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1、【国外文学】基地系列 Prelude to Foundation 基地前奏（中英文对照）Authors NoteWhen I wrote "Foundation," which appeared in the May 1942 issue of Astounding Science Fiction, I had no idea that I had begun a series of stories that would eventually grow into six volumes and a total of 650,000 words (so far). Nor d
2、id I have any idea that it would be unified with my series of short stories and novels involving robots and my novels involving the Galactic Empire for a grand total (so far) of fourteen volumes and a total of about 1,450,000 words. You will see, if you study the publication dates of these books, th
3、at there was a twenty-five-year hiatus between 1957 and 1982, during which I did not add to this series. This was not because I had stopped writing. Indeed, I wrote full-speed throughout the quarter century, but I wrote other things. That I returned to the series in 1982 was not my own notion but wa
4、s the result of a combination of pressures from readers and publishers that eventually became overwhelming.In any case, the situation has become sufficiently complicated for me to feel that the readers might welcome a kind of guide to the series, since they were not written in the order in which (pe
5、rhaps) they should be read. The fourteen books, all published by Doubleday, offer a kind of history of the future, which is, perhaps, not completely consistent, since I did not plan consistency to begin with. The chronological order of the books, in terms of future history (and not of publication da
6、te), is as follows:1. The Complete Robot (1982). This is a collection of thirty-one robot short stories published between 1940 and 1976 and includes every story in my earlier collection I Robot (1950). Only one robot short story has been written since this collection appeared. That is "Robot Dr
7、eams," which has not yet appeared in any Doubleday collection.2. The Caves of Steel (1954). This is the first of my robot novels.3. The Naked Sun (1957). The second robot novel.4. The Robots of Dawn (1983). The third robot novel.5. Robots and Empire (1985). The fourth robot novel.6. The Current
8、s of Space (1952). This is the first of my Empire novels.7. The Stars, Like Dust (1951). The second Empire novel.8. Pebble in the Sky (1950). The third Empire novel.9. Prelude to Foundation (1988). This is the first Foundation novel (although it is the latest written, so far).10. Foundation (1951).
9、The second Foundation novel. Actually, it is a collection of four stories, originally published between 1942 and 1944, plus an introductory section written for the book in 1949.11. Foundation and Empire (1952). The third Foundation novel, made up of two stories, originally published in 1945.12. Seco
10、nd Foundation (1953). The fourth Foundation novel, made up of two stories, originally published in 1948 and 1949.13. Foundations Edge (1982). The fifth Foundation novel.14. Foundation and Earth (1983). The sixth Foundation novel.Will I add additional books to the series? I might. There is room for a
11、 book between Robots and Empire (5) and The Currents of Space (6) and between Prelude to Foundation (9) and Foundation (10) and of course between others as well. And then I can follow Foundation and Earth (14) with additional volumes-as many as I like.Naturally, theres got to be some limit, for I do
12、nt expect to live forever, but I do intend to hang on as long as possible.MathematicianCLEON I- . The last Galactic Emperor of the Entun dynasty. He was born in the year 11,988 of the Galactic Era, the same year in which Hari Seldon was born. (It is thought that Seldons birthdate, which some conside
13、r doubtful, may have been adjusted to match that of Cleon, whom Seldon, soon after his arrival on Trantor, is supposed to have encountered.)Having succeeded to the Imperial throne in 12,010 at the age of twenty-two, Cleon Is reign represented a curious interval of quiet in those troubled times. This
14、 is undoubtedly due to the skills of his Chief of Staff, Eto Demerzel, who so carefully obscured himself from public record that little is known about him.Cleon himself .ENCYCLOPEDIA GALACTICA(All quotations from the Encyclopedia Galactica here reproduced are taken from the 116th Edition, published
15、1,020 FE by the Encyclopedia Galactica Publishing Co., Terminus, with permission of the publishers.)作者的话当我撰写“基地”这个故事的时候（它发表于“震撼科幻小说”一九四二年五月号），根本没想到竟为一系列的故事开了个头。目前为止，它已经扩展成六部小说，共计65万字。当时我也完全没有想到，它会跟我写的有关机器人的短篇与长篇系列，以及银河帝国的长篇统一起来，至今总共累积了十四部，共计145万字。如果您研究这些书的出版日期，将会发现一九五七至一九八二年间有长达25年的断层，其间未曾为这个系列做任何补充
16、。并非因为当时我中止写作，事实上，在这四分之一世纪问，我一直以全速写作，只不过我写的是别的东西。我会在一九八二年重拾这个系列，其实不是我自己的意思，而是来自读者与出版者的联合压力，最后终于变得无可抵御。无论如何，如今情况已变得足够复杂，我想读者会欢迎见到对本系列的一个简介，因为它们不是依照应该阅读的顺序写出来的。这十四部书都由“双日”出版，可谓展现了一部未来的历史。其中内容或许不算完全一致，因为最初我并未考虑到一致性。根据未来史的年代（而不是出版日期），这些书的顺序如下：一、机器人短篇全集（一九八二年）：这是由发表于一九四至一九七六年间的31个机器人短篇组成，包括较早的我，机器人（一九五年）中
17、的每个故事。自从这个全集问世后，我只再写了一个机器人短篇，那就是机器人之梦，它尚未收录在任何“双日”版选集中。二、钢穴（一九五四年）：这是我的第一本机器人长篇。三、裸阳（一九五七年）：第二本机器人长篇。四、曙光中的机器人（一九八三年）：第三本机器人长篇。五、机器人与帝国（一九八五年）：第四本机器人长篇。六、星空暗流（一九五一年）：这是我的第一本帝国长篇。七、繁星若尘（一九五一年）：第二本帝国长篇。八、苍穹微石（一九五年）：第=！本帝国长篇。九、基地前奏（一九八八年）：这是基地长篇的第一本（但也是目前为止最后完成的一本）。十、基地（一九五一年）：基地长篇的第二本。事实上，它是五个故事的合集，其中
18、四个发表于一九四二至一九四四年间，再加上一九四九年为这本书而写的一篇引介。十一、基地与帝国（一九五二年）：基地长篇的第三本由两个故事组成，最初发表于一九四五年。十二、第二基地（一九五三年）：基地长篇的第四本，由两个故事组成，最初发表于一九四八与一九四九年。十三、基地边缘（一九八二年）：基地长篇的第五本。十四、基地与地球（一九八六年）：基地长篇的第六本。我会在这个系列中再多加几本吗？也许我会。在机器人与帝国（五）与星空暗流（六）之间，以及基地前奏（九）与基地（十）之间都能再插一本，当然其他各册之间也都有空间。此外我还能继基地与地球（十四）后再写下去爱写几本就写几本。自然，总该有某个限制存在，因为
19、我并不指望永生，但我打算尽可能地继续下去。译注一：其实星空暗流（六）与繁星若尘（七）的顺序应该交换，这想必是阿西莫夫一时的笔误。译注二：1993年出版的迈向基地应插在基地前奏（九）与基地（十）之间。Chapter 1Suppressing a small yawn, Cleon said, "Demerzel, have you by any chance ever heard of a man named Hari Seldon?"Cleon had been Emperor for just over ten years and there were times at
20、state occasions when, dressed in the necessary robes and regalia, he could manage to look stately. He did so, for instance, in the holograph of himself that stood in the niche in the wall behind him. It was placed so that it clearly dominated the other niches holding the holographs of several of his
21、 ancestors. The holograph was not a totally honest one, for though Cleons hair was light brown in hologram and reality alike, it was a bit thicker in the holograph. There was a certain asymmetry to his real face, for the left side of his upper lip raised itself a bit higher than the right side, and
22、this was somehow not evident in the holograph. And if he had stood up and placed himself beside the holograph, he would have been seen to be 2 centimeters under the 1.83-meter height that the image portrayed-and perhaps a bit stouter. Of course, the holograph was the official coronation portrait and
23、 he had been younger then. He still looked young and rather handsome, too, and when he was not in the pitiless grip of official ceremony, there was a kind of vague good nature about his face.Demerzel said, with the tone of respect that he carefully cultivated, "Hari Seldon? It is an unfamiliar
24、name to me, Sire. Ought I to know of him?""The Minister of Science mentioned him to me last night. I thought you might."Demerzel frowned slightly, but only very slightly, for one does not frown in the Imperial presence. "The Minister of Science, Sire, should have spoken of this m
25、an to me as Chief of Staff. If you are to be bombarded from every side-"Cleon raised his hand and Demerzel stopped at once. "Please, Demerzel, one cant stand on formality at all times. When I passed the Minister at last nights reception and exchanged a few words with him, he bubbled over.
26、I could not refuse to listen and I was glad I had, for it was interesting.""In what way interesting, Sire?""Well, these are not the old days when science and mathematics were all the rage. That sort of thing seems to have died down somehow, perhaps because all the discoveries hav
27、e been made, dont you think? Apparently, however, interesting things can still happen. At least I was told it was interesting.""By the Minister of Science, Sire?""Yes. He said that this Hari Seldon had attended a convention of mathematicians held here in Trantor-they do this ever
28、y ten years, for some reason-and he said that he had proved that one could foretell the future mathematically."Demerzel permitted himself a small smile. "Either the Minister of Science, a man of little acumen, is mistaken or the mathematician is. Surely, the matter of foretelling the futur
29、e is a childrens dream of magic.""Is it, Demerzel? People believe in such things.""People believe in many things, Sire.""But they believe in such things. Therefore, it doesnt matter whether the forecast of the future is true or not. If a mathematician should predict a l
30、ong and happy reign for me, a time of peace and prosperity for the Empire-Eh, would that not be well?""It would be pleasant to hear, certainly, but what would it accomplish, Sire?""But surely if people believe this, they would act on that belief. Many a prophecy, by the mere forc
31、e of its being believed, is transmuted to fact. These are self-fulfilling prophecies. Indeed, now that I think of it, it was you who once explained this to me."Demerzel said, "I believe I did, Sire." His eyes were watching the Emperor carefully, as though to see how far he might go on
32、 his own. "Still, if that be so, one could have any person make the prophecy.""Not all persons would be equally believed, Demerzel. A mathematician, however, who could back his prophecy with mathematical formulas and terminology, might be understood by no one and yet believed by every
33、one."Demerzel said, "As usual, Sire, you make good sense. We live in troubled times and it would be worthwhile to calm them in a way that would require neither money nor military effort-which, in recent history, have done little good and much harm.""Exactly, Demerzel," said
34、the Emperor with excitement. "Reel in this Hari Seldon. You tell me you have your strings stretching to every part of this turbulent world, even where my forces dare not go. Pull on one of those strings, then, and bring in this mathematician. Let me see him.""I will do so, Sire,"
35、 said Demerzel, who had already located Seldon and who made a mental note to commend the Minister of Science for a job well done.第一章压下一个小小的哈欠后，克里昂开口道：“丹莫茨尔，你不会凑巧也听过一个叫哈里谢顿的人吧？”克里昂继承皇位刚超过十年，在一些国家大典上，当他穿上不可须臾离身的皇袍，佩上象征皇室的饰物，看起来也能显得冠冕堂皇。举例而言，他身后壁凹中那尊全息立像便是如此。这个立像显然摆在最突出的位置，令其他壁凹中几位先人的全息像相形见绌。这尊全息像并非完全写
36、实。例如它的头发虽然也是淡褐色，看来与真实的克里昂无异，却稍嫌浓密一点。克里昂真正的脸庞有些不对称，上唇左边比右边高些，这点在全息像中不怎么明显。此外，假如硕跃起身来，走到自己的全息像旁，旁人便能看出他比身高一米八三的影像矮了二厘米或许还丰满一点。当然。这个全息像是加冕典礼的正式定装照，况且当时他比较年轻。如今，他看来依然年轻，而且相当英俊，在没有宫廷礼节的无情束缚时，脸上也会露出一种含糊的和善表情。丹莫茨尔以细心揣摩出的恭敬语调说：“哈里谢顿？回陛下，这个名字我不熟悉。我应该认识他吗？”“科学部长昨晚跟我提到这个人，我想你或许听说过。”丹萸茨尔轻轻皱了皱眉头，但那只是很轻的一蹙，因为在圣驾面
37、前不应有此举动。“陛下，科学部长应该跟我这位行政首长淡及此人。假如上上下下所有人都对您疲劳轰炸”克里昂举起手来，丹莫茨尔立刻闭嘴。“拜托，丹莫茨尔，你不能一天到晚要求别人中规中矩。在昨晚的欢迎会上，我经过那位部长身边，跟他闲谈了几句，他就谈兴大发，一发而不可收拾。我无法拒绝听下去，而我很高兴听到那番话，因为实在很有意思。”“怎样有意思，陛下？”“嗯，时代变了，科学和数学不再像以往那么时兴。那些东西似乎多少已经过时，也许因为能发现的都被发现了，不是吗？不过，有意思的事显然还是会发生，至少他是这么告诉我的。”“科学部长吗，陛下？”“没错。他说这个哈里谢顿参加了一个在我们川陀举行的数学家会议。基于某
38、种原因，这个会议每十年举行一次。他声称自己已经证明，人类可以利用数学预测未来。”丹莫茨尔故意露出一抹微笑。“科学部长这个人并不怎么精明，不是他弄错的话，就是这个数学家错了。不用说，预测未来这种事是只有小孩才相信的把戏。”“是吗，丹莫茨尔？民众相信这种事情？”“民众相信很多事情，陛下。”“可是他们的确相信这种事情，因此，对未来的预测是否正确其实并不重要。假如一名数学家作出预测。说我能带来长治久安，说帝国将有一段太平繁荣的岁月呃，这难道不好吗？”“当然，这种说法听起来很舒服，可是又有什么用呢，陛下？”“只要民众深信不疑，自然就会依据这个信念行动。许多预言最后终于成真，唯一的凭借只是信心的力量，这就
39、是所谓的自我实现的预言。没错，现在我想起来了，当初对我解释这点的就是你。”丹莫茨尔说：“我相信自己是这么说过，陛下。”他的眼睛小心翼翼地望着皇上，似乎在斟酌自己该再说多少。“话说回来，果真如此的话，任何人做预言都没有两样。”“不是每个人都能令民众同样信服，丹莫茨尔。然而，数学家却能用数学公式和术语来支持他的预言。却使谁也不了解他说些什么，大家仍会深信不疑。”丹莫茨尔说：“陛下，您说的总是很有道理。我们生在一个动荡的时代，值得用一种既不费钱，又不必采取军事行动的方式稳定人心。反观近代史，军事行动总是弄巧成拙，不但没什么成效，反而造成很大伤害。”“正是如此，丹莫茨尔。”皇帝兴奋地说，“把这个哈里谢
40、顿带来。你说你在这个纷乱的世界上布满眼线，甚至连我的军队都退避三舍的地方也不例外。那么抽回一根线吧，把这个数学家带来，让我见见他。”“我立即去办，陛下。”丹莫茨尔说。其实他早已查出谢顿的下落。他在心中记下一条备忘，准备嘉奖科学部长的优秀表现。Chapter 2Hari Seldon did not make an impressive appearance at this time. Like the Emperor Cleon I, he was thirty-two years old, but he was only 1.73 meters tall. His face was smoo
41、th and cheerful, his hair dark brown, almost black, and his clothing had the unmistakable touch of provinciality about it. To anyone in later times who knew of Hari Seldon only as a legendary demigod, it would seem almost sacrilegious for him not to have white hair, not to have an old lined face, a
42、quiet smile radiating wisdom, not to be seated in a wheelchair. Even then, in advanced old age, his eyes had been cheerful, however. There was that.And his eyes were particularly cheerful now, for his paper had been given at the Decennial Convention. It had even aroused some interest in a distant so
43、rt of way and old Osterfith had nodded his head at him and had said, "Ingenious, young man. Most ingenious." Which, coming from Osterfith, was satisfactory. Most satisfactory.But now there was a new-and quite unexpected-development and Seldon wasnt sure whether it should increase his cheer
44、 and intensify his satisfaction or not. He stared at the tall young man in uniform-the Spaceship-and-Sun neatly placed on the left side of his tunic."Lieutenant Alban Wellis," said the officer of the Emperors Guard before putting away his identification. "Will you come with me now, si
45、r?"Wellis was armed, of course. There were two other Guardsmen waiting outside his door. Seldon knew he had no choice, for all the others careful politeness, but there was no reason he could not seek information. He said, "To see the Emperor?""To be brought to the Palace, sir. Th
46、ats the extent of my instructions.""But why?""I was not told why, sir. And I have my strict instructions that you must come with me-one way or another.""But this seems as though I am being arrested. I have done nothing to warrant that.""Say, rather, that it se
47、ems you are being given an escort of honor-if you delay me no further."Seldon delayed no further. He pressed his lips together, as though to block of further questions, nodded his head, and stepped forward. Even if he was going to meet the Emperor and to receive Imperial commendation, he found
48、no joy in it. He was for the Empire-that is, for the worlds of humanity in peace and union but he was not for the Emperor.The lieutenant walked ahead, the other two behind. Seldon smiled at those he passed and managed to look unconcerned. Outside the hotel they climbed into an official ground-car. (
49、Seldon ran his hand over the upholstery; he had never been in anything so ornate.)They were in one of the wealthiest sections of Trantor. The dome was high enough here to give a sensation of being in the open and one could swear-even one such as Hari Seldon, who had been born and brought up on an open world-that they were in sunlight. You could see no sun and no shadows, but the air was light and fragrant.And then it passed and the dome curved down and the walls narrowed in and soon they were moving along an enclosed tunnel, marke