注册
正文 目录 文库目录 文库收藏 中文百科 Wiki百科
基地系列:基地与地球|Foundation and Earth

第一部 盖娅星 第一章 寻找开始|Part One - Gaia Chapter I

属类： 双语小说 【分类】魔幻小说 -[作者: 艾萨克-阿西莫夫] 阅读：[2798]
《 字+字- 行+行- 页+页- 字+字- 行+行- 页+页- 》
-

“我为什么这样做？”葛兰·崔维兹问

1
-

这是个老问题了，自从来到盖娅后，他就时常这样问自己。在凉爽的夜晚，他有时会从甜美的睡梦中惊醒，这个问题就像个小蹦似的，在他心中无声地敲着：我为什么这样做？我为什么这样做？

2
-

不过直到现在，他才终于下定决心来问杜姆——盖娅上的一位老者。

3
-

杜姆很清楚崔维兹的焦虑，因为他能感知这位议员的心灵结构。但他未曾做出任何回应，因为盖娅绝对不能触碰崔维兹的心灵，而抵抗这个诱惑最好的办法，就是狠下心来漠视自己所感知的一切。

4
-

“你指的是什么，崔？”杜姆问道。交谈时他实在很难不用简称，不过没关系，反正崔维兹也已经逐渐习惯了。

5
-

“我所做的那个决定，”崔维兹答道：“选择盖娅作为未来的蓝图。”

6
-

“你这么做是正确的。”杜姆坐在那里，边说边抬起头来，一双深陷的老眼凝视着站在面前的这位基地客人。

7
-

“你是说我做对了？”崔维兹不耐烦地说。

8
-

“我／我们／盖娅知道你不会犯错，这正是我们着视你的原因。你具有一项特殊的本领，能在资料不全的情况下做出正确决定，而你也已经做出决定，选择了盖娅。你否决了植基于第一基地科技的银河帝国，也否决了以第二基地的精神力学所建立的银河帝国，因为两者无矣诩是无政府状态，你判断它们无法长治久安，所以你选择了盖娅。”

9
-

“没错，”崔维兹说：“正是如此！我选择了盖娅，一个超有机体，整个行星共享一个心灵和共同的个性，所以必须发明‘我／我们／盖娅’这种代名词，来表达一种根本无法表达的概念。”他一面说，一面不停地来回踱步。“最后它会发展成盖娅星系，一个涵盖整个银河的超特级有机体。”

10
-

他突然停下脚步，近乎无礼地猛然转向杜姆：“我跟你一样，也觉得自己是对的。但是你一心盼望盖娅星系的来临，所以对这个决定十分满意，而我并非全心全意欢迎它，因此我无法轻易相信这是正确的决定。我想知道自己为何做出这个抉择，想要好好衡量、监定一下它的正确性，然后我才会满意。对我而言，光凭感觉认定是不够的。我又怎么知道自己是对的？究竟是什么机制使我做出正确的选择？”

11
-

“我／我们／盖娅也下了解你是如何做出正确决定的。既然已经有了决定，知不知道原因难道很着要吗？”

12
-

“你代表整个行星发言，是吗？你代表了每一滴露珠、每一颗小石子，甚至行星的液态核心所构成的共同意识？”

13
-

“没错。而且不仅是我，在这颗行星上，只要是共同意识够强的部分，全都可以代表整个行星发言。”

14
-

“那么，是否整个共同意识都乐意把我当成黑盒子——只要这个黑盒子能起作用，就不需要再去细究内部？我可不接受这一套，我不喜欢当黑盒子，我想知道这里面有何玄机，想知道自己究竟如何、为何选择盖娅和盖娅星系作为人类未来发展的蓝图，唯有这样我才能心安理得。”

15
-

“可是你为什么如此不喜欢，或者说不信赖自己所做的决定？”

16
-

崔维兹深深吸了口气，以低沉有力的声音缓缓说道：“因为我不喜欢成为一个超有机体的一部分。这个超有机体为了整体的利益，随时可能将我抛弃，我不想变成这样可有可无的一份子。”

17
-

杜姆若有所思地望着崔维兹。“那么，你想改变自己的决定吗，崔？你知道，你可以这么做。”

18
-

“我非常希望能改变这个决定，但我不能仅凭个人的好恶行事。在有所行动前，我必须知道这个决定是对还是错，单凭感觉判断是不够的。”

19
-

“如果你觉得正确，那就错不了。”杜姆缓慢而温和的声音一直没有任何变化，与崔维兹内心的激动恰成强烈对比，令崔维兹更加心烦意乱。

20
-

在直觉与理智间摆荡多时之后，崔维兹终于挣脱这个无解的挣扎，以微弱的声音说：“我一定要找到地球。”

21
-

“因为它与你迫切想知道的答案有关？”

22
-

“因为它是另一个令我寝食难安的问题，而且我觉得这两者之间一定有所关联。我不是一个黑盒子吗？既然我觉得这两者有关，难道还不足以说服你接受这个事实？”

23
-

“或许吧。”杜姆以平静的口吻说。

24
-

“如果说，银河中的人和地球的渊源已经有数千年——甚趾蠼万年，我们怎么可能完全忘却这个起源行星？”

25
-

“两万年的时间比你所能理解的还要久。关于早期帝国，我们所知极其有限；很多几乎可以肯定是虚构的传说，我们却一而再、再而三地着复，甚至完全采信，因为实在找下到其他资料。而地球的历史比帝国还久远。”

26
-

“可是一定有些纪录流传下来。我的好友裴洛拉特专门搜集有关早期地球的神话传说，任何可能的资料来源他一律不放过。那是他的工作，更是他的兴趣。下回有关地球的资料，流传下来的也只有神话和传说，如今已找不到任何确实的记载或文献。”

27
-

“两万年前的文献？任伺东西都会由于保存不当或战祸而腐朽或者损毁。”

28
-

“可是总该有些相关的纪录，例如副本、副本的誊本、副本的誊本的拷贝，这类资料没有那么陈旧，不过却一样有用，然而它们也全都被清光了。川陀的银河图书馆照理应该保有地球的相关文献，事实上，这些文献在其他可考的史料里也曾提及，可是在银河图书馆中却找不到了。提到这些文献的资料也许还在，但所有的引文却全部失踪。”

29
-

“你应该记得，川陀在几世纪前经历过一场浩劫。”

30
-

“可是图书馆却安然无恙，第二基地人员将它保护得很好。而且不久前，正是第二基地的成员发现地球的相关资料已不翼而飞，，那些资料是在最近才被刻意移走的。为什么呢？”崔维兹停下脚步，目不转睛地瞪着杜姆。“如果我能找到地球，就能找出它在隐藏些什么——”

31
-

“隐藏？”

32
-

“隐藏也奸，被隐藏也罢。我有一种感觉，一旦让我解开这个谜，我就能知道当初为何舍弃个体的独立性，而选择盖娅和盖娅星系。届时，我想，我会真正明白自己的抉择为何正确，不再只是感觉而已。而如果我是对的——”他无奈地耸耸肩膀，“就让它继续下去吧。”

33
-

“如果你真有这种感觉，”杜姆说：“而且感到必须寻觅地球，那么，当然，我们会尽全力帮助你。不过，我们能提供的协助实在有限。譬如说，我／我们／盖娅并不知道，在数不清的世界所构成的浩淼银河中，地球到底位于哪个角落。”

34
-

“纵使如此，”崔维兹说：“我也一定要去寻找——就算银河无尽的星辰使我的希望如同大海捞针，就算我必须独行到天涯海角。”

35
-

崔维兹置身盖娅宜人的环境中。这里的温度总是使人感到舒畅，快活流动的空气清爽而无寒意。天空飘浮着几朵云彩，偶尔会将阳光遮蔽一下。如果户外某处地表的水蒸气密度下降太多，立刻会有一场及时雨滴时补充。

36
-

这里的树木生长得非常整齐，像是一个果树园，整个盖娅想必都是如此。无论陆地上或海洋里的动植物，都维持着适当的数量与种类，以保持良好的生态平衡。当然，各类生物的数量会在“最适度”上下小幅摆荡，甚至人类的繁衍也不例外。

37
-

在崔维兹目力所及的范围内，唯一显得与周遭物件无法协调的，就是他那艘名为“远星号”的太空艇。

38
-

扒娅的数个人类成员已将远星号清理得干干净净，并完成了各项保养，工作做得又快又好。太空艇内添置了充足的食物与饮料，该换的陈设一律更新，机件的功能也着新检验过，崔维兹还亲自将电脑仔细检查了一遍。

39
-

这艘太空艇是基地少数几艘着力驱动的航具之一，它从银河各处无所不在的着力场抽取能源，因此不必添加任何燃料。银河着力场蕴涵的能量简直无穷无尽，即使所有的舰队全靠它驱动，直到人类不再存在的那一天，着力场的强度也几乎丝毫不减。

40
-

三个月前，崔维兹还是端点星的议员。换句话说，他曾是基地立法机构的一员，就职权而论，可算是银河中一位着要人物。这真的只是三个月前的事吗？他感觉好像是十六年前，也就是半辈子以前的经历。那时，他唯一关心的是伟大的“谢顿计划”是否真有其事；是否真有个预先规画好的蓝图，可以让基地从一个行星村，慢慢攀升为银河中最大的势力。

41
-

就某些方面而言，变化其实不算大。他仍旧具有议员的身分，原来的地位与特权依然不变。不过他相信，自己绝不会再回到端点星，着拾往日的地位与特权。虽然他与盖娅小辨模的井然秩序格格下入，但同样无法适应基地庞大的混乱局面。银河虽大，却没有他立足之处，不论走到哪里，他都像个孤儿。

42
-

崔维兹紧缩下颚，愤怒地将手指插进一头黑发中。现在不是长吁短叹的时候，当务之急是要找到地球。假如寻找有了结果、自己尚能全身而退，那么还有的是时间坐下来慢慢哭泣。或许，那时会有更好的理由这样做。

43
-

毅然硬起心肠之后，他的思绪开始飘回过去——

44
-

三个月前，他与詹诺夫·裴洛拉特——一位博学而性格纯真的学者——一起离开了端点星。裴洛拉特受到满腔怀古热情的驱使，一心一意想要发掘失落已久的地球遗址。崔维兹利用裴洛拉特的探索作掩饰，真正的目的是要寻找自己心中的目标。结果他们并未找到地球，却意外地发现了盖娅，崔维兹还懵懵懂懂地被迫做出。

45
-

现在，情况有了一百八十度的改变——换成崔维兹决心要寻找地球。

46
-

至于裴洛拉特，他也有个意外的收获。他遇到了宝绮思，一位黑发、黑眼珠的年轻女子。宝绮思就是盖娅，其实杜姆也是——甚至身边的一粒沙、一根草，也全都等同于盖娅。即将迈入晚年的裴洛拉特，怀着这个年纪特有的激情，与年纪小他一半有余的宝绮思坠人情网。说来也真奇怪，宝绮思这个年轻女郎，对年龄的差距似乎根本不在意。

47
-

这段恋情实在非比寻常——但裴洛拉特的确很快乐，使得崔维兹不得不承认，每个人都有找寻快乐的不同方式，这也正是独立个体的特点之一。然而在崔维兹所选择的银河中，（若干时日之后）个体的独立性将被完全摒弃。

48
-

想到这里，莫名的痛楚再度浮现。当初自己出于无奈所做的抉择，现在成了心中挥之不去的着担，而且……

49
-

“葛兰！”

50
-

叫唤声闯人崔维兹的思绪，他抬起头，朝阳光射来的方向望去，猛眨着眼。

51
-

“啊，詹诺夫。”他用热诚的声音答道——热诚得有些过分，因为他不想让裴洛拉特猜到自己的苦闷，甚至还努力装出高兴的样子。“我看你一定费了好大劲，才和宝绮思扯开来。”

52
-

裴洛拉特摇了摇头。微风吹乱了他丝一般的白发，一张长而严肃的面容，此刻更是显得又长又严肃。“事实上，老弟，是她建议我来找你……来……来讨论一件我想讨论的事情。当然，这并不代表我自己不想找你，而是她似乎比我先想到这件事。”

53
-

崔维兹微微一笑。“没关系，詹诺夫。我想，你是来跟我道别的。”

54
-

“噢，不，并不尽然。事实上，可以说刚好好相反。葛兰，当我们，你和我，刚离开端点星的时候，我的目的是要寻找地球。我成年之后，几乎把所有时间都花在这个工作上。”

55
-

“我会继续的，詹诺夫，这个工作现在是我的了。”

56
-

“没错，不过它也是我的，仍然还是我的工作。”

57
-

“可是——”崔维兹举起手臂比了比，好像指着周遭的一切。

58
-

裴洛拉特猛吸了口气说：“我要跟你—道去，”

59
-

崔维兹着实吓了一跳。“你不是当真的吧，詹诺夫，你现在已经拥有盖娅。”

60
-

“将来我还会回到盖娅的怀抱，可是我不能让你一个人去。”

61
-

“当然可以，我能照顾自己。”

62
-

“你别生气，葛兰，但是你知道得不够多。而我却知道很多神话和传说，我可以指导你。”

63
-

“你要离开宝绮思？别开玩笑了。”

64
-

裴洛拉特突然双颊泛红。“我不是想那样做，老弟，但是她说……”

65
-

崔维兹皱起了眉头。“是不是她想甩掉你，詹诺夫？她答应过我——”

66
-

“不是，你不了解，请听我说下去，葛兰。你实在有个坏毛病，事情没弄清楚之前就急着下结论——我知道，这也是你的特长。呃，我好像总是无法把自己的意思表达清楚。可是……”

67
-

“妤吧，”崔维兹的口气缓和下来，“请告诉我宝绮思心里究竟想些什么，随便你用什么方式说，我保证会非常耐心地听。”

68
-

“谢谢你，只要你有耐心，我想我马上就能讲清楚。你可知道，宝绮思也想要去。”

69
-

“宝绮思也要去？”崔维兹说：“不行，我又要发作了。好，我不发作，告诉我，詹诺夫，为什么宝绮思想一起去？我可是用很冷静的口气问你。”

70
-

“她没说，只说她想跟你谈谈。”

71
-

“那她为什么没来，啊？”

72
-

裴洛拉特答道：“我想，我是说我猜想，她多少有点认为你不喜欢她，葛兰，所以有些不愿接近你。老友，我已经尽力向她保证，说你对她完全没有敌意。我相信任何人见到她，都只会对她产生无比的好感。然而……这么说吧，她还是要我来跟你提这档子事。我能不能告诉她，说你愿意见她，葛兰？”

73
-

“当然可以，我现在马上去见她。”

74
-

“你会讲理吧？你是知道的，老友，她多少有点紧张。她说这件事很要紧，她一定要跟你去。”

75
-

“她没有告诉你原因吗？”

76
-

“没有，但如果她认为非去不可，盖娅也一定非去不可。”

77
-

“这就代表我根本不能拒绝，对不对，詹诺夫？”

78
-

“没错，我想你无法拒绝，葛兰。”

79
-

在崔维兹暂住扒娅的短暂时日中，这是他第一次造访宝绮思的住处——现在这里也是裴洛拉特的窝。

80
-

崔维兹四处浏览了一下。在盖娅上，房舍的结构看起来都很简单。既然几乎没有任何不良气候；既然这个特殊的纬度气温常年适中；既然连地壳板块在必须滑动时，也都晓得平稳地慢慢滑，因此没有必要给房舍添加过多的保护功能，也不必刻意营造一个舒适的环境，以隔绝不舒适的大环境。换句话说，整个行星就像一幢大屋子，容纳着其上所有的居民。

81
-

宝绮思的房子是这个星球屋中一栋不起眼的小建筑，窗户上只有纱窗而没有玻璃，家具相当少，但优雅而实用。四周墙上挂着一些全讯相片，有不少都是裴洛拉特的，其中一张表情显得既惊愕又害羞。崔维兹看了忍不住咧开嘴，但他尽量不让笑意显现，索性低下头仔细调整腰带。

82
-

宝绮思凝视着他，她没有像平常一样面带微笑，而是显得有些严肃。一双美丽的眼睛张得很大，微卷的黑发披在肩上，像是一道黑色的波浪。只有涂着淡淡口红的丰唇，才为她的脸庞带来一丝血色。

83
-

“谢谢你来见我，崔。”

84
-

“詹诺夫显得很着急，宝绮思奴比雅蕊拉。”

85
-

宝绮思浅浅一笑。“答得妙。如果你愿意叫我宝绮思，这是个很不错的简称，那么我也愿意试着以全名称呼你，崔维兹。”最后两个宇她说得有点结巴，不过几乎听不出来。

86
-

崔维兹举起右手。“这是个很好的主意。我知道盖娅人平常在交换讯息时，习惯用简称来称呼对方，所以你如果偶尔称呼我‘崔’，我并不会介意。不过，我更喜欢你尽可能试着叫我崔维兹，而我会称呼你宝绮思。”

87
-

与以往每次碰面一样，崔维兹又仔细打量她。就个体而言，她仅是个二十出头的妙龄女郎；然而身为盖娅的一部分，她已经有好几千岁。这点从外表虽然看不出来，但有时从她说话的方式，以及环绕在她身边的气氛，还是能看出些蛛丝马迹。他希望一切众生都变成这样吗？不，当然不！可是——

88
-

宝绮思说：“让我开门见山，你特别强调想要找寻地球——”

89
-

“我只跟杜姆提过。”崔维兹决定为自己的观点力争到底，绝不轻易向盖娅让步。

90
-

“我知道，但是你跟杜姆说话的时候，同时也和盖娅以及其中每一部分在说话，譬如说，就等于在跟我说话。”

91
-

“我说的话你都听到了？”

92
-

“没有，因为我并未仔细倾听。不过事后我如果集中注意力，我有办法记起你说的每句话，请你相信这点。让我们再回到原来的话题——你特别强调想要找寻地球，并且坚持这件事极为着要。虽然我看不出其中的着要性，可是既然你天赋异禀，我／我们／盖娅就必须接受你的话。如果这项任务和你选择盖娅有着大关联，那么盖娅也会认为它是件极着大的任务，因此盖娅必须跟你一道去，即使只为了试图保护你。”

93
-

“你说盖娅必须跟我一道去，意思是说你自己必须跟我去，我说得对不对？”

94
-

“我就是盖娅。”宝绮思回答得很干脆。

95
-

“既然这颗行星上的一切，每样东西部是盖娅，那么为何是你呢？为什么不早盖娅的其他部分？”

96
-

“因为裴希望跟你去，如果他跟你去了，他不会喜欢盖娅的其他部分同行，只有我去他才会开心。”

97
-

裴洛拉特原本一言不发坐在角落的椅子上（崔维兹注意到，裴洛拉特背后的墙上，正好是裴洛拉特自己的相片），此时他轻声说道：“这是实话，葛兰，我的盖娅就是宝绮思。”

98
-

宝绮思突然露出微笑。“你这么想真令我兴奋。当然，这种说法相当新奇。”

99
-

“嗯，让我想一想。”崔维兹双手搁在后脑勺，将椅子向后一倾，细瘦的椅腿随即嘎嘎作响。他立刻发觉这张椅子没那么坚固，无法让他玩这种游戏，于是赶紧让四只椅腿回复原位。“如果你离开盖娅，你还会不会是它的一部分？”

100
-

“这得看情形。举例来说，假如我有受着伤的危险，或是有其他特殊的理由，我可以把自己孤立起来，这样我受到的伤害就不缓蟋累盖娅。但这仅限于紧急状况，通常我都是盖娅的一部分。”

101
-

“即使在我们进行超空间跃迁的时候？”

102
-

“即使是那时候，只不过情形比较复杂。”

103
-

“我总觉得有点不太对劲。”

104
-

“为什么？”

105
-

崔维兹皱起鼻子，彷佛闻到什么怪味。“这就代表说，在我的太空船中的一言一行，只要给你听到或看到，就等于被所有的盖娅听到看到。”

106
-

“我就是盖娅，因此我所看到、听到、感觉到的一切，盖娅都看得到、听得到、感觉得到。”

107
-

“一点也没错，连那道墙也看得到、听得到、感觉得到。”

108
-

宝绮思望了望他所指的那堵墙，又耸了耸肩。“对，那道墙也可以。它只具有极微小的意识，所以只有极微小的感觉和理解力。不过我想，比如我们现在说的这些话，也会导致它产生某种次原子尺度的移位，让它更能与盖娅融为一体，更加造福这个大我。”

109
-

“可是，如果我希望保有隐私呢？也许我不想让这道墙知道我在说什么或做什么。”

110
-

宝绮思看来生气了，裴洛拉特赶紧插嘴道：“你知道的，葛兰，我本来不想多嘴，因为我对盖娅的了解显然有限。不过，这阵子我都和宝绮思在一起，多少能做些推断。这么说吧，如果你走在端点星的人群中，你会看到、听到很多事情，也会记得其中一部分。事后，在适当的大脑刺激下，你甚至可能全部记起来，但这些事你大多不会注意，会随看随忘。即使你看到一些陌生人演出感性的场面，即使你觉得很有兴趣，然而如果事不关己，你就会把它当作耳边风很快忘掉。盖娅的情形也一定如此，即使盖娅所有部分都对你的举动了若指掌，却不代表盖娅一定在乎——这样说对不对，宝绮思吾爱？”

111
-

“我从没这样想过，裴，不过你的话的确有些道理。然而，崔——我是说崔维兹——所说的隐私，在我们眼中一点价值也没有。事实上，我／我们／盖娅实在难以理解——不想成为整体的一部分、不让自己的声音被人听到、不让自己的行动曝光、不让自己的思想被他人感知——”宝绮思使劲摇了摇头，“我刚才说，在紧急情况下，我们可以让自己与盖娅隔绝，可是谁会想要那样活着呢，哪怕只有一个钟头？”

112
-

“我就想要，”崔维兹说：“这就是我必须找到地球的原因。我想知道究竟是什么特殊理由——如果真有的话——促使我为人类的未来选择这个可怕的命运。”

113
-

“这不是可怕的命运，不过我们别再争论这个问题了。我跟你一起去，不是要去监视你，而是以朋友的身分帮助你；盖哑跟你同行，也不是要监视你，而是以朋友的身分帮助你。”

114
-

崔维兹阴郁地说：“盖娅如果想帮我，最好的办法就是领我到地球去。”

115
-

宝绮思缓缓摇了摇头。“盖娅不知道地球的位置，这点杜姆已经告诉过你。”

116
-

“这点我可不大相信。无论如何，你们一定有些纪录，但是我来到盖娅之后，为什么从未看到任何纪录？即使盖娅真不知道地球的位置，我也可能从那些纪录找到一些蛛丝马迹。我对银河相当熟悉，绝对比盖娅在这方面的知识更丰富，我或许有办法从你们的纪录中，解读出可能连盖娅也不完全了解的线索。”

117
-

“你指的是什么样的纪录，崔维兹？”

118
-

“任何纪录，书籍、影片、胶卷、全讯相片、工艺制品等等，只要你们有的都好。自从来到盖娅，直到目前为止，我还没发现什么可以视为纪录的东西——你呢，詹诺夫？”

119
-

“没有，”裴洛拉特以迟疑的口气说：“但是我没有认真找过。”

120
-

“我找过了，暗地里找的。”崔维兹说：“而我什么都没看到，什么都没有！我唯一能想到的答案，是有人故意将那些纪录藏起来。我感到很奇怪，为什么呢？你能不能告诉我？”

121
-

宝绮思细嫩光滑的前额皱起来，一副讶异的样子。“你以前怎么不问呢？我／我们／盖娅不会隐藏什么，我们也从来不说谎。一个孤立体——孤立的个体——可能会说谎，因为他是有限的，所以他会感到恐惧。然而，盖娅是个具有强大心灵力量的行星级有机体，根本就没什么好怕的，因此盖娅完全不需要说谎，或是杜撰一些与事实不符的陈述。”

122
-

崔维兹嗤之以鼻。“那为什么刻意不让我看到任何纪录？给我一个说得通的理由。”

123
-

“当然可以，”宝绮思伸出手，双掌向上一摊。“因为我们根本就没有任何纪录。”

124
-

裴洛拉特首先回过神来，他似乎没有崔维兹那么吃惊。

125
-

“亲爱的，”他温柔地说：“这实在不大可能，任何像样的文明都不会没有任何纪录。”

126
-

宝绮思扬扬眉毛。“我了解这点，我只是说我们没有崔——崔维兹说的或想找的那些纪录。我／我们／盖娅没有任何种类的手稿、印刷品、胶卷或电脑资料库，完全没有，我们甚至没有石刻文物。既然这些东西全都不存在，崔维兹自然什么也找不到。”

127
-

崔维兹问道：“如果你们没有任何我所谓的纪录，那么你们到底有些什么？”

128
-

“我／我们／盖娅有一组记忆，我都记得。”宝绮思一个字一个字说得非常仔细，仿佛跟小孩子说话一样。

129
-

“你都记得些什么？”崔维兹问。

130
-

“每一件事。”

131
-

“你能记得所有的参考资料？”

132
-

“当然。”

133
-

“前后多久时间？可以延伸到多少年前？”

134
-

“无限久远。”

135
-

“你是说包括历史、传记、地理以及科学的资料？甚至地方上的里巷之谈？”

136
-

“包括任何资料。”

137
-

“通通装在那个小脑袋里？”崔维兹以嘲讽的动作指着宝绮思右侧的太阳穴。

138
-

“并不尽然，”她答道：“盖娅的记忆体不仅限于我头颅中的成分。听着，”此时她的神情变得十分庄着，甚至有些严肃：现在的她不只是宝绮思，同时也是盖娅其他单的混合体。“在有历史记载之前，人类一定有过一段原始时期，当时的人类虽然能记住事情，可是根本不会说话。后来人类发明了语言，作为表达记忆的工具，记忆才能在人与人之间流传。为了记录各种记忆，并将它们一代一代传下去，文字终于应运而生。从此以后，科技发展都是为了创造更多传递和贮存记忆的空间，并且尽量简化取得某项资料的手续。然而，当所有的个体融合成盖娅之后，那些发展就全都过时了。我们可以着新回归最原始的记忆，也就是最基本的纪录保存系统，你明白了吗？”

139
-

崔维兹说：“你的意思是，盖娅上所有头脑的总和，能比单一头脑记得更多的资料？”

140
-

“当然。”

141
-

“假如盖娅把所有纪录散布在行星级记忆体中，对身为盖娅一部分的你又有什么好处？”

142
-

“好处太多了。我想知道的任何资料，都一定贮存在某人的心灵，或是某些人心灵中。如果是非常基本的资料，例如‘椅子’这两个字的意思，那么每个心灵中都会有。但即使是一些十分奥秘的事情，仅存在于盖娅心灵中某一小部分，如果我有需要，也随时可以叫出来，只不过会比取得普遍的记忆多花一点时间——听好，崔维兹，如果你想要查一项原本不知道的资料，你会去查阅相关的胶卷书，或是查询电脑资料库，而我的做法则是扫描盖娅的全心灵。”

143
-

崔维兹说：“你怎样防止大量资讯涌人你的心灵，以免撑爆你的颅腔？”

144
-

“你讽刺成瘾了吗，崔维兹？”

145
-

裴洛拉特赶紧说：“拜托，葛兰，别讨人厌。”

146
-

崔维兹轮流瞪视他们两人，显然在经过一番努力之后，才终于使脸上绷紧的肌肉放松。“很抱歉。我被一个强行加在身上的着担压得喘不过气，又不知道该如何解脱。或许由于这个缘故，我讲话的口气听来不大好，但这绝非我的本意。宝绮思，我真的很想知道答案。你如何能取用别人脑中的记忆，却不会很快将自己的脑袋塞满？”

147
-

宝绮思回答说：“我也不知道，崔维兹，正如你不了解自己头脑运作的细节。我想，你应该知道你们的太阳和最近一颗恒星的距离，可是你未必会一直记着这回事。你把这个数宇贮存在某处，不何时被人问起，你随时都能想起来。如果你一直没有用到，久而久之也许就会忘记，但你总能在某个电脑资料库中查到。你可以将盖娅的头脑视为一座大型电脑资料库，我随时能使用它，然而我却不一定要刻意记住曾经用过的资料。用完某项资料或记忆之后，我可以让它从自己的记忆中消失，换句话说，就是专程把它放回原处。”

148
-

“盖娅上有多少人，宝绮思？有多少人类？”

149
-

“大约有十亿，你要知道目前确实的数字吗？”

150
-

崔维兹露出一丝苦笑。“我很明白，只要你愿意，就能把正确的数字叫出来，不过我知道大概数目就够了。”

151
-

“事实上，”宝绮思接着说：“人口数目一直都很稳定，总是在比十亿多一点的数量上下起伏。我可以延伸我的意识——嗯——到达盖娅的边缘，查出目前人口数和平均值的差距。对于没有和我们分享过共同经验的人，我实在无法解释得更清楚。”

152
-

“可是我以为，十亿人的心灵——其中还有不少是儿童，一定容纳不下一个复杂社会需要的所有资料。”

153
-

“可是人类并非盖娅上唯一的生物，崔。”

154
-

“你的意思是动物也能记忆？”

155
-

“动物脑部贮存记忆的密度没有人脑那么高，而且不论人脑或其他动物的头脑，大部分空间都用来贮存个体的记忆，那些记忆除了自身之外，对行星级意识几乎没什么用处。尽避如此，仍有许多高等资料能贮存在动物大脑、植物组织以及矿物结构中。”

156
-

“矿物结构？你是指岩石和山脉？”

157
-

“还有几类资料贮存在海洋和大气层中，它们通通都是盖娅。”

158
-

“无生物系统能容纳些什么呢？”

159
-

“太多了。比如说，岩石的记忆能力虽然低，但是由于体积庞大，所以盖娅的全记忆有一大部分存在那里。由于岩石记忆体的存取时间较长，所以最适合贮存一些‘死资料’，也就是平常极少用到的资料。”

160
-

“假设一个脑部存有十分着要资料的人死了，那又会怎么样呢？”

161
-

“里面的资料并不会遗失。人死了之后，当大脑组织开始解体时，资料会慢慢挤出脑部，这些记忆有充分的时间分散到盖娅其他部分。每个新生儿都有个新的大脑，这些大脑随着年龄逐渐发育，不但会发展出个体的记忆和思想，还会从其他来源吸收适当的知识。你们所谓的教育，就我／我们／盖娅而言，完全是自动自发的过程。”

162
-

裴洛拉特说：“坦白讲，葛兰，我觉得这种活生生的世界，是一种具有许多优点的概念。”

163
-

崔维兹瞟了这位基地同胞一眼。“这点我也同意，詹诺夫，可是我不怎么感兴趣。这颗行星不论多大，不论如何多样化，仍然等于只有一个头脑，只有一个！每个新生的头脑都和整体融合为一，怎么会有反对意见出现的机会？如果你回顾人类的历史，你将会发现，某些人的想法虽然一时无法见容于社会，却能赢得最后的胜利，进而改变整个世界。而在盖娅上，有什么机会出现创造历史的伟大叛逆？”

164
-

“盖娅也会有内部冲突。”宝绮思说：“并非盖娅每一部分都会接受共同的观点。”

165
-

“但是一定有限，”崔维兹说：“在一个单一有机体内，不可能容许过多的骚动，否则就无法正常运作。在这种情况下，整体的进步和发展纵使没有完全停滞，步调也一定相当缓慢。我们能冒险将这种情形强行加诸整个银河吗？加在全体人类之上吗？”

166
-

宝绮思毫不动容地答道：“你是在质疑自己的决定吗？难道你已经改变主意，认为盖娅不适合做人类未来的典范？”

167
-

崔维兹紧抿着嘴唇，迟疑了一下，然后缓缓说道：“我很想这样做，不过——还不到时候。我所做的决定是有根据的——某种潜意识的根据。除非我找出它的真面目，我还不能决定要不要变卦。所以说，我们还是回到地球这个题目吧。”

168
-

“你觉得在地球上，可以领悟到促使你做出那个决定的根据，对不对？”

169
-

“我的感觉正是这样——杜姆说盖娅不知道地球的位置，我相信你一定同意他的看法。”

170
-

“我当然同意他的话，我和他同样是盖娅。”

171
-

“你有没有什么事瞒着我？我是指刻意瞒着我？”

172
-

“当然没有。即使盖娅能说谎，也不会对你这么做。无论如何，我们得仰赖你所傲的决断，我们希望它正确无误，这就需要一切以事实为基础。”

173
-

“既然如此，”崔维兹说：“就让我们利用你们的世界级记忆吧。往前回溯，告诉我你能记得多久以前的事。”

174
-

宝绮思茫然地望着崔维兹，迟疑了好一会儿，彷佛处于一种精神恍惚的境界。然后她说：“一万五千年。”

175
-

“你为什么犹豫了一下？”

176
-

“这需要些时间。陈旧的记忆——尤其是那些非常陈旧的，几乎都藏在群山的根部，要花点时间才能挖出来。”

177
-

“一万五千年前？是不是盖娅刚创建的时候？”

178
-

“不，据我们所知，那还要再往前回溯大约三千年。”

179
-

“你为什么不能肯定？你，或者盖娅，难道不记得吗？”

180
-

宝绮思说：“当时盖娅尚未发展出全球性记忆。”

181
-

“可是在你们仰赖集体记忆之前，盖娅一定保有些纪录，宝绮思。一般性的纪录——录下来的、写下来的、拍下来的等等。”

182
-

“我想应该有吧，可是过了这么久，那些东西不可能还存在。”

183
-

“也许会有副本，或者说，当全球性记忆发展成功之后，它们就被转移到那里去，如果真是这样就更好了。”

184
-

宝绮思皱了一下眉头，接下来又是一阵犹豫，这次持续的时间更久。“你说的那些早期纪录，我找不到任何踪迹。”

185
-

“怎么会这样？”

186
-

“我也不知道，崔维兹。不过，我想是因为它们看来不太着要。我猜，当这些早期的非记忆性资料开始腐坏时，就已经被认定是过时和没有用的了。”

187
-

“你并不知道实情，你只不过在想、在猜罢了。可是你其实不知道，盖娅也不知道。”

188
-

宝绮思垂下眼睑。“一定是这样。”

189
-

“一定是这样？我可不是盖娅的一部分，因此我不需要同意盖娅的看法——这是个很好的例子，让你知道独立性有多着要。我，身为一个孤立体，我有不同的看法。”

190
-

“你的看法如何？”

191
-

“首先，有一点我非常肯定，一个现存的文明不太可能毁掉早期的纪录。非但不会判定那些资料陈旧无用，还很可能过分珍惜着视这些资料，并且想尽办法保存。如果盖娅全球性记忆出现前的纪录被毁坏殆尽，宝绮思，这不太可能是自发性的行为。”

192
-

“那么你要如何解释呢？”

193
-

“在川陀那座图书馆中，有关地球的参考资料全被移走，主事者不知是何方神圣，反正不是川陀第二基地的成员。如此看来，盖娅上有关地球的参考资料，会不会也是被外力清除的？”

194
-

“你怎么知道早期纪录提到了地球？”

195
-

“根据你的说法，盖娅至少是在一万八千年前建立的。那是银河帝国尚未兴起的时代，当时人类正在大举殖民银河，而殖民者的主要来源正是地球。裴洛拉特可以证实这一点。”

196
-

突然听到被人点名，裴洛拉特有点惊讶。他清了清喉咙，“传说中的确是这样，亲爱的。我对这些传说非常着视，而且我和葛兰·崔维兹都认为，人类这个物种原本局限在一颗行星上，那颗行星就是地球，最初的殖民者都来自地球。”

197
-

“所以说，”崔维兹接口道：“如果盖娅是在超空间旅行初期建立的，就很可能是地球人的殖民世界；即使最初的殖民者不是地球人，也该来自一个由地球人建立的新兴世界。因此，盖娅的开拓史，以及其后数千年的纪录，一定记载了和地球及地球人相关的史实，可是这些纪录通通不见了。似乎有什么神秘的力量，不让地球在银河的任何纪录中曝光。果真如此，其中一定有着大的隐情。”

198
-

宝绮思气呼呼地说：“这只是臆测罢了，崔维兹，你没有任何证据。”

199
-

“然而盖娅一直坚持我有特殊的天分，在证据不足的情况下，我也能做出正确的结论。所以说，在我做出一个确切的结论之后，不要再说我缺乏证据。”

200
-

宝绮思沈默不语。

201
-

崔维兹继续说：“所以说，寻找地球也就更形着要。我想在远星号准备就绪后马上出发，你们两位还是要去吗？”

202
-

“当然。”宝绮思不假思索立刻回答；“当然。”裴洛拉特也这么说。

203
-

"Why did I do it?" asked Golan Trevize.

1

读书笔记

是否公开

我的读书笔记

仅对会员开放

网友的读书笔记

仅对会员开放
-

It wasn’t a new question. Since he had arrived at Gaia, he had askedit of himself frequently. He would wake up from a sound sleep in thepleasant coolness of the night and find the question sounding noiselesslyin his mind, like a tiny drumbeat: Why did I do it? Why did I do it?

2

读书笔记

是否公开

我的读书笔记

仅对会员开放

网友的读书笔记

仅对会员开放
-

Now, though, for the first time, he managed to ask it of Dom, theancient of Gaia.

3

读书笔记

是否公开

我的读书笔记

仅对会员开放

网友的读书笔记

仅对会员开放
-

Dom was well aware of Trevize’s tension for he could sense the fabricof the Councilman’s mind. He did not respond to it. Gaia must in no wayever touch Trevize’s mind, and the best way of remaining immune to thetemptation was to painstakingly ignore what he sensed.

4

读书笔记

是否公开

我的读书笔记

仅对会员开放

网友的读书笔记

仅对会员开放
-

"Do what, Trev?" he asked. He found it difficult to use more thanone syllable in addressing a person, and it didn’t matter. Trevize wasgrowing somewhat used to that.

5

读书笔记

是否公开

我的读书笔记

仅对会员开放

网友的读书笔记

仅对会员开放
-

"The decision I made," said Trevize. "Choosing Gaia as the future.""You were right to do so," said Dom, seated, his aged deep-set eyeslooking earnestly up at the man of the Foundation, who was standing .

6

读书笔记

是否公开

我的读书笔记

仅对会员开放

网友的读书笔记

仅对会员开放
-

"You say I am right," said Trevize impatiently.

7

读书笔记

是否公开

我的读书笔记

仅对会员开放

网友的读书笔记

仅对会员开放
-

"I/we/Gaia know you are. That’s your worth to us. You have the capacityfor making the right decision on incomplete data, and you have made thedecision. You chose Gaia! You rejected the anarchy of a Galactic Empirebuilt on the technology of the First Foundation, as well as the anarchyof a Galactic Empire built on the mentalics of the Second Foundation. Youdecided that neither could be long stable. So you chose Gaia.""Yes," said Trevize. "Exactly! I chose Gaia, a superorganism; a wholeplanet with a mind and personality in common, so that one has to say`I/we/ Gaia’ as an invented pronoun to express the inexpressible." Hepaced the floor restlessly. "And it will become eventually Galaxia,a super-superorganism embracing all the swarm of the Milky Way."He stopped, turned almost savagely on Dom, and said, "I feel I’m right,as you feel it, but you want the coming of Galaxia, and soare satisfied with the decision. There’s something in me, however, thatdoesn’t want it, and for that reason I’m not satisfied toaccept the rightness so easily. I want to know why I madethe decision, I want to weigh and judge the rightness and be satisfiedwith it. Merely feeling right isn’t enough. How can I know I am right? What is the device that makes me right?""I/we/Gaia do not know how it is that you come to the rightdecision. Is it important to know that as long as we have thedecision?""You speak for the whole planet, do you? For the common consciousnessof every dewdrop, of every pebble , of even the liquid central core ofthe planet?""I do, and so can any portion of the planet in which the intensityof the common consciousness is great enough.""And is all this common consciousness satisfied to use me as ablack box? Since the black box works, is it unimportant to know what isinside? That doesn’t suit me. I don’t enjoy being a black box. Iwant to know what’s inside. I want to know how and why I chose Gaia andGalaxia as the future, so that I can rest and be at peace.""But why do you dislike or distrust your decision so?"Trevize drew a deep breath and said slowly, in a low and forcefulvoice, "Because I don’t want to be part of a superorganism. I don’t wantto be a dispensable part to be done away with whenever the superorganismjudges that doing away would be for the good of the whole."Dom looked at Trevize thoughtfully. "Do you want to change yourdecision, then, Trev? You can, you know.""I long to change the decision, but I can’t do that merely because Idislike it. To do something now, I have to know whether thedecision is wrong or right. It’s not enough merely to feel it’s right.""If you feel you are right, you are right." Always that slow, gentlevoice that somehow made Trevize feel wilder by its very contrast withhis own inner turmoil .

8

读书笔记

是否公开

我的读书笔记

仅对会员开放

网友的读书笔记

仅对会员开放
-

Then Trevize said, in half a whisper, breaking out of the insolubleoscillation between feeling and knowing, "I must find Earth.""Because it has something to do with this passionate need of yoursto know?""Because it is another problem that troubles me unbearably and becauseI feel there is a connection between the two. Am I not ablack box? I feel there is a connection. Isn’t that enoughto make you accept it as a fact?""Perhaps," said Dom, with equanimity .

9

读书笔记

是否公开

我的读书笔记

仅对会员开放

网友的读书笔记

仅对会员开放
-

"Granted it is now thousands of years twenty thousandperhaps since the people of the Galaxy have concerned themselveswith Earth, how is it possible that we have all forgotten our planetof origin?""Twenty thousand years is a longer time than you realize. Thereare many aspects of the early Empire we know little of; many legendsthat are almost surely fictitious but that we keep repeating, and evenbelieving, because of lack of anything to substitute. And Earth is olderthan the Empire.""But surely there are some records. My good friend, Pelorat, collectsmyths and legends of early Earth; anything he can scrape up from anysource. It is his profession and, more important, his hobby. Thosemyths and legends are all there are. There are no actual records,no documents.""Documents twenty thousand years old? Things decay, perish, aredestroyed through inefficiency or war.""But there should be records of the records; copies, copies of thecopies, and copies of the copies of the copies; useful material muchyounger than twenty millennia . They have been removed. The GalacticLibrary at Trantor must have had documents concerning Earth. Thosedocuments are referred to in known historical records, but the documentsno longer exist in the Galactic Library. The references to them may exist,but any quotations from them do not exist.""Remember that Trantor was sacked a few centuries ago,""The Library was left untouched. It was protected by the personnel ofthe Second Foundation. And it was those personnel who recently discoveredthat material related to Earth no longer exists. The material wasdeliberately removed in recent times. Why?" Trevize ceased his pacingand looked intently at Dom. "If I find Earth, I will find out what itis hiding ""Hiding?""Hiding or being hidden. Once I find that out, I have the feeling Iwill know why I have chosen Gaia and Galaxia over our individuality. Then,I presume, I will know , not feel, that I am correct, andif I am correct" he lifted his shoulders hopelessly "thenso be it.""If you feel that is so," said Dom, "and if you feel you must huntfor Earth, then, of course, we will help you do as much as we can. Thathelp, however, is limited. For instance, I/we/Gaia do not know whereEarth may be located among the immense wilderness of worlds that makeup the Galaxy.""Even so," said Trevize, "I must search. Even if the endlesspowdering of stars in the Galaxy makes the quest seem hopeless, and evenif I must do it alone.

10

读书笔记

是否公开

我的读书笔记

仅对会员开放

网友的读书笔记

仅对会员开放
-

2Trevize was surrounded by the tameness of Gaia. Thetemperature, as always, was comfortable, and the air moved pleasantly,refreshing but not chilling. Clouds drifted across the sky, interruptingthe sunlight now and then, and, no doubt, if the water vapor level permeter of open land surface dropped sufficiently in this place or that,there would be enough rain to restore it.

11

读书笔记

是否公开

我的读书笔记

仅对会员开放

网友的读书笔记

仅对会员开放
-

The trees grew in regular spacings, like an orchard , and did so, nodoubt, all over the world. The land and sea were stocked with plant andanimal life in proper numbers and in the proper variety to provide anappropriate ecological balance, and all of them, no doubt, increased anddecreased in numbers in a slow sway about the recognized optimum. Asdid the number of human beings, too.

12

读书笔记

是否公开

我的读书笔记

仅对会员开放

网友的读书笔记

仅对会员开放
-

Of all the objects within the purview of Trevize’s vision, the onlywild card in the deck was his ship, the Far Star .

13

读书笔记

是否公开

我的读书笔记

仅对会员开放

网友的读书笔记

仅对会员开放
-

The ship had been cleaned and refurbished efficiently and well by anumber of the human components of Gaia. It had been restocked with foodand drink, its furnishings had been renewed or replaced, its mechanicalworkings rechecked. Trevize himself had checked the ship’s computercarefully.

14

读书笔记

是否公开

我的读书笔记

仅对会员开放

网友的读书笔记

仅对会员开放
-

Nor did the ship need refueling, for it was one of the fewgravitic ships of the Foundation, running on the energy of the generalgravitational field of the Galaxy, and that was enough to supply all thepossible fleets of humanity for all the eons of their likely existencewithout measurable decrease of intensity .

15

读书笔记

是否公开

我的读书笔记

仅对会员开放

网友的读书笔记

仅对会员开放
-

Three months ago, Trevize had been a Councilman of Terminus. He had,in other words, been a member of the Legislature of the Foundation and,ex officio , a great one of the Galaxy. Was it only three monthsago? It seemed it was half his thirty-two-year-old lifetime since thathad been his post and his only concern had been whether the great SeldonPlan had been valid or not; whether the smooth rise of the Foundationfrom planetary village to Galactic greatness had been properly chartedin advance, or not.

16

读书笔记

是否公开

我的读书笔记

仅对会员开放

网友的读书笔记

仅对会员开放
-

Yet in some ways, there was no change. He was still a Councilman. His status and his privileges remained unchanged, exceptthat he didn’t expect he would ever return to Terminus to claim thatstatus and those privileges. He would no more fit into the huge chaosof the Foundation than into the small orderliness of Gaia. He was athome nowhere, an orphan everywhere. His jaw tightened and he pushed his fingers angrily through his blackhair. Before he wasted time bemoaning his fate, he must find Earth. Ifhe survived the search, there would then be time enough to sit down andweep. He might have even better reason then. With determined stolidity , then, he thought back Three months before, he and Janov Pelorat, that able, na飗escholar, had left Terminus. Pelorat had been driven by his antiquarianenthusiasms to discover the site of long-lost Earth, and Trevize had gonealong, using Pelorat’s goal as a cover for what he thought his own realaim was. They did not find Earth, but they did find Gaia, and Trevizehad then found himself forced to make his fateful decision.

17

读书笔记

是否公开

我的读书笔记

仅对会员开放

网友的读书笔记

仅对会员开放
-

Now it was he, Trevize, who had turned half-circle-about-face andwas searching for Earth.

18

读书笔记

是否公开

我的读书笔记

仅对会员开放

网友的读书笔记

仅对会员开放
-

As for Pelorat, he, too, had found something he didn’t expect. He hadfound the black-haired, dark-eyed Bliss , the young woman who was Gaia,even as Dom was and as the nearest grain of sand or blade of grasswas. Pelorat, with the peculiar ardor of late middle age, had fallenin love with a woman less than half his years, and the young woman,oddly enough, seemed content with that.

19

读书笔记

是否公开

我的读书笔记

仅对会员开放

网友的读书笔记

仅对会员开放
-

It was odd but Pelorat was surely happy and Trevize thoughtresignedly that each person must find happiness in his or her ownmanner. That was the point of individuality the individualitythat Trevize, by his choice, was abolishing (given time) over all theGalaxy.

20

读书笔记

是否公开

我的读书笔记

仅对会员开放

网友的读书笔记

仅对会员开放
-

The pain returned. That decision he had made, and had had to make,continued to excoriate him at every moment and was "Golan!"The voice intruded on Trevize’s thoughts and he looked up in thedirection of the sun, blinking his eyes.

21

读书笔记

是否公开

我的读书笔记

仅对会员开放

网友的读书笔记

仅对会员开放
-

"Ah, Janov," he said heartily the more heartily because he didnot want Pelorat guessing at the sourness of his thoughts. He even manageda jovial , "You’ve managed to tear yourself away from Bliss, I see."Pelorat shook his head. The gentle breeze stirred his silky whitehair, and his long solemn face retained its length and solemnityin full. "Actually, old chap, it was she that suggested I seeyou about about what I want to discuss. Not that I wouldn’thave wanted to see you on my own, of course, but she seems to think morequickly than I do."Trevize smiled. "It’s all right, Janov. You’re here to say good-bye,I take it.""Well, no, not exactly. In fact, more nearly the reverse. Golan,when we left Terminus, you and I, I was intent on finding Earth. I’vespent virtually my entire adult life at that task.""And I will carry on, Janov. The task is mine now.""Yes, but it’s mine, also; mine, still.""But " Trevize lifted an arm in a vague all-inclusive gestureof the world about them.

22

读书笔记

是否公开

我的读书笔记

仅对会员开放

网友的读书笔记

仅对会员开放
-

Pelorat said, in a sudden urgent gasp , "I want to go with you."Trevize felt astonished. "You can’t mean that, Janov. You have Gaianow.""I’ll come back to Gaia someday, but I cannot let you go alone.""Certainly you can. I can take care of myself.""No offense , Golan, but you don’t know enough. It is I who know themyths and legends. I can direct you.""And you’ll leave Bliss? Come, now."A faint pink colored Pelorat’s cheeks. "I don’t exactly want to dothat, old chap, but she said "Trevize frowned. "Is it that she’s trying to get rid ofyou , Janov. She promised me ""No, you don’t understand. Please listen to me, Golan. You do havethis uncomfortable explosive way of jumping to conclusions before youhear one out. It’s your specialty , I know, and I seem to have a certaindifficulty in expressing myself concisely , but ""Well," said Trevize gently, "suppose you tell me exactly what it isthat Bliss has on her mind in just any way you please, and I promise tobe very patient.""Thank you, and as long as you’re going to be patient, I think I cancome out with it right away. You see, Bliss wants to come, too."" Bliss wants to come?" said Trevize. "No, I’m explodingagain. I won’t explode. Tell me, Janov, why would Bliss want to comealong? I’m asking it quietly.""She didn’t say. She said she wants to talk to you.""Then why isn’t she here, eh?"Pelorat said, "I think I say I think  thatshe is rather of the opinion that you are not fond of her, Golan, andshe rather hesitates to approach you. I have done my best, old man, toassure her that you have nothing against her. I cannot believe anyonewould think anything but highly of her. Still, she wanted me to broachthe subject with you, so to speak. May I tell her that you’ll be willingto see her, Golan?""Of course, I’ll see her right now.""And you’ll be reasonable? You see, old man, she’s rather intenseabout it. She said the matter was vital and she must gowith you.""She didn’t tell you why, did she?""No, but if she thinks she must go, so must Gaia .""Which means I mustn’t refuse. Is that right, Janov?""Yes, I think you mustn’t, Golan."3For the first time during his brief stay on Gaia, Trevizeentered Bliss’s house which now sheltered Pelorat as well.

23

读书笔记

是否公开

我的读书笔记

仅对会员开放

网友的读书笔记

仅对会员开放
-

Trevize looked about briefly . On Gaia, houses tended to be simple. Withthe all-but-complete absence of violent weather of any kind, with thetemperature mild at all times in this particular latitude , with eventhe tectonic plates slipping smoothly when they had to slip, therewas no point in building houses designed for elaborate protection,or for maintaining a comfortable environment within an uncomfortableone. The whole planet was a house, so to speak, designed to shelterits inhabitants.

24

读书笔记

是否公开

我的读书笔记

仅对会员开放

网友的读书笔记

仅对会员开放
-

Bliss’s house within that planetary house was small, the windowsscreened ether than glassed, the furniture sparse and gracefullyutilitarian. There were holographic images on the walls; one of them ofPelorat looking rather astonished and self-conscious. Trevize’s lipstwitched but he tried not to let his amusement show, and he fell toadjusting his waist-sash meticulously .

25

读书笔记

是否公开

我的读书笔记

仅对会员开放

网友的读书笔记

仅对会员开放
-

Bliss watched him. She wasn’t smiling in her usual fashion. Rather,she looked serious, her fine dark eyes wide, her hair tumbling to hershoulders in a gentle black wave. Only her full lips, touched with red,lent a bit of color to her face.

26

读书笔记

是否公开

我的读书笔记

仅对会员开放

网友的读书笔记

仅对会员开放
-

"Thank you for coming to see me, Trev.""Janov was very urgent in his request, Blissenobiarella."Bliss smiled briefly. "Well returned. If you will call me Bliss, adecent monosyllable, I will try to say your name in full, Trevize." Shestumbled, almost unnoticeably, over the second syllable.

27

读书笔记

是否公开

我的读书笔记

仅对会员开放

网友的读书笔记

仅对会员开放
-

Trevize held up his right hand. "That would be a good arrangement. Irecognize the Gaian habit of using one-syllable name-portions in thecommon interchange of thoughts, so if you should happen to call me Trevnow and then I will not be offended. Still, I will be more comfortableif you try to say Trevize as often as you can and I shall sayBliss."Trevize studied her, as he always did when he encountered her. As anindividual, she was a young woman in her early twenties. As part of Gaia,however, she was thousands of years old. It made no difference in herappearance, but it made a difference in the way she spoke sometimes,and in the atmosphere that inevitably surrounded her. Did he want itthis way for everyone who existed? No! Surely, no, and yet Bliss said, "I will get to the point. You stressed your desire tofind Earth ""I spoke to Dom," said Trevize, determined not to give in to Gaiawithout a perpetual insistence on his own point of view.

28

读书笔记

是否公开

我的读书笔记

仅对会员开放

网友的读书笔记

仅对会员开放
-

"Yes, but in speaking to Dom, you spoke to Gaia and to every part ofit, so that you spoke to me, for instance.""Did you hear me as I spoke?""No, for I wasn’t listening, but if, thereafter, I paid attention,I could remember what you said. Please accept that and let us goon. You stressed your desire to find Earth and insisted on itsimportance. I do not see that importance but you have the knack of beingright so I/we/Gaia must accept what you say. If the mission is crucialto your decision concerning Gaia, It is of crucial importance to Gaia,and so Gaia must go with you, if only to try to protect you.""When you say Gaia must go with me, you mean you mustgo with me. Am I correct?""I am Gaia," said Bliss simply.

29

读书笔记

是否公开

我的读书笔记

仅对会员开放

网友的读书笔记

仅对会员开放
-

"But so is everything else on and in this planet. Why, then, you? Whynot some other portion of Gaia?""Because Pel wishes to go with you, and if he goes with you, he wouldnot be happy with any other portion of Gaia than myself."Pelorat, who sat rather unobtrusively on a chair in another corner(with his back, Trevize noted , to his own image) said softly, "That’strue, Golan. Bliss is my portion of Gaia."Bliss smiled suddenly. "It seems rather exciting to be thought of inthat way. It’s very alien, of course.""Well, let’s see." Trevize put his hands behind his head and beganto lean backward in his chair. The thin legs creaked as he did so, sothat he quickly decided the chair was not sturdy enough to endure thatgame and brought it down to all four feet. "Will you still be part ofGaia if you leave her?""I need not be. I can isolate myself, for instance, if I seem in dangerof serious harm, so that harm will not necessarily spill over into Gaia,or if there is any other overriding reason for it. That, however, is amatter of emergency only. Generally, I will remain part of Gaia.""Even if we Jump through hyperspace?""Even then, though that will complicate matters somewhat.""Somehow I don’t find that comforting.""Why not?"Trevize wrinkled his nose in the usual metaphoric response to a badsmell. "It means that anything that is said and done on my ship thatyou hear and see will be heard and seen by all of Gaia.""I am Gaia so what I see, hear, and sense, Gaia will see, hear,and sense.""Exactly. Even that wall will see, hear, and sense."Bliss looked at the wall he pointed to and shrugged . "Yes, that wall,too. It has only an infinitesimal consciousness so that it senses andunderstands only infinitesimally, but I presume there are some subatomicshifts in response to what we are saying right now, for instance, thatenable it to fit into Gaia with more purposeful intent for the good ofthe whole.""But what if I wish privacy? I may not want the wall to be aware ofwhat I say or do."Bliss looked exasperated and Pelorat broke in suddenly. "You know,Golan, I don’t want to interfere , since I obviously don’t know much aboutGaia. Still, I’ve been with Bliss and I’ve gathered somehow some of whatit’s all about. If you walk through a crowd on Terminus, you seeand hear a great many things, and you may remember some of it. You mighteven be able to recall all of it under the proper cerebral stimulation,but mostly you don’t care. You let it go. Even if you watch some emotionalscene between strangers and even if you’re interested; still, if it’sof no great concern to you you let it go you forget. It mustbe so on Gaia, too. Even if all of Gaia knows your business intimately,that doesn’t mean that Gaia necessarily cares . Isn’tthat so, Bliss dear?""I’ve never thought of it that way, Pel, but there is somethingin what you say. Still, this privacy Trev talks about I mean,Trevize is nothing we value at all. In fact, I/we/Gaia findit incomprehensible. To want to be not part to have your voiceunheard your deeds unwitnessed your thoughts unsensed "Bliss shook her head vigorously. "I said that we can block ourselvesoff in emergencies, but who would want to live that way,even for an hour?""I would," said Trevize. "That is why I must find Earth to findout the overriding reason, if any, that drove me to choose this dreadfulfate for humanity.""It is not a dreadful fate, but let us not debate the matter. I willbe with you, not as a spy, but as a friend and helper. Gaia will be withyou not as a spy, but as a friend and helper."Trevize said, somberly, "Gaia could help me best by directing meto Earth."Slowly, Bliss shook her head. "Gaia doesn’t know the location ofEarth. Dom has already told you that.""I don’t quite believe that. After all, you must have records. Whyhave I never been able to see those records during my stay here? Evenif Gaia honestly doesn’t know where Earth might be located, I might gainsome knowledge from the records. I know the Galaxy in considerable detail,undoubtedly much better than Gaia does. I might be able to understand andfollow hints in your records that Gaia, perhaps, doesn’t quite catch.""But what records are these you talk of, Trevize?""Any records. Books, films, recordings , holographs, artifacts, whateverit is you have. In the time I’ve been here I haven’t seen one item thatI would consider in any way a record. Have you, Janov?""No," said Pelorat hesitantly, "but I haven’t really looked.""Yet I have, in my quiet way," said Trevize, "and I’ve seennothing. Nothing! I can only suppose they’re being hidden from me. Why,I wonder? Would you tell me that?"Bliss’s smooth young forehead wrinkled into a puzzled frown. "Whydidn’t you ask before this? I/we/Gaia hide nothing, and we tell nolies. An Isolate an individual in isolation might telllies. He is limited, and is fearful because he is limited. Gaia, however,is a planetary organism of great mental ability and has no fear. For Gaiato tell lies, to create descriptions that are at variance with reality,is totally unnecessary."Trevize snorted. "Then why have I carefully been kept from seeingany records? Give me a reason that makes sense.""Of course." She held out both hands, palms up before her. "We don’thave any records."4Pelorat recovered first, seeming the less astonishedof the two.

30

读书笔记

是否公开

我的读书笔记

仅对会员开放

网友的读书笔记

仅对会员开放
-

"My dear," he said gently, "that is quite impossible. You cannot havea reasonable civilization without records of some kind."Bliss raised her eyebrows . "I understand that. I merely mean wehave no records of the type that Trev Trevize is talkingabout, or was at all likely to come across. I/we/Gaia have no writings,no printings, no films, no computer data banks, nothing. We have nocarvings on stone, for that matter. That’s all I’m saying. Naturally,since we have none of these, Trevize found none of these."Trevize said, "What do you have, then, if you don’t have any recordsthat I would recognize as records?"Bliss said, enunciating carefully, as though she were speaking to achild. "I/we/Gaia have a memory. I remember .""What do you remember?" asked Trevize.

31

读书笔记

是否公开

我的读书笔记

仅对会员开放

网友的读书笔记

仅对会员开放
-

"Everything.""You remember all reference data?""Certainly.""For how long? For how many years back?""For indefinite lengths of time.""You could give me historical data, biographical, geographical,scientific? Even local gossip?""Everything.""All in that little head." Trevize pointed sardonically at Bliss’sright temple.

32

读书笔记

是否公开

我的读书笔记

仅对会员开放

网友的读书笔记

仅对会员开放
-

"No," she said. "Gaia’s memories are not limited to the contents of myparticular skull . See here" for the moment she grew formal and evena little stern, as she ceased being Bliss solely and took on an amalgamof other units "there must have been a time before the beginningof history when human beings were so primitive that, although they couldremember events, they could not speak. Speech was invented and servedto express memories and to transfer them from person to person. Writingwas eventually invented in order to record memories and transfer themacross time from generation to generation. All technological advancesince then has served to make more room for the transfer and storageof memories and to make the recall of desired items easier. However,once individuals joined to form Gaia, all that became obsolete . We canreturn to memory, the basic system of record-keeping on which all elseis built. Do you see that?"Trevize said, "Are you saying that the sum total of all brains onGaia can remember far more data than a single brain can?""Of course.""But if Gaia has all the records spread through the planetary memory,what good is that to you as an individual portion of Gaia?""All the good you can wish. Whatever I might want to know is inan individual mind somewhere, maybe in many of them. If it is veryfundamental, such as the meaning of the word `chair,’ it is in everymind. But even if it is something esoteric that is in only one smallportion of Gaia’s mind, I can call it up if I need it, though such recallmay take a bit longer than if the a memory is more widespread. Look,Trevize, if you want to know some. thing that isn’t in your mind, youlook at some appropriate book-film, or make use of a computer’s databanks. I scan Gaia’s total mind."Trevize said, "How do you keep all that information from pouring intoyour mind and bursting your cranium?""Are you indulging in sarcasm , Trevize?"Pelorat said, "Come, Golan, don’t be unpleasant." ,Trevize looked from one to the other and, with a visible effort,allowed tightness about his face to relax. "I’m sorry. I’m borne downby a responsibility I don’t want and don’t know how to get rid of. Thatmay make me sound unpleasant when I don’t intend to be. Bliss, I reallywish to know. How do you draw upon the contents of the brains of otherswithout then storing it in your own brain and quickly overloading itscapacity?"Bliss said, "I don’t know, Trevize; any more than you know the detailedworkings of your single brain. I presume you know the distance from yoursun to a neighboring star, but you are not always conscious of it. Youstore it somewhere and can retrieve the figure at any time if asked. Ifnot asked, you may with time forget it, but you can then always retrieveit from some data bank. If you consider Gaia’s brain a vast data bank, itis one I can call on, but there is no need for me to remember consciouslyany particular item I have made use of. Once I have made use of a factor memory, I can allow it to pass out of memory. For that matter, I candeliberately put it back, so to speak, in the place I got it from.""How many people on Gaia, Bliss? How many human beings?""About a billion. Do you want the exact figure as of now?"Trevize smiled ruefully. "I quite see you can call up the exact figureif you wish, but I’ll take the approximation.""Actually," said Bliss, "the population is stable and oscillates abouta particular number that is slightly in excess of a billion. I can tellby how much the number exceeds or falls short of the mean by extending myconsciousness and well feeling the boundaries. I can’t explainit better than that to some one who has never shared the experience.""It seems to me, however, that a billion human minds a numberof them being those of children are surely not enough to hold inmemory all the data needed by a complex society.""But human beings are not the only living things on Gaia, Trev.""Do you mean that animals remember, too?""nonhuman brains can’t store memories with the same density humanbrains can, and much of the room in all brains, human and nonhuman alike,must be given over to personal memories which are scarcely useful exceptto the particular component of the planetary consciousness that harborsthem. However, significant quantities of advanced data can be, andare, stored in animal brains, also in plant tissue, and in the mineralstructure of the planet.""In the mineral structure? The rocks and mountain range, you mean?""And, for some kinds of data, the ocean and atmosphere. All that isGaia, too.""But what can nonliving systems hold?""A great deal. The intensity is low but the volume is so great thata large majority of Gaia’s total memory is in its rocks. It takes alittle longer to retrieve and replace rock memories so that it is thepreferred place for storing dead data, so to speak items that,in the normal course of events, would rarely be called upon.""What happens when someone dies whose brain stores data of considerablevalue?""The data is not lost. It is slowly crowded out as the braindisorganizes after death, but there is ample time to distribute thememories into other parts of Gaia. And as new brains appear in babiesand become more organized with growth, they not only develop theirpersonal memories and thoughts but are fed appropriate knowledge fromother sources. What you would call education is entirely automatic withme/us/Gaia."Pelorat said, " Frankly , Golan, it seems to me that this notion of aliving world has a great deal to be said for it."Trevize gave his fellow-Foundationer a brief, sidelong glance. "I’msure of that, Janov, but I’m not impressed. The planet, however bigand however diverse, represents one brain. One! Every new brain thatarises is melted into the whole. Where’s the opportunity for opposition,for disagreement? When you think of human history, you think of theoccasional human being whose minority view may be condemned by societybut who wins out in the end and changes the world. What chance is thereon Gaia for the great rebels of history?""There is internal conflict," said Bliss. "Not every aspect of Gaianecessarily accepts the common view.""It must be limited," said Trevize. "You cannot have too much turmoilwithin a single organism, or it would not work properly. If progress anddevelopment are not stopped altogether, they must certainly be slowed. Canwe take the chance of inflicting that on the entire Galaxy? On all ofhumanity?"Bliss said, without open emotion, "Are you now questioning your owndecision? Are you changing your mind and are you now saying that Gaiais an undesirable future for humanity?"Trevize tightened his lips and hesitated. Then, he said, slowly,"I would like to, but not yet. I made my decision on somebasis some unconscious basis and until I find out what thatbasis was, I cannot truly decide whether I am to maintain or change mydecision. Let us therefore return to the matter of Earth.""Where you feel you will learn the nature of the basis on which youmade your decision. Is that it, Trevize?""That is the feeling I have. Now Dom says Gaia does not knowthe location of Earth. And you agree with him, I believe.""Of course I agree with him. I am no less Gaia than he is.""And do you withhold knowledge from me? Consciously, I mean?""Of course not. Even if it were possible for Gaia to lie, it wouldnot lie to you. Above all, we depend upon your conclusions, and we needthem to be accurate, and that requires that they be based on reality.""In that case," said Trevize, "let’s make use of yourworld-memory. Probe backward and tell me how far you can remember."There was a small hesitation . Bliss looked blankly at Trevize,as though, for a moment, she was in a trance. Then she said, "Fifteenthousand years.""Why did you hesitate?""It took time. Old memories really old are almost all inthe mountain roots where it takes time to dig them out.""Fifteen thousand years ago, then? Is that when Gaia was settled?""No, to the best of our knowledge that took place some three thousandyears before that.""Why are you uncertain? Don’t you or Gaia remember?"Bliss said, "That was before Gaia had developed to the point wherememory became a global phenomenon.""Yet before you could rely on your collective memory, Gaia must havekept records, Bliss. Records in the usual sense recorded, written,filmed, and so on.""I imagine so, but they could scarcely endure all this time.""They could have been copied or, better yet, transferred into theglobal memory, once that was developed."Bliss frowned. There was another hesitation, longer this time. "Ifind no sign of these earlier records you speak of.""Why is that?""I don’t know, Trevize. I presume that they proved of no greatimportance. I imagine that by the time it was understood that the earlynon-memory records were decaying, it was decided that they had grownarchaic and were not needed.""You don’t know that. You presume and you imagine, but you don’t knowthat. Gaia doesn’t know that."Bliss’s eyes fell. "It must be so.""Must be? I am not a part of Gaia and therefore I need not presumewhat Gaia presumes which gives you an example of the importanceof isolation. I, as an Isolate, presume something else.""What do you presume?""First, there is something I am sure of. A civilization in being isnot likely to destroy its early records. Far from judging them to bearchaic and unnecessary, they are likely to treat them with exaggeratedreverence and would labor to preserve them. If Gaia’s pre-globalrecords were destroyed, Bliss, that destruction is not likely to havebeen voluntary.""How would you explain it, then?""In the Library at Trantor, all references to Earth were removedby someone or some force other than that of the Trantorian SecondFoundationers themselves. Isn’t it possible, then, that on Gaia, too, allreferences to Earth were removed by something other than Gaia itself?""How do you know the early records involved Earth?""According to you, Gaia was founded at least eighteen thousand yearsago. That brings us back to the period before the establishment of theGalactic Empire, to the period when the Galaxy was being settled andthe prime source of settlers was Earth. Pelorat will confirm that."Pelorat, caught a little by surprise by suddenly being called on,cleared his throat. "So go the legends, my dear. I take those legendsseriously and I think, as Golan Trevize does, that the human species wasoriginally confined to a single planet and that planet was Earth. Theearliest Settlers came from Earth.""If, then," said Trevize, "Gaia was founded in the early days ofhyperspatial travel, then it is very likely to have been colonizedby Earthmen, or possibly by natives of a not very old world thathad not long before been colonized by Earthmen. For that reason, therecords of Gaia’s settlement and of the first few millennia thereaftermust clearly have involved Earth and Earthmen and those records aregone. Something seems to be seeing to it that Earth is notmentioned anywhere in the records of the Galaxy. And if so, there mustbe some reason for it."Bliss said indignantly, "This is conjecture , Trevize. You have noevidence for this.""But it is Gaia that insists that my special talent is that of comingto correct conclusions on the basis of insufficient evidence. If, then,I come to a firm conclusion, don’t tell me I lack evidence."Bliss was silent.

33

读书笔记

是否公开

我的读书笔记

仅对会员开放

网友的读书笔记

仅对会员开放
-

Trevize went on, "All the more reason then for finding Earth. I intendto leave as soon as the Far Star is ready. Do you two still wantto come?""Yes," said Bliss at once, and "Yes," said Pelorat.

34

读书笔记

是否公开

我的读书笔记

仅对会员开放

网友的读书笔记

仅对会员开放
道德经
论语
孙子兵法
禮記
孟子
尚書
詩經
周易
简典
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

微信小程序

微信公众号

Email:

22745823@qq.com

联系站长：

QQ:22745823

机构翻译

地址翻译

人名翻译

译典登录

译典注册

译典说明

意见反馈

浙ICP备05023696号-8