Chapter 4

Lord  Dorwin took  snuff. He  also had  long hair, curled  intricately and,quite obviously, artificially, to  which were added a pair of fluffy¹, blondsideburns,  which  he  fondled  affectionately.  Then,  too,  he  spoke  inoverprecise statements and left out all the r's.
At the moment,  Hardin had no time to think of more  of the reasons for theinstant detestation in which he had held the noble chancellor². Oh, yes, theelegant gestures of one  hand with which he accompanied his remarks and thestudied condescension³ with which  he accompanied even a simple affirmative.
But, at  any rate,  the problem now  was to locate him.  He had disappearedwith Pirenne  half an hour before  ?passed clean out  of sight, blast him.
Hardin  was  quite  sure  that  his  own  absence  during  the  preliminarydiscussions would quite suit Pirenne.
But Pirenne had  been seen in this wing And on this  floor. It was simply amatter of trying every  door. Halfway⁴ down, he said, "Ah!" and stepped intothe  darkened room.  The  profile of  Lord Dorwin's  intricate  hair-do wasunmistakable against the lighted screen.
Lord Dorwin  looked up  and said: "Ah,  Hahdin. You ah looking  foah us, nodoubt?"  He held  out his  snuffbox ? overadorned and poor  workmanship atthat, noted  Hardinand was politely refused whereat  he helped himself to apinch and smiled graciously.
Pirenne  scowled   and  Hardin  met  that   with  an  expression  of  blankindifference.
The only sound to break the short silence that followed was the clicking ofthe  lid of  Lord  Dorwin's snuffbox.  And then  he put  it away  and said:
"A gweat  achievement, this Encyclopedia⁵ of  yoahs, Hahdin. A feat⁶, indeed,to   rank   with  the   most   majestic  accomplishments   of  all   time.""Most of us think so, milord. It's an accomplishment⁷ not quite accomplishedas yet, however.""Fwom the  little I have seen of the efficiency  of yoah Foundation, I haveno feahs  on that  scoah." And he  nodded to Pirenne, who  responded with adelighted bow.
Quite a love feast, thought Hardin. "I wasn't complaining about the lack ofefficiency, milord, as much  as of the definite excess of efficiency on thepart  of  the  Anacreonians  ? though  in  another  and  more  destructivedirection.""Ah, yes,  Anacweon." A negligent⁸ wave of the hand.  "I have just come fromtheah.  Most bahbawous  planet. It  is thowoughly inconceivable  that humanbeings could  live heah in the  Pewiphewy. The lack of  the most elementawywequiahments of a cultuahed  gentleman; the absence of the most fundamentalnecessities foah  comfoht and convenience ? the uttah desuetude⁹ into whichthey?
Hardin interrupted  dryly: "The  Anacreonians, unfortunately, have  all theelementary requirements for warfare¹⁰ and all the fundamental necessities fordestruction.""Quite, quite." Lord Dorwin seemed annoyed, perhaps at being stopped midwayin his sentence. "But we ahn't to discuss business now, y'know. Weally, I'mothahwise concuhned. Doctah Piwenne,  ahn't you going to show me the secondvolume? Do, please."The lights clicked out and for the next half-hour Hardin might as well havebeen on  Anacreon for  all the attention  they paid him. The  book upon thescreen made little sense  to him, nor did he trouble to make the attempt tofollow,  but Lord  Dorwin  became quite  humanly excited  at  times. Hardinnoticed that  during these moments of  excitement the chancellor pronouncedhis r's.
When  the  lights  went  on  again,  Lord Dorwin  said:  "Mahvelous.  Twulymahvelous.  You  ah not,  by  chance,  intewested in  ahchaeology, ah  you,Hahdin?""Eh?" Hardin shook himself out of an abstracted reverie. "No, milord, can'tsay  I am.  I'm a psychologist  by original  intention and a  politician byfinal decision.""Ah! No  doubt intewesting studies. 1, myself,  y'know" ?he helped himselfto a giant pinch of snuff ?dabble¹¹ in ahchaeology.""Indeed?""His lordship,"  interrupted Pirenne,  "is most thoroughly  acquainted withthe field.""Well, p'haps  I am, p'haps I am," said his lordship  complacently¹². "I havedone an awful amount  of wuhk in the science. Extwemely well-read, in fact.
I've gone  thwough all  of Jawdun, Obijasi,  Kwomwill ... oh,  all of them,y'know.""I've heard  of them, of course," said Hardin,  "but I've never read them.""You  should some day,  my deah fellow.  It would  amply repay you.  Why, Icutainly considah it well  wuhth the twip heah to the Pewiphewy to see thiscopy of  Lameth. Would you believe it, my Libwawy  totally lacks a copy. Bythe  way,   Doctah  Piwenne,  you  have   not  fohgotten  yoah  pwomise  totwansdevelop a copy foah me befoah I leave?""Only too pleased.""Lameth, you must know,"  continued the chancellor, pontifically¹³, "pwesentsa new and most  intwesting addition to my pwevious knowledge of the 'OwiginQuestion."'
"Which question?" asked Hardin.
"The  'Owigin Question.'  The  place of  the owigin  of the  human species,y'know. Suahly  you must know that it is  thought that owiginally the humanwace occupied only one planetawy system.""Well, yes, I know that.""Of cohse, no  one knows exactly which system it is ? lost in the mists ofantiquity. Theah  ah theawies, howevah. Siwius,  some say. Othahs insist onAlpha Centauwi, oah on Sol, oah on 61 Cygni ?all in the Siwius sectah, yousee.""And what does Lameth say?""Well,  he goes off  along a new  twail completely.  He twies to  show thatahchaeological  wemains on the  thuhd planet  of the Ahctuwian  System showthat  humanity   existed  theah   befoah  theah  wah   any  indications  ofspace-twavel.""And that means it was humanity's birth planet?""P'haps. I must wead it closely and weigh the evidence befoah I can sayfoah cuhtain. One must see just how weliable his obsuhvations ah."Hardin remained  silent for a short  while. Then he said,  "When did Lamethwrite his book?""Oh ?I should say about eight hundwed yeahs ago. Of cohse, he has based itlahgely on the pwevious wuhk of Gleen.""Then why  rely on  him? Why not go  to Arcturus and study  the remains¹⁴ foryourself?"Lord Dorwin raised his  eyebrows¹⁵ and took a pinch of snuff hurriedly. "Why,whatevah foah, my deah fellow?""To get the information firsthand, of course.""But  wheah's  the  necessity?   It  seems  an  uncommonly  woundabout  andhopelessly wigmawolish  method of  getting anywheahs. Look  heah, now, I'vegot  the wuhks of  all the old  mastahs ? the gweat ahchaeologists  of thepast. I wigh them  against each othah ?balance the disagweements ?analyzethe conflicting statements ?decide which is pwobably cowwect ?and come toa conclusion. That is the scientific method. At least" ?patronizingly ?asI see it. How insuffewably cwude it would be to go to Ahctuwus, oah to Sol,foah instance,  and blundah  about, when the  old mastahs have  covahed thegwound  so  much moah  effectually  than  we could  possibly  hope to  do."Hardin murmured politely, "I see.""Come,  milord,"  said  Pirenne,   "think  we  had  better  be  returning.""Ah, yes. P'haps we had."As  they  left  the  room, Hardin  said  suddenly,  "Milord,  may  I ask  aquestion?"Lord  Dorwin  smiled blandly  and  emphasized  his answer  with a  graciousflutter of  the hand. "Cuhtainly, my  deah fellow. Only too  happy to be ofsuhvice. If  I can help you  in any way fwom  my pooah stoah of knowledge-""It isn't exactly about archaeology¹⁶, milord.""No?""No.  It's this:  Last year  we received  news here  in Terminus  about themeltdown of a power plant on Planet V of Gamma Andromeda. We got the barestoutline of the accident  ?no details at all. I wonder if you could tell meexactly what happened."Pirenne's mouth twisted. "I wonder you annoy his lordship with questions ontotally irrelevant¹⁷ subjects.""Not at  all, Doctah Piwenne," interceded¹⁸ the  chancellor. "It is quite allwight. Theah  isn't much to say concuhning it in  any case. The powah plantdid  undergo meltdown  and it  was quite  a catastwophe, y'know.  I believewadiatsen damage.  Weally, the govuhnment is  sewiously considewing placingseveah westwictions  upon the indiscwiminate use  of nucleah powah ?thoughthat is not a thing for genewal publication, y'know.""I  understand,"  said  Hardin.  "But  what  was  wrong  with  the  plant?""Well,  weally,"  replied Lord  Dorwin  indifferently, "who  knows? It  hadbwoken down  some yeahs pweviously and it  is thought that the weplacementsand wepaiah  wuhk wuh most infewiah. It is so  difficult these days to findmen  who  weally  undahstand  the  moah  technical details  of  ouah  powahsystems." And he took a sorrowful pinch of snuff.
"You realize," said Hardin, "that the independent kingdoms of the Peripheryhad lost nuclear power altogether?""Have they?  I'm not at all  suhpwised. Bahbawous planets?Oh,  but my deahfellow, don't call them independent. They ahn't, y'know. The tweaties we'vemade with them ah  pwoof positive of that. They acknowledge the soveweigntyof the Empewah. They'd have to, of cohse, oah we wouldn't tweat with them.""That  may   be  so,  but  they   have  considerable  freedom  of  action.""Yes, I suppose so.  Considewable. But that scahcely mattahs. The Empiah isfah bettah  off, with the Pewiphewy  thwown upon its own  wesoahces ?as itis,  moah oah  less.  They ahn't  any good  to  us, y'know.  Most bahbawousplanets. Scahcely civilized¹⁹.""They were  civilized in the past.  Anacreon was one of  the richest of theoutlying provinces.  I understand it compared  favorably with Vega itself.""Oh, but, Hahdin, that  was centuwies ago. You can scahcely dwaw conclusionfwom that. Things wah  diffewent in the old gweat days. We ahn't the men weused  to be,  y'know. But,  Hahdin, come,  you ah  a most  puhsistent chap.
I've told  you I  simply won't discuss  business today. Doctah  Piwenne didpwepayah me  foah you. He told  me you would twy to  badgah me, but I'm fahtoo  old a  hand foah  that. Leave  it foah  next day.  And that  was that.

1 fluffy   

adj.有绒毛的，空洞的

参考例句：

• Newly hatched chicks are like fluffy balls.刚孵出的小鸡像绒毛球。
• The steamed bread is very fluffy.馒头很暄。

2 chancellor   

n.(英)大臣；法官；(德、奥)总理；大学校长

参考例句：

• They submitted their reports to the Chancellor yesterday.他们昨天向财政大臣递交了报告。
• He was regarded as the most successful Chancellor of modern times.他被认为是现代最成功的财政大臣。

3 condescension   

n.自以为高人一等，贬低(别人)

参考例句：

• His politeness smacks of condescension. 他的客气带有屈尊俯就的意味。
• Despite its condescension toward the Bennet family, the letter begins to allay Elizabeth's prejudice against Darcy. 尽管这封信对班纳特家的态度很高傲，但它开始消除伊丽莎白对达西的偏见。

4 halfway   

adj.中途的，不彻底的，部分的；adv.半路地，在中途，在半途

参考例句：

• We had got only halfway when it began to get dark.走到半路，天就黑了。
• In study the worst danger is give up halfway.在学习上，最忌讳的是有始无终。

5 encyclopedia   

n.百科全书

参考例句：

• The encyclopedia fell to the floor with a thud.那本百科全书砰的一声掉到地上。
• Geoff is a walking encyclopedia.He knows about everything.杰夫是个活百科全书，他什么都懂。

6 feat   

n.功绩；武艺，技艺；adj.灵巧的，漂亮的，合适的

参考例句：

• Man's first landing on the moon was a feat of great daring.人类首次登月是一个勇敢的壮举。
• He received a medal for his heroic feat.他因其英雄业绩而获得一枚勋章。

7 accomplishment   

n.完成，成就，（pl.）造诣，技能

参考例句：

• The series of paintings is quite an accomplishment.这一系列的绘画真是了不起的成就。
• Money will be crucial to the accomplishment of our objectives.要实现我们的目标，钱是至关重要的。

8 negligent   

adj.疏忽的；玩忽的；粗心大意的

参考例句：

• The committee heard that he had been negligent in his duty.委员会听说他玩忽职守。
• If the government is proved negligent,compensation will be payable.如果证明是政府的疏忽，就应支付赔偿。

9 desuetude   

n.废止，不用

参考例句：

• Many words once commonly used have fallen into desuetude.许多过去曾通用的词，今天已经废弃不用了。
• These words have fallen into desuetude.这些词如今已经不用了。

10 warfare   

n.战争(状态)；斗争；冲突

参考例句：

• He addressed the audience on the subject of atomic warfare.他向听众演讲有关原子战争的问题。
• Their struggle consists mainly in peasant guerrilla warfare.他们的斗争主要是农民游击战。

11 dabble   

v.涉足，浅赏

参考例句：

• They dabble in the stock market.他们少量投资于股市。
• Never dabble with things of which you have no knowledge.绝不要插手你不了解的事物。

12 complacently   

adv. 满足地, 自满地, 沾沾自喜地

参考例句：

• He complacently lived out his life as a village school teacher. 他满足于一个乡村教师的生活。
• "That was just something for evening wear," returned his wife complacently. “那套衣服是晚装，"他妻子心安理得地说道。 来自英汉文学 - 嘉莉妹妹

13 pontifically   

adj.教皇的；大祭司的；傲慢的；武断的

参考例句：

• His words criticising modern society just right indicate his pontifical character. 他用以批评现代社会的言论恰好反映了他自大武断的性格。 来自辞典例句
• Papal diplomats, all priests nowadays, are trained at the Pontifical Ecclesiastical Academy in Rome. 如今教廷的外交官都是牧师，都在罗马的圣座神职学院(PontificalEcclesiasticalAcademy)接受培训。 来自互联网

14 remains   

n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹

参考例句：

• He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。
• The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。

15 eyebrows   

眉毛( eyebrow的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Eyebrows stop sweat from coming down into the eyes. 眉毛挡住汗水使其不能流进眼睛。
• His eyebrows project noticeably. 他的眉毛特别突出。

16 archaeology   

n.考古学

参考例句：

• She teaches archaeology at the university.她在大学里教考古学。
• He displayed interest in archaeology.他对考古学有兴趣。

17 irrelevant   

adj.不恰当的，无关系的，不相干的

参考例句：

• That is completely irrelevant to the subject under discussion.这跟讨论的主题完全不相关。
• A question about arithmetic is irrelevant in a music lesson.在音乐课上，一个数学的问题是风马牛不相及的。

18 interceded   

v.斡旋，调解( intercede的过去式和过去分词 )；说情

参考例句：

• They interceded with the authorities on behalf of the detainees. 他们为被拘留者向当局求情。
• He interceded with the teacher for me. 他为我向老师求情。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

19 civilized   

a.有教养的，文雅的

参考例句：

• Racism is abhorrent to a civilized society. 文明社会憎恶种族主义。
• rising crime in our so-called civilized societies 在我们所谓文明社会中日益增多的犯罪行为