He looked around at the assembled members of his joint6 Terran-Nemarian staff. The Terran members were making an attempt to stand stiffly at attention, somewhat awkwardly as though they were out of practice. They threw rather disconcerted looks at his stern, impassive young face. The Nemarians stood casually erect7 or lounged against the wall.
Once more, he found himself troubled by a faint sense of incongruity8. Something about these natives was not primitive9. Without saying a word, just by standing10 and looking at him, they made him feel awkward and insecure.
He straightened his shoulders and tried to make his expression even more stern. He wished he looked older.
A sense of the power of his position overwhelmed him for a moment.
He glanced at the speech he'd prepared, then at the faces before him. Slowly he pushed it aside. Somehow he couldn't use those formal sentences with these people. Diplomatic phrases didn't sound right in Nemarian.
"Good morning," he said abruptly11. "I won't waste time on preliminaries." He paused. "I've only been here a day, but so far I've seen very few signs of Terran influence—a more or less obsolete12 type of ground transportation, a few tools and household conveniences, some art objects. Very little else. I don't fully13 understand why conditions are so backward here on Nemar when it has been part of the Galactic union for forty years."
The Terrans in the group stirred uneasily.
"The important thing, however, is that the situation be changed so that Nemar may be given the benefits of galactic culture."
He paused and looked around. The natives were listening courteously15 and looking slightly bored. The Terrans looked uneasy or embarrassed.
"What prevents this change," he went on, "is the fact that there is nothing of value to export." He leaned forward. "But I don't believe that this or any planet can possess nothing of value. It's simply a matter of finding it. It's a matter of looking into new places, with new techniques, or for new things. If a sufficiently16 thorough search is made, something will turn up." He tried to ignore the signs of restlessness in his audience.
"I'm going to organize research groups for this purpose immediately. Each of you will head a committee to investigate the possibilities in a particular field—fuels, plants, animal products, etc. You will bring the reports to me, and I will check them and indicate further directions of search."
He continued, outlining his plans in detail, stressing the great advantages to be gained, the wonderful things galactic culture had to offer them—the marvelous machines and labor-saving devices, the rich fabrics17 and jewels, the vidar entertainments, the whole fabulous18 technology of a great, advanced civilization. He spoke19 with enthusiasm, but as he continued, a growing sense of apprehension20 began to creep into his energetic, determined21 mood.
Something was wrong with their reactions.
He puzzled over it as he watched them file out of the room after he finished. The voice of one of his younger subordinates drifted back to him from the hall outside: "Made me homesick for good old Terra. I'd give a lot to see a good vidar-show right now...." Cortland pressed his arm lightly as he passed, nodding his approval of the proceedings22.
One of the Terrans lingered a moment as the last of the group left. His expression was serious. "I'd like you to know that I'm all for you, sir, and I'm glad to see a man of your stature23 in the PA's office," he said nervously24. "I hope we'll see some changes in the attitude of these Nemarians. I've never liked their attitude." He ran a hand through his sandy-colored hair. "They're funny people, sir. You've only been here a day, and nobody may have warned you yet. They're very courteous14, but don't let it fool you. You're going to have trouble with them."
Kirk looked after him as he followed the others out, a sense of confusion and discouragement beginning to settle over him. He wandered slowly into the flowered patio25 adjoining the office.
The reaction of the Nemarian officials was the strangest. They had shown no open opposition26. On the other hand, there had certainly been no cheering. Their attitude had been one of courteous interest, plus some quality he couldn't quite define. He searched for the right word ... something almost like compassion27, as if they were humoring a child's enthusiasm for a naive28, impractical29 project.
He sat down by a clump30 of blue-green flowers. Maybe he was just nervous because of his inexperience, he thought. He'd had plenty of practice experience (supervised, of course), but it was a different matter managing an isolated31 planet, completely on his own. And he'd had the bad luck to come after a guy who'd apparently32 let discipline go to pieces. Maybe it was just the newness of the whole thing. Maybe—
But he knew better.
He had given them a good, efficient, well-organized plan of action. They should have been impressed—impressed and respectful. They should have been grateful he was plunging33 so enthusiastically into an effort to improve their situation. They should have been excited and hopeful.
There was something strange here, something he didn't understand.
He knew so little about Nemar.
The Terrans in the group had not reacted as they should have, either, he thought. Some of them had shown the sort of reaction he expected, but most of them had remained quiet, too quiet, with a peculiar34, tolerant look. As if they knew something he didn't.
There was something disturbing about their whole manner. They were respectful and deferential35, but not quite respectful enough. Their attitude was just a shade too casual. Something was wrong.
They even looked different, somehow, from the usual Terran on space duty. The dedicated36 look was gone and a softness had crept in.
Somehow, the planet had infected them.
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1
irritation
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| n.激怒，恼怒，生气 | |
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poised
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| a.摆好姿势不动的 | |
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casually
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| adv.漠不关心地，无动于衷地，不负责任地 | |
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sloppiness
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| n.草率，粗心 | |
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prod
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| vt.戳，刺；刺激，激励 | |
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joint
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| adj.联合的，共同的；n.关节，接合处；v.连接，贴合 | |
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7
erect
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| n./v.树立，建立，使竖立；adj.直立的，垂直的 | |
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incongruity
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| n.不协调，不一致 | |
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primitive
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| adj.原始的；简单的；n.原(始)人，原始事物 | |
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standing
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| n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的 | |
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abruptly
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| adv.突然地，出其不意地 | |
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obsolete
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| adj.已废弃的，过时的 | |
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fully
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| adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地 | |
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courteous
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| adj.彬彬有礼的，客气的 | |
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courteously
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| adv.有礼貌地，亲切地 | |
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sufficiently
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| adv.足够地，充分地 | |
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17
fabrics
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| 织物( fabric的名词复数 )； 布； 构造； （建筑物的）结构（如墙、地面、屋顶）：质地 | |
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fabulous
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| adj.极好的；极为巨大的；寓言中的，传说中的 | |
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spoke
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| n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说 | |
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apprehension
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| n.理解，领悟；逮捕，拘捕；忧虑 | |
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determined
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| adj.坚定的；有决心的 | |
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proceedings
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| n.进程，过程，议程；诉讼(程序)；公报 | |
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stature
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| n.（高度）水平，（高度）境界，身高，身材 | |
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nervously
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| adv.神情激动地，不安地 | |
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patio
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| n.庭院，平台 | |
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opposition
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| n.反对，敌对 | |
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compassion
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| n.同情，怜悯 | |
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naive
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| adj.幼稚的，轻信的；天真的 | |
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impractical
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| adj.不现实的，不实用的，不切实际的 | |
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clump
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| n.树丛，草丛；vi.用沉重的脚步行走 | |
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isolated
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| adj.与世隔绝的 | |
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32
apparently
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| adv.显然地；表面上，似乎 | |
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33
plunging
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| adj.跳进的，突进的v.颠簸( plunge的现在分词 )；暴跌；骤降；突降 | |
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34
peculiar
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| adj.古怪的，异常的；特殊的，特有的 | |
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deferential
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| adj. 敬意的，恭敬的 | |
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dedicated
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| adj.一心一意的；献身的；热诚的 | |
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