Chapter 15: Moss
第十五章 苔藓
66
66
Trevize looked grotesque in his space suit. The onlypart of him that remained outsideeeere his holsters not the onesthat he strapped around his hips ordinarily, but more substantial onesthat eere part of his suit. Carefully, he inserted the blaster in theright-hand holster, the neuronic whip in the left. Again, they had beenrecharged and this time, he thought grimly, nothing wouldtake them away from him.
穿上了太空衣的崔维兹看来奇形怪状，唯一露在外面的只有两个装武器的皮套——不是他通常系在臀部的那两个，而是太空衣本身附的坚固皮套。他小心地将手铣插入右侧皮套，再将神经鞭插在左侧。两件武器都已再度充电，而这一次，崔维兹忿忿地想，任何力量都别想将它们夺走。
Bliss smiled. "Are you going to carry weapons even on a world withoutair or Never mind! I won't question your decisions."
宝绮思带着微笑说：“你还是准备携带武器？这只是个没有空气和——算了！我再也不会质疑你的决定。”
Trevize said, "Good!" and turned to help Pelorat adjust his helmet,before donning his own.
“很好！”崔维兹说着，便转过身去帮裴洛拉特调整头盔，他自己的头盔则还没戴上。
Pelorat, who had never worn a space suit before, said, rather plaintively, "Will I really be able to breathe in this thing, Golan?"
裴洛拉特从未穿过太空衣，他可怜兮兮地问道：“我在这里面真能呼吸吗，葛兰？”
"I promise you," said Trevize.
“绝对可以。”崔维兹说。
Bliss watched as the final joints were sealed, her arm about Fallom'sshoulder. The young Solarian stared at the two space-suited figures inobvious alarm. She was trembling, and Bliss's arm squeezed her gentlyand reassuringly.
他们将最后的接缝合上的时候，宝绮思站在一旁观看，手臂揽着菲龙的肩膀。小索拉利人惊恐万分地瞪着两件撑起的太空衣，全身不停打颤。宝绮思的手臂温柔地紧搂着她，为她带来一点安全感。
The airlock door opened, and the two stepped inside, their bloatedarms waving a farewell. It closed. The mainlock door opened and theystepped clumsily onto the soil of a dead world.
气闸打开之后，两位“太空人”便走进去，同时伸出鼓胀的手臂挥手道别。接着气闸关闭，主闸门随即开启，于是他们拖着沉着的步伐，踏上一块死气沉沉的土地。
It was dawn. The sky was clear, of course, and purplish in color,but the sun had not yet risen. Along the lighter horizon where the sunwould come, there was a slight haze.
现在是黎明时分，不过太阳尚未升起。天空当然绝对晴朗，泛着一种、紫色的光芒。日出方向的地平线色彩较淡，看得出那一带有些薄雾。
Pelorat said, "It's cold."
裴洛拉特说：“天气很冷。”
"Do you feel cold?" said Trevize, with surprise. The suits were wellinsulated and if there was a problem, now and then, it was with thegetting rid of body heat.
“你觉得冷吗？”崔维兹讶异地问。太空衣的绝热效果百分之百，若说温度偶有不适，应该是内部温度过高，需要将体热排放出去。
Pebrat said, "Not at all, but look " His radioed voice soundedTrevize's ear, and his finger pointed.
裴洛拉特说：“一点也没有，可是你看——”他的声音透过无线电波传到崔维兹的耳朵，听来十分清楚。他一面说，一面伸出手指来指了一下。
In the purplish light of dawn, the crumbling stone front of thebuilding they were approaching was sheathed in hoar frost.
他们正向一座建筑物走去，在黎明的紫色曙光中，它斑驳的石质正面覆盖着一层白霜。
Trevize said, "With a thin atmosphere, it would get colder at nightthan you would expect, and warmer in the day. Right now it's the coldest part of the day and it should take several hours before it gets too hot for us to remain in the sun."
崔维兹说：“由于大气太稀薄，夜间会变得比你想像的更冷，白天则会非常炎热。现在正是一天之中最冷的时刻，还要再过好几小时，才会热得无法站在太阳底下。”
As though the word had been a cabalistic incantation, the rim of thesun appeared above the horizon.
他的话就像神秘的魔咒一样，才刚说完，太阳的外轮就出现在地平线上。
"Don't look at it," said Trevize conversationally. "Your face-plate isreflective and ultraviolet-opaque, but it would still be dangerous."
“别瞪着它看，”崔维兹不急不徐地说：“虽然你的面板会反光，紫外线也无法穿透，但那样做还是有危险。”
He turned his back to the rising sun and let his long shadow fall onthe building. The sunlight was causing the frost to disappear, even ashe watched. For a few moments, the wall looked dark with dampness andthen that disappeared, too.
他转身背对着冉冉上升的太阳，让细长的身影投射在那座建筑物上。由于阳光的出现，白霜在他眼前迅速消失。一会儿之后，墙壁因潮湿而颜色加深，但不久便完全晒干。
Trevize said, "The buildings don't look as good down here as theylooked from the sky. They're cracked and crumbling. That's the resultof the temperature change, I suppose, and of having the water tracesfreeze and melt each night and day for maybe as much as twenty thousandyears."
崔维兹说：“现在看起来，这些建筑物不像从空中看来那么完好，到处都有龟裂和剥离的痕迹。我想这是温度剧变造成的结果，而另一个原因，则是少量的水分夜晚冻结白天又融解，可能已经持续了两万年。”
Pelorat said, "There are letters engraved in the stone above theentrance, but crumbling has made them difficult to read."
裴洛拉特说：“入口处上方的石头刻了些字，可是已经斑驳得难以辨识。”
"Can you make it out, Janov?"
“你能不能认出来，詹诺夫？”
"A financial institution of some sort. At least I make out a wordwhich may be `bank.'"
“大概是某种金融机构，至少我认出好像有‘银行’两个宇。”
"What's that?"
“那是什么？”
"A building in which assets were stored, withdrawn, traded, invested,loaned if it's what I think it is."
“处理资产的贮存、提取、交易、投资、借贷等等业务的地方——如果我猜得没错的话。”
"A whole building devoted to it? No computers?"
“整座建筑物都用来做这个？没有电脑？”
"Without computers taking over altogether."
“没有完全被电脑取代。”
Trevize shrugged. He did not find the details of ancient history inspiring.
崔维兹耸了耸肩，他发现古代历史的细节没什么意思。
They moved about, with increasing haste, spending less time atsac build ing. The silence, the deadness , was completelydepressing. The slow millennial-long collapse into which they had intrudedmade the place seem like the skeleton of a city, with everything gonebut the bones.
他们四下走动，脚步越来越快，在每栋建筑物停留的时间也越来越短。此地一片死寂，令人感觉心情沉着到极点。经过数千年缓慢的崩溃过程，他们闯入的这座城市已变成一副残骸，除了枯骨之外什么都没留下。
They were well up in the temperate zone, but Trevize imagined hecould feel the heat of the sun on his back.
他们目前的位置是标准的温带，可是在崔维兹的想像中，他的背部能感受到太阳的热量。
Pelorat, about a hundred meters to his right, said sharply, "Lookat that."
站在崔维兹右侧约一百公尺处的裴洛拉特，突然高声叫道：“看那里！”
Trevize's ears rang. He said, "Don't shout, Janov. I can hear yourwhispers clearly no matter how far away you are. What is it?"
崔维兹的耳朵嗡嗡作响，他说：“不要吼，詹诺夫。不论你离我多远，我也听得清楚你的耳语。那是什么？”
Pelorat, his voice moderating at once, said, "This building is the`Hall of the Worlds.' At least, that's what I think the inscriptionreads."
裴洛拉特立刻降低音量说：“这栋建筑物叫作‘外世界会馆’，至少，我认为那些铭文是这个意思。”
Trevize joined him. Before them was a three-story structure, the lineof its roof irregular and loaded with large fragments of rock, as thoughsome sculptured object that had once stood there had fallen to pieces.
崔维兹走到他身边。他们面前是一栋三层楼的建筑，顶端的线条并不规则，而且堆了许多大块岩石碎片，仿佛那里原来竖着一座雕像，但早已倾塌得支离破碎。
"Are you sure?" said Trevize.
“你确定吗？”崔维兹说。
"If we go in, we'll find out."
“如果我们进去，就能知道答案。”
They climbed five low, broad steps, and crossed a space-wastingplaza. In the thin sir, their metal-shod footsteps made a whisperingvibration rather than a sound.
他们爬了五级低矮宽阔的台阶，又穿越一个过大的广场。在稀薄的空气中，他们的金属鞋踏在地上，只引起算不上脚步声的轻微震荡。
"I see what you mean by `large, useless, and expensive,'" mutteredTrevize.
“我明白你所谓‘大而无当、豪华奢侈’是什么意思了。”崔维兹喃喃说道。
They entered a wide and high hall, with sunlight shining through tallwindows and illuminating the interior too harshly where it struck andyet leaving things obscure in the shadow. The thin atmosphere scatteredlittle light.
他们走进一间宽广高耸的大厅，阳光从高处的窗口射进来。室内有阳光直射的部分过于刺眼，阴影部分却又过于昏暗，这是由于空气稀薄，几乎无法散射光线的缘故。
In the center was a larger than life-size human figure in what seemedto be a synthetic stone. One arm had fallen off. The other arm was crackedat the shoulder and Trevize felt that if he tapped it sharply that arm,too, would break off. He stepped back as though getting too near mighttempt him into such unbearable vandalism.
大厅中央有座比真人高大的人像，似乎是用合成石料制成。其中一只手臂已经脱落，另一只臂膀处也出现裂痕。崔维兹觉得如果用力一拍，那只手臂也缓螈刻脱离主体。于是他退了几步，仿佛担心如果过于接近，他会忍不住做出破坏艺术品的恶劣行为。
"I wonder who that is?" said Trevize. "No markings anywhere. Isuppose those who set it up felt that his fame was so obvious he neededno identification, but now " He felt himself in danger of growingphilosophical and turned his attention away.
“不晓得这人是谁？”崔维兹说：“到处都没有标示。我想当初竖立这座石像的那些人，认为他的名气实在太大，因此不需要任何识别文字。可是现在……”他发觉自己有越来越犬儒的危险，赶紧将注意力转移别处。
Pelorat was looking up, and Trevize's glance followed the angle ofPelorat's head. There were markings carvings on the wallwhich Trevize could not read.
裴洛拉特正抬着头向上看，崔维兹沿着他的目光望去，看到墙上有些标记——那是铭文，不过崔维兹完全看不懂。
"Amazing," said Pelorat. "Twenty thousand years old, perhaps, and,in here, protected somewhat from sun and damp, they're still legible."
“不可思议，”裴洛拉特说：“也许已经过了两万年，但是在这里，恰巧避开了阳光和湿气，它们仍可辨识。”
"Not to me," said Trevize.
“我可看不懂。”崔维兹说。
"It's in old script and ornate even for that. Let's seenow seven one two " His voice died away in amumble, and then he spoke up again. "There are fifty names listed andthere are supposed to have been fifty Spacer worlds and this is `The Hallof the Worlds.' I assume those are the names of the fifty Spacer worlds,probably in the order of establishment. Aurora is first and Solaria islast. If you'll notice, there are seven columns, with seven names inthe first six columns and then eight names in the last. It is as thoughthey had planned a seven-by-seven grid and then added Solaria after thefact. My guess, old chap, is that list dates back to before Solariawas terraformed and populated."
“那是种古老的字体，而且还是用美术字写的。让我来看看……七……一……二……”他的声音越来越小，突然又高声道：“一共列有五十个名字。据说外世界共有五十个，而这里又是外世界会馆，因此，我推测这些就是五十个外世界的名字。也许是根据创建的先后顺序排列，奥罗拉排第一，索拉利是最后一个。如果你仔细看，会发现它共有七行，前面六行各有七个名字，最后一行则有八个。好像他们原先计划排成七乘七的方阵，后来才将索拉利加上去。根据我的猜测，老弟，这份名单制作之初，索拉利尚未改造，上面还没有任何人居住。”
"And which one is this planet we're standing on? Can you tell?"
“我们现在踏在哪个世界上？你看得出来吗？”
Pelorat said, "You'll notice that e fifth one down in the thirdcolumn, the nineteenth in order, is inscribed in letters a little largerthan the others. The listers seem to have been self-centered enough togive themselves some pride of place. Besides……"
裴洛拉特说：“你可以注意到，第三行第五个，也就是排名第十九的世界，它的名字刻得比其他世界大些。名单制作者似乎相当自我中心，特别要突显他们自己的地位。此外……”
"What does the name read?"
“它的名字是什么？”
"As near as I can make out, it says Melpomenia. It's a name I'mtotally unfamiliar with."
“根据我所能做的最佳判断，它应该叫作‘梅尔波美尼亚’，这个名字我完全陌生。”
"Could it represent Earth?"
“有没有可能代表地球？”
Pelorat shook his head vigorously, but went unseen inside hishelmet. He said, "There are dozens of words used for Earth in the oldlegends. Gaia is one of them, as you know. So is Terra, and Erda, andso on. They're all short. I don't know of any long name used for it,or anything even resembling a short version of Melpomenia."
裴洛拉特使劲摇头，但由于被头盔罩住，所以摇也是白摇。“在古老的传说中，地球有好几十个不同的名称。盖娅是其中之一，这你是知道的，此外泰宁、尔达等等也是，它们一律都很简短。我不知道地球有较长的别名，甚至不知道有任何别名接近梅尔波美尼亚的简称。”
"Then we're standing on Melpomenia, and it's not Earth."
“那么，我们是在梅尔波美尼亚星上，而它并非地球。”
"Yes. And besides as I started to say earlier an evenbetter indication than the larger lettering is that e co-ordinates ofMelpomenia are given as 0, and you would expect co-ordinates tobe referred to one's own planet."
“没错。此外——其实我刚才正要说——除了字体较大，还有一项更好的佐证，就是梅尔波美尼亚的坐标是（O，O，O）。一般说来，这个坐标指的是自己的行星。”
"Co-ordinates?" Trevize sounded dumbfounded. "Th list gives thecoordinates, too?"
“坐标？”崔维兹愣了一下，“这份名单上也有坐标？”
"They give three figures for each and I presume those areco-ordinates. What else can they be?"
“每个世界旁边都有三个数字，我想那些就是坐标，否则还能是什么？”
Trevize did not answer. He opened a small compartment in the portionof the space suit that covered his right thigh and took out a compactdevice with wire connecting it o e compartment. He put it up tohis eyes and carefully focused it on the inscription on the wall, hissheathed fingers making a difficult job out of something wouldordinarily have been a moment's work.
崔维兹没有回答。他打开位于太空衣右股的一个小套袋，掏出一件与套袋有电线相连的精巧装置。他将那装置凑到眼前，对着墙上的铭文仔细调整焦距。通常这只需要几秒钟的时间，可是他的手指包在太空衣内，因此这件工作变得极为吃力。
"Camera?" asked Pelorat unnecessarily.
“照相机吗？”裴洛拉特这是多此一问。
"It will feed the image directly in o e ship's computer," saidTrevize.
“它能将影像直接输入太空船的电脑。”崔维兹答道。
He took several photographs from different angles; then said,"Wait! I've got to get higher. Help me, Janov."
他从不同角度拍了几张相片，然后说：“等一下！我得站高一点。帮我个忙，詹诺夫。”
Pelorat clasped his hands together, stirrup-fashion, but Trevize shookhis head. "Th won't support my weight. Get on your hands and knees."
裴洛拉特双手紧紧互握，做成马蹬状，崔维兹却摇了摇头。“那样无法支撑我的着量，你得趴下去。”
Pelorat did so, laboriously, and, as laboriously, Trevize, havingtucked e camera in o its compartment again, stepped on Pelorat'sshoulders and from them on to e pedestal of the statue. He tried torock the statue carefully to judge its firmness, then placed his footon one bent knee and used it as a base for pushing himself upward andcatching e armless shoulder. Wedging his toes against some unevennessat e chest, he lifted himself and, finally, after several grunts,managed to sit on the shoulder. To ose long-dead who had reveredthe statue and what it represented, what Trevize did would have seemedblasphemy, and Trevize was sufficiently influenced by that ought totry to sit lightly.
裴洛拉特吃力地依言照做，崔维兹将照相机塞回套袋，同样吃力地踏上裴洛拉特的肩头，再爬上石像的基座。他谨慎地摇了摇石像，测试它是否牢固，然后踩在石像弯曲的膝部，用它作踏脚石，身子向上一挺，抓到断臂的那个肩膀。他将脚尖嵌进石像胸前凹凸不平处，慢慢向上攀爬，喘了好几回之后，终于坐到石像肩膀上。对那些早已逝去的古人而言，这个石像是他们尊崇的对象，崔维兹的行为似乎可算一种亵渎。他越想越不对劲，因此尽量坐得轻点。
"You'll fall and hurt yourself," Pelorat called out anxiously.
“你会跌下来受伤的。”裴洛拉特忧心忡忡地叫道。
"I'm not going o fall and hurt myself, but you mightdeafen me." Trevize unslung his camera and focused once more. Severalmore photographs were taken and then he replaced e camera yet again andcarefully lowered himself till his feet touched the pedestal. He jumped tothe ground and the vibration of his contact was apparently the final push,for the still in act arm crumbled, and produced a small heap of rubbleat e foot of the statue. It made virtually no noise as it fell.
“我不会跌下来受伤，你却可能把我震聋。”说完，崔维兹再度取出照相机。拍了几张相片后，他又将照相机放回原处，小心翼翼地爬下来，直到双脚踏上基座，才纵身跃向地面。这下震动显然造成致命的一击，石像另一只手臂立刻脱落，在它脚旁跌成一小堆碎石。整个过程完全听不到一点声音。
Trevize froze, his first impulse being of finding a place o hidebefore the watchman came and caught him. Amazing, he ought afterward,how quickly one relives e days of one's childhood in a situationlike th when you've accidentally broken something looksimportant. It lasted only a moment, but it cut deeply.
崔维兹僵立在原处。他兴起的第一个冲动，竟是在管理员赶来抓人之前，尽快找个地方躲起来。真是难以想像，他事后回想，在这种情况下——不小心弄坏一件看似珍贵的东西——一个人怎么立刻就回到童年。这种感觉虽然只持续一下子，却触及了他的心灵深处。
Pelorat's voice was hollow, as befitted one who had witnessed andeven abetted an act of vandalism, but he managed to find words ofcomfort. "It's it's all right, Golan. It was about to come downby itself, anyway."
裴洛拉特的声音听来有气无力，像是自己目睹甚至教唆了一件破坏艺术品的行为。不过，他还是设法说些安慰的话：“这——这没什么关系，葛兰，反正它已经摇摇欲坠。”
He walked over to the pieces on the pedestal and floor as though hewere going to demonstrate the point, reached out for one of the largerfragments, and then said, "Golan, come here."
他走近碎石四散的基座与地板，仿佛想要证明这点。他刚伸出手来，准备捡起一块较大的碎片，却突然说：“葛兰，过来这里。”
Trevize approached and Pelorat, pointing at a piece of stone that hadclearly been the portion of the arm that had been joined to the shoulder,said, "What is this?"
崔维兹走过去，裴洛拉特指着地上一块碎石，它原来显然是那只完好手臂的一部分。“那是什么？”裴洛拉特问。
Trevize stared. There was a patch of fuzz, bright green incolor. Trevize rubbed it gently with his suited finger. It scraped offwithout trouble.
崔维兹仔细一看，那是片毛茸茸的东西，颜色是鲜绿色。他用包在太空衣中的手指轻轻一擦，毫下费力地将它刮掉了。
"It looks a lot like moss," he said.
“看起来非常像苔藓。”崔维兹说。
"The life-without-mind that you mentioned?"
“就是你所谓欠缺心灵的生命？”
"I'm not completely sure how far without mind. Bliss, I imagine,would insist that this had consciousness, too but she would claimthis stone also had it."
“我不完全确定它们欠缺心灵到什么程度。我猜想，宝绮思会坚持这东西也有意识——可是她会声称连这块石头也有意识。”
Pelorat said, "Do you suppose that moss stuff is what's crumblingthe rock?"
裴洛拉特说：“这块岩石所以会断裂，你认为是不是这些苔藓的缘故？”
Trevize said, "I wouldn't be surprised if it helped. The world hasplenty of sunlight and it has some water. Half what atmosphere it has iswater vapor. The rest is nitrogen and inert gases. Just a trace of carbondioxide, which would lead one to suppose there's no plant life butit could be that the carbon dioxide is low because it is virtually allincorporated into the rocky crust. Now if this rock has some carbonate init, perhaps this moss breaks it down by secreting acid, and then makesuse of the carbon dioxide generated. This may be the dominant remainingform of life on this planet."
崔维兹说：“说它们是帮凶我绝不怀疑。这个世界有充足的阳光，也有些水分，大气的一半都是水蒸气，此外还有氮气和惰性气体。可是二氧化碳却只有一点点，因此会使人误以为没有植物生命——但二氧化碳含量之所以这么低，也可能是因为几乎全并入了岩石表层。假使这块岩石含有一些碳酸盐，也许苔藓便会藉着分泌酸液使它分解，再利用所产生的二氧化碳。在这颗行星残存的生命中，它们可能是最主要的一种。”
"Fascinating," said Pelorat.
“实在有趣。”裴洛拉特说。
"Undoubtedly," said Trevize, "but only in a limited way. Theco-ordinates of the Spacer worlds are rather more interesting but whatwe really want are the co-ordinates of Earth . If they'renot here, they may be elsewhere in the building or in anotherbuilding. Come, Janov."
“的确如此，”崔维兹说：“可是趣味有限。外世界的坐标其实更有趣，但我们真正想要的是地球坐标。如果地球坐标不在这里，也许藏在这座建筑的其他角落，或是其他建筑物中。来吧，詹诺夫。”
"But you know……" began Pelorat.
“可是你知道……”裴洛拉特说。
"No, no," said Trevize impatiently. "We'll talk later. We've gotto see what else, if anything, this building can give us. It's gettingwarmer." He looked the small temperature reading on the back of his leftglove. "Come, Janov."
“好了，好了，”崔维兹下耐烦地说：“待会儿再说吧。我们必须找一找，看看这座建筑还能提供什么线索。气温越来越高了——”他看了看附在左手背上的小型温标，“来吧，詹诺夫。”
They tramped through the rooms, walking as gently as possible, notbecause they were making sounds in the ordinary sense, or because therewas anyone to hear them, but because they were a little shy of doingfurther damage through vibration.
他们拖着沉着的步伐一间一间寻找，尽可能将脚步放轻。这样做并非担心会发出声响，或是担心让别人听到，而是他们有点不好意思，唯恐引起震动而造成进一步的破坏。
They kicked up some dust, which moved a short way upward and settledquickly through the thin air, and they left footmarks behind them.
他们踢起一些尘埃，留下许多足迹。在稀薄的空气中，尘埃稍微扬起一点，便又迅速落回地面。
Occasionally, in some dim corner, one or the other would silentlypoint out more samples of moss that were growing. There seemed a littlecomfort in the presence of life, however low in the scale, somethingthat lifted the deadly, suffocating feel of walking through a dead world,especially one in which artifacts all about showed that once, long ago,it had been an elaborately living one.
偶尔经过某些阴暗的角落时，其中一人会默默指出更多正在蔓生的苔藓。发现此地有生命存在，不论层次多么低，似乎仍然令人感到一丝安慰。连带地，走在一个死寂世界所引发的可怕而令人窒息的感觉，也因此稍显舒缓。尤其像这样一个世界，四周到处是人类的遗迹，在在显示很久以前，此地曾经有过一段精致的文明。
And then, Pelorat said, "I think this must be a library."
然后，裴洛拉特说：“我想这里一定是个图书馆。”
Trevize looked about curiously. There were shelves and, as helooked more narrowly, what the corner of his eye had dismissed as mereornamentation, seemed as though they might well be book-films. Gingerly,he reached for one. They were thick and clumsy and then he realizedthey were only cases. He fumbled with his thick fingers to open one, andinside he saw several discs. They were thick, too, and seemed brittle,though he did not test that.
崔维兹好奇地四下张望，先是看到一些书架，细看之下，旁边原来以为只是装饰品的东西，奸像应该是书。他小心翼翼地想拿起一个，却发现它们又厚又着，才明白原来那些只是盒子。他笨手笨脚地打开一盒，看到里面有几片圆盘。那些圆盘也都很厚，他没伸手去摸，但它们似乎非常脆弱。
He said, "Unbelievably primitive."
“原始得难以置信。”他说。
"Thousands of years old," said Pelorat apologetically, as thoughdefending the old Melpomenians against the accusation of retardedtechnology.
“数千年前的东西嘛。”裴洛拉特以歉然的口气说，仿佛在帮古老的梅尔波美尼亚人辩护，驳斥对他们科技落后的指控。
Trevize pointed to the spine of the film where there were dimcurlicues of the ornate lettering that the ancients had used. "Is thatthe title? What does it say?"
崔维兹指着一支胶卷书的侧背，那里有些模糊不清的古代花体字。“这是书名吗？它叫什么？”
Pelorat studied it. "I'm not really sure, old man. I think one ofthe words refers to microscopic life. It's a word for `microorganism,' perhaps. I suspect these are technical microbiological terms which I wouldn't understand even in Standard Galactic."
裴洛拉特研究了一下。“我不很确定，老友。但我想其中有个字指的是微观生命，也许就是‘微生物’的意思。我猜这些是微生物学的专用术语，即使译成银河标准语我也不懂。”
"Probably," said Trevize morosely. "And, equally probably, itwouldn't do us any good even if we could read it. We're not interestedin germs. Do me a favor, Janov. Glance through some of these booksand see if there's anything there with an interesting title. While you'redoing that, I'll look over these book-viewers."
“有可能。”崔维兹懊丧地说：“即使我们读得懂，同样可能对我们没任何帮助，我们对细菌可没有兴趣——帮我个忙，詹诺夫，浏览一下这些书籍，看看是否有任何有趣的书名。你做这事的时候，我正好可以检查一下阅读机。”
"Is that what they are?" said Pelorat, wondering. They were squat,cubical structures, topped by a slanted screen and a curved extensionat the top that might serve as an elbow rest or a place on which to putan electro-notepad if they had had such on Melpomenia.
“这些就是阅读机吗？”裴洛拉特以怀疑的口吻说。他指的是一些矮胖的立方体，上面部有倾斜的屏幕，还有个弧形的突出部分，也许可以用来支撑手肘，或是放置电子笔记板——假如梅尔波美尼亚也有这种装置。
Trevize said, "If this is a library, they must have book-viewers ofone kind or another, and this seems as though it might suit."
崔维兹说：“假如这里是图书馆，就一定有某种阅读机，而这台机器看来似乎很像。”
He brushed the dust off the screen very gingerly and was relievedthat the screen, whatever it might be made of, did not crumble at histouch. He manipulated the controls lightly, one after another. Nothinghappened. He tried another book-viewer, then another, with the samenegative results.
他万分谨慎地将屏幕上的灰尘擦掉，立刻感到松了一口气，不论这个屏幕是什么材料做的，至少没有一碰之下便化成粉末。他轻轻拨弄着控制钮，一个接一个，结果什么反应都没有。他又改试其他的阅读机，换了一台又一台，却始终得不到任何结果。
He wasn't surprised. Even if the device were to remain in workingorder for twenty millennia in a thin atmosphere and was resistant towater vapor, there was still the question of the power source. Storedenergy had a way of leaking, no matter what was done to stop it. Thatwas another aspect of the all embracing, irresistible second law ofthermodynamics.
他并不惊讶，即使空气稀薄，这些装置又不受水蒸气的影响，以致两万年后还能维持正常功能，然而电力来源仍是一大问题。贮存起来的能量总有办法散逸，不论如何防止都没用。这个事实源自无所不在又无可抗拒的热力学第二定律。
Pelorat was behind him. "Golan?"
裴洛拉特来到他身后，唤道：“葛兰。”
"Yes."
“啊？”
"I have a book-film here……"
“我找到一支胶卷书……”
"What kind?"
“哪一类的？”
"I think it's a history of space flight."
“我想是有关太空飞行的历史。”
"Perfect but it won't do us any good if I can't make this viewerwork."His hands clenched in frustration.
“好极了——但我若是无法启动这台阅读机，它对我们就没有任何用处。”他双手紧捏成拳，显得十分沮丧。
"We could take the film back to the ship."
“我们可以把胶卷带回太空船去。”
"I wouldn't know how to adapt it to our viewer. It wouldn't fit andour scanning system is sure to be incompatible."
“我不知道怎样用我们的阅读机读它，根本装不进去，我们的扫描系统也一定不相容。”
"But is all that really necessary, Golan? If we……"
“但真有必要这么费事吗，葛兰？如果我们……”
"It is really necessary, Janov. Now don't interrupt me. I'm tryingto decide what to do. I can try adding power to the viewer. Perhaps thatis all it needs."
“的确有必要，詹诺夫。现在别打扰我，我正想要决定该怎么做。我可以试着给阅读机充点电，也许那是它唯一欠缺的。”
"Where would you get the power?"
“你要从哪里取得电力？”
"Well " Trevize drew his weapons, looked at them briefly, thensettled his blaster back into its holster. He cracked open his neuronicwhip, and studied the energy-supply level. It was at maximum.
“嗯——”崔维兹掏出那两件随身武器，看了几眼，又将手铣塞回皮套。然后他“啪”一声打开神经鞭的外壳，检查了一下能量供应指标，发现处于满载状态。
Trevize threw himself prone upon the floor and reached behind theviewer (he kept assuming that was what it was) and tried to push itforward. It moved a small way and he studied what he found in theprocess.
崔维兹趴到地板上，将手伸到阅读机背面（他一直假设那就是阅读机），试图将它往前推。那台机器向前移动了一点，他便开始研究他的新发现。
One of those cables had to carry the power supply and surely itwas the one that came out of the wall. There was no obvious plug orjoining. (How does one deal with an alien and ancient culture where thesimplest taken-for granted matters are made unrecognizable?)
其中一条电缆必定用来供应电源，当然就是连接到墙壁的那条，可是他找不到明显的插头或接头。（连最理所当然的事物都令人摸不着头脑，他该如何面对这个外星古文化？）
He pulled gently at the cable, then harder. He turned it one way,then the other. He pressed the wall in the vicinity of the cable, andthe cable in the vicinity of the wall. He turned his attention, as besthe could, to the half-hidden back of the viewer and nothing he could dothere worked, either.
他轻拉一下那条电缆，又稍微用力试了试，再将电缆转向一侧，接着又向另一侧转。他按了按电缆附近的墙壁，又压了压墙壁旁边的电缆。然后，他转移注意，开始努力研究阅读机的半隐藏式背面，结果一样徒劳无功。
He pressed one hand against the floor to raise himself and, as hestood up, the cable came with him. What he had done that had loosened it,he hadn't the slightest idea.
于是他单手按着地板准备起身，结果在身子站直的一瞬间，电缆被他拉了起来。究竟是哪个动作将它扯掉的，他自己也不知道。
It didn't look broken or torn away. The end seemed quite smooth andit had left a smooth spot in the wall where it had been attached.
电缆看来没有断开或被扯裂，末端似乎相当平整，它原来与墙壁连接的地方出现一个光滑的小圆洞。
Pelorat said softly, "Golan, may I "
裴洛拉特轻声说：“葛兰，我可不可……”
Trevize waved a peremptory arm at the other. "Not now, Janov. Please!"
崔维兹朝他断然挥了挥手。“现在别说话，詹诺夫，拜托！”
He was suddenly aware of the green material caking the creases on hisleft glove. He must have picked up some of the moss behind the viewerand crushed it. His glove had a faint dampness to it, but it dried ashe watched, and the greenish stain grew brown.
他突然发觉左手手套的皱褶黏着些绿色的东西，这一定是刚才从阅读机背面沾到的苔藓，而且被压碎了。那只手套因此有点潮湿，但在他眼前又很快干掉，绿色的斑点渐渐变成褐色。
He turned his attention toward the cable, staring at the detached endcarefully. Surely there were two small holes there. Wires could enter.
他将注意力转到电缆上，仔细观察被扯掉的那端。那里果然有两个小孔，可以容纳两条电线。
He sat on the floor again and opened the power unit of his neuronicwhip. Carefully, he depolarized one of the wires and clicked it loose. Hethen, slowly and delicately, inserted it into the hole, pushing it inuntil it stopped. When he tried gently to withdraw it again, it remainedput, as though it had been seized. He suppressed his first impulse toyank it out again by force. He depolarized the other wire and pushedit into the other opening. It was conceivable that would close thecircuit and supply the viewer with power.
他又坐到地板上，打开神经鞭的电源匣，小心翼翼拆除一条电线，再“咔答”一声将它扯开。然后他慢慢地、轻巧地将那根电线插进小孔，一直推到再也推不动为止。当他试着轻轻拉它出来的时候，竟然发现拉不动了，好像被什么东西抓住一样。他第一个反应是想用力拉它出来，不过总算按捺住这个冲动。他又拆下另一条电线，推进另一个开口。这样想必就能构成一个回路，可以将电力输到阅读机中。
"Janov," he said, "you've played about with book-films of allkinds. See if you can work out a way of inserting that book into theviewer."
“詹诺夫，”他说：“你看过各式各样的胶卷书，试试看有没有办法把那本书插进去。”
"Is it really nece……"
“真有必……”
"Please, Janov, you keep trying to ask unnecessary questions. We onlyhave so much time. I don't want o have to wait far into the night forthe building to cool off to the point where we can return."
“拜托，詹诺夫，你总是问些无关紧要的问题。我们只有这么一点时间，我可不要弄到三更半夜，温度低得受不了才能回去。”
"It must go in this way," said Janov, "but……"
“它一定是这么放，”裴洛拉特说：“可是……”
"Good," said Trevize. "If it's a history of space flight, then itwill have to begin with Earth, since it was on Earth that space flightwas invented. Let's see if this thing works now."
“好，”崔维兹说：“如果这是本太空飞行史，就一定会从地球谈起，因为太空飞行最早是在地球发明的——我们看看这玩意现在能否启动。”
Pelorat, a little fussily, placed the book-film into the obviousreceptacle and then began studying the markings on the various controlsfor any hint as to direction.
裴洛拉特将胶卷书放进显然是插口的地方，动作有点夸张。然后他开始研究各种控制键钮旁的标示，想找找有没有任何操作说明。
Trevize spoke in a low voice, while waiting, partly to ease his owntension. "I suppose there must be robots on this world, too here andthere in reasonable order to all appearances glistening in thenear-vacuum. The trouble is their power supply would long since have beendrained, too, and, even if repowered, what about their brains? Levers andgears might withstand the millennia, but what about whatever microswitchesor subatomic gizmos they had in their brains? They would have to havedeteriorated, and even if they had not, what would they know about Earth. Wwould they……"
在一旁等候的崔维兹低声道（部分原因是为了舒缓自己紧张的情绪）：“我想这个世界上一定也有机器人——到处都有；显然处于良好状况：在近乎真空的环境中闪闪发光。问题是它们的电力同样早已枯竭，即使重新充电，它们的脑部是否完好？杠杆和齿轮也许能维持好几千年，可是它们脑部的微型开关和次原子机簧呢？它们的脑子一定坏掉了，就算仍完好如初，它们对地球又知道多少？它们又……”
Pelorat said, "The viewer is working, old chap. See here."
裴洛拉特说：“阅读机开始工作了，老弟，看这里。”
In the dim light, the book-viewer screen began to flicker. It was onlyfaint, but Trevize turned up the power slightly on his neuronic whip andit grew brighter. The thin air about them kept the area outside the shaftsof sunlight comparatively dim, so that e room was faded and shadowy,and the screen seemed the brighter by contrast.
在昏暗的光线下，阅读机屏幕开始闪烁，不过光度相当微弱。崔维兹将神经鞭供应的电力稍微加强，屏幕随即转趋明亮。由于空气稀薄的缘故，太阳直射下到的地方都暗淡无光，因此室内一片蒙胧幽暗，屏幕在对比之下显得更为明亮。
It continued to flicker, with occasional shadows drifting acrossthe screen.
屏幕继续一闪一灭，偶尔还掠过一些阴影。
"It needs to be focused," said Trevize.
“需要调整一下焦距。”崔维兹说。
"I know," said Pelorat, "but this seems the best I can do. The filmitself must have deteriorated."
“我知道，”裴洛拉特说：“但这似乎是我能得到的最好结果，胶卷本身一定损坏了。”
The shadows came and went rapidly now, and periodically there seemedsomething like a faint caricature of print. Then, for a moment, therewas sharpness and it faded again.
现在阴影来去的速度变得很快，而且每隔一会儿，似乎就会出现一个类似漫画的模糊画面。后来画面一度转为清晰，随即再度暗淡下来。
"Get that back and hold it, Janov," said Trevize.
“倒转回去，保持在那个画面上，詹诺夫。”崔维兹说。
Pelorat was already trying. He passed it going backward, then againforward, and then got it and held it.
裴洛拉特已在试着那样做，但他倒回去太多，只好又向前播放，最后终于找到那个画面，将它褂讪在屏幕上。
Eagerly, Trevize tried to read it, then said, in frustration, "Canyou make it out, Janov?"
崔维兹急着想看看内容是什么，但随即以充满挫折的口吻说：“你读得懂吗，詹诺夫？”
"Not entirely," said Pelorat, squinting at the screen. "It's aboutAurora. I can tell that much. I think it's dealing with the firsthyperspatial expedition the `prime outpouring,' it says."
“不完全懂。”裴洛拉特一面说，一面眯着眼睛盯着屏幕。“是关于奥罗拉，这点我看得出来。我想它在讲述第一波的超空间远征——‘首度蜂拥’，上面这么写着。”
He went forward, and it blurred and shadowed again. He said finally,"All the pieces I can get seem to deal with the Spacer worlds,Golan. There's nothing I can find about Earth."
他继续往下看，可是画面又变得模糊暗淡。最后他终于说：“我所看得懂的片断，似乎全是有关外世界的事迹，我找不到任何有关地球的记载。”
Trevize said bitterly, "No, there wouldn't be. It's all been wipedout on this world as it has on Trantor. Turn the thing off."
崔维兹苦涩地说：“没有，不会有的。就像川陀一样，这个世界上的地球资料已清除殆尽——把这东西关掉吧。”
"But it doesn't matter……" began Pelorat, turning it off.
“可是没有关系……”裴洛拉特一面说，一面关掉阅读机。
"Because we can try other libraries? It will be wiped out there,too. Everywhere. Do you know " He had looked at Pelorat as he spoke,and now he stared at him with a mixture of horror and revulsion. "What's wrong with your face-plate?" he asked.
“因为我们可以去别的图书馆碰碰运气？别的地方也被清干净了，每个地方都一样。你可知道——”崔维兹说话时一直望着裴洛拉特，现在却突然瞪大眼睛，脸上露出惊恶交集的表情。“你的面板是怎么回事？”他问道。
67
67
Pelorat automatically lifted his gloved hand to hisface-plate and then took it away and looked at it.
裴洛拉特自然而然举起戴着手套的手，摸了摸自己的面板，又将那只手伸到眼前。
"W is it?" he said, puzzled. Then, he looked at Trevize and wenton, rather squeakily, "There's something peculiar about your face-plate, Golan."
“这是什么东西？”他的声音充满困惑。然后，他望着崔维兹，大惊小敝地叫道：“你的面板上也有些奇怪的东西，葛兰。”
Trevize looked about automatically for a mirror. There was none and hewould need a light if there were. He muttered, "Come into the sunlight,will you?"
崔维兹第一个反应就是想找面镜子照一照，可是附近根本找不到，即使真的有，也还需要一盏灯光。他喃喃说道：“到有阳光的地方去，好吗？”
He half-led, half-pulled Pelorat into the shaft of sunlight fromthe nearest window. He could feel its warmth upon his back despite theinsulating effect of the space suit.
崔维兹半推半拉着裴洛拉特，来到最近的一扇窗户旁，两人置身在一束阳光下。虽然太空衣有良好的绝热效果，他的背部仍能感到阳光的热度。
He said, "Look toward the sun, Janov, and close your eyes."
他说：“面对着太阳，詹诺夫，把眼睛闭上。”
It was at once clear what was wrong with the face-plate. There wasmoss growing luxuriantly where the glass of the face-plate met themetallized fabric of the suit itself. The face-plate was rimmed withgreen fuzziness and Trevize knew his own was, too.
他立刻看出裴洛拉特的面板出了什么问题。在玻璃面板与金属化太空衣的接合处，正繁殖着茂密的苔藓，以致面板周围多了一圈绿色的绒毛。崔维兹明白，自己的情形也完全一样。
He brushed a finger of his glove across the moss on Pelorat'sface-plate. Some of it came off, the crushed green staining theglove. Even as he watched it glisten in the sunlight, however, it seemedto grow stiffer and drier. He tried again, and this time, the mosscrackled off. It was turning brown. He brushed the edges of Pelorat'sface-plate again, rubbing hard.
他用带着手套的一根手指头，在裴洛拉特的面板四周刮了一下，苔藓随即掉落一些，绿色的碎层都沾在他的手套上。崔维兹将它们摊在阳光下，看得出它们虽然闪闪发后，却似乎很快就变硬变干。他又试了一次，这回苔藓变得又干又脆，一碰就掉，而且渐渐转为褐色。于是，他开始用力擦拭裴洛拉特的面板周围。
"Do mine, Janov," he said. Then, later, "Do I look clean? Good,so do you. Let's go. I don't think there's more to do here."
“也帮我这样做，詹诺夫。”一会儿之后，他又问道：“我看来干净了吗？很好，你也一样。我们走吧，我认为这里没有再待下去的必要。”
The sun was uncomfortably hot in the deserted airless city. The stonebuildings gleamed brightly, almost achingly. Trevize squinted as helooked at them and, as far as possible, walked on the shady side of thethoroughfares. He stopped at a crack in one of the building fronts, onewide enough to stick his little finger into, gloved as it was. He did justthat, looked at it, muttered, "Moss," and deliberately walked to the endof the shadow and held that finger out in the sunlight for a while.
在这个没有空气的废城里，太阳的热度已经使人难以忍受。石造建筑物映着后闪闪的光芒，几乎会刺痛人的眼睛。崔维兹眯起眼来才敢逼视那些建筑，而且尽可能走在街道有阴影的一侧。他在某个建筑物正面的一道裂缝前停下脚步，那道裂缝相当宽，足以让他带着手套的小指伸进去。他把手指伸进去，再抽回来一看，喃喃说道：“苔藓。”然后，他刻意走到阴影的尽头，将沾着苔藓的小指伸出来，在阳光下曝晒了一会儿。
He said, "Carbon dioxide is the bottleneck. Anywhere they canget carbon dioxide decaying rock anywhere it willgrow. We're a good source of carbon dioxide, you know, probably richerthan anything else on this nearly dead planet, and I suppose traces ofthe gas leak out at the boundary of the face-plate."
他说：“二氧化碳是个关键，能得到二氧化碳的地方——腐朽的岩石也好，任何地方都好——它们都有办法生长。我们会产生大量的二氧化碳，你知道，也许还是这颗垂死行星上最丰富的二氧化碳源。我想，这种气体有少部分从面板边缘漏了出去。”
"So the moss grows there."
“所以苔藓会在那里生长。”
"Yes."
“对。”
It seemed a long walk back to the ship, much longer and, of course,hotter than the one they had taken at dawn. The ship was still in theshade when they got there, however; that much Trevize had calculatedcorrectly, at least.
返回太空艇的路途似乎很长，比黎明时分所走的那段路长得多，当然也炎热许多。不过当他们到达太空艇后，发现它仍处于阴影之下，这一点，崔维兹的计算至少是正确的。
Pelorat said, "Look!"
裴洛拉特说：“你看！”
Trevize saw. The boundaries of the mainlock were outlined in greenmoss.
崔维兹看到了，主闸门边缘围着一圈绿色的苔藓。
"More leakage?" said Pelorat.
“那里也在漏？”袭洛拉特问。
"Of course. Insignificant amounts, I'm sure, but this moss seems tobe a better indicator of trace amounts of carbon dioxide than anything Iever heard of. Its spores must be everywhere and wherever a few moleculesof carbon dioxide are to be found, they sprout." He adjusted his radiofor ship's wavelength and said, "
“当然啦。我确定只有一点点，不过这种苔藓似乎是微量二氧化碳的最佳指标，我从未听过有什么仪器比它们更灵敏。它们的孢子一定无所不在，哪怕只有几个二氧化碳分子的地方，那些孢子也会萌芽。”他将无线电调整到太空艇用的波长，又说：“宝绮思，你能听到吗？”
Bliss, can you hear me?"Bliss's voice sounded in both sets of ears. "Yes. Are you ready tocome in? Any luck?"
宝绮思的声音在他们两人耳中响起。“可以，你们准备进来了吗？有什么收获吗？”
"We're just outside," said Trevize, "but don't openthe lock. We'll open it from out here. Repeat, don't openthe lock."
“我们就在外面。”崔维兹说：“可是千万别打开气闸，我们会由外面开启。着复一遍，千万别打开气闸。”
"Why not?"
“为什么？”
"Bliss, just do as I ask, will you? We can have a long discussionafterward."
“宝绮思，你先照我的话做，好不好？等一下我们可以好好讨论。”
Trevize brought out his blaster and carefully lowered, its intensity tominimum, then gazed at it uncertainly. He had never used it at minimum. Helooked about him. There was nothing suitably fragile to test it on.
崔维兹拔出手铣，仔细地将强度调到最低，然后瞪着这柄武器，显得犹豫不决，因为他从未用过最低强度。他环顾四周，却找不到较脆弱的物体当试验品。
In sheer desperation, he turned it on the rocky hillside inwhose shadow the Far Star lay. The target didn't turnred-hot. Automatically, he felt the spot he had hit. Did it feel warm? Hecouldn't tell with any degree of certainty through the insulated fabricof his suit.
在无可奈何的情况下，他将手铣瞄准旁边的岩质山丘，远星号便是栖息在那山丘的阴影下——结果目标并未变得红热。他很自然地摸了摸射中的部位——有温热的感觉吗？由于穿着绝热质料的太空衣，他一点也无法确定。
He hesitated again, then thought that the hull of the ship would be asresistant, within an order of magnitude at any rate, as the hillside. Heturned the blaster on the rim of the lock and flicked the contact briefly,holding his breath.
他又迟疑了一下，然后想到，太空艇外壳的抗热能力，无论如何应与山丘处于同一数量级。于是他将手铣对准闸门外缘，很快按了一下扳机，同时屏住了气息。
Several centimeters of the moss-like growth browned at once. He wavedhis hand in the vicinity of the browning and even the mild breeze set upin the thin air in this way sufficed to set the light skeletal remnantsthat made up the brown material to scattering.
几公分范围内的苔藓类植物，立坑诩变成黄褐色。他抬手在变色的苔藓附近挥了一下，稀薄的空气中便产生一丝微风，但即使是一丝微风，也足以将这些焦黄的残渣吹得四散纷飞。
"Does it work?" said Pelorat anxiously.
“有效吗？”裴洛拉特焦切地问道。
"Yes, it does," said Trevize. "I turned the blaster into a mildheat ray."
“的确有效，”崔维兹说：“我将手铣调成低能量的热线。”
He sprayed the heat all around the edge of the lock and the greenvanished at the touch. All of it. He struck the mainlock to create avibration that would knock off what remained and a brown dust fell to theground a dust so fine that it even lingered in the thin atmosphere,buoyed up by wisps of gas.
他开始沿着气闸周围喷洒热线，那些鲜绿的附着物随即变色，再也不见一丝绿意。然后他敲了敲主闸门，将残留的附着物震下，一团褐色的灰尘便飘落地面——由于这团灰尘实在太细，被微量的气体一托，还在稀薄的空气中飘荡许久。
"I think we can open it now," said Trevize, and, using his wristcontrols, he tapped out the emission of the radio-wave combination thatactivated the opening mechanism from inside. The lock gaped and hadnot opened more than halfway when Trevize said, "Don't dawdle, Janov,get inside. Don't wait for the steps. Climb in."
“我想现在可以打开闸门了。”崔维兹说完，便用手腕上的控制器拍出一组无线电波密码，从太空艇内部启动开启机制，闸门随即出现一道隙缝。等到闸门打开一半时，崔维兹说：“不要浪费时间，詹诺夫，赶快进去——别等踏板了，爬进去吧。”
Trevize followed, sprayed the rim of the lock with his toned-downblaster. He sprayed the steps, too, once they had lowered. He thensignaled the close of the lock and kept on spraying till they weretotally enclosed.
崔维兹自己紧跟在后，还一直用调低强度的手铣喷着闸门边缘，随后放下的踏板也依样消毒一遍。然后他才发出关闭闸门的讯号，同时继续喷洒热线，直到闸门完全关闭为止。
Trevize said, "We're in the lock, Bliss. We'll stay here a fewminutes. Continue to do nothing!"
崔维兹说：“我们已经进了气闸，宝绮思。我们会在这里待几分钟，你还是什么都别做！”
Bliss's voice said, "Give me a hint. Are you all right? How isPel?"
宝绮思的声音传了过来。“给我一点提示，你们都还好吗？裴怎么样？”
Pel said, "I'm here, Bliss, and perfectly well. There's nothing toworry about."
裴洛拉特说：“我在这里，宝绮思，而且好得很，没什么好担心的。”
"If you say so, Pel, but there'll have to be explanations later. Ihope you know that."
“你这么说就好，裴，可是待会儿一定要有个解释，我希望你了解这一点。”
"It's a promise," said Trevize, and activated the lock light.
“一言为定。”崔维兹说着打开气闸中的灯光。
The two space-suited figures faced each other.
两个穿着太空衣的人面对面站着。
Trevize said, "We're pumping out all the planetary air we can, solet's just wait till that's done."
崔维兹说道：“我们要将这个行星的空气尽量抽出去，所以我们得耐心等一会儿。”
"What about the ship air? Are we going to let that in?"
“太空船的空气呢？要不要放进来？”
"Not for a while. I'm as anxious to get out of the space suit as youare, Janov. I just want to make sure that we get rid of any spores thathave entered with us or upon us."
“暂时不要。我跟你一样急着挣脱这套太空衣，詹诺夫。但我先要确定我们完全排除了跟我们一块进来，或是黏在我们身上的孢子。”
By the not entirely satisfactory illumination of the lock light,Trevize turned his blaster on the inner meeting of lock and hull,spraying the heat methodically along the floor, up and around, and backto the floor.
藉着气闸灯光差强人意的照明作用，崔维兹将手铣对准闸门与艇体的内侧接缝，很有规律地先沿着地板喷洒热线，然后向上走，绕了一圈后又回到地板。
"Now you, Janov."
“现在轮到你了，詹诺夫。”
Pelorat stirred uneasily, and Trevize said, "You may feel warm. Itshouldn't be any worse than that. If it grows uncomfortable, just sayso."
裴洛拉特不安地扭动了一下，崔维兹又说：“你大概会感到有点热，但应该不会有更糟的感觉。如果你开始觉得不舒服，说一声就行了。”
He played the invisible beam over the face-plate, the edgesparticularly, then, little by little, over the rest of the space suit.
他将不可见的光束对准裴洛拉特的面板喷洒，尤其是边缘部分，然后一步步扩及太空衣其他部分。
He muttered, "Lift your arms, Janov." Then, "Rest your arms on myshoulder, and lift one foot I've got to do the soles nowthe other. Are you getting too warm?"
“抬起两只手臂，詹诺夫。”他喃喃地发号施令，接着又说：“把双臂放到我的肩膀上广抬起一条腿来，我必须清理你的鞋底。现在换另一只脚——你觉得太热吗？”
Pelorat said, "I'm not exactly bathed in cool breezes, Golan."
裴洛拉特说：“不怎么像沐浴在凉风中，葛兰。”
"Well, then, give me a taste of my own medicine. Go over me."
“好啦，现在让我尝尝自己的处方是什么滋味，帮我全身也喷一喷。”
"I've never held a blaster."
“我从来没拿过手铣。”
"You must hold it. Grip it so, and, with your thumb, pushthat little knob and squeeze the holster tightly. Right. Nowplay it over my face-plate. Move it steadily, Janov, don't let it lingerin one place too long. Over the rest of the helmet, then down the cheekand neck."
“你一定要拿住，像这样抓紧，用你的拇指按这个小按钮——同时用力压紧皮套，对，就是这样。现在对着我的面板喷，不停地慢慢移动，詹诺夫，别在一处停留太久。再对着头盔其他部分喷，然后往下走，对准面颊和颈部。”
He kept up the directions, and when he had been heated everywhereand was in an uncomfortable perspiration as a result, he took back theblaster and studied the energy level.
崔维兹不断下着命令，当他全身都被喷得热呼呼，出了一身又黏又腻的汗水之后，他才将手铣收回来，检查了一下能量指标。
"More than half gone," he said, and sprayed the interior of thelock methodically, back and forth over the wall, till the blaster wasemptied of its charge, having itself heated markedly through its rapidand sustained discharge. He then restored it to its holster.
“已经用掉一大半。”说完，他开始很有系统地喷洒气闸内部，每面舱壁都来回喷了好几遍。直到手铣电力用罄，而且由于迅速持久的放电变得烫手，他才将手铣收回皮套中。
Only then did he signal for entry into the ship. He welcomed thehiss and feel of air coming into the lock as the inner door opened. Itscoolness and its convective powers would carry off the warmth of the spacesuit far more quickly than radiation alone would do. It might have beenimagination, but he felt the cooling effect at once. Imagination or not,he welcomed that, too.
此时，他才发出进入太空艇的讯号。内门打开时，立刻传来一阵嘶嘶声，空气随即涌入气闸，令他精神为之一振。空气的清凉以及对流的作用，能将太空衣的热量急速带走，效率比单纯的辐射高出许多倍。他的确马上感到冷却效果，也许那只是一种想像，然而不论想像与否，他都十分欢迎这种感觉。
"Off with your suit, Janov, and leave it out here in the lock,"said Trevize.
“脱掉你的太空衣，詹诺夫，把它留在气闸里面。”崔维兹说。
"If you don't mind," said Pelorat, "a shower is what I would like tohave before anything else."
“如果你不介意的话，”裴洛拉特说：“我想做的第一件事，就是好好冲一个澡。”
"Not before anything else. In fact, before that, and before you canempty your bladder, even, I suspect you will have to talk to Bliss."
“那不是第一优先。事实上，在此之前，甚至在你抒解膀胱压力之前，恐怕你得先跟宝绮思谈一谈。”
Bliss was waiting for them, of course, and with a look of concern onher face. Behind her, peeping out, was Fallom, with her hands clutchingfirmly at Bliss's left arm.
宝绮思当然在等待他们，脸上流露出关切的神情。菲龙则躲在她后面探头探脑，双手紧紧抓住宝绮思的左臂。
"What happened?" Bliss asked severely. "What's been going on?"
“发生了什么事？”宝绮思以严厉的口吻问道：“你们到底在做什么？”
"Guarding against infection," said Trevize dryly, "so I'll be turningon the ultraviolet radiation. Break out the dark glasses. Please don't delay."
“为了预防传染病，”崔维兹以讽刺的口吻答道。“所以我要打开紫外辐射灯。取出墨镜戴上，请勿耽搁时间。”
With ultraviolet added to the wall illumination, Trevize took offhis moist garments one by one and shook them out, turning them in onedirection and another.
等到紫外线加入壁光之后，崔维兹将湿透的衣服一件件脱下来，每件都用力甩了甩，还拿在手中翻来覆去转了半天。
"Just a precaution," he said. "You do it, too, Janov. And,Bliss, I'll have to peel altogether. If that will make you uncomfortable,step into the next room."
“只是为了预防万一，”他说：“你也这样做，詹诺夫——还有，宝绮思，我全身都得剥个精光，如果那会让你不自在，请到隔壁舱房去。”
Bliss said, "It will neither make me uncomfortable, nor embarrass me. Ihave a good notion of what you look like, and it will surely present mewith nothing new. What infection?"
宝绮思说：“我既不会不自在，也绝不会尴尬。你的模样我心里完全有数，我当然不会看到什么新鲜东西——是什么样的传染病？”
"Just a little something that, given its own way," said Trevize, witha deliberate air of indifference, "could do great damage to humanity,I think."
“只是些小东西，但如果任其自由发展的话，”崔维兹故意用轻描淡写的语气说：“会给人类带来极大的灾害，我这么想。”
68
68
It was all done. The ultraviolet light had done itspart. Officially, according to the complex films of information andinstructions that had come with the Far Star when Trevize hadfirst gone aboard back on Terminus, the light was there preciselyfor purposes of disinfection. Trevize suspected, however, that thetemptation was always there, and sometimes yielded to, to use it fordeveloping a fashionable tan for those who were from worlds where tanswere fashionable. The light was, however, disinfecting, however used.
一切终于告一段落，紫外辐射灯也已功成身退。当初在端点星，崔维兹首度踏上远星号的时候，太空艇中就备有许多操作说明与指导手册，根据这些录成胶卷的复杂说明，紫外辐射灯的用途正是消毒杀菌。不过崔维兹想到，如果乘客来自流行日光浴的世界，这种装置会构成一种诱惑，让人想用它将皮肤晒成时髦的古铜色，而且想必有人会这么做。不过无论如何使用，这种光线总是具有消毒杀菌的效果。
They took the ship up into space and Trevize maneuvered it as closeto Melpomenia's sun as he might without making them all unpleasantlyuncomfortable, turning and twisting the vessel so as to make sure thatits entire surface was drenched in ultraviolet.
此时太空艇已进入太空，崔维兹尽量朝梅尔波美尼亚的太阳接近，在不使大家感到难过的前提下，让太空艇在半空翻腾扭转，以确定外壳全部受到紫外线的充分照射。
Finally, they rescued the two space suits that had been left in thelock and examined them until even Trevize was satisfied.
最后，他们才将弃置在气闸中的两套太空衣救回来，并且做了详细检查，直到连崔维兹都满意为止。
"All that," said Bliss, at last, "for moss. Isn't that what you saidit was, Trevize? Moss?"
“如此大费周章，”宝绮思终于忍不住说道：“只是为了苔藓。你是不是这么说的，崔维兹？苔藓？”
"I call it moss," said Trevize, "because that's what it reminded meof. I'm not a botanist, however. All I can say is that it's intenselygreen and can probably make do on very little light-energy."
“我管它们叫苔藓，”崔维兹说：“是因为它们使我联想到那种植物。然而，我并不是植物学家。我所能做的描述，只是它们的绿色鲜艳异常，也许能藉着非常少的光能生存。”
"Why very little?"
“为什么是非常少的光能？”
"The moss is sensitive to ultraviolet and can't grow, or even survive,in direct illumination. Its spores are everywhere and it grows in hiddencorners, in cracks in statuary, on the bottom surface of structures,feeding on the energy of scattered photons of light wherever there isa source of carbon dioxide."
“那些苔藓对紫外线极敏感，不能在阳光直射的场所生长，甚至无法存活。它们的孢子散布各处，而在阴暗的角落、雕像的裂缝中、建筑物的基部表面，只要是有二氧化碳的地方，它们都能生长繁殖，靠着散射光子携带的能量维生。”
Bliss said, "I take it you think they're dangerous."
宝绮思说：“我觉得你认为它们有危险。”
"They might well be. If some of the spores were clinging to us when weentered, or swirled in with us, they would find illumination in plentywithout the harmful ultraviolet. They would find ample water and anunending supply of carbon dioxide."
“很有可能。假如我们进来的时候，有些孢子附着在我们身上，或者被我们卷进来，它们会发现这里的光线充足，又不含有害的紫外线，此外还有大量水分，以及源源不绝的二氧化碳。”
"Only 0.03 percent of our atmosphere," said Bliss.
“我们空气中的二氧化碳含量，只有百分之零点零三。”宝绮思说。
"A great deal to them and 4 percent in our exhaled breath. Whatif spores grew in our nostrils, and on our skin? What if they decomposedand destroyed our food? What if they produced toxins that killed us? Evenif we labored to kill them but left some spores alive, they would beenough, when carried to another world by us, to infest it, and from therebe carried to other worlds. Who knows what damage they might do?"
“对它们而言太丰富了——我们呼出的空气则含有百分之四。万一孢子在我们鼻孔或皮肤生长呢？万一它们分解破坏我们的食物呢？万一它们制造出致命的毒素呢？即使我们千辛万苦将它们消灭，只要还有少数孢子存活，被我们带到另一颗行星后，它们也足以长满那个世界，再从那里转移到其他世界。谁知道它们会造成多大灾害？”
Bliss shook her head. "Life is not necessarily dangerous because itis different. You are so ready to kill."
宝绮思摇了摇头。“一种不同形式的生命，不一定就代表有危险，你太轻易杀生了。”
"That's Gaia speaking," said Trevize.
“这是盖娅说的话。”崔维兹说。
"Of course it is, but I hope I make sense, nevertheless. The moss isadapted to the conditions of this world. Just as it makes use of lightin small quantities but is killed by large; it makes use of occasionaltiny whiffs of carbon dioxide and may be killed by large amounts. Itmay not be capable of surviving on any world but Melpomenia."
“当然是，但我希望你认为我说得有理。那些苔藓刚好适应这个世界的环境，正因为少量的光线对它们有利，大量的光线却会杀死它们：同理，它们能利用偶尔飘来的几丝二氧化碳，但太多也许就缓箢它们死亡。所以说，可能除了梅尔波美尼亚之外，它们无法在其他世界生存。”
"Would you want me to take a chance on that?" demanded Trevize.
“你要我在这件事上赌运气吗？”崔维兹追问。
Bliss shrugged. "Very well. Don't be defensive. I see your point. Beingan Isolate, you probably had no choice but to do what you did."
宝绮思耸了耸肩。“好啦，别生气，你的立场我明白。身为孤立体，你除了那样做，也许根本没有其他选择。”
Trevize would have answered, but Fallom's clear high-pitched voicebroke in, in her own language.
崔维兹正想回嘴，可是菲龙清脆、高亢的声音突然插进来，说的竟是她自己的语言。
Trevize said to Pelorat, "What's she saying?"
崔维兹问裴洛拉特：“她在说些什么？”
Pelorat began, "What Fallom is saying……"
裴洛拉特答道：“菲龙说的是……”
Fallom, however, as though remembering a moment too late that herown language was not easily understood, began again. "Was there Jembythere where you were?"
然而，菲龙仿佛这才想起她的母语不容易懂，遂改口说：“你们在那里有没有看到健比在那里？”
The words were pronounced meticulously, and Bliss beamed. "Doesn'tshe speak Galactic well? And in almost no time."
她的发音咬字十分仔细，宝绮思高兴得露出微笑。“她的银河标准语是不是说得很好？几乎没花什么时间学。”
Trevize said, in a low voice, "I'll mess it up if I try, but youexplain to her, Bliss, that we found no robots on the planet."
崔维兹低声道：“要是由我讲会越讲越糊涂，还是你跟她解释吧，宝绮思，说我们没在那颗行星上发现机器人。”
"I'll explain it," said Pelorat. "Come, Fallom." He placed a gentlearm about the youngster's shoulders. "Come to our room and I'll get youanother book to read."
“我来解释，”裴洛拉特说：“来吧，菲龙。”他用一只手臂温柔地搂住那孩子的肩头，“到我们的舱房来，我拿另一本书给你看。”
"A book? About Jemby?"
“书？关于健比的吗？”
"Not exactly " And the door closed behind them.
“不能算是……”舱门便在他们身后关上了。
"You know," said Trevize, looking after them impatiently, "we wasteour time playing nursemaid to that child."
“你可知道，”崔维兹一面不耐烦地目送他们的背影，一面说：“我们扮演这孩子的保姆，简直是在浪费时间。”
"Waste? In what way does it interfere with your search for Earth,Trevize? In no way. Playing nursemaid establishes communication,however, allays fear, supplies love. Are these achievements nothing?"
“浪费时间？这样做哪里妨碍到你寻找地球了，崔维兹？完全没有。反之，扮演保姆可以建立沟通管道，减轻她的恐惧，带给她关爱，这些成就难道一点都不值得吗？”
"That's Gaia speaking again."
“这又是盖娅说的话。”
"Yes," said Bliss. "Let us be practical, then. We have visited threeof the old Spacer worlds and we have gained nothing."
“没错。”宝绮思说：“那么让我们谈点实际的。我们造访了三个古老的外世界，结果一无所获。”
Trevize nodded. "True enough."
崔维兹点了点头。“十分正确。”
"In fact, we have found each one dangerous, haven't we? On Aurora,there were feral dogs; on Solaria, strange and dangerous human beings;on Melpomenia, a threatening moss. Apparently, then, when a world isleft to itself, whether it contains human beings or not, it becomesdangerous to the Interstellar community."
“事实上，我们发现每个世界都相当凶险，对不对？在奥罗拉上有凶猛的野狗；在索拉利上有怪异危险的人类：而在梅尔波美尼亚上，则存在着具有潜在威胁的苔藓。这显然代表说，一个世界一旦孤立起来，不论上面有没有人类，都会对星际社会构成威胁。”
"You can't consider, that a general rule."
“你不能将这点视为通则。”
"Three out of three certainly seems impressive."
“三次全都应验，由不得你不信。”
"And how does it impress you, Bliss?"
“你相信的又是什么呢，宝绮思？”
"I'll tell you. Please listen to me with an open mind. If you havemillions of interacting worlds in the Galaxy, as is, of course, theactual case, and if each is made up entirely of Isolates, as they are,then on each world, human beings are dominant and can force their willon nonhuman life-forms, on the inanimate geological background, andeven on each other. The Galaxy is, then, a very primitive and fumblingand misfunctioning Galaxia. The beginnings of a unit. Do you see whatI mean?"
“我会告诉你，但请敞开胸怀听我说。如果银河中有数千万个互动的世界，当然这也是实际情形；每一个都由孤立体组成，事实上也正是如此，那么在每个世界上，人类都居于主宰的地位，能将他们的意志加在非人生命型态上、加在无生命的地理环境上，甚至加诸彼此身上。所以说，这种银河其实就是个非常原始、笨拙，而且功能不当的盖娅星系，是个联合体的雏型。你明白我的意思吗？”
"I see what you're trying to say but that doesn't mean I'mgoing to agree with you when you're done saying it."
“我的白你想要说什么。但这不表示当你说完之后，我会同意你说的话。”
"Just listen to me. Agree or not, as you please, but listen. The onlyway the Galaxy will work is as a proto-Galaxia, and the less proto andthe more Galaxia, the better. The Galactic Empire was an attempt at astrong proto-Galaxia, and when it fell apart, times grew rapidly worse andthere was the constant drive to strengthen the proto-Galaxia concept. TheFoundation Confederation is such an attempt. So was the Mule's Empire. Sois the Empire the Second Foundation is planning. But even if there wereno such Empires or Confederations; even if the entire Galaxy were inturmoil, it would be a connected turmoil, with each world interacting,even if only hostilely, with every other. That would, in itself, be akind of union and it would not yet be the worst case."
“只要你愿意听就好，同不同意随你高兴，但是请注意听。原始盖娅星系是唯一能运作的银河，银河越是远离原始型态、越是接近盖娅星系就越好。银河帝国是个强势原始盖娅星系的尝试，在它分崩离析后，时局便开始迅速恶化。后来，又不断有人企图强化原始盖娅星系，基地联邦就是一个例子。此外骡的帝国也是，第二基地计划中的帝国也是。但纵使没有这些帝国或联邦，纵使整个银河陷入动乱，那也是连成一气的动乱；每个世界都和其他世界保持互动，即使只是满怀敌意的互动。这样子的银河，本身还是个联合体，因此不是最坏的情况。”
"What would be the worst, then?"
“那么，什么才是最坏的情况？”
"You know the answer to that, Trevize. You've seen it. If ahuman-inhabited world breaks up completely, is truly Isolate,and if it loses all interaction with other human worlds, itdevelops malignantly."
“你自己知道答案是什么，崔维兹，你已经亲眼目睹。如果一个住人世界完全解体，居民成了真正的孤立体，又如果它和其他人类世界失去一切互动，它就会朝向——恶性发展。”
"A cancer, then?"
“像癌一样？”
" Yes . Isn't Solaria just that? Its hand is against allworlds. And on it, the hand of each individual is against those of allothers. You've seen it. And if human beings disappear altogether, the lasttrace of discipline goes. The each-against-each becomes unreasoning, aswith the dogs, or is merely an elemental force as with the moss. You see,I suppose, that the closer we are to Galaxia, the better the society. Why,then, stop at anything short of Galaxia?"
“没错，索拉利不就是现成的例子吗？它和所有的世界对立。而在那个世界上，所有的人也都处于对立状态，你全都看到了。假如人类完全消失，最后一点纪律也会荡然无存，互相对立的情势将变得毫无章法，就像那些野狗；或者只剩下天然的力量，就像那些苔藓。我想你懂了吧，我们越接近盖娅星系，社会就越美好。所以，为何要在尚未达到盖娅星系的时候，就半途而废呢？”
For a while, Trevize stared silently at Bliss. "I'm thinking aboutit. But why this assumption that dosage is a one-way thing; that if alittle is good, a lot is better, and all there is is best of all? Didn'tyou yourself point out that it's possible the moss is adapted to verylittle carbon dioxide so that a plentiful supply might kill it? A humanbeing two meters tall is better off than one who is one meter tall; but isalso better off than one who is three meters tall. A mouse isn't betteroff, if it is expanded to the size of an elephant. He wouldn't live. Norwould an elephant be better off reduced to the size of a mouse.
崔维兹默默瞪着宝绮思，好一会儿才说：“这的确是个好问题。可是，你为什么假设药量和药效永远成正比；如果用一点有好处，多量便会更好，全部服下则最好？你自己不也指出，那些苔藓或许只能适应微量的二氧化碳，过多的话就会致死吗？一个身高两公尺的人比一公尺高的人有利，可是同样比三公尺高的人要好。如果一只老鼠膨胀成像只大象，对它一点益处都没有，那样它根本活下下去；同理，大象缩成老鼠的大小也一样糟糕。”
"There's natural size, a natural complexity, some optimum quality foreverything, whether star or atom, and it's certainly true of living thingsand living societies. I don't say the old Galactic Empire was ideal, andI can certainly see flaws in the Foundation Confederation, but I'm notprepared to say that because total Isolation is bad, total Unificationis good. The extremes may both be equally horrible, and an old-fashioned Galactic Empire, however imperfect, may be the best we can do."
“每样东西，大至恒星小至原子，都有一个自然的尺度、自然的复杂度，以及某种最佳的特质，而生物与活生生的社会也必定如此。我不是说旧银河帝国合乎理想，我当然也看得出基地联邦的缺陷，可是我不会因此就说：由于完全孤立不好，完全统一便是好的。这两种极端也许同样可怕，而旧式银河帝国不论多么不完美，却可能是我们能力的极限。”
Bliss shook her head. "I wonder if you believe yourself, Trevize. Areyou going to argue that a virus and a human being are equallyunsatisfactory, and wish to settle for something in-between likea slime mold?"
宝绮思摇了摇头。“我怀疑你自己都不相信自己的话，崔维兹。你是不是想要辩称，既然病毒和人类同样无法令人满意，你就希望锁定某种介于其间的生物——例如黏菌？”
"No. But I might argue that a virus and a superhuman being are equallyunsatisfactory, and wish to settle for something in-between likean ordinary person. There is, however, no point in arguing. Iwill have my solution when I find Earth. On Melpomenia, we found theco-ordinates of forty-seven other Spacer worlds."
“不，但我或许可以辩称，既然病毒和超人同样无法令人满意，我就希望锁定某种介于其间的生物——例如凡夫俗子。不过我们根本没有争论的必要，等我找到地球之后，我就能得到解答。在梅尔波美尼亚，我们发现了其他四十七个外世界的坐标。”
"And you'll visit them all?"
“你全部会去造访？”
"Every one, if I have to."
“每个都要去，如果非这样不可。”
"Risking the dangers on each."
“到每个世界去冒险？”
"Yes, if that's what it takes to find Earth."
“是的，如果只有那样才能找到地球。”
Pelorat had emerged from the room within which he had left Fallom,and seemed about to say something when he was caught up in the rapid-fireexchange between Bliss and Trevize. He stared from one to the other asthey spoke in turn.
裴洛拉特早已回来，将菲龙一个人留在他的舱房。他似乎有话要说，却夹在宝绮思与崔维兹的快速舌战中无法开口。当双方你来我往的时候，他只好轮流对着两人干瞪眼。
"How long would it take?" asked Bliss.
“那得花多少时间？”宝绮思问。
"However long it takes," said Trevize, "and we might find what weneed on the next one we visit."
“不论得花多少时间。”崔维兹说：“但我们也许在下一站就能找到所需的线索。”
"Or on none of them."
“或者全都徒劳无功。”
"That we cannot know till we search."
“那要等全部找完才知道。”
And now, at last, Pelorat managed to insert a word. "But why look,Golan? We have the answer."
此时，裴洛拉特终于逮到机会插一句嘴。“何必找呢，葛兰？我们已经有答案了。”
Trevize waved an impatient hand in the direction of Pelorat, checkedthe motion, turned his head, and said blankly, "What?"
崔维兹原本朝裴洛拉特不耐烦地挥了挥手，挥到一半突然打住，转过头来茫然问道：“什么？”
"I said we have the answer. I tried to tell you this on Melpomenia atleast five times, but you were so wrapped up in what you were doing……"
“我说我们已经有答案了。在梅尔波美尼亚上我就一直想告诉你，我至少试了五次，你却过于专注手头的工作……”
"What answer do we have? What are you talking about?"
“我们有了什么答案？你到底在说些什么？”
" About Earth. I think we know where Earth is."
“地球啊，我想我们已经知道地球在哪里了。”