PART III DORS VENABILI

第三部 铎丝·凡纳比里

VENABILI, DORS: The life of Hari Seldon is well encrusted with legend and uncertainty, so that little hope remains of ever obtaining a biography that can be thoroughly factual. Perhaps the most puzzling aspect of his life deals with his consort, Dors Venabili. There is no information whatever concerning Dors Venabili, except for her birth on the world of Cinna, prior to her arrival at Streeling University to become a member of the history faculty. Shortly after that, she met Seldon and remained his consort for twenty-eight years. If anything, her life is more interlarded with legend than Seldon's is. There are quite unbelievable tales of her strength and speed and she was widely spoken of, or perhaps whispered of, as "The Tiger Woman." Still more puzzling than her coming, however, is her going, for after a certain time, we hear of her no more and there is no indication as to what happened.

铎丝·凡纳比里：哈里·谢顿的一生充满传奇且众说纷纭，想找一本完全真实的传记如同缘木求鱼。至于他一生最令人费解的一环，或许就是他的配偶铎丝·凡纳比里。铎丝·凡纳比里的早期资料付诸阙如，只知道她生于锡纳这个世界，后来到了斯璀璘大学，成为该校历史系的教授。不久她便遇到谢顿，做了他二十八年的贤内助。若说有谁的一生比谢顿更具传奇性，那就非她莫属。许多相当难以置信的传说，都提到她惊人的力道与速度。当时许多人称她为“虎女”，但也可能只是私下流传。然而，相较于她来自何处，她的去向更加令人费解，因为在某个时间之后，便再也没有她的音讯，却也找不到发生任何变故的线索。

Her role as a historian is evidenced by her works on……

她的历史学家角色，可以从她的研究上……

ENCYCLOPEDIA GALACTICA

——《银河百科全书》

1

1

Wanda was almost eight years old now, going by Galactic Standard Time -as everyone did. She was quite the little lady-grave in manner, with straight light-brown hair. Her eyes were blue but were darkening and she might well end with the brown eyes of her father.

婉达快满八岁了，照例这是根据银河标准时间计算的。她已经像个小妇人，举止庄重，有着一头淡褐色的直发。她的眼珠呈蓝色，但颜色越来越深，最后很可能变成和她父亲一样的棕色眼珠。

She sat there, lost in thought. -Sixty.

她坐在那里，陷入沉思——六十。

That was the number that preoccupied her. Grandfather was going to have a birthday and it was going to be his sixtieth-and sixty was a large number. It bothered her because yesterday she had had a bad dream about it.

就是这个数目令她想得出神。祖父快过生日了，那是他的六十大寿，而六十是个很大的数目。她感到心神不宁，因为昨天她做了一个与此有关的恶梦。

She went in search of her mother. She would have to ask.

她起身去找母亲，她得问个清楚。

Her mother was not hard to find. She was talking to Grandfather-about the birthday surely. Wanda hesitated. It wouldn't be nice to ask in front of Grandfather.

母亲并不难找，她正在和祖父谈话，话题当然与做寿有关。婉达犹豫不决，在祖父面前问那种事可不妥当。

Her mother had no trouble whatever sensing Wanda's consternation. She said, "One minute, Hari, and let's see what's bothering Wanda. What is it, dear?"

母亲毫无困难便察觉到婉达内心的烦乱。她说：“等一下，哈里，我们来看看是什么在困扰婉达。到底是什么事，亲爱的？”

Wanda pulled at her hand. "Not here, Mother. Private."

婉达拉拉她的手。“别在这儿讲，母亲，私下谈。”

Manella turned to Hari Seldon. "See how early it starts? Private lives. Private problems. Of course, Wanda, shall we go to your room?"

玛妮拉转向哈里·谢顿。“看看多早就开始了？私生活，私下的问题。好啊，婉达，我们要到你的房间去吗？”

"Yes, Mother." Wanda was clearly relieved.

“是的，母亲。”婉达显然松了一口气。

Hand in hand, they went and then her mother said, "Now what is the problem, Wanda?"

两人手牵手走到婉达的房间，然后母亲说：“好了，婉达，有什么问题？”

"It's Grandfather, Mother."

“是祖父，母亲。”

"Grandfather! I can't imagine him doing anything to bother you."

“祖父！我无法想象他能做什么困扰你的事。”

"Well, he is." Wanda's eyes filled with sudden tears. "Is he going to die?"

“嗯，就是他。”婉达眼中突然涌出泪水，“他快死了吗？”

"Your grandfather? What put that into your head, Wanda?"

“你祖父？你的脑袋怎么会有这种想法，婉达？”

"He's going to be sixty. That's so old."

“他即将六十岁，那很老了。”

"No, it isn't. It's not young, but it's not old, either. People live to be eighty, ninety, even a hundred-and your grandfather is strong and healthy. He'll live a long time."

“不，那不算老。虽然不算年轻，却也不算老。有人活到八十、九十，甚至一百岁。而且你祖父身体健壮，他会很长命的。”

"Are you sure?" She was sniffing.

“你确定吗？”她一面说一面抽噎。

Manella grasped her daughter by the shoulders and looked her straight in the eyes. "We must all die someday, Wanda. I've explained that to you before. Just the same, we don't worry about it till the someday is much closer." She wiped Wanda's eyes gently. "Grandfather is going to stay alive till you're all grown up and have babies of your own. You'll see. Now come back with me. I want you to talk to Grandfather."

玛妮拉抓住女儿的肩膀，面对面直视着她的双眼。“我们总有一天都会死去，婉达，这点我以前对你解释过。话说回来，在那一天快要来到之前，我们不该担心这件事。”她温柔地擦了擦婉达的眼睛，“祖父会好好活着，直到你长大成人，生下你自己的宝宝，你等着看吧。现在跟我回去，我要你自己和祖父说。”

Wanda sniffed again.

婉达又抽噎起来。

Seldon looked at the little girl with a sympathetic expression on her return and said, "What is it, Wanda? Why are you unhappy?"

谢顿带着一副同情的表情，望着走回来的小女孩。他说：“怎么回事，婉达？你为什么难过？”

Wanda shook her head.

婉达摇了摇头。

Seldon turned his gaze to the girl's mother. "Well, what is it, Manella?"

谢顿将目光转向女孩的母亲。“好了，到底是怎么回事，玛妮拉？”

Manella shook her head. "She'll have to tell you herself."

玛妮拉也摇了摇头。“她得自己和你说。”

Seldon sat down and tapped his lap. "Come, Wanda. Have a seat and tell me your troubles."

谢顿坐下来，拍拍自己的膝盖。“来，婉达，坐在这里，把你的困扰告诉我。”

She obeyed and wriggled a bit, then said, "I'm scared."

她照做了。坐下之后她扭了几下，才说：“我害怕。”

Seldon put his arm around her. "Nothing to be scared of in your old grandfather."

谢顿伸出一只臂膀搂住她。“在老祖父怀中，没什么好怕的。”

Manella made a face. "Wrong word."

玛妮拉做了个鬼脸。“说错话了。”

Seldon looked up at her. "Grandfather?"

谢顿抬头望向她。“祖父？”

"No. Old."

“不，是老。”

That seemed to break the dike. Wanda burst into tears. "You're old, Grandfather."

这句话产生了决堤效应，婉达哇哇哭了起来。“你老了，爷爷。”

"I suppose so. I'm sixty." He bent his face down to Wanda's and whispered, "I don't like it, either, Wanda. That's why I'm glad you're only seven going on eight."

“我想是吧，我六十岁了。”他低下头来面对婉达，悄声道，“我也不喜欢这样，婉达，这就是为什么我很高兴你才七八岁。”

"Your hair is white, Grandpa."

“你的头发是白的，爷爷。”

"It wasn't always. It just turned white recently."

“不是一直这样，是最近才变白的。”

"White hair means you're going to die, Grandpa."

“白头发代表你快死了，爷爷。”

Seldon looked shocked. He said to Manella, "What is all this?"

谢顿看来吃了一惊，他对玛妮拉说：“这究竟是怎么回事？”

"I don't know, Hari. It's her own idea."

“我不知道，哈里，那是她自己的念头。”

"I had a bad dream," said Wanda.

“我做了个恶梦。”婉达说。

Seldon cleared his throat. "We all have bad dreams now and then, Wanda. It's good we do. Bad dreams get rid of bad thoughts and then we're better off."

谢顿清了清喉咙。“我们都会偶尔做做恶梦，婉达。这样有好处的，恶梦会赶走可怕的想法，然后我们就会舒服多了。”

"It was about you dying, Grandfather."

“我梦见你快死了，爷爷。”

"I know. I know. Dreams can be about dying, but that doesn't make them important. Look at me. Don't you see how alive I am-and cheerful-and laughing? Do I look as though I'm dying? Tell me."

“我知道，我知道。做梦可能会梦见死亡，这并不代表有什么不得了。看看我，你看不出我多么有活力，多么愉快，而且笑口常开吗？我看起来像是快死了吗？告诉我。”

"N-no."

“不——像。”

"There you are, then. Now you go out and play and forget all about this. I'm just having a birthday and everyone will have a good time. Go ahead, dear."

“那就对了。现在你出去玩玩，把这一切忘掉。我只是要过个生日，大家都会玩个尽兴。去吧，亲爱的。”

Wanda left in reasonable cheer, but Seldon motioned to Manella to stay.

婉达带着还不错的心情离去，谢顿却示意玛妮拉留下来。

2

2

Seldon said, "Wherever do you think Wanda got such a notion?"

谢顿说：“你认为婉达打哪儿弄来这种想法的？”

"Come now, Hari. She had a Salvanian gecko that died, remember? One of her friends had a father who died in an accident and she sees deaths on holovision all the time. It is impossible for any child to be so protected as not to be aware of death. Actually I wouldn't want her to be so protected. Death is an essential part of life; she must learn that."

“这还用说吗，哈里。她养的一只沙尔凡守宫后来死了，记得吗？她有个朋友的父亲在一场意外中丧生，而且她天天在全息电视上目睹死亡。想要保护孩子的心灵，不让他们知晓死亡是不可能的。事实上，我也不想那样保护她。死亡是生命中不可避免的一环，她必须了解这点。”

"I don't mean death in general, Manella. I mean my death in particular. What has put that into her head?"

“我不是泛指一般的死亡，玛妮拉，我是专指我的死亡。她的脑袋怎么会装有那种想法？”

Manella hesitated. She was very fond, indeed, of Hari Seldon. She thought, Who would not be, so how can I say this?

玛妮拉迟疑了一下。她实在非常喜欢哈里·谢顿。她想，谁会不喜欢他呢？所以我怎么说得出口呢？

But how could she not say this? So she said, "Hari, you yourself put it into her head."

但是她又怎能不说出来呢？因此她说：“哈里，是你自己把这个想法装进她脑袋的。”

"I?"

“我？”

"Of course, you've been speaking for months of turning sixty and complaining loudly of growing old. The only reason people are setting up this party is to console you."

“当然啦，过去几个月，你一直在说快要六十了，而且大声埋怨自己老了。大家筹办这个宴会的唯一理由，就是要来安慰你。”

"It's no fun turning sixty," said Seldon indignantly. "Wait! Wait! You'll find out."

“六十岁没什么好玩的。”谢顿愤愤地说，“等着吧！等着吧！你会知道的。”

"I will-if I'm lucky. Some people don't make it to sixty. Just the same, if turning sixty and being old are all you talk about, you end up frightening an impressionable little girl."

“我会的，如果运气好的话，有些人还活不到六十呢。话说回来，如果你满口都是六十了和老了，结果就是吓到一个敏感的小女孩。”

Seldon sighed and looked troubled. "I'm sorry, but it's hard. Look at my hands. They're getting spotted and soon they'll be gnarled. I can do hardly anything in the way of Twisting any longer. A child could probably force me to my knees."

谢顿叹了一口气，现出为难的表情。“我很抱歉，但这实在很难。看看我的两只手，已经出现斑斑点点，很快就会变得瘦骨嶙峋。我几乎再也不能做任何形式的角力，一个小孩或许就能令我双膝着地。”

"In what way does that make you different from other sixty-year-olds? At least your brain is working as well as ever. How often have you said that that's all that counts?"

“难道其他六十岁的人不是这样吗？至少你的头脑和以往一样灵光。那是唯一重要的事，这话你自己说过多少遍？”

"I know. But I miss my body."

“我知道，但我怀念我的身体。”

Manella said with just a touch of malice, "Especially when Dors doesn't seem to get any older."

玛妮拉带着一丝刻薄说：“尤其是，铎丝似乎一点也不显老。”

Seldon said uneasily, "Well yes, I suppose……" He looked away, clearly unwilling to talk about the matter.

谢顿不自在地说：“是啊，我想……”他别过头去，显然不愿谈论这个话题。

Manella looked at her father-in-law gravely. The trouble was, he knew nothing about children-or about people generally. It was hard to think that he had spent ten years as First Minister under the old Emperor and yet ended up knowing as little about people as he did.

玛妮拉以严肃的眼神望着她的公公。问题在于他对小孩一无所知，或者说根本对人性毫无概念。很难想象他在先皇御前当了十年首相，结果却对人性了解得那么少。

Of course, he was entirely wrapped up in this psychohistory of his, that dealt with quadrillions of people, which ultimately meant dealing with no people at all-as individuals. And how could he know about children when he had had no contact with any child except Raych, who had entered his life as a twelve-year-old? Now he had Wanda, who was-and would probably remain to him-an utter mystery.

当然，那个心理史学完全占据了他的心思。它所研究的是万兆之众，结果就等于根本不研究任何人——任何个人。除了芮奇之外，他从未接触过任何小孩，而芮奇进入他生命时已经十二岁，他又怎能对小孩有所了解呢？如今他有了婉达，对他而言她全然是一团谜，或许今后始终如此。

Manella thought all this lovingly. She had the incredible desire to protect Hari Seldon from a world he did not understand. It was the only point at which she and her mother-in-law, Dors Venabili, met and coalesced-this desire to protect Hari Seldon.

想到这一切时，玛妮拉心中充满着爱。她有一股不可思议的冲动，想要保护哈里·谢顿，为他屏蔽一个他所不了解的世界。这一点，这股保护哈里·谢顿的冲动，是她与她的婆婆铎丝·凡纳比里唯一的交集。

Manella had saved Seldon's life ten years before. Dors, in her strange way, had considered this an invasion of her prerogative and had never quite forgiven Manella.

十年前，玛妮拉曾经救过谢顿一命。铎丝却因为奇怪的理由，认为那是侵犯了她的特权，而从未真正原谅过玛妮拉。

Seldon, in his turn, had then saved Manella's life. She closed her eyes briefly and the whole scene returned to her, almost as though it were happening to her right now.

然后，谢顿又反过来救了玛妮拉一命。她闭上眼睛一会儿，整个情景再度浮现脑海，几乎像是正在发生的一件事。

3

3

It was a week after the assassination of Cleon-and a horrible week it shad been. All of Trantor was in chaos.

那是克里昂遇刺一周之后——多么可怕的一周，整个川陀陷入一片混乱。

Hari Seldon still kept his office as First Minister, but it was clear he had no power. He called in Manella Dubanqua.

哈里·谢顿仍旧保有首相的职位，但显然已失去权力。他召来了玛妮拉·杜邦夸。

"I want to thank you for saving Raych's life and my own. I haven't I a chance to do so yet." Then with a sigh, "I have scarcely had a chance to do anything this past week."

“我要谢谢你救了芮奇和我自己的性命，我一直还没有机会向你致谢。”他叹了一声，又说：“过去一周以来，我几乎没有机会做任何事。”

Manella asked, "What happened to the mad gardener?"

玛妮拉问道：“那个疯园丁怎样了？”

"Executed! At once! No trial! I tried to save him by pointing out that was insane. But there was no question about it. If he had done anything else, committed any other crime, his madness would have been recognized and he would have been spared. Committed-locked up and treated-but spared, nonetheless. But to kill the Emperor……" Seldon shook his head sadly.

“处决！立即执行！未经审判！我试图拯救他，指出他精神失常，可是完全行不通。假使他做的是其他任何事，犯的是其他任何罪，他们都会承认他发了疯，而他就能获得赦免。他会有罪，会被关起来接受治疗，然而却能免于一死。可是杀害皇帝……”谢顿悲伤地摇了摇头。

Manella said, "What's going to happen now, First Minister?"

玛妮拉又问：“今后会发生些什么呢，首相？”

"I'll tell you what I think. The Entun Dynasty is finished. Cleon's son will not succeed. I don't think he wants to. He fears assassination in his turn and I don't blame him one bit. It would be much better for him to retire to one of the family estates on some Outer World and live a quiet Because he is a member of the Imperial House, he will untie allowed to do this. You and I may be less fortunate."

“我来把我的看法告诉你。恩腾皇朝结束了，克里昂的儿子不会继位，我不认为他想当皇帝。他怕自己也遭到行刺，而我一点都不怪他。退隐到某个外围世界的家族属地，在那里过着平静的生活，对他而言会好得多。因为他是皇室的一分子，他无疑能如愿以偿，你我的运气也许就没有那么好。”

Manella frowned. "In what way, sir?"

玛妮拉皱起眉头。“大人，哪一方面？”

Seldon cleared his throat. "It is possible to argue that because you killed Gleb Andorin, he dropped his blaster, which became available to Mandell Gruber, who used it to kill Cleon. Therefore you bear a strong share of the responsibility of the crime and it may even be said that it was all prearranged.?

谢顿清了清喉咙。“他们可以声称，是因为你杀了葛列布·安多闰，令他的手铳落地，曼德尔·葛鲁柏才能捡起来，用它杀掉克里昂。因此对于这桩罪行，你也背负了重大的责任。他们甚至可能会说，一切都是预先安排好的。”

釘ut that痴 ridiculous. I am a member of the security establishment, fulfilling my duties-doing what I was ordered to do."

“但那简直荒谬。我是保安部门的一员，是在执行我的任务，遵照我的命令行事。”

Seldon smiled sadly. "You're arguing rationally and rationality is not going to be in fashion for a while. What's going to happen now, in the absence of a legitimate successor to the Imperial throne, is that we are bound to have a military government."

谢顿露出苦笑。“你是在以理性申辩，但这年头理性不流行了。在皇位没有合法继承人的情况下，接下来会发生的事，是必定出现一个军政府。”

(In later years, when Manella came to understand the workings of psychohistory, she wondered if Seldon had used the technique to work out what was going to happen, for the military rule certainly came to pass. At the time, however, he made no mention of his fledgling theory.)

后来，玛妮拉了解了心理史学的功用后，她怀疑谢顿是否曾用心理史学的技术，算出将要发生的事，因为军事统治果真出现了。然而，当时他并未提到他刚出炉的理论。

"If we do have a military government," he went on, "then it will be necessary for them to establish a firm rule at once, crush any signs of disaffection, act vigorously and cruelly, even in defiance of rationality and justice. If they accuse you, Miss Dubanqua, of being part of a plot to kill the Emperor, you will be slaughtered, not as an act of justice but as a way of cowing the people of Trantor.

“如果真的出现军政府，”他继续说，“他们就有必要立刻建立稳固的统治，粉碎任何不忠的征兆，而且会是以有力且残酷的方式行事，甚至不顾理性和正义。假使他们指控你，杜邦夸小姐，参与行刺大帝的阴谋，你就会惨遭杀害。这并非伸张正义的行动，而是恐吓川陀人民的手段。

"For that matter, they might say that I was part of the plot, too. After all, I went out to greet the new gardeners when it was not my place to do so. Had I not done so, there would have been no attempt to kill me, you would not have struck back, and the Emperor would have lived. -Do you see how it all fits?"

“除此之外，他们还可能说我也参与了这项阴谋。毕竟，是我出去迎接那些新园丁，那并非我分内之事。假使我没有那样做，就不会有人企图杀我，你也就不会还击，而大帝便能保住性命。你看得出一切多么吻合吗？”

"I can't believe they will do this."

“我无法相信他们会这样做。”

"Perhaps they won't. I'll make them an offer that, just perhaps, they may not wish to refuse."

“或许他们不会。我会提出一个他们可能不愿拒绝的条件，但只是可能而已。”

"What would that be?"

“什么条件？”

"I will offer to resign as First Minister. They don't want me, they won't have me. But the fact is that I do have supporters at the Imperial Court and, even more important, people in the Outer Worlds who find me acceptable. That means that if the members of the Imperial Guard force me out, then even if they don't execute me, they will have some trouble. If, on the other hand, I resign, stating that I believe the military government is what Trantor and the Empire needs, then I actually help them, you see?"

“就是我自动辞去首相的职位。他们不想要我，他们容不下我。然而事实是，我在宫廷中的确有些支持者，而甚至更重要的是，外围世界觉得我是可以接受的。这就意味着，假使禁卫军的成员要逼我下台，那么即使不处决我，他们仍会有些麻烦。反之，如果我自己辞职，并声明我相信军政府正是川陀和帝国所需要的，那么我的确是帮了他们一个大忙，你懂了吗？”

He mused a little and said, "Besides, there is the little matter of psychohistory."

他沉思了一下，又说：“此外，还有心理史学这个小小因素。”

(That was the first time Manella had ever heard the word.)

这是玛妮拉第一次听到这个名词。

"What's that?"

“那是什么？”

"Something I'm working on. Cleon believed in its powers very strongly-more strongly than I did at the time-and there's a considerable feeling in the court that psychohistory is, or might be, a powerful tool that could be made to work on the side of the government-whatever the government might be.

“是我在研究的一样东西。克里昂曾经对它的威力深具信心，他的信心甚至强过了当时的我。而宫廷中则普遍有一种感觉，认为心理史学是——或可能是——一个强有力的工具，可用来为政府服务，不论是什么样的政府。

"Nor does it matter if they know nothing about the details of the science. I'd rather they didn't. Lack of knowledge can increase what we might call the superstitious aspect of the situation. In which case, they will let me continue working on my research as a private citizen. At least, I hope so. -And that brings me to you."

“即使他们对这门科学的细节一无所知，那也没关系。我宁愿他们不懂，如此便能加强我们所谓的‘情势的迷信层面’。这样一来，他们就会让我以平民的身份，继续我的研究工作。至少，我希望如此——而这就和你有关了。”

What about me?

“怎样有关？”

"I'm going to ask as part of the deal that you be allowed to resign h the security establishment and that no action be taken against you ~ the events in connection with the assassination. I ought to be able to

“我准备在条件中加入一项，那就是准许你辞去保安部门的职务，并且不得由于这桩行刺案，对你采取任何行动。我应该有办法争取得到。”

'But you're talking about ending my career."

“但您是在说葬送我的前途。”

"Your career is, in any case, over. Even if the Imperial Guard doesn't up an order of execution against you, can you imagine that you will Be allowed to continue working as a security officer?"

“无论如何，你的前途已经完了。即使禁卫军不发出你的处决令，你能想象他们会准许你继续担任保安官吗？”

"But what do I do? How do I make a living?"

“但我要做什么呢？我要如何为生？”

"I'll take care of that, Miss Dubanqua. In all likelihood, I'll go back to Streeling University, with a large grant for my psychohistorical research, I'm sure that I can find a place for you."

“我会负责的，杜邦夸小姐。十之八九，我会带着心理史学的庞大研究经费，回到斯璀璘大学，我确定能帮你找个职位。”

Manella, round-eyed, said, "Why should you……"

双眼圆睁的玛妮拉说：“您为什么要……”

Seldon said, "I can't believe you're asking. You saved Raych's life and own. Is it conceivable that I don't owe you anything?"

谢顿说：“我无法相信你会问这个问题。你救了芮奇和我自己的性命，能说我不欠你任何情吗？”

And it was as he said. Seldon resigned gracefully from the post he had held for ten years. He was given a fulsome letter of appreciation for His services by the just-formed military government, a junta led by certain members of the Imperial Guard and the armed forces. He returned to Streeling University and Manella Dubanqua, relieved of her own post as security officer, went with Seldon and his family.

一切正如他所说的。谢顿潇洒地辞去保有十年的职位，回到了斯璀璘大学。新近成立的军政府（由禁卫军与武装部队的重要成员所领导的执政团）发给他一封溢美的褒扬信，感谢他对帝国所作的贡献。而玛妮拉·杜邦夸也解除了保安官的职务，随着谢顿及其家人一同前往斯璀璘。

4

4

Raych came in, blowing on his hands. "I'm all for deliberate variety in the weather. You don't want things under a dome to always be the same. Today though, they made it just a little too cold and worked up a wind, besides. I think it's about time someone complained to weather control."

芮奇一面走进来，一面对着双手呼气。“我完全赞成天气刻意有些变化，你不会希望穹顶之下的事物总是一成不变。不过，今天他们未免把气温调得太冷了点，此外还弄出一阵风。我认为，该是有人向气象控制局抱怨的时候了。”

的 don't know that it's weather control's fault," said Seldon. "It's getting harder to control things in general."

“我认为并不是气象控制局的错。”谢顿说，“每件事物都越来越难控制了。”

"I know. Deterioration." Raych brushed his thick black mustache with the back of his hand. He did that often, as though he had never quite managed to get over the few months during which he had been mustacheless in Wye. He had also put on a little weight around the middle and, overall, had come to seem very comfortable and middleclass. Even his Dahl accent had faded somewhat.

“我知道，这就是没落。”芮奇用手背抹了抹又黑又浓的八字胡，他经常这么做，仿佛对于剃掉胡须的那几个月，他始终未能完全释怀。他的腰际多了一点赘肉，而且整体而言，他变得像个生活非常安逸的中产阶级，连他的达尔口音也早已消退几分。

He took off his light coverall and said, "And how's the old birthday boy?"

他脱掉轻便的连身服，说道：“老寿星怎么样？”

"Resenting it. Wait, wait, my son. One of these days, you'll be celebrating your fortieth birthday. We'll see how funny you'll think that is."

“闷闷不乐。等着吧，等着吧，儿子。过不了多久，你就要庆祝你的四十岁生日，我们等着看你会认为有多好玩。”

"Not as funny as sixty."

“不会有六十大寿那么好玩。”

"Stop joking," said Manella, who had been chafing Raych's hands, trying to warm them.

“别开玩笑。”玛妮拉说，她正搓着芮奇的手，试图把他的双手弄暖和。

Seldon spread his own hands. "We're doing the wrong thing, Raych. Your wife is of the opinion that all this talk about my turning sixty has sent little Wanda into a decline over the possibility of my dying."

谢顿两手一摊。“我们做错了事，芮奇。你太太认为，由于大家都在谈论我即将六十岁，害得小婉达以为我大概快死了。”

"Really?" said Raych. "That accounts for it, then. I stopped in to see her and she told me at once, before I even had a chance to say a word, that she had had a bad dream. Was it about your dying?"

“真的吗？”芮奇说，“那就真相大白了。我刚才先去看了看她，还没机会说半个字，她就立刻告诉我，说她做了一个恶梦。她梦见你快死了吗？”

"Apparently," said Seldon.

“显然如此。”谢顿说。

"Well, she'll get over that. No way of stopping bad dreams."

“嗯，她会好起来的，谁也没法不做恶梦。”

"I'm not dismissing it that easily," said Manella. "She's brooding over it and that's not healthy. I'm going to get to the bottom of this."

“我可没有那么容易把它抛到脑后。”玛妮拉说，“她在沉思这件事，那是不健康的，我准备追根究底弄个清楚。”

"As you say, Manella," said Raych agreeably. "You're my dear wife and whatever you say-about Wanda-goes." And he brushed his mustache again.

“就依你，玛妮拉。”芮奇表示同意，“你是我亲爱的妻子，和婉达有关的事，你怎么说就怎么办。”说完，他又抹了抹他的八字胡。

His dear wife! It hadn't been so easy to make her his dear wife. Raych remembered his mother's attitude toward the possibility. Talk about nightmares. It was he who had the periodic nightmares in which he had to face down the furious Dors Venabili once more.

亲爱的妻子！当初，让她变成亲爱的妻子可不容易。芮奇还记得母亲对这件事的态度，说到恶梦，他才是周期性做着恶梦。每次在梦中，他都必须再度面对怒不可遏的铎丝·凡纳比里。

5

5

Raych's first clear memory, after emerging from his desperance-induced ordeal, was that of being shaved.

脱离了丧气的苦海之后，芮奇第一个清楚的记忆，是有人在帮他刮胡子。

He felt the vibrorazor moving along his cheek and he said weakly, "Don't cut anywhere near my upper lip, barber. I want my mustache back."

他感到振动式刮胡刀沿着自己的面颊移动，便以虚弱的声音说：“我上唇附近任何地方都别刮，理发师，我要八字胡长回来。”

The barber, who had already received his instructions from Seldon held up a mirror to reassure him.

理发师早已接到谢顿的指示，他举起一面镜子，好让芮奇安心。

Dors Venabili, who was sitting at his bedside, said, "Let him work, Raych. Don't excite yourself."

坐在床沿的铎丝·凡纳比里说：“让他工作，芮奇，你别激动。”

Raych's eyes turned toward her momentarily and he was quiet. When the barber left, Dors said, "How do you feel, Raych?"

芮奇将目光转向她片刻，却没有开口。理发师离去后，铎丝说：“你感觉如何，芮奇？”

"Rotten," he muttered. "I'm so depressed, I can't stand it."

“坏透了。”他喃喃道，“我好沮丧，我受不了。”

"That's the lingering effect of the desperance you've been dosed with. The effects will wash out."

“那是你中了丧气后的残存效应，很快就会退去的。”

"I can't believe it. How long has it been?"

“我无法相信。已经多久了？”

"Never mind. It will take time. You were pumped full of it."

“别管了。还需要些时间，你全身灌满了丧气。”

He looked around restlessly. "Has Manella been to see me?"

他焦躁地四下张望。“玛妮拉来看过我吗？”

"That woman?" (Raych was getting used to hearing Dors speak of Manella with those words and in that tone of voice.) "No. You're not fit for visitors yet."

“那个女人？”（从此，芮奇逐渐习惯铎丝用那种字眼与口气提到玛妮拉。）“没有，你还不适合接见访客。”

Interpreting the look on Raych's face, Dors quickly added, "I'm an exception because I'm your mother, Raych. Why would you want that woman to see you, anyway? You're in no condition to be seen."

铎丝看懂了芮奇做出的表情，赶紧补充道：“我是例外，因为我是你母亲，芮奇。无论如何，你为什么想要那个女人来看你？你的情况绝不适合见人。”

"All the more reason to see her," muttered Raych. "I want her to see me at my worst." He then turned to one side dispiritedly. "I want to sleep."

“正因为这样，我更要见她，”芮奇喃喃道，“我要她看看我最糟的样子。”然后，他无精打采地翻了个身。“我想要睡觉。”

Dors Venabili shook her head. Later that day she said to Seldon "I don't know what we're going to do about Raych. Hari. He's quite unreasonable."

铎丝·凡纳比里摇了摇头。当天稍后，她对谢顿说：“我不知道我们该拿芮奇怎么办，哈里，他相当不讲理。”

Seldon said, "He's not well, Dors. Give the young man a chance."

谢顿说：“他不舒服，铎丝，给这孩子一点时间。”

"He keeps muttering about that woman. Whatever her name is."

“他一直咕哝着那个女人，谁记得她叫什么名字。”

"Manella Dubanqua. It's not a hard name to remember."

“玛妮拉·杜邦夸，那不是个难记的名字。”

"I think he wants to set up housekeeping with her. Live with her. Marry her."

“我认为他想和她共组一个家，和她住在一起，和她结婚！”

Seldon shrugged. "Raych is thirty-old enough to make up his own mind."

谢顿耸了耸肩。“芮奇三十岁了，足以自己作出决定。”

"As his parents, we have something to say-surely."

“身为他的父母，我们当然有发言权。”

Hari sighed. "And I'm sure you've said it, Dors. And once you've said it, I'm sure he'll do as he wishes."

谢顿叹了一口气。“我确定你已经说过了，铎丝。虽然你说过了，我确定他仍旧会照自己的意思去做。”

"Is that your final word? Do you intend to do nothing while he makes plans to marry a woman like that?"

“这就是你的结论吗？他打算娶一个像那样的女人，你准备不闻不问吗？”

"What do you expect me to do, Dors? Manella saved Raych's life. Do you expect him to forget that? She saved mine, too, for that matter."

“你指望我做些什么，铎丝？玛妮拉救了芮奇一命，你指望他忘记吗？非但如此，她还救了我。”

That seemed to feed Dors's anger. She said, "And you also saved her. The score is even."

这句话似乎把铎丝惹火了，她说：“而你也救了她，你们扯平了。”

"I didn't exactly……"

“我不算真……”

"Of course you did. The military rascals who now run the Empire would have slaughtered her if you didn't step in and sell them your resignation and your support in order to save her."

“你当然救了她。假如你未曾介入，未曾为了救她而把你的辞呈和你的支持卖给他们，那些现在统治帝国的军头早就把她给杀了。”

"Though I may have evened the score, which I don't think I have, Raych has not. And, Dors dear, I would be very careful when it came to using unfortunate terms to describe our government. These times are not going to be as easy as the times when Cleon ruled and there will always be informers to repeat what they hear you say."

“尽管我和她可能扯平了，虽然我并不这么想，可是芮奇还没有。此外，铎丝吾爱，若想用不适当的字眼形容我们的政府，我自己会三思而后行。如今的日子，不再像克里昂统治时那么容易过了，无论你说什么，都可能被人拿去告密。”

"Never mind that. I don't like that woman. I presume that, at least, is permissible."

“别管这个了。我不喜欢那个女人，我想，这点至少是允许的。”

"Permissible, certainly, but of no use."

“当然是允许的，可是没用。”

Hari looked down at the floor, deep in thought. Dors's usually unfathomable black eyes were positively flashing in anger. Hari looked up.

谢顿低头望着地板，陷入了沉思。铎丝那双通常看起来深不可测的黑眼睛，此时无疑闪烁着怒火。

"What I'd like to know, Dors, is why? Why do you dislike Manella so? She saved our lives. If it had not been for her quick action, both Raych and I would be dead."

谢顿抬起头来。“我所希望知道的，铎丝，是到底为什么？你为什么这样不喜欢玛妮拉？她救了我们父子的命。若不是她迅速采取行动，芮奇和我都会丧生。”

Dors snapped back, "Yes, Hari. I know that better than anyone. And if she had not been there, I would not have been able to do a thing to prevent your murder. I suppose you think I should be grateful. But every time I look at that woman, I am reminded of my failure. I know these feelings are not truly rational-and that is something I can't explain. So do not ask me to like her, Hari. I cannot."

铎丝反驳道：“没错，哈里，这点我比任何人都明白。假使当时她不在场，我也根本无法阻止那次谋杀。我想你会认为我该心存感激，但我每次看到那个女人，就会联想到我的失败。我知道这种情绪并非真正理性的，而这是我无法解释的事。所以别要求我喜欢她，哈里，我办不到。”

But the next day even Dors had to back down when the doctor said, "Your son wishes to see a woman named Manella."

可是第二天，就连铎丝也不得不让步了。因为医生说：“你家公子希望见一位名叫玛妮拉的女子。”

"He's in no condition to see visitors," snapped Dors.

“他的情况绝不适合接见访客。”铎丝吼道。

"On the contrary. He is. He's doing quite well. Besides, he insists and is doing so most strenuously. I don't know that we'd be wise to refuse him."

“刚好相反，他很适合，他恢复得很好。何况，他坚持要见她，态度无比激昂，我认为拒绝他并非明智的做法。”

So they brought in Manella and Raych greeted her effusively and with the first faint sign of happiness since he had arrived at the hospital.

于是他们带玛妮拉进了病房。芮奇热情洋溢地欢迎她，自从住进医院后，他首度露出一丝飘忽的快乐神情。

He made an unmistakable small gesture of dismissal at Dors. Lips tightened, she left.

他对铎丝做了一个小动作，毫无疑问是要打发她走，她便撅着嘴离开了。

And the day came when Raych said, "She'll have me, Mom."

终于有一天，芮奇说：“妈，她要嫁给我。”

Dors said, "Do you expect me to be surprised, you foolish man? Of course she'll have you. You're her only chance, now that she's been disgraced, ousted from the security establishment . "

铎丝说：“你这个傻男人，你指望我惊讶吗？她当然要嫁给你，你是她唯一的机会。她已经名誉扫地，被赶出保安部门……”

Raych said, "Mom, if you're trying to lose me, this is exactly the way of doing it. Don't say things like that."

芮奇说：“妈，如果你想失去我，这样做正好能达到目的。不要这样子说话。”

"I'm only thinking of your welfare."

“我只是为你的幸福着想。”

"I'll think of my own good, thank you. I'm no one's ticket to respectability-if you'll stop to think of it. I'm not exactly handsome. I'm short. Dad isn't First Minister anymore and I talk solid lower-class. What's there for her to be proud of in me? She can do a lot better, but she wants me. And let me tell you, I want her."

“我会为我自己着想，谢了。我并不是某人提升社会地位的阶梯，拜托你别再这么想。我不算英俊，我个子不高，爸也不再是首相了，而我的谈吐属于不折不扣的低下阶层。我有什么地方值得她骄傲的？她能找到好得多的归宿，但她就是要我。而且我告诉你，我也要她。”

"But you know what she is."

“但你知道她是什么人。”

"Of course I know what she is. She's a woman who loves me. She's the woman I love. That's what she is."

“我当然知道她是什么人。她是个爱我的女人，她是个我爱的女人，她就是这么一个人。”

"And before you fell in love with her, what was she? You know some of what she had to do while undercover in Wye you were one of her `assignments.' How many others were there? Are you able to live with her past? With what she did in the name of duty? Now you can afford to be idealistic. But someday you will have your first quarrel with her-or your second or your nineteenth-and you'll break down and say, `You

“在你和她坠入情网之前，她又是什么人？她在卫荷卧底的时候都做些什么，你也略有所知，你自己就是她的‘任务’之一。她还有其他多少任务？你能接受她的过去吗？能接受她以职务之名所做的一切吗？现在你能大方地做个理想主义者，但总有一天你会和她发生口角。或许就在第一次，或许是在第二次或第十九次，但你终究会爆发，会说：‘你这婊子！’”

Raych shouted angrily, "Don't say that! When we fight, I'll call her unreasonable, irrational, nagging, whining, inconsiderate-a million adjectives that will fit the situation. And she'll have words for me. But they'll all be sensible words that can be withdrawn when the fight is over."

芮奇怒吼道：“别那样说！当我们争吵时，我会骂她不讲理、没理智、唠唠叨叨、爱发牢骚、不体谅人，会有百万个形容词适合当时的状况。而她同样会骂我，但那些都是理性的字眼，争吵过后都收得回来。”

"You think so-but just wait till it happens "

“你现在这么想，将来等着瞧吧。”

Raych had turned white. He said, "Mother, you've been with Father now for almost twenty years. Father is a hard man to disagree with, but there have been times when you two have argued. I've heard you. In all those twenty years, has he ever called you by any name that would in any way compromise your role as human being? For that matter, have I done so? Can you conceive of me doing so now-no matter how angry I get?"

芮奇面色铁青，他说：“母亲，你和父亲在一起将近二十年了。父亲是个让人难以反对的人，但你们两人也有争论的时候，我听到过。在这二十年间，他有没有用过任何恶毒的字眼，指桑骂槐或冷嘲热讽你不是人？同样道理，我那样做过吗？你能想象我现在会那样做吗，不论我多么生气？”

Dors struggled. Her face did not show emotion in quite the same way that Raych's did or Seldon's would, but it was clear that she was momentarily incapable of speech.

铎丝内心在挣扎。她不会像芮奇或谢顿那样，让情绪在脸上表露无遗，但显然她一时之间说不出话来。

"In fact," said Raych, pushing his advantage (and feeling horrible at doing so) "the fact of the matter is that you are jealous because Manella saved Dad's life. You don't want anyone to do that but you. Well, you had no chance to do so. Would you prefer it if Manella had not shot Andorin-if Dad had died? And me, too?"

“事实上，”芮奇乘胜追击（这样做令他感到厌恶），“其实你是在吃醋，因为玛妮拉救了爸一命。除了你自己，你不要任何人做这件事。好啊，你当时没机会那样做，要是玛妮拉没射杀安多闰，要是爸死了，我也死了，你是不是会更高兴？”

Dors said in a choked voice, "He insisted on going out to meet the gardeners alone. He would not allow me to come."

铎丝以哽塞的声音说：“他坚持要单独出去接见那些园丁，他不准我一起去。”

"But that wasn't Manella's fault."

“但那可不是玛妮拉的错。”

"Is that why you want to marry her? Gratitude?"

“这就是你要娶她的理由？出于感激？”

"No. Love."

“不，是出于爱。”

And so it was, but Manella said to Raych after the ceremony, "Your mother may have attended the wedding because you insisted, Raych, but she looked like one of those thunderclouds they sometimes send sailing under the dome."

于是一切敲定，但在婚礼过后，玛妮拉对芮奇说：“在你的坚持下，芮奇，你母亲或许不得不参加婚礼，可是她的样子看起来，活像有时飘浮在穹顶之下的人造雷雨云。”

Raych laughed. "She doesn't have the face to be a thundercloud. You're just imagining it."

芮奇哈哈大笑。“她的脸成不了雷雨云，那只是你的想象。”

"Not at all. How will we ever get her to give us a chance?"

“绝对不是。我们要怎么做，才能让她给我们一个机会？”

"We'll just be patient. She'll get over it."

“我们只要有耐心，她的心结会打开的。”

But Dors Venabili didn't.

可是铎丝·凡纳比里始终未曾打开心结。

Two years after the wedding, Wanda was born. Dors's attitude toward the child was all Raych and Manella could have wanted, but Wanda's mother remained "that woman" to Raych's mother.

结婚两年后，婉达出世了。铎丝对这孩子的态度，正是芮奇与玛妮拉梦寐以求的。但在芮奇的母亲心中，婉达的母亲仍旧是“那个女人”。

6

6

Hari Seldon was fighting off melancholy. He was lectured in turn by Dors, by Raych, by Yugo, and by Manella. All united to tell him that sixty was not old.

哈里·谢顿心情沉重地抵挡众人的攻势。铎丝、芮奇、雨果与玛妮拉轮番上阵，众口同声告诉他六十岁并不算老。

They simply did not understand. He had been thirty when the first hint of psychohistory had come to him, thirty-two when he delivered his famous lecture at the Decennial Convention, following which everything seemed to happen to him at once. After his brief interview with Cleon, He had fled across Trantor and met Demerzel, Dors, Yugo, and Raych, to say nothing of the people of Mycogen, of Dahl, and of Wye.

可是他们根本不了解。三十岁的时候，他第一次有了心理史学的灵感；三十二岁的时候，他在十载会议上发表那场着名的演说，接着一切似乎立刻接踵而至。在与克里昂作过简短的会晤后，他开始在川陀各处逃亡，遇到了丹莫刺尔、铎丝、雨果与芮奇，当然还有住在麦曲生、达尔与卫荷的许多人。

He was forty when he became First Minister and fifty when he had relinquished the post. Now he was sixty.

他四十岁时当上首相，五十岁时辞去那个职位，现在他六十岁了。

He had spent thirty years on psychohistory. How many more years would he require? How many more years would he live? Would he die with the Psychohistory Project unfinished after all?

他在心理史学上已经花了三十个年头。他还需要多少年？他还能活多少年？会不会他去世时，心理史学计划仍未完成？

It was not the dying that bothered him, he told himself. It was the matter of leaving the Psychohistory Project unfinished.

困扰他的并非死亡，而是心理史学计划将成为未竟之志，他这么告诉自己。

He went to see Yugo Amaryl. In recent years they had somehow drifted apart, as the Psychohistory Project had steadily increased in size. In the first years at Streeling, it had merely been Seldon and Amaryl working together-no one else. Now-

于是他去找雨果·阿马瑞尔。最近这些年，随着心理史学计划的规模稳定成长，他们不知不觉疏远了。在斯璀璘的最初几年，只有谢顿与雨果两人一起工作，再也没有别人。而现在……

Amaryl was nearly fifty-not exactly a young man-and he had somehow lost his spark. In all these years, he had developed no interest in anything but psychohistory: no woman, no companion, no hobby, no subsidiary activity.

雨果已年近五十，不能算年轻了，而且冲劲也大不如前。这些年来，除了心理史学，他未曾培养任何其他的兴趣：没有女人、没有玩伴、没有嗜好、没有业余活动。

Amaryl blinked at Seldon who couldn't help but note the changes in the man's appearance. Part of it may have been because Yugo had had to have his eyes reconstructed. He saw perfectly well, but there was an unnatural look about them and he tended to blink slowly. It made him appear sleepy.

雨果对谢顿频频眨眼，后者不禁注意到前者外表的变化，部分原因可能是雨果曾经被迫接受眼球重建手术。现在他的视力极佳，可是眼睛显得不太自然，而且他总喜欢慢慢地眨眼，使他看来像是困极欲眠。

"What do you think, Yugo?" said Seldon. "Is there any light at the end of the tunnel?"

“你认为怎么样，雨果？”谢顿说，“隧道另一头出现任何光亮吗？”

"Light? Yes, as a matter of fact," said Amaryl. "There's this new fellow, Tamwile Elar. You know him, of course."

“光亮？有的，事实上真有。”雨果说，“我们有个新人，泰姆外尔·林恩，你当然知道他。”

"Oh yes. I'm the one who hired him. Very vigorous and aggressive. How's he doing?"

“是啊，雇用他的人正是我自己。非常有活力，而且积极进取。他怎么样？”

"I can't say I'm really comfortable with him, Hari. His loud laughter gets on my nerves. But he's brilliant. The new system of equations fits right into the Prime Radiant and they seem to make it possible to get around the problem of chaos."

“我不能说自己真正喜欢他，哈里，他的大笑声令我浑身不舒服。可是他很杰出，新的方程组和元光体配合得天衣无缝，似乎有可能克服混沌的难题。”

"Seem? Or will?"

“‘似乎’吗？还是‘会’？”

"Too early to say, but I'm very hopeful. I have tried a number of things that would have broken them down if they were worthless and the new equations survived them all. I'm beginning to think of them as `the achaotic equations.' "

“言之过早，但我抱着很大的希望。我曾经用好些实例试过，它若是没用，那些问题就会令它崩溃。结果这个新方程组通过所有的考验，我开始在心中管它叫‘非混沌方程组’了。”

"I don't imagine," said Seldon "we have anything like a rigorous demonstration concerning these equations?"

“我想，”谢顿说，“对于这些方程式，我们还没有什么严密的论证吧。”

"No, we don't, though I've put half a dozen people on it, including Elar, of course." Amaryl turned on his Prime Radiant-which was every bit as advanced as Seldon's was-and he watched as the curving lines of luminous equations curled in midair-too small, too fine to be read without amplification. "Add the new equations and we may be able to begin to predict."

“对，还没有。不过我派了六个人着手研究，当然包括林恩在内。”雨果开启他的元光体，它在各方面都和谢顿那个同样先进。明亮的方程式开始浮现在半空中，他定睛望着那些弯曲的线条——太细太小了，未经放大根本读不出来。“加上那些新方程式，我们也许就能开始进行预测。”

"Each time I study the Prime Radiant now," said Seldon thoughtfully, "I wonder at the Electro-Clarifier and how tightly it squeezes material into the lines and curves of the future. Wasn't that Elar's idea, too?"

“如今我每次研究元光体，”谢顿若有所思地说，“便忍不住赞叹那个电子阐析器，它把代表未来的数学压缩成多么紧密的线条。那不也是林恩的构想吗？”

"Yes. With the help of Cinda Monay, who designed it."

“是的，再加上设计者欣妲·蒙内的帮助。”

"It's good to have new and brilliant men and women in the Project. Somehow it reconciles me to the future."

“能有杰出的男女新血加入这个计划，真是太好了。我仿佛从他们身上见到了未来。”

"You think someone like Elar may be heading the Project someday?" asked Amaryl, still studying the Prime Radiant.

“你认为像林恩这样的人，有一天可能成为本计划的领导者吗？”雨果一面问，一面仍在研究元光体。

"Maybe. After you and I have retired-or died."

“也许吧。在你我退休之后，或是死后。”

Amaryl seemed to relax and turned off the device. "I would like to complete the task before we retire or die."

雨果似乎想歇一下，他关掉了那个装置。“我希望在我们退休或去世前，能够完成这项工作。”

"So would I, Yugo. So would I."

“我也一样，雨果，我也一样。”

"Psychohistory has guided us pretty well in the last ten years."

“过去十年间，心理史学对我们的指导相当成功。”

That was true enough, but Seldon knew that one couldn't attach too much triumph to that. Things had gone smoothly and without major surprises.

那的确是实话，但谢顿明白不能将它视为多大的成就。这些年来的发展都很平稳，并没有什么特别的惊喜。

Psychohistory had predicted that the center would hold after Cleon's death-predicted it in a very dim and uncertain way-and it did hold. Trantor was reasonably quiet. Even with an assassination and the end of a dynasty, the center had held.

心理史学曾经预测，帝国核心在克里昂死后仍会保住——那是个非常模糊且不确定的预测，而它的确应验了。川陀一向还算平静；即使历经皇帝遇刺以及一个皇朝的结束，帝国核心仍保住了。

It did so under the stress of military rule-Dors was quite right in speaking of the junta as "those military rascals." She might have even gone farther in her accusations without being wrong. Nevertheless, they were holding the Empire together and would continue to do so for a time. Long enough, perhaps, to allow psychohistory to play an active role in the events that were to transpire.

这是在军事统治的高压下做到的。铎丝将执政团称为“那些军头”相当正确，她的指控即使更进一步或许也不为过。纵然如此，他们的确维系了帝国的完整，而今后还会维持一段时间。说不定能持续得足够久，好让心理史学在未来的发展中，扮演一个积极的角色。

Lately Yugo had been speaking about the possible establishment of Foundations-separate, isolated, independent of the Empire itself serving as seeds for developments through the forthcoming dark ages and into a new and better Empire. Seldon himself had been working on the consequences of such an arrangement.

最近雨果提出了建立“基地”的可能性——单独、隔离、独立于帝国之外的几粒种子，用以在将来的黑暗时期保存实力，进而发展成一个更良善的新帝国。谢顿自己已经着手研究这种安排的可能影响。

But he lacked the time and, he felt (with a certain misery), he lacked the youth as well. His mind, however firm and steady, did not have the resiliency and creativity that it had had when he was thirty and with each passing year, he knew he would have less.

可是他没有多少时间，而且他（带着几分悲痛地）感到也没有那种青春了。无论他的心灵多么坚实，多么稳健，也不再拥有三十岁时的弹性与创造力。而随着年华的逝去，他知道自己保有的将越来越少。

Perhaps he ought to put the young and brilliant Elar on the task, taking him off everything else. Seldon had to admit to himself, shamefacedly, that the possibility did not excite him. He did not want to have invented psychohistory so that some stripling could come in and reap the final fruits of fame. In fact, to put it at its most disgraceful, Seldon felt jealous of Elar and realized it just sufficiently to feel ashamed of the emotion.

或许他该将这个工作交给年轻而杰出的林恩，让他心无旁骛地研究这个问题。谢顿不得不腼腆地向自己承认，这个可能性并不会令他兴奋。他发明心理史学的目的，可不是让某个后生晚辈收割最后的成果。事实上，用最丢脸的说法，就是谢顿感到嫉妒林恩，而且他自己对这点心知肚明，刚好足以觉得羞愧。

Yet, regardless of his less rational feelings, he would have to depend on other younger men-whatever his discomfort over it. Psychohistory was no longer the private preserve of himself and Amaryl. The decade of his being First Minister had converted it into a large government-sanctioned and -budgeted undertaking and, quite to his surprise, after resigning from his post as First Minister and returning to Streeling University, it had grown still larger. Hari grimaced at its ponderous-and pompous-official name: the Seldon Psychohistory Project at Streeling University. But most people simply referred to it as the Project.

然而，纵使有这种不理性的感受，他还是必须仰仗其他年纪较轻的人，不论心里多么不舒服。心理史学不再是他自己与雨果的私有禁地，他在首相任内的十年间，已将其转变成一个政府认可与资助的大型计划，而令他相当惊讶的是，在他辞去首相职位，回到斯璀璘大学之后，发现它的规模已大了许多。一想到那个冗长而且浮夸的官方名称“斯璀璘大学谢顿心理史学计划”，他就不禁伸舌头。不过，大多数人仅称之为“谢顿计划”。

The military junta apparently saw the Project as a possible political weapon and while that was so, funding was no problem. Credits poured in. In return, it was necessary to prepare annual reports, which, however, were quite opaque. Only fringe matters were reported on and even then the mathematics was not likely to be within the purview of any of the members of the junta.

军人执政团显然将谢顿计划视为一个潜在的政治武器，只要这点不变，经费便不成问题，信用点源源不绝。而他们需要做的回馈，则是必须准备年度报告。然而这种报告相当不透明，报上去的只是一些副产品。即使如此，其中的数学也早已超出执政团任何成员的知识水准。

It was clear as he left his old assistant that Amaryl, at least, was more than satisfied with the way psychohistory was going and yet Seldon felt the blanket of depression settle over him once more.

离开这位老助手的研究室时，他心里明白了一件事：至少雨果对心理史学的发展方向十分满意，但是，谢顿却感到沮丧的黑幕再度将自己笼罩。

He decided it was the forthcoming birthday celebration that was bothering him. It was meant as a celebration of joy, but to Hari it was not even a gesture of consolation-it merely emphasized his age.

他断定困扰自己的乃是即将来临的庆生会。它的本意是作为欢乐的庆典，但对谢顿而言，它甚至不是一种安慰的表示，而只是在强调他的年纪。

Besides, it was upsetting his routine and Hari was a creature of habit. His office and a number of those adjoining had been cleared out and it had been days since he had been able to work normally. His proper offices would be converted into halls of glory, he supposed, and it would be many days before he could get back to work. Only Amaryl absolutely refused to budge and was able to maintain his office.

此外，它搅乱了他的作息规律，而谢顿却是个习惯的动物。他的研究室，连同左右好几间，现在都已经腾空，他已经有好几天无法正常工作了。他心里明白，那些堂堂的研究室将被改装成荣耀的殿堂，而且还要好些日子，他才能回到工作岗位。只有雨果无论如何不肯让步，才得以保住他的研究室。

Seldon had wondered, peevishly, who had thought of doing all this. It wasn't Dors, of course. She knew him entirely too well. Not Amaryl or Raych, who never even remembered their own birthdays. He had suspected Manella and had even confronted her on the matter.

谢顿曾经闷闷不乐地寻思，这一切究竟是谁的主意。当然不是铎丝，她简直太了解他了。也不是雨果或芮奇，他们连自己的生日也从来不记得。他曾经怀疑到玛妮拉头上，甚至当面质问过她。

She admitted that she was all for it and had given orders for the arrangements to take place, but she said that the idea for the birthday party had been suggested to her by Tamwile Elar.

她承认自己对这件事十分赞成，并曾下令展开筹备工作。可是她说，生日宴会的主意是泰姆外尔·林恩向她建议的。

The brilliant one, thought Seldon. Brilliant in everything.

那个杰出的家伙，谢顿心想，每一方面都同样杰出。

He sighed. If only the birthday were all over.

他叹了一口气，只希望这个生日早些过完。

7

7

Dors poked her head through the door. "Am I allowed to come in?"

铎丝站在门口，探着头问：“准我进来吗？”

"No, of course not. Why should you think I would?"

“不，当然不行。你为何认为我会批准？”

"This is not your usual place."

“这儿不是你通常待的地方。”

"I know," sighed Seldon. "I have been evicted from my usual place because of the stupid birthday party. How I wish it were over."

“我知道。”谢顿叹了一声，“因为那个愚蠢的生日宴会，我被赶出通常待的地方。我多么希望它已经结束。”

"There you are. Once that woman gets an idea in her head, it takes over and grows like the big bang."

“你说对了。一旦那个女人脑袋里有个主意，它就一发不可收拾，像大爆炸那样膨胀。”

Seldon changed sides at once. "Come. She means well, Dors."

谢顿立刻站到玛妮拉那边去。“好啦，她是好意，铎丝。”

"Save me from the well-meaning," said Dors. "In any case, I'm here to discuss something else. Something which may be important."

“别跟我提什么好意。”铎丝说，“不管这些了，我来这里是要讨论另一件事，一件或许很重要的事。”

"Go ahead. What is it?"

“说吧，什么事？”

"I've been talking to Wanda about her dream……" She hesitated.

“我曾和婉达讨论她的梦……”她吞吞吐吐。

Seldon made a gargling sound in the back of his throat, then said, can't believe it. Just let it go."

谢顿从喉咙深处发出一下漱口的声音，然后说：“我不相信有这种事，你就别追究了。”

"No. Did you bother to ask her for the details of the dream?"

“不，你有没有不厌其烦地问过她那场梦的细节？”

"Why should I put the little girl through that?"

“我为什么要让小女孩受那种罪？”

"Neither did Raych, nor Manella. It was left up to me."

“芮奇也没有，玛妮拉也没有，事情就落到我头上。”

"But why should you torture her with questions about it?"

“可是你为什么要拿那种问题折磨她？”

"Because I had the feeling I should," said Dors grimly. "In the first place, she didn't have the dream when she was home in her bed."

“因为我感到应该那样做。”铎丝绷着脸说，“首先我要强调，她做那场梦的时候，不是在家里她的床上。”

"Where was she, then?"

“那么，她在哪里？”

"In your office."

“在你的研究室。”

"What was she doing in my office?"

“她在我的研究室做什么？”

"She wanted to see the place where the party would be and she walked into your office and, of course, there was nothing to see, as it's been cleared out in preparation. But your chair was still there. The large one-tall back, tall wings, broken-down-the one you won't let me replace."

“她想看看举办宴会的地方，于是走进你的研究室。当然，那里没有什么好看的，为了布置场地，东西都搬光了。但你的椅子还在，那把大椅子——高椅背，高扶手，破破烂烂，你不让我换掉的那一把。”

Hari sighed, as if recalling a longstanding disagreement. "It's not broken-down. I don't want a new one. Go on."

谢顿叹了一口气，仿佛忆起一场长期的争执。“它不算破烂，我不要换新的。继续说。”

"She curled up in your chair and began to brood over the fact that maybe you weren't really going to have a party and she felt bad. Then, she tells me, she must have fallen asleep because nothing is clear in her mind, except that in her dream there were two men-not women, she was sure about that-two men, talking."

“她蜷曲在你的椅子里，开始担心你也许不能真正参加这个宴会，这使她觉得很难过。然后，她告诉我，她一定是睡着了，因为她心中没有一件事是清楚的，除了梦里有两个男的在交谈——不是女的，这点她确定。”

"And what were they talking about?"

“他们在谈些什么？”

"She doesn't know exactly. You know how difficult it is to remember details under such circumstances. But she says it was about dying and she thought it was you because you were so old. And she remembers two words clearly. They were `lemonade death.'"

“她不怎么明白。你也知道，在那种情况下，要记得细节有多么困难。但她说那是有关死亡，而她认为谈论的就是你，因为你那么老了。有几个字她记得很清楚，那就是‘柠檬水之死’。”

"What?"

“什么？”

"Lemonade death."

“柠檬水之死。”

"What does that mean?"

“那是什么意思？”

"I don't know. In any case, the talking ceased, the men left, and there she was in the chair, cold and frightened-and she's been upset about it ever since."

“我不知道。无论如何，后来谈话终止，那两个人走了，只剩下她坐在椅子上，感到胆战心寒。从那时候开始，她就一直心烦意乱。”

Seldon mulled over Dors's report. Then he said, "Look, dear, what importance can we attach to a child's dream?"

谢顿思量了一下铎丝的叙述，然后说：“我问你，亲爱的，从一个小孩子的梦境，我们能导出什么重要结论？”

"We can ask ourselves first, Hari, if it even was a dream."

“我们可以先问问自己，哈里，那究竟是不是一场梦。”

"What do you mean?"

“你是什么意思？”

"Wanda doesn't say outright it was. She says she `must have fallen asleep.' Those are her words. She didn't say she fell asleep, she said she must have fallen asleep."

“婉达并没有一口咬定那是梦境。她说她‘一定是睡着了’，那是她自己的话。她不是说她睡着了，而是说她一定是睡着了。”

"What do you deduce from that?"

“你从这点推论出什么来？”

"She may have drifted off into a half-doze and, in that state, heard two men-two real men, not two dream men-talking."

“她也许是陷入半睡半醒的假寐，而在那种状态中，她听到两个人在交谈——两个真人，不是梦中的人。”

"Real men? Talking about killing me with lemonade death?"

“两个真人？在谈论用柠檬水把我杀掉？”

"Something like that, yes."

“是的，差不多就是这样。”

"Dors," said Seldon forcefully, "I know that you're forever foreseeing danger for me, but this is going too far. Why should anyone want to kill me?"

“铎丝，”谢顿激昂地说，“我知道你永远能为我预见危险，但这次却太过分了。为什么会有人想要杀我？”

"It's been tried twice before."

“以前就有人试过两次。”

"So it has, but consider the circumstances. The first attempt came shortly after Cleon appointed me First Minister. Naturally this was an offense to the well-established court hierarchy and I was very resented. A few thought they might settle matters by getting rid of me. The second time was when the Joranumites were trying to seize power and they thought I was standing in their way-plus Namarti's distorted dream of revenge.

“的确没错，但是想想客观的情况。第一次，是克里昂刚任命我当首相。那自然打破了宫廷中井然有序的阶级，一定有很多人把我恨透了，而其中几位认为只要除掉我，就有可能解决这个问题。至于第二次，则是九九派试图攫取政权，他们认为我碍了他们的事，再加上纳马提被复仇的怒火迷了心窍。

"Fortunately neither assassination attempt succeeded, but why should there now be a third? I am no longer First Minister and haven't been for ten years. I am an aging mathematician in retirement and surely no one has anything to fear from me. The Joranumites have been rooted out and destroyed and Namarti was executed long ago. There is absolutely no motivation for anyone to want to kill me.

“幸好两次行刺都没成功，可是现在为何会有第三次呢？我不再是首相，十年前就不是了。我是个上年纪的数学家，处于退休状态，当然不会有任何人怕我什么。九九派已被连根拔除，彻底摧毁，而纳马提也早已遭到处决。任何人都绝对没有想杀我的动机。

"So please, Dors, relax. When you're nervous about me, you get unsettled, which makes you more nervous still, and I don't want that to happen."

“所以拜托，铎丝，放轻松点。当你为我紧张的时候，你会变得心神不定，而这又会使你更加紧张，我不希望发生这种事。”

Dors rose from her seat and leaned across Hari's desk. "It's easy for you to say that there is no motive to kill you, but none is needed. Our government is now a completely irresponsible one and if they wish……"

铎丝站起来，上半身倚在谢顿的书桌上。“没有杀你的动机，你说得倒简单，但根本不需要任何动机。我们现在的政府，是个完全不负责任的政府，假如他们希望……”

"Stop!" commanded Seldon loudly. Then, very quietly, "Not a word, Dors. Not a word against the government. That could get us in the very trouble you're foreseeing."

“住口！”谢顿高声斥道，然后又用很低的音量说，“一个字也别说，铎丝，反政府的言论一个字也别说，否则我们真会碰上你预见的那个麻烦。”

"I'm only talking to you, Hari."

“我只是在跟你说，哈里。”

"Right now you are, but if you get into the habit of saying foolish things, you don't know when something will slip out in someone else's presence-someone who will then be glad to report you. Just learn, as a matter of necessity, to refrain from political commentary."

“现在你只是跟我说，但如果你养成说傻话的习惯，那么不知道什么时候，在外人面前，在很乐意告发你的人面前，同样的傻话会脱口而出。只要记住一件事，绝对不要随便批评政治。”

"I'll try, Hari," said Dors, but she could not keep the indignation out of her voice. She turned on her heel and left.

“我会试试，哈里。”铎丝嘴里这样说，声音中却无法抑制愤愤之情，说完她便转身离去。

Seldon watched her go. Dors had aged gracefully, so gracefully that at times she seemed not to have aged at all. Though she was two years younger than Seldon, her appearance had not changed nearly as much as his had in the twenty-eight years they had been together. Naturally.

谢顿目送着她。铎丝老得很优雅，以致有时她似乎一点也不显老。虽然她只比谢顿小两岁，但在他们共处的这二十八年间，两人外表的变化程度几乎成反比，而这是自然的事。

Her hair was frosted with gray, but the youthful luster beneath the gray still shone through. Her complexion had grown more sallow; her voice was a bit huskier, and, of course, she wore clothes that were suitable for middle age. However, her movements were as agile and as quick as ever. It was as if nothing could be allowed to interfere with her ability to protect Hari in case of an emergency.

她的头发点缀着银丝，但银丝下仍然透出青春的光泽。她的肤色变得较为苍白，她的声音变得有点沙哑，而且，她当然已改穿适合中年人的服装。然而，她的动作仍如往昔般矫捷迅速，仿佛无论任何因素，都不能干扰她在紧急状况下保护谢顿的能力。

Hari sighed. This business of being protected-more or less against his will, at all times-was sometimes a heavy burden.

谢顿又叹了一口气。被人保护这档子事（总是多多少少有违他的意愿）有时真是个沉重的负担。

8

8

Manella came to see Seldon almost immediately afterward.

几乎在铎丝刚离去后，玛妮拉便来见谢顿。

"Pardon me, Hari, but what has Dors been saying"

“对不起，哈里，铎丝刚才说了些什么？”

Seldon looked up again. Nothing but interruptions.

谢顿再度抬起头来——除了打扰还是打扰。

"It wasn't anything important. Wanda's dream."

“没什么重要的事，是关于婉达的梦。”

Manella's lips pursed. "I knew it. Wanda said Dors was asking her questions about it. Why doesn't she leave the girl alone? You would think that having a bad dream was some sort of felony."

玛妮拉撅起嘴。“我就知道，婉达说铎丝问了些这方面的问题。她为什么不放这女孩一马？好像做一场恶梦是什么重罪似的。”

"As a matter of fact," said Seldon soothingly, "it's just a matter of something Wanda remembered as part of the dream. I don't know if Wanda told you, but apparently in her dream she heard something about 'lemonade death.' "

“事实上，”谢顿以安抚的口吻说，“是婉达记得的一些梦境耐人寻味。我不知道婉达有没有告诉你，但显然在梦中，她听到了什么‘柠檬水之死’。”

"Hmm!" Manella was silent for a moment. Then she said, "That doesn't really matter so much. Wanda is crazy about lemonade and she's expecting lots of it at the party. I promised she'd have some with Mycogenian drops in it and she's looking forward to it."

“嗯——嗯！”玛妮拉沉默了一会儿，然后又说，“那其实没什么大不了的。婉达最爱喝柠檬水，她盼望在宴会上喝个够。我向她保证，她能喝到些加了麦曲生甘露的，于是她天天都在期待。”

"So that if she heard something that sounded anything like lemonade, it would be translated into lemonade in her mind."

“所以说，如果她听到什么听来像柠檬水的东西，心中就会误解为柠檬水。”

"Yes. Why not?"

“是啊，有何不可？”

"Except that, in that case, what do you suppose it was that was actually said? She must have heard something in order to misinterpret it."

“只不过，这样的话，你认为他们真正说的又是什么呢？她一定得听到什么，才能误以为是柠檬水。”

"I don't think that's necessarily so. But why are we attaching so much importance to a little girl's dream? Please, I don't want anyone talking to her about it anymore. It's too upsetting."

“我不认为必定是这样。但我们为何要对一个小女孩的梦大惊小怪？拜托，我不要任何人再跟她谈这件事，这太扰人了。”

"I agree. I'll see to it that Dors drops the subject-at least with Wanda."

“我同意，我一定会让铎丝别再追究，至少别再向婉达追究。”

"All right. I don't care if she is Wanda's grandmother, Hari. I'm her mother, after all, and my wishes come first."

“好吧。我不管她是不是婉达的祖母，哈里，毕竟我是她的母亲，我的意愿有优先权。”

"Absolutely," said Seldon soothingly and looked after Manella as she left. That was another burden-the unending competition between those two women.

“绝对如此。”谢顿又以安抚的口吻说。当玛妮拉离去时，谢顿望着她的背影。这是另一个负担——两个女人之间无止无休的竞争。

9

9

Tamwile Elar was thirty-six years old and had joined Seldon's Psychohistory Project as Senior Mathematician four years earlier. He was a tall man, with a habitual twinkle in his eye and with more than a touch of self-assurance as well.

泰姆外尔·林恩今年三十六岁，四年前加入谢顿的心理史学计划，担任一名资深数学家。他是个高个子，有眨眼的习惯，而且总是带着不少自信。

His hair was brown and had a loose wave in it, the more noticeable because he wore it rather long. He had an abrupt way of laughing, but there was no fault to be found with his mathematical ability.

他的头发是棕褐色，呈轻微波浪状，由于留得相当长，因此波浪更加明显。他常常突如其来发出笑声，但他的数学能力却无懈可击。

Elar had been recruited from the West Mandanov University and Seldon always had to smile when he remembered how suspicious Yugo Amaryl had been of him at first. But then, Amaryl was suspicious of everyone. Deep in his heart (Seldon felt sure), Amaryl felt that psychohistory ought to have remained his and Hari's private province.

林恩是从西曼达诺夫大学挖来的，每当想起雨果·阿马瑞尔最初对他多么疑心，谢顿总是不禁微微一笑。话说回来，雨果对任何人都多有猜疑。在他的内心深处（谢顿可以肯定），雨果觉得心理史学应该永远是他与谢顿的私人属地。

But even Amaryl was now willing to admit that Elar's membership in the group had eased his own situation tremendously. Yugo said, "His techniques for avoiding chaos are unique and fascinating. No one else in the Project could have worked it out the way he did. Certainly nothing of this sort ever occurred to me. It didn't occur to you, either, Hari."

但就连雨果现在也愿意承认，林恩的加入大大改善了他自己的处境。雨果曾说：“他避开混沌的那些技巧绝无仅有且出神入化，谢顿计划中再也没有人做得出他的结果。我当然从未想到这样的方法，而你也没想到过，哈里。”

"Well," said Seldon grumpily, "I'm getting old."

“好吧，”谢顿别扭地说，“我老了。”

"If only," said Amaryl, "he didn't laugh so loud."

“只不过，”雨果说，“他别笑得那么大声就好了。”

"People can't help the way they laugh."

“谁也无法控制自己发笑的方式。”

Yet the truth was that Seldon found himself having a little trouble accepting Elar. It was rather humiliating that he himself had come nowhere near the "achaotic equations," as they were now called. It didn't bother Seldon that he had never thought of the principle behind the Electro-Clarifier-that was not really his field. The achaotic equations, however, he should, indeed, have thought of-or at least gotten close to.

然而事实上，谢顿发觉自己有点无法接受林恩。这个大家已通称为“非混沌方程组”的数学式，他自己完全没有贡献，这是相当羞耻的一件事。谢顿也从未想到电子阐析器背后的原理，但他对此处之泰然，那并非真正是他的领域。然而，非混沌方程组却是他实在应该想到的，至少也该摸到一点边。

He tried reasoning with himself. Seldon had worked out the entire basis for psychohistory and the achaotic equations grew naturally out of that basis. Could Elar have done Seldon's work three decades earlier? Seldon was convinced that Elar couldn't have. And was it so remarkable that Elar had thought up the principle of achaotism once the basis was in place?

他试图和自己讲理。谢顿发展出心理史学的整个基础，而非混沌方程组是这个基础上的自然产物。三十年前，林恩能得出谢顿当时的成果吗？谢顿深信林恩办不到。一旦基础建立起来，林恩想出了非混沌法的原理，真有那么了不起吗？

All this was very sensible and very true, yet Seldon still found himself uneasy when facing Elar. Just slightly edgy. Weary age facing flamboyant youth.

这些论点都非常合理且非常实在，但谢顿面对林恩时仍会感到不安，至少是有点焦躁。这可是疲惫的老人面对如日中天的青年。

Yet Elar never gave him obvious cause for feeling the difference in years. He never failed to show Seldon full respect or in any way to imply that the older man had passed his prime.

但是林恩在各方面的表现，都不该让他感受到两人年岁的差异。他始终对谢顿表现得毕恭毕敬，也从未以任何方式暗示这位长者盛年不再。

Of course, Elar was interested in the forthcoming festivities and had even, as Seldon had discovered, been the first to suggest that Seldon's birthday be celebrated. (Was this a nasty emphasis on Seldon's age? Seldon dismissed the possibility. If he believed that, it would mean he was picking up some of Dors's tricks of suspicion.

当然，林恩对即将来临的庆祝活动很感兴趣，而且谢顿还打探到，他甚至是第一个建议为谢顿庆生的人。这是恶意强调谢顿上了年纪吗？谢顿抛掉这个念头。假使他相信这种事，那就代表他染上了铎丝的疑心病。

Elar strode toward him and said, "Maestro……" And Seldon winced, as always. He much preferred to have the senior members of the Project call him Hari, but it seemed such a small point to make a fuss over.

此时林恩大步向他走来，说道：“大师……”如同往常一样，谢顿心头一凛。他实在宁可资深成员都叫他哈里，但这似乎不是值得小题大作的一件事。

"Maestro," said Elar. "The word is out that you've been called in for a conference with General Tennar."

“大师，”林恩道，“有传言说田纳尔将军召您前去开会。”

"Yes. He's the new head of the military junta and I suppose he wants to see me to ask what psychohistory is all about. They've been asking me that since the days of Cleon and Demerzel." (The new head! The junta was like a kaleidoscope, with some of its members periodically falling from grace and others rising from nowhere.)

“是的，他是军人执政团的新首脑。我猜他想要见我，是为了问我心理史学究竟是怎么回事。打从克里昂和丹莫刺尔的时代，他们就一直问我这个问题。”新首脑！执政团就像个万花筒，成员周期性此起彼落，总是有人黯然下台，却又有人无端崛起。

"But it's my understanding he wants it now-right in the middle of the birthday celebration."

“可是据我了解，他现在就要见您，就在庆生会进行到一半的时候。”

"That doesn't matter. You can all celebrate without me."

“那没什么关系，没有我，你们照样能庆祝。”

"No, we can't, Maestro. I hope you don't mind, but some of us got together and put in a call to the Palace and put the appointment off for a week."

“不，大师，我们不能。我希望您别介意，但我们几个人在会商后，和皇宫通过一次电话，把那个约会延后了一周。”

"What?" said Seldon annoyed. "Surely that was presumptuous of you-and risky, besides."

“什么？”谢顿有些恼火，“你们这样做实在是放肆，而且也很危险。”

"It worked out well. They've put it off and you'll need that time."

“结果很圆满。他们已经答应延期，而您需要那些时间。”

"Why would I need a week?"

“我为什么需要一周的时间？”

Elar hesitated. "May I speak frankly, Maestro?"

林恩迟疑了一下。“我能直说吗，大师？”

"Of course you can. When have I ever asked that anyone speak to me m any way but frankly?"

“你当然可以。我何曾要求过任何人用另外的方式对我说话？”

Elar flushed slightly, his fair skin reddening, but his voice remained steady. "It's not easy to say this, Maestro. You're a genius at mathematics. No one on the Project has any doubt of that. No one in the Empire-they knew you and understood mathematics-would have any doubt Tout it. However, it is not given to anybody to be a universal genius."

林恩有点脸红，雪白的皮肤变作粉红色，但他的声音仍坚定如常。“这话并不容易开口，大师。您是一位数学天才，本计划的成员对此毫不怀疑。在整个帝国中，只要是认识您并了解数学的人，对这点也绝无任何疑问。然而，任何人都难以是全能的天才。”

"I know that as well as you do, Elar."

“这点我和你同样明白，林恩。”

"I know you do. Specifically, though, you lack the ability to handle ordinary people-shall we say, stupid people. You lack a certain deviousness, a certain ability to sidestep, and if you are dealing with someone who is both powerful in government and somewhat stupid, you can easily endanger the Project and, for that matter, your own life, simply because you are too frank."

“我知道您明白。不过，您特别不善于应付普通人，或者干脆说是笨人。您欠缺一些迂回的能力，一些旁敲侧击的本领。如果您打交道的对象，是在政府中掌权却又有几分愚蠢的人，那就会因为您太过直率，而很容易危及本计划，以及您自己的性命。”

"What is this? Am I suddenly a child? I've been dealing with politicians for a long time. I was First Minister for ten years, as perhaps you may remember."

“这是什么意思？我突然变成小孩了吗？我和政治人物打交道有很长的历史，我当了十年的首相，说不定你还记得。”

"Forgive me, Maestro, but you were not an extraordinarily effective one. You dealt with First Minister Demerzel, who was very intelligent, by all accounts, and with the Emperor Cleon, who was very friendly. Now you will encounter military people who are neither intelligent nor friendly-another matter entirely."

“请原谅我这么说，大师，但您并非一位特别突出的首相。当初您打交道的对象是丹莫刺尔首相，大家都说他是个非常聪明的人，此外克里昂大帝则非常友善。现在您却会碰到一批军人，他们既不聪明又不友善，全然是另一种典型。”

"I've even dealt with military people and survived."

“我甚至和军人也打过交道，并且全身而退。”

"Not with General Dugal Tennar. He's another sort of thing altogether. I know him."

“您没碰到过杜戈·田纳尔将军。他完全是另一种东西，我认识他。”

"You know him? You have met him?"

“你认识他？你见过他吗？”

"I don't know him personally, but he's from Mandanov, which, as you know, is my sector, and he was a power there before he joined the junta and rose through its ranks."

“我不认识他本人，但他来自曼达诺夫区，您也知道，那就是我的故乡。在他加入执政团并步步高升之前，他是那里的一股势力。”

"And what do you know about him?"

“你对他的认识又如何？”

"Ignorant, superstitious, violent. He is not someone you can handle easily-or safely. You can use the week to work out methods for dealing with him."

“无知、迷信、暴戾。他这种人对付起来可不容易，而且不安全。您可以用这一个星期，研究出和他打交道的方法。”

Seldon bit his lower lip. There was something to what Elar said and Seldon recognized the fact that, while he had plans of his own, it would still be difficult to try to manipulate a stupid, self-important, short-tempered person with overwhelming force at his disposal.

谢顿咬住下唇。林恩说的实在有些道理，谢顿体认到一个事实：虽然他有自己的计划，但试图应付一个愚蠢、妄自尊大、脾气暴躁，而手中却握着强大武力的人，仍将是一件困难的事。

He said uneasily, "I'll manage somehow. The whole matter of a military junta is, in any case, an unstable situation in the Trantor of today. It has already lasted longer than might have seemed likely."

他不安地说：“我总会设法的。无论如何，军人执政团这整件事，在今日的川陀是个不稳定的情况。它已经持续得太久，超过了它可能的寿命。”

"Have we been testing that? I was not aware that we were making stability decisions on the junta."

“我们测试过这一点吗？我不晓得我们在对执政团作稳定性判断。”

"Just a few calculations by Amaryl, making use of your achaotic equations." He paused. "By the way, I've come across some references to them as the Elar Equations."

“只是阿马瑞尔所做的几个计算，利用你的非混沌方程组做的。”他顿了一顿，“顺便提一句，我发现有人在引用时，将它们称为林恩方程组。”

"Not by me, Maestro."

“我可没有，大师。”

"I hope you don't mind, but I don't want that. Psychohistoric elements are to be described functionally and not personally. As soon as personalities intervene, bad feelings arise."

“我希望你别介意，但我不想见到这种事。心理史学各项内容应该根据功能来命名，而不是用人名。一旦染上个人色彩，立刻就会引起反感。”

"I understand and quite agree, Maestro."

“我了解并十分同意，大师。”

"In fact," said Seldon with a touch of guilt, "I have always felt it wrong that we speak of the basic Seldon Equations of Psychohistory. The trouble is that's been in use for so many years, it's not practical to try to change it."

“事实上，”谢顿带着点内疚说，“我总是觉得，我们不该说什么‘心理史学的谢顿基本方程式’。问题是这个名称用了那么多年，试图更改是不切实际的。”

"If you'll excuse my saying so, Maestro, you're an exceptional case. No one, I think, would quarrel with your receiving full credit for inventing the science of psychohistory. -But, if I may, I wish to get back to your meeting with General Tennar."

“请您宽恕我这么说，大师，但您是个例外。我想，您发明心理史学这门科学的荣耀乃是实至名归，没有任何人会提出异议。但是，如果可以的话，我希望能回到您会晤田纳尔将军这个话题。”

"Well, what else is there to say?"

“好吧，还有什么要说的？”

"I can't help but wonder if it might be better if you did not see him, did not speak to him, did not deal with him."

“我忍不住在想，如果您不去见他，不和他说话，不和他打交道，这样会不会更好？”

"How am I to avoid that if he calls me in for a conference?"

“如果他召我前去开会，我要如何避免那些事？”

"Perhaps you can plead illness and send someone in your place."

“或许您可以托病，派个人代替您去。”

"Whom?"

“谁？”

Elar was silent for a moment, but his silence was eloquent.

林恩沉默了一会儿，但他的沉默胜过千言万语。

Seldon said, "You, I take it."

谢顿说：“我想，你是指你自己。”

"Might that not be the thing to do? I am a fellow sectoral citizen of the General, which may carry some weight. You are a busy man, getting 011 in years, and it would be easy to believe that you are not entirely well. And if I see him, rather than yourself-please excuse me, Maestro-I can wiggle and maneuver more easily than you can."

“难道这不是个好办法吗？我是将军的同乡，这点也许有些作用。您是个大忙人，而且年事已高，别人很容易相信您身体不太好。若是由我去见他，而不是您亲自前往——请您恕罪，大师——我能比您更容易虚与委蛇，以智取胜。”

"Lie, you mean."

“你的意思是，说谎。”

"If necessary."

“如有必要的话。”

"You'll be taking a huge chance."

“你将冒着很大的风险。”

"Not too huge. I doubt that he will order my execution. If he becomes annoyed with me, as he well might, then I can plead-or you can plead on my behalf-youth and inexperience. In any case, if I get into trouble, that will be far less dangerous than if you were to do so. I'm thinking of the Project, which can do without me a great deal more easily than it can without you."

“并不太大，我不信他会下令将我处决。如果他对我恼羞成怒，这是有可能的，那我可以托辞是年幼无知和经验不足，或者您可以帮我这么说情。无论如何，如果我碰到麻烦，会比您碰到麻烦要安全许多。我是在为谢顿计划着想，它失去您可不行，失去我却很容易克服。”

Seldon said with a frown, "I'm not going to hide behind you, Elar. If the man wants to see me, he will see me. I refuse to shiver and shake and ask you to take chances for me. What do you think I am?"

谢顿皱着眉头说：“我不准备躲在你后面，林恩。如果那人想见我，他就会见到我。我可不要浑身打战，要求你替我冒险。你以为我是什么人？”

"A frank and honest man-when the need is for a devious one."

“一位直率且诚实的人——如今却需要一个迂回的人。”

"I will manage to be devious-if I must. Please don't underestimate me, Elar."

“若是必须迂回，我会设法那样做。请别低估我，林恩。”

Elar shrugged hopelessly. "Very well. I can only argue with you up to a certain point."

林恩绝望地耸了耸肩。“很好，我只能和您争论到某个程度。”

"In fact, Elar, I wish you had not postponed the meeting. I would rather skip my birthday and see the General than the reverse. This birthday celebration was not my idea." His voice died away in a grumble.

“事实上，林恩，我希望你并没有延后这场会晤。我宁愿错过我的生日去见将军，也不愿为了过生日而改期。这个庆生会根本不是我的主意。”发完牢骚，他就没有再说下去。

Elar said, "I'm sorry."

林恩说：“我很抱歉。”

"Well," said Seldon with resignation, "we'll see what happens."

“好啦，”谢顿无可奈何地说，“我们总会知道结果的。”说完便转身离去。

He turned and left. Sometimes he wished ardently that he could run what was called a "tight ship," making sure that everything went as he wished it to, leaving little or no room for maneuvering among his subordinates. To do that, however, would take enormous time, enormous effort, would deprive him of any chance of working on psychohistory himself-and, besides, he simply lacked the temperament for it.

有些时候，他极希望自己能领导一支“军纪严明”的队伍，确定一切都照着他的意思进行，尽量或完全不让他的属下有自我行动的自由。然而，要做到这一点，需要大量的时间以及大量的精力，将使他没有机会亲自研究心理史学。更何况，他天生就不是那种人。

He sighed. He would have to speak to Amaryl.

他叹了一口气，他得去找雨果谈谈。

10

10

Seldon strode into Amaryl's office, unannounced.

谢顿跨进雨果的研究室，做了一次不速之客。

"Yugo," he said abruptly, "the session with General Tennar has been postponed." He seated himself in a rather pettish manner.

“雨果，”他突然冒出一句，“跟田纳尔将军的会议延后了。”说完，他闷闷不乐地坐下来。

It took Amaryl his usual few moments to disconnect his mind from his work. Looking up finally, he said, "What was his excuse?"

如同往常一样，雨果花了些时间，才收回放在工作上的心思。最后他终于抬起头来，说道：“他的理由是什么？”

"It wasn't he. Some of our mathematicians arranged a week's postponement so that it wouldn't interfere with the birthday celebration. I find all of this to be extremely annoying."

“不是他。是我们的几位数学家，安排将会期延后一周，以避免打断庆生会。我觉得这一切都极其烦人。”

"Why did you let them do that?"

“你为何让他们那样做？”

"I didn't. They just went ahead and arranged things." Seldon shrugged. "In a way, it's my fault. I've whined so long about turning sixty that everyone thinks they have to cheer me up with festivities."

“我没有。是他们自作主张，径自安排了这些事。”谢顿耸了耸肩，“就某方面而言，这也是我的错。这些日子以来，我一直在为将届六十大发牢骚，以致大家都认为得靠庆祝活动逗我开心。”

Amaryl said, "Of course, we can use the week."

雨果说：“我们当然可以利用这一周。”

Seldon sat forward, immediately tense. "Is something wrong?"

谢顿立刻紧张起来，向前坐了一点。“有什么问题吗？”

"No. Not that I can see, but it won't hurt to examine it further. Look, Hari, this is the first time in nearly thirty years that psychohistory has leached the point where it can actually make a prediction. It's not much of one-it's just a small pinch of the vast continent of humanity-but it's t lie best we've had so far. All right. We want to take advantage of that, see how it works, prove to ourselves that psychohistory is what we think it is: a predictive science. So it won't hurt to make sure that we haven't overlooked anything. Even this tiny bit of prediction is complex and I welcome another week of study."

“没有，至少我看不出来，但进一步检查总没有害处。听好，哈里，将近三十年来，这是心理史学首次达到真正能进行预测的程度。这个预测没什么大不了的，只是整个人类社会的沧海一粟，但目前为止它是我们最好的结果。好的，我们想要好好利用它，看看它表现如何，对我们自己证明心理史学正如我们所认定的：是一门预测性科学。所以，确定我们未曾忽略任何事情，总是没有什么害处。即使是这个微乎其微的预测也相当复杂，我很高兴又有一周的时间来研究它。”

"Very well, then. I'll consult you on the matter before I go to see the General for any last-minute modifications that have to be made. Meanwhile, Yugo, do not allow any information concerning this to leak out to the others-not to anyone. If it fails, I don't want the people of the Project to grow downhearted. You and I will absorb the failure ourselves and keep on trying."

“那么好极了。在我去见将军之前，我会向你请教一番，看看最后关头是否得再做些修正。这期间，雨果，千万别让任何与此有关的讯息泄露出去，对任何人都不得泄露。如果它失败了，我可不要本计划的成员因而气馁。你我两人将单独承担这个失败，然后再接再厉。”

A rare wistful smile crossed Amaryl's face. "You and I. Do you remember when it really was just the two of us?"

雨果脸上难得掠过一个向往的笑容。“你我两人，你还记得真正只有我们两人的时候吗？”

"I remember it very well and don't think that I don't miss those days. We didn't have much to work with……"

“我记得非常清楚，别以为我不怀念那些日子。当时我们没有什么工具……”

"Not even the Prime Radiant, let alone the Electro-Clarifier."

“甚至没有元光体，更别提电子阐析器。”

"But those were happy days."

“但那是一段快乐的日子。”

"Happy," said Amaryl, nodding his head.

“快乐的日子。”雨果一面点头一面说。

11

11

The University had been transformed and Hari Seldon could not refrain from being pleased.

斯璀璘大学改头换面了，哈里·谢顿忍不住感到高兴。

The central rooms of the Project complex had suddenly sprouted in color and light, with holography filling the air with shifting three-dimensional images of Seldon at different places and different times. There was Dors Venabili smiling, looking somewhat younger-Raych as a teenager, still unpolished-Seldon and Amaryl, looking unbelievably young, bent over their computers. There was even a fleeting sight of Eto Demerzel, which filled Seldon's heart with yearning for his old friend and the security he had felt before Demerzel's departure.

谢顿计划建筑群的几间核心研究室，突然之间冒出五光十色，在半空映出众多此起彼落的三维全息像，通通都是不同时期与不同地点的谢顿。里面包括：正在微笑的铎丝·凡纳比里——显得比现在年轻些；十几岁时的芮奇——依然野气未脱；谢顿与雨果正埋首操作电脑——看起来年轻得难以置信。甚至还能看到一个稍纵即逝的伊图·丹莫刺尔，它使谢顿心中充满对老友的思慕，并怀念起丹莫刺尔离去之前所提供的安全感。

The Emperor Cleon appeared nowhere in the holographics. It was not because holographs of him did not exist, but it was not wise, under the rule of the junta, to remind people of the past Imperium.

但在这个“全息像集”各处都找不到克里昂大帝。并非由于没有他的全息像，而是因为在执政团的统治下，提醒人们昔日的皇权是不智之举。

It all poured outward, overflowing, filling room after room, building after building. Somehow, time had been found to convert the entire University into a display the likes of which Seldon had never seen or even imagined. Even the dome lights were darkened to produce an artificial night against which the University would sparkle for three days.

这些影像全部向外盈溢和倾泻，注满一间又一间房间，一栋又一栋建筑。在不知不觉间，整个大学变成一个展览会场，谢顿从未见过类似的情景，甚至未曾幻想过。就连穹顶照明也暗了下来，准备制造三天的人工黑夜，好让这所大学能在其中大放异彩。

"Three days!" said Seldon, half-impressed, half-horrified.

“三天！”谢顿半是感动半是惶恐。

"Three days," said Dors Venabili, nodding her head. "The University would consider nothing less."

“三天。”铎丝·凡纳比里点了点头，“少于三天大学绝不考虑。”

"The expense! The labor!" said Seldon, frowning.

“这些花费！这些人工！”谢顿皱着眉头说。

"The expense is minimal," said Dors, "compared to what you have done for the University. And the labor is all voluntary. The students turned out and took care of everything."

“和你对这所大学的贡献比起来，”铎丝说，“花费少之又少。而人工都是志愿的，学生全体出动，负责每一项工作。”

A from-the-air view of the University appeared now, panoramically, and Seldon stared at it with a smile forcing itself onto his countenance.

此时出现一个全景式的校园鸟瞰影像，谢顿望着它，脸上不禁露出微笑。

Dors said, "You're pleased. You've done nothing but grouse these past few months about how you didn't want any celebration for being an old man-and now look at you."

铎丝说：“你很高兴。过去这几个月，你除了埋怨还是埋怨，说你多么不想为迈入老年举行任何庆祝——现在看看你。”

"Well, it is flattering. I had no idea that they would do anything like this."

“唉，我受宠若惊，我根本没想到他们会这样做。”

"Why not? You're an icon, Hari. The whole world-the whole Empire-knows about you."

“有何不可？你是个偶像，哈里。整个世界——整个帝国——都知道你。”

"They do not," said Seldon, shaking his head vigorously. "Not one in a billion knows anything at all about me-and certainly not about psychohistory. No one outside the Project has the faintest knowledge of how psychohistory works and not everyone inside does, either."

“他们不知道。”谢顿猛摇着头，“平均十亿人里对我略有所知的还不到一个，对心理史学则绝对无人知情。心理史学究竟如何运作，计划之外谁也没有半分概念，参与计划的也不是人人明了。”

"That doesn't matter, Hari. It's you. Even the quadrillions who don't know anything about you or your work know that Hari Seldon is the greatest mathematician in the Empire."

“那不重要，哈里，重要的是你。即使万兆民众对你的生平或你的工作一无所知，也都知道哈里·谢顿是帝国最伟大的数学家。”

"Well," said Seldon, looking around, "they certainly are making me feel that way right now. But three days and three nights! The place will be reduced to splinters."

“好吧，”谢顿一面说，一面环顾四周，“现在他们的确使我有这种感觉。可是三天三夜！这个地方会被夷为平地。”

"No, it won't. All the records have been stored away. The computers and other equipment have been secured. The students have set up a virtual security force that will prevent anything from being damaged."

“不，不会的。所有的记录都搬到别处存放，电脑和其他设备也都锁好了。学生组织了一支临时警力，他们不会让任何东西遭到破坏。”

"You've seen to all of that, haven't you, Dors?" said Seldon, smiling at her fondly.

“这一切都是你安排的，对吗，铎丝？”谢顿对她投以柔情的笑容。

"A number of us have. It's by no means all me. Your colleague Tamwile Elar has worked with incredible dedication."

“我们有好几个人负责，绝不能说都是我。你的同事，泰姆外尔·林恩，他的工作热忱简直不可思议。”

Seldon scowled.

谢顿眉头深锁。

"What's the matter with Elar?" said Dors.

“林恩有什么不对劲？”铎丝问。

Seldon said, "He keeps calling me `Maestro.' "

谢顿说：“他一直称呼我‘大师’。”

Dors shook her head. "Well, there's a terrible crime."

铎丝摇了摇头。“嗯，那可是罪大恶极。”

Seldon ignored that and said, "And he's young."

谢顿没有理会这句话，又说：“而且他年轻。”

"Worse and worse. Come, Hari, you're going to have to learn to grow old gracefully-and to begin with you'll have to show that you're enjoying yourself. That will please others and increase their enjoyment and surely you would want to do that. Come on. Move around. Don't hide here with me. Greet everyone. Smile. Ask after their health. And remember that, after the banquet, you're going to have to make a speech."

“那就是罪上加罪。好啦，哈里，你得学着怎样老得优雅。第一步，你必须表现得自得其乐。那样便会感染别人，让他们更加快乐，而你当然希望这么做。来吧，走动一下，别和我躲在这里。去欢迎每一个人，露出笑容，和他们嘘寒问暖。还有别忘了，晚宴后你得做一场演讲。”

"I dislike banquets and I doubly dislike speeches."

“我不喜欢晚宴，我更加不喜欢演讲。”

"You'll have to, anyway. Now move!"

“反正你非讲不可。走吧！”

Seldon sighed dramatically and did as he was told. He cut quite an imposing figure as he stood in the archway leading into the main hall. I'he voluminous First Minister's robes of yesteryear were gone, as were the Heliconian-style garments he had favored in his youth. Now Seldon wore an outfit that bespoke his elevated status: straight pants, crisply pleated, a modified tunic on top. Embroidered in silver thread above his heart was the insignia: SELDON PSYCHOHISTORY PROJECT AT STREELING UNIVERSITY. It sparkled like a beacon against the dignified titanium-gray hue of his clothing. Seldon's eyes twinkled in a face now lined by age, his sixty years given away as much by his wrinkles as by his white hair.

谢顿夸张地叹了一口气，开始执行铎丝的吩咐。他站在连接主厅的拱廊中，成为一个相当显眼的身形。他早已不穿昔日那件宽大的首相袍，而年轻时所喜爱的赫利肯风格服装也尘封多时。谢顿现在的穿着正显现出他崇高的身份：笔直的长裤带着波浪状皱褶，上身是一件改良式短袖衣。左胸处用银线绣着一个徽章，上面写着：斯璀璘大学谢顿心理史学计划。在他一身高贵的钛灰色服装背景中，这个徽章像灯塔般闪闪发亮。谢顿眨着眼睛，双眼四周是随着年岁而渐增的皱纹，这些皱纹与他的白发一样，将六十岁的年纪表露无遗。

He entered the room in which the children were feasting. The room had been entirely cleared, except for trestles with food upon them. The children rushed up to him as soon as they saw him-knowing, as they did, that he was the reason for the feast-and Seldon tried to avoid their clutching fingers.

他走进一间专门招待儿童的房间。室内的陈设全部搬光，只剩下几个摆放食物的架台。孩子们一看到他便一拥而上，他们都知道这场飨宴是他带来的。谢顿连忙试图躲避他们乱抓的小手。

"Wait, wait, children," he said. "Now stand back."

“等等，等等，孩子们。”他说，“往后面站。”

He pulled a small computerized robot from his pocket and placed it on the floor. In an Empire without robots, this was something that he could expect to be eye-popping. It had the shape of a small furry animal, but it also had the capacity to change shapes without warning (eliciting squeals of children's laughter each time) and when it did so, the sounds and motions it made changed as well.

他从口袋里掏出一个电脑化小型机器人，将它摆在地板上。在一个没有机器人的国度里，他相信这种东西能让孩子大开眼界。它的外型是个毛茸茸的小动物，但它能在毫无预警之下变换外型（每次都引得孩子们吱吱笑），而当它变身的时候，它的声音与动作也跟着一起改变。

"Watch it," said Seldon, "and play with it, and try not to break it. Later on, there'll be one for each of you."

“仔细看，”谢顿说，“跟它玩玩，小心别弄坏了。等会儿，送你们一人一个。”

He slipped out into the hallway leading back to the main hall and realized, as he did so, that Wanda was following him.

他溜了出来，来到连接主厅的另一条走廊。这时，他发觉婉达跟在他后面。

"Grandpa," she said.

“爷爷。”她唤道。

Well, of course, Wanda was different. He swooped down and lifted her high in the air, turned her over, and put her down.

嗯，婉达当然不同。他猛然弯下腰，将她高高举起，转了一圈，再将她放下来。

"Are you having a good time, Wanda?" he asked.

“你玩得开心吗，婉达？”他问。

"Yes," she said, "but don't go into that room."

“开心，”她说，“但别进那个房间。”

"Why not, Wanda? It's my room. It's the office where I work."

“为什么，婉达？那是我的房间，是我的研究室，我就是在那里工作。”

"It's where I had my bad dream."

“那里是我做恶梦的地方。”

"I know, Wanda, but that's all over, isn't it?" He hesitated, then he led Wanda to one of the chairs lining the hallway. He sat down and placed her on his lap.

“我知道，婉达，可是一切都过去了，对不对？”他犹豫了一下，然后领着婉达走向走廊旁的一列椅子。他挑了一张椅子坐下，将她放到自己的膝盖上。

"Wanda," he said, "are you sure it was a dream?"

“婉达，”他说，“你确定那是一场梦吗？”

"I think it was a dream."

“我认为那是一场梦。”

"Were you really sleeping?"

“你当时真睡着了吗？”

"I think I was."

“我想我睡着了。”

She seemed uncomfortable talking about it and Seldon decided to let it go. There was no use pushing her any further.

谈到这件事似乎令她不太自在。谢顿决定不再追究，继续逼问她根本没有用。

He said, "Well, dream or not, there were two men and they talked of lemonade death, didn't they?"

他说：“好吧，不论是不是梦，总之有两个男的，他们谈到柠檬水之死，对不对？”

Wanda nodded reluctantly.

婉达勉强点了点头。

Seldon said, "You're sure they said lemonade?"

谢顿说：“你确定他们说的是柠檬水吗？”

Wanda nodded again.

婉达又点了点头。

"Might they have said something else and you thought they said lemonade?"

“他们会不会是在说别的，你却以为他们说的是柠檬水？”

"Lemonade is what they said."

“他们说的就是柠檬水。”

Seldon had to be satisfied with that. "Well, run off and have a good time, Wanda. Forget about the dream."

谢顿不得不接受这个答案。“好吧，到别处去玩个痛快，婉达，忘掉那场梦。”

"All right, Grandpa." She cheered up as soon as the matter of the dream was dismissed and off she went to join the festivities.

“好的，爷爷。”一旦把梦境抛到脑后，她立刻快活起来，再度投入庆祝活动。

Seldon went to search for Manella. It took him an extraordinarily long time to find her, since, at every step, he was stopped, greeted, and conversed with.

谢顿开始寻找玛妮拉。他花了好长时间才找到她，因为每走一步，就会有人拦住他、问候他并与他交谈。

Finally he saw her in the distance. Muttering, "Pardon me- Pardon me- There's someone I must- Pardon me-," he worked his way over to her with considerable trouble.

最后，他终于在远处看到她。他一面走，一面喃喃道：“对不起……对不起……有个人我必须……对不起……”他克服万难朝她的方向走去。

"Manella," he said and drew her off to one side, smiling mechanically in all directions.

“玛妮拉。”他把她拉到一旁，并向四面八方挤出机械式的笑容。

"Yes, Hari," she said. "Is something wrong?"

“怎样，哈里，”她说，“有什么问题吗？”

"It's Wanda's dream."

“婉达的梦。”

"Don't tell me she's still talking about it."

“别告诉我她还念念不忘。”

"Well, it's still bothering her. Listen, we have lemonade at the party, haven't we?"

“嗯，那场梦仍困扰着她。听我说，我们在宴会上备有柠檬水，对不对？”

"Of course, the children adore it. I've added a couple of dozen different Mycogenian taste buds to very small glasses of different shapes and the children try them one after the other to see which taste best. The adults have been drinking it, too. I have. Why don't you taste it, Hari? It's great."

“当然，孩子们爱死了。我在许多不同形状的超小型玻璃杯中，加入几十种不同的麦曲生味蕾，孩子们一杯接一杯品尝，看看哪一种味道最好。大人们也在喝，我就喝了。你何不也尝尝看呢，哈里？味道棒极了。”

"I'm thinking. If it wasn't a dream, if the child really heard two men speak of lemonade death……" He paused, as though ashamed to continue.

“我在想，如果那不是一场梦，如果那孩子真听见两个人谈到柠檬水之死……”他打住了，仿佛不好意思再说下去。

Manella said, "Are you thinking that someone poisoned the lemonade? That's ridiculous. By now every child in the place would be sick or dying."

玛妮拉说：“你是在想会有人在柠檬水里下毒？那实在可笑，真要是这样，现在这里每个孩子都已经病倒或死掉了。”

"I know," muttered Seldon. "I know."

“我知道，”谢顿喃喃地说，“我知道。”

He wandered off and almost didn't see Dors when he passed her. She seized his elbow.

他走了开，在经过铎丝时几乎没看到她。

"Why the face?" she said. "You look concerned."

她抓住他的手肘。“怎么这种脸色？”她说，“你看来心事重重。”

"I've been thinking of Wanda's lemonade death."

“我一直在想婉达的柠檬水之死。”

"So have I, but I can't make anything of it so far."

“我也是，但我至今想不出所以然来。”

"I can't help but think of the possibility of poisoning."

“我忍不住想到下毒的可能性。”

"Don't. I assure you that every bit of food that came into this party has been molecularly checked. I know you'll think that's my typical paranoia, but my task is guarding you and that is what I must do."

“别那样想。我向你保证，送到宴会上的食物全部经过分子检查。我知道你会认为那是我典型的妄想症，但我的工作就是保护你，所以那正是我必须做的事情。”

"And everything is……"

“每一样东西都……”

"No poison. I promise you."

“没有毒，我向你保证。”

Seldon smiled, "Well, good. That's a relief. I didn't really think……"

谢顿微微一笑。“好吧，很好。我松了一口气，我并非真认为……”

"Let's hope not," said Dors dryly. "What concerns me far more than this myth of poison is that I have heard that you're going to be seeing that monster Tennar in a few days."

“但愿不是。”铎丝淡淡地说，“比这个毒药狂想更令我关切许多倍的，是我听到几天后你要去见田纳尔那个怪物。”

"Don't call him a monster, Dors. Be careful. We're surrounded by cars and tongues."

“别管他叫怪物，铎丝。小心点，我们周围人多嘴杂。”

Dors immediately lowered her voice. "I suppose you're right. Look ;round. All these smiling faces-and yet who knows which of our friends' will be reporting back to the head and his henchmen when the night is over? Ah, humans! Even after all these thousands of centuries, to think that such base treachery still exists. It seems to me to be so unnecessary. Yet I know the harm it can do. That is why I must go with you, Hari."

铎丝立刻压低声音。“我想你说得对。看看四周，净是微笑的脸孔。可是谁知道，哪个‘朋友’今晚过后就会向首脑或他的手下报告？啊，人类！即使过了数千个世纪，这种卑劣的背叛竟然依旧存在。在我看来，它似乎实在没有必要。但我明白它能造成什么伤害，这就是我必须跟你去的理由，哈里。”

"Impossible, Dors. It would just complicate matters for me. I'll go Myself and I'll have no trouble."

“不可能的，铎丝，那样只会使情况更复杂。我要自己去，我不会有麻烦的。”

"You would have no idea how to handle the General."

“你对如何应付那个将军毫无概念。”

Seldon looked grave. "And you would? You sound exactly like Elar. He, too, is convinced that I am a helpless old fool. He, too, wants to come with me-or, rather, to go in my place. -I wonder how many people on Trantor are willing to take my place," he added with clear sarcasm. "Dozens? Millions?"

谢顿显得很严肃。“你有概念吗？你的口气听来和林恩一模一样。他，也深信我是个没用的老糊涂。他，也想跟我一起去——更正确地说，是想代我去。我不知道川陀上有多少人愿意代替我，”他带着明显的讽刺补充道，“几十个？几百万个？”

12

12

For ten years the Galactic Empire had been without an Emperor, but there was no indication of that fact in the way the Imperial Palace grounds were operated. Millennia of custom made the absence of an Emperor meaningless.

过去十年间，银河帝国一直没有一位皇帝，但从皇宫御苑的运作却完全看不出这个事实。数千年来所累积的惯例，使皇帝的存在与否变得毫无意义。

It meant, of course, that there was no figure in Imperial robes to preside over formalities of one sort or another. No Imperial voice gave orders; no Imperial wishes made themselves known; no Imperial gratifications or annoyances made themselves felt; no Imperial pleasures warmed either Palace; no Imperial sicknesses cast them in gloom. The Emperor's own quarters in the Small Palace were empty-the Imperial family did not exist.

当然，这代表不再有个身穿皇袍的身形主持各种典礼；不再有皇帝的声音下达命令；不再有皇帝的旨意传达出去；不再有皇帝的喜怒哀乐感染众人；不再有皇帝的欢乐照亮任何宫殿；不再有皇帝的病体为宫殿蒙上阴影。位于偏殿的御用寝宫空无一人，因为根本没有皇室的存在。

And yet the army of gardeners kept the grounds in perfect condition. An army of service people kept the buildings in top shape. The Emperor's bed-never slept in-was made with fresh sheets every day; the rooms were cleaned; everything worked as it always worked; and the entire Imperial staff, from top to bottom, worked as they had always worked. The top officials gave commands as they would have done if the Emperor had lived, commands that they knew the Emperor would have given. In many cases, in particular in the higher echelons, the personnel were the same as those who had been there on Cleon's last day of life. The new personnel who had been taken on were carefully molded and trained into the traditions they would have to serve.

然而大队园丁仍将御苑照顾得完美无瑕，大队仆佣仍将宫殿建筑保持在最佳状态。御床虽然从来没人睡，每天仍会更换被单；宫中每个房间照常打扫，每件工作也都如常进行。而御前幕僚的整个团队，从上到下，都在做着他们过去一贯的工作。就像皇帝仍旧在世一样，最高官员继续下达指令，而且知道那些指令必定符合皇帝的心意。在许多机关中，尤其是高层机关，人事结构仍与克里昂生命中最后一天完全一样。至于新进人员，则被仔细塑造与训练成百分之百遵循传统。

It was as though the Empire, accustomed to the rule of an Emperor, insisted on this "ghost rule" to hold the Empire together.

仿佛帝国早已习惯由皇帝统治，因此坚持以这种“幽灵统治”来维系整个帝国。

The junta knew this-or, if they didn't, they felt it vaguely. In ten years none of those military men who had commanded the Empire had moved into the Emperor's private quarters in the Small Palace. Whatever these men were, they were not Imperial and they knew they had no rights there. A populace that endured the loss of liberty would not endure any sign of irreverence to the Emperor-alive or dead.

执政团知道这一点，即使不知道，他们也有模糊的感觉。在这十年间，所有统率过帝国的军人，没有一个敢搬进偏殿中的御用寝宫。这些军人不论什么来头，他们总不是皇帝，因此都知道无权染指该处。对人民而言，失去自由还能忍受，却无法忍受对皇帝的大不敬——不论对象是活着或死去的皇帝。

Even General Tennar had not moved into the graceful structure that had housed the Emperors of a dozen different dynasties for so long. He Hid made his home and office in one of the structures built on the outskirts of the grounds-eyesores, but eyesores that were built like fortresses, sturdy enough to withstand a siege, with outlying buildings in which an enormous force of guards was housed.

那座已有十来个不同皇朝的皇帝居住过的优雅宫殿，就连田纳尔将军也没有搬进去。他在御苑边缘的建筑群中挑了一栋，作为他的官邸与办公室。那群建筑在御苑内极为碍眼，却造得有如碉堡般坚固，足以抵挡军队的围攻，而最外缘的建筑还住着数量庞大的卫士。

Tennar was a stocky man, with a mustache. It was not a vigorous overflowing Dahlite mustache but one that was carefully clipped and fitted to the upper lip, leaving a strip of skin between the hair and the line of the lip. It was a reddish mustache and Tennar had cold blue eyes. He had probably been a handsome man in his younger days, but his face was pudgy now and his eyes were slits that expressed anger more often than any other emotion.

田纳尔身形矮胖，留着两撇八字胡。他的胡子不像达尔八字胡那样生气蓬勃、四下蔓延，而是经过仔细修剪，紧贴着上唇，但在胡子与唇线间留有一道空隙。这两撇胡子稍带红色，而田纳尔的眼珠则是深蓝色。他年轻时或许相当英俊，但现在的他脸庞过于丰满，两只眼睛则眯成两条缝，其中最常透出的情绪就是愤怒。

So he said angrily-as one would, who felt himself to be absolute master of millions of worlds and yet who dared not call himself an Emperor-to Hender Linn, "I can establish a dynasty of my own." He hooked around with a scowl. "This is not a fitting place for the master of the Empire."

现在他便忿忿不平地（一个人感到自己是千万世界的绝对主宰，却又不敢自称皇帝，就一定会如此愤怒）对韩德·厄拉尔说：“我能建立一个自己的朝代，”他眉头深锁地环顾四周，“对帝国的主宰而言，这个地方并不合适。”

Linn said softly, "To be master is what is important. Better to be a master in a cubicle than a figurehead in a palace."

厄拉尔轻声道：“重要的是身为主宰。当个斗室中的主宰，也比宫殿中的傀儡来得强。”

"Best yet, to be master in a palace. Why not?"

“但最好是能在宫殿中当个主宰。这又有何不可？”

Linn bore the title of colonel, but it is quite certain that he had never engaged in any military action. His function was that of telling Tennar what he wanted to hear-and of carrying his orders, unchanged, to others. On occasion-if it seemed safe-he might try to steer Tennar into more prudent courses.

厄拉尔拥有上校的头衔，但他从未参与任何军事行动，这点几乎毫无疑问。他的功用是把田纳尔想听的话告诉他，并一字不易地把他的命令传下去。偶尔有些时候，若是安全似乎无虞，他也会试着将田纳尔导向较为慎重的路线。

Linn was well known as "Tennar's lackey" and knew that was how he was known. It did not bother him. As lackey, he was safe-and he had seen the downfall of those who had been too proud to be lackeys.

众所周知厄拉尔是“田纳尔的奴才”，这点他自己心知肚明。对此他毫不在乎，身为奴才的他安全无比，而他看过许多过分骄傲、不甘心当奴才的人最后的下场。

The time might, of course, come when Tennar himself would be buried in the ever-changing junta panorama, but Linn felt, with a certain amount of philosophy, that he would be aware of it in time and save himself. -Or he might not. There was a price for everything.

当然，可能有一天，田纳尔自己也会埋葬在执政团这个变幻不已的舞台中。可是厄拉尔觉得（带着些世故的达观），他会及时察觉这一点，自保应不成问题。他自然也可能做不到，但凡事总是有代价的。

"No reason why you can't found a dynasty, General," said Linn. Many others have done it in the long Imperial history. Still, it takes lime. The people are slow to adapt. It is usually only the second or even third of the dynasty who is fully accepted as Emperor."

“您没有理由不能开创一个朝代，将军。”厄拉尔说，“在帝国悠久的历史中，有许多人这样做过。话说回来，这需要时间。人民接受新局的速度迟缓，通常要到新朝代的第二乃至第三代，人民才会全心全意接受这个皇帝。”

"I don't believe that. I need merely announce myself as new Em1wror. Who will dare quarrel with that? My grip is tight."

“我不相信。我只需要宣称自己是新皇帝，谁敢站出来反对？我的钳制可紧得很。”

"So it is, General. Your power is unquestioned on Trantor and in most of the Inner Worlds, yet it is possible that many in the farther Outer Worlds will not just yet-accept a new Imperial dynasty."

“的确没错，将军。在川陀上，以及大多数的内围世界，您的力量毋庸置疑。但是可能在遥远的外围世界，有许多人还不会——目前还不会接受一个新皇朝。”

"Inner Worlds or Outer Worlds, military force rules all. That is an old Imperial maxim."

“内围世界也好，外围世界也罢，军事力量统治一切。这是帝国的一句古老格言。”

"And a good one," said Linn, "but many of the provinces have armed forces of their own, nowadays, that they may not use on your behalf. These are difficult times."

“一句很好的格言。”厄拉尔说，“可是如今，许多星省都拥有自己的武装部队，他们或许不会为您效命。这是个人心不古的年头。”

"You counsel caution, then."

“那么，你是建议我要谨慎。”

"I always counsel caution, General."

“我总是建议您谨慎，将军。”

"And someday you may counsel it once too often."

“总有一天，你会建议得过了头。”

Linn bent his head. "I can only counsel what seems to me to be good and useful to you, General."

厄拉尔低下头来。“我只能建议在我看来对您有好处和有用处的事，将军。”

"As in your constant harping to me about this Hari Seldon."

“所以你不停地对我唠叨那个哈里·谢顿。”

"He is your greatest danger, General."

“他是您最大的威胁，将军。”

"So you keep saying, but I don't see it. He's just a college professor."

“你一直这么说，但是我却看不出来。他只是个大学教授。”

Linn said, "So he is, but he was once First Minister."

厄拉尔说：“没错，但他曾经当过首相。”

"I know, but that was in Cleon's time. Has he done anything since? With times being difficult and with the governors of the provinces being fractious, why is a professor my greatest danger?"

“我知道，但那是在克里昂的时代。后来他做过任何事吗？既然现在人心不古，各星省的总督都不好惹，为何一个教授会是我最大的威胁？”

"It is sometimes a mistake," said Linn carefully (for one had to be careful in educating the General), "to suppose that a quiet unobtrusive man can be harmless. Seldon has been anything but harmless to those he has opposed. Twenty years ago the Joranumite movement almost destroyed Cleon's powerful First Minister, Eto Demerzel."

“认为一个温和而谦逊的人是无害的，”厄拉尔小心翼翼地说（谁给将军上课都得小心翼翼），“有时是个错误。对谢顿所反对的人而言，他从来都不是无害的。二十年前，九九派运动几乎毁掉克里昂的铁腕首相伊图·丹莫刺尔。”

Tennar nodded, but the slight frown on his face betrayed his effort to remember the matter.

田纳尔点了点头，但微蹙的眉头泄露了他正在搜寻记忆的努力。

"It was Seldon who destroyed Joranum and who succeeded Demerzel as First Minister. The Joranumite movement survived, however, and Seldon engineered its destruction, too, but not before it succeeded in bringing about the assassination of Cleon."

“是谢顿摧毁了久瑞南，并继丹莫刺尔之后担任首相。然而，九九派运动并未根绝，后来当它死灰复燃时，谢顿再次设计将它扑灭，可是，却来不及阻止行刺克里昂的行动。”

"But Seldon survived that, didn't he?"

“但谢顿却没事，对不对？”

"You are perfectly correct. Seldon survived."

“您说得完全正确，谢顿没事。”

"That is strange. To have permitted an Imperial assassination should have meant death for a First Minister."

“那就怪了。害得皇帝遇刺，就代表首相非死不可。”

"So it should have. Nevertheless, the junta has allowed him to live. It seemed wiser to do so."

“应该是那样。纵然如此，执政团却让他活下去，这样做似乎比较明智。”

"Why?"

“为什么？”

Linn sighed internally. "There is something called psychohistory, General."

厄拉尔在心中叹了一口气。“为了一个叫做心理史学的东西，将军。”

"I know nothing about that," said Tennar flatly.

“我对它一无所知。”田纳尔断然道。

Actually he had a vague memory of Linn trying to talk to him on a number of occasions concerning this strange collection of syllables. He had never wanted to listen and Linn had known better than to push the matter. Tennar didn't want to listen now, either, but there seemed to be a hidden urgency in Linn's words. Perhaps, Tennar thought, he had now better listen.

事实上，他依稀记得，厄拉尔三番两次试图对他说明这几个怪字眼的意义。他从来不想听，厄拉尔则很明白不能操之过急。田纳尔现在同样不想听，但厄拉尔话中似乎带着隐性的急迫。或许，田纳尔心想，自己这回最好听一听。

"Almost no one knows anything about it," said Linn, "yet there are a few-uh-intellectuals, who find it of interest."

“几乎没有人对它有任何认识，”厄拉尔说，“但是有些——喔——知识分子，觉得它很有意思。”

"And what is it?"

“它究竟是什么？”

"It is a complex system of mathematics."

“是个复杂的数学体系。”

Tennar shook his head. "Leave me out of that, please. I can count my military divisions. That's all the mathematics I need."

田纳尔摇了摇头。“别和我提那种事，拜托。我数得清我的军队有多少师，那是我唯一需要的数学。”

"The story is," said Linn, "that psychohistory may make it possible to predict the future."

“据说，”厄拉尔道，“心理史学有可能做到预测未来。”

The General's eyes bulged. "You mean this Seldon is a fortune-

将军立刻双眼鼓胀。“你的意思是，这个谢顿是个算命的？”

"Not in the usual fashion. It is a matter of science."

“不是通常的算命，它是一种科学。”

"I don't believe it."

“我不相信。”

"It is hard to believe, but Seldon has become something of a cult figure here on Trantor-and in certain places in the Outer Worlds. Now psychohistory-if it can be used to predict the future or if even people merely think it can be so used-can be a powerful tool with which to uphold the regime. I'm sure you have already seen this, General. One need merely predict our regime will endure and bring forth peace and prosperity for the Empire. People, believing this, will help make it a self-fulfilling prophecy. On the other hand, if Seldon wishes the reverse, he can predict civil war and ruin. People will believe that, too, and that would destabilize the regime."

“的确很难相信，但在川陀上，谢顿已经成为一个受人崇拜的人物，而在外围世界某些地方也是如此。至于这个心理史学，如果它能用来预测未来，甚至只是人民相信它能这样做，即可成为巩固政权的一个强力工具。这点我确定您已经看出来，将军。它只需要预测我们的政权会持续下去，会为帝国带来和平与繁荣。民众一旦相信了，就会帮助它成为自我实现的预言。反之，如果谢顿希望出现反面的结果，他大可预测会出现内战和毁灭。民众也会相信的，那就会使我们的政权不稳。”

"In that case, Colonel, we simply make sure that the predictions of psychohistory are what we want them to be."

“这样的话，上校，我们只要确定心理史学的预测是我们想要的就行了。”

"It would be Seldon who would have to make them and he is not a friend of the regime. It is important, General, that we differentiate between the Project that is working at Streeling University to perfect psychohistory and Hari Seldon. Psychohistory can be extremely useful to us, but it will be so only if someone other than Seldon were in charge."

“应该说是谢顿必须做到这一点，而他并不是当今政权的朋友。将军，我们必须将哈里·谢顿和在斯璀璘大学进行的心理史学发展计划区别开来，这件事很重要。心理史学能对我们有极大的用处，但唯有在某人取代谢顿之后才会如此。”

"Are there others who could be?"

“有其他人能取代吗？”

"Oh yes. It is only necessary to get rid of Seldon."

“喔，有的，需要做的只是除掉谢顿。”

"What is so difficult with that? An order of execution-and it is done."

“这种事有什么困难？一纸处决令，事情就解决了。”

"It would be better, General, if the government was not seen to be directly involved in such a thing."

“如果看不出政府直接涉入这样一件事，将军，那总是比较好。”

“解释一下！”

"I have arranged to have him meet with you, so that you can use your skill to probe his personality. You would then be able to judge whether certain suggestions I have in mind are worthwhile or not."

“我已经安排他来见您，好让您能用您的本事打探他的心理史学。然后，您就能判断我心中的一些建议是否值得接受。”

"When is the meeting to take place?"

“这个会晤将在何时举行？”

"It was to take place very soon, but his representatives at the Project asked for a few days leeway, because they were in the process of celebrating his birthday-his sixtieth, apparently. It seemed wise to allow that and to permit a week's delay."

“本来很快就会举行，但谢顿计划的几个代表要求宽限几天，因为他们正在庆祝他的生日——显然是六十大寿。我认为答应他们的请求、允许延迟一周是明智之举。”

"Why?" demanded Tennar. "I dislike any display of weakness."

“为什么？”田纳尔追问。“我不喜欢任何示弱的表现。”

"Quite right, General. Quite right. Your instincts are, as always, correct. However, it seemed to me that the needs of the state might require us to know what and how the birthday celebration-which is taking place right now-might involve."

“相当正确，将军，相当正确。正如每次一样，您的直觉完全正确。然而，在我看来，基于情势的需要，我们或许应该知道这个庆生会的内容和性质——此时此刻它正在举行。”

"Why?"

“为什么？”

"All knowledge is useful. Would you care to see some of the festivities?"

“所有的情报都是有用的。您愿意看看庆祝活动的片段吗？”

General Tennar's face remained dark. "Is that necessary?"

田纳尔将军的脸色阴沉依旧。“有这个必要吗？”

"I think you will find it interesting, General."

“我想您将发现它很有意思，将军。”

The reproduction-sight and sound-was excellent and for quite a while the hilarity of the birthday celebration filled the rather stark room in which the General sat.

声光俱全的再生影像效果极佳，接下来好长一段时间，庆生会的欢乐气氛充满了这间相当僵硬的将军办公室。

Linn's low voice served as commentary. "Most of this, General, is taking place in the Project complex, but the rest of the University is involved. We will have an air view in a few moments and you will see that the celebration covers a wide area. In fact, though I don't have the evidence available right now, there are corners of the planet here and there, in various University and sectoral settings mostly, where what we might call `sympathy celebrations' of one sort or another are taking place. The celebrations are still continuing and will endure for another day at least."

厄拉尔以低沉的声音做着旁白：“大多数的活动，将军，都是在谢顿计划建筑群中举行，但校园其他各处也共襄盛举。待会儿我们会有个鸟瞰影像，您将看到庆祝活动涵盖了广大的面积。事实上，这颗行星上有许多角落，主要是各大学和各区重镇，也在举行各种可称之为‘共鸣庆祝’的活动，只是我手头暂时没有确实证据。目前这些庆祝仍在进行，至少还会再持续一天。”

"Are you telling me that this is a Trantor-wide celebration?"

“你是在告诉我，这是个涵盖整个川陀的庆典？”

"In a specialized way. It affects mostly the intellectual classes, but it is surprisingly widespread. It may even be that there is some shouting on worlds other than Trantor."

“以一种很特殊的方式进行。它主要只影响到知识分子阶级，但是影响的范围惊人广泛。甚至有可能除了川陀，其他世界上也有人在欢呼。”

"Where did you get this reproduction?"

“你是从哪里弄到这个再生影像的？”

Linn smiled. "Our facilities in the Project are quite good. We have reliable sources of information, so that little can happen that doesn't come our way at once."

厄拉尔微微一笑。“我们在谢顿计划中的布置相当好。我们有可靠的情报来源，所以鲜有我们不会立刻知道的事。”

"Well then, Linn, what are all your conclusions about this?"

“好吧，厄拉尔，你对这件事的结论究竟是什么？”

"It seems to me, General, and I'm sure that it seems so to you, that Hari Seldon is the focus of a personality cult. He has so identified himself with psychohistory that if we were to get rid of him in too open a manner, we would entirely destroy the credibility of the science. It would be useless to us.

“在我看来，将军，哈里·谢顿是某种个人崇拜的焦点，我确定您也有这种看法。他让自己和心理史学如此合而为一，假使我们用太过公开的方式除掉他，会完全毁掉这门科学的公信力，它对我们就毫无用处了。

"On the other hand, General, Seldon is growing old and it is not difficult to imagine him being replaced by another man: someone we could choose and who would be friendly to our great aims and hopes for the Empire. If Seldon could be removed in such a way that it is made to seem natural, then that is all we need."

“反之，将军，谢顿年纪越来越大，不难想象他会被另一个人取代——某个我们能选择的人，他会友善看待我们对帝国所抱持的伟大目标及希望。若能以这种看似自然的方式除去谢顿，那就正是我们所需要的。”

The General said, "And you think I ought to see him?"

将军说：“而你认为我应该见他？”

"Yes, in order to weigh his quality and decide what we ought to do. But we must be cautious, for he is a popular man."

“是的，以便衡量他的斤两，好决定我们该怎么做。可是我们必须谨慎，因为他是一个名人。”

"I have dealt with popular people before," said Tennar darkly.

“我以前也和名人打过交道。”田纳尔以阴郁的口吻说。

13

13

"Yes," said Hari Seldon wearily, "it was a great triumph. I had a wonderful time. I can hardly wait until I'm seventy so I can repeat it. But the fact is, I'm exhausted."

“是啊，”哈里·谢顿困倦地说，“办得成功极了，我玩得好开心。我巴不得赶快活到七十岁，好让自己再开心一次。可是事实上，我累坏了。”

"So get yourself a good night's sleep, Dad," said Raych, smiling. "That's an easy cure."

“那么今晚好好睡一觉，爸。”芮奇微笑着说，“那是最简单的疗养。”

"I don't know how well I can relax when I have to see our great leader in a few days."

“过几天就得去见我们伟大的领导者，我不知道自己能多么放松。”

"Not alone, you won't see him," said Dors Venabili grimly.

“不是单独去，否则不准你去见他。”铎丝·凡纳比里绷着脸说。

Seldon frowned. "Don't say that again, Dors. It is important for me to see him alone."

谢顿皱起眉头。“别再那样说，铎丝，重点就在于我得单独去见他。”

"It won't be safe with you alone. Do you remember what happened ten years ago when you refused to let me come with you to greet the gardeners?"

“你单独去不安全。你还记不记得，十年前你拒绝让我跟你一起去迎接那些园丁，结果发生什么事？”

"There is no danger of my forgetting when you remind me of it twice a week, Dors. In this case, though, I intend to go alone. What can he want to do to me if I come in as an old man, utterly harmless, to find out what he wants?"

“你每星期提醒我两次，不用担心我会忘记，铎丝。不过这一回，我打算自己去。如果我以一个老头的形象出现，完全不具威胁性，只是去弄清楚他要些什么，他又能怎样对付我？”

"What do you imagine he wants?" said Raych, biting at his knuckle.

“你猜他会要些什么？”芮奇咬着自己的指节说。

"I suppose he wants what Cleon always wanted. It will turn out that he has found out that psychohistory can, in some way, predict the future and he will want to use it for his own purposes. I told Cleon the science wasn't up to it nearly thirty years ago and I kept telling him that all through my tenure as First Minister-and now I'll have to tell General Tennar the same thing."

“我料想他所要的，就是当初克里昂一直想要的。结果将会证明，他已经发现心理史学多少也能预测未来，而他想要利用它为自己服务。将近三十年前，我告诉克里昂这门科学做不到这一点，而在我担任首相那些年间，我也一直在重复这句话。现在，我得用同样的话答复田纳尔将军。”

"How do you know he'll believe you?" said Raych.

“你怎么知道他会相信你？”芮奇问。

"I'll think of some way of being convincing."

“我会想办法让他信服。”

Dors said, "I do not wish you to go alone."

铎丝说：“我不希望你单独前往。”

"Your wishing, Dors, makes no difference."

“你的希望，铎丝，起不了任何作用。”

At this point, Tamwile Elar interrupted. He said, "I'm the only nonfamily person here. I don't know if a comment from me would be welcome."

这个时候，泰姆外尔·林恩突然打岔。他说：“我是这里唯一的外人，不晓得我的意见受不受欢迎？”

"Go ahead," said Seldon. "Come one, come all."

“说吧，”谢顿道，“我一视同仁。”

"I would like to suggest a compromise. Why don't a number of us go with the Maestro. Quite a few of us. We can act as his triumphal escort, a kind of finale to the birthday celebration. -Now wait, I don't mean that we will all crowd into the General's offices. I don't even mean entering the Imperial Palace grounds. We can just take hotel rooms in the Imperial Sector at the edge of the grounds-the Dome's Edge Hotel would be just right-and we'll give ourselves a day of pleasure."

“我想建议一个折中方案。何不我们许多人跟大师一起去，一大群人同行。我们可以充当追随他的游行队伍，把它当成庆生会的最后一个节目。慢着，我不是指我们通通挤进将军的办公室，我甚至不是指进入皇宫御苑。我们可以仅仅待在御苑边缘的某家皇区旅馆，例如穹缘旅馆就很合适。然后，我们要好好尽兴一天。”

"That's just what I need," snorted Seldon. "A day of pleasure."

“尽兴一天，”谢顿哼了一声，“那正是我所需要的。”

"Not you, Maestro," said Elar at once. "You'll be meeting with General Tennar. The rest of us, though, will give the people of the Imperial Sector a notion of your popularity-and perhaps the General will take note also. And if he knows we're all waiting for your return, it may keep him from being unpleasant."

“不行，大师。”林恩立刻说，“您将要会晤田纳尔将军。不过，我们其他人，会让皇区居民对您的声望留下深刻印象，或许也会让将军注意到。而如果他知道我们都在等您归来，或许就不敢对您不客气。”

There was a considerable silence after that. Finally Raych said, "It sounds too showy to me. It don't fit in with the image the world has of Dad."

之后是好一阵子的沉默，最后芮奇说：“在我看来这太招摇，不符合爸在这个世界上的形象。”

But Dors said, "I'm not interested in Hari's image. I'm interested in Hari's safety. It strikes me that if we cannot invade the General's presence or the Imperial grounds, then allowing ourselves to accumulate, so to speak, as near the General as we can, might do us well. Thank you, Dr. Elar, for a very good suggestion."

铎丝却说：“我不在乎哈里的形象，我只在乎哈里的安全。我想通了，假如我们不能侵入将军办公室或是御苑，那就让我们——这么说吧——聚集在将军附近，而且越近越好，这样或许对我们有好处。谢谢你，林恩博士，谢谢你提出一个非常好的建议。”

"I don't want it done," said Seldon.

“我不要这样做。”谢顿说。

"But I do," said Dors, "and if that's as close as I can get to offering you personal protection, then that much I will insist on."

“可是我要。”铎丝说，“假如这是我最有可能对你提供的个人保护，那么我可要坚持。”

Manella, who had listened to it all without comment till then, said, "Visiting the Dome's Edge Hotel could be a lot of fun."

玛妮拉原本一直用心聆听，没有发表任何意见，现在她说：“造访穹缘旅馆会很好玩。”

"It's not fun I'm thinking of," said Dors, "but I'll accept your vote in favor."

“我想到的不是好玩，”铎丝说，“但我接受你的赞成票。”

And so it was. The following day some twenty of the higher echelon of the Psychohistory Project descended on the Dome's Edge Hotel, with rooms overlooking the open spaces of the Imperial Palace grounds.

于是一切敲定。第二天，大约二十位心理史学计划的高层人员冲进穹缘旅馆，一律挑选俯瞰御苑露天空间的房间下榻。

The following evening Hari Seldon was picked up by the General's armed guards and taken off to the meeting.

当天傍晚，将军的武装卫士接走哈里·谢顿，带他前去会晤将军。

At almost the same time Dors Venabili disappeared, but her absence was not noted for a long time. And when it was noted, no one could guess what had happened to her and the gaily festive mood turned rapidly into apprehension.

几乎与此同时，铎丝·凡纳比里失踪了，但众人过了好久才注意到。而在发现她不见了之后，没有人猜得到她发生了什么事，快乐的喜庆心情随即转成忧虑。

14

14

Dors Venabili had lived on the Imperial Palace grounds for ten years. As wife of the First Minister, she had entry to the grounds and could pass freely from the dome to the open, with her fingerprints as the pass.

铎丝·凡纳比里曾在皇宫御苑住了十年。身为首相夫人，她拥有御苑的通行权，能够自由进出穹顶与露天的交界，而通行密码就是她的指纹。

In the confusion that followed Cleon's assassination, her pass had never been removed and now when, for the first time since that dreadful clay, she wanted to move from the dome into the open spaces of the grounds, she could do so.

在克里昂遇刺后的那段混乱时期，她的通行密码一直未被取消。而自从那个可怕的日子之后，今天是她第一次想从穹顶之下进入御苑的露天空间，而基于上述原因，她做得到这件事。

She had always known that she could do so easily only once, for, upon discovery, the pass would be canceled-but this was the one time to do it.

她一直很明白，这种方便只能有一次。因为一旦被发现，通行密码便会立刻取消，但这次正是它派上用场的时候。

There was a sudden darkening of the sky as she moved into the open ;rod she felt a distinct lowering of the temperature. The world under the dome was always kept a little lighter during the night period than natural night would require and was kept a little dimmer during the day period. And, of course, the temperature beneath the dome was always a bit milder than the outdoors.

当她进入露天之际，天空突然暗了下来，此外她还感到气温显着降低。在夜间周期，穹顶下的世界总是比自然黑夜更明亮些，反之，在日间周期则较暗一点。而且，当然，穹顶内的气温总是比室外要温和些许。

Most Trantorians were unaware of this, for they spent their entire lives under the dome. To Dors it was expected, but it didn't really matter.

大多数川陀人对此浑然不觉，因为他们终身住在穹顶之下。这些变化都在铎丝意料之中，但是并没有大碍。

She took the central roadway, into which the dome opened at the site of the Dome's Edge Hotel. It was, of course, brightly lit, so that the darkness of the sky didn't matter at all.

她走在中央大道上，这条路自穹缘旅馆一路延伸至露天空间。当然，一路上灯火通明，因此天空的黑暗根本不算什么。

Dors knew that she would not advance a hundred meters along the roadway without being stopped, less perhaps in the present paranoid lays of the junta. Her alien presence would be detected at once.

铎丝知道，在这条路上，她走不到一百公尺便会被拦下。而在如今鬼影幢幢的日子里，说不定连五十公尺都走不到，她这个外人立刻会被侦测出来。

Nor was she disappointed. A small ground-car skittered up and the guardsman shouted out the window, "What are you doing here? Where are you going?"

她并没有失望。一辆小型地面车飞驰而来，车内的卫士透过窗口喊道：“你在这儿做什么？你要去哪里？”

Dors ignored the question and continued to walk.

铎丝不理会他，继续向前走。

The guardsman called out, "Halt!" Then he slammed on the brakes and stepped out of the car, which was exactly what Dors had wanted him to do.

那名卫士吼道：“站住！”他猛然踩下刹车，走出车外，这正是铎丝希望他做的事。

The guardsman was holding a blaster loosely in his hand-not threatening to use it, merely demonstrating its existence. He said, "Your reference number."

卫士随随便便抓着一柄手铳——并未威胁要动用，只是展示自己的武装。他说：“你的识别号码。”

Dors said, "I want your car."

铎丝说：“我要你的车子。”

"What!" The guardsman sounded outraged. "Your reference number. Immediately!" And now the blaster came up.

“什么！”卫士粗暴地叫道，“你的识别号码，快点！”现在手铳举了起来。

Dors said quietly, "You don't need my reference number," then she walked toward the guardsman.

铎丝心平气和地说：“你不需要我的识别号码。”她朝卫士走去。

The guardsman took a backward step. "If you don't stop and present your reference number, I'll blast you."

卫士退了一步。“如果你不站住，并说出你的识别号码，我就轰掉你。”

"No! drop your blaster."

“不！丢下你的手铳。”

The guardsman's lips tightened. His finger began to edge toward the contact, but before he could reach it, he was lost.

卫士嘴唇绷紧，手指开始移向手铳开关，但在摸到开关之前，他已经输了。

He could never describe afterward what happened in any accurate way. All he could say was "How was I to know it was The Tiger Woman?" (The time came when he would be proud of the encounter.) "She moved so fast, I didn't see exactly what she did or what happened. One moment I was going to shoot her down-I was sure she was some sort of madwoman-and the next thing I knew, I was completely overwhelmed."

事后，他始终无法正确描述究竟发生了什么事。他只能一再地说：“我怎么知道她就是虎女？”（那时，他已经对这个遭遇感到骄傲。）“她的动作那么快，我没看清楚她究竟做了什么或发生了什么。我正准备把她射倒——当时我确信她只是个疯婆子——接下来我就发现，我完全被制住了。”

Dors held the guardsman in a firm grip, the hand with the blaster forced high. She said, "Either drop the blaster at once or I will break your arm."

铎丝紧紧抓住那名卫士，令他握着手铳的手高高举起。她说：“立刻丢掉手铳，否则我扯断你的手臂。”

The guardsman felt a kind of death grip around his chest that all but prevented him from breathing. Realizing he had no choice, he dropped the blaster.

卫士觉得胸部被致命的力量箝住，几乎令他无法呼吸。他了解自己毫无选择，便抛下了手铳。

Dors Venabili released him, but before the guardsman could make a move to recover, he found himself facing his own blaster in Dors's hand.

铎丝·凡纳比里放开他，但卫士还未能重新站稳，便发现自己的手铳到了铎丝手中。

Dors said, "I hope you've left your detectors in place. Don't try to report what's happened too quickly. You had better wait and decide what it is you plan to tell your superiors. The fact that an unarmed woman took your blaster and your car may well put an end to your usefulness to the junta."

铎丝说：“我希望你的侦测器还没有动用。别忙着报告发生了什么，你最好等一等，先想想打算怎样告诉你的上级。一名手无寸铁的女子夺去你的手铳和车子，很可能使执政团再也不会重用你。”

Dors started the car and began to speed down the central roadway. A ten-year stay on the grounds told her exactly where she was going. The car she was in-an official ground-car-was not an alien intrusion into the grounds and would not be picked up as a matter of course. However, she had to take a chance on speed, for she wanted to reach her destination rapidly. She pushed the car to a speed of two hundred kilometers per hour.

铎丝启动了那辆车，开始沿着中央大道向前疾驶。由于在御苑住过十年，她很清楚自己要往哪里去。她驾驶的这辆车——官方的地面车——并非闯入御苑的不明物体，不会有人一眼就看出不对劲。然而，她必须冒险高速行驶，因为她要尽快抵达目的地。于是，她将这辆车开到时速二百公里。

The speed, at least, eventually did attract attention. She ignored radioed cries, demanding to know why she was speeding, and before long the car's detectors told her that another ground-car was in hot pursuit.

无论如何，这个速度终于引起注意。她听到无线电传来的吼叫，质问她为什么开快车，但她毫不理会。不久，车内侦测器告诉她另一辆地面车紧追不舍。

She knew that there would be a warning sent up ahead and that there would be other ground-cars waiting for her to arrive, but there was little any of them could do, short of trying to blast her out of existence-something apparently no one was willing to try, pending further investigation.

她知道会有警告送到前面，会有其他的地面车等着拦住她，但谁也不会有什么良策，除非是试图将她轰成一缕轻烟——在作进一步调查之前，显然没有人愿意尝试这个办法。

When she reached the building she had been heading for, two ground-cars were waiting for her. She climbed serenely out of her own car and walked toward the entrance.

当她抵达她要去的那栋建筑时，两辆地面车正在等着她。她不急不徐地从车中爬出来，向那栋建筑的入口走去。

Two men at once stood in her way, obviously astonished that the driver of the speeding car was not a guardsman but a woman dressed in civilian clothes.

有两个人立刻拦住她的去路。这辆超速车辆的驾驶竟然并非卫士，而是穿着平民服装的女子，显然令他们十分惊讶。

"What are you doing here? What was the rush?"

“你在这里做什么？赶什么赶？”

Dors said quietly, "Important message for Colonel Header Linn."

铎丝以平静的口吻说：“为韩德·厄拉尔上校送来重要消息。”

"Is that so?" said the guardsman harshly. There were now four men between her and the entrance. "Reference number, please."

“是这样的吗？”那名卫士粗声道，现在共有四人站在她与入口之间，“请问识别号码。”

Dors said, "Don't delay me."

铎丝说：“别耽搁我。”

"Reference number, I said."

“我说，识别号码。”

"You're wasting my time."

“你在浪费我的时间。”

One of the guardsmen said suddenly, "You know who she looks like? The old First Minister's wife. Dr. Venabili. The Tiger Woman."

其中一名卫士突然说：“你知道她看来像谁吗？像前首相的夫人，凡纳比里博士，那位虎女。”

There was an odd backward step on the part of all four, but one of them said, "You're under arrest."

四个人莫名其妙地同时退了一步，但其中一人还是说：“你被捕了。”

"Am I?" said Dors. "If I'm The Tiger Woman, you must know that I am considerably stronger than any of you and that my reflexes are considerably faster. Let me suggest that all four of you accompany me quietly inside and we'll see what Colonel Linn has to say."

“是吗？”铎丝说，“假如我就是虎女，那么你们一定知道，我比你们任何人都强壮得多，而且我的条件反射也快得多。让我提个建议，你们四人一起乖乖陪我进去，我们看看厄拉尔上校怎么说。”

"You're under arrest" came the repetition and four Masters were aimed at Dors.

“你被捕了。”那人又重复一次，此时四柄手铳瞄准了铎丝。

"Well," said Dors. "If you insist."

“好吧，”铎丝说，“假如你坚持如此。”

She moved rapidly and two of the guardsmen were suddenly on the ground, groaning, while Dors was standing with a blaster in each hand.

她的动作快如闪电，两名卫士突然间便倒地呻吟，而铎丝则稳稳站着，双手各持一柄手铳。

She said, "I have tried not to hurt them, but it is quite possible that I Dave broken their wrists. That leaves two of you and I can shoot faster than you can. If either of you makes the slightest move-the slightest-I will have to break the habit of a lifetime and kill you. It will sicken me to do so and I beg you not to force me into it."

她说：“我尽量不伤害他们，但我很可能弄断了他们的手腕。这样一来就只剩下你们两人，而我能比你们更快发射。假如你们哪个有一点点动作，只要一点点，我就不得不打破一生的惯例，杀掉你们两人。那样做会令我作呕，我求求你们，别逼我出手。”

There was absolute silence from the two guardsmen still standing-no motion.

仍然站着的两名卫士保持绝对的沉默，而且一动不动。

"I would suggest," said Dors, "that you two escort me into the colonel's presence and that you then seek medical help for your comrades."

“我建议，”铎丝说，“你们两个先护送我去见上校，再帮你们的同袍找医护人员。”

The suggestion was not necessary. Colonel Linn emerged from his office. "What is going on here? What is……"

其实她并没有必要这样建议，厄拉尔上校已经从办公室走了出来。“这里怎么回事？这是……”

Dors turned to him. "Ah! Let me introduce myself. I am Dr. Dors Venabili, the wife of Professor Hari Seldon. I have come to see you on important business. These four tried to stop me and, as a result, two are badly hurt. Send them all about their business and let me talk to you. I mean you no harm."

铎丝转向他。“啊！让我自我介绍一下。我是铎丝·凡纳比里博士，是哈里·谢顿教授的妻子，我来见你是有重要的公事。这四个人试图阻挡我，结果有两个受了重伤。叫他们各忙各的去，让我单独和你谈谈，我对你绝无恶意。”

Linn stared at the four guardsmen, then at Dors. He said calmly, "You mean me no harm? Though four guardsmen have not succeeded in stopping you, I have four thousand at my instant call."

厄拉尔望了望那四名卫士，然后瞪着铎丝。他冷静地说：“你对我绝无恶意？虽然四名卫士没有成功拦住你，但我随时能召来四千名。”

"Then call them," said Dors. "However quickly they come, it will not be in time to save you, should I decide to kill you. Dismiss your guardsmen and let us talk civilly."

“那就召他们来，”铎丝说，“要是我决心杀你，无论他们来得多快，也来不及救你一命。叫你的卫士解散，我们来文明地谈谈。”

Linn dismissed the guardsmen and said, "Well, come in and we will talk. Let me warn you, though, Dr. Venabili-I have a long memory."

厄拉尔遣走了那些卫士，然后说：“好啦，进来吧，我们谈谈。不过我要警告你，凡纳比里博士，我的记性可好得很。”

"And I," said Dors. They walked into Linn's quarters together.

“我也是。”铎丝说完，两人便一同走进厄拉尔的寓所。

15

15

Linn said with utmost courtesy, "Tell me exactly why you are here, Dr. Venabili."

厄拉尔极有礼貌地说：“告诉我，你来这里究竟是为什么，凡纳比里博士。”

Dors smiled without menace-and yet not exactly pleasantly, either. "To begin with," she said, "I have come here to show you that I can come here."

铎丝面带微笑，这个笑容不具威胁性，却也并非真正和蔼可亲。“首先，”她说，“我来这里，是向你证明我能来这里。”

“啊？”

"Yes. My husband was taken to his interview with the General in an official ground-car under armed guard. I myself left the hotel at a the same time he did, on foot and unarmed-and here I am-and I believe I got here before he did. I had to wade through five guardsmen, including the guardsman whose car I appropriated, in order to reach you. I would have waded through fifty."

“是的。我的丈夫被带上官方地面车，由武装卫士陪同前来会见将军。我自己差不多在同一时间离开旅馆，徒步而来，手无寸铁。而此时我到了这里，我相信我要比他更早抵达。为了见到你，我得闯过五名卫士，包括我向他借用车辆那一位。即使有五十名卫士，我也闯得过去。”

Linn nodded his head phlegmatically. "I understand that you are sometimes called The Tiger Woman."

厄拉尔泰然自若地点了点头。“我了解有些人称你为虎女。”

"I have been called that. -Now, having reached you, my task is to make certain that no harm comes to my husband. He is venturing into the General's lair-if I can be dramatic about it-and I want him to emerge unharmed and unthreatened."

“是有人这么叫我。现在，既然见到你了，我的任务就是要确保我的丈夫不受任何伤害。我若能用戏剧一点的说法，那就是他正在将军的巢穴探险。我要他出来时毫发无损，而且未受威胁。”

"As far as I am concerned, I know that no harm will come to your husband as a result of this meeting. But if you are concerned, why do you come to me? Why didn't you go directly to the General?"

“据我所知，你的丈夫绝不会因为这次会面而受到伤害。但如果你真担心，为什么要来找我？为什么不直接去找将军？”

"Because, of the two of you, it is you that has the brains."

“因为，你们两人之中，有头脑的是你。”

There was a short pause and Linn said, "That would be a most dangerous remark-if overheard."

顿了一顿之后，厄拉尔说：“这可是最危险的一句评语，被人偷听到就糟了。”

"More dangerous for you than for me, so make sure it is not overheard. -Now, if it occurs to you that I am to be simply soothed and put off and that, if my husband is imprisoned or marked for execution, that there will really be nothing I can do about it, disabuse yourself."

“最好确定没人偷听到，否则你会比我更危险。听好，假如你以为随便安慰我一番，就能把我打发走，而我的丈夫若遭监禁或被判处决，我根本就束手无策，那你最好趁早醒悟。”

She indicated the two blasters that lay on the table before her. "I entered the grounds with nothing. I arrived in your immediate vicinity with two Masters. If I had no Masters, I might have had knives, with which I am an expert. And if I had neither blasters nor knives, I would still be a formidable person. This table we're sitting at is metal-obviously-and sturdy."

她指了指放在面前桌上的两柄手铳。“我进入御苑时两手空空，我欺近你身边时则带着两柄手铳。假如我没有手铳，我或许带了刀子，我可是用刀的行家。即使我既没带手铳也没带刀，我仍会是个可怕的人物。我们面前这张桌子显然是金属制品，而且很坚固。”

"It is."

“没错。”

Dors held up her hands, fingers splayed, as if to show that she held no weapon. Then she dropped them to the table and, palms down, caressed its surface.

铎丝举起双手，十指打开，仿佛表示她手中没有武器。然后她将双手放到桌上，手掌向下，轻抚着桌面。

Abruptly Dors raised her fist and then brought it down on the table with a loud crash, which sounded almost as if metal were striking metal. She smiled and lifted her hand.

接着，铎丝忽然举起拳头，猛力砸向桌面，激起的巨响几乎像是金属互击的声音。然后她微微一笑，抬起手来。

"No bruise," Dors said. "No pain. But you'll notice that the table is slightly bent where I struck it. If that same blow had come down with the name force on a person's head, the skull would have exploded. I have never done such a thing; in fact, I have never killed anyone, though I have injured several. Nevertheless, if Professor Seldon is harmed……"

“没有瘀伤，”铎丝说，“也不觉得疼痛。但你将会发现，桌面受击处出现轻微凹痕。假使同样的一击以同样的力道打在人的头部，那人的头颅就会爆掉。我从未做过这种事；事实上，我从来没有杀过人，不过我的确伤过几个。纵使如此，假如谢顿教授有个三长两短……”

"You are still threatening."

“你仍是在威胁……”

"I am promising. I will do nothing if Professor Seldon is unharmed. Otherwise, Colonel Linn, I will be forced to maim or kill you and-I promise you again-I will do the same to General Tennar."

“我是在作出承诺。假如谢顿教授安然无事，那我什么也不会做。否则的话，厄拉尔上校，我将被迫让你残废或把你杀掉。而且，我再向你承诺，我会以同样的方式对付田纳尔将军。”

Linn said, "You cannot withstand an entire army, no matter how tigerish a woman you are. What then?"

厄拉尔说：“不论你是个多像老虎的女人，你也无法抵抗整支军队。怎么样？”

"Stories spread," said Dors, "and are exaggerated. I have not really done much in the way of tigerishness, but many more stories are told of me than are true. Your guardsmen fell back when they recognized me and they themselves will spread the story, with advantage, of how I made my way to you. Even an army might hesitate to attack me, Colonel Linn, but even if they did and even if they destroyed me, beware the indignation of the people. The junta is maintaining order, but it is doing so only barely and you don't want anything to upset matters. Think, then, of how easy the alternative is. Simply do not harm Professor Hari Seldon."

“传言不胫而走，”铎丝说，“而且会添油加醋。我没真正做过多少像老虎的举动，但有关我的故事大多不是真的。你的卫士认出我之后就退却了，而我如何闯到你面前这个故事，他们也会自动自发帮我宣传，效力宏大。就算是一支军队，也可能对我心存顾忌，厄拉尔上校。但即使他们敢攻击我，即使他们将我消灭，你还要小心人民的愤怒。执政团虽然维持着秩序，但仅能勉强做到，你不会希望有任何事来搅局。所以说，想想看，另一种选择有多么容易，只要别伤害哈里·谢顿教授就行了。”

"We have no intention of harming him."

“我们并没有打算伤害他。”

"Why the interview, then?"

“那么，为什么要见他？”

"What's the mystery? The General is curious about psychohistory. The government records are open to us. The old Emperor Cleon was interested. Demerzel, when he was First Minister, was interested. Why should we not be in our turn? In fact, more so."

“这有什么费解的？将军对心理史学感到好奇。政府记录对我们完全公开——先皇克里昂对它有兴趣，丹莫刺尔当首相时对它也有兴趣。现在我们为何不该有兴趣呢？事实上，我们的兴趣更大。”

"Why more so?"

“为什么更大？”

"Because time has passed. As I understand it, psychohistory began as a thought in Professor Seldon's mind. He has been working on it, with increasing vigor and with larger and larger groups of people, for nearly thirty years. He has done so almost entirely with government support, so that, in a way, his discoveries and techniques belong to the government. We intend to ask him about psychohistory, which, by now, must be far advanced beyond what existed in the times of Demerzel and Cleon, and we expect him to tell us what we want to know. We want something more practical than the vision of equations curling their way through air. Do you understand me?"

“因为时间过那么久了。根据我的了解，心理史学最初是谢顿教授心中的一个想法。将近三十年来，他一直在研究这个题目，越来越起劲，成员越来越多。他的研究几乎全由政府资助，所以，就某方面而言，他的发现和技术是属于政府的。我们打算问问他心理史学的进展，现在这个时候，它的成就必定远超过丹莫刺尔和克里昂的时代，而我们指望他把我们想知道的告诉我们。我们想要更实际的东西，而不只是蜿蜒在半空中的方程式。你了解我的话吗？”

"Yes," said Dors, frowning.

“了解。”铎丝皱着眉头说。

"And one more thing. Do not suppose that the danger to your husband comes from the government only and that any harm that reaches him will mean that you must attack us at once. I would suggest that Professor Seldon may have purely private enemies. I have no knowledge of such things, but surely it is possible."

“还有一件事。别以为他的危险仅仅来自政府，他若受到任何伤害你就得马上攻击我们。我倒认为，谢顿教授或许还有纯属私人恩怨的仇家。我对这种事一无所悉，但当然是有可能的。”

"I shall keep that in mind. Right now, I want to have you arrange that I join my husband during his interview with the General. I want to know, beyond doubt, that he is safe."

“这点我会牢记在心。现在，我要你即刻安排，让我加入我的丈夫和将军的会谈。我要毫无疑问地知道他安然无事。”

"That will be hard to arrange and will take some time. It would be impossible to interrupt the conversation, but if you wait till it is ended……"

“那将很难安排，会需要些时间。打断他们的谈话是不可能的，但如果你能等到会谈结束……”

"Take the time and arrange it. Do not count on double-crossing me and remaining alive."

“那就花时间去安排，别指望耍了我还能活着。”

16

16

General Tennar stared at Hari Seldon in a rather pop-eyed manner and his fingers tapped lightly at the desk where he sat.

田纳尔将军瞪着老大的眼睛望着哈里·谢顿，他的手指则轻敲着面前的办公桌。

"Thirty years," he said. "Thirty years and you are telling me you still have nothing to show for it?"

“三十年，”他说，“三十年了，你竟然告诉我说你们仍旧一事无成？”

"Actually, General, twenty-eight years."

“事实上，将军，是二十八年。”

Tennar ignored that. "And all at government expense. Do you know how many billions of credits have been invested in your Project, Professor?"

田纳尔并未理会这一点。“而且都是用政府的经费。你知道已有多少亿信用点投到你的计划里吗，教授？”

"I haven't kept up, General, but we have records that could give me the answer to your question in seconds."

“我没算过，将军，但我们都有记录，我能在几秒钟之内，把这个问题的答案告诉你。”

"And so have we. The government, Professor, is not an endless source of funds. These are not the old times. We don't have Cleon's old Free-and-easy attitude toward finances. Raising taxes is hard and we need credits for many things. I have called you here, hoping that you can benefit us in some way with your psychohistory. If you cannot, then I must tell you, quite frankly, that we will have to shut off the faucet. If you ran continue your research without government funding, do so, for unless you show me something that would make the expense worth it, you will have to do just that."

“我们同样也有记录。政府啊，教授，可不是个无底的金库。如今不像过去那些年头，我们也不像克里昂那样，对财政抱着不拘小节的旧有态度。加税是很困难的，我们却有许多地方需要信用点。我把你召来这里，是希望你能用心理史学多少对我们作些贡献。如果你做不到，那么，我必须相当坦白地告诉你，我们就得切断你的财源。如果没有政府的补助，你还能继续你的研究工作，那就请便，因为除非你能让我看看这些花费多么值得，否则你就只有这条路了。”

"General, you make a demand I cannot meet, but, if in response, you and government support, you will be throwing away the future. Give me wile and eventually……"

“将军，您提出了一个我无法实现的要求，可是，如果因为这样，您就终止政府的资助，那么您便是抛弃了未来。给我时间，总有一天……”

"Various governments have heard that `eventually' from you for decades. Isn't it true, Professor, that you say your psychohistory predicts that the junta is unstable, that my rule is unstable, that in a short time it will collapse?"

“过去数十年来，好些政府都听过你的‘总有一天’。你说你的心理史学预测执政团是不稳定的，而我的统治也是不稳定的，不久之后就会垮台，教授，有没有这回事？”

Seldon frowned. "The technique is not yet firm enough for me to say that this is something that psychohistory states."

谢顿皱起眉头。“我们的技术尚未那么扎实，我还不能说这是不是心理史学所做的预测。”

"I put it to you that psychohistory does state it and that this is common knowledge within your Project."

“那么我告诉你，心理史学的确做过这个预测，在你领导的计划中，这项预测已是人尽皆知。”

"No," said Seldon warmly. "No such thing. It is possible that some among us have interpreted some relationships to indicate that the junta may be an unstable form of government, but there are other relationships that may easily be interpreted to show it is stable. That is the reason why we must continue our work. At the present moment it is all too easy to use incomplete data and imperfect reasoning to reach any conclusion we wish."

“没有，”谢顿热切地说，“没有这种事。或许我们当中有些人，曾将某些关系式诠释为执政团可能是不稳定的政府形式。但是还有其他的关系式，不难诠释为代表执政团是稳定的，而这正是我们必须继续研究的原因。此时此刻，实在太容易利用不完整的资料和不完善的推论，达到我们所想要的任何结论。”

"But if you decide to present the conclusion that the government is unstable and say that psychohistory warrants it-even if it does not actually do so-will it not add to the instability?"

“但如果你们决定提出一个结论，说政府是不稳定的，并说这点有心理史学背书，即使它并未真正预测此事，难道不会增加不稳定性吗？”

"It may very well do that, General. And if we announced that the government is stable, it may well add to the stability. I have had this very same discussion with Emperor Cleon on a number of occasions. It is possible to use psychohistory as a tool to manipulate the emotions of the people and achieve short-term effects. In the long run, however, the predictions are quite likely to prove incomplete or downright erroneous and psychohistory will lose all its credibility and it will be as though it had never existed."

“极有可能，将军。而如果我们宣称政府是稳定的，也很可能增加它的稳定性。我曾经和克里昂大帝作过一模一样的讨论，前后有好几次。我们确有可能把心理史学当成工具，用来操纵人民的情绪，并取得短期的成果。然而，长久而言，很可能证明那些预测并不完整或彻底错误，那时心理史学会失去所有的公信力，仿佛它从未存在过一样。”

"Enough! Tell me straight out! What do you think psychohistory shows about my government?"

“够了！直截了当告诉我！你认为心理史学对我的政府有什么看法？”

"It shows, we think, that there are elements of instability in it, but we are not certain-and cannot be certain-exactly in what way this can be made worse or made better."

“我们认为，它看出你的政府里面有些不稳定的因素。但是我们并不确定，而且无法确定，究竟用什么办法才能使情况变得更好或更糟。”

"In other words, psychohistory simply tells you what you would know without psychohistory and it is that in which government has invested uncounted piles of credits."

“换句话说，心理史学告诉你们的，只是你们没有心理史学也会知道的事，而就在这上面，政府投资了数不尽的信用点。”

"The time will come when psychohistory will tell us what we could not know without it and then the investment will pay itself back many, many times over."

“心理史学终将告诉我们好些没有它就无法知晓的事，到了那个时候，这项投资就会回收许多许多倍的报酬。”

"And how long will it be before that time comes?"

“那个时候还要多久才会来到？”

"Not too long, I hope. We have been making rather gratifying progress in the last few years."

“我希望不会太久。过去几年间，我们有了令人相当满意的进展。”

Tennar was tapping his fingernail on his desk again. "Not enough. Tell me something helpful now. Something useful."

田纳尔再度用指甲敲打着桌面。“这还不够，现在就告诉我些有帮助和有用的结论。”

Seldon pondered, then said, "I can prepare a detailed report for you, but it will take time."

谢顿考虑了一下，然后说：“我可以为您准备一份详细的报告，但是需要时间。”

"Of course it will. Days, months, years-and somehow it will never be written. Do you take me for a fool?"

“当然需要时间，几天、几个月、几年，结果是永远写不出来。你把我当傻瓜吗？”

"No, of course not, General. However, I don't want to be taken for a fool, either. I can tell you something that I will take sole responsibility for. I have seen it in my psychohistorical research, but I may have misinterpreted what I saw. However, since you insist……"

“不，当然没有，将军。然而，我也不想被当成傻瓜。今天，我能告诉您一点我本人愿意负全责的事，它是我在心理史学研究中看出来的，但我可能对它作了错误诠释。不过，既然您坚持……”

"I insist."

“我坚持。”

"You mentioned taxes a little while ago. You said raising taxes was difficult. Certainly. It is always difficult. Every government must do its work by collecting wealth in one form or another. The only two ways in which such credits can be obtained are, first, by robbing a neighbor, or second, persuading a government's own citizens to grant the credits willingly and peaceably.

“您刚才提到了税务问题，您说加税有困难。不用说，这种事一向困难。任何政府想要运作，都必须以某种方式聚集财富。政府获得这些信用点的方法只有两种，第一，借着劫掠邻邦；第二，劝导自己的公民心甘情愿而和平地缴出这些信用点。

"Since we have established a Galactic Empire that has been conducting its business in reasonable fashion for thousands of years, there is no possibility of robbing a neighbor, except as the result of an occasional rebellion and its repression. This does not happen often enough to support a government-and, if it did, the government would be too unstable to last long, in any case."

“既然我们已经建立起一个银河帝国，而它已经以适当的方式运作了好几千年，我们就没有可能劫掠邻邦，只有镇压偶发的叛乱是例外。这种事不常发生，不足以支持一个政府；即使足以支持，这种政府也会太不稳定，无论如何不会持续太久。”

Seldon drew a deep breath and went on. "Therefore, credits must be raised by asking the citizens to hand over part of their wealth for government use. Presumably, since the government will then work efficiently, the citizens can better spend their credits in this way than to hoard it-each man to himself-while living in a dangerous and chaotic anarchy.

谢顿深深吸了一口气，又继续说：“因此，筹集信用点的方法，必须是请求公民将其财富的一部分交给政府使用。由于政府因而得以有效运作，公民想必宁愿以这种方式花费信用点，也不愿人人私藏那些财产，却活在一个危险且混乱的无政府状态。

"However, though the request is reasonable and the citizenry is better off paying taxes as their price for maintaining a stable and efficient government, they are nevertheless reluctant to do so. In order to overcome this reluctance, governments must make it appear that they are not taking too many credits, and that they are considering each citizen's rights and benefits. In other words, they must lower the percentage taken out of low incomes; they must allow deductions of various kinds to be made before the tax is assessed, and so on.

“然而，尽管这个要求是合理的——公民靠缴税维持一个稳定且有效的政府，日子就会过得更好——他们却不会情愿这样做。为了消除这种心态，政府必须做得好像没有拿走太多的信用点，而且考虑到了每位公民的权利和利益。换句话说，他们必须减少低收入者的缴付百分比，必须在估税之前减去各种扣除额，此外不一而足。

"As time goes on, the tax situation inevitably grows more and more complex as different worlds, different sectors within each world, and different economic divisions all demand and require special treatment. Me result is that the tax-collecting branch of the government grows in size and complexity and tends to become uncontrollable. The average citizen cannot understand why or how much he is being taxed; what he can get away with and what he can't. The government and the tax agency itself are often in the dark as well.

“时间一长，随着各个世界、每一个世界的各个行政区，以及各个经济体系全部要求和争取特别待遇，税务必然变得越来越复杂。结果便是政府的稽征部门规模越来越大，组织越来越庞杂，而逐渐变得难以控制。普通公民无法了解为何要缴税，要缴多少税，哪些可以减免，又有哪些不行。就连政府和税务机关本身常常也是一头雾水。

"What's more, an ever-larger fraction of the funds collected must be put into running the overelaborate tax agency-maintaining records, pursuing tax delinquents-so the amount of credits available for good ,end useful purposes declines despite anything we can do.

“此外，税收中必定有越来越多的一部分，被用来运作过度精细的税务机关，诸如保存记录、追查漏税。所以说，可用于建设性用途的信用点越来越少，而我们却束手无策。

"In the end, the tax situation becomes overwhelming. It inspires discontent and rebellion. The history books tend to ascribe these things to greedy businessmen, to corrupt politicians, to brutal warriors, to ambitious viceroys-but these are just the individuals who take advantage of the tax overgrowth."

“到了最后，税率会变得一发不可收拾，并会激起不满和叛乱。历史书喜欢将这些事情归咎于贪婪的商人、腐化的政客、凶残的战士、野心的总督。但他们都只是个人，他们只是利用税率膨胀趁火打劫。”

The General said harshly, "Are you telling me that our tax system is overcomplicated?"

将军粗声道：“你是在告诉我，我们的税制过于复杂？”

Seldon said, "If it were not, it would be the only one in history that wasn't, as far as I know. If there is one thing that psychohistory tells me is inevitable, it is tax overgrowth."

谢顿说：“假使不是，那么据我所知，它就是历史上唯一的例外。倘若心理史学只告诉我一件必然的事，那就是税率的膨胀。”

"And what do we do about it?"

“那我们要怎么办呢？”

"That I cannot tell you. It is that for which I would like to prepare a report that-as you say-may take a while to get ready."

“这点我无法告诉您。我说希望准备一份报告，就是打算讨论这个问题。但正如您所说，需要一段时间才能准备好。”

"Never mind the report. The tax system is overcomplicated, isn't it? Isn't that what you are saying?"

“别管什么报告了。税制过于复杂，对不对？你是不是这样说的？”

"It is possible that it is," said Seldon cautiously.

“有可能是这样。”谢顿谨慎地答道。

"And to correct that, one must make the tax system simpler-as simple as possible, in fact."

“想要纠正，就必须让税制变得简单些。事实上，是要尽可能简单。”

"I would have to study……"

“我还得研究……”

"Nonsense. The opposite of great complication is great simplicity. I don't need a report to tell me that."

“废话。极度复杂的反面就是极度简单，我不需要什么报告来告诉我。”

"As you say, General," said Seldon.

“您说得有理，将军。”谢顿道。

At this point the General looked up suddenly, as though he had been called-as, indeed, he had been. His fists clenched and holovision images of Colonel Linn and Dors Venabili suddenly appeared in the room.

这个时候，将军突然抬起头来，仿佛有人在叫他——其实真的有人在叫他。他紧紧握起双拳，与此同时，厄拉尔上校与铎丝·凡纳比里的全息影像突然出现在房间中。

Thunderstruck, Seldon exclaimed, "Dors! What are you doing here?"

谢顿吓呆了，惊叫道：“铎丝！你在这里干什么？”

The General said nothing, but his brow furrowed into a frown.

将军什么也没说，但他的两道眉皱成了一条。

17

17

The General had had a bad night and so, out of apprehension, had the colonel. They faced each other now-each at a loss.

将军当天晚上很不好过，而由于忧心忡忡，上校同样不好过。这时他们面面相觑，两人都若有所失。

The General said, "Tell me again what this woman did."

将军说：“再说一遍这个女人干了什么。”

Linn seemed to have a heavy weight on his shoulders. "She's The Tiger Woman. That's what they call her. She doesn't seem to be quite human, somehow. She's some sort of impossibly trained athlete, full of self-confidence, and, General, she's quite frightening."

厄拉尔似乎双肩承受着千斤重担。“她就是虎女，他们就是这样叫她的。可以说，她似乎不像个人。她是某种受过非人训练的运动员，充满了自信，而且，将军，她相当吓人。”

"Did she frighten you? A single woman?"

“她把你吓着了？一个女人？”

"Let me tell you exactly what she did and let me tell you a few other things about her. I don't know how true all the stories about her are, but what happened yesterday evening is true enough."

“让我告诉您她究竟做了什么，再让我告诉您有关她的几件事。我不晓得那些故事都有多真实，但昨天傍晚发生的事是千真万确的。”

He told the story again and the General listened, puffing out his cheeks.

他又把经过讲述了一遍。将军一面听，一面鼓起腮帮子。

"Bad," he said. "What do we do?"

“很糟，”他说，“我们要怎么办？”

"I think our course is plain before us. We want psychohistory-'

“我认为我们眼前的路很清楚，我们要得到心理史学……”

"Yes, we do," said the General. "Seldon told me something about taxation that- But never mind. That is beside the point at the moment. Go on."

“是的，要得到。”将军说，“谢顿告诉我些有关税制的事……但别管了，那和现在的问题毫不相干，说下去。”

Linn, who, in his troubled state of mind, had allowed a small fragment of impatience to show on his face, continued, "As I say, we want psychohistory without Seldon. He is, in any case, a used-up man. The more I study him, the more I see an elderly scholar who is living on his past deeds. He has had nearly thirty years to make a success of psychohistory and he has failed. Without him, with new men at the helm, psychohistory may advance more rapidly."

厄拉尔由于心事重重，竟让脸上显出一点不耐烦的表情。他继续道：“正如我所说，我们要的是没有谢顿的心理史学。无论如何，他已经是个不中用的人。我越是研究他，就越觉得他是个活在过去的老迈学者。他有将近三十年的时间来完成心理史学，结果他失败了。如果他下台，换个新人掌舵，心理史学的进展也许会更迅速。”

"Yes, I agree. Now what about the woman?"

“没错，我同意。那个女人又怎么样？”

"Well, there you are. We haven't taken her into consideration because she has been careful to remain in the background. But I strongly suspect now that it will be difficult, perhaps impossible, to remove Seldon quietly and without implicating the government, as long as the woman remains alive."

“好，您问对了。我们尚未将她列入考虑，因为她一直小心地躲在幕后。但我现在有个强烈的感觉，只要那个女人还活着，想要悄悄除掉谢顿，不将政府牵连在内，将会是一件困难的，甚至不可能的事。”

"Do you really believe that she will mangle you and me-if she thinks we have harmed her man?" said the General, his mouth twisting in contempt.

“如果她认为我们伤害了她的男人，你真相信她会把你我剁成肉酱吗？”将军的嘴巴扯出一个不屑的表情。

"I really think she will and that she will start a rebellion as well. It will he exactly as she promised."

“我真认为她会，而且她还会发起一场叛乱，会像她承诺的一模一样。”

"You are turning into a coward."

“你成了懦夫。”

"General, please. I am trying to be sensible. I'm not backing off. We must take care of this Tiger Woman." He paused thoughtfully. "As a matter of fact, my sources have told me this and I admit to having paid far too little attention to the matter."

“将军，拜托，我在试图讲理。我并没有退缩，我们必须解决这个虎女。”他若有所思地顿了顿，“事实上，我的情报来源告诉过我这一点，我承认对这方面太大意了。”

"And how do you think we can get rid of her?"

“你认为怎样才能除掉她？”

Linn said, "I don't know." Then, more slowly, "But someone else might."

“我不知道。”然后，厄拉尔以更缓慢的速度说，“但也许有人晓得。”

18

18

Seldon had had a bad night also, nor was the new day promising to be much better. There weren't too many times when Hari felt annoyed with Dors. But this time, he was very annoyed.

谢顿当天晚上同样很不好过，新的一天也没有带来什么新气象。谢顿不常对铎丝生气，可是这一次，他非常非常生气。

He said, "What a foolish thing to do! Wasn't it enough that we were all staying at the Dome's Edge Hotel? That alone would have been sufficient to drive a paranoid ruler into thoughts of some sort of conspiracy."

他说：“这是多么愚蠢的一件事！我们通通住进穹缘旅馆还不够吗？光是那样做，就足以让一个妄想成性的统治者疑心是某种阴谋。”

"How? We were unarmed, Hari. It was a holiday affair, the final touch of your birthday celebration. We posed no threat."

“怎么会？我们手无寸铁，哈里。那是个节庆活动，是你的庆生会最后一个节目，我们没有摆出任何威胁的架式。”

"Yes, but then you carried out your invasion of the Palace grounds. It was unforgivable. You raced to the Palace to interfere with my session with the General, when I had specifically-and several times-made it plain that I didn't want you there. I had my own plans, you know."

“没错，但你又进行了私闯御苑的计划，那是不可原谅的事。我早就特别嘱咐，而且三番两次声明，我不要你到那里去，你却还是火速跑到皇宫，阻挠我和将军的会谈。我有我自己的计划，你该知道。”

Dors said, "Your desires and your orders and your plans all take second place to your safety. I was primarily concerned about that."

铎丝说：“跟你的安全比起来，你的愿望和你的命令和你的计划都排在第二位，我首要的关切是你的安全。”

"I was in no danger."

“我没有危险。”

"That is not something I can carelessly assume. There have been two attempts on your life. What makes you think there won't be a third?"

“我不能随随便便做这种假设。过去两度有人试图取你性命，你为何认为不会有第三次？”

"The two attempts were made when I was First Minister. I was probably worth killing then. Who would want to kill an elderly mathematician?"

“那两次行刺发生在我当首相的时候，那时我也许值得杀害。现在，谁会想要杀害一个年迈的数学家？”

Dors said, "That's exactly what I want to find out and that's what I want to stop. I must begin by doing some questioning right here at the Project."

铎丝说：“那正是我要查出来的，也正是我要阻止的。首先，我必须去找谢顿计划的成员问些问题。”

"No. You will simply be upsetting my people. Leave them alone."

“不行。你只会让我的手下个个人心惶惶，别去打扰他们。”

"That's exactly what I can't do. Hari, my job is to protect you and for twenty-eight years I've been working at that. You cannot stop me now."

“那正是我无法做到的。哈里，我的工作是保护你，过去二十八年来，我一直在那样做，现在你不能阻止我。”

Something in the blaze of her eyes made it quite clear that, whatever Seldon's desires or orders might be, Dors intended to do as she pleased.

从她激昂的目光中，透出一项明白的讯息：无论谢顿的愿望或命令是什么，铎丝都打算照自己的意思去做。

Seldon's safety came first.

谢顿的安全是第一优先。

19

19

"May I interrupt you, Yugo?"

“我能打扰你一下吗，雨果？”

"Of course, Dors," said Yugo Amaryl with a large smile. "You are lover an interruption. What can I do for you?"

“当然可以，铎丝。”雨果·阿马瑞尔堆满笑容说，“你永远不会打扰我，我能为你做些什么吗？”

"I am trying to find out a few things, Yugo, and I wonder if you would humor me in this."

“我试图查清几件事，雨果，不知道你愿不愿意帮我。”

"If I can."

“只要我做得到。”

"You have something in the Project called the Prime Radiant. I hear it now and then. Hari speaks of it, so I imagine I know what it looks like when it is activated, but I have never actually seen it in operation. I would like to."

“你们这个计划中，有个叫元光体的玩意。我不时会听到这个名字，哈里常提到它。所以我想，我该知道它启动时像什么样子，但我从未真正看过它的操作，我希望能看看。”

Amaryl looked uncomfortable. "Actually the Prime Radiant is just about the most closely guarded part of the Project and you aren't on the list of the members who have access."

雨果显得有些为难。“实际上，元光体可说是计划中管制最严的一环，而你不在有权使用的成员名单上。”

"I know that, but we've known each other for twenty-eight years……"

“这点我知道，但我们相识已有二十八年……”

"And you're Hari's wife. I suppose we can stretch a point. We only have two full Prime Radiants. There's one in Hari's office and one here. Right there, in fact."

“而且你是哈里的妻子，我想我们可以破例一次。我们只有两个完整的元光体，一个在哈里的研究室，另一个在此地。事实上，它就在那里。”

Dors looked at the squat black cube on the central desk. It looked utterly undistinguished. "Is that it?"

铎丝望向中央书桌上那个矮胖的黑色立方体，它看起来毫不起眼。“就是那个吗？”

"That's it. It stores the equations that describe the future."

“就是那个，它储存着那些描述未来的方程式。”

"How do you get at those equations?"

“你怎样取出那些方程式？”

Amaryl moved a contact and at once the room darkened and then came to life in a variegated glow. All around Dors were symbols, arrows, mathematical signs of one sort or another. They seemed to be moving, spiraling, but when she focused her eyes on any particular portion, it seemed to be standing still.

雨果触动某个开关，室内立刻暗下来，随即充斥着千变万化的光彩。铎丝的四周全是各式各样的标志、箭头、线条与数学符号。它们似乎在移动，在打转，但是当她定睛注视任何一部分时，它们又好像全部固定不动。

She said, "Is that the future, then?"

她道：“所以说，这就是未来吗？”

"It may be," said Amaryl, turning off the instrument. "I had it at full expansion so you could see the symbols. Without expansion, nothing is visible but patterns of light and dark."

“也许是。”雨果一面说，一面关上那个仪器，“我将它扩展到最大幅度，好让你能看到那些符号。如果不扩展，除了明暗的图案，根本什么都看不见。”

"And by studying those equations, you are able to judge what the future holds in store for us?"

“而研究这些方程式，你们就能判断等在我们前面的未来？”

"In theory." The room was now back to its mundane appearance. "But there are two difficulties."

“理论上是这样。”此时室内恢复了普通的外观，“可是有两个困难。”

"Oh? What are they?"

“哦？什么困难？”

"To begin with, no human mind has created those equations directly. We have merely spent decades programming more powerful computers and they have devised and stored the equations, but, of course, we don't know if they are valid and have meaning. It depends entirely on how valid and meaningful the programming is in the first place."

“首先，人类心智无法直接创造这些方程式。我们花了数十年时间，只是在设计更强力的电脑和程序，由它们来发明和储存这些方程式。不过，当然，我们不知道它们是否正确、是否有意义。这完全取决于最初的程序设计多么正确，以及多么有意义。”

"They could be all wrong, then?"

“那么，它们可能全是错的？”

"They could be." Amaryl rubbed his eyes and Dors could not help thinking how old and tired he seemed to have grown in the last couple of years. He was younger than Hari by nearly a dozen years, but he seemed much older.

“有这个可能。”雨果揉了揉眼睛，铎丝忍不住想到，过去几年之间，他似乎变得那么苍老，那么疲倦。他比谢顿年轻十一二岁，但他似乎要老得多。

"Of course," Amaryl went on in a rather weary voice, "we hope that they aren't all wrong, but that's where the second difficulty comes in. Although Hari and I have been testing and modifying them for decades, we can never be sure what the equations mean. The computer has constructed them, so it is to be presumed they must mean something-but what? There are portions that we think we have worked out. In fact, right now, I'm working on what we call Section A-23, a particularly knotty system of relationships. We have not yet been able to match it with anything in the real Universe. Still, each year sees us further advanced and I look forward confidently to the establishment of psychohistory as a legitimate and useful technique for dealing with the future."

“当然啦，”雨果以颇为疲惫的声音说下去，“我们希望并不是这样，但这就牵扯出第二个困难。虽然哈里和我花了几十年时间，测试并修改这些方程式，我们却一直无法确定它们的意义。电脑把它们建构出来，所以想必它们一定代表某些现象。但那是什么呢？其中有些部分，我们认为我们已经研究出来。事实上，此时此刻，我正在研究我们所谓的Ａ23节，一组特别纠缠不清的关系式，我们还无法将它对应到真实宇宙中的任何事物。话说回来，我们每年都有些进展，我充满信心地期待心理史学成为一个正统的科技，足以帮助我们研究未来。”

"How many people have access to these Prime Radiants?"

“有多少人可以使用这两个元光体？”

"Every mathematician in the Project has access but not at will. There have to be applications and time allotted and the Prime Radiant has to be adjusted to the portion of the equations a mathematician wishes to refer to. It gets a little complicated when everyone wants to use the Prime Radiant at the same time. Right now, things are slow, possibly because we're still in the aftermath of Hari's birthday celebration."

“计划中的每位数学家都有权使用，但不是随心所欲。他们需要申请，并预先排定时间，而元光体中的方程式必须调到那位数学家希望使用的部分。如果在同一时间，每个人都想用元光体，情况便会有点复杂。现在则是淡季，或许因为我们刚为哈里办完庆生会，大家还陶醉在喜庆的气氛中。”

"Is there any plan for constructing additional Prime Radiants?"

“有没有任何制造更多元光体的计划？”

Amaryl thrust out his lips. "Yes and no. It would be very helpful if we had a third, but someone would have to be in charge of it. It can't just be a community possession. I have suggested to Hari that Tamwile Elar-you know him, I think……"

雨果努起嘴来。“很难说。如果我们有了第三个，那会非常有帮助，但必须有人负责掌管，不能仅仅把它当成公用设备。我曾经向哈里建议，让泰姆外尔·林恩——我想你认识他——”

"Yes, I do."

“是的，我认识。”

"That Elar have a third Prime Radiant. His achaotic equations and the Electro-Clarifier he thought up make him clearly the third man in the Project after Hari and myself. Hari hesitates, however."

“让林恩掌管第三个元光体。他所导出的非混沌方程组，以及他发明的电子阐析器，显然使他成为计划中仅次于哈里和我的第三把交椅。然而，哈里却迟疑不决。”

"Why? Do you know?"

“为什么？你知道吗？”

"If Elar gets one, he is openly recognized as the third man, over the Head of other mathematicians who are older and who have more senior status in the Project. There might be some political difficulties, so to speak. I think that we can't waste time in worrying about internal politics, but Hari- Well, you know Hari."

“如果林恩也有一个，等于我们公开承认他是第三把交椅，凌驾于计划中其他更老或更资深的数学家之上。那可能会引起一些政治问题，姑且这样说。我认为我们不能为了担心内部政治而浪费时间，可是哈里……唉，你也了解哈里。”

"Yes, I know Hari. Suppose I tell you that Linn has seen the Prime Radiant."

“是的，我了解哈里。假如我告诉你，厄拉尔曾经见过元光体，你会怎么说？”

"Linn?"

“厄拉尔？”

"Colonel Hender Linn of the junta. Tennar's lackey."

“执政团中的韩德·厄拉尔上校，田纳尔的奴才。”

"I doubt that very much, Dors."

“我不相信有这种事，铎丝。”

"He has spoken of spiraling equations and I have just seen them produced by the Prime Radiant. I can't help but think he's been here and seen it working."

“他曾经提到蜿蜒的方程式，而我刚刚看见它们从元光体中冒出来。我忍不住想到他来过这里，看过它的操作。”

Amaryl shook his head, "I can't imagine anyone bringing a member of the junta into Hari's office-or mine."

雨果摇了摇头。“我无法想象谁会带执政团成员到哈里的研究室，或是我的研究室来。”

"Tell me, who in the Project do you think is capable of working with the junta in this fashion?"

“告诉我，在谢顿计划中，你认为谁能以这种方式和执政团合作？”

"No one," said Amaryl flatly and with clearly unlimited faith. "That would be unthinkable. Perhaps Linn never saw the Prime Radiant but was merely told about it."

“谁也不能，”雨果带着无比的信心断然答道，“那是不可想象的事。也许厄拉尔从未见过元光体，只是听人说过。”

"Who would tell him about it?"

“谁会把这种事告诉他？”

Amaryl thought a moment and said, "No one."

雨果想了一会儿，然后说：“谁也不会。”

"Well now, you talked about internal politics a while ago in connection with the possibility of Elar having a third Prime Radiant. I suppose in a Project such as this one with hundreds of people, there are little feuds going on all the time-frictions-quarrels."

“好吧，你刚才提到林恩若是掌管第三个元光体，就会出现内部政治问题。我想在一个像这么大、拥有数百名成员的计划中，时时刻刻都会有些小小的争执，例如摩擦、口角。”

"Oh yes. Poor Hari talks to me about it every once in a while. He has to deal with them in one way or another and I can well imagine what a headache it must be for him."

“喔，是啊，可怜的哈里三天两头对我提到这种事。他得想尽办法处理这些问题，我能想象他有多么头痛。”

"Are these feuds so bad that they interfere with the working of the Project?"

“这些争执严重到了干扰计划的运作吗？”

"Not seriously."

“没那么严重。”

"Are there any people who are more quarrelsome than others or any duo draw more resentment than others? In short, are there people you can get rid of and perhaps remove 90 percent of the friction at the cost of 5 or 6 percent of the personnel?"

“有没有哪个人比别人都喜欢吵架，或是哪个人特别惹人憎恶？总而言之，有没有哪些人是被你开除之后，也许就能除掉百分之九十的摩擦，却只损失百分之五六的人力？”

Amaryl raised his eyebrows. "It sounds like a good idea, but I don't know whom to get rid of. I don't really participate in all the minutiae of internal politics. There's no way of stopping it, so for my part, I merely avoid it."

雨果扬起双眉。“听起来像个好主意，但我不知道该开除谁，我并未真正参与琐碎的内部政治。根本没办法阻止这种事，所以我的做法只是尽量避免。”

"That's strange," said Dors. "Aren't you in this way denying any credibility to psychohistory?"

“那就奇怪了。”铎丝说，“你是在用这个方式，否定心理史学具有任何公信力吗？”

"In what way?"

“什么方式？”

"How can you pretend to reach a point where you can predict and guide the future, when you cannot analyze and correct something as homegrown as personal frictions in the very Project that promises so much?"

“连谢顿计划中的人事摩擦这种自家问题，你们都还无法分析和纠正，又怎能假装已经达到能够预测和指导未来的程度？”

Amaryl chuckled softly. It was unusual, for he was not a man who was given to humor and laughter. "I'm sorry, Dors, but you picked on the one problem that we have solved, after a manner of speaking. Hari himself identified the equations that represented the difficulties of personal friction years ago and I myself then added the final touch last year.

雨果咯咯轻笑几声。这颇不寻常，因为他并不是个诙谐且爱笑的人。“很抱歉，铎丝，但就某个角度而言，你刚好挑了一个我们已经解决的问题。几年前，哈里自己检定出一组代表人事摩擦问题的方程式，而在去年，我自己作了最后一点补充。

"I found that there were ways in which the equations could be changed so as to indicate a reduction in friction. In every such case, however, a reduction in friction here meant an increase in friction there. Never at any time was there a total decrease or, for that matter, a total increase in the friction within a closed group-that is, one in which no old members leave and no new members come in. What I proved, with the help of Elar's achaotic equations, was that this was true despite any conceivable action anyone could take. Hari calls it `the law of conservation of personal problems.'

“我发现能用好些方法改变这组方程式，以便减轻它所代表的摩擦。然而，在每个例子里，某处摩擦减轻总意味着别处摩擦的增加。在一个封闭群体中，也就是说，一个没有旧成员离开也没有新成员加入的群体中，任何时候总摩擦都不会减少，同样道理，总摩擦也不会增加。而我借用林恩的非混沌方程组所证明的，则是无论任何人采取任何可能的行动，这个结论仍然为真。哈里将它称为‘人事问题守恒律’。

"It gave rise to the notion that social dynamics has its conservation laws as physics does and that, in fact, it is these laws that offer us the best possible tools for solving the truly troublesome aspects of psychohistory."

“这使我们有了一个想法，那就是社会动力学和物理学一样，也有本身的守恒律。事实上，想要解决心理史学中真正棘手的问题，目前最佳的工具便是这些守恒律。”

Dors said, "Rather impressive, but what if you end up finding that nothing at all can be changed, that everything that is bad is conserved, and that to save the Empire from destruction is merely to increase destruction of another kind?"

铎丝说：“相当精彩。但是万一你最后发现，根本无法改变任何事物，每样不好的事物都是守恒的，若想拯救帝国免于毁灭，只是加速另一种毁灭的过程，那该怎么办？”

"Actually some have suggested that, but I don't believe it."

“其实，曾经有人提出这种论点，可是我不相信。”

"Very well. Back to reality. Is there anything in the frictional problems within the Project that threaten Hari? I mean, with physical harm."

“很好。回到现实来，在谢顿计划中，有没有任何摩擦问题威胁到哈里？我的意思是，实质的伤害。”

"Harm Hari? Of course not. How can you suggest such a thing?"

“伤害哈里？当然没有。你怎么会想到这种事？”

"Might there not be some who resent Hari, for being too arrogant, too pushy, too self-absorbed, too eager to grab all the credit? Or, if none of these things apply, might they not resent him simply because he has run the Project for so long a time?"

“难道不会有人怨恨哈里，因为他太自大、太强硬、太自我中心、太喜欢霸占成果？或者，假如这些都不成立，他们会不会仅仅因为他主持计划过久，而心生怨恨？”

"I never heard anyone say such a thing about Hari."

“我从未听到任何人这样说过哈里。”

Dors seemed dissatisfied. "I doubt that anyone would say such things in your hearing, of course. But thank you, Yugo, for being so helpful and for giving me so much of your time."

铎丝似乎并不满意。“当然，我不信有谁会在你身边说这种事。但还是要感谢你，雨果，谢谢你这么帮忙，给了我这么多时间。”

Amaryl stared after her as she left. He felt vaguely troubled, but then returned to his work and let other matters drift away.

当她离去时，雨果望着她的背影，模模糊糊地感到有点不安。但他随即重拾自己的工作，让其他问题逐渐淡出脑海。

20

20

One way Hari Seldon had (out of not too many ways) for pulling away from his work for a time was to visit Raych's apartment, just outside the university grounds. To do this invariably filled him with love for his foster son. There were ample grounds. Raych had been good, capable, and loyal-but besides that was the strange quality Raych had of inspiring trust and love in others.

哈里·谢顿从工作中暂时抽身的方法之一（总共也没有多少种）是去造访芮奇的寓所，它就坐落在校园外。每次这样做，总使他心中盈满对这个养子的爱。理由不可胜数，芮奇一直相当优秀、能干，而且忠心。但除此之外，更因为芮奇拥有一种奇异的特质，能博取他人的信任与喜爱。

Hari had observed it when Raych was a twelve-year-old street boy, who somehow pulled at his own and at Dors's heartstrings. He remembered how Raych had affected Rashelle, the onetime Mayor of Wye. Hari remembered how Joranum had trusted Raych, which led to his own destruction. Raych had even managed to win the heart of the beautiful Manella. Hari did not completely understand this particular quality that Raych embodied, but he enjoyed whatever contact he had with his foster son.

芮奇还是个十二岁的野孩子时，谢顿便观察到这一点。说不上来为什么，芮奇就是牵动了他自己与铎丝的心弦。他记得很清楚，芮奇还影响了当时的卫荷区长芮喜尔。谢顿也还记得久瑞南如何信任芮奇，以致走向自我毁灭之途。此外，芮奇甚至有办法赢得美人玛妮拉的芳心。对于芮奇所拥有的这项特质，谢顿并不完全了解，但无论和这个养子做任何接触，对他而言都是一大享受。

He entered the apartment with his usual "All well here?"

他走进这间寓所，照常说了一句：“大家都好吗？”

Raych put aside the holographic material he was working with and rose to greet him, "All well, Dad."

芮奇将正在研读的全息资料放在一旁，起身欢迎谢顿。“都好，爸。”

"I don't hear Wanda."

“我没听到婉达的声音。”

"For good reason. She's out shopping with her mother."

“原因很简单，她和她母亲购物去了。”

Seldon seated himself and looked good-humoredly at the chaos of reference material. "How's the book coming?"

谢顿自己坐下来，以愉悦的目光看了看乱成一团的参考资料。“你的书进行得如何？”

"It's doing fine. It's me who might not survive." He sighed. "But for once, we'll get the straight poop on Dahl. Nobody's ever written a book devoted to that section, wouldja believe?"

“书很顺利，我却可能吃不消了。”他叹了一口气，“但这是第一次，我们一针见血地剖析达尔。从没啥人针对这区写过一本书，你信吗？”

Seldon had always noted that, whenever Raych talked of his home sector, his Dahlite accent always strengthened.

谢顿总是注意到，每当芮奇提到自己的母区，他的达尔口音就会更重一些。

Raych said, "And how are you, Dad? Glad the festivities are over?"

芮奇说：“你好吗，爸？庆祝活动结束了，你高兴吗？”

"Enormously. I hated just about every minute of it."

“太高兴了，我每一分钟都受不了。”

"Not so anyone could notice."

“没人察觉得到。”

"Listen, I had to wear a mask of sorts. I didn't want to spoil the celebration for everyone else."

“听好，我总得戴上所谓的面具，我不想扫大家的兴。”

"You must have hated it when Mom chased after you onto the Palace grounds. Everyone I know has been talking about that."

“妈跟在你后面进入皇宫御苑时，你一定火大了。我认识的人都在谈论这件事。”

"I certainly did hate it. Your mother, Raych, is the most wonderful person in the world, but she is very difficult to handle. She might have spoiled my plans."

“我当然真的火大了。芮奇，你母亲是世界上最好的人，但她非常难应付。她有可能把我的计划破坏了。”

"What plans are those, Dad?"

“什么样的计划，爸？”

Seldon settled back. It was always pleasant to speak to someone in whom he had total trust and who knew nothing about psychohistory. More than once he had bounced thoughts off Raych and had worked them out into more sensible forms than would have been the case if those same thoughts had been mulled over in his mind. He said, "Are we shielded?"

谢顿换了一个更舒服的坐姿。和一个自己完全信任、又对心理史学一无所知的人聊聊，总是一件令人愉快的事。他曾不只一次利用芮奇反弹回某些想法，再将它们组织成更有条理的形式，这要比同样的想法在自己脑海中打转好得多。他说：“这里有屏蔽吗？”

"Always."

“始终都有。”

"Good. What I did was to set General Tennar thinking along curious lines."

“很好。我所做的，是把田纳尔将军导向几条奇妙的思路。”

"What lines?"

“什么思路？”

"Well, I discussed taxation a bit and pointed out that, in the effort to make taxation rest evenly on the population, it grew more and more complex, unwieldy, and costly. The obvious implication was that the tax system must be simplified."

“这个嘛，我谈了点税制，并且指出，为了使税制普遍受到民众的支持，它会变得越来越庞杂、越来越浪费。这些话明显意味着税制必须简化。”

"That seems to make sense."

“那似乎很合理。”

"Up to a point, but it is possible that, as a result of our little discussion, Tennar may oversimplify. You see, taxation loses effectiveness at both extremes. Overcomplicate it and people cannot understand it and pay for an overgrown and expensive tax organization. Oversimplify it and people consider it unfair and grow bitterly resentful. The simplest tax is a poll tax, in which every individual pays the same amount, but the unfairness of treating rich and poor alike in this way is too evident to overlook."

“在某个程度内。但是有可能，由于我们那次的简短讨论，田纳尔会将它过度简化。你懂吗，税制在两个极端都会适得其反。过度复杂化，民众便无法了解，又得供养过分膨胀和昂贵的税务机关。而过度简化，则会使民众认为不公平，因而心生怨恨。最简单的税制是人头税，也就是每个人缴付相同的税金，但这种贫富不分的不公平太过明显，没有人会看不出来。”

"And you didn't explain this to the General?"

“而你没有对将军解释这一点？”

"Somehow, I didn't get a chance."

“不巧，我没有这个机会。”

"Do you think the General will try a poll tax?"

“你认为将军会试行人头税吗？”

"I think he will plan one. If he does, the news is bound to leak out and that alone would suffice to set off riots and possibly upset the government."

“我认为他会这么计划。如果他这样做，必定会走漏消息，光是这样就足以引发暴动，并有可能颠覆这个政府。”

"And you've done this on purpose, Dad?"

“而你故意这样做，爸？”

"Of course."

“当然。”

Raych shook his head. "I don't quite understand you, Dad. In your personal life, you're as sweet and gentle as any person in the Empire. Yet you can deliberately set up a situation in which there will be riots, suppression, deaths. There'll be a lot of damage done, Dad. Have you thought of that?"

芮奇摇了摇头。“我不了解你，爸。在日常生活中，你和任何人一样体贴，一样和气。但你能故意创造一种情况，让它带来暴动、镇压、死亡。那将造成很大的破坏，爸，你想到过吗？”

Seldon leaned back in his chair and said sadly, "I think of nothing else, Raych. When I first began my work on psychohistory, it seemed a purely academic piece of research to me. It was something that could not he worked out at all, in all likelihood, and, if it was, it would not be something that could be practically applied. But the decades pass and we know more and more and then comes the terrible urge to apply it."

谢顿上身靠向椅背，以悲伤的口吻说：“我心中没想过别的事，芮奇。当我刚开始研究心理史学的时候，在我看来，它似乎是一个纯学术的研究。十之八九，会是个根本研究不出结果的题目，如果真是这样，它就不会成为能有实际应用的研究。但几十年过去了，我们知道得越来越多，就有了让它派上用场的强烈冲动。”

"So that people can die?"

“好让许多人死去？”

"No, so that fewer people can die. If our psychohistorical analyses are correct now, then the junta cannot survive for more than a few years and there are various alternative ways in which it can collapse. They will all he fairly bloody and desperate. This method-the taxation gimmick-should do it more smoothly and gently than any other if-I repeat-our analyses are correct."

“不，好让较少人死去。假如我们的心理史学分析是正确的，那么执政团顶多还能维持几年，而它垮台的方式可以有好几种，每一种都会相当血腥和惨烈。这个方法，这个税制的花招，应该会比其他方法更平稳、更温和。前提则是，我再重复一遍，我们的分析正确无误。”

"If they're not correct, what then?"

“万一分析不正确，那该怎么办？”

"In that case, we don't know what might happen. Still, psychohistory must reach the point where it can be used and we've been searching for years for something in which we have worked out the consequences with a certain assuredness and can find those consequences tolerable as compared with alternatives. In a way, this taxation gimmick is the first great psychohistoric experiment."

“那样的话，我们就不知道会发生什么事。话说回来，心理史学非得达到能应用的程度不可。我们花了好多年寻找一个事件，它的结果得是我们已经算出来，并有几分把握的，而且和其他选择比较起来，这些结果得是我们较能忍受的。就某方面而言，这个税制花招是第一个大型的心理史学实验。”

"I must admit, it sounds like a simple one."

“我必须承认，它听起来像个简单的实验。”

"It isn't. You have no idea how complex psychohistory is. Nothing is simple. The poll tax has been tried now and then throughout history. It is never popular and it invariably gives rise to resistance of one form or another, but it almost never results in the violent overthrow of a government. After all, the powers of governmental oppression may be too strong or there may be methods whereby the people can bring to bear their opposition in a peaceful manner and achieve redress. If a poll tax were invariably or even just sometimes fatal, then no government would ever try it. It is only because it isn't fatal that it is tried repeatedly. The situation on Trantor is, however, not exactly normal. There are certain instabilities that seem clear in psychohistorical analysis, which make it seem that resentment will be particularly strong and repression particularly weak."

“不是的。你对心理史学的复杂度毫无概念，没有任何一环是简单的。古往今来的历史上，不时会有政府试行人头税。它从来没有普遍过，而且必定引起某种形式的阻力，但它几乎从未导致暴力推翻政府的结果。毕竟，政府的压制力量也许太强，或是还有其他方法，能让民众以和平方式表达反对意见，进而获得改善。如果人头税必然会——甚至只是偶尔会导致毁灭，就不会有任何政府敢于尝试。正由于它不具毁灭性，才会被一试再试。然而，川陀的情势并非完全正常。根据心理史学的分析，有些不稳定性似乎很明显，因此怨恨似乎会特别强烈，而压抑的力量则特别薄弱。”

Raych sounded dubious. "I hope it works, Dad, but don't you think that the General will say that he was working under psychohistorical advice and bring you down with him?"

芮奇以半信半疑的口气说：“我希望它成功，爸，但你难道没有想到，将军会说他是根据心理史学的建议行事，而把你拖下水？”

"I suppose he recorded our little session together, but if he publicizes that, it will show clearly that I urged him to wait till I could analyze the situation properly and prepare a report-and he refused to wait."

“我想，他把我们的小小会谈从头到尾都录下了。但他若是公布这个记录，它将清楚地显示我力劝他再等一等，等我能对情势作出适切的分析，并准备一份报告再说——可是他拒绝等待。”

"And what does Mom think of all this?"

“妈对这一切又怎么想？”

Seldon said, "I haven't discussed it with her. She's off on another tangent altogether."

谢顿说：“我还没有和她讨论，她的心思完全转到另一个方向上。”

"Really?"

“真的吗？”

"Yes. She's trying to sniff out some deep conspiracy in the Project-aimed at me! I imagine she thinks there are many people in the Project who would like to get rid of me." Seldon sighed. "I'm one of them, I think. I would like to get rid of me as director of the Project and leave the gathering responsibilities of psychohistory to others."

“是的。她正试图嗅出深藏于谢顿计划中的阴谋，针对我的阴谋！我能想象，她认为计划成员中有许多人希望除掉我。”谢顿叹了一口气，“我想，我自己也是其中之一。我希望除掉自己计划主持人的职位，把心理史学越来越重的责任留给别人。”

Raych said, "What's bugging Mom is Wanda's dream. You know how Mom feels about protecting you. I'll bet even a dream about your dying would be enough to make her think of a murder conspiracy against you."

芮奇说：“让妈疑神疑鬼的是婉达的梦。你也知道妈对于保护你抱着怎样的态度。我敢打赌，即使是一场有关你死去的梦，也足以使她联想到谋害你的阴谋。”

"I certainly hope there isn't one."

“我当然希望没有这种阴谋。”

And at the idea of it both men laughed.

说到这里，两人哈哈大笑。

21

21

The small Electro-Clarification Laboratory was, for some reason, maintained at a temperature somewhat lower than normal and Dors Venabili wondered idly why that might be. She sat quietly, waiting for the one occupant of the lab to finish whatever it was she was doing.

基于某种原因，小小的“电子阐析实验室”将温度保持得比正常气温稍低。铎丝·凡纳比里痴痴地纳闷，不知道这样做是为什么。她正默默坐在那里，等待实验室的主人结束她手头的工作。

Dors eyed the woman carefully. Slim, with a long face. Not exactly attractive, with her thin lips and receding jawline, but a look of intelligence shone in her dark brown eyes. The glowing nameplate on her desk said: CINDA MONAY.

铎丝仔细打量这名女子。她身材纤细，有一张长脸；薄唇与后缩的下颚不怎么吸引人，但一双深褐色眼睛透出智慧的光彩。她的书桌上有个闪闪发光的名牌，上面印着：欣妲·蒙内。

She turned to Dors at last and said, "My apologies, Dr. Venabili, but there are some procedures that can't be interrupted even for the wife of the director."

她终于转向铎丝，开口道：“十分抱歉，凡纳比里博士，但即使是计划主持人的夫人到场，有些实验步骤还是无法中断。”

"I would have been disappointed in you if you had neglected the procedure on my behalf. I have been told some excellent things about you."

“假使你因为我而疏忽实验，我会对你失望的。我听说了一些你的杰出表现。”

"That's always nice to hear. Who's been praising me?"

“这总是好消息。是谁在赞美我？”

"Quite a few," said Dors. "I gather that you are one of the most prominent nonmathematicians in the Project."

“不少人。”铎丝说，“我猜你是谢顿计划中最突出的非数学家之一。”

Monay winced. "There's a certain tendency to divide the rest of us from the aristocracy of mathematics. My own feeling is that, if I'm prominent, then I'm a prominent member of the Project. It makes no difference that I'm a nonmathematician."

蒙内心头一凛。“这里有些把数学贵族和我们其他人区分开来的倾向。我自己的感觉是，如果我的确突出，那我就是谢顿计划中突出的一员，和我是不是数学家毫无关系。”

"That certainly sounds reasonable to me. -How long have you been with the Project?"

“在我听来这当然有道理。你加入谢顿计划多久了？”

"Two and a half years. Before that I was a graduate student in radiational physics at Streeling and, while I was doing that, I served a couple of years with the Project as an intern."

“两年半。在此之前，我是斯璀璘大学辐射物理系的研究生，那段时间，我在谢顿计划中当了几年的实习生。”

"You've done well at the Project, I understand."

“据我了解，你表现得十分优异。”

"I've been promoted twice, Dr. Venabili."

“我晋升了两次，凡纳比里博士。”

"Have you encountered any difficulties here, Dr. Monay? -Whatever you say will be held confidential."

“你在这里遇到过任何困难吗，蒙内博士？你说的任何话我都会保密。”

"The work is difficult, of course, but if you mean, have I run into any social difficulties, the answer is no. At least not any more than one would expect in any large and complex project, I imagine."

“当然，工作是困难的。但如果您的意思是，我有没有碰到任何人际上的困难，答案则是否定的。即使有，我想也顶多是任何庞大复杂的计划中都会存在的问题。”

"And by that you mean?"

“你所谓的问题是指？”

"Occasional spats and quarrels. We're all human."

“偶尔发生的口角和争执，毕竟我们都是人。”

"But nothing serious?"

“但没有什么严重的问题？”

Monay shook her head. "Nothing serious."

蒙内摇了摇头。“没有什么严重的问题。”

"My understanding, Dr. Monay," said Dors, "is that you have been responsible for the development of a device important to the use of the Prime Radiant. It makes it possible to cram much more information into the Prime Radiant."

“根据我的了解，蒙内博士，”铎丝说，“你负责发展一种辅助元光体的重要装置，由于它的问世，才能将更多得多的资料塞进元光体。”

Monay broke into a radiant smile. "Do you know about that?-Yes, the Electro-Clarifier. After that was developed, Professor Seldon established this small laboratory and put me in charge of other work in that direction."

蒙内突然露出灿烂的笑容。“您知道这件事吗？是的，那就是电子阐析器。在它发展出来之后，谢顿教授成立了这间小型实验室，要我负责这方面的后续研究。”

"I'm amazed that such an important advance did not bring you up into the higher echelons of the Project."

“这么重要的进展，竟然没有把你带到计划的更高层，令我很惊讶。”

"Oh well," said Monay, looking a trifle embarrassed. "I don't want to take all the credit. Actually my work was only that of a technician-a very skilled and creative technician, I like to think-but there you are."

“这个嘛，”蒙内显得有点困窘，“我不想独占所有的功劳。实际上，我做的只是技术员的工作——一个非常能干且有创意的技术员，我喜欢这么想，但也只是这样了。”

"And who worked with you?"

“谁和你合作？”

"Didn't you know? It was Tamwile Elar. He worked out the theory that made the device possible and I designed and built the actual instrument."

“您不知道吗？就是泰姆外尔·林恩。他先研究出这项装置的工作理论，再由我实际设计并制造这个仪器。”

"Does that mean he took the credit, Dr. Monay?"

“这意味着功劳给他占了吗，蒙内博士？”

"No no. You mustn't think that. Dr. Elar is not that kind of man. He gave me full credit for my share of the work. In fact, it was his idea to call the device by our names-both our names-but he couldn't."

“不不，您绝不能那么想。林恩博士不是那种人，他把我应得的功劳全给了我。事实上，当初他打算用我们的名字——我们两人的名字——为这项装置命名，可是他办不到。”

"Why not?"

“为什么？”

"Well, that's Professor Seldon's rule, you know. All devices and equations are to be given functional names and not personal ones-to avoid resentment. So the device is just the Electro-Clarifier. When we're working together, however, he gives the device our names and, I tell you, Dr. Venabili, it sounds grand. Perhaps someday, all of the Project personnel will use the personal name. I hope so."

“嗯，那是谢顿教授的规定，您知道的。所有的装置和方程式都要以功能命名，不得冠以人名，以免引起反感，所以这项装置只能叫电子阐析器。然而，当我们一起工作时，他就用我们的名字称呼这项装置。我跟您讲，凡纳比里博士，听起来可真棒。说不定有一天，计划中所有的成员都会使用这个昵称，我希望如此。”

"I hope so, too," said Dors politely. "You make Elar sound like a very decent individual."

“我也希望如此。”铎丝客气地说，“听你这么讲，林恩像是一个非常高尚的人。”

"He is. He is," said Monay earnestly. "He is a delight to work for. Right now, I'm working on a new version of the device, which is more powerful and which I don't quite understand. -I mean, what it's to be used for. However, he's directing me there."

“他是的，他是的。”蒙内一本正经地说，“在他手下工作十分愉快。现在，我正在为这项装置发展一个新版，它的功能更强，而我自己也不太了解。我的意思是，不了解它要用来做什么。然而，他一直在指导我。”

"And are you making progress?"

“你有些进展吗？”

"Indeed. In fact, I've given Dr. Elar a prototype, which he plans to test. If it works out, we can proceed further."

“的确有。事实上，我已经交给林恩博士一个原型，他已准备开始测试。如果它成功了，我们就能继续发展下去。”

"It sounds good," agreed Dors. "What do you think would happen if Professor Seldon were to resign as director of the Project? If he were to retire?"

“听来很不错。”铎丝表示同意，“假如谢顿教授辞去计划主持人一职，假如他退休了，你认为会有什么结果？”

Monay looked surprised. "Is the professor planning to retire?"

蒙内显得有些讶异。“教授打算退休吗？”

"Not that I know of. I'm presenting you with a hypothetical case. Suppose he retires. Who do you think would be a natural successor? I think from what you have said that you would favor Professor Elar as the new director."

“据我所知没有，我只是提出一个假设性问题。假定他退休了，你认为谁是当然的接班人？从你刚才的谈话中，我想你会支持林恩教授接任主持人。”

"Yes, I would," responded Monay after a trifling hesitation. "He's far and away the most brilliant of the new people and I think he could run the Project in the best possible way. Still, he's rather young. There are a considerable number of old fossils-well, you know what I mean-who would resent being passed over by a young squirt."

“是的，我会的。”蒙内稍加迟疑之后答道，“他是新一代中最最出色的一位，我认为他能以最佳的方式领导这个计划。话说回来，他相当年轻。这里有为数众多的老古董——嗯，您知道我的意思——给一个少年得志的人骑在头上，他们会怀恨在心的。”

"Is there any old fossil you're thinking of in particular? Remember, this is confidential."

“你有没有特别想到哪个老古董？记住，一切都会保密。”

"Quite a few of them, but there's Dr. Amaryl. He's the heir apparent."

“还真不少，但尤其是阿马瑞尔博士，他是当然的继承人。”

"Yes, I see what you mean." Dors rose. "Well, thank you so much for your help. I'll let you return to your work now."

“对，我懂你的意思了。”铎丝站了起来，“好啦，非常感谢你的协助，现在我要让你回到工作岗位了。”

She left, thinking about the Electro-Clarifier. And about Amaryl.

她一面离去，一面想着电子阐析器与雨果。

22

22

Yugo Amaryl said, "Here you are again, Dors."

雨果·阿马瑞尔说：“你又来了，铎丝。”

"Sorry, Yugo. I'm bothering you twice this week. Actually you don't see anyone very often, do you?"

“抱歉，雨果，这星期我两度打扰你。实际上，你不太常见任何人，对不对？”

Amaryl said, "I don't encourage people to visit me, no. They tend to interrupt me and break my line of thought. -Not you, Dors. You're altogether special, you and Hari. There's never a day I don't remember what you two have done for me."

雨果说：“是的，我不鼓励外人拜访我。他们容易干扰我，打断我的思路。你不算，铎丝。你完全不同，你和哈里都是例外，我没有一天忘记你们两人对我的恩情。”

Dors waved her hand. "Forget it, Yugo. You've worked hard for Hari and any trifling kindness we did for you has long been overpaid. How is the Project going? Hari never talks about it-not to me, anyway."

铎丝挥了挥手。“忘了吧，雨果。你一直努力为哈里工作，即使我们对你有任何微薄的恩惠，你也早已加倍奉还了。计划进行得如何？哈里从没提过，反正从没对我提过。”

Amaryl's face lightened and his whole body seemed to take on an infusion of life. "Very well. Very well. It's difficult to talk about it without mathematics, but the progress we've made in the last two years is amazing-more than in all the time before that. It's as though, after we've been hammering away and hammering away, things have finally begun to break loose."

雨果立刻容光焕发，整个身子似乎注满生气。“非常好，非常好。谈论这个而不提数学会有些困难，但这两年间，我们的进展相当惊人，超越过去任何时期。就好像我们敲呀敲、锤呀锤了这么多年，这座山终于开始松动了。”

"I've been hearing that the new equations worked out by Dr. Elar have helped the situation."

“我一直听人说，林恩博士发展的新方程式很有帮助。”

"The achaotic equations? Yes. Enormously."

“非混沌方程组？是的，帮助极大。”

"And the Electro-Clarifier has been helpful, too. I spoke to the woman who designed it."

“而电子阐析器同样有帮助，我和它的设计者谈过。”

"Cinda Monay?"

“欣妲·蒙内？”

"Yes. That's the one."

“是的，就是她。”

"A very clever woman. We're fortunate to have her."

“非常聪明的女子，她是我们的运气。”

"Tell me, Yugo- You work at the Prime Radiant virtually all the time, don't you?"

“告诉我，雨果，你几乎无时无刻不在使用元光体，对不对？”

"I'm more or less constantly studying it. Yes."

“没错，我差不多是不间断地在研究。”

"And you study it with the Electro-Clarifier."

“而你是利用电子阐析器在进行研究。”

"Certainly."

“当然。”

"Don't you ever think of taking a vacation, Yugo?"

“你有没有想过休个假，雨果？”

Amaryl looked at her owlishly, blinking slowly. "A vacation?"

雨果面容严肃地望着她，同时缓缓眨着眼睛。“休假？”

"Yes. Surely you've heard the word. You know what a vacation is."

“是的。你当然听过这两个字，知道休假是什么意思。”

"Why should I take a vacation?"

“我为什么要休假？”

"Because you seem dreadfully tired to me."

“因为在我看来，你似乎疲倦得可怕。”

"A little, now and then. But I don't want to leave the work."

“偶尔有一点，可是我不想离开工作。”

"Do you feel more tired now than you used to?"

“你感到比以前更疲倦吗？”

"A little. I'm getting older, Dors."

“有一点。我渐渐老了，铎丝。”

"You're only forty-nine."

“你只有四十九岁。”

"That's still older than I've ever been before."

“还是比我以前更老。”

"Well, let it go. Tell me, Yugo-just to change the subject. How is Hari doing at his work? You've been with him so long that no one could possibly know him better than you do. Not even I. At least, as far as his work is concerned."

“好吧，算了。告诉我，雨果，只是为了换个话题，哈里的工作做得怎么样？你和他在一起那么久，谁也不可能比你更了解他。甚至我也比不上，至少，就他的工作而言。”

"He's doing very well, Dors. I see no change in him. He still has the quickest and brightest brain in the place. Age is having no effect on him -at least, not so far."

“他做得非常好，铎丝。我看不出他有任何改变，他仍拥有我们这里最快速、最灵光的头脑。年龄对他毫无影响，至少目前还没有。”

"That's good to hear. I'm afraid that his own opinion of himself is not as high as yours is. He's not taking his age well. We had a difficult time getting him to celebrate his recent birthday. Were you at the festivities, by the way? I didn't see you."

“这是好消息。只怕他对自己的看法不像你那么乐观，他不太能接受上年纪这件事，我们花了好大力气才说动他庆祝最近那个生日。对了，你参加了那个庆祝活动吗？我没有看到你。”

"I attended part of the time. But, you know, parties of that kind are not the sort of thing I feel at home with."

“我参加了一下子。但是，你也知道，那样的宴会并不是令我感到自在的事。”

"Do you think Hari is wearing out? I'm not referring to his mental brilliance. I'm referring to his physical capacities. In your opinion, is he growing tired-too tired to bear up under his responsibilities?"

“你认为哈里正逐渐衰竭吗？我不是指他的聪明才智，我是指他的体能和体力。在你看来，他是不是越来越疲倦，疲倦到了无法承担那些责任的地步？”

Amaryl looked astonished. "I never gave it any thought. I can't imagine him growing tired."

雨果看来相当惊讶。“我从没想过这种事，我无法想象他会越来越疲倦。”

"He may be, just the same. I think he has the impulse, now and then, to give up his post and hand the task over to some younger man."

“无论如何，他还是有可能。我想他不时会有一种冲动，想要放弃他的职位，把工作交给某个较年轻的人。”

Amaryl sat back in his chair and put down the graphic stylus he had been fiddling with ever since Dors had entered. "What! That's ridiculous! Impossible!"

雨果上身靠向椅背，放下打从铎丝进来就在把玩的那支制图尖笔。“什么！那简直荒唐！不可能！”

"Are you sure?"

“你确定吗？”

"Absolutely. He certainly wouldn't consider such a thing without discussing it with me. And he hasn't."

“绝对确定。他绝不会没和我讨论就考虑这种事，而他的确没和我讨论过。”

"Be reasonable, Yugo. Hari is exhausted. He tries not to show it, but he is. What if he does decide to retire? What would become of the Project? What would become of psychohistory?"

“理智点，雨果。哈里累坏了，他尽力不表现出来，但事实如此。万一他的确决定退休了呢？谢顿计划会变成什么样子？心理史学又会变成什么样子？”

Amaryl's eyes narrowed. "Are you joking, Dors?"

雨果眯起眼睛。“你在开玩笑吗，铎丝？”

"No. I'm just trying to look into the future."

“不，我只是在试图窥探未来。”

"Surely, if Hari retires, I succeed to the post. He and I ran the Project for years before anyone else joined us. He and I. No one else. Except for him, no one knows the Project as I do. I'm amazed you don't take my succession for granted, Dors."

“不用说，如果哈里退休，我就接任那个职位。在任何人加入我们之前，他和我便在这个计划上投注了多年的心力。就他和我，没有别人。除了他，没有人比我更了解谢顿计划。我很惊讶你不把我视为理所当然的接班人，铎丝。”

Dors said, "There's no question in my mind or in anyone else's that you are the logical successor, but do you want to be? You may know everything about psychohistory, but do you want to throw yourself into the politics and complexities of a large Project and abandon much of your work in order to do so? Actually it's trying to keep everything moving smoothly that's been wearing Hari down. Can you take on that part of the job?"

铎丝说：“不论在我或在任何人心中，你都毫无疑问是当然的接班人。可是你要接吗？你或许对心理史学了若指掌，但你想要一头栽进一个大型计划的政治和复杂事务中，为此放弃你大部分的研究吗？实际上，就是为了保持一切运作顺利，才累得哈里精疲力竭。你能承担那份工作吗？”

"Yes, I can and it's not something I intend to discuss. -Look here, Dors. Did you come here to break the news that Hari intends to ease me out?"

“是的，我能承担，但这不是我打算讨论的事。听好，铎丝，你来这里是要向我透露哈里打算请我走吗？”

Dors said, "Certainly not! How could you think that of Hari! Have you ever known him to turn on a friend?"

铎丝说：“当然不是！你怎能对哈里有那种想法！你曾经见过他遗弃哪个朋友吗？”

"Very well, then. Let's drop the subject. Really, Dors, if you don't mind, there are things I must do." Abruptly he turned away from her and bent over his work once more.

“那就好，我们结束这个话题吧。真的，铎丝，如果你不介意，我还必须做些事。”他突然转过身去，再度埋首研究工作。

"Of course. I didn't mean to take up this much of your time."

“当然，我无意占用你这么多的时间。”

Dors left, frowning.

铎丝皱着眉头离去。

23

23

Raych said, "Come in, Mom. The coast is clear. I've sent Manella and Wanda off somewhere."

芮奇说：“进来吧，妈。清过场了，我已经把玛妮拉和婉达送到别处去了。”

Dors entered, looked right and left out of sheer habit, and sat down in the nearest chair.

铎丝走了进来，纯习惯性地东张西望了一番，才坐在最近的一张椅子上。

"Thanks," said Dors. For a while she simply sat there, looking as if the weight of the Empire were on her shoulders.

“谢谢。”有那么一会儿，铎丝只是坐在那里，看来好像整个帝国压在她肩上。

Raych waited, then said, "I never got a chance to ask you about your wild trip into the Palace grounds. It isn't every guy who has a mom who can do that."

芮奇等了一下，然后说：“那趟皇宫御苑的疯狂之旅如何，我一直找不到机会问问你。不是每个哥儿们的妈都做得到这种事。”

"We're not talking about that, Raych."

“今天我们别谈那件事，芮奇。”

"Well then, tell me- You're not one for giving anything away by facial expressions, but you look sorta down. Why is that?"

“好吧，那么告诉我——你不是那种会让表情泄露任何秘密的人，但你看起来有那么点消沉，为什么呢？”

"Because I feel, as you say, sorta down. In fact, I'm in a bad mood because I have terribly important things on my mind and there's no use talking to your father about it. He's the most wonderful man in the world, but he's very hard to handle. There's no chance that he'd take an interest in the dramatic. He dismisses it all as my irrational fears for his life-and my subsequent attempts to protect him."

“因为我感到，正如你所说，有那么点消沉。事实上，我的心情很坏，因为我心头有些极重要的事，但和你父亲谈根本没用。他是世界上最好的人，但他非常难应付，他对戏剧性的事绝不会关心。我担心他的安危，他却不理不睬，将一切视为我的非理性恐惧。对于我保护他的尝试，他也嗤之以鼻。”

"Come on, Mom, you do seem to have irrational fears where Dad's concerned. If you've got something dramatic in mind, it's probably all wrong."

“算了吧，妈，和爸有关的事，你的确似乎有非理性的恐惧。你心中若有什么戏剧性的想法，说不定全是错的。”

"Thank you. You sound just like he does and you leave me frustrated. Absolutely frustrated."

“谢谢你。你的口气听来和他一模一样，你让我有挫折感，百分之百的挫折感。”

"Well then, unburden yourself, Mom. Tell me what's on your mind. From the beginning."

“好吧，那就一吐为快，妈，把你的心事告诉我，从头说起。”

"It starts with Wanda's dream."

“一切都从婉达的梦开始。”

"Wanda's dream! Mom! Maybe you'd better stop right now. I know that Dad won't want to listen if you start that way. I mean, come on. A little kid has a dream and you make a big deal of it. That's ridiculous."

“婉达的梦！妈！也许你最好现在就停止。如果你用这个开头，我知道爸绝不会想听。我的意思是，算了吧，一个小孩做了一场梦，你就拿来小题大做，那实在是滑稽。”

"I don't think it was a dream, Raych. I think what she thought was a dream were two real people, talking about what she thought concerned the death of her grandfather."

“我认为那不是一场梦，芮奇。我认为她心目中的那场梦，真的是两个人在谈论一件事，而她认为那件事和她祖父的死有关。”

"That's a wild guess on your part. What possible chance does this have of being true?"

“那是你自己的疯狂猜测，有任何可能会是真的吗？”

"Just suppose it is true. The one phrase that remained with her was `lemonade death.' Why should she dream that? It's much more likely that she heard that and distorted the words she heard-in which case, what were the undistorted words?"

“姑且假设它是真的。她还记得的几个字是‘柠檬水之死’，她为什么要梦到这个呢？加倍可能的情况，是她听到些什么，而她把听到的扭曲成那几个字。这样的话，原来那几个字是什么呢？”

"I can't tell you," said Raych, his voice incredulous.

“我没法告诉你。”芮奇以怀疑的口吻说。

Dors did not fail to catch that. "You think this is just my sick invention. Still, if I happen to be right, I might be at the start of unraveling a conspiracy against Hari right here in the Project."

铎丝听出了他的言外之意。“你认为那只是我的病态妄想。话说回来，假如我刚好是对的，我就有可能正要揭发一件自己人对付哈里的阴谋。”

"Are there conspiracies in the Project? That sounds as impossible to me as finding significance in a dream."

“谢顿计划中有什么阴谋吗？在我听来，这和寻找一场梦的意义同样不可能。”

"Every large project is riddled with angers, frictions, jealousies of all sorts."

“每个大型计划都充满着各种的愤怒、摩擦、嫉妒。”

"Sure. Sure. We're talking nasty words and faces and nose thumbing and tale bearing. That's nothing at all like talking conspiracy. It's not like talking about killing Dad."

“当然，当然。我们说的是恶言相向、怒目相视、做鬼脸，以及背后说坏话。这些根本不算什么阴谋，根本和杀掉爸扯不上关系。”

"It's just a difference in degree. A small difference-maybe."

“那只是程度上的差异，或许只是很小的差异而已。”

"You'll never make Dad believe that. For that matter, you'll never make me believe that." Raych walked hastily across the room and back again, "And you've been trying to nose out this so-called conspiracy, have you?"

“你永远无法让爸相信这一点。同理，你也永远无法让我相信。”芮奇急步在房中来回走了一趟，“而你一直试图挖出这个所谓的阴谋，对不对？”

Dors nodded.

铎丝点了点头。

"And you've failed."

“结果你失败了。”

Dors nodded.

铎丝又点了点头。

"Doesn't it occur to you that you've failed because there is no conspiracy, Mom?"

“难道你没有想到，你会失败正是因为根本没有什么阴谋，妈？”

Dors shook her head. "I've failed so far, but that doesn't shake my belief that one exists. I have that feeling."

铎丝摇了摇头。“目前为止我是失败了，但这并未动摇我的信心。阴谋还是存在的，我有那种感觉。”

Raych laughed. "You sound very ordinary, Mom. I would expect more from you than `I have that feeling."'

芮奇哈哈大笑。“你的口气非常平淡，妈，我以为你要说的不只是‘我有那种感觉’而已。”

"There is one phrase that I think can be distorted into `lemonade.' That's `layman-aided.' "

“我想到有一句话，能被扭曲成‘柠檬水之死’，那就是‘零墨水致死’。”

"Laymanayded? What's that?"

“零墨水之死？那是什么？”

"Layman-aided. Two words. A layman is what the mathematicians at the Project call nonmathematicians."

“是致死，不是之死。零墨水代表没学问，是谢顿计划中的数学家对非数学家的戏称。”

"Well?"

“那又怎样？”

"Suppose," interjected Dors firmly, "someone spoke of `laymanaided death,' meaning that some way could be found to kill Hari in which one or more nonmathematicians would play an essential role. Might that not have sounded to Wanda like `lemonade death,' considering that she had never heard the phrase `layman-aided' any more than you did, but that she was extraordinarily fond of lemonade?"

“假设，”铎丝以坚定的口吻说，“有人提到‘零墨水致死’，意思是说能找到某种杀死哈里的方法，其中会有一个或几个非数学家扮演重要角色。婉达和你一样从未听过‘零墨水’这个称呼，而她又非常喜爱柠檬水，那么在她听来，难道不像是‘柠檬水之死’吗？”

"Are you trying to tell me that there were people in Dad's private office, of all places- How many people, by the way?"

“你是试图告诉我，当时竟然有人藏在爸的个人研究室。对了，共有多少人？”

"Wanda, in describing her dream, says two. My own feeling is that one of the two was none other than Colonel Hender Linn of the junta and that he was being shown the Prime Radiant and that there must have been a discussion involving the elimination of Hari."

“婉达说她梦见两个人。我自己的感觉是，其中之一不是别人，正是执政团的韩德·厄拉尔上校，当时他正在观看元光体的示范，而他们必定讨论到要消灭哈里。”

"You're getting wilder and wilder, Mom. Colonel Linn and another man in Dad's office talking murder and not knowing that there was a little girl hidden in a chair, overhearing them? Is that it?"

“你变得越来越疯狂了，妈。厄拉尔上校和另一个人在爸的研究室讨论谋杀，却不知道有个小女孩躲在椅子里，正在偷听他们的谈话？是不是这样？”

"More or less."

“差不多。”

"In that case, if there is mention of laymen, then one of the people, presumably the one that isn't Linn, must be a mathematician."

“这样的话，如果他们提到零墨水，那么其中一人，不是厄拉尔的那个人，一定是个数学家。”

"It would seem to be so."

“似乎正是如此。”

"That seems utterly impossible. But even if it were true, which mathematician do you suppose might be in question? There are at least fifty in ilic Project."

“似乎完全不可能。但即使是真的，你认为会是哪个数学家呢？谢顿计划中至少有五十名数学家。”

"I haven't questioned them all. I've questioned a few and some laymen, too, for that matter, but I have uncovered no leads. Of course, I can't be too open in my questions."

“我还没有全部问过话。我问了几个，此外还包括一些非数学家，但我未曾发现任何线索。当然啦，我的问话不能做得太公开。”

"In short, no one you have interviewed has given you any lead on any dangerous conspiracy."

“总而言之，你面谈过的那些人，谁也没给你有关任何阴谋的任何线索。”

"No."

“没错。”

"I'm not surprised. They haven't done so, because……"

“我并不惊讶。他们没有线索，是因为……”

"I know your `because,' Raych. Do you suppose people are going to break down and give away conspiracies under mild questioning? I am in no position to try to beat the information out of anyone. Can you imagine what your father would say if I upset one of his precious mathematicians?"

“我知道你的‘因为’是什么，芮奇。你以为在温和的盘问下，人们就那么容易崩溃，就会把阴谋泄露出来？我没有资格对任何人逼供，假如我惊扰了某位宝贝数学家，你能想象你父亲会说什么吗？”

Then, with a sudden change in the intonation of her voice, she said, "Raych, have you talked to Yugo Amaryl lately?"

接着，她突然以截然不同的声调问道：“芮奇，你最近有没有和雨果·阿马瑞尔聊过？”

"No, not recently. He's not one of your sociable creatures, you know. If you pulled the psychohistory out of him, he'd collapse into a little pile of dry skin."

“没有，近来没有。你知道的，他不是那种社交动物。如果你把心理史学从他身上抽走，他便会垮成一小堆干尸。”

Dors made a face at the picture and said, "I've talked to him twice recently and he seems to me to be a little withdrawn. I don't mean just tired. It is almost as though he's not aware of the world."

想到这种意象，铎丝不禁做个鬼脸。“最近我和他谈过两次，在我的感觉中，他似乎有点茫茫然。我不是指疲倦，而是他仿佛对这个世界浑然不觉。”

"Yes. That's Yugo."

“没错，那就是雨果。”

"Is he getting worse lately?"

“他最近情况越来越糟吗？”

Raych thought awhile. "He might be. He's getting older, you know. We all are. -Except you, Mom."

芮奇想了一会儿。“有可能，他年纪渐渐大了，你也知道。我们都一样，只有你例外，妈。”

"Would you say that Yugo had crossed the line and become a little unstable, Raych?"

“你说雨果会不会超越了这个界线，变得有点不稳定，芮奇？”

"Who? Yugo? He has nothing to be unstable about. Or with. Just leave him at his psychohistory and he'll mumble quietly to himself for the rest of his life."

“谁？雨果？他没什么好不稳定，或是值得不稳定的。只要让他继续研究心理史学，他就会低声喃喃自语一辈子。”

"I don't think so. There is something that interests him-and very strongly, too. That's the succession."

“我可不这么想。有一件事他有兴趣，而且兴趣非常强烈，那就是接班。”

"What succession?"

“接什么班？”

"I mentioned that someday your father might want to retire and it turns out that Yugo is determined-absolutely determined-to be his successor."

“有一天我提到，你父亲也许想要退休，结果雨果坚信——绝对坚信他会是接班人。”

"I'm not surprised. I imagine that everyone agrees that Yugo is the natural successor. I'm sure Dad thinks so, too."

“我并不惊讶。我想每个人都会同意雨果是当然的接班人，我确定爸也这么想。”

"But he seemed to me to be not quite normal about it. He thought I was coming to him to break the news that Hari had shoved him aside in favor of someone else. Can you imagine anyone thinking that of Hari?"

“但在我看来，他似乎表现得不太正常。他以为我去找他，是要向他透露哈里已经将他推到一边，而中意另外的人选。你能想象有谁会这么怀疑哈里吗？”

"It is surprising……" Raych interrupted himself and favored his mother with a long look. He said, "Mom, are you getting ready to tell me that it might be Yugo who's at the heart of this conspiracy you're speaking of? That he wants to get rid of Dad and take over?"

“这倒很奇怪……”芮奇打断自己的话，向母亲投以一个深长的目光，然后又说：“妈，你是不是准备告诉我，雨果可能就是你口中那个阴谋的核心人物？他想除掉爸取而代之？”

"Is that entirely impossible?"

“完全没有可能吗？”

"Yes, it is, Mom. Entirely. If there's anything wrong with Yugo, it's overwork and nothing else. Staring at all those equations or whatever they are, all day and half the night, would drive anyone crazy."

“没错，妈，完全没有。如果雨果有什么不对劲，那就是工作过度，没什么别的。整个白天再加半个晚上，不停地瞪着那些方程式，或者不管那是什么东西，任何人终究都会发疯的。”

Dors rose to her feet with a jerk. "You're right."

铎丝一跃而起。“你说得对。”

Raych, startled, said, "What's the matter?"

芮奇吓了一跳。“怎么回事？”

What you've said. It's given me an entirely new idea. A crucial one, I think. Turning, without another word, she left.

“你刚刚说的，给了我一个崭新的想法。我想，还是个关键性的想法。”她没有再说什么，便转身离去。

24

24

Dors Venabili disapproved, as she said to Hari Seldon "You've spent four days at the Galactic Library. Completely out of touch and again you managed to go without me."

铎丝·凡纳比里以非难的口气对哈里·谢顿说：“你竟然在帝国图书馆待了四天，音讯全无。而且又是设法摆脱了我单独前往。”

Husband and wife stared at each other's image on their holoscreens. Hari had just returned from a research trip to the Galactic Library in Imperial Sector. He was calling Dors from his Project office to let her know he'd returned to Streeling. Even in anger, thought Hari, Dors is beautiful. He wished he could reach out and touch her cheek.

夫妻两人在全息屏幕上望着对方的影像。谢顿为了研究工作，去了一趟皇区的帝国图书馆，今天才刚回来。他正从研究室用全息电话与铎丝联络，让她知道他已经回到斯璀璘。即使在盛怒中，谢顿心想，铎丝仍是那么美丽。他好希望能伸出手，去抚摸她的脸颊。

"Dors," he began, a placating note in his voice, "I did not go alone. I had a number of people with me and the Galactic Library, of all places, is safe for scholars, even in these turbulent times. I am going to have to be at the Library more and more often, I think, as time goes on."

“铎丝，”他开了口，声音中带着安抚的语气，“我不是单独去的，有好几个人陪着我。即使如今是个动荡的时代，对学者而言，帝国图书馆仍旧是最安全的地方。我想从今以后，我得越来越常造访那座图书馆。”

"And you're going to continue to do it without telling me?"

“你要继续背着我这样做吗？”

"Dors, I can't live according to these death-filled views of yours. Nor Rio I want you running after me and upsetting the librarians. They're not the junta. I need them and I don't want to make them angry. But I do think that I-we-should take an apartment nearby."

“铎丝，在你眼中到处都是死亡陷阱，我不能根据你这种观点过活。我也不要你跟在我后面，惊扰那些图书馆员。他们不是执政团，我需要他们的协助，我不希望惹他们生气。但我的确认为我——我们应该在附近找一栋住宅。”

Dors looked grim, shook her head, and changed the subject. "Do you know that I had two talks with Yugo recently?"

铎丝看来一脸不高兴，她摇了摇头，随即改变话题。“你可知道最近我和雨果聊了两回？”

"Good. I'm glad you did. He needs contact with the outside world."

“很好。我很高兴你这样做，他需要和外界接触。”

"Yes, he does, because something's wrong with him. He's not the 1'ugo we've had with us all these years. He's become vague, distant, and -oddly enough-passionate on only one point, as nearly as I can tell-his determination to succeed you on your retirement."

“没错，他需要，因为他有些不对劲。他不再是我们认识多年的雨果，他变得暧昧，变得疏远，而且奇怪得很，根据我的观察，他只热衷一件事，就是决心在你退休之后接替你的职位。”

"That would be natural-if he survives me."

“那是自然的事，只要他活得比我久。”

"Don't you expect him to survive you?"

“你不指望他活得比你久吗？”

"Well, he's eleven years younger than I am, but the vicissitudes of circumstance……"

“这个嘛，他比我年轻十一岁，可是沧海桑田，世事难料……”

"What you really mean is that you recognize that Yugo is in a bad way. He looks and acts older than you do, for all his younger age, and that seems to be a rather recent development. Is he ill?"

“你真正的意思是，你察觉到雨果的情况不妙。虽然他比你年轻那么多岁，他的外表和行动却显得比你老，而这似乎是最近才发生的变化。他是不是病了？”

"Physically? I don't think so. He has his periodic examinations. I'll admit, though, that he seems drained. I've tried to persuade him to take a vacation for a few months-a whole year's sabbatical, if he wishes. I've suggested that he leave Trantor altogether, just so that he is as far away from the Project as possible for a while. There would be no problem in financing his stay on Getorin-which is a pleasant resort world not too many light-years away."

“生理上？我不这么想，他定期接受身体检查。不过，我承认他似乎精疲力尽。我曾试图劝他休几个月的假，只要他愿意，甚至可以休一年的长假。我还建议他索性离开川陀，好让他能有一阵子尽可能远离计划。我们绝对可以资助他待在葛托润，那是没几光年远的一个怡人的度假世界。”

Dors shook her head impatiently. "And, of course, he won't. I suggested a vacation to him and he acted as though he didn't know the meaning of the word. He absolutely refused."

铎丝不耐烦地摇了摇头。“不用说，他当然不肯。我建议他休个假，他表现得像是根本不知道那个字的意义，他完全拒绝。”

"So what can we do?" said Seldon.

“所以说，我们能怎么办呢？”谢顿道。

Dors said, "We can think a little. Yugo worked for a quarter of a century on the Project and seemed to maintain his strength without any trouble at all and now suddenly he has weakened. It can't be age. He's not yet fifty."

铎丝说：“我们可以想一想。雨果为这个计划工作了四分之一世纪，似乎一直保持他的体力，一点也没有问题。现在突然之间，他却变得虚弱了。这不可能是上了年纪，他还不满五十岁。”

"Are you suggesting something?"

“你在建议别的可能性吗？”

"Yes. How long have you and Yugo been using this Electro-Clarifier thing on your Prime Radiants?"

“是的。你和雨果在元光体上加装那个电子阐析器有多久了？”

"About two years-maybe a little more."

“大约两年，也许更久一点。”

"I presume that the Electro-Clarifier is used by anyone who uses the Prime Radiant."

“我推测不论是谁使用元光体，都会用到电子阐析器。”

"That's right."

“正是这样。”

"Which means Yugo and you, mostly?"

“这意味着主要是雨果和你在用？”

"Yes."

“是的。”

"And Yugo more than you?"

“而雨果又用得比你多？”

"Yes. Yugo concentrates fiercely on the Prime Radiant and its equations. 1, unfortunately, have to spend much of my time on administrative duties."

“是的，雨果将全副心神集中于元光体和它的方程式。我可没有那么幸运，我必须把大部分时间花在行政事务上。”

"And what effect does the Electro-Clarifier have on the human body?"

“电子阐析器对人体有什么作用？”

Seldon looked surprised. "Nothing of any significance that I am aware of."

谢顿显得有些讶异。“据我所知，没有任何重大影响。”

"In that case, explain something to me, Hari. The Electro-Clarifier has been in operation for over two years and in that time you've grown measurably more tired, crotchety, and a little-out of touch. Why is that?"

“这样的话，为我解释一件事，哈里。电子阐析器运作了两年多，这期间，你变得远比过去疲倦和心神不宁，而且有点——魂不守舍。这是为什么？”

"I'm getting older, Dors."

“我年纪渐渐大了，铎丝。”

"Nonsense. Whoever told you that sixty is crystallized senility? You're using your age as a crutch and a defense and I want you to stop it. Yugo, though he's younger, has been exposed to the Electro-Clarifier more than you have and, as a result, he is more tired, more crotchety, and, in my opinion, a great deal less in touch than you are. And he is rather childishly intense about the succession. Don't you see anything significant in this?"

“胡说。谁告诉你六十岁就老得不像话了？你是在利用你的年纪做借口，做挡箭牌，我要你停止这样做。雨果虽然比你年轻，但比你更常暴露在电子阐析器前，结果是他变得比你更疲倦，更心神不宁，而且在我看来，比你更加不切实际得多。他还相当孩子气地热衷于接班，你难道看不出有问题吗？”

"Age and overwork. That's significant."

“上了年纪和工作过度，那就是问题所在。”

"No, it's the Electro-Clarifier. It's having a long-term effect on the two of you."

“不，是那个电子阐析器，它在你们两人身上产生了慢性效应。”

After a pause, Seldon said, "I can't disprove that, Dors, but I don't see how it's possible. The Electro-Clarifier is a device that produces an unusual electronic field, but it is still only a field of the type to which human beings are constantly exposed. It can't do any unusual harm. -In any case, we can't give up its use. There's no way of continuing the progress of the Project without it."

顿了一顿之后，谢顿说：“我无法反证这件事，铎丝，但我看不出这怎么可能。电子阐析器这项装置能产生特殊的电磁场，但人类原本就恒常处于这类电磁场中，所以它不会造成任何特殊的伤害。无论如何，我们不能弃之不用。要是没有它，谢顿计划就无法继续进展。”

"Now, Hari, I must ask something of you and you must cooperate with me on this. Go nowhere outside the Project without telling me and do nothing out of the ordinary without telling me. Do you understand?"

“听好，哈里，我必须要求你一件事，而你必须和我合作。待在计划建筑群中，别再背着我到别处去，也别再背着我做任何不寻常的事。了解吗？”

"Dors, how can I agree to this? You're trying to put me into a straitjacket."

“铎丝，我怎能同意这样做？你在试图给我穿上疯人束身衣。”

"It's just for a while. A few days. A week."

“只是暂时性的。只有几天，顶多一周。”

"What's going to happen in a few days or a week?"

“几天或一周内会发生什么事？”

Dors said, "Trust me. I will clear up everything."

铎丝说：“相信我，我会把一切弄清楚。”

25

25

Hari Seldon knocked gently with an old-fashioned code and Yugo Amaryl looked up. "Hari, how nice of you to drop around."

哈里·谢顿轻轻敲出老式的密码，雨果·阿马瑞尔抬起头来。“哈里，难得你还想到来看我。”

"I should do it more often. In the old days we were together all the time. Now there are hundreds of people to worry about-here, there, and everywhere-and they get between us. Have you heard the news?"

“我应该常常来的。以前那些日子，我们成天都在一起。现在则有好几百人需要操心——这里是人，那里是人，到处都是人，通通挡在我们之间。你听到消息了吗？”

"What news?"

“什么消息？”

"The junta is going to set up a poll tax-a nice substantial one. It will be announced on TrantorVision tomorrow. It will be just Trantor for now and the Outer Worlds will have to wait. That's a little disappointing. I had hoped it would be Empire-wide all at once, but apparently I didn't give the General enough credit for caution."

“执政团准备开征人头税，好大一笔，明天便要在川陀全视上宣布。目前只会在川陀上实施，外围世界还得等一等，这有点令人失望。我原本希望一下子就是全国性的，但我显然低估了将军的谨慎程度。”

Amaryl said, "Trantor will be enough. The Outer Worlds will know that their turn will follow in not too long a time."

雨果说：“川陀就够了，外围世界会知道不久便将轮到他们。”

"Now we'll have to see what happens."

“现在我们得等着看结果了。”

"What will happen is that the shouting will start the instant the announcement is out and the riots will begin, even before the new tax goes into effect."

“结果就是宣布之后，人民立刻高声呐喊，甚至在新税制实施之前，暴动便会爆发。”

"Are you sure of it?"

“你确定吗？”

Amaryl put his Prime Radiant into action at once and expanded the appropriate section. "See for yourself, Hari. I don't see how that can be misinterpreted and that's the prediction under the particular circumstances that now exist. If it doesn't happen, it means that everything we've worked out in psychohistory is wrong and I refuse to believe that."

雨果立即启动他的元光体，并将相关段落放大。“你自己看吧，哈里。那便是在目前这个特殊状况下所做的预测，我看不出怎么会产生误解。如果它不会发生，就代表我们在心理史学上的成果全部错误，我拒绝相信这种事。”

"I'll try to have courage," said Seldon, smiling. Then "How do you feel lately, Yugo?"

“我会试着勇敢一点。”谢顿微微一笑，又说，“你近来感觉如何，雨果？”

"Well enough. Reasonably well. -And how are you, by the way? I've heard rumors that you're thinking of resigning. Even Dors said something about that."

“还算好，够好了。对了，你好吗？我听到传闻，说你考虑要辞职，连铎丝也提过这件事。”

"Pay no attention to Dors. These days she's saying all sorts of things.She has a bug in her head about some sort of danger permeating the Project."

“别理会铎丝，这些天来她什么事都提过。她在疑神疑鬼，认为谢顿计划中充斥着某种危险。”

"What kind of danger?"

“什么样的危险？”

"It's better not to ask. She's just gone off on one of her tangents and, as always, that makes her uncontrollable."

“最好别问。她只是脱轨了，朝她自己的方向一意孤行。如同往常一样，那使她变得无法驾驭。”

Amaryl said, "See the advantage I have in being single?" Then, in a lower voice, "If you do resign, Hari, what are your plans for the future?"

“看到我做单身汉的好处了？”雨果又压低声音说，“如果你真要辞职，哈里，你对未来有什么计划？”

Seldon said, "You'll take over. What other plans can I possibly have?"

谢顿说：“当然由你接班。我怎么可能还有别的计划？”

And Amaryl smiled.

雨果露出了笑容。

26

26

In the small conference room in the main building, Tamwile Elar listened to Dors Venabili with a gathering look of confusion and anger on his face. Finally he burst out, "Impossible!"

在主楼的小会议室内，泰姆外尔·林恩听着铎丝·凡纳比里的叙述，脸上逐渐浮现困惑与愤怒的表情。最后，他终于冒出一句：“不可能！”

He rubbed his chin, then went on cautiously, "I don't mean to offend you, Dr. Venabili, but your suggestions are ridic- cannot be right. I'here's no way in which anyone can think that there are, in this Psychohistory Project, any feelings so deadly as to justify your suspicions. I would certainly know if there were and I assure you there are not. Don't think it."

他搓了搓下巴，然后谨慎地说下去：“我无意冒犯你，凡纳比里博士，但你的说法是荒……不可能是对的。在这个心理史学计划中，谁也想不出来有什么深仇大恨能支持你的怀疑。假使有的话，我当然会知道，但我向你保证根本没有，你不要这么想。”

"I do think it," said Dors stubbornly, "and I can find evidence for it."

“我的确这么想，”铎丝倔强地说，“我还能找到证据。”

Elar said, "I don't know how to say this without offense, Dr. Venabili, but if a person is ingenious enough and intent enough on proving something, he or she can find all the evidence he or she wants-or, at least, something he or she believes is evidence."

林恩说：“我不知道怎么说才不至于冒犯你，凡纳比里博士，但一个人若是足够聪明，又足够热衷于证明某件事，便能找到他想要找的一切证据，或者，至少，找到些他自认为是证据的东西。”

"Do you think I'm paranoid?"

“你认为我有妄想症吗？”

"I think that in your concern for the Maestro-something in which I知 with you all the way-you're, shall we say, overheated."

“我认为你对大师的关切——这点我始终和你站在一条线上——或许我们可以说，你是热过了头。”

Dors paused and considered Elar's statement. "At least you're right that a person with sufficient ingenuity can find evidence anywhere. I can build a case against you, for instance."

铎丝顿了一顿，思量着林恩这番话。“至少你说对一件事，一个足够聪明的人在任何地方都能找到证据。比如说，我就能指控你一个案子。”

Elar's eyes widened as he stared at her in total astonishment. "Against me? I would like to hear what case you can possibly have against me."

林恩张大眼睛，万分惊愕地望着她。“指控我？我倒想听听你可能指控我什么案子。”

"Very well. You shall. The birthday party was your idea, wasn't it?"

“很好，你会听到的。生日宴会是你的主意，对不对？”

Elar said, "I thought of it, yes, but I'm sure others did, too. With the Maestro moaning about his advancing years, it seemed a natural way of cheering him up."

林恩说：“没错，我是想到这个主意，但我确定别人也想到了。大师最近经常感叹上了年纪，那似乎是个逗他开心的好办法。”

"I'm sure others may have thought of it, but it was you who actually pressed the issue and got my daughter-in-law fired up about it. She took over the details and you persuaded her that it was possible to put together a really large celebration. Isn't that so?"

“我确信即使别人也想到了，却是你在实际鼓吹这件事，让我的儿媳一头栽进去，接下一切的筹备细节。而且你使她相信，有可能联合举办一个真正大型的庆生会。是不是这样？”

"I don't know if I had any influence on her, but even if I did, what's wrong with that?"

“我不知道我对她有没有任何影响，但即使真有，又有什么不对劲？”

"In itself, nothing, but in setting up so large and widespread and prolonged a celebration, were we not advertising to the rather unstable and suspicious men of the junta that Hari was too popular and might be a danger to them?"

“本身并没有，但是举办一场规模这么大、分布这么广、时间这么长的庆生会，难道不是向那些性情反复无常而且疑神疑鬼的执政团成员，公开宣扬哈里太受欢迎，可能会对他们构成威胁？”

"No one could possibly believe such a thing was in my mind."

“谁也不可能相信我心里有这种想法。”

Dors said, "I am merely pointing out the possibility. -In planning the birthday celebration, you insisted that the central offices be cleared out……"

铎丝说：“我只是指出这个可能性。在筹划庆生会的过程中，你坚持要把几间核心研究室搬空——”

"Temporarily. For obvious reasons."

“暂时性的，理由很明显。”

"-and insisted that they remain totally unoccupied for a while. No work was done-except by Yugo Amaryl-during that time."

“——并坚持这阵子完全不使用那些研究室。那段时期，除了雨果·阿马瑞尔，没有人在那里工作。”

"I didn't think it would hurt if the Maestro had some rest in advance of the party. Surely you can't complain about that."

“我认为大师事前若能休息一下，绝不会有什么害处，你当然不能为这件事怪我。”

"But it meant that you could consult with other people in the empty offices and do so in total privacy. The offices are, of course, well shielded."

“但这代表你能在被搬空的研究室和其他人商量事情，而且绝对隐密，那些研究室当然有良好的屏蔽。”

"I did consult there-with your daughter-in-law, with caterers, suppliers, and other tradesmen. It was absolutely necessary, wouldn't you say?"

“我的确曾在那里商量事情，和你的儿媳，和宴会承包商，和食品供应商，以及其他的生意人。那有绝对的必要，你不这么想吗？”

"And if one of those you consulted with was a member of the junta?"

“若说和你商量的人里面，有一个是执政团的成员呢？”

Elar looked as though Dors had hit him. "I resent that, Dr. Venabili. What do you take me for?"

林恩像是挨了铎丝一拳。“我不喜欢这种事，凡纳比里博士，你把我当成什么了？”

Dors did not answer directly. She said, "You went on to talk to Dr. Seldon about his forthcoming meeting with the General and urged him-rather pressingly-to let you take his place and run the risks that might follow. The result was, of course, that Dr. Seldon insisted rather vehemently on seeing the General himself, which one can argue was precisely what you wanted him to do."

铎丝并未直接回答，她又说：“接着，你又去找谢顿博士，讨论他即将和将军举行的会谈，并且相当恳切地力劝他，让你替他走这一趟，由你来承担可能发生的危险。当然，结果是谢顿博士相当激烈地坚持自己去见将军。而我们可以辩称，那正是你希望他去做的事。”

Elar emitted a short nervous laugh. "With all due respect, this does sound like paranoia, Doctor."

林恩发出一下神经质的笑声。“请恕我直言，但这听来的确像是妄想，博士。”

Dors pressed on. "And then, after the party, it was you, wasn't it, who was the first to suggest that a group of us go to the Dome's Edge Hotel?"

铎丝继续进逼。“然后，在宴会结束后，是你首先提议我们一群人前往穹缘旅馆，对不对？”

"Yes and I remember you saying it was a good idea."

“是的，我记得你还说那是个好主意。”

"Might it not have been suggested in order to make the junta uneasy, as yet another example of Hari's popularity? And might it not have been arranged to tempt me into invading the Palace grounds?"

“难道这种建议没有可能是为了使执政团感到不安吗？因为这是哈里多么有声望的另一个例证。难道这就没有可能是诱我侵入御苑的一种安排吗？”

"Could I have stopped you?" said Elar, his incredulity giving way to anger. "You had made up your own mind about that."

“我能阻止你吗？”林恩的疑心已被愤怒所取代，“你早已下定决心那样做。”

Dors paid no attention. "And, of course, you hoped that by entering the Palace grounds I might make sufficient trouble to turn the junta even further against Hari."

铎丝不理会他说些什么。“而且，当然啦，你希望我闯进御苑后会惹出足够的麻烦，好让执政团对哈里更加敌视。”

"But why, Dr. Venabili? Why would I be doing this?"

“可是为什么呢，凡纳比里博士？我为什么要这样做？”

"One might say it was to get rid of Dr. Seldon and to succeed him as director of the Project."

“也许可以说是为了除掉谢顿博士，以便继他之后出任计划主持人。”

"How can you possibly think this of me? I can't believe you are serious. You're just doing what you said you would at the start of this exercise just showing me what can be done by an ingenious mind intent on finding so-called evidence."

“你怎么可能认为我有这种企图？我无法相信你不是在开玩笑。你只是在做你一开始就说过的事，只是在向我证明，一个聪明的、热衷于找出所谓证据的头脑能做到些什么。”

"Let's turn to something else. I said that you were in a position to use the empty rooms for private conversations and that you may have been there with a member of the junta."

“让我们来讨论另一件事。我说过，你当时有办法用那些空房间进行私下交谈，而你也许和一名执政团成员这样做过。”

"That is not even worth a denial."

“这种指控甚至是不值得否认的。”

"But you were overheard. A little girl wandered into the room, curled up in a chair out of sight, and overheard your conversation."

“但有人偷听到你们的谈话。一个小女孩晃荡到那个房间，蜷曲在一张椅子里，你们看不到她，她却听到了你们的谈话。”

Elar frowned. "What did she hear?"

林恩皱起眉头。“她听到些什么？”

"She reported that two men were talking about death. She was only a child and could not repeat anything in detail, but two words did impress her and they were `lemonade death.' "

“她说有两个男的在谈论死亡。她只是个孩子，无法转述任何细节，但有几个字令她印象深刻，那就是‘柠檬水之死’。”

"Now you seem to be changing from fantasy to-if you'll excuse me -madness. What can `lemonade death' mean and what would it have to do with me?"

“现在你似乎又从奇想转变成——请你恕罪——转变成疯狂。‘柠檬水之死’能有什么意思？它和我又会有什么关系？”

"My first thought was to take it literally. The girl in question is very fond of lemonade and there was a good deal of it at the party, but no one Had poisoned it."

“我的第一个想法是照字面解释。那个小女孩非常喜爱柠檬水，而宴会准备了大量这种饮料，不过并没有人在里面下毒。”

"Thanks for granting sanity that much."

“感谢你至少没把我当成疯子。”

"Then I realized the girl had heard something else, which her imperfect command of the language and her love of the beverage had perverted into `lemonade.'"

“后来我才醒悟，那女孩听到的是别的字眼，由于她对语言还一知半解，又对那种饮料情有独钟，才把那几个字曲解成‘柠檬水’。”

"And have you invented a distortion?" Elar snorted.

“你想出了她曲解的是什么吗？”林恩嗤之以鼻。

"It did seem to me for a while that what she might have heard was hymen-aided death.'"

“曾有一阵子，我的确以为她可能听到的是‘零墨水致死’。”

"What does that mean?"

“那又是什么意思？”

"An assassination carried through by laymen-by nonmathematicians."

“由零墨水，也就是非数学家进行的一次暗杀行动。”

Dors stopped and frowned. Her hand clutched her chest.

铎丝住了口，她皱起眉头，一只手紧抓前胸。

Elar said with sudden concern, "Is something wrong, Dr. Venabili?"

林恩突然以关切的口吻说：“有什么不对劲吗，凡纳比里博士？”

"No," said Dors, seeming to shake herself.

“没有。”铎丝似乎晃晃悠悠。

For a few moments she said nothing further and Elar cleared his throat. There was no sign of amusement on his face any longer, as he said, "Your comments, Dr. Venabili, are growing steadily more ridiculous and-well, I don't care if I do offend you, but I have grown tired of them. Shall we put an end to this?"

有好一会儿，她没有再说什么，林恩则清了清喉咙。当他开口时，脸上不再有一丝愉悦的神情。“你说的这些，凡纳比里博士，一步步越来越荒谬了。而且——好吧，我不在乎是否会冒犯你，但我对这些话已经感到厌烦。我们是不是该结束了？”

"We are almost at an end, Dr. Elar. Layman-aided may indeed be ridiculous, as you say. I had decided that in my own mind, too. -You are, in part, responsible for the development of the Electro-Clarifier, aren't you?"

“我们就快结束了，林恩博士。正如你所说，零墨水也许的确荒谬，我自己也已经这么判定。不过，电子阐析器的发展，你负责其中一部分，对不对？”

Elar seemed to stand straighter as he said with a touch of pride, "Entirely responsible."

林恩似乎站得较挺，并带着点骄傲说：“全部由我负责。”

"Surely not entirely. I understand it was designed by Cinda Monay."

“当然不是全部。据我了解，它是欣妲·蒙内设计的。”

"A designer. She followed my instructions."

“她只是个设计者，一切遵循我的指导。”

"A layman. The Electro-Clarifier is a layman-aided device."

“她就是零墨水！电子阐析器是零墨水设计的装置。”

With suppressed violence Elar said, "I don't think I want to hear that phrase again. Once more, shall we put an end to this?"

林恩以经过压抑的粗暴口气说：“我可不想再听到这几个字。再说一遍，我们是不是该结束了？”

Dors forged on, as if she hadn't heard his request. "Though you give her no credit now, you gave Cinda credit to her face-to keep her working eagerly, I suppose. She said you gave her credit and she was very grateful because of it. She said you even called the device by her name and yours, though that's not the official name."

铎丝继续说下去，仿佛未曾听到他的请求。“虽然你现在说她毫无功劳，你在欣妲面前却不是这样说。我想，那是为了让她继续热心工作。她说你承认她有功劳，而她因此非常感激。她还说，你甚至用你们两人的名字称呼这项装置，只不过那并非正式名称。”

"Of course not. It's the Electro-Clarifier."

“当然不是，它叫做电子阐析器。”

"And she said she was designing improvements, intensifiers, and so on-and that you had the prototype of an advanced version of the new device for testing."

“而且她说，她正在设计一个改良型，一种增强器之类的东西。而你已经拿到这个先进型号的一个原型，准备进行测试了。”

"What has all this to do with anything?"

“这一切又和什么事有关呢？”

"Since Dr. Seldon and Dr. Amaryl have been working with the Electro-Clarifier, both have in some ways deteriorated. Yugo, who works with it more, has also suffered more."

“自从谢顿博士和阿马瑞尔博士利用电子阐析器工作，两人在某些方面都大不如前。雨果用得比较多，受的伤害也比较大。”

"The Electro-Clarifier can, in no way, do that kind of damage."

“电子阐析器绝不会造成那种伤害。”

Dors put her hand to her forehead and momentarily winced. She said, "And now you have a more intense Electro-Clarifier that might do more damage, that might kill quickly, rather than slowly."

铎丝举手按住额头，怔了片刻，又说：“现在你有了一个更强力的电子阐析器，或许可以造成更大的伤害，或许可以立刻置人于死地，而不必是慢性谋杀。”

"Absolute nonsense."

“完全是胡说八道。”

"Now consider the name of the device, a name which, according to the woman who designed it, you are the only one to use. I presume you called it the Elar-Monay Clarifier."

“现在我们来考虑一下这项装置的名称。根据它的设计者告诉我，它有个名字只有你一个人用，我推测你称它为‘林恩─蒙内阐析器’。”

"I don't ever recall using that phrase," said Elar uneasily.

“我根本不记得用过这个名称。”林恩不安地说。

"Surely you did. And the new intensified Elar-Monay Clarifies could he used to kill with no blame to be attached to anyone just a sad accident through a new and untried device. It would be the `Elar-Monay death' and a little girl heard it as `lemonade death.' "

“你当然用过。而这个强化的新型林恩─蒙内阐析器，则能杀人于无形，没有任何人需要负责，只是一个新型、未经试验的装置所造成的意外悲剧。那将会是‘林恩─蒙内致死’，而那个小女孩把它听成了‘柠檬水之死’。”

Dors's hand groped at her side.

铎丝伸手摸向自己的身侧。

Elar said softly, "You are not well, Dr. Venabili."

林恩轻声道：“你身体不太舒服，凡纳比里博士。”

"I am perfectly well. Am I not correct?"

“我好得很。我说得不对吗？”

"Look, it doesn't matter what you can twist into lemonade. Who knows what the little girl may have heard? It all boils down to the deadliness of the Electro-Clarifier. Bring me into court or before a scientific investigating board and let experts-as many as you like---check the effect of the Electro-Clarifier, even the new intensified one, on human beings. They will find it has no measurable effect."

“听好，你能把什么字眼扭曲成柠檬水并不重要。谁知道那小女孩究竟听到些什么？总而言之，一切都能归咎于电子阐析器的致命威力。那就把我带上法庭，或是交给一个科学调查委员会，然后你爱找多少专家都行，让他们来检查电子阐析器对人体的效应，甚至包括那个新的增强型。他们将会发现，根本没有测得出来的效应。”

"I don't believe that," muttered Venabili. Her hands were now at her forehead and her eyes were closed. She swayed slightly.

“我可不相信。”铎丝喃喃道，现在她双手摆在前额，双眼闭了起来，身子还在轻微摇摆。

Elar said, "It is clear that you are not well, Dr. Venabili. Perhaps that means it is my turn to talk. May I?"

林恩说：“你显然很不舒服，凡纳比里博士。或许这就代表该轮到我说话了，可以吗？”

Dors's eyes opened and she simply stared.

铎丝睁开双眼，只是定睛瞪着前方。

"I'll take your silence for consent, Doctor. Of what use would it be for me to try to to get rid of Dr. Seldon and Dr. Amaryl in order to take my place as director? You would prevent any attempt I made at assassination, as you now think you are doing. In the unlikely case that I succeeded in such a project and was rid of the two great men, you would tear me to pieces afterward. You're a very unusual woman-strong and Post beyond belief-and while you are alive, the Maestro is safe."

“我把你的沉默当成同意，博士。我若想当上主持人，试图除掉谢顿博士和阿马瑞尔博士又有什么用？你会阻止我的任何暗杀企图，正如此时你自以为在做的事。即使我万分侥幸接下这个计划，并且除掉了那两位伟大人物，你也会在事后将我撕成碎片。你是个很不寻常的女人，强壮迅速得令人难以置信，只要你活着，大师就能安然无事。”

"Yes," said Dors, glowering.

“没错。”铎丝以凶狠的目光瞪着对方。

"I told this to the men of the junta. -Why should they not consult me on matters involving the Project? They are very interested in psychohistory, as well they ought to be. It was difficult for them to believe what I told them about you-until you made your foray into the Palace grounds. That convinced them, you can be sure, and they agreed with my plan."

“我把这点告诉了执政团的人——他们难道不该向我咨询谢顿计划的进展吗？他们对心理史学非常有兴趣，这是当然的事。在你侵入皇宫御苑之前，他们原本难以相信我对你的描述。你的行动说服了他们，这点你不必怀疑，于是他们决定采用我的计划。”

"Aha. Now we come to it," Dors said weakly.

“啊哈，现在我们说到正题了。”铎丝以虚弱的声音说。

"I told you the Electro-Clarifier cannot harm human beings. It cannot. Amaryl and your precious Hari are just getting old, though you refuse to accept it. So what? They are fine-perfectly human. The electromagnetic field has no effect of any importance on organic materials. Of course, it may have adverse effects on sensitive electromagnetic machinery and, if we could imagine a human being built of metal and electronics, it might have an effect on it. Legends tell us of such artificial human beings. The Mycogenians have based their religion on them and they call such beings "robots." If there were such a thing as a robot, one would imagine it would be stronger and faster by far than an ordinary human being, that it would have properties, in fact, resembling those you have, Dr. Venabili. And such a robot could, indeed, be stopped, hurt, even destroyed by an intense Electro-Clarifier, such as the one that I have here, one that has been operating at low energy since we began our conversation. That is why you are feeling ill, Dr. Venabili-and for the first time in your existence, I'm sure."

“我告诉过你电子阐析器无法伤害人类，这是事实。阿马瑞尔和你珍爱的哈里只不过是老了，虽然你拒绝承认。所以说呢？他们没事，这是人类的正常反应，那个电磁场对有机物质不会有任何重大影响。当然，对于敏感的电磁机械，它就可能产生有害的作用。我们若能想象一个由金属和电子零件制成的人类，那个电磁场对它或许就有作用。传说告诉我们，这种人造人曾经存在。麦曲生人的信仰便建立在它们身上，他们将这些人造人称为‘机仆’。假使真有机仆这种东西，那么我们不难想象，它会远比任何普通人更强壮，更迅速；事实上，它会具有类似你的一些特色，凡纳比里博士。而这样的一个机仆，强化型电子阐析器的确能阻止它，伤害它，甚至摧毁它。我这里就有个这样的装置，自从我们开始交谈，它就一直以低功率运作，这就是你感到不舒服的原因，凡纳比里博士。我敢说，自出厂以来，你第一次有这种感觉。”

Dors said nothing, merely stared at the man. Slowly she sank into a chair.

铎丝没有说什么，只是瞪着面前这个人，然后缓缓倒在一张椅子里。

Elar smiled and went on, "Of course, with you taken care of, there will be no problem with the Maestro and with Amaryl. The Maestro, in fact, without you, may fade out at once and resign in grief, while Amaryl is merely a child in his mind. In all likelihood, neither will have to be killed. How does it feel, Dr. Venabili, to be unmasked after all these years? I must admit, you were very good at concealing your true nature. It's almost surprising that no one else discovered the truth before now. But then, I am a brilliant mathematician-an observer, a thinker, a deducer. Even I would not have figured it out were it not for your fanatical devotion to the Maestro and the occasional bursts of superhuman power you seemed to summon at will-when he was threatened.

林恩微微一笑，继续说：“当然，把你解决之后，大师和阿马瑞尔便不成问题。事实上，大师失去了你，可能立刻万念俱灰，在悲痛中辞职下台，而在他心目中，阿马瑞尔只是个孩子。十之八九，这两个人都不必杀。这么多年之后，你的真面目终于被揭穿，凡纳比里博士，感觉如何啊？我必须向你承认，你将真面目隐藏得非常好。在此之前，从来没有任何人发现真相，似乎也没什么好奇怪的。而我，我是个杰出的数学家，善于观察，善于思考，善于推理。可是，若非你对大师的狂热奉献，以及当他有危险时，你便爆发出仿佛随心所欲的超人能力，那就连我也想象不出真相。

"Say good-bye, Dr. Venabili. All I have to do now is to turn the device to full power and you will be history."

“说再见吧，凡纳比里博士。我现在只要将这项装置转到全额功率，你便会成为历史。”

Dors seemed to collect herself and rose slowly from her seat, mumbling, "I may be better shielded than you think." Then, with a grunt, she threw herself at Elar.

铎丝似乎打起了精神，从椅子上慢慢起身，喃喃道：“我的屏蔽也许比你想象中更好。”然后，她发出一下轻哼，向林恩扑了过去。

Elar, his eyes widening, shrieked and reeled back.

林恩睁大眼睛，尖叫一声，踉跄向后猛退。

Then Dors was on him, her hand flashing. Its side struck Elar's neck, smashing the vertebrae and shattering the nerve cord. He fell dead on the floor.

铎丝随即来到他面前，右手闪电般击出，掌缘砍在林恩的颈部，震碎了脊椎，打烂了神经索，令他当场倒地身亡。

Dors straightened with an effort and staggered toward the door. She had to find Hari. He had to know what had happened.

铎丝勉力站直身子，朝门口蹒跚走去。她必须找到谢顿，必须让他知道发生了什么事。

27

27

Hari Seldon rose from his seat in horror. He had never seen Dors look so, her face twisted, her body canted, staggering as though she were drunk.

哈里·谢顿在万分惊怖中站起来。他从未见过铎丝这个样子，她的脸孔扭曲，身子倾斜，像是喝醉了一样摇摇晃晃。

"Dors! What happened! What's wrong!"

“铎丝！怎么回事！有什么不对劲！”

He ran to her and grasped her around the waist, even as her body gave way and collapsed in his arms. He lifted her (she weighed more than :m ordinary woman her size would have, but Seldon was unaware of that ;it the moment) and placed her on the couch.

他跑到她身边，刚搂住她的腰，她的身子便垮成一团，瘫倒在他的臂弯中。他抱起她来（她比一般相同身材的女子都要重，但谢顿此时并未察觉这一点），将她放到长沙发上。

"What happened?" he said.

“怎么回事？”他问。

She told him, gasping, her voice breaking now and then, while he cradled her head and tried to force himself to believe what was happening.

她一五一十告诉了他，一面说一面喘气，声音时断时续。而他一直搂着她的头，试图强迫自己接受这个事实。

"Elar is dead," she said. "I finally killed a human being. -First time. Makes it worse."

“林恩死了。”她说，“我终于杀了一个人……第一次……这使得情况更糟。”

"How badly are you damaged, Dors?"

“你损伤得多严重，铎丝？”

"Badly. Elar turned on his device-full-when I rushed him."

“很严重。当我冲向他时……林恩开启了他的装置……全额功率。”

"You can be readjusted."

“可以重新调整你。”

"How? There's no one-on Trantor-who knows how. I need I Daneel."

“怎么做？在川陀……没有任何人……知道怎么做，我需要丹尼尔。”

Daneel. Demerzel. Somehow, deep inside, Hari had always known. His friend-a robot-had provided him with a protector-a robot-to ensure that psychohistory and the seeds of the Foundations were given a chance to take root. The only problem was, Hari had fallen in love with his protector-a robot. It all made sense now. All the nagging doubts and the questions could be answered. And somehow, it didn't matter one bit. All that mattered was Dors.

丹尼尔，丹莫刺尔。在内心深处，谢顿其实一直都知道。他的朋友（一个机器人）为他找来一位保护者（另一个机器人），以确保心理史学与基地的种子有生根的机会。唯一的问题是，谢顿爱上了他的保护者，一个机器人。如今一切真相大白，所有扰人的疑问都有了答案。可是，现在这些一点也不重要，重要的只有铎丝的安危。

"We can't let this happen."

“我们不能放弃。”

"It must." Dors's eyes fluttered open and looked at Seldon. "Must. Tried to save you, but missed-vital point-who will protect you now?"

“必须放弃。”铎丝的眼睑来回拍动，双眼凝望着谢顿，“必须放弃。我试图救你，但失败了……最重要的一点……现在谁来保护你？”

Seldon couldn't see her clearly. There was something wrong with his eyes. "Don't worry about me, Dors. It's you- It's you……"

谢顿已经看不清楚她，他的视线一片模糊。“别担心我，铎丝。该担心的是你……是你……”

"No. You, Hari. Tell Manella-Manella-I forgive her now. She did better than I. Explain to Wanda. You and Raych-take care of each other."

“不，是你，哈里。告诉玛妮拉……玛妮拉……我原谅她了，她做得比我好。对婉达解释……你和芮奇……互相照顾。”

"No no no," said Seldon, rocking back and forth. "You can't do this. Hang on, Dors. Please. Please, my love."

“不不不，”谢顿一面说，一面来回摇晃她，“你不能这样做。撑住，铎丝。拜托，拜托，吾爱。”

Dors's head shook feebly and she smiled even more feebly. "Goodbye, Hari, my love. Remember always-all you did for me."

铎丝孱弱地摇了摇头，又更加孱弱地微微一笑。“别了，哈里，吾爱。我永远记得……你为我做的一切。”

"I did nothing for you."

“我没有为你做过什么。”

"You loved me and your love made me-human."

“你爱我，你的爱使我成了……人类。”

Her eyes remained open, but Dors had ceased functioning.

铎丝的眼睛仍然张着，但她已经停止运作。

Yugo Amaryl came storming into Seldon's office. "Hari, the riots are beginning, sooner and harder even than exp……"

此时，雨果·阿马瑞尔如暴风般卷进谢顿的研究室。“哈里，暴动开始了，比预期的更快更猛……”

And then he stared at Seldon and Dors and whispered, "What happened?"

然后他瞪着谢顿与铎丝，悄声问道：“怎么回事？”

Seldon looked up at him in agony. "Riots! What do I care about riots now? -What do I care about anything now?"

谢顿在无比哀恸中抬起头来。“暴动！我现在还在乎什么暴动？我现在还在乎任何事吗？”