【英文文学】基地系列 FOUNDATION 基地.docx

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1、【英文文学】基地系列 FOUNDATION 基地PART I THE PSYCHOHISTORIANS1.HARI SELDON?. born in the 11,988th year of the Galactic Era; died 12,069.The dates are more commonly given in terms of the current Foundational Era as ?79 to the year 1 F.E. Born to middle-class parents on Helicon,Arcturus sector (where his father

2、, in a legend of doubtful authenticity,was a tobacco grower in the hydroponic plants of the planet), he early showed amazing ability in mathematics. Anecdotes concerning his ability are innumerable, and some are contradictory. At the age of two, he is said to have . Undoubtedly his greatest contribu

3、tions were in the field of psychohistory. Seldon found the field little more than a set of vague axioms; he left it a profound statistical science. The best existing authority we have for the details of his life is the biography written by Gaal Dornick who. as a young man, met Seldon two years befor

4、e the great mathematicians death. The story of the meeting .ENCYCLOPEDIA GALACTICA* All quotations from the Encyclopedia Galactica here reproduced are taken from the 116th Edition published in 1020 F.E. by the Encyclopedia Galactica Publishing Co., Terminus, with permission of the publishers.心理史学家哈里

5、谢顿生于银河纪元一一九八八年，卒于一二六九年。他的生卒年分较常以目前通用的基地纪元记载，即生于基地纪元负八十一年，卒于基地元年。谢顿的故乡为大角星区的赫利肯星，父母为中产阶级的平民。（根据并不可靠的传说，谢顿的父亲是该行星水耕区的烟草农夫。）他自幼就显露出惊人的数学天分，关于这些天分的传闻轶事不胜枚举，有些甚至互相矛盾。据说他才两岁的时候，就会谢顿一生最大的贡献，无疑是心理史学的开拓。当他刚接触这门学问时，心理史学只能算是一组含糊的公设。谢顿则从这些公设出发，导出了一个深奥的统计科学关于谢顿生平的详细记载，目前保有的最权威资料是盖尔多尼克所著的传记。在这位伟大的数学家去世之前两年，仍是年轻小伙

6、子的多尼克才与他结识，关于他们相遇的故事银河百科全书*_*本书所引用的银河百科全书资料，皆取自基地纪元一二年出版的第一一六版。发行者为端点星银河百科全书出版公司，作者承蒙发行者授权引用。Chapter 1ddddd第一章他名叫盖尔多尼克，只能算是一个乡下孩子，以前从来没有到过川陀。其实应该说他从未真正来过，因为盖尔早已藉着超波传视，对于这个城市的一切都非常熟悉，偶尔也会在巨大的三维新闻幕中，观赏皇帝加冕或银河议会揭幕的盛况。虽然他一直住在蓝移区边缘的辛纳克斯行星，但是却完全没有脱离银河的文明。在那个时代，银河中没有任何地方是与世隔绝的。当时整个银河系中，将近有二千五百万颗住人的行星。所有这些世

7、界都效忠于银河帝国，绝无任何的例外，而川陀就是银河帝国的首都。不过这个事实也只能再维持半个世纪了。对于年轻的盖尔而言，这趟旅程无疑将是他学术生涯的第一个高峰。他过去也曾经到过太空，因此旅行本身的意义并不算太大。其实他以前的太空旅行，只不过是到辛纳克斯唯一的卫星上，去搜集陨石漂移的力学数据，用来作为博士论文的材料。不过话说回来，太空旅行近至五十万哩，远至许多光年之外其实都没有什么分别。当星舰快要跃迁进入超空间的时候，他已做好了心理准备，这将是普通星际旅行所没有的经验。“超空间跃迁”是目前恒星间旅行的唯一可行办法，未来也许永远不会有其他方法出现。普通空间中的运动，物体的速率永远无法超过光速。（这个

8、科学小常识，在人类历史的黎明期便已经发现。当黎明期的历史被人遗忘之后，它是少数硕果仅存的文化遗产之一。）这就代表说，即使仅来往于最接近的两个住人星系之间，也得花上好几年的时间。然而匪夷所思的超空间却完全不同它既非空间又非时间；既非物质又非能量；既非实有又非虚无。经由超空间，人类可以在一刹那间穿越银河。在跃迁还没有开始的时候，盖尔心中有些恐惧，腹部有轻微打结的感觉。结果在他还不能确定之前，跃迁所带来的一阵轻微的震动，还有体内被轻踢一下的感觉便已消失，就是如此而已。然后，盖尔的意识中就只剩下这艘星舰，它体积硕大而闪烁着奇异的光芒，是帝国整整一万二千年的科技结晶。此外他想到的就是自己刚刚获得了数学博

9、士学位，带着伟大的谢顿寄来的邀请函，准备到川陀去加入庞大而略带神秘的“谢顿计划”。对于跃迁的经验感到失望之后，盖尔期待的便是川陀的第一眼。他不时地跑到观景室，那里的钢制窗盖在特定的时间会卷起来，让乘客可以乘机饱览太空的景观。每当这个时候他一定都在那里，观看繁星闪耀的光辉；欣赏星团展现难以置信的蒙胧，就好像一大群萤火虫永远禁锢在一处。有一阵子，星舰周遭五光年的范围内，全都布满了寒冷、蓝白色的星际云气，像牛奶一般散布在玻璃窗上，为观景室带来了一丝寒意。两个小时之后，星舰又做了一次跃迁，那些云气立时消失无踪。川陀所环绕的那颗恒星，刚出现的时候看起来只是一个明亮的白点，若不是星舰的向导指点，根本就不能

10、在无数类似的星体中分辨出来。这里处于银河的核心，恒星的分布特别稠密。每经过一次跃迁，那颗特殊的恒星就显得更为明亮，从众恒星中脱颖而出。其他的恒星则越来越黯然失色，变得越来越黯淡而稀薄。这时一位高级舰员来到观景室，对那里的乘客说：“观景室从现在开始就要关闭，我们准备着陆了。”盖尔却跟着那位舰员，还拉扯他白色制服的袖子他的制服上绣着帝国“星舰与太阳”的国徽。盖尔对他说：“能不能让我留下来？我想从这里看看川陀。”舰员对他微微笑，使得盖尔有些脸红，想必是因为他说话带着乡下口音。“我们准备早上在川陀降落。”舰员对他说。“我是说，我想从太空中看看川陀。”“噢，抱歉，孩子。如果这是艘太空游艇的话，我们可以帮

11、你安排。但是本舰将要迎着太阳盘旋而下，你总不希望被太阳灼伤、弄瞎，还被放射线照得体无完肤吧。”于是盖尔只好乖乖地走了开。那位舰员却在后面叫住他：“孩子，别失望。反正从这里看下去，川陀只是灰蒙蒙的一团。还是等你到达川陀，再去参加太空旅行团好好游览吧，很便宜的。”盖尔回过头去说：“非常感谢您。”为这种事感到失望实在有点孩子气，然而孩子气一样很自然地会出现在成人身上。盖尔感觉喉咙有些哽咽，他从未曾看过整个川陀的壮观景象，没想到还要再多等一会儿，才能亲眼见到这个帝国的首都。Chapter 2The ship landed in a medley of noises. There was the far

12、-off hiss of theatmosphere cutting and sliding past the metal of the ship. There was thesteady drone of the conditioners fighting the heat of friction, and theslower rumble of the engines enforcing deceleration. There was the humansound of men and women gathering in the debarkation rooms and the gri

13、nd ofthe hoists lifting baggage, mail, and freight to the long axis of the ship,from which they would be later moved along to the unloading platform.Gaal felt the slight jar that indicated the ship no longer had anindependent motion of its own. Ships gravity had been giving way toplanetary gravity f

14、or hours. Thousands of passengers had been sittingpatiently in the debarkation rooms which swung easily on yieldingforce-fields to accommodate its orientation to the changing direction ofthe gravitational forces. Now they were crawling down curving ramps to thelarge, yawning locks.Gaals baggage was

15、minor. He stood at a desk, as it was quickly andexpertly taken apart and put together again. His visa was inspected andstamped. He himself paid no attention.This was Trantor! The air seemed a little thicker here, the gravity a bitgreater, than on his home planet of Synnax, but he would get used to t

16、hat.He wondered if he would get used to immensity.Debarkation Building was tremendous. The roof was almost lost in theheights. Gaal could almost imagine that clouds could form beneath itsimmensity. He could see no opposite wall; just men and desks and convergingfloor till it faded out in haze.The ma

17、n at the desk was speaking again. He sounded annoyed. He said, Moveon, Dornick. He had to open the visa, look again, before he remembered thename.Gaal said, Where?where?The man at the desk jerked a thumb, Taxis to the right and third left.Gaal moved, seeing the glowing twists of air suspended high i

18、n nothingnessand reading, TAXIS TO ALL POINTS.A figure detached itself from anonymity and stopped at the desk, as Gaalleft. The man at the desk looked up and nodded briefly. The figure noddedin return and followed the young immigrant.He was in time to hear Gaals destination.Gaal found himself hard a

19、gainst a railing.The small sign said, Supervisor. The man to whom the sign referred didnot look up. He said, Where to?Gaal wasnt sure, but even a few seconds hesitation meant men queuing inline behind him.The Supervisor looked up, Where to?Gaals funds were low, but there was only this one night and

20、then he wouldhave a job. He tried to sound nonchalant, A good hotel, please.The Supervisor was unimpressed, Theyre all good. Name one.Gaal said, desperately, The nearest one, please.The Supervisor touched a button. A thin line of light formed along thefloor, twisting among others which brightened an

21、d dimmed in differentcolors and shades. A ticket was shoved into Gaals hands. It glowedfaintly.The Supervisor said, One point twelve.Gaal fumbled for the coins. He said, Where do I go?Follow the light. The ticket will keep glowing as long as youre pointedin the tight direction.Gaal looked up and beg

22、an walking. There were hundreds creeping across thevast floor, following their individual trails, sifting and strainingthemselves through intersection points to arrive at their respectivedestinations.His own trail ended. A man in glaring blue and yellow uniform, shining andnew in unstainable plasto-

23、textile, reached for his two bags.Direct line to the Luxor, he said.The man who followed Gaal heard that. He also heard Gaal say, Fine, andwatched him enter the blunt-nosed vehicle.The taxi lifted straight up. Gaal stared out the curved, transparentwindow, marvelling at the sensation of airflight wi

24、thin an enclosedstructure and clutching instinctively at the back of the drivers seat. Thevastness contracted and the people became ants in random distribution. Thescene contracted further and began to slide backward.There was a wall ahead. It began high in the air and extended upward out ofsight. I

25、t was riddled with holes that were the mouths of tunnels. Gaalstaxi moved toward one then plunged into it. For a moment, Gaal wonderedidly how his driver could pick out one among so many.There was now only blackness, with nothing but the past-flashing of acolored signal light to relieve the gloom. T

26、he air was full of a rushingsound.Gaal leaned forward against deceleration then and the taxi popped out ofthe tunnel and descended to ground-level once more.The Luxor Hotel, said the driver, unnecessarily. He helped Gaal with hisbaggage, accepted a tenth-credit tip with a businesslike air, picked up

27、 awaiting passenger, and was rising again.In all this, from the moment of debarkation, there had been no glimpse ofsky.第二章星舰在许多混杂的噪音中降落远方传来金属舰身切入大气层而摩擦出的嘶嘶声：舰内的冷气努力对抗摩擦产生的高热，发出了稳定而单调的嗡嗡声：在星舰减速时，发动机则传出慢节奏的隆隆声。此外还有登陆室中鼎沸的人声，以及起重机吊运行李、邮件、货物所发出的嘎嘎声。所有的物件都集中在舰身中央，准备等一下就传送到卸货月台上。盖尔先是感觉到一下轻微的震荡，知道这代表星舰的发动机

28、已经关掉，舰内的人工重力也渐渐被行星的重力所取代。在降落的过程中，登陆室受到行星重力场的影响而不断摇摆，以便在变化的重力场中调整方向，数千名旅客便耐心地坐在摇篮般的登陆室中等候许久。现在，他们终于可以沿着弯曲的坡道，缓缓挤进一个敞开的巨大气闸。盖尔没有太多的行李，很快地就来到入关处。海关将他的行李迅速而熟练地拆开又装好，然后检查签证并盖章，不过盖尔完全没有留意这些过程。这就是川陀！跟他的家乡辛纳克斯行星比起来，空气似乎浓稠些，重力好像也大了一点。不过他知道很快就会习惯的，只是不知道自己能否习惯这样大的环境。入境大厦就是一个硕大无朋的建筑物，屋顶高得根本看不见，盖尔几乎可以想像它高耸入云的样子。

29、他甚至也看不到对面的墙壁，放眼望去只见汹涌的人潮、无数的办公桌，以及逐渐收缩而淡出的地板。站在办公桌后面的海关显得有点不耐烦，他打开盖尔的签证，再看了一眼他的名字，然后对盖尔说：“走吧，多尼克先生。”盖尔却问道：“哪里往哪里走？”那位海关用大拇指比了比：“要搭计程飞船就向右走，在第三个通道左转。”盖尔依言前进，果然看见高处的空气中凭空出现几个闪亮的大字：往各地的计程飞船。当盖尔离开海关后，立刻有一个人走了过来，海关抬头看了看，便向那个人迅速地点点头。那人也向海关点头示意，然后便跟着盖尔这位年轻的旅客走了。他刚好及时听见盖尔的目的地。盖尔站在栏杆前面，不知道该往哪里去。旁边有个写着“管理员”的小

30、标志，标志下面的那位管理员却头也不抬，只是问道：“去哪里？”盖尔并不确定，但他仅仅犹豫了几秒钟，后面就排了一大队长龙。管理员终于抬起头来问：“去哪里？”盖尔身边没有什么钱，但是只要熬过今晚，明天就可以有工作了。所以他尽量以稳重的口气说：“我想去一家比较好的旅馆，谢谢。”可是管理员根本不吃这一套：“每家旅馆都好，你要指明一家。”盖尔只好无可奈何地说：“请给我最近的一家吧。”管理员按下一个按钮，地板上便出现一条细长的光线，加入了由其他许多不同色彩与明暗的光线织成的光网中。然后他将一张票塞进盖尔手里，这张票竟然也会微微发光。然后管理员说：“票价一点十二分。”盖尔一边摸着零钱，一边问道：“我该往哪儿走

31、？”“沿着这条光线走，只要你的方向正确，票就会一直发亮。”盖尔抬头看了看，然后便开步向前走。他的身边至少有数百人，每个人都沿着自己的光线小心翼翼地前进。每次遇到光线与光线的交叉口时，大家都要辛苦地精挑细选一番，然后才能摸索到各自的目的地。盖尔自己的路走到尽头之后，面前出现了一个穿着蓝黄相间制服的司机。他的制服是用永不沾污的塑料制成，看起来笔挺如新，色彩鲜明。这位司机看到盖尔走过来，一把就抓起了盖尔的两件行李。“直达豪华旅馆。”司机公式化地说。跟踪盖尔的那个人刚好听到了这一句话，他还听到盖尔回答的一声“好”，然后就看见盖尔钻进了钝鼻的计程飞船中。计程飞船很快地垂直升起。盖尔从弧形的透明玻璃往外看

32、，在封闭结构中飞行令他感觉有点不可思议，他不自觉地抓住了驾驶座的椅背。巨大的建筑物一下子就缩小了，地面的人们变成了零乱分布的小蚂蚁。当景物再缩小一点之后，便开始迅速地向后方挪动。不久面前出现了一堵巨墙，它的根基飘浮在半空中，一直向上延伸到目力不可及的天空。墙上有无数蜂巢状的小孔，每个小孔都是一条隧道的入口。他们的飞船渐渐向其中一个小孔接近，最后一头钻了进去。盖尔一时之间感到万分不解，想不通司机到底是如何选择正确的入口。隧道内一片漆黑，只有一些不断向后退去的彩色交通号志，稍微驱走了一点幽暗的气氛，空气中则充满了飞船全速前进的噪音。当飞船减速时，盖尔不自主地向前倾。接着飞船便钻出了隧道，然后重新回

33、到地面。“豪华旅馆到了。”其实不用司机说，盖尔也看得出来。司机很有效率地帮盖尔取出行李，再收了十分之一点的小费，马上又载着一位客人升空了。从登陆到目前为止，盖尔还没有看到天空一眼。川陀，在银河帝国第十三个千年的初期，这个趋势达到了顶峰。它是帝国政府的中心，连续数百代以来未曾间断。川陀位于银河的核心区域，周围都是人口最稠密、工业最发达的世界，所以很自然地变成了人类历史上最密集、最富庶的社群。都会化的过程不断地稳定发展，最后终于达到了极限川陀表面所有的陆地，面积总共七千五百万平方哩，变成了一个单一的城市。而在人口最多的时候，甚至还超过了四百亿之众。这么庞大的人口，几乎全都是为了应付帝国的行政需要，

34、然而即使如此多的人手，却仍不足以应付庞杂的工作。（据说，末期几位平庸的皇帝无法有效地管理银河帝国，也是帝国衰亡的一大原因。）为了供应川陀居民的口腹之需，每天都有数以万计的太空船队，负责载送来自二十个农业世界的粮食由于川陀依靠其他的世界供应粮食，甚至所有的日常用品，这个行星越来越容易以包围的手段征服。在帝国的最后千年，从未止歇的叛乱使每位皇帝都警觉到这个危机，保卫川陀脆弱的颈动脉变成了帝国的首要政策Chapter 3TRANTOR?.At the beginning of the thirteenth millennium, this tendencyreached its climax. As

35、 the center of the Imperial Government for unbrokenhundreds of generations and located, as it was, toward the central regionsof the Galaxy among the most densely populated and industrially advancedworlds of the system, it could scarcely help being the densest and richestclot of humanity the Race had

36、 ever seen.Its urbanization, progressing steadily, had finally reached the ultimate.All the land surface of Trantor, 75,000,000 square miles in extent, was asingle city. The population, at its height, was well in excess of fortybillions. This enormous population was devoted almost entirely to theadm

37、inistrative necessities of Empire, and found themselves all too few forthe complications of the task. (It is to be remembered that theimpossibility of proper administration of the Galactic Empire under theuninspired leadership of the later Emperors was a considerable factor inthe Fall.) Daily, fleet

38、s of ships in the tens of thousands brought theproduce of twenty agricultural worlds to the dinner tables of Trantor.Its dependence upon the outer worlds for food and, indeed, for allnecessities of life, made Trantor increasingly vulnerable to conquest bysiege. In the last millennium of the Empire,

39、the monotonously numerousrevolts made Emperor after Emperor conscious of this, and Imperial policybecame little more than the protection of Trantors delicate jugularvein.ENCYCLOPEDIA GALACTICAGaal was not certain whether the sun shone, or, for that matter, whether itwas day or night. He was ashamed

40、to ask. All the planet seemed to livebeneath metal. The meal of which he had just partaken had been labelledluncheon, but there were many planets which lived a standard timescale thattook no account of the perhaps inconvenient alternation of day and night.The rate of planetary turnings differed, and

41、 he did not know that ofTrantor.At first, he had eagerly followed the signs to the Sun Room and found itbut a chamber for basking in artificial radiation. He lingered a moment ortwo, then returned to the Luxors main lobby.He said to the room clerk, Where can I buy a ticket for a planetary tour?Right

42、 here.When will it start?You just missed it. Another one tomorrow. Buy a ticket now and wellreserve a place for you.Oh. Tomorrow would be too late. He would have to be at the Universitytomorrow. He said, There wouldnt be an observation tower ?or something?I mean, in the open air.Sure! Sell you a tic

43、ket for that, if you want. Better let me check if itsraining or not. He closed a contact at his elbow and read the flowingletters that raced across a frosted screen. Gaal read with him.The room clerk said, Good weather. Come to think of it, I do believe itsthe dry season now. He added, conversationa

44、lly, I dont bother with theoutside myself. The last time I was in the open was three years ago. Yousee it once, you know and thats all there is to it. Heres your ticket.Special elevator in the rear. Its marked To the Tower. Just take it.The elevator was of the new sort that ran by gravitic repulsion

45、. Gaalentered and others flowed in behind him. The operator closed a contact. Fora moment, Gaal felt suspended in space as gravity switched to zero, andthen he had weight again in small measure as the elevator acceleratedupward. Deceleration followed and his feet left the floor. He squawkedagainst h

46、is will.The operator called out, Tuck your feet under the railing. Cant you readthe sign?The others had done so. They were smiling at him as he madly and vainlytried to clamber back down the wall. Their shoes pressed upward against thechromium of the railings that stretched across the floor in paral

47、lels settwo feet apart. He had noticed those railings on entering and had ignoredthem.Then a hand reached out and pulled him down.He gasped his thanks as the elevator came to a halt.He stepped out upon an open terrace bathed in a white brilliance that hurlhis eyes. The man, whose helping hand he had just now