants and the animals are in cages. Trantorians, poor specimens that they are, know nothing about open air, free water, and the true balance of nature."

“不，没有川陀来的，花园里没有一个川陀人。”他的口气转趋轻蔑，“你在川陀找不到一个园丁。那些穹顶之下的公园不算花园，那里只有盆栽植物，而动物都关在笼子里。川陀人，这群可怜的人类，完全不知道什么是露天的空气、奔放的流水，以及自然界真正的平衡。”

"All right, Gruber. I will now give you a job. It will be up to you to get me the names of every new gardener scheduled to arrive over the coming weeks. Everything about them. Name. World. Reference number. Education. Experience. Everything. I want it all here on my desk just as quickly as possible. I'm going to send people to help you. People with machines. What kind of a computer do you use?"

“好了，葛鲁柏。我现在给你一件差事，你要负责帮我搜集未来几周预定到达的新园丁完整名单。包括他们的一切资料，姓名、世界、识别号码、教育水准、经历，以及一切的一切。我要全部资料尽快放到我的办公桌上。我会派人帮你，他们会带着必要的机器。你用什么样的电脑？”

"Only a simple one for keeping track of plantings and species and things like that."

“只是一台很简单的，用来记录种植日期、品种，以及诸如此类的资料。”

"All right. The people I send will be able to do anything you can't do. I can't tell you how important this is."

“好的。任何你做不到的事，我派去的人都能做到。我很难让你了解这件事有多重要。”

"If I should do this-"

“假使我得做这……”

"Gruber, this is not the time to make bargains. Fail me and you will not be Chief Gardener. Instead, you will be discharged without a pension."

“葛鲁柏，现在不是讨价还价的时候。要是让我失望，你非但做不了园丁长，还会被解雇，领不到任何退休金。”

Alone again, Seldon barked into his communication wire, "Cancel all appointments for the rest of the afternoon."

葛鲁柏离去后，谢顿对着通话线吼道：“今天下午其他的约会通通取消。”

He then let his body flop in his chair, feeling every bit of his fifty years and feeling his headache worsen. For years, for decades, security had been built up around the Imperial Palace grounds, thicker, more solid, more impenetrable, as each new layer and each new device was added.

然后他全身栽进椅子里，感觉自己不折不扣有五十岁，而且感觉头痛更加剧烈。数十年来，随着不断增加的新围墙和新设备，御苑周围的安全防范与日俱增，变得越来越厚实，越来越坚固，越来越牢不可破。

-And every once in a while, hordes of strangers were let into the grounds. No questions asked, probably, but one: "Can you garden?"

然而每隔一段时间，竟然会放一大群陌生人进入御苑。或许什么都不问，只问一句：“你懂园艺吗？”

The stupidity involved was too colossal to grasp.

简直愚蠢到了令人费解的程度。

And he had barely caught it in time. Or had he? Was he, even now, too late?

总算千钧一发，让他及时发觉。然而真是这样吗？现在是否都已经太迟了？

21

21

Gleb Andorin gazed at Namarti through half-closed eyes. He never liked the man, but there were times when he liked him less than he usually did and this was one of those times. Why should Andorin, a Wyan of royal birth (that's what it amounted to, after all) have to work with this parvenu, this near-psychotic paranoid?

葛列布·安多闰透过半闭的眼睛瞪着纳马提。他向来不喜欢这个人，但有时会比平常更不喜欢他，而现在就是这样的时候。安多闰，堂堂一位卫荷皇室成员（毕竟这样说并不为过），为何需要和这个政治暴发户、这个近乎精神病的妄想狂合作？

Andorin knew why and he had to endure, even when Namarti was once again in the process of telling the story of how he had built up the movement during a period of ten years to its present pitch of perfection. Did he tell this to everyone, over and over? Or was it just Andorin who was his chosen vessel?

安多闰知道为什么，而他必须忍受，即使是在纳马提又一次讲述这十年来他如何组织这个运动，如今终于开花结果之际。他对每个人都这么一遍遍地说吗？或者他仅仅选择安多闰当发泄的对象？

Namarti's face seemed to shine with malignant glee as he said, in an odd singsong, as though it were a matter of rote, "Year after year. I worked on those lines, even through hopelessness and uselessness, building an organization, chipping away at confidence in the government, creating and intensifying dissatisfaction. When there was the banking crisis and the week of the moratorium, I-"

纳马提脸上似乎闪耀着邪恶的喜悦，而他的声音单调得古怪，仿佛只是机械性的背诵。“年复一年，我为主义献身，甚至是在毫无希望、毫无用处的情况下奋斗；我建立起一个组织，削弱人民对政府的信心，制造并强化不满的情绪。在出现金融危机，银行暂停营业的那一周，我……”

He paused suddenly. "I've told you this many times and you're sick of hearing it, aren't you?"

他突然顿了一下。“我已经对你讲过许多次，你听得不耐烦了，对不对？”

Andorin's lips twitched in a brief dry smile. Namarti was not such an idiot as not to know what a bore he was; he just couldn't help it. Andorin said, "You've told me this many times." He allowed the remainder of the question to hang in the air, unanswered. The answer, after all, was an obvious affirmative. There was no need to face him with it.

安多闰的嘴唇抽动一下，扯出一个短暂而生硬的微笑。纳马提不是那种白痴，不会不明白自己多么惹人厌，他只是控制不住自己。安多闰说：“你已经对我讲过许多次。”他让后半段问题悬在半空中，并未作答。毕竟，答案显然是肯定的，但没有必要那样顶他。

A slight flush crossed Namarti's sallow face. He said, "But it could have gone on forever-the building, the chipping, without ever coming to a point-if I hadn't had the proper tool in my hands. And without any effort on my part, the tool came to me."

纳马提蜡黄的脸孔微微涨红，他说：“但假使我手中没有适当的工具，就可能永远这样继续下去——建立组织，削弱信心，却始终抓不到重点。如今我不费吹灰之力，这个工具就自动送上门来。”

"The gods brought you Planchet," said Andorin neutrally.

“神为你带来普朗什。”安多闰中肯地说。

"You're right. There will be a group of gardeners entering the Imperial Palace grounds soon." He paused and seemed to savor the thought. "Men and women. Enough to serve as a mask for the handful of our operatives who will accompany them. Among them will be you-and Planchet. And what will make you and Planchet unusual is that you will be carrying blasters."

“你说对了。很快就会有一批园丁进入皇宫御苑。”他顿了顿，似乎是在回味这个想法，“有男有女，足够掩护其中几位我们的人。他们中间会有你，以及普朗什。使你和普朗什与众不同的，是你们两人会带着手铳。”

"Surely," said Andorin with deliberate malice behind a polite expression, "we'll be stopped at the gates and held for questioning. Bringing an illicit blaster onto the Palace grounds-"

“不用说，”安多闰在礼貌的言语中带着刻意的敌意，“我们在宫门就会被拦下，然后被抓起来接受盘问。非法携带手铳进入皇宫御苑……”

"You won't be stopped," said Namarti, missing the malice. "You won't be searched. That's been arranged. You will all be greeted as a matter of course by some Palace official. I don't know who would ordinarily be in charge of that task-the Third Assistant Chamberlain in Charge of Grass and Leaves, for all I know-but in this case, it will be Seldon himself. The great mathematician will hurry out to greet the new gardeners and welcome them to the grounds."

“你们不会被拦下，”纳马提没有注意到那份敌意，“你们不会被搜身，那已经安排好了。当然会有某个宫中官员欢迎你们，我不知道通常由谁负责这项工作，据我所知，该是‘掌理草木的第三助理总管’。可是这一次，会是谢顿亲自出马。那位伟大的数学家会赶出来迎接新园丁，欢迎他们来到御苑。”

"You're sure of that, I suppose."

“我想，这点你很确定。”

"Of course, I am. It's all been arranged. He will learn, at more or less the last minute, that his foster son is among those listed as new gardeners and it will be impossible for him to refrain from coming out to see him. And when Seldon appears, Planchet will raise his blaster. Our people will raise the cry of `Treason!' In the confusion and hurly-burly, Planchet will kill Seldon and then you will kill Planchet. You will then drop your blaster and leave. There are those who will help you leave. It's been arranged."

“当然，我很确定，全都安排好了。差不多到了最后一刻，他将发觉他的养子在新园丁的名单上，一定会忍不住走出来看看他。而当谢顿出现时，普朗什便会举起手铳，我们的人则会高喊‘叛变！’在混乱和骚动中，普朗什会杀掉谢顿，然后你会杀掉普朗什。接着你就丢下手铳，离开现场。自会有人掩护你逃脱，这也安排好了。”

"Is it absolutely necessary to kill Planchet?"

“绝对有必要杀掉普朗什吗？”

Namarti frowned. "Why? Do you object to one killing and not to another? When Planchet recovers, do you wish him to tell the authorities all he knows about us? Besides, this is a family feud we are arranging. Don't forget that Planchet is, in actual fact, Raych Seldon. It will look as though the two had fired simultaneously-or as though Seldon had given orders that if his son made any hostile move, he was to be shot down. We will see to it that the family angle will be given full publicity. It will be reminiscent of the bad old days of the Bloody Emperor Manowell. The people of Trantor will surely be repelled by the sheer wickedness of the deed. That, piled on top of all the inefficiencies and breakdowns they've been witnessing and living through, will raise the cry for a new government-and no one will be able to refuse them, least of all the Emperor. And then we'll step in."

纳马提皱起眉头。“为何没有？你反对一宗谋杀，却不反对另一宗吗？你希望普朗什清醒后，告诉当局他所知道有关我们的一切吗？何况，我们安排的是一场家族纷争。别忘了，普朗什其实就是芮奇·谢顿。你们两人看起来会像是同时开火，或者会像是谢顿曾经下令，他的儿子若有任何敌意行动，就要立刻将他射倒。我们一定要把父子反目的说法弄得人尽皆知，那会使人想起血腥皇帝马诺威尔统治下的坏年头。这种丑恶的行径一定会令川陀人民厌恶，将这件事加在他们亲眼目睹和亲身经历的一切效率低下和故障频仍之上，他们就会齐声召唤一个新政府。没有人能拒绝他们，尤其是那个皇帝。然后，我们就进场了。”

"Just like that?"

“这么简单？”

"No, not just like that. I don't live in a dream world. There is likely to be some interim government, but it will fail. We'll see to it that it fails and we'll come out in the open and revive the old Joranumite arguments that the Trantorians have never forgotten. And in time-in not too much time-I will be First Minister."

“不，不这么简单，我可不是活在一个梦幻世界里。很可能会有某个临时政府，但是它注定失败。我们一定要让它失败，然后我们再公开现身。川陀人始终未曾忘记久瑞南当年的主张，而我们要重新举起这个大旗。等到时机成熟——不会等太久的——我便会当上首相。”

"And I?"

“而我呢？”

"Will eventually be the Emperor."

“终究会当上皇帝。”

Andorin said, "The chance of all this working is small. -This is arranged. That is arranged. The other thing is arranged. All of it has to come together and mesh perfectly or it will fail. Somewhere, someone is bound to mess up. It's an unacceptable risk."

安多闰说：“一切都顺利的机会实在很小。这点安排好了，那点安排好了，其他事也安排好了。所有这些都要凑在一起，完美地结合起来，否则就会失败。在某个地方，某个人难免会弄砸，这是不可接受的风险。”

"Unacceptable? For whom? For you?"

“不可接受？对谁而言？你吗？”

"Certainly. You expect me to make certain that Planchet will kill his father and you expect me to then kill Planchet. Why me? Aren't there tools worth less than I who might more easily be risked?"

“当然。你指望我来确保普朗什杀掉他父亲，又指望我事后杀掉普朗什。为什么是我？难道没有比我更不值钱、更适合拿去冒险的工具吗？”

"Yes, but to choose anyone else would make failure certain. Who but you has so much riding on this mission that there is no chance you will turn back in a fit of vapors at the last minute?"

“没错，但选择其他人会使行动注定失败。除你之外，还有谁对这项任务那么在乎，绝不会在最后一分钟因为任何风吹草动而掉头？”

"The risk is enormous."

“风险太大了。”

"Isn't it worth it to you? You're playing for the Imperial throne."

“对你而言不值得吗？你是为了皇位而冒险。”

"And what risk are you taking, Chief? You will remain here, quite comfortable, and wait to hear the news."

“而你承担什么风险呢，首领？你将舒舒服服留在这里，等待我们的好消息。”

Namarti's lip curled. "What a fool you are, Andorin! What an Emperor you will make! Do you suppose I take no risk because I will be here? If the gambit fails, if the plot miscarries, if some of our people are taken, do you think they won't tell everything they know? If you were somehow caught, would you face the tender treatment of the Imperial Guard without ever telling them about me?

纳马提撇了撇嘴。“你真是个傻瓜，安多闰！你还当什么皇帝！你以为因为我待在这里，我就不担风险吗？假使这个策略失败，假使这个计谋流产，假使我们有人被捕，你认为他们不会招出知道的一切吗？假使你搞不好被抓到，面对禁卫军的大刑侍候，你不会把我供出来吗？

"And with a failed assassination attempt at hand, do you suppose they won't comb Trantor to find me? Do you suppose that in the end they will fail to find me? And when they do find me, what do you suppose I will have to face at their hands? -Risk? I run a worse risk than any of you, just sitting here doing nothing. It boils down to this, Andorin. Do you or do you not wish to be Emperor?"

“一旦掌握一桩未遂的行刺案，你以为他们不会翻遍川陀把我找出来吗？你以为到头来他们不会找到我吗？而当他们找到了我，你以为我落在他们手里将面对些什么？风险？光是坐在这里什么也不做，我担的风险就比你们任何人都大。总而言之一句话，安多闰，你到底是希望还是不希望当皇帝？”

Andorin said in a low voice, "I wish to be Emperor."

安多闰以低沉的声音说：“我希望当皇帝。”

And so things were set in motion.

因此，他们的行动便展开了。

22

22

Raych had no trouble seeing that he was being treated with special care. The whole group of would-be gardeners was now quartered in one of the hotels in the Imperial Sector, although not one of the prime hotels, of course.

芮奇不难看出自己受到特别照顾。现在，整组准园丁都住在皇区一家旅馆内，不过，当然不是一家一流旅馆。

The gardeners were an odd lot, from fifty different worlds, but Raych had little chance to speak to any of them. Andorin, without being too obvious about it, had managed to keep him apart from the others.

这群园丁是个古怪的组合，来自五十个不同的世界，但芮奇很少有机会和其中任何一人说话。安多闰一直设法将他与其他人隔离，只是做得不太明显。

Raych wondered why. It depressed him. In fact, he had been feeling somewhat depressed since he had left Wye. It interfered with his thinking process and he fought it-but not with entire success.

芮奇十分纳闷，而这令他感到沮丧。事实上，自从离开卫荷，他就一直觉得有些沮丧。这干扰了他的思绪，他虽然力图抗拒，却并不怎么成功。

Andorin was himself wearing rough clothes and was attempting to look like a workman. He would be playing the part of a gardener as a way of running the "show"-whatever the "show" might be.

安多闰自己穿着一套粗布衣，试图显得像个工人。在他导演的这出“戏”中，他将扮演一名园丁的角色——不论那是一出什么样的“戏”。

Raych felt ashamed that he had not been able to penetrate the nature of that "show." They had closed in on him and prevented all communication, so he hadn't even had the chance to warn his father. They might be doing this for every Trantorian who had been pushed into the group, for all he knew, just as an extreme precaution. Raych estimated that there might be a dozen Trantorians among them, all of them Namarti's people, of course, men and women both.

芮奇感到相当羞愧，因为他未能事先洞察这出“戏”的本质。他们一直在紧密监视他，令他无法进行任何形式的通讯，甚至没有机会警告父亲。但他也知道，这是所谓的最高防范措施，对于这群人中的每一个川陀人，他们可能都会这样做。芮奇估计他们之中可能有十二个川陀人，当然全都是纳马提的手下，男性与女性都有。

What puzzled him was that Andorin treated him with what was almost affection. He monopolized him, insisted on having all his meals with him, treated him quite differently from the way in which he treated anyone else.

令他不解的是，安多闰对他的态度近乎暧昧。他霸占了自己所有的时间，坚持要和自己共进每一餐。换句话说，他对待自己的方式与对待其他人相当不同。

Could it be because they had shared Manella? Raych did not know enough about the mores of the Wye Sector to be able to tell whether there might not be a polyandrous touch to their society. If two men shared a woman, did that make them, in a way, fraternal? Did it create a bond?

可不可能是因为他们曾经共享玛妮拉？芮奇对卫荷区的风俗知道得不多，无法判断他们的社会是否有一妻多夫的倾向。假如两个男人共享一个女人，是否使他们产生某种兄弟之情？这会形成一种亲和力吗？

Raych had never heard of such a thing, but he knew better than to suppose he had a grasp of even a tiny fraction of the infinite subtleties of galactic societies-even of Trantorian societies.

芮奇从未听过这种事，但他至少明白一点，那就是在银河各个社会，甚至川陀各个社会中，存在着无数微妙的习俗，他绝不敢说自己甚至了解其中极小的一部分。

But now that his mind had brought him back to Manella, he dwelled on her for a while. He missed her terribly and it occurred to him that missing her might be the cause of his depression, though, to tell the truth, what he was feeling now, as he was finishing lunch with Andorin, was almost despair-though he could think of no cause for it.

但既然心思回到玛妮拉身上，他便思念了她一会儿。他极其想念她，而这使他突然想到，自己之所以沮丧，可能就是因为想念她的缘故。不过说老实话，此时此刻，与安多闰共进午餐之际，他的感觉几乎是绝望，而他却想不出原因来。

Manella!

玛妮拉！

She had said she wanted to visit the Imperial Sector and presumably she could wheedle Andorin to her liking. He was desperate enough to ask a foolish question. "Mr. Andorin, I keep wondering if maybe you brought Miss Dubanqua along with you. Here, to the Imperial Sector."

她曾说她想要造访皇区，想必她能以甜言蜜语说动安多闰。芮奇实在太绝望了，以致问出一个愚蠢的问题。“安多闰先生，我一直在想，不知道你有没有带杜邦夸小姐同行。我是说来到这里，来到皇区。”

Andorin looked utterly astonished. Then he laughed gently. "Manella? Do you see her doing any gardening? Or even pretending she could? No no, Manella is one of those women invented for our quiet moments. She has no function at all, otherwise." Then "Why do you ask, Planchet?"

安多闰看来大吃一惊，然后轻声笑了笑。“玛妮拉？你看她做过任何园艺吗？或者甚至假装会做？不，不，玛妮拉那种女人生来是给我们解闷的。除此之外，她根本没有任何功用。”接着他又说：“你为什么要问，普朗什？”

Raych shrugged. "I don't know. It's sort of dull around here. I sort of thought-" His voice trailed away.

芮奇耸了耸肩。“我不知道。这里有点儿无聊，我有点儿想……”他的声音逐渐消失。

Andorin watched him carefully. Finally he said, "Surely you're not of the opinion that it matters much which woman you are involved with? I assure you it doesn't matter to her which man she's involved with. Once this is over, there will be other women. Plenty of them."

安多闰仔细望着他，最后终于道：“不用说，你不会很在意是哪个女人陪你吧？我向你保证，她可不在意是哪个男人陪她。一旦办完这件事，自然会有别的女人，很多的女人。”

"When will this be over?"

“这件事何时办完？”

"Soon. And you're going to be part of it in a very important way." Andorin watched Raych narrowly.

“快了，而你将在其中扮演一个非常重要的角色。”安多闰紧盯着芮奇。

Raych said, "How important? Aren't I gonna be just-a gardener?" His voice sounded hollow and he found himself unable to put a spark in it.

芮奇说：“有多么重要？不是只要我当个——园丁吗？”他的声音听来空洞无力，而他发觉无法再多注入一点生气。

"You'll be more than that, Planchet. You'll be going in with a blaster."

“你要做的不只这个，普朗什，你还要带一柄手铳进去。”

"With a what?"

“带什么？”

"A blaster."

“一柄手铳。”

"I never held a blaster. Not in my whole life."

“我从来没拿过手铳，这辈子从没碰过。”

"There's nothing to it. You lift it. You point it. You close the contact and someone dies."

“没什么大不了的。你举起来，你瞄准，你按下开关，然后某人就死了。”

"I can't kill anyone."

“我不能杀人。”

"I thought you were one of us, that you would do anything for the cause."

“我以为你是我们的一分子，你会为了政治信仰做任何事。”

"I didn't mean-kill." Raych couldn't seem to collect his thoughts. Why must he kill? What did they really have in mind for him? And how would he be able to alert the Imperial Guard before the killing would be carried out?

“我不是指——杀人。”芮奇似乎无法集中思绪。他为何必须杀人？他们真正想要他做的是什么？而在谋杀付诸行动之前，他如何能及时警告禁卫军？

Andorin's face hardened suddenly, an instant conversion from friendly interest to stern decision. He said, "You must kill."

安多闰的脸孔突然绷紧，表情瞬间从友善转变成严厉。他说：“你必须杀人。”

Raych gathered all his strength. "No. I ain't gonna kill nobody. That's final."

芮奇用尽所有的力气说：“不，我啥人也不杀，没啥好讲的。”

Andorin said, "Planchet, you will do as you are told."

安多闰说：“普朗什，你会照着我们的话去做。”

"Not murder."

“并不包括谋杀。”

"Even murder."

“甚至包括谋杀。”

"How you gonna make me?"

“你要怎样让我做到？”

"I shall simply tell you to."

“我只要告诉你就行。”

Raych felt dizzy. What made Andorin so confident?

芮奇觉得一阵晕眩。安多闰为何如此自信？

He shook his head. "No."

他摇了摇头。“不。”

Andorin said, "We've been feeding you, Planchet, ever since you left Wye. I made sure you ate with me. I supervised your diet. Especially the meal you just ate."

安多闰说：“自从你离开卫荷，普朗什，我们就一直在喂你。我坚持你和我一起进餐，以便监督你的饮食，尤其是你刚吃的那一顿。”

Raych felt the horror rise within him. He suddenly understood. "Desperance!"

芮奇感到恐惧感贯穿全身，他突然明白了。“丧气散！”

"Exactly," said Andorin. "You're a sharp devil, Planchet."

“完全正确。”安多闰说，“你是个精明的小鬼，普朗什。”

"It's illegal."

“那是非法的。”

"Yes, of course. So's murder."

“当然，但谋杀也是。”

Raych knew about desperance. It was a chemical modification of a perfectly harmless tranquilizer. The modified form, however, did not produce tranquillity but despair. It had been outlawed because of its use in mind control, though there were persistent rumors that the Imperial Guard used it.

芮奇知道“丧气散”是什么。它的前身是一种完全无害的镇静剂，然而经过改造，它就不再产生镇静作用，只会产生绝望的感觉。由于它能用来控制心灵，因此早已列为法定禁药，不过有些历久不衰的谣言，说禁卫军在使用这种药物。

Andorin said, as though it were not hard to read Raych's mind, "It's called desperance because that's an old word meaning `hopelessness.' I think you're feeling hopeless."

安多闰仿佛不难看穿芮奇的心思，他说：“它叫丧气散，因为丧气是代表‘绝望’的古老词汇，我想你现在就有这种感觉。”

"Never," whispered Raych.

“绝不会。”芮奇细声道。

"Very resolute of you, but you can't fight the chemical. And the more hopeless you feel, the more effective the drug."

“你非常坚决，但你无法和化学药剂对抗。而你越是感到绝望，药效就会越强。”

"No chance."

“休想。”

"Think about it, Planchet. Namarti recognized you at once, even without your mustache. He knows you are Raych Seldon and, at my direction, you are going to kill your father."

“想想看吧，普朗什。虽然你剃掉了八字胡，纳马提还是一眼就认出你来，知道你就是芮奇·谢顿。而在我的指示下，你将杀掉你的父亲。”

Raych muttered, "Not before I kill you."

芮奇咕哝道：“我先杀了你。”

He rose from his chair. There should be no problem at all in this. Andorin might be taller, but he was slender and clearly no athlete. Raych would break him in two with one arm-but he swayed as he rose. He shook his head, but it wouldn't clear.

他从椅子上一跃而起。解决对方应该毫无问题，安多闰或许比较高，但他身材细瘦，而且显然不是运动健将。芮奇用一只手就能将他撕成两半——但他起身时摇摇晃晃，他甩了甩头，却无法清醒。

Andorin rose, too, and backed away. He drew his right hand from where it had been resting within his left sleeve. He was holding a weapon.

安多闰也站起来，再向后退了几步。他从左手袖口中抽出右手，手中握着一柄武器。

He said pleasantly, "I came prepared. I have been informed of your prowess as a Heliconian Twister and there will be no hand-to-hand combat."

他得意地说：“我有备而来。我得到了情报，知道你有赫利肯角力士的功夫，我不会和你徒手搏斗。”

He looked down at his weapon. "This is not a blaster," he said. "I can't afford to have you killed before you accomplish your task. It's a neuronic whip. Much worse, in a way. I will aim at your left shoulder and, believe me, the pain will be so excruciating that the world's greatest stoic would not be able to endure it."

他低头看了看手中的武器。“这不是一柄手铳，”他说，“在你完成任务之前，我可舍不得杀掉你。这是一柄神经鞭，就某方面而言，它远比手铳可怕。我将瞄准你的左肩，相信我，那种锥心刺骨的疼痛，世上最伟大的苦行僧也无法忍受。”

Raych, who had been advancing slowly and grimly, stopped abruptly. He had been twelve years old when he had had a taste-a small one-of a neuronic whip. Once struck, no one ever forgets the pain, however long he lives, however full of incidents his life is.

原本慢慢地、凶狠地向前进逼的芮奇，此时突然停下脚步。十二岁的时候，他曾经尝过神经鞭的滋味，仅是浅尝而已。只要受过一击，不论活到多大年纪，不论人生经历多么丰富，没有人忘得了那种痛楚。

Andorin said, "Moreover, I will use full strength so that the nerves in your upper arms will be stimulated first into unbearable pain and then damaged into uselessness. You will never use your left arm again. I will spare the right so you can handle the blaster. -Now if you sit down and accept matters, as you must, you may keep both arms. Of course, you must eat again so your desperance level increases. Your situation will only worsen."

安多闰说：“非但如此，我还要使用最大强度，让你的上臂神经先受到无法忍受的痛苦，然后整个报废，从此你的左臂再也动弹不得。我会放过你的右臂，好让你能使用手铳。现在，如果你坐下来，乖乖认输，这也是你唯一的选择，你就能保住两只手臂。当然，你必须继续服药，好让你的丧气程度增加。你的情况只会越来越糟。”

Raych felt the drug-induced despair settle over him and that despair served, in itself, to deepen the effect. His vision was turning double and he could think of nothing to say.

芮奇觉得药物所诱发的绝望深入体内，而绝望本身又加强了药物的作用。眼前的一切一分为二，而他脑中一片空白，什么话也说不出来。

Raych only knew that he would have to do what Andorin would tell him to do. He had played the game and he had lost.

芮奇只知道，自己从此必须听从安多闰的指示。在这场游戏中，他已彻底惨败。

23

23

"No!" Hari Seldon was almost violent. "I don't want you out there, Dors."

“不行！”哈里·谢顿近乎粗暴地说，“铎丝，我不要你到那里去。”

Dors Venabili stared back at him with an expression as firm as his own. "Then I won't let you go, either, Hari."

铎丝·凡纳比里顶回他的目光，脸上的表情与他同样坚决。“那我也不让你去，哈里。”

"I must be there."

“我必须到场。”

"It is not your place. It is the Gardener First-Class who must greet these new people."

“那不是你分内的事，必须迎接这些新人的是一品园丁。”

"So it is. But Gruber can't do it. He's a broken man."

“话是没错。可是葛鲁柏办不到，他现在失魂落魄。”

"He must have an assistant of some sort. Or let the old Chief Gardener do it. He holds the office till the end of the year."

“他一定有个助理什么的。不然就让老园丁长出马，他到年底才正式退休。”

"The old Chief Gardener is too ill. Besides"-Seldon hesitated-îthere are ringers among the gardeners. Trantorians. They're here, for some reason. I have the names of every one of them."

“老园丁长身体太坏了。何况——”谢顿迟疑了一下，“那些园丁里面有冒牌货，川陀人。他们来这里一定有原因，我有他们每个人的名字。”

"Have them taken into custody, then. Every last one of them. It's simple. Why are you making it so complex?"

“那就把他们拘留起来，一个也别漏掉。事情很简单，你为什么把它弄得这么复杂？”

"Because we don't know why they're here. Something's up. I don't see what twelve gardeners can do, but- No, let me rephrase that. I can see a dozen things they can do, but I don't know which one of those things they've planned. We will, indeed, take them into custody, but I must know more about everything before it's done.

“因为我们不知道他们为何而来，有件事正在酝酿。我看不出十二个园丁能做什么，但……不，我收回刚才的话。我看得出有十来件事是他们能做的，但我不知道他们计划的究竟是哪件。我们的确会拘留他们，但是在此之前，我必须把一切弄得更清楚。

"We have to know enough to winkle out everyone in the conspiracy from top to bottom and we must know enough of what they're doing to be able to make the proper punishment stick. I don't want to get twelve men and women on what is essentially a misdemeanor charge. They'll plead desperation, the need for a job. They'll complain that it isn't fair for Trantorians to be excluded. They'll get plenty of sympathy and we'll be left looking like fools. We must give them a chance to convict themselves of more than that. Besides-"

“我们一定要知道得够多，才能把阴谋分子从上到下全揪出来。而且我们必须对他们的所做所为知道得够多，才能让严峻的惩处站得住脚。我不要那十二名男女仅仅受到行为不检的指控，他们会辩称是因为走投无路，是需要一份工作。他们会抱怨排除川陀人是不公平的，他们会得到许多同情，而使我们看来像一群傻子。我们必须给他们一个机会，让他们犯下真正的罪行。何况——”

There was a long pause and Dors said wrathfully, "Well, what's the new `besides'?"

停了好一阵子，铎丝又气呼呼地说：“好啦，这个新的‘何况’又是什么？”

Seldon's voice lowered. "One of the twelve is Raych, using the alias Planchet."

谢顿的声音变得低沉。“芮奇在那十二个人当中，他化名为普朗什。”

"What?"

“什么？”

"Why are you surprised? I sent him to Wye to infiltrate the Joranumite movement and he's succeeded in infiltrating something. I have every faith in him. If he's there, he knows why he's there and he must have some sort of plan to put a spoke in the wheel. But I want to be there, too. I want to see him. I want to be in a position to help him if I can."

“你为何感到惊讶？我派他到卫荷去渗透九九派运动，而他成功渗透进去了。我对他充满信心，如果他在其中，他就知道自己为何身在其中，而且他必定胸有成竹，足以破坏他们的好事。但我也想要到场，我想要见到他，想要尽我所能帮助他。”

"If you want to help him, have fifty guards of the Palace standing shoulder to shoulder on either side of your gardeners."

“假如你想要帮助他，就命令五十名宫中侍卫，在那些园丁两旁围成两堵人墙。”

"No. Again, we'll end up with nothing. The Imperial Guard will be in place but not in evidence. The gardeners in question must think they have a clear hand to do whatever it is they plan to do. Before they can do so, but after they have made it quite plain what they intend-we'll have them."

“不行。同样的道理，那样我们将一无所获。禁卫军会部署在周围，但不会是明哨。一定要让那些假园丁认为有机可乘，足以依照他们的计划行事。在他们的企图暴露之后，但在真正能动手之前，我们将一举成擒。”

"That's risky. It's risky for Raych."

“那很危险，那对芮奇会有危险。”

"Risks are something we have to take. There's more riding on this than individual lives."

“危险是我们必须面对的，这里头有超过个人性命的价值。”

"That is a heartless thing to say."

“那是铁石心肠的说法。”

"You think I have no heart? Even if it broke, my concern would have to be with psycho-"

“你认为我铁石心肠？即使如此，我关切的仍然必须是心理……”

"Don't say it." She turned away, as if in pain.

“别说出来。”她转过头去，仿佛十分痛苦。

"I understand," said Seldon, "but you mustn't be there. Your presence would be so inappropriate that the conspirators will suspect we know too much and will abort their plan. I don't want their plan aborted."

“我了解，”谢顿说，“可是你一定不能在场。你的出现会太不相称，那些阴谋分子会疑心我们知道太多，因而中止他们的计划。我可不要他们的计划流产。”

He paused, then said softly, "Dors, you say your job is to protect me. That comes before protecting Raych and you know that. I wouldn't insist on it, but to protect me is to protect psychohistory and the entire human species. That must come first. What I have of psychohistory tells me that 1, in turn, must protect the center at all costs and that is what I am trying to do. -Do you understand?"

他顿了顿，又轻声道：“铎丝，你说你的工作是保护我这个人。它的优先权在保护芮奇之上，你自己也明白。我不会坚持这点，但保护我等于保护心理史学及全体人类，这必须是第一优先。而心理史学告诉我的则是，我自己必须不计一切代价保护帝国的核心，那正是我现在试图做的事。你了解吗？”

Dors said, "I understand," then turned away from him.

铎丝说：“我了解。”然后又转过头去。

Seldon thought: And I hope I'm right.

谢顿心想：我希望我是对的。

If he weren't, she would never forgive him. Far worse, he would never forgive himself-psychohistory or not.

假如他弄错了，她永远不会原谅他。更糟的是，他永远不会原谅自己，不论是不是为了心理史学。

24

24

They were lined up beautifully, feet spread apart, hands behind their hacks, every one in a natty green uniform, loosely fitted and with wide pockets. There was very little gender differential and one could only guess that some of the shorter ones were women. The hoods covered whatever hair they had, but then, gardeners were supposed to clip their hair quite short-either sex-and there could be no facial hair.

他们以优美的姿势排队站好，双脚打开，双手背在背后，每一位都身穿帅气的绿色制服，其特色是宽松，并有许多大口袋。两性之间的差异非常小，只能猜测某些较矮的是女性。他们的头发完全被兜帽遮住，话说回来，园丁一律要将头发剪得相当短，男女皆然，而且不准蓄留胡须。

Why that should be, one couldn't say. The word "tradition" covered it all, as it covered so many things, some useful, some foolish.

至于为什么要这样，谁也说不上来。“传统”两字是唯一的解释，正如它能解释其他许多事，其中有些真的有用，有些则愚不可及。

Facing them was Mandell Gruber, flanked on either side by an assistant. Gruber was trembling, his wide-opened eyes glazed.

面对他们的是曼德尔·葛鲁柏，他左右两侧各站了一名助理。葛鲁柏正在发抖，张大的双眼呆滞无神。

Hari Seldon's lips tightened. If Gruber could but manage to say, "The Emperor's gardeners greet you all," that would be enough. Seldon himself would then take over.

哈里·谢顿的嘴唇紧绷。只要葛鲁柏能设法说出“御用园丁向诸位请安”就够了，然后谢顿自己便会接手。

His eyes swept over the new contingent and he located Raych.

他用目光扫描这支新队伍，不久便发现芮奇。

His heart jumped a bit. It was the mustacheless Raych in the front row, standing more rigid than the rest, staring straight ahead. His eyes did not move to meet Seldon's; he showed no sign of recognition, however subtle.

他的心跳稍微加剧。剃掉胡子的芮奇站在最前排，比其他人站得更挺，两眼直视前方。他并未将目光转向谢顿，未曾透出丝毫相识的眼神。

Good, thought Seldon. He's not supposed to. He's giving nothing away.

很好，谢顿心想。他本来就不该那样，而他完全没有暴露底细。

Gruber muttered a weak welcome and Seldon jumped in.

葛鲁柏喃喃说了一声欢迎，谢顿便赶紧下场。

He advanced with an easy stride, putting himself immediately before Gruber, and said, "Thank you, Gardener First-Class. Men and women, gardeners of the Emperor, you are to undertake an important task. You will be responsible for the beauty and health of the only open land on our great world of Trantor, capital of the Galactic Empire. You will see to it that if we don't have the endless vistas of open undomed worlds, we will have a small jewel here that will outshine anything else in the Empire.

他以轻快的步伐走过去，站在葛鲁柏的正前方，说道：“谢谢你，一品园丁。诸位御用园丁们，你们将接下一份重要的工作。川陀，我们这个伟大的世界，银河帝国的首都，上面唯一露天地表的美丽和健康将由你们负责。你们一定要做到的是，即使我们没有露天世界上无尽的风光，我们这里却有一小颗宝石，它会比帝国其他的一切更为灿烂耀眼。

"You will all be under Mandell Gruber, who will shortly become Chief Gardener. He will report to me, when necessary, and I will report to the Emperor. This means, as you can all see, that you will be only three levels removed from the Imperial presence and you will always be under his benign watch. I am certain that even now he is surveying us from the Small Palace, his personal home, which is the building you see to the right-the one with the opal-layered dome-and that he is pleased with what he sees.

“你们都将是曼德尔·葛鲁柏的手下，他即将成为园丁长。必要的时候他会向我报告，而我会向大帝报告。这就意味着，你们都看得出来，你们和圣上的距离只有三级，他的关爱眼神将始终笼罩着你们。我确定即使是现在，他也正在偏殿中遥望我们——偏殿就是你们右手边那座建筑，拥有蛋白石圆顶的那一栋，它就是大帝的家——而他会对所见到的感到高兴。

"Before you start work, of course, you will all undertake a course of training that will make you entirely familiar with the grounds and its needs. You will-?

“当然，在投入工作之前，你们都要接受一个训练课程，好让你们完全熟悉御苑和它的需要。你们将……”

He had, by this time, moved, almost stealthily, to a point directly in front of Raych, who still remained motionless, unblinking.

此时，他已神不知鬼不觉地挪到芮奇的正前方。芮奇仍然一动不动，连眼睛也不眨一下。

Seldon tried not to look unnaturally benign and then a slight frown crossed his face. The person directly behind Raych looked familiar. He might have gone unrecognized if Seldon had not studied his hologram. Wasn't that Gleb Andorin of Wye? Raych's patron in Wye, in fact? What was he doing here?

谢顿尽量避免显露不自然的亲切，然后，他的眉头稍微皱了一下。芮奇正后方那个人看来颇为眼熟，假使谢顿未曾仔细看过他的全息像，便有可能认不出他来。那不是卫荷的葛列布·安多闰吗？事实上，他正是芮奇在卫荷的雇主。他到这里来做什么？

Andorin must have noticed Seldon's sudden regard, for he muttered something between scarcely opened lips and Raych's right arm, moving forward from behind his back, plucked a blaster out of the wide pocket of his green doublet. So did Andorin.

安多闰必定注意到谢顿突然注视自己，他微微张嘴咕哝了一声，芮奇的右手便从背后伸出来，从绿色上身的宽大口袋中拔出一柄手铳，而安多闰的动作也如出一辙。

Seldon felt himself going into near-shock. How could blasters have been allowed onto the grounds? Confused, he barely heard the cries of "'Treason!" and the sudden noise of running and shouting.

谢顿觉得自己快要吓呆了。怎会允许有人把手铳带进御苑？由于极度困惑，他几乎没有听见“叛变！”的呐喊声，以及突如其来的狂奔与尖叫。

All that really occupied Seldon's mind was Raych's blaster pointing directly at him and Raych looking at him without any sign of recognition. Seldonís mind filled with horror as he realized that his son was going to shoot and that he himself was only seconds from death.

真正占据谢顿脑海的只有一个念头，那就是芮奇的手铳正瞄准自己，而芮奇望着他的眼神竟形同陌路。谢顿了解他的儿子就要发射，自己距离死亡只有几秒钟，内心顿时充满恐惧。

25

25

A blaster, despite its name, does not "blast" in the proper sense of the term. It vaporizes and blows out an interior and-if anything-causes an implosion. There is a soft sighing sound, leaving what appears to be a "blasted" object.

手铳虽然叫做手铳，其实并不是轰击式武器。它的作用是使目标气化，使其内部爆裂，充其量不过是导致一场内爆。然后，会响起一下轻叹声，发自看似受到轰击的目标。

Hari Seldon did not expect to hear that sound. He expected only death. It was, therefore, with surprise that he heard the distinctive soft sighing sound and he blinked rapidly as he looked down at himself, slackjawed.

哈里·谢顿并未期待听到那个声音，他只是期待死亡的降临。因此，听到那种独特的轻叹声令他十分惊讶。他猛眨眼睛，目瞪口呆地低头望着自己。

He was alive? (He thought it as a question, not a statement.)

他还活着？（他想到的是个疑问句，而不是直述句。）

Raych was still standing there, his blaster pointing forward, his eyes glazed. He was absolutely motionless, as though some motive power had ceased.

芮奇仍然站在那里，他的手铳指着前方，他的双眼茫然呆滞。他百分之百纹风不动，仿佛体内的动力中断了。

Behind him was the crumpled body of Andorin, fallen in a pool of blood, and standing next to him, blaster in hand, was a gardener. The hood had slipped away; the gardener was clearly a woman with freshly clipped hair.

在他身后是安多闰的尸体，瘫倒在一滩血泊中。而站在他身边、手中握着手铳的，则是另一名园丁。这名园丁早已扯脱兜帽，显然是个刚剪短头发的女性。

She allowed herself a glance at Seldon and said, "Your son knows me as Manella Dubanqua. I'm a security officer. Do you want my reference number, First Minister?"

她抽空瞥了谢顿一眼，然后说：“令公子口中的玛妮拉·杜邦夸就是我。我是一名保安官，您要知道我的识别号码吗，首相？”

"No," said Seldon faintly. Imperial Guard had converged on the scene. "My son! What's wrong with my son?"

“不用了。”谢顿无力地说，此时禁卫军已赶到现场，“我儿子！我儿子怎么回事？”

"Desperance, I think," said Manella. "That can be washed out eventually." She reached forward to take the blaster out of Raych's hand. "I'm sorry I didn't act sooner. I had to wait for an overt move and, when it came, it almost caught me napping."

“中了丧气吧，我想。”玛妮拉说，“那是清得掉的。”她伸出手来，取走芮奇手中的手铳，“很抱歉我没有及早出手，我得等待一个明显的行动，但当它发生时，我却几乎措手不及。”

"I had the same trouble. We must take Raych to the Palace hospital."

“我遇到同样的问题。我们必须把芮奇送到宫中医院。”

A confused noise suddenly emanated from the Small Palace. It occurred to Seldon that the Emperor was, indeed, watching the proceedings and, if so, he must be grandly furious, indeed.

偏殿突然传来一阵不明的喧嚣。谢顿突然想到，大帝想必正在观看整个经过，果真如此，他一定会勃然大怒。

"Take care of my son, Miss Dubanqua," said Seldon. "I must see the Emperor."

“帮我照顾我儿子，杜邦夸小姐。”谢顿说，“我必须去见大帝。”

He set off at an undignified run through the chaos on the Great Lawns and dashed into the Small Palace without ceremony. Cleon could scarcely grow any angrier over that.

他开始狼狈地拔腿飞奔，穿过大草坪上混乱的人群，不顾礼数地一口气冲进偏殿。克里昂一定会气死了。

And there, with an appalled group watching in stupor-there, on the semicircular stairway-was the body of His Imperial Majesty, Cleon I, smashed all but beyond recognition. His rich Imperial robes now served as a shroud. Cowering against the wall, staring stupidly at the horrified faces surrounding him, was Mandell Gruber.

而在偏殿内，一群惊慌失措的人正茫然地瞪大眼睛——在半圆形楼梯上，躺着大帝陛下克里昂一世的尸体，血肉模糊得几乎无法辨认，华丽的皇袍现在成了一件寿衣。而靠着墙壁缩成一团、以痴呆的目光望着周围一张张受惊脸孔的，则是曼德尔·葛鲁柏。

Seldon felt he could take no more. He took in the blaster lying at Gruber's feet. It had been Andorin's, he was sure. He asked softly, "Gruber, what have you done?"

谢顿觉得快要崩溃了。他捡起掉在葛鲁柏脚旁的手铳，那原本是安多闰的，他可以确定。“葛鲁柏，你做了什么？”他轻声问道。

Gruber, staring at him, babbled, "Everyone screaming and yelling. I thought, Who would know? They would think someone else had killed the Emperor. But then I couldn't run."

葛鲁柏望着他，含糊不清地说：“大家都在尖叫和呐喊。我想，谁会知道呢？他们会以为是别人杀了大帝。不料，后来我就跑不动了。”

"But, Gruber. Why?"

“可是，葛鲁柏，到底为了什么？”

"So I wouldn't have to be Chief Gardener." And he collapsed.

“这样我就不必当园丁长了。”说完他便垮成一团。

Seldon stared in shock at the unconscious Gruber.

谢顿望着不省人事的葛鲁柏，心中震撼不已。

Everything had worked out by the narrowest of margins. He himself was alive. Raych was alive. Andorin was dead and the Joranumite Conspiracy would now be hunted down to the last person.

一切都在间不容发的惊险状况下圆满解决。他自己还活着，芮奇还活着；安多闰死了，而九九派阴谋分子则一个也逃不掉。

The center would have held, just as psychohistory had dictated.

帝国的核心将会保住，正如心理史学所要求的。

And then one man, for a reason so trivial as to defy analysis, had killed the Emperor.

然后，一个小人物，为了一个分析不出来的微小理由，竟然就杀了大帝。

And now, thought Seldon in despair, what do we do? What happens next? 

现在，谢顿绝望地想，我们要怎么办？接下来会发生什么事？