CHAPTER TWELVE AGENT
第12章 特务
MUNN LI COMPOR, COUNCILMAN OF TERMINUS, LOOKED UNCERTAIN as he extended his right hand to Trevize.
端点星议员曼恩·李·康普向崔维兹伸出右手，表情看来有些犹豫。
Trevize looked at the hand sternly and did not take it. He said, apparently to open air, “I am in no position to create a situation in which I may find myself arrested for disturbing the peace on a foreign planet, but I will do so anyway if this individual comes a step closer.”
崔维兹用严厉的目光瞪着那只手，没有作出任何回应。他将脸转向一旁，对着空气说：“我明明不该搅扰异邦行星的平静，以免惹上一场牢狱之灾，但是这个人如果再向前走一步，我就顾不得那么多了。”
Compor stopped abruptly, hesitated, and finally said in a low voice after glancing uncertainly at Pelorat, “Am I to have a chance to talk? To explain? Will you listen?”
康普陡然煞住脚步，犹豫了一下，又用迟疑的目光望了裴洛拉特一眼，才终于低声说：“能不能给我机会说几句话？作一番解释？你愿意听吗？”
Pelorat looked from one to the other with a slight frown on his long face. He said, “What’s all this, Golan? Have we come to this far world and at once met someone you know?”
裴洛拉特轮流望着这两个人，长脸稍微绷紧了一点。他说：“这是怎么回事，葛兰？我们来到这么远的世界，你竟然立刻碰到熟人？”
Trevize’s eyes remained firmly fixed on Compor, but he twisted his body slightly to make it clear that he was talking to Pelorat. Trevize said, “This--human being--we would judge that much from his shape--was once a friend of mine on Terminus. As is my habit with my friends, I trusted him. I told him my views, which were perhaps not the kind that should have received a general airing. He told them to the authorities in great detail, apparently, and did not take the trouble to tell me he had done so. For that reason, I walked neatly into a trap and now I find myself in exile. And now this--human being--wishes to be recognized as a friend.”
崔维兹双眼紧紧盯着康普，却故意稍微转身，表示他是在跟裴洛拉特讲话。他说：“这个人类——这点我们可以从他的外形判断——曾经是我在端点星上的朋友。我对朋友一律以诚相待，因此毫不保留地信任他，什么事都对他说，其中有些想法也许并不适合公开。结果，他显然将我说的话一五一十转述给有关当局，却又懒得把这件事告诉我。由于这个缘故，我一步步钻进一个圈套，害得我如今遭到放逐。而现在这个人类，竟然还希望我把他当成朋友。”
He turned to Compor full on and brushed his fingers through his hair, succeeding only in disarranging the curls further. “See here, you. Ido have a question for you. What are you doing here? Of all the worlds in the Galaxy on which you could be, why are you onthis one? And whynow ?”
他终于转头面对康普，同时伸手梳了一下头发，结果却是把一头鬈发弄得更乱。“你，给我听好，我的确有个问题要问你。你到这里来干什么？银河那么大，你为何刚好在这个世界上？又为何刚好在此时出现？”
Compor’s hand, which had remained outstretched throughout Trevize’s speech, now fell to his side and the smile left his face. The air of self-confidence, which was ordinarily so much a part of him, was gone and in its absence he looked younger than his thirty-four years and a bit woebegone. “I’ll explain,” he said, “but only from the start!”
康普的右手维持着原来的姿势，直到崔维兹说完这番话才缩了回去，他脸上的笑容也随之消失。原本几乎是如影随形的那股自信也不见了，使他看起来有些忧郁，而且不像已有三十四岁的年纪。“我会解释的，”他说，“可是得让我从头说起！”
Trevize looked about briefly. “Here? You really want to talk about it here? In a public place? You want me to knock you downhere after I’ve listened to enough of your lies?”
崔维兹迅速四下望了望。“在这里？你真想在这里谈吗？在这个公共场所？你要我在听够了你的谎言之后，当场把你打趴下？”
Compor lifted both hands now, palms facing each other. “It’s the safest place, believe me.” And then, checking himself and realizing what the other was about to say, added hurriedly, “Or don’t believe me, it doesn’t matter. I’m telling the truth. I’ve been on the planet several hours longer than you and I’ve checked it out. This is some particular day they have here on Sayshell. It’s a day for meditation, for some reason. Almost everyone is at home--or should be. --You see how empty this place is. You don’t suppose it’s like this every day.”
康普举起双手，手掌贴着手掌。“请相信我，这里是最安全的地方。”然后，他立刻猜到对方会如何回应，赶紧补充道：“你也可以不必相信，没有什么关系，反正我说的是实话。我比你们早几个小时抵达这颗行星，已经作过一番调查。在赛协尔，今天是个特殊的日子。不知道基于什么传统，今天是他们的沉思日。几乎人人都待在家里，或说理当如此。你可以看到这里门可罗雀，总不至于天天这样吧。”
Pelorat nodded and said, “I was wondering why it was so empty, at that.” He leaned toward Trevize’s ear and whispered, “Why not let him talk, Golan? He looks miserable, poor chap, and hemay be trying to apologize. It seems unfair not to give him the chance to do so.’,
裴洛拉特点了点头，然后说：“我本来也在奇怪，这里怎么会如此冷清。”他凑到崔维兹耳旁，悄声道：“为什么不准他说话呢，葛兰？他看起来好凄惨，可怜的家伙，也许他只是想道歉。你不给他机会，似乎有点不公平。”
Trevize said, “Dr. Pelorat seems anxious to hear you. I’m willing to oblige him, but you’ll obligeme if you’re brief about it. This may be a good day on which to lose my temper. If everyone is meditating, any disturbance I cause may not produce the guardians of the law. I may not be so lucky tomorrow. Why waste an opportunity?”
崔维兹说：“裴洛拉特博士好像很想听听你的说法。我愿意接受他的意见，不过你最好长话短说。今天也许是我发脾气的好日子，既然人人都关在家里沉思，我制造的骚动可能不会引来执法者。明天我大概就不会那么好运，为何白白浪费这个机会呢？”
Compor said in a strained voice, “Look, if you want to take a poke at me, do so. I won’t even defend myself, see? Go ahead, hit me--butlisten !”
康普用很不自然的声音说：“听着，如果你想打我一拳，那就来吧。我根本不会出手招架，懂了吗？动手吧，打我啊，可是一定要听我说！”
“Go ahead and talk, then. I’ll listen for a while.”
“既然这样，你就动口吧，我会耐着性子听一会儿。”
“In the first place, Golan……”
“首先我要告诉你，葛兰……”
“Address me as Trevize, please. I am not on first-name terms with you.”
“请称呼本人的姓氏，我跟你没那么熟。”
“In the first place,Trevize , you did too good a job convincing me of your views……”
“首先我要告诉你，崔维兹，你完全说服了我，使我相信你的说法……”
“You hid that well. I could have sworn you were amused by me.”
“你掩饰得太好了，我当初真以为你把它当成笑话。”
“I tried to be amused to hide from myself the fact that you were being extremely disturbing. --Look, let us sit down up against the wall. Even if the place is empty, some fewmay come in and I don’t think we ought to be needlessly conspicuous.”
“我故意装成在听笑话，才能掩饰心中极度的不安。听我说，我们坐到墙边去。即使这个地方冷冷清清，也难免会有一两个人进来，我不希望引起不必要的注意。”
Slowly the three men walked most of the length of the large room. Compor was smiling tentatively again, but remained carefully at more than arm’s length from Trevize.
于是三个人缓缓跨过大厅。此时康普又露出心虚的笑容，但仍旧跟崔维兹保持一臂之遥。
They sat each on a seat that gave as their weight was placed upon it and molded itself into the shape of their hips and buttocks. Pelorat looked surprised and made as though to stand up.
等到他们坐定之后，才发现椅子会随着体重凹陷，重塑成各人臀部的形状。裴洛拉特显得惊讶不已，像是想要赶紧跳起来。
“Relax, Professor,” said Compor. “I’ve been through this already. They’re in advance of us in some ways. It’s a world that believes in small comforts.”
“别紧张，教授。”康普说，“刚才我已经领教过了。这个世界注重生活上的舒适，他们在某些方面比我们进步。”
He turned to Trevize, placing one arm over the back of his chair and speaking easily now. “You disturbed me. You made me feel the Second Foundationdid exist, and that was deeply upsetting. Consider the consequences if they did. Wasn’t it likely that they might take care of you somehow? Remove you as a menace? And if I behaved as though I believed you, I might be removed as well. Do you see my point?”
他将一只手臂搁在自己的椅背上，转身面对崔维兹，改用轻松的口气说：“你令我感到不安，令我相信第二基地的确存在，害得我不知如何是好。想想看，假使一切属实，那会有什么严重后果。难道他们不会设法对付你吗？不会除去你这个心腹大患吗？如果我表现得像是相信了你，我可能也会被一并解决。你了解我的意思吗？”
“I see a coward.”
“我只了解你是懦夫。”
“What good would it do to be storybook brave?” said Compor warmly, his blue eyes widening in indignation. “Can you or I stand up to an organization capable of molding our minds and emotions? The only way we could fight effectively would be to hide our knowledge to begin with.”
“血气之勇有什么用？”康普的语气十分诚挚，一对蓝眼睛却射出怒火。“那个组织有能力重塑我们的心灵和情感，你我能够抵抗吗？我们若想和他们对抗，首要之务就是不能让搜集到的情报曝光。”
“So you hid it and were safe? --Yet you didn’t hide it from Mayor Branno, did you? Quite a risk there.”
“所以你深藏不露，因而安然无事？但你并没有瞒着布拉诺市长，对吧？这样做难道不冒险吗？”
“Yes! But I thought that was worth it. Just talking between ourselves might do nothing more than get ourselves mentally controlled--or our memories erased altogether. If I told the Mayor, on the other hand-- She knew my father well, you know. My father and I were immigrants from Smyrno and the Mayor had a grandmother who……”
“没错！但是我认为值得这样做。如果始终只有我们两人私下讨论，可能只会导致我们受到精神控制，或者记忆全被抹除。反之，假如我将整件事告诉市长——你也知道，她跟我父亲很熟。家父和我都是来自司密尔诺的移民，而市长的祖母……”
“Yes, yes,” said Trevize impatiently, “and several generations farther back you can trace ancestry to the Sirius Sector. You’ve told all that to everyone you know. Get on with it, Compor!”
“是啊，是啊，”崔维兹不耐烦地说，“再往前追溯几代，你的祖先就能追溯到天狼星区，你跟每个人都讲过这些事。言归正传吧，康普！”
“Well, I had her ear. If I could convince the Mayor that there was danger, using your arguments, the Federation might take some action. We’re not as helpless as we were in the days of the Mule and --at the worst--this dangerous knowledge would be spread more widely and we ourselves would not be in as muchspecific danger.”
“好，我终于让她听进去了。只要我能利用你的论证，说服市长相信危险的确存在，联邦也许就会采取某些行动。如今，我们已经不像骡出现时那般无助。至少，这个危险的讯息可以散播出去，让更多人知道，这样我们两人就不会特别危险。”
Trevize said sardonically, “Endanger the Foundation, but keep ourselves safe. That’s good patriotic stuff.”
崔维兹用讽刺的口吻说：“危及基地来换取自身的安全，真是爱国的最佳表现。”
“That would be at the worst. I was counting on the best.” His forehead had become a little damp. He seemed to be straining against Trevize’s immovable contempt.
“那只是最坏的结果，而我当初指望的是最好的结果。”他的额头开始渗出细小的汗珠，对于崔维兹始终不变的冷嘲热讽，他似乎一直咬紧牙关忍耐着。
“And you didn’t tell me of this clever plan of yours, did you?”
“而你并未把这个高明的计划告诉我，对不对？”
“No, I didn’t and I’m sorry about that, Trevize. The Mayor ordered me not to. She said she wanted to know everything you knew but that you were the sort of person who would freeze if you knew that your remarks were being passed on.”
“对，我没有说，我因此感到十分抱歉，崔维兹。市长命令我不要说，她说她想弄清楚你所知道的一切，可是像你这种人，一旦知道自己的意见传到了他人耳中，就会立刻禁声。”
“How right she was!”
“她说得可真对！”
“I didn’t know--I couldn’t guess--I had no way ofconceiving that she was planning to arrest you and throw you off the planet.”
“我不知道，也无法猜测，更没想到她计划要逮捕你，并将你逐出端点星。”
“She was waiting for the right political moment, when my status as Councilman would not protect me. You didn’t foresee that?”
“她是在等待适当的时机，等我的议员身份无法保护我的时候。难道你看不出来吗？”
“How could I? You yourself did not.”
“我怎么看得出来？连你自己也没有看出来。”
“Had I known that she knew my views, I would have.”
“如果当初我知道她获悉了我的看法，我就能预见这一切。”
Compor said with a sudden trace of insolence, “That’s easy enough to say--in hindsight.”
康普突然不太客气地顶了一句：“说得倒很容易，你这是后见之明。”
“And what is it you want of me here? Now that you have a bit of hindsight, too.”
“既然你也有点后见之明，请问你到这里来找我，又是什么意思？”
“To make up for all this. To make up for the harm I unwittingly--unwittingly--did you.”
“我想弥补这一切，弥补我的无心之失对你造成的伤害——真的是无心之失！”
“Goodness,” said Trevize dryly. “How kind of you! But you haven’t answered my original question. How did you come to behere ? How do you happen to be on the very planet I am on?”
“天晓得。”崔维兹冷冷地说，“你可真好心啊！可是你并未回答我原先的问题。你究竟是如何到这里来的？怎么刚好跟我在同一颗行星上？”
Compor said, “There’s no complicated answer necessary for that. I followed you!”
康普说：“这个问题的答案简单之至，我是跟踪你来的！”
“Through hyperspace? With my ship making Jumps in series?”
“经由超空间？在我做了一连串跃迁之后？”
Compor shook his head. “No mystery. I have the same kind of a ship you do, with the same kind of computer. You know I’ve always had this trick of being able to guess in which direction through hyperspace a ship would go. It’s not usually a very good guess and I’m wrong two times out of three, but with the computer I’m much better. And you hesitated quite a bit at the start and gave me a chance to evaluate the direction and speed in which you were going before entering hyperspace. I fed the data--together with my own intuitive extrapolations--into the computer and it did the rest.”
康普摇了摇头。“没什么神秘的，我有一艘一模一样的太空艇，配备着同型号的电脑。你知道我有一种本事，能猜中船舰在超空间跃迁后，会朝哪个方向前进。通常我不能猜得非常准，平均三次有两次会猜错，可是有那种电脑帮忙，我的表现就好得多。此外，你在开始的时候迟疑了一阵子，给了我很好的机会，让我得以估算你进入超空间之际的方位和速度。我将这些资料——连同我自己的直觉式外推——一起输进电脑，其他的工作全部由电脑负责。”
“And you actually got to the city ahead of me?”
“而你竟然比我更早抵达这座城市？”
“Yes. You didn’t use gravitics and I did. I guessed you would come to the capital city, so I went straight down, while you……” Compor made a short spiral motion with his finger as though it were a ship riding a directional beam.
“是的，你没有使用重力推进降落，可是我用了。我猜你会来到这个首府，所以我直接落下来，那时你正在……”康普用手指模仿太空艇，从半空中盘旋而下，意指对方是循着定向波束降落的。
“You took a chance on a run-in with Sayshellian officialdom.”
“你冒着被赛协尔政府逮捕的危险？”
“Well……” Compor’s face broke into a smile that lent it an undeniable charm and Trevize felt himself almost warming to him. Compor said, “I’m not a coward at all times and in all things.”
“这个嘛……”康普绽现灿烂的笑容，谁也无法否认这是个迷人的表情，连崔维兹几乎都要对他产生好感，“我并非永远都是懦夫。”
Trevize steeled himself. “How did you happen to get a ship like mine?”
崔维兹不为所动。“你又是怎样弄到一艘同型号的太空艇？”
“In precisely the same wayyou got a ship like yours. The old lady --Mayor Branno--assigned it to me.”
“跟你弄到的方式一模一样，是那个老太婆布拉诺市长拨给我的。”
“Why?”
“为什么？”
“I’m being entirely frank with you. My assignment was to follow you. The Mayor wanted to know where you were going and what you would be doing.”
“我对你完全开诚布公，我的任务就是要跟踪你。市长想知道你到哪里去，还有你打算做些什么。”
“And you’ve been reporting faithfully to her, I suppose. --Or have you been faithless to the Mayor also?”
“我猜，你一路上都很忠实地向她汇报。还是你对市长也敢阳奉阴违？”
“I reported to her. I had no choice, actually. She placed a hyperrelay on board ship, which I wasn’t supposed to find, but which I did find.”
“我的确一路汇报，事实上我毫无选择。她在我的太空艇上装了超波中继器，他们以为我不会发现，但还是瞒不过我。”
“Well?”
“所以呢？”
“Unfortunately it’s hooked up so that I can’t remove it without immobilizing the vessel. At least, there’s no wayI can remove it. Consequently she knows where I am--and she knows where you are.”
“不幸的是它被钉死了，如果我想取下来，太空艇一定报废。至少，我自己不知道该如何取下。因此她始终知道我的下落，也就等于始终知道你的行踪。”
“Suppose you hadn’t been able to follow me. Then she wouldn’t have known where I was. Had you thought of that?”
“假如你跟不上我呢？那样她就无法知道我身在何处。这点你有没有想到过？”
“Of course I did. I thought of just reporting I had lost you--but she wouldn’t have believed me, would she? And I wouldn’t have been able to get back to Terminus for who knows how long. And I’m not like you, Trevize. I’m not a carefree person without attachments. I have a wife on Terminus--a pregnant wife--and I want to get back to her. You can afford to think only of yourself. I can’t. --Besides, I’ve come to warn you. By Seldon, I’m trying to do that and you won’t listen. You keep talking about other things.”
“我当然想到过。我曾经想，干脆向她报告说我把你跟丢了。可是她不会相信我的，对不对？而且这样一来，我不知道会有多久无法回到端点星。我跟你不一样，崔维兹，我不是那种无牵无挂、逍遥自在的人。端点星上有我的妻子，她怀有身孕，我希望尽快回到她身边。你可以只为自己着想，我却不能。此外，我来也是为了警告你。谢顿在上，我一直想要说，可是你始终不肯听，不停地在说些别的事。”
“I’m not impressed by your sudden concern for me. What can you warn me against? It seems to me thatyou are the only thing I need be warned about. You betray me, and now you follow me in order to betray me again. No one else is doing me any harm.”
“你突然对我如此关怀，我实在不敢相信。你又能警告我什么呢？在我看来，你这个人似乎是唯一该提防的东西。你出卖过我，现在你又跟踪我到这里来，准备再出卖我一次。除了你，不会再有谁想要伤害我。”
Compor said earnestly, “Forget the dramatics, man. Trevize, you’re a lightning rod! You’ve been sent out to draw Second Foundation response--if there is such a thing as the Second Foundation. I have an intuitive sense for things other than hyperspatial pursuit and I’m sure that’s what she’s planning. If you try to find the Second Foundation, they’ll become aware of it and they’ll act against you. If they do, they are very likely to tip their hand. And when they do, Mayor Branno will go for them.”
康普一本正经地说：“老兄，省省这些戏剧性的台词吧。崔维兹，其实你是一根避雷针！你被送到太空，是为了要吸引第二基地的注意——如果真有第二基地的话。我的直觉并不限于超空间竞逐，我肯定那就是她真正的打算。如果你试图寻找第二基地，他们会知晓你的企图，然后对你采取行动。假如他们这样做，就非常有可能暴露行藏，这个时候，布拉诺市长将立刻攻打他们。”
“A pity your famous intuition wasn’t working when Branno was planning my arrest.”
“当初布拉诺打算逮捕我的时候，你那著名的直觉可惜却失灵了。”
Compor flushed and muttered, “You know it doesn’t always work.”
康普涨红了脸，喃喃说道：“你也知道，直觉不是永远灵验的。”
“And now it tells you she’s planning to attack the Second Foundation. She wouldn’t dare.”
“现在直觉又告诉你，她打算进攻第二基地？她才没这个胆子呢。”
“I think she would. But that’s not the point. The point is that right now she is throwing you out as bait.”
“我想她的确有。但重点并不在此，而是她现在把你当成钓饵投了出去。”
“So?”
“所以呢？”
“So by all the black holes in space, don’t search for the Second Foundation. She won’t care if you’re killed in the search, butI care. I feel responsible for this and I care.”
“所以看在宇宙所有黑洞的份上，千万别去寻找第二基地。她不会在乎你是否因此丧命，可是我在乎。我觉得应该为这件事负责，所以我在乎。”
“I’m touched,” said Trevize coldly, “but as it happens I have another task on hand at the moment.”
“我好感动，”崔维兹冷冰冰地说，“但是你白操心了，此时此刻，我刚巧有另一项工作。”
“You have?”
“另一项工作？”
“Pelorat and I are on the track of Earth, the planet that some think was the original home of the human race. Aren’t we, Janov?”
“裴洛拉特和我正在寻找地球，就是某些人认为是人类故乡的那颗行星。对不对，詹诺夫？”
Pelorat nodded his head. “Yes, it’s a purely scientific matter and a long-standing interest of mine.”
裴洛拉特点了点头。“对，这是一项纯科学性的研究，也是我长久以来的兴趣。”
Compor looked blank for a moment. Then, “Looking forEarth ? But why?”
康普露出茫然的神情，一会儿后才说：“寻找地球？可是为什么呢？”
“To study it,” said Pelorat. “As the one world on which human beings developed--presumably from lower forms of life, instead of, as on all others, merely arriving ready-made--it should be a fascinating study in uniqueness.”
“为了研究啊。”裴洛拉特说，“理论上，人类是从低等生命演化来的，而地球就是演化出人类的那个世界——不像其他世界，都是演化成功的人类由天而降——这种独特性一定很值得研究。”
“And,” said Trevize, “as a world where, just possibly, I may learn more of the Second Foundation. --Just possibly.”
“而且，”崔维兹补充道，“在那个世界上，我可能会找到更多第二基地的线索——只是可能而已。”
Compor said, “But there isn’t any Earth. Didn’t you know that?”
康普说：“可是地球并不存在啊。你们不知道吗？”
“No Earth?” Pelorat looked utterly blank, as he always did when he was preparing to be stubborn. “Are you saying there was no planet on which the human species originated?”
“不存在？”裴洛拉特脸上毫无表情，这代表他又准备坚持到底，“你的意思是，人类这个物种的发源地并不存在？”
“Oh no. Of course, there was an Earth. There’s no question of that! But there isn’t any Earthnow . No inhabited Earth. It’s gone!”
“喔，我不是这个意思。地球当然存在过，这点毫无疑问！可是现在，已经没有一颗叫作地球的行星，那个住人的地球早就消失了！”
Pelorat said, unmoved, “There are tales……”
裴洛拉特仍然毫不动摇。“有许多的传说……”
“Hold on, Janov,” said Trevize. “Tell me, Compor, how do you know this?”
“慢着，詹诺夫。”崔维兹说，“告诉我，康普，你又是怎样知道的？”
“What do you mean, how? It’s my heritage. I trace my ancestry from the Sirius Sector, if I may repeat that fact without boring you. We know all about Earth out there. It exists in that sector, which means it’s not part of the Foundation Federation, so apparently no one on Terminus bothers with it. But that’s where Earth is, just the same.”
“你所谓的‘怎样’是什么意思？这是我祖上传下来的。我的祖先可以上溯到天狼星区，我不得不再重复一遍，希望你不至于厌烦。那里的人对于地球所知甚详，因为地球就在那个星区，而这就是说它并非基地联邦的一部分，因此端点星上的人显然懒得过问。可是无论如何，地球的确在那里。”
“Thatis one suggestion, yes,” said Pelorat. “There was considerable enthusiasm for that ‘Sirius Alternative,’ as they called it, in the days of the Empire.”
“没错，是有这样的说法。”裴洛拉特说，“在帝国时代，许多人都对所谓的‘天狼假说’相当热衷。”
Compor said vehemently. “It’s not an alternative. It’s a fact.”
康普激动地说：“那不是什么假说，而是千真万确的事实。”
Pelorat said, “What would you say if I told you I know of many different places in the Galaxy that are called Earth--or were called Earth--by the people who lived in its stellar neighborhood?”
裴洛拉特说：“假如我告诉你，我知道银河中有许多行星，附近星空的居民都将之称为地球——或者曾经这样称呼——你又怎么说？”
“But this is the real thing,” said Compor. “The Sirius Sector is the longest-inhabited portion of the Galaxy. Everyone knows that.”
“但我讲的是真正的地球。”康普说，“在整个银河中，天狼星区是最早有人居住的区域，这点人尽皆知。”
“The Sirians claim it, certainly,” said Pelorat, unmoved.
“天狼星区的人当然这么说。”裴洛拉特仍然不为所动。
Compor looked frustrated. “I tell you……”
康普露出受挫的表情。“我告诉你……”
But Trevize said, “Tell us what happened to Earth. You say it’s not inhabited any longer. Why not?”
崔维兹却插嘴道：“告诉我们地球发生了什么变故。你说上面已经不再住人，为什么会这样？”
“Radioactivity. The whole planetary surface is radioactive because of nuclear reactions that went out of control, or nuclear explosions-- I’m not sure--and now no life is possible there.”
“由于放射性，整个行星表面都具有放射性。可能是由于核反应失控，或者源自一场核爆，我不太确定。如今，上面不可能有任何生命。”
The three stared at each other for a while and then Compor felt it necessary to repeat. He said, “I tell you, there’s no Earth. There’s no use looking for it.”
三个人你瞪着我、我瞪着你，过了好一阵子，康普才感到有必要再强调一遍，于是他说：“我告诉你们，地球已经不存在了，没有必要再去寻找。”
2
2
Janov Pelorat’s face was, for once, not expressionless. It was not that there was passion in it--or any of the more unstable emotions. It was that his eyes had narrowed--and that a kind of fierce intensity had filled every plane of his face.
詹诺夫·裴洛拉特脸上难得出现了表情，不过那并非什么狂热，或者任何更不稳定的情绪。他只是将双眼眯起来，面部每个棱角都显得有些激动。
He said, and his voice lacked any trace of its usual tentative quality, “How did you say you know all this?”
他的声音也完全不像平常那样犹疑不决：“你说你是如何知道这些的？”
“I told you,” said Compor. “It’s my heritage.”
“我告诉过你，”康普说，“这是我祖上传下来的。”
“Don’t be silly, young man. You are a Councilman. That means you must be born on one of the Federation worlds--Smyrno, I think you said earlier.”
“别胡扯了，年轻人。你是一位议员，这就表示你必定生在联邦的某个世界。我记得你刚才说过，是司密尔诺。”
“That’s right.”
“没错。”
“Well then, what heritage are you talking about? Are you telling me that you possess Sirian genes that fill you with inborn knowledge of the Sirian myths concerning Earth.”
“很好，那么你所谓的‘祖上传下来’是什么意思？莫非你是说，由于你具有天狼星区基因，所以生来就熟悉天狼星区有关地球的神话传说？”
Compor looked taken aback. “No, of course not.”
康普显然吃了一惊。“不，当然不是。”
“Then what are you talking about?”
“那你到底在说些什么？”
Compor paused and seemed to gather his thoughts. He said quietly, “My family has old books of Sirian history. An external heritage, not an internal one. It’s not something we talk about outside, especially if one is intent on political advancement. Trevize seems to think I am, but, believe me, I mention it only to good friends.”
康普顿了一下，似乎是在整理思绪，然后才用平静的口吻说：“我的家族保有许多关于天狼星区历史的古籍，我说祖上传下来是这个意思，而不是指遗传。这种事不宜对外张扬，尤其是对一个热衷政治前途的人而言。崔维兹似乎认为我逢人便说，可是请相信我，我只对好朋友才提。”
There was a trace of bitterness in his voice. “Theoretically all Foundation citizens are alike, but those from the old worlds of the Federation are more alike than those from the newer ones--and those that trace from worlds outside the Federation are least alike of all. But, never mind that. Aside from the books, I once visited the old worlds. Trevize--hey, there……”
他的语气中带着一丝悲愤：“理论上，基地公民人人平等，可是出身于联邦原始成员的公民，却比其他世界的人更平等些。至于那些跟联邦之外的世界有渊源的人，则是所有的公民中最不平等的。但是，别提这种事了。除了那些古籍，我还曾经走访好些古老世界。崔维兹——喂，回来啊……”
Trevize had wandered off toward one end of the room, looking out a triangular window. It served to let in a view of the sky and to diminish the view of the city--more lightand more privacy. Trevize stretched upward to look down.
此时崔维兹离开了座位，信步走到大厅一角，透过一扇三角窗向外望去。这种窗子可以让人饱览天空的景色，却不会看到多少街景——一来有助于采光，二来更加保障隐私。崔维兹在窗前踮起脚尖，向下望了望。
He returned through the empty room. “Interesting window design,” he said. “You called me, Councilman?”
不久他又跨过冷清的大厅，回到了原地。“窗子的设计挺有意思。”他说，“议员先生，你在叫我吗？”
“Yes. Remember the postcollegiate tour I took?”
“是的，还记得我大学毕业后的那趟旅行吗？”
“After graduation? I remember very well. We were pals. Pals forever. Foundation of trust. Two against the world. You went off on your tour. I joined the Navy, full of patriotism. Somehow I didn’t think I wanted to tour with you--some instinct told me not to. I wish the instinct had stayed with me.”
“刚毕业的时候？我记得非常清楚。我们是哥儿们，永远的哥儿们；义结金兰，两人联手天下无敌。你去做你的长途旅行，我怀着满腔热血加入舰队。不知道怎么回事，我就是不想跟你一块去——有一种直觉叫我别去，但愿那种直觉一直跟着我。”
Compor did not rise to the bait. He said, “I visited Comporellon. Family tradition said that my ancestors had come from there--at least on my father’s side. We were of the ruling family in ancient times before the Empire absorbed us, and my name is derived from the world--or so the family tradition has it. We had an old, poetic name for the star Comporellon circled--Epsilon Eridani.”
康普没有上钩，他径自说下去：“我造访了康普隆，根据家族口耳相传，我的祖先就是来自那里，至少父系祖先可以确定。很久以前，该处尚未并入帝国的时候，我们那个家族还是统治阶级，我的姓氏便是源自那个世界，起码先人是这么说的。康普隆所环绕的那颗恒星，有个古老而充满诗意的名字：天苑肆。”
“What does that mean?” asked Pelorat.
“那是什么意思？”裴洛拉特问道。
Compor shook his head. “I don’t know that it has any meaning. Just tradition. They live with a great deal of tradition. It’s an old world. They have long, detailed records of Earth’s history, but no one talks about it much. They’re superstitious about it. Every time they mention the word, they lift up both hands with first and second fingers crossed to ward off misfortune.”
康普摇了摇头。“我不知道它有什么意思，反正这就是传统。那是个古老的世界，人们活在无数的传统中。他们拥有许多关于地球历史的详尽记录，但没有人愿意多提。他们对地球有着迷信式的恐惧，每当提到这个名字，他们都会举起双手，食指和中指交叉，借此祛除霉运。”
“Did you tell this to anyone when you came back?”
“你回来之后，有没有向任何人提过这件事？”
“Of course not. Who would be interested? And I wasn’t going to force the tale on anyone. No, thank you! I had a political career to develop and the last thing I want is to stress my foreign origin.”
“当然没有，谁会感兴趣呢？我也不想强迫任何人听这个故事。得了吧！我有我的政治前途，我最不愿意做的一件事，就是强调我的异邦出身。”
“What about the satellite? Describe Earth’s satellite,” said Pelorat sharply.
“那颗卫星又如何？描述一下地球的卫星。”裴洛拉特紧紧逼问。
Compor looked astonished. “I don’t know anything about that.”
康普似乎十分惊讶。“我没听说过有什么卫星。”
“Does it have one?”
“它究竟有没有一颗卫星？”
“I don’t recall reading or hearing about it. But I’m sure if you’ll consult the Comporellonian records, you can find out.”
“我不记得曾经读到或听说过。但我可以确定，如果你去查询康普隆的记载，一定能找到正确答案。”
“But you know nothing?”
“可是你一无所知？”
“Not about the satellite. Not that I recall.”
“我对那颗卫星毫无概念，一点印象也没有。”
“Huh! How did Earth come to be radioactive?”
“唉！地球又是如何变得充满放射性？”
Compor shook his head and said nothing.
康普只是摇头，一个字也没有回答。
Pelorat said, “Think! You must have heard something.”
裴洛拉特说：“好好想一想！你一定听过些什么。”
“It was seven years ago, Professor. I didn’t know then you’d be questioning me about it now. There was some sort of legend--they considered it history……”
“那是七年前的事，教授，当时我不知道今天会被你这样逼问。的确有某种传说，被他们视为历史……”
“What was the legend?”
“什么传说？”
“Earth was radioactive--ostracized and mistreated by the Empire, its population dwindling--and it was going to destroy the Empire somehow.”
“地球出现放射性……受到帝国的排斥和蹂躏，因而人口锐减……地球设法摧毁帝国……”
“One dying world was going to destroy the whole Empire?” interposed Trevize.
“一个垂死的世界，打算摧毁整个帝国？”崔维兹忍不住插嘴。
Compor said defensively, “I said it was a legend. I don’t know the details. Bel Arvardan was involved in the tale, I know.”
康普为自己辩护道：“我说过那只是传说，细节我并不清楚。但我知道在这个传说中，贝尔·艾伐丹占了一席之地。”
“Who was he?” asked Trevize.
“他是谁？”崔维兹问。
“A historical character. I looked him up. He was an honest-to-Galaxy archaeologist back in the early days of the Empire and he maintained that Earth was in the Sirius Sector.”
“是个历史人物，我考查过他的事迹。他生于帝国早期，是一位闻名银河的正牌考古学家，坚决主张地球位于天狼星区。”
“I’ve heard the name,” said Pelorat.
“我听过这个名字。”裴洛拉特说。
“He’s a folk hero in Comporellon. Look, if you want to know these things--go to Comporellon. It’s no use hanging around here.”
“他是康普隆的民族英雄。听我说，如果你们想知道详情，就该到康普隆去，在这里穷逛毫无用处。”
Pelorat said, “Just how did they say Earth planned to destroy the Empire?”
裴洛拉特问道：“根据他们的说法，地球计划如何摧毁帝国？”
“Don’t know.” A certain sullenness was entering Compor’s voice.
“我不知道。”康普的声音中透出几分不悦。
“Did the radiation have anything to do with it?”
“放射性跟这件事有关吗？”
“Don’t know. There were tales of some mind-expander developed on Earth--a Synapsifier or something.”
“我不清楚。在某些传说中，提到地球曾发展出什么心灵扩张器，叫作神经元突触放大器，或是诸如此类的东西。”
“Did it create superminds?” said Pelorat in deepest tones of incredulity.
“他们造出了超心灵吗？”裴洛拉特用绝对难以置信的口气问道。
“I don’t think so. What I chiefly remember is that it didn’t work. People became bright and died young.”
“我认为没有。我只记得那玩意并不灵光，它能使人变聪明，但会因此短命。”
Trevize said, “It was probably a morality myth. If you ask for too much, you lose even that which you have.”
崔维兹说：“这可能只是个道德寓言。如果你追根究底，反倒会把原有的线索搞混了。”
Pelorat turned on Trevize in annoyance. “What doyou know of morality myths?”
这句话惹恼了裴洛拉特，他转向崔维兹说：“你又懂得什么是道德寓言？”
Trevize raised his eyebrows. “Your field may not be my field, Janov, but that doesn’t mean I’m totally ignorant.”
崔维兹扬了扬眉。“你我的专业领域或许不同，詹诺夫，但这并不代表我完全不懂。”
“What else do you remember about what you call the Synapsifier, Councilman Compor?” asked Pelorat.
“康普议员，关于所谓的神经元突触放大器，你还记得些什么别的吗？”裴洛拉特继续追问。
“Nothing, and I won’t submit to any further cross-examination. Look, I followed you on orders from the Mayor. I wasnot ordered to make personal contact with you. I have done so only to warn you that you were followed and to tell you that you had been sent out to serve the Mayor’s purposes, whatever those might be. There was nothing else I should have discussed with you, but you surprised me by suddenly bringing up the matter of Earth. Well, let me repeat: Whatever there has existed there in the past--Bel Arvardan, the Synapsifier, whatever--that has nothing to do with what exists now. I’ll tell you again: Earth is a dead world. I strongly advise you to go to Comporellon, where you’ll find out everything you want to know. Just get away from here.”
“没有了，而且我拒绝再接受任何盘问。听好，我奉市长之命跟踪你们，她可没有指示我和你们直接接触。我现在这样做，只是为了警告你们被人跟踪这件事实，同时还要告诉你们，姑且不论市长有何目的，你们都只是她的工具。除此之外，我不该跟你们多作讨论，可是你们突然提到地球，令我吃了一惊。好啦，让我再重复一遍：不论过去存在过什么——贝尔·艾伐丹也好，突触放大器也好，任何东西都好——都和现在的一切毫不相干。我再强调一次：地球是个已经死去的世界。我郑重建议你们到康普隆去，你们在那里会找到想知道的一切，总之赶快离开这里吧。”
“And, of course, you will dutifully tell the Mayor that we’re going to Comporellon--and you’ll follow us to make sure. Or maybe the Mayor knows already. I imagine she has carefully instructed and rehearsed you in every word you have spoken to us here because, for her own purposes, it’s in Comporellon that she wants us. Right?”
“而你，当然会尽职地向市长报告，说我们转往康普隆去了，而且你会继续跟踪，以确定我们没有开溜。或许，市长早就知道这一切。我能想象，你刚才对我们说的每一个字，可能都是市长授意的，她还仔细帮你排练过呢，因为根据她的计划，我们必须到康普隆去。对不对？”
Compor’s face paled. He rose to his feet and almost stuttered in his effort to control his voice. “I’ve tried to explain. I’ve tried to be helpful. I shouldn’t have tried. You can drop yourself into a black hole, Trevize.”
康普的脸色煞白，他猛然站起来，尽力控制住激动的情绪，几乎连话都说不清楚。“我试图向你解释，我试图帮助你，现在我真后悔。你去跳你的黑洞吧，崔维兹。”
He turned on his heel and walked away briskly without looking back.
说完他立刻转身，头也不回地迅速离去。
Pelorat seemed a bit stunned. “That was rather tactless of you, Golan, old fellow. I could have gotten more out of him.”
裴洛拉特似乎有点震惊。“你这样做是不智之举，葛兰，老伙伴，我本来可以从他口中得到更多的资料。”
“No, you couldn’t,” said Trevize gravely. “You could not have gotten one thing out of him that he was not ready to let you have. Janov, you don’t know what he is --Until today, I didn’t know what he is.”
“不，你办不到。”崔维兹用严肃的口气说，“凡是他不准备让你知道的事，你休想从他嘴里套出来。詹诺夫，你不了解这个人。连我也是直到今天，才认清他的真面目。”
3
3
Pelorat hesitated to disturb Trevize. Trevize sat motionless in his chair, deep in thought.
崔维兹坐在椅子里一动不动，陷入了沉思。
Finally Pelorat said, “Are we just sitting here all night, Golan?”
裴洛拉特一直不敢打扰他，最后还是忍不住说：“我们要在这里坐一夜吗，葛兰？”
Trevize started. “No, you’re quite right. We’ll be better off with people around us. Come!”
崔维兹吓了一跳。“不，你说得对，我们还是到人多的地方比较好。走吧！”
Pelorat rose. He said, “There won’t be people around us. Compor said this was some sort of meditation day.”
裴洛拉特马上站起来，又说：“不可能有人多的地方，康普说今天是什么沉思日。”
“Is that what he said? Was there traffic when we came along the road in our ground-car?”
“他是这么说的吗？我们刚才来的时候，路上难道没有车子吗？”
“Yes, some.”
“对啊，是有一些。”
“Quite a bit, I thought. And then, when we entered the city, was it empty?”
“我看还真不少哩。此外，当我们进入市区时，它难道是一座空城吗？”
“Not particularly. --Still, you’ve got to admit that this place has been empty.”
“那倒也不像。话说回来，你必须承认此地几乎没有人迹。”
“Yes, it has. I noticed that particularly. --But come, Janov, I’m hungry. There’s got to be someplace to eat and we can afford to find something good. At any rate, we can find a place in which we can try some interesting Sayshellian novelty or, if we lose our nerve, good standard Galactic fare. --Come, once we’re safely surrounded, I’ll tell you what I think really happened here.”
“是的，没错，这点我特别注意到了。但还是走吧，詹诺夫，我肚子饿了。附近一定有吃饭的地方，而且我们吃得起好东西。我们总该有办法找到一家好餐厅，尝一尝赛协尔的新奇口味，但如果我们没勇气尝试，还是可以吃些银河标准菜肴。来吧，等我们到了安全的地方，我再对你说说我认为刚才究竟是怎么回事。”
4
4
Trevize leaned back with a pleasant feeling of renewal. The restaurant was not expensive by Terminus standards, but it was certainly novel. It was heated, in part, by an open fire over which food was prepared. Meat tended to be served in bite-sized portions--in a variety of pungent sauces--which were picked up by fingers that were protected from grease and heat by smooth, green leaves that were cold, damp, and had a vaguely minty taste.
崔维兹靠回椅背上，感觉浑身舒畅，好像元气都恢复了。就端点星的标准而言，这家餐厅不算豪奢，但各方面都显得新奇。在餐厅的一角，有个烹饪用的明火炉，整个餐厅都被烤得暖融融的。肉类都切成小块，刚好可以一口一块，并且配有各种辛辣调味酱。肉块包在一片片又湿又凉又光滑、还有淡淡薄荷香的绿叶里，可以直接用手抓着吃，不必担心被烫到，也不会沾得满手油腻。
It was one leaf to each meat-bit and the whole was taken into the mouth. The waiter had carefully explained how it had to be done. Apparently accustomed to off-planet guests, he had smiled paternally as Trevize and Pelorat gingerly scooped at the steaming bits of meat, and was clearly delighted at the foreigners’ relief at finding that the leaves kept the fingers cool and cooled the meat, too, as one chewed.
侍者特别向他们解释，要连肉带叶一口吃下去。那位侍者显然常常招待外星客人，当崔维兹与裴洛拉特拿着汤匙，小心翼翼地盛取冒着热气的肉块时，他在一旁露出慈父般的笑容。而当他们发现绿叶不但可以中和肉块的温度，又能保护手指头的时候，侍者显然觉得十分欣慰。
Trevize said, “Delicious!” and eventually ordered a second helping. So did Pelorat.
崔维兹赞叹道：“太可口了！”吃完后决定再叫一客，而裴洛拉特也不例外。
They sat over a spongy, vaguely sweet dessert and a cup of coffee that had a caramelized flavor at which they shook dubious heads. They added syrup, at which the waiter shookhis head.
接着他们又吃了一客松软微甜的点心，侍者便端来咖啡。两人发现咖啡竟带有焦糖味，不以为然地摇了摇头，又不约而同地加了些糖浆，这个举动令一旁的侍者大摇其头。
Pelorat said, “Well, what happened back there at the tourist center?”
然后，裴洛拉特问道：“好啦，刚才在旅游中心，究竟发生了什么事？”
“You mean with Compor?”
“你是指康普那件事？”
“Was there anything else there we might discuss?”
“难道我们还有别的事该讨论吗？”
Trevize looked about. They were in a deep alcove and had a certain limited privacy, but the restaurant was crowded and the natural hum of noise was a perfect cover.
崔维兹四下望了望。他们坐在一个深陷的壁凹里，但隐密性仍然有限，好在餐厅高朋满座，鼎沸的喧哗刚好是最佳的掩护。
He said in a low voice, “Isn’t it strange that he followed us to Sayshell?”
他压低声音说：“他跟踪我们到赛协尔，这件事难道不奇怪吗？”
“He said he had this intuitive ability.”
“他说他具有跟踪的直觉。”
“Yes, he was all-collegiate champion at hypertracking. I never questioned that till today. I quite see that you might be able to judge where someone was going to Jump by how he prepared for it if you had a certain developed skill at it, certain reflexes--but Idon’t see how a tracker can judge a Jumpseries . You prepare only for the first one; the computer does all the others. The tracker can judge that first one, but by what magic can he guess what’s in the computer’s vitals?”
“没错，他曾在超空间竞逐中拿到大学组冠军，直到今天我才感到这也有问题。我相当清楚，如果一个人训练有素，练成一种直觉反射，就能根据一艘船舰的准备动作，判断它会跃迁到哪里去。可是我无法理解，康普如何能判断一连串的跃迁。我当初只负责首度跃迁的准备工作，后面的都交由电脑处理。康普当然能判断我们的首度跃迁，但是他究竟有什么魔法，能够猜到电脑最里头的数据？”
“But he did it, Golan.”
“可是他做到了，葛兰。”
“He certainly did,” said Trevize, “and the only possible way I can imagine him doing so is by knowing in advance where we were going to go. Byknowing , not judging.”
“他的确做到了。”崔维兹说，“我唯一想象得到的答案，就是他事先知道我们准备去哪里。他是预知结果，而并非靠判断。”
Pelorat considered that. “Quite impossible, my boy. How could he know? We didn’t decide on our destination till after we were on board The Far Star .”
裴洛拉特考虑了一下。“好孩子，这很不可能。他怎么会知道？在我们登上远星号之前，连我们自己都还没决定要去哪里。”
“I know that. --And what about this day of meditation?”
“这点我知道。沉思日这种说法又如何？”
“Compor didn’t lie to us. The waiter said it was a day of meditation when we came in here and asked him.”
“康普并没有骗我们。刚才进餐厅的时候，我们问过侍者，他说今天的确是沉思日。”
“Yes, he did, but he said the restaurant wasn’t closed. In fact, what he said was: ‘Sayshell City isn’t the backwoods. It doesn’t close down.’ People meditate, in other words, but not in thebig town, where everyone is sophisticated and there’s no place for small-town piety. So there’s traffic and it’s busy--perhaps not quite as busy as on ordinary days--but busy.”
“没错，他这么说过，但他是在强调餐厅并未休业。事实上，他说的是：‘赛协尔城不是穷乡僻壤，我们今天照常营业。’换句话说，今天的确有人闭门沉思，可是大城市不作兴这一套；城里人多少有些世故，不像乡下人那么虔诚。因此今天的交通繁忙依旧，或许比平常日子好一点，但仍算是够忙的。”
“But, Golan, no one came into the tourist center while we were there. I was aware of that. Not one person entered.”
“可是，葛兰，当我们在旅游中心的时候，并没有任何人走进来。我注意到了，没有一个人进来过。”
“I noticed that, too. I even went to the window at one point and looked out and saw clearly that the streets around the center had a good scattering of people on foot and in vehicles--and yet not one person entered. The day of meditation made a good cover. We would not have questioned the fortunate privacy we had if I simply hadn’t made up my mind not to trust that son of two strangers.”
“我也注意到了，我甚至走到窗口，向外看了一下。结果我清楚看到，周围街道上有不少行人和车辆，但就是没有人走进来。沉思日是个很好的借口，若非我打定主意，不再相信这个异邦人养的，我们绝不会对这个幸运时机感到怀疑。”
Pelorat said, “What is the significance of all this, then?”
裴洛拉特问道：“那么，这一切又有什么意义？”
“I think it’s simple, Janov. We have here someone who knows where we’re going as soon as we do, even though he and we are in separate spaceships, and we also have here someone who can keep a public building empty when it is surrounded by people in order that we might talk in convenient privacy.”
“我认为答案很简单，詹诺夫。这个人即使在另一艘太空艇上，仍然能在我们决定目的地之后，立刻知道我们准备去哪里；这个人还能在一个热闹的地区，让一座公共建筑保持无人状态，以便适合我们三人密谈。”
“Would you have me believe he can perform miracles?”
“你是要我相信，他有办法制造奇迹？”
“Certainly. If it so happens that Compor is an agent of the Second Foundation and can control minds; if he can read yours and mine in a distant spaceship; if he can influence his way through a customs station at once; if he can land gravitically, with no border patrol outraged at his defiance of the radio beams; and if he can influence minds in such a way as to keep people from entering a building he doesn’t want entered.
“正是如此。搞不好康普正是第二基地的特工，因而可以控制他人心灵；搞不好他能在另一艘太空艇中，读取你我的心灵内容；搞不好他能迅速闯过太空海关站；搞不好他能用重力推进降落，而使边境巡逻不加理会；搞不好他能运用心灵影响力，使得路人都不想进入旅游中心。”
“By all the stars,” Trevize went on with a marked air of grievance, “I can even follow this back to graduation. Ididn’t go on the tour with him. I remember not wanting to. Wasn’t that a matter of his influence? He had to be alone. Where was he really going?”
“众星在上，”崔维兹现出愤慨的神情，继续说，“循着这条线索，我可以一直追溯到刚毕业的时候。我并没有跟他一起旅行，我记得是我自己不想去。这是不是他影响了我呢？一定是他必须单独行动，他真正的目的地又是哪里呢？”
Pelorat pushed away the dishes before him, as though he wanted to clear a space about himself in order to have room to think. It seemed to be a gesture that signaled the busboy-robot, a self-moving table that stopped near them and waited while they placed their dishes and cutlery upon it.
裴洛拉特把面前的杯盘推开，好像是想腾出一点地方，以便有足够的思考空间。没想到这个动作却召来了机械茶房——一个自动的小餐车，于是两人便将杯盘与餐具移到餐车上。
When they were alone, Pelorat said, “But that’s mad. Nothing has happened that could not have happened naturally. Once you get it into your head that somebody is controlling events, you can interpret everything in that light and find no reasonable certainty anywhere. Come on, old fellow, it’s all circumstantial and a matter of interpretation. Don’t yield to paranoia.”
等到餐车离去后，裴洛拉特才说：“这可是疯狂的想法，别忘了，任何事都有可能自然发生。一旦你开始怀疑有人在控制一切，你就会顺着这个思路解释每一件事，从此再也无法相信任何人或任何事。别这样，老伙伴，这些都是偶发事件，端看你如何解释，可别陷入妄想而不能自拔。”
“I’m not going to yield to complacency, either.”
“我也不愿过度乐观而无法自拔。”
“Well, let us look at this logically. Suppose hewas an agent of the Second Foundation. Why would he run the risk of rousing our suspicions by keeping the tourist center empty? What did he say that was so important that a few people at a distance--who would have been wrapped in their own concerns anyway--would have made a difference?”
“好吧，那就让我们用逻辑来推理一番。假设他是第二基地的特务，他为何要冒着让我们起疑的危险，而把旅游中心腾空呢？他究竟说了什么重要的事，即使附近有几个人——而且大家一定各忙各的——又有什么关系呢？”
“There’s an easy answer to that, Janov. He would have to keep our minds under close observation and he wanted no interference from other minds. No static. No chance of confusion.”
“这个问题的答案相当简单，詹诺夫。他得将我们的心灵置于严密观察之下，不希望有其他的心灵造成干扰。也就是说不要有杂讯，不要有造成紊乱的机会。”
“Again, just your interpretation. What was so important about his conversation with us? It would make sense to suppose, as he himself insisted, that he met us only in order to explain what he had done, to apologize for it, and to warn us of the trouble that might await us. Why would we have to look further than that?”
“这又是你自己的解释。他跟我们的那番对话，到底又有什么重要性？我们大可认为，正如他自己坚称的那样，他来找我们，只是为了解释他的作为，并且向你道歉，同时警告我们可能出现的麻烦。除此之外，他还可能有什么其他目的？”
The small card-receptacle at the farther rim of the table glittered unobtrusively and the figures representing the cost of the meal flashed briefly. Trevize groped beneath his sash for his credit card which, with its Foundation imprint, was good anywhere in the Galaxy--or anywhere a Foundation citizen was likely to go. He inserted it in the appropriate slot. It took a moment to complete the transaction and Trevize (with native caution) checked on the remaining balance before returning it to its pocket.
此时，位于餐桌一侧的小型刷卡机发出柔和的闪光，并显示出这一餐的费用。崔维兹伸手从宽腰带中摸出信用卡，这种具有基地印记的信用卡全银河通用，基地公民不论走到哪里，只要一卡在手便能通行无阻。他顺手将信用卡插入槽孔，不一会儿就结清了账。崔维兹（出于天生的谨慎作风）检查了一下余额，才将信用卡放回口袋。
He looked about casually to make sure there was no undesirable interest in him on the faces of any of the few who still sat in the restaurant and then said, “Why look further than that? Why look further? That was not all he talked about. He talked about Earth. He told us it was dead and urged us very strongly to go to Comporellon. Shall we go?”
他又转头四处看了看，确定了其他客人都没有露出可疑的神色，这才继续说：“还可能有什么其他目的？还有什么目的？他跟我们谈的可不只这些，他还谈到了地球。他告诉我们地球已经死了，并且极力怂恿我们去康普隆。你说我们该不该去？”
“It’s something I’ve been considering, Golan,” admitted Pelorat.
“我也正在想这件事，葛兰。”裴洛拉特坦然承认。
“Just leave here?”
“就这样子走掉？”
“We can come back after we check Out the Sirius Sector.”
“等我们把天狼星区调查完毕，还可以再回来。”
“It doesn’t occur to you that his whole purpose in seeing us was to deflect us from Sayshell and get us out of here? Get us anywhere but here?”
“难道你没有想到，他来找我们的真正目的，就是要转移我们对赛协尔的注意，让我们自动离开此地？不论我们去哪里都好？”
“Why?”
“为什么？”
“I don’t know. See here, they expected us to go to Trantor. That was whatyou wanted to do and maybe that’s what they counted on us doing. I messed things up by insisting we go to Sayshell, which is the last thing they wanted, and so now they have to get us out of here.”
“我不知道。听我说，他们原本希望我们去川陀，那是你原先的目的地，也许他们的确指望我们这样做。我却从中搅局，坚持我们应该来赛协尔，这一定是他们最不愿意见到的结果，所以必须设法使我们离去。”
Pelorat looked distinctly unhappy. “But Golan, you are just making statements.Why don’t they want us on Sayshell?”
裴洛拉特显得十分不悦。“可是，葛兰，你是在妄下断语。他们为何不希望我们留在赛协尔？”
“I don’t know, Janov. But it’s enough for me that they want us out. I’m staying here. I’m not going to leave.”
“我不知道，詹诺夫，但我知道他们想让我们走就够了。我偏要留下来，我绝不打算离开。”
“But--but-- Look, Golan, if the Second Foundation wanted us to leave, wouldn’t they just influence our minds to make us want to leave? Why bother reasoning with us?”
“可是……可是……你听我说，葛兰，第二基地若想要我们离开，何不直接影响我们的心灵，让我们自动上路呢？何必花这么大的工夫，派人来跟我们讲道理？”
“Now that you bring up the point, haven’t they done that in your case, Professor?” and Trevize’s eyes narrowed in sudden suspicion. “Don’t you want to leave?”
“既然你提到这一点，教授，他们难道没有对你动手脚吗？”崔维兹眯起双眼，露出狐疑的神色。“难道你不想离开这里吗？”
Pelorat looked at Trevize in surprise. “I just think there’s some sense to it.”
裴洛拉特吃惊地望着崔维兹。“我只是认为这样做颇为合理。”
“Of course you would, if you’ve been influenced.”
“倘若你受到影响，当然会这么认为。”
“But I haven’t been……”
“可是我并没有……”
“Of course you would swear you hadn’t been if you had been.”
“如果你真的受到影响，当然会发誓绝对没这回事。”
Pelorat said, “If you box me in this way, there is no way of disproving your bare assertion. What are you going to do?”
裴洛拉特说：“如果你用这种方式把我套牢，我根本无法反驳你的武断指控。你打算怎么做？”
“I will remain in Sayshell. And you’ll stay here, too. You can’t navigate the ship without me, so if Compor has influenced you, he has influenced the wrong one.”
“我要留在赛协尔，而你也得留下来。你自己无法驾驶太空艇，所以如果康普影响了你，他就是选错了对象。”
“Very well, Golan. We’ll stay in Sayshell until we have independent reasons to leave. The worst thing we can do, after all--worse than either staying or going--is to fall out with each other. Come, old chap, if I had been influenced, would I be able to change my mind and go along with you cheerfully, as I plan to do now?”
“好吧，葛兰，我们就留在赛协尔。等到发现其他该走的理由，那时再走不迟。毕竟，我们无论如何不该吵架，或去或留都比起内讧来得好。好啦，老弟，如果我真的受到影响，难道会这么轻易改变心意，像我现在打算做的这样，高高兴兴依着你吗？”
Trevize thought for a moment and then, as though with an inner shake, smiled and held out his hand. “Agreed, Janov. Now let’s get back to the ship and make another start tomorrow. --If we can think of one.”
崔维兹考虑了一会儿，突然仿佛福至心灵，不但露出笑容，并且伸出手来。“我同意，詹诺夫。我们回太空艇去吧，明天再从另一个管道着手——希望我们想得到其他管道。”
5
5
Munn Li Compor did not remember when he had been recruited. For one thing, he had been a child at the time; for another, the agents of the Second Foundation were meticulous in removing their traces as far as that was possible.
曼恩·李·康普不记得自己是何时被吸收的。原因之一是他当时年纪还小；原因之二，是第二基地的特工行事极为谨慎，一向尽可能湮灭行迹。
Compor was an “Observer” and, to a Second Foundationer, he was instantly recognizable as such.
康普是第二基地的“观察员”，第二基地分子若遇到他，都能立刻认出他这个身份。
It meant that Compor was acquainted with mentalics and could converse with Second Foundationers in their own fashion to a degree, but he was in the lowest rank of the hierarchy. He could catch glimpses of minds, but he could not adjust them. The education he had received had never gone that far. He was an Observer, not a Doer.
这代表康普熟悉精神力学，能和第二基地分子用他们的方式沟通到某种程度，可是在第二基地成员中，他处于最低的阶层。他也能窥视他人的心灵，但无法进行调整，他所接受的训练从未达到那个境界。他只是观察员，并非一名执行者。
It made him second-class at best, but he did not mind--much. He knew his importance in the scheme of things.
因此，他顶多只能算第二基地的二等成员，但他并不在意——并不很在意。他晓得自己在一个大计划中，扮演着举足轻重的角色。
During the early centuries of the Second Foundation, it had underestimated the task before it. It had imagined that its handful of members could monitor the entire Galaxy and that Seldon’s Plan, to be maintained, would require only the most occasional, the lightest touch, here and there.
第二基地在建立之初，低估了任务的困难度，认为以其为数不多的成员就足以监控整个银河；只需要偶尔在某些地方作最轻微的调整，就能维护谢顿计划的正常运作。
The Mule had stripped them of these delusions. Coming from nowhere, he had caught the Second Foundation (and, of course, the First--though that didn’t matter) utterly by surprise and had left them helpless. It took five years before a counterattack could be organized, and then only at the cost of a number of lives.
骡的出现，打破了他们这种错觉。这个不知何处冒出来的突变异种，发动的攻势令第二基地措手不及，因而束手无策（第一基地当然也一样，不过这点并不重要）。足足过了五年，第二基地才策划出反击行动，并牺牲了许多性命，才终于遏止骡的攻势。
With Palver a full recovery was made, again at a distressing cost, and he finally took the appropriate measures. The operations of the Second Foundation, he decided, must be enormously expanded without at the same time increasing the chances of detection unduly, so he instituted the corps of Observers.
在帕佛的领导下，又花了令人痛心的代价，谢顿计划才完全回到正轨。痛定思痛之余，帕佛终于决心采取适当措施。在避免暴露踪迹的前提下，他决定大举扩张第二基地的活动，因此成立了“观察团”。
Compor did not know how many Observers were in the Galaxy or even how many there were on Terminus. It was not his business to know. Ideally there should be no detectable connection between any two Observers, so that the loss of one would not entail the loss of any other. All connections were with the upper echelons on Trantor.
康普不晓得银河中总共有多少位观察员，就连端点星上有多少也不知道，因为这并非他应该知道的事。在理想状况下，任何两名观察员都不能有明显的联系，如此才能避免互相株连。第二基地的每一位观察员，都是直接与位于川陀的高层联系。
It was Compor’s ambition to go to Trantor someday. Though he thought it extremely unlikely, he knew that occasionally an Observer might be brought to Trantor and promoted, but that was rare. The qualities that made for a good Observer were not those that pointed toward the Table.
康普一生最大的心愿，就是有朝一日能踏上川陀。虽然他明白这种机会极小，却也知道的确有观察员调升到川陀，只不过极为罕见。一位优秀的观察员所具备的条件，绝不足以将他送上圆桌会议。
There was Gendibal, for instance, who was four years younger than Compor. He must have been recruited as a boy, just as Compor was, buthe had been taken directly to Trantor and was now a Speaker. Compor had no illusions as to why that should be. He had been much in contact with Gendibal of late and he had experienced the power of that young man’s mind. He could not have stood up against it for a second.
就以坚迪柏为例，他比康普年轻四岁，想必跟康普一样，自小即被第二基地吸收。不同的是，他直接被带往川陀，如今已成为一名发言者。对于这个事实，康普从未怀疑有什么不公平。从两人近来的频繁接触中，康普体会到了这个年轻人的心灵力量。面对如此强大的力量，康普连一秒钟也无法抵挡。
Compor was not often conscious of a lowly status. There was almost never occasion to consider it. After all (as in the case of other Observers, he imagined) it was only lowly by the standards of Trantor. On their own non-Trantorian worlds, in their own nonmentalic societies, it was easy for Observers to obtain high status.
对于自己的低下地位，康普并未常常察觉，更没有什么机会感到自卑。无论如何，那只是就第二基地的标准而言（他想，其他观察员的情况一定也差不多）。在川陀以外的世界上，在不受精神力量主导的社会中，观察员都很容易获得极高的社会地位。
Compor, for instance, had never had trouble getting into good schools or finding good company. He had been able to use his mentalics in a simple way to enhance his natural intuitive ability (that natural ability had been why he had been recruited in the first place, he was sure) and, in this way, to prove himself a star at hyperspatial pursuit. He became a hero at college and this set his foot on the first rung of a political career. Once this present crisis was over, there was no telling how much farther he might advance.
以康普自己来说，他求学的过程一帆风顺，而且始终有许多优秀的朋友。他也能轻易挪用精神力学的技巧，来增强自己与生俱来的直觉（他十分肯定，自己当初会被吸收，正是由于这种天生的直觉）。借着这种能力的帮助，他成了超空间竞逐赛的明星，进而成为大学中的英雄人物，这就等于在政治生涯中迈开第一步。一旦渡过目前这个危机，他的政治前途更是难以限量。
If the crisis resolved itself successfully, as surely it would, would it not be recalled that it was Compor who had first noted Trevize-- not as a human being (anyone could have done that) but as a mind?
假如这个危机获得圆满解决——这点他可以肯定——谁会忘记是康普首先发现崔维兹异于常人呢？（这是指崔维兹的心灵，并非他的外表，后者谁都看得出来。）
He had encountered Trevize in college and had seen him, at first, only as a jovial and quick-witted companion. One morning, however, he had stirred sluggishly out of slumber and, in the stream of consciousness that accompanied the never-never land of half-sleep, he felt what a pity it was that Trevize had never been recruited.
他是在大学时代认识崔维兹的，起初，只是将他当做一个乐观活泼、心思敏捷的好朋友。然而有一天早上，康普从昏睡中醒来，在半睡半醒的无我境界中，他的意识之流激荡出一个古怪的念头：崔维兹未被第二基地吸收，是何等令人遗憾的事。
Trevize couldn’t have been recruited, of course, since he was Terminus-born and not, like Compor, a native of another world. And even with that aside, it was too late. Only the quite young are plastic enough to receive an education into mentalics; the painful introduction of that art--it was more than a science--into adult brains, set rustily in their mold, was a thing of the first two generations after Seldon only.
当然，崔维兹根本不可能被第二基地吸收。他是端点星土生土长的居民，不像康普，是来自其他世界的移民。即使不考虑这个因素，如今也为时已晚。唯有十几岁的少年才有足够的塑性，能够接受精神力学的传授。过去，第二基地的确曾将这门技艺（它并非仅仅是“科学”）强行灌输到成年人僵固的大脑中，不过仅限于谢顿之后的第一和第二代。
But then, if Trevize had been ineligible for recruiting in the first place and had outlived the possibility in the second, what had roused Compor’s concern over the matter?
既然崔维兹不具备成为第二基地一员的资格，而且早已过了被吸收的年龄，康普为何会关心这个问题呢？
On their next meeting, Compor had penetrated Trevize’s mind deeply and discovered what it was that must have initially disturbed him. Trevize’s mind had characteristics that did not fit the rules he had been taught. Over and over, it eluded him. As he followed its workings, he found gaps --No, they couldn’t be actual gaps--actual leaps of nonexistence. They were places where Trevize’s manner of mind dove too deeply to be followed.
再度碰面时，康普钻入崔维兹的心灵深处，终于发现令他不安的真正原因。崔维兹的心灵结构极其特殊，许多方面都和他所学的规则抵触。他一而再、再而三地被它考倒。当他观察这个心灵的运作时，他又看到许多空隙。不，不是真正的空隙，不是一无所有的真空，而是崔维兹心灵中深不见底的部分。
Compor had no way of determining what this meant, but he watched Trevize’s behavior in the light of what he had discovered and he began to suspect that Trevize had an uncanny ability to reach right conclusions from what would seem to be insufficient data.
康普无法判断他的发现有何意义，可是从此以后，他就循着这条线索观察崔维兹的言行举止。不久他就怀疑，崔维兹具有一种不可思议的能力，能够根据看似不充分的资料，做出正确的结论。
Did this have something to do with the gaps? Surely this was a matter for mentalism beyond his own powers--for the Table itself, perhaps. He had the uneasy feeling that Trevize’s powers of decision were unknown, in their full, to the man himself, and that he might be able to--
这点是否跟他心灵中的空隙有关？当然，这是精神力学上的深奥问题，绝对超出康普的能力范围，或许只有圆桌会议的成员能够解答。事实上，崔维兹自己对这种能力也并不十分明了，这使得康普产生一种焦虑，并想到自己也许可以……
To do what? Compor’s knowledge did not suffice. He could almost see the meaning of what Trevize possessed--but not quite. There was only the intuitive conclusion--or perhaps just a guess-- that Trevize might be, potentially, a person of the utmost importance.
可以做什么？康普本身的知识无法提供正确答案。对于崔维兹拥有的这种能力，他几乎能看出其中的意义，但并非完全清楚。他仅仅得到一个直觉式的结论，或许只能说是猜测：崔维兹有可能成为极其重要的人物。
He had to take the chance that this might be so and to risk seeming to be less than qualified for his post. After all, if he were correct--
既然有此可能，就要把握机会，于是康普冒险从事似乎超越自己权限的行动。反正，只要自己猜得正确……
He was not sure, looking back on it, how he had managed to find the courage to continue his efforts. He could not penetrate the administrative barriers that ringed the Table. He had all but reconciled himself to a broken reputation. He had worked himself down (despairingly) to the most junior member of the Table and, finally, Stor Gendibal had responded to his call.
如今回想起来，当初不知道哪里来的勇气，使他能够坚持到底。起初，他的报告根本无法送达圆桌会议，总是在半途便遭到搁置。后来他不得不接受这个事实，只好（自暴自弃地）去找圆桌会议中最资浅的成员。最后，史陀·坚迪柏终于有了回应。
Gendibal had listened patiently and from that time on there had been a special relationship between them. It was on Gendibal’s behalf that Compor had maintained his relationship with Trevize and on Gendibal’s direction that he had carefully set up the situation that had resulted in Trevize’s exile. And it was through Gendibal that Compor might yet (he was beginning to hope) achieve his dream of promotion to Trantor.
坚迪柏耐心地听取他的报告，而且从那时候开始，两人就建立起一种特殊的关系。康普之所以和崔维兹维持友谊，就是为了替坚迪柏搜集情报。而在坚迪柏的指示下，康普诱使崔维兹一步步走入陷阱，终于令他遭到放逐。唯有透过坚迪柏，康普才有可能实现自己的梦想（他感到有希望了），在有生之年调升到川陀。
All preparations, however, had been designed to send Trevize to Trantor. Trevize’s refusal to do this had taken Compor entirely by surprise and (Compor thought) had been unforeseen by Gendibal as well.
然而，他们所作的一切准备，都是为了把崔维兹送到川陀。如今崔维兹擅自改变行程，着实令康普大吃一惊，而且（康普认为）坚迪柏也未曾预见这件事。
At any rate, Gendibal was hurrying to the spot, and to Compor, that deepened the sense of crisis.
总之，坚迪柏已匆匆赶来此地与康普会合，这使得危机感更浓了。
Compor sent out his hypersignal.
康普送出了超波讯号。
6
6
Gendibal was roused from his sleep by the touch on his mind. It was effective and not in the least disturbing. Since it affected the arousal center directly, he simply awoke.
坚迪柏在睡梦中，心灵突然感到一下轻触。由于它直接影响“唤觉中心”，因此效率极高，而且不会使人有任何不适。下一瞬间，坚迪柏便已清醒。
He sat up in bed, the sheet falling from his well-shaped and smoothly muscular torso. He had recognized the touch; the differences were as distinctive to mentalists as were voices to those who communicated primarily by sound.
他在床上坐起来，被单随即从身上滑落，露出健壮而肌肉饱满的躯体。他认得出那是谁发出的轻触，因为对一位精神学家而言，每个人的精神力量各有特征，正如主要借着声波沟通的普通人，能够根据声音分辨出是谁在说话。
Gendibal sent out the standard signal, asking if a small delay were possible, and the “no emergency” call returned.
坚迪柏送出一道标准讯号，询问对方能否稍等一会儿，结果收到“无紧急状况”的回讯。
Without undue haste, then, Gendibal attended to the morning routine. He was still in the ship’s shower--with the used water draining into the recycling mechanisms--when he made contact again.
于是，坚迪柏不慌不忙地开始晨间的梳洗工作。而再度进行接触时，他尚未离开太空船的淋浴室，洗澡水正在排入回收系统。
“Compor?”
“康普吗？”
“Yes, Speaker.”
“是的，发言者。”
“Have you spoken with Trevize and the other one.”
“你跟崔维兹还有另外那个人谈过了吗？”
“Pelorat. Janov Pelorat. Yes, Speaker.”
“那个人叫裴洛拉特；詹诺夫·裴洛拉特。我跟他们谈过了，发言者。”
“Good. Give me another five minutes and I’ll arrange visuals.”
“很好。再给我五分钟，我来安排视觉接触。”
He passed Sura Novi on his way to the controls. She looked at him questioningly and made as though to speak, but he placed a finger on his lips and she subsided at once. Gendibal still felt a bit uncomfortable at the intensity of adoration/respect in her mind, but it was coming to be a comfortingly normal part of his environment somehow.
他向驾驶舱走去，半途碰到了苏拉·诺微。她一脸困惑地望着他，好像有话要说，他却伸出一根手指放在嘴唇中央，使她立刻打消那个念头。坚迪柏对于她心灵中强烈的爱慕／崇敬情绪仍旧感到有点不自在，可是说来奇怪，它却渐渐成为一种令人欣慰的正常氛围。
He had hooked a small tendril of his mind to hers and there would now be no way to affect his mind without affecting hers. The simplicity of her mind (and there was an enormous aesthetic pleasure to be found in contemplating its unadorned symmetry, Gendibal couldn’t help thinking) made it impossible for any extraneous mind field to exist in their neighborhood without detection. He felt a surge of gratitude for the courteous impulse that had moved him that moment they had stood together outside the University, and that had led her to come to him precisely when she could be most useful.
他伸出一条精神触须勾住她的心灵，这样一来，若有任何外力入侵他的心灵，她一定同时受到影响。由于她的心灵单纯无比（坚迪柏忍不住想，凝视着那种朴实的匀称美感，总是给人带来无穷的喜悦），附近倘若出现任何异类心灵场，保证可以侦测出来。当初，他们两人站在大学门口时，她表现出令他感动的谦恭态度；正是由于她对学者的崇拜，才使她在自己最需要帮助的时候适时出现。坚迪柏想到这里，感激之情油然而生。
He said, “Compor?”
他呼叫道：“康普？”
“Yes, Speaker.”
“我在这里，发言者。”
“Relax, please. I must study your mind. No offense is intended.”
“请你放松，我必须检视你的心灵，希望你千万别介意。”
“As you wish, Speaker. May I ask the purpose?”
“请便，发言者。我能否请问目的是什么？”
“To make certain you are untouched.”
“要确定你并未遭受外力侵扰。”
Compor said, “I know you have political adversaries at the Table, Speaker, but surely none of them……”
康普说：“我知道你在圆桌会议中有政敌，发言者，可是他们绝对不会……”
“Do not speculate, Compor. Relax. --Yes, you are untouched. Now, if you will co-operate with me, we will establish visual contact.”
“别乱猜，康普，放轻松。很好，你没有受到侵扰。现在，请你跟我合作，我们马上建立视觉接触。”
What followed was, in the ordinary sense of the word, an illusion, since no one but someone who was aided by the mentalic power of a well-trained Second Foundationer would have been able to detect anything at all, either by the senses or by any physical detecting device.
接下来发生的事，若用普通文字描述，就是两人同时产生幻象。这种影像普通人绝对看不到，也没有任何仪器能侦测出来。唯有训练有素的第二基地分子，才能凭借精神力量，帮助对方捕捉这种影像。
It was the building up of a face and its appearance from the contours of a mind, and even the best mentalist could succeed in producing only a shadowy and somewhat uncertain figure. Compor’s face was there in mid-space, as though it were seen through a thin but shifting curtain of gauze, and Gendibal knew that his own face appeared in an identical manner in front of Compor.
所谓的视觉接触，就是将对方的面容投射到自己的心灵幕上，但即使是最高明的精神学家，也只能产生一个模糊不清的轮廓。此时，坚迪柏仿佛透过一层晃动的薄纱，看到康普的脸孔映在半空中，而他很清楚，如今在康普面前，自己的脸孔看起来也是这个样子。
By physical hyperwave, communication could have been established through images so clear that speakers who were a thousand parsecs apart might judge themselves to be face-to-face. Gendibal’s ship was equipped for the purpose.
物理科学发展出的超波，能将清晰的影像送到遥远的地方，双方即使相隔一千秒差距，通讯时也有面对面的感觉。在坚迪柏的太空船上，当然也有这种装置。
There were, however, advantages to the mentalist-vision. The chief was that it could not be tapped by any device known to the First Foundation. Nor, for that matter, could one Second Foundationer tap the mentalist-vision of another. The play of mind might be followed, but not the delicate change of facial expression that gave the communication its finer points.
然而，精神视觉自有优点。最主要的是，第一基地所拥有的任何装置都无法截收，甚至第二基地分子彼此之间也截收不到。虽然心灵活动或许会被他人察觉，但是没有什么关系，因为精神视觉通讯的精髓，全在于面部表情的细微变化。
As for the Anti-Mules-- Well, the purity of Novi’s mind was sufficient to assure him that none were about.
至于那些反骡，嗯，只要诺微的心灵保持澄净，就足以保证他们不在附近。
He said, “Tell me precisely, Compor, the talk you had with Trevize and with this Pelorat. Precisely, to the level of mind.”
坚迪柏说：“康普，把你跟崔维兹以及裴洛拉特的谈话经过，精确地告诉我，要精确到心灵深处的程度。”
“Of course, Speaker,” said Compor.
“当然没问题，发言者。”康普说。
It didn’t take long. The combination of sound, expression, and mentalism compressed matters considerably, despite the fact that there was far more to tell at the level of mind than if there had been a mere parroting of speech.
他的转述虽然达到心灵深处的精确度，远比鹦鹉学舌内容丰富得多，整个过程却没有花太多时间。因为利用语音、表情与精神力场的组合，可将讯息的密度压缩许多倍。
Gendibal watched intently. There was little redundancy, if any, in mentalist-vision. In true vision, or even in physical hypervision across the parsecs, one saw enormously more in the way of information bits than was absolutely necessary for comprehension and one could miss a great deal without losing anything significant.
坚迪柏专心望着面前的影像，因为在精神视觉中，几乎没有冗余的讯息。在普通的肉眼视觉中，甚至在跨越数秒差距的超波影像中，都包含大量的光学资讯，远超过辨识上的需要，即使漏失一大部分，也不会有什么严重损失。
Through the gauze of mentalist-vision, however, one bought absolute security at the price of losing the luxury of being able to miss bits. Every bit was significant.
然而，如同雾里看花的精神视觉，虽然具有绝对安全的优点，代价则是不能忽视任何讯息。每一个位元，都具有重大的意义。
There were always horror tales that passed from instructor to student on Trantor, tales that were designed to impress on the young the importance of concentration. The most often repeated was certainly the least reliable. It told of the first report on the progress of the Mule before he had taken over Kalgan--of the minor official who received the report and who had no more than the impression of a horselike animal because he did not see or understand the small flick that signified “personal name.” The official therefore decided that the whole thing was too unimportant to pass on to Trantor. By the time the next message came, it was too late to take immediate action and five more bitter years had to pass.
在位于川陀的第二基地上，流传着许多骇人的故事，导师总是喜欢借着这些故事，对弟子强调全神贯注的重要性。其中最常被转述，也是最不可靠的一则故事，内容是说在骡尚未攻占卡尔根之前，第二基地驻外人员已经注意到骡的动向，并利用精神视觉向川陀回报。可是负责通讯的低层工作人员，却以为那是一种像马的动物。因为其中有一个微小讯号，注明那是一个“人名”，但他或是没注意到，或是根本没有看懂。所以他认为整件事毫不重要，不值得将这个消息转给高层。等到下一个报告送来，第二基地已经来不及立即采取行动，只好展开为期五年的艰苦奋战。
The event had almost certainly never happened, but that didn’t matter. It was a dramatic story and it served to motivate every student into the habit of intent concentration. Gendibal remembered his own student days when he made an error in reception that seemed, in his own mind, to be both insignificant and understandable. His teacher--old Kendast, a tyrant to the roots of his cerebellum--had simply sneered and said, “A horselike animal, Cub Gendibal?” and that had been enough to make him collapse in shame.
这件事几乎肯定是子虚乌有，但这并不重要。它本来就是个戏剧性的故事，目的只是要鼓励弟子养成专心一意的好习惯。坚迪柏记得自己在求学过程中，曾在接收精神视觉讯息时犯了一个小错，他自认一点都不重要，也不至产生任何误会。但是他的师父老肯达斯特——一个彻头彻尾的暴君，立刻发出一阵冷笑，并说：“一种像马的动物，坚迪柏学员？”这么一句话，便足以令他羞愧得无地自容。
Compor finished.
康普转述完了。
Gendibal said, “Your estimate, please, of Trevize’s reaction. You know him better than I do, better than anyone does.”
坚迪柏说：“请你估算一下崔维兹的反应。你比我，也比任何人都更了解他。”
Compor said, “It was clear enough. The mentalic indications were unmistakable. He thinks my words and actions represent my extreme anxiety to have him go to Trantor or to the Sirius Sector or to any place but where, in fact, he is actually going. It meant, in my opinion, that he would remain firmly where he was. The fact that I attached great importance to his shifting his position, in short, forced him to give it the same importance, and since he feels his own interests to be diametrically opposed to mine, he will deliberately act against what he interprets to be my wish.”
康普说：“目前的情势已足够明显，精神指标显示得一清二楚。他认为我的言行代表我亟欲劝他们离开，无论去川陀也好，去天狼星区也好，去任何地方都好，就是不要他们前往原来的目的地。根据我的推测，这就代表他会坚决留在原地。简言之，我一再强调他应该离去，促使他认为这点极为重要，由于他自认立场和我有一百八十度的差别，凡是他以为我希望他做的事，他都会故意反其道而行。”
“You are certain of that?”
“你有把握吗？”
“Quitecertain.”
“相当有把握。”
Gendibal considered this and decided that Compor was correct. He said, “I am satisfied. You have done well. Your tale of Earth’s radioactive destruction was cleverly chosen to help produce the proper reaction without the need for direct manipulation of the mind. Commendable!”
坚迪柏考虑了一下，断定康普的看法的确没错。他又说：“我很满意，你做得很好。那个地球毁于放射性的故事，你选得极为恰当，不必直接操控心灵，便能使对方产生适当的反应。值得赞赏！”
Compor seemed to struggle with himself a short moment. “Speaker,” he said, “I cannot accept your praise. I did not invent the tale. It is true. There really is a planet called Earth in the Sirius Sector and it really is considered to be the original home of humanity. It was radioactive, either to begin with or eventually, and this grew worse till the planet died. There was indeed a mind-enhancing invention that came to nothing. All this is considered history on the home planet of my ancestors.”
康普似乎自我挣扎了一下子。“发言者，”他说，“我无法接受你的称赞。这个故事并不是我捏造的，而是千真万确的。在天狼星区，真有一颗叫做地球的行星，而且大家的确认为它就是人类的故乡。它很早就带有放射性，不知道是原本就有，还是后来才发生的变故。由于情况愈来愈恶劣，这颗行星最后终告灭亡。当年也真有人发明出心灵强化装置，只是一直无用武之地。在我祖先的母星上，这些都被视为历史。”
“So? Interesting!” said Gendibal with no obvious conviction. “And better yet. To know when a truth will do is admirable, since no nontruth can be presented with the same sincerity. Palver once said, “The closer to the truth, the better the lie, and the truth itself, when it can be used, is the best lie.”
“真的吗？实在有趣！”坚迪柏显然并非十分相信，“这样更好。知道真话何时派得上用场，也是可佩的本事，因为假话总是无法说得那么真诚。帕佛曾经说过：‘谎言愈接近真话愈好，而真话本身若运用得当，则是最佳的谎言。’”
Compor said, “There is one thing more to say. In following instructions to keep Trevize in the Sayshell Sector until you arrived-- and to do so at all costs--I had to go so far in my efforts that it is clear that he suspects me of being under the influence of the Second Foundation.”
康普说：“我还有一件事报告，由于你曾经指示，在你抵达赛协尔星区之前，要不计任何代价让崔维兹留在此地，我不得不使出浑身解数。因此，他显然已经怀疑我受到第二基地的影响。”
Gendibal nodded. “That, I think, is unavoidable under the circumstances. His monomania on the subject would be sufficient to have him see Second Foundation even where it was not. We must simply take that into account.”
坚迪柏点了点头。“我想，在如今这种情况下，这是无法避免的。他的偏执狂已经到了走火入魔的地步，即使没有第二基地踪迹之处，他也能够无中生有。我们必须接受这个事实。”
“Speaker, if it is absolutely necessary that Trevize stay where he is until you can reach him, it would simplify matters if I came to meet you, took you aboard my ship, and brought you back. It would take less than a day……”
“发言者，假如崔维兹绝对有必要留在此地，以便你亲自处理，不如让我前去与你会合，用我的太空船带你回来。这样一天之内就能……”
“No, Observer,” said Gendibal sharply. “You will not do this. The people on Terminus know where you are. You have a hyper-relay on your ship which you cannot remove, have you not?”
“万万不可，观察员。”坚迪柏厉声答道，“你绝不能这样做。端点星晓得你的下落，你的太空艇上有个无法拆卸的超波中继器，对不对？”
“Yes, Speaker.”
“没错，发言者。”
“And if Terminus knows you have landed on Sayshell, their ambassador on Sayshell knows of it--and the ambassador knows also that Trevize has landed. Your hyper-relay will tell Terminus that you have left for a specific point hundreds of parsecs away and returned; and the ambassador will inform them that Trevize has, however, remained in the sector. From this, how much will the people at Terminus guess? The Mayor of Terminus is, by all accounts, a shrewd woman and the last thing we want to do is to alarm her by presenting her with an obscure puzzle. We don’t want her to lead a section of her fleet here. The chances of that are, in any case, uncomfortably high.”
“既然端点星知道你登陆了赛协尔，他们一定已经通知驻赛协尔大使，而那位大使也一定知道崔维兹亦在此地。假使你来接我，超波中继器就会泄露你的行踪，让端点星知道你曾经离开，前往几百秒差距之外，然后又迅速折返。可是那位大使却会向端点星回报，崔维兹始终留在原地。根据这些情报，端点星上的人会怎么想？不管怎么说，端点市长总是个精明的女人，我们最不愿意犯的错误，就是做出令她起疑的举动，让她因而提高警觉。我们绝不希望她率领舰队远征此地，无论如何，这个可能性高得令人担心。”
Compor said, “With respect, Speaker-- What reason do we have to fear a fleet if we can control a commander?”
康普说：“对不起，发言者，既然我们能控制舰队司令的心灵，又何必怕什么舰队呢？”
“However little reason there might be, there is still less reason to fear if the fleet is not here. You stay where you are, Observer. ‘When I reach you, I will join you on your ship and then……”
“不论我们多么有恃无恐，没有舰队出现总能再减一分顾虑。你就留在原地，观察员，我抵达后立刻与你会合。我会登上你的太空艇，然后……”
“And then, Speaker?”
“然后怎样，发言者？”
“Why, and then I will take over.”
“然后，就由我来接掌一切。”
7
7
Gendibal sat in place after he dismantled the mentalist-vision----and stayed there for long minutes--considering.
关上精神视觉之后，坚迪柏并没有离开座位。他坐在那里，沉思了良久。
During this long trip to Sayshell, unavoidably long in this ship of his which could in no way match the technological advancement of the products of the First Foundation, he had gone over every single report on Trevize. The reports had stretched over nearly a decade.
相较于第一基地的先进科技，他的太空船显得相当原始，因此前往赛协尔的旅程不免十分漫长。他刚好利用这段时间，阅读了有关崔维兹的每一份报告，这些报告几乎涵盖前后十年的时间。
Seen as a whole and in the light of recent events, there was no longer any doubt Trevize would have been a marvelous recruit for the Second Foundation, if the policy of never touching the Terminus-born had not been in place since Palver’s time.
不论是根据崔维兹的条件，或是最近发生的诸多事件，坚迪柏都百分之百确定，崔维兹可以成为第二基地的优秀成员。可惜自从帕佛时代，就传下一个严格规定，不准吸收端点星出生的人。
There was no telling how many recruits of highest quality had been lost to the Second Foundation over the centuries. There was no way of evaluating every one of the quadrillions of human beings populating the Galaxy. None of them was likely to have had more promise than Trevize, however, andcertainly none could have been in a more sensitive spot.
其实几世纪以来，第二基地不知错失多少绝佳的人才。银河总共有数千兆的人口，不可能一一加以评估。然而，不会有任何人比崔维兹更具潜力，更没有任何人曾经处于比他更敏感的地位。
Gendibal shook his head slightly. Trevize should never have been overlooked, Terminus-born or not. --And credit to Observer Compor for seeing it, even after the years had distorted him.
坚迪柏微微摇了摇头。无论崔维兹是不是端点星土生土长的，他都绝对不该遭到忽视。好在康普观察员独具慧眼，实在功不可没，更何况当时崔维兹早已成年。
Trevize was of no use to them now, of course. He was too old for the molding, but he still had that inborn intuition, that ability to guess a solution on the basis of totally inadequate information, and something--something--
当然，如今崔维兹对他们毫无用处。他的年纪已经太大，早就没有可塑性。可是他仍然具有天生的直觉，能够根据相当有限的资料，猜测出正确的答案。此外……此外……
Old Shandess--who, despite being past his prime, was First Speaker and had, on the whole, been a good one--saw something there, even without the correlated data and the reasoning that Gendibal had worked out in the course of this trip. Trevize, Shandess had thought, was the key to the crisis.
老桑帝斯虽然步入晚年，但终究是第一发言者，而且整体而言，他还是相当优秀的一位。当时，他手头没有相关资料，也没有预见坚迪柏在这趟旅程中才作出的推论，但桑帝斯却看出了那个“此外”，认为崔维兹正是这个危机的关键。
Why was Trevize here at Sayshell? What was he planning? What was he doing?
崔维兹为什么来到赛协尔？他到底有什么打算？他究竟在干什么？
And he couldn’t be touched! Of that Gendibal was sure. Until it was known precisely what Trevize’s role was, it would be totally wrong to try to modify him in any way. With the Anti-Mules-- whoever they were--whatever they might be--in the field, a wrong move with respect to Trevize (Trevize, above all) might explode a wholly unexpected micro-sun in their faces.
绝对不能轻易动他！这点坚迪柏极为肯定。在弄清楚崔维兹的确实角色之前，任何企图改造他的尝试都是天大的错误。那些反骡——不论他们是何方神圣——正在一旁虎视眈眈，假如对崔维兹（尤其是崔维兹）采取了错误的行动，很可能等于在自己面前，引爆了一颗威力无穷的“微太阳”。
He felt a mind hovering about his own and absently brushed at it as he might at one of the more annoying Trantorian insects-- though with mind rather than hand. He felt the instant wash of other-pain and looked up.
他突然感到另一个心灵在附近徘徊，想也不想就随便一挥，像是挥走那些川陀特产的蚊虫，只不过他用的不是手劲，而是发自心灵的力量。几乎在同一瞬间，他感到一股外来的痛觉，于是抬起头来。
Sura Novi had her palm to her furrowed brow. “Your pardon, Master, I be struck with sudden head-anguish.”
苏拉·诺微用手掌捂着皱起的额头。“对不起，师傅，我的头忽然感觉痛苦。”
Gendibal was instantly contrite. “I’m sorry, Novi. I wasn’t thinking--or I was thinking too intently.” Instantly--and gently--he smoothed the ruffled mind tendrils.
坚迪柏马上后悔不已。“很抱歉，诺微，我没有注意，或者应该说太专注了。”他以迅速而温柔的动作，抚平了被他搅乱的精神纤维。
Novi smiled with sudden brightness. “It passed with sudden vanishing. The kind sound of your words, Master, works well upon me.”
诺微随即展现快活的笑容。“忽然就消失没有了，师傅，你说话的声音可以帮我治病。”
Gendibal said, “Coed! Is something wrong? Why are you here?” He forbore to enter her mind in greater detail in order to find out for himself. More and more, he felt a reluctance to invade her privacy.
坚迪柏说：“好极了！有什么问题吗？你怎么会在这里？”他并没有自行找出答案，因为他愈来愈不愿意侵犯她的隐私，所以禁止自己进入她的心灵深处。
Novi hesitated. She leaned toward him slightly. “I be concerned. You were looking at nothing and making sounds and your face was twitching. I stayed there, stick-frozen, afeared you were declining-- ill--and unknowing what to do.”
诺微显得犹豫，微微俯身凑向他。“我在担心。你的眼睛没有在看哪里，嘴巴发出声音，脸孔还扭曲。我待在这里，吓得不敢乱动，惊怕你系身体虚弱——生病了——不明白该怎么做。”
“It was nothing, Novi. You are not to fear.” He patted her nearer hand. “There is nothing to fear. Do you understand?”
“我没事，诺微，你不用害怕。”他轻拍着她的手背，“根本没有什么好怕的，你了解吗？”
Fear--or any strong emotion--twisted and spoiled the symmetry of her mind somewhat. He preferred it calm and peaceful and happy, but he hesitated at the thought of adjusting it into that position by outer influence. She had felt the previous adjustment to be the effect of his words and it seemed to him that he preferred it that way.
恐惧，或是任何强烈的情绪，多少都会扭曲或搅乱她心灵的匀称状态。坚迪柏希望她的心灵永保平静、安详、愉悦，却又不愿靠外力达到这个目的。他刚才对她做的微调，她还以为是言语造成的效果，他相信这就是最好的方式。
He said, “Novi, why don’t I call you Sura?”
他说：“诺微，何不让我叫你苏拉呢？”
She looked up at him in sudden woe. “Oh, Master, do not do so.”
她抬头望向他，现出苦恼的神色。“喔，师傅，请不要这样做。”
“But Rufirant did so on that day that we met. I know you well enough now……”
“可是我们认识的那一天，鲁菲南就是这么叫你的。何况现在我跟你很熟了……”
“I know well he did so, Master. It be how a man speak to girl who have no man, no betrothed, who is--not complete. You say her previous. It is more honorable for me if you say ‘Novi’ and I be proud that you say so. And if I have not man now, I have master and I be pleased. I hope it be not offensive to you to say ‘Novi.”
“我很明白他系这样子叫我，师傅。一个女孩还没有男人，还没有订亲，还系……单独一个人，男人系这样叫她没错。如果你叫我诺微，我会更加光荣，我会感觉骄傲。虽然说我现在没有男人，但我有师傅，所以我快乐。我让你叫我诺微，希望你不会感觉生气。”
“It certainly isn’t, Novi.”
“当然不会，诺微。”
And her mind was beautifully smooth at that and Gendibal was pleased. Too pleased. Ought he to beso pleased?
她的心灵立时显得光润美丽，坚迪柏因此很高兴，简直是太高兴了。他应该感到那么高兴吗？
A little shamefacedly, he remembered that the Mule was supposed to have been affected in this manner by that woman of the First Foundation, Bayta Darell, to his own undoing.
他觉得有点不好意思，因为他想到，当年的骡应该就是如此受到影响，被那个第一基地女子贝泰·达瑞尔吸引，因而导致他的失败。
This, of course, was different. This Hamishwoman was his defense against alien minds and he wanted her to serve that purpose most efficiently.
自己的情形当然不同。这个阿姆女子是他抵御异类心灵的武器，他自然希望她能发挥最高的效率。
No, that was not true-- His function as a Speaker would be compromised if he ceased to understand his own mind or, worse, if he deliberately misconstrued it to avoid the truth. The truth was that it pleased him when she was calm and peaceful and happy endogenously--without his interference--and that it pleased him simply because she pleased him; and (he thought defiantly) there was nothing wrong with that.
不，这并非真正原因！如果他不再了解自己的心灵，甚至故意欺骗自己而回避现实，他就不配做一位发言者。他觉得欣慰的真正原因，是她在没有受到自己的影响下，就能显现出内生的平静、安详与愉悦。换句话说，他之所以欣慰，纯粹是由于她的表现，而这（坚迪柏在心中辩解）根本没有什么不对。
He said, “Sit down, Novi.”
他说：“坐下来吧，诺微。”
She did so, balancing herself precariously at the edge of the chair and sitting as far away as the confines of the room allowed. Her mind was flooded with respect.
她依言坐下，却坐在离坚迪柏最远的地方，而且只坐在椅子的最外缘。她心中盈溢着崇敬之情。
He said, “When you saw me making sounds, Novi, I was speaking at a long distance, scholar-fashion.”
他开始解释：“当你看到我发出声音的时候，诺微，我正在用学者的方式，跟很远的人在讲话。”
Novi said sadly, her eyes cast down, “I see, Master, that there be much to scowler-fashion I understand not and imagine not. It be difficult mountain-high art. I be ashamed to have come to you to be made scowler. How is it, Master, you did not be-laugh me?”
诺微突然难过起来，双眼凝视着地板。“我懂了，师傅。邪者的方式我有太多不了解，而且想象不到，那系像山一样高的技艺。我却来找你想要成为邪者，我感觉羞愧。师傅，为什么你不要嘲笑我？”
Gendibal said, “It is no shame to aspire to something even if it is beyond your reach. You are now too old to be made a scholar after my fashion, but you are never too old to learn more than you already know and to become able to do more than you already can. I will teach you something about this ship. By the time we reach our destination, you will know quite a bit about it.”
坚迪柏答道：“企望一些自己能力范围之外的事物，并没有什么好惭愧的。想要成为像我这样的学者，你现在已经来不及了，但你永远可以多学点新东西，多学点以前不会做的事。我将教你一些有关太空船的知识，等到我们抵达目的地，你就会对它了解不少。”
He felt delighted. Why not? He was deliberately turning his back on the stereotype of the Hamish people. What right, in any case, had the heterogeneous group of the Second Foundation to set up such a stereotype? The young produced by them were only occasionally suited to become high-level Second Foundationers themselves. The children of Speakers almost never qualified to be Speakers. There were the three generations of Linguesters three centuries ago, but there was always the suspicion that the middle Speaker of that series did not really belong. And if that were true, who were the people of the University to place themselves on so high a pedestal?
他感到心情愉快。这又有何不可？他有意要抛弃对阿姆人的成见。无论如何，多元化的第二基地成员，究竟有什么权利抱持如此成见？他们的下一代，只有少数适合担任重要职位；而发言者的子女，则几乎无人具备发言者的资格。三个世纪前，据说有祖孙三代皆为发言者的例子，但始终有人怀疑中间那位并非真正的发言者。果真如此的话，这些一直关在大学校园里、把自己摆到神坛上的人，到底算什么呢？
He watched Novi’s eyes glisten and was pleased that they did.
他看到诺微眼中闪出光芒，又因而感到欣慰。
She said, “I try hard to learn all you teach me, Master.”
她说：“我会努力学习你教我的全部，师傅。”
“I’m sure you will,” he said--and then hesitated. It occurred to him that, in his conversation with Compor, he had in no way indicated at any time that he was not alone. There was no hint of a companion.
“我相信你一定会的。”他说——然后犹豫起来，因为他突然想到，刚才和康普交谈的时候，始终没有提到自己并非单独行动，也未曾暗示自己另有同伴。
A woman could be taken for granted, perhaps; at least, Compor would no doubt not be surprised. --But a Hamishwoman?
带着一名女子同行，或许是理所当然的事，至少康普绝对不会大惊小怪。可是，一个阿姆女子？
For a moment, despite anything Gendibal could do, the stereotype reigned supreme and he found himself glad that Compor had never been on Trantor and would not recognize Novi as a Hamishwoman.
虽然坚迪柏早就想通了，既有的成见却再度主宰他的心灵。一时之间，他发觉自己竟然感到庆幸，康普从来没有到过川陀，因此不会认出诺微是阿姆人。
He shook it off. It didn’t matter if Compor knew or knew not--or if anyone did. Gendibal was a Speaker of the Second Foundation and he could do as he pleased within the constraints of the Seldon Plan--and no one could interfere.
他随即挥掉这个念头。康普知不知道并没有关系，任何人知道了都没有关系。自己是第二基地的发言者，只要行事不违背谢顿计划，他爱怎么做都行，没有任何人能干涉。
Novi said, “Master, once we reach our destination, will we part?”
诺微突然问道：“师傅，等我们到了目的地，我们会分离吗？”
He looked at her and said, with perhaps more force than he intended, “We will not be separated, Novi.”
坚迪柏双眼盯着她，他的语气或许比自己的预期更重了些。“我们不会分开的，诺微。”
And the Hamishwoman smiled shyly and looked for all the Galaxy as though she might have been--any woman.
这位阿姆女子露出羞答答的笑容，看起来跟银河中任何一个女人没有两样。