Chapter 4

"A show!"  said the Grand Master, grimly. He  settled himself well into hisfurs,  and  one thin  hand  grasped  the iron  cudgel  he used  as a  cane¹.
"And gold, your Veneration².""And gold," agreed the Grand Master, carelessly.
Ponyets  set the  box  down and  opened it  with as  fine an  appearance ofconfidence  as he  could manage.  He felt  alone in  the face  of universalhostility; the way he  had felt out in space his first year. The semicircleof bearded  councilors who faced him  down, stared unpleasantly. Among themwas  Pherl, the  thin-faced favorite who  sat next  to the Grand  Master instiff  hostility³.  Ponyets  had   met  him  once  already  and  marked  himimmediately  as   prime  enemy,  and,  as   a  consequence,  prime  victim.
Outside  the hall,  a small  army awaited  events. Ponyets  was effectivelyisolated from his ship;  he lacked any weapon, but his attempted bribe⁴; andGorov was still a hostage.
He made the final adjustments on the clumsy monstrosity that had cost him aweek of  ingenuity⁵, and prayed once again  that the lead-lined quartz⁶ wouldstand the strain.
"What is it?" asked the Grand Master.
"This," said Ponyets, stepping  back, "is a small device I have constructedmyself.""That is  obvious, but it is  not the information I want.  Is it one of theblack-magic abominations of your world?""It is nuclear in  nature, admitted Ponyets, gravely, "but none of you needtouch it, or have anything to do with it. It is for myself alone, and if itcontains   abominations,  I   take  the   foulness  of  it   upon  myself."The Grand  Master had raised his iron cane at  the machine in a threateninggesture and his lips  moved rapidly and silently in a purifying invocation.
The thin-faced councilor at  his right leaned towards him and his straggledred  mustache  approached  the Grand  Master's  ear.  The ancient  Askonianpetulantly shrugged⁷ himself free.
"And what  is the connection of  your instrument of evil  and the gold thatmay save your countryman's life?""With this  machine," began  Ponyets, as his  hand dropped softly  onto thecentral chamber  and caressed⁸ its hard, round flanks,  "I can turn the ironyou discard into gold of the finest quality. It is the only device known toman that will take iron ?the ugly iron, your Veneration, that props⁹ up thechair you sit in and the walls of this building ?and change it to shining,heavy, yellow gold."Ponyets felt  himself botching it. His usual  sales talk was smooth, facileand plausible;  but this limped like a shot-up space  wagon¹⁰. But it was thecontent, not the form, that interested the Grand Master.
"So? Transmutation? Men have  been fools who have claimed the ability. Theyhave paid for their prying¹¹ sacrilege.""Had they succeeded?""No."  The Grand Master  seemed coldly  amused. "Success at  producing goldwould have  been a crime that  carried its own antidote¹².  It is the attemptplus the  failure that is fatal.  Here, what can you  do with my staff?" Hepounded the floor with it.
"Your Veneration  will excuse me. My  device is a small  model, prepared bymyself, and your staff is too long."The Grand  Master's small  shining eye wandered and  stopped, "Randel, yourbuckles.  Come,   man,  they   shall  be  replaced  double   if  need  be."The buckles¹³  passed down the line,  hand to hand. The  Grand Master weighedthem thoughtfully.
"Here," he said, and threw them to the floor.
Ponyets picked them up.  He tugged¹⁴ hard before the cylinder¹⁵ opened, and hiseyes blinked and squinted  with effort as he centered the buckles carefullyon  the anode  screen.  Later, it  would be  easier  but there  must  be nofailures the first time.
The  homemade transmuter¹⁶  crackled malevolently  for ten minutes  while theodor of ozone¹⁷ became faintly present. The Askonians backed away, muttering,and again Pherl whispered urgently into his ruler's ear. The Grand Master'sexpression was stony¹⁸. He did not budge¹⁹.
And the buckles were gold.
Ponyets  held  them  out  to  the  Grand  Master  with  a  murmured,  "YourVeneration!" but the old  man hesitated, then gestured them away. His starelingered upon the transmuter.
Ponyets  said rapidly,  "Gentlemen,  this is  pure gold.  Gold  through andthrough. You  may subject it to every known  physical and chemical test, ifyou   wish   to   prove   the  point.   It   cannot   be  identified   fromnaturally-occurring gold in any  way. Any iron can be so treated. Rust²⁰ willnot   interfere,  not   will  a   moderate  amount  of   alloying  metals?
But Ponyets  spoke²¹ only to fill a vacuum. He let  the buckles remain in hisoutstretched   hand,  and   it   was  the   gold  that   argued   for  him.
The  Grand Master  stretched out a  slow hand  at last, and  the thin-facedPherl  was roused  to open  speech. "Your  Veneration, the  gold is  from apoisoned source."And Ponyets  countered, "A rose can grow from  the mud, your Veneration. Inyour  dealings with  your  neighbors, you  buy material  of  all imaginablevariety,  without  inquiring as  to  where  they get  it,  whether from  anorthodox   machine  blessed   by  your   benign  ancestors  or   from  somespace-spawned outrage²². Come, I  don't offer the machine. I offer the gold.""Your Veneration,"  said Pherl,  "you are not  responsible for the  sins offoreigners who work neither  with your consent nor knowledge. But to acceptthis strange pseudo-gold made  sinfully from iron in your presence and withyour consent  is an affront²³ to  the living spirits of  our holy ancestors.""Yet  gold is  gold," said  the Grand  Master, doubtfully,  "and is  but anexchange for  the heathen person of  a convicted felon²⁴. Pherl,  you are toocritical." But he withdrew his hand.
Ponyets said, "You are  wisdom, itself, your Veneration. Consider ?to giveup a  heathen is to lose nothing for your  ancestors, whereas with the goldyou get in exchange you can ornament²⁵ the shrines²⁶ of their holy spirits. Andsurely, were gold evil in itself, if such, a thing could be, the evil woulddepart  of  necessity  once   the  metal  were  put  to  such  pious  use.""Now by the bones of my grandfather," said the Grand Master with surprisingvehemence. His lips separated in a shrill²⁷ laugh, "Pherl, what do you say ofthis young man?  The statement is valid²⁸. It is as valid  as the words of myancestors."Pherl said  gloomily, "So it would  seem. Grant that the  validity does notturn out to be a device of the Malignant²⁹ Spirit.""I'll  make it  even  better," said  Ponyets, suddenly.  "Hold the  gold inhostage. Place  it on the altars of your ancestors  as an offering and holdme for  thirty days. If  at the end of  that time, there is  no evidence ofdispleasure ? if no disasters occur  ?surely, it would  be proof that theoffering was accepted. What more can be offered?"And when the Grand Master rose to his feet to search out disapproval³⁰, not aman in  the council failed to  signal his agreement. Even  Pherl chewed theragged end of his mustache and nodded curtly³¹.
Ponyets  smiled  and  meditated  on  the  uses of  a  religious  education.

1 cane   

n.手杖，细长的茎，藤条；v.以杖击，以藤编制的

参考例句：

• This sugar cane is quite a sweet and juicy.这甘蔗既甜又多汁。
• English schoolmasters used to cane the boys as a punishment.英国小学老师过去常用教鞭打男学生作为惩罚。

2 veneration   

n.尊敬，崇拜

参考例句：

• I acquired lasting respect for tradition and veneration for the past.我开始对传统和历史产生了持久的敬慕。
• My father venerated General Eisenhower.我父亲十分敬仰艾森豪威尔将军。

3 hostility   

n.敌对，敌意；抵制［pl.］交战，战争

参考例句：

• There is open hostility between the two leaders.两位领导人表现出公开的敌意。
• His hostility to your plan is well known.他对你的计划所持的敌意是众所周知的。

4 bribe   

n.贿赂；v.向…行贿，买通

参考例句：

• He tried to bribe the policeman not to arrest him.他企图贿赂警察不逮捕他。
• He resolutely refused their bribe.他坚决不接受他们的贿赂。

5 ingenuity   

n.别出心裁；善于发明创造

参考例句：

• The boy showed ingenuity in making toys.那个小男孩做玩具很有创造力。
• I admire your ingenuity and perseverance.我钦佩你的别出心裁和毅力。

6 quartz   

n.石英

参考例句：

• There is a great deal quartz in those mountains.那些山里蕴藏着大量石英。
• The quartz watch keeps good time.石英表走时准。

7 shrugged   

vt.耸肩（shrug的过去式与过去分词形式）

参考例句：

• Sam shrugged and said nothing. 萨姆耸耸肩膀，什么也没说。
• She shrugged, feigning nonchalance. 她耸耸肩，装出一副无所谓的样子。 来自《简明英汉词典》

8 caressed   

爱抚或抚摸…( caress的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• His fingers caressed the back of her neck. 他的手指抚摩着她的后颈。
• He caressed his wife lovingly. 他怜爱万分地抚摸着妻子。

9 props   

小道具； 支柱( prop的名词复数 )； 支持者； 道具； （橄榄球中的）支柱前锋

参考例句：

• Rescuers used props to stop the roof of the tunnel collapsing. 救援人员用支柱防止隧道顶塌陷。
• The government props up the prices of farm products to support farmers' incomes. 政府保持农产品价格不变以保障农民们的收入。

10 wagon   

n.四轮马车，手推车，面包车；无盖运货列车

参考例句：

• We have to fork the hay into the wagon.我们得把干草用叉子挑进马车里去。
• The muddy road bemired the wagon.马车陷入了泥泞的道路。

11 prying   

adj.爱打听的v.打听，刺探（他人的私事）( pry的现在分词 )；撬开

参考例句：

• I'm sick of you prying into my personal life! 我讨厌你刺探我的私生活！
• She is always prying into other people's affairs. 她总是打听别人的私事。 来自《简明英汉词典》

12 antidote   

n.解毒药，解毒剂

参考例句：

• There is no known antidote for this poison.这种毒药没有解药。
• Chinese physicians used it as an antidote for snake poison.中医师用它来解蛇毒。

13 buckles   

搭扣，扣环( buckle的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• She gazed proudly at the shiny buckles on her shoes. 她骄傲地注视着鞋上闪亮的扣环。
• When the plate becomes unstable, it buckles laterally. 当板失去稳定时，就发生横向屈曲。

14 tugged   

v.用力拉，使劲拉，猛扯( tug的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• She tugged at his sleeve to get his attention. 她拽了拽他的袖子引起他的注意。
• A wry smile tugged at the corner of his mouth. 他的嘴角带一丝苦笑。 来自《简明英汉词典》

15 cylinder   

n.圆筒，柱(面)，汽缸

参考例句：

• What's the volume of this cylinder?这个圆筒的体积有多少？
• The cylinder is getting too much gas and not enough air.汽缸里汽油太多而空气不足。

16 transmuter   

n.炼金师

参考例句：

17 ozone   

n.臭氧，新鲜空气

参考例句：

• The ozone layer is a protective layer around the planet Earth.臭氧层是地球的保护层。
• The capacity of ozone can adjust according of requirement.臭氧的产量可根据需要或调节。

18 stony   

adj.石头的，多石头的，冷酷的，无情的

参考例句：

• The ground is too dry and stony.这块地太干，而且布满了石头。
• He listened to her story with a stony expression.他带着冷漠的表情听她讲经历。

19 budge   

v.移动一点儿；改变立场

参考例句：

• We tried to lift the rock but it wouldn't budge.我们试图把大石头抬起来，但它连动都没动一下。
• She wouldn't budge on the issue.她在这个问题上不肯让步。

20 rust   

n.锈；v.生锈；(脑子)衰退

参考例句：

• She scraped the rust off the kitchen knife.她擦掉了菜刀上的锈。
• The rain will rust the iron roof.雨水会使铁皮屋顶生锈。

21 spoke   

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

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

22 outrage   

n.暴行，侮辱，愤怒；vt.凌辱，激怒

参考例句：

• When he heard the news he reacted with a sense of outrage.他得悉此事时义愤填膺。
• We should never forget the outrage committed by the Japanese invaders.我们永远都不应该忘记日本侵略者犯下的暴行。

23 affront   

n./v.侮辱，触怒

参考例句：

• Your behaviour is an affront to public decency.你的行为有伤风化。
• This remark caused affront to many people.这句话得罪了不少人。

24 felon   

n.重罪犯；adj.残忍的

参考例句：

• He's a convicted felon.他是个已定罪的重犯。
• Hitler's early "successes" were only the startling depredations of a resolute felon.希特勒的早期“胜利 ”，只不过是一个死心塌地的恶棍出人意料地抢掠得手而已。

25 ornament   

v.装饰，美化；n.装饰，装饰物

参考例句：

• The flowers were put on the table for ornament.花放在桌子上做装饰用。
• She wears a crystal ornament on her chest.她的前胸戴了一个水晶饰品。

26 shrines   

圣地，圣坛，神圣场所( shrine的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• All three structures dated to the third century and were tentatively identified as shrines. 这3座建筑都建于3 世纪，并且初步鉴定为神庙。
• Their palaces and their shrines are tombs. 它们的宫殿和神殿成了墓穴。

27 shrill   

adj.尖声的；刺耳的；v尖叫

参考例句：

• Whistles began to shrill outside the barn.哨声开始在谷仓外面尖叫。
• The shrill ringing of a bell broke up the card game on the cutter.刺耳的铃声打散了小汽艇的牌局。

28 valid   

adj.有确实根据的；有效的；正当的，合法的

参考例句：

• His claim to own the house is valid.他主张对此屋的所有权有效。
• Do you have valid reasons for your absence?你的缺席有正当理由吗？

29 malignant   

adj.恶性的，致命的；恶意的，恶毒的

参考例句：

• Alexander got a malignant slander.亚历山大受到恶意的诽谤。
• He started to his feet with a malignant glance at Winston.他爬了起来，不高兴地看了温斯顿一眼。

30 disapproval   

n.反对，不赞成

参考例句：

• The teacher made an outward show of disapproval.老师表面上表示不同意。
• They shouted their disapproval.他们喊叫表示反对。

31 curtly   

adv.简短地

参考例句：

• He nodded curtly and walked away. 他匆忙点了一下头就走了。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The request was curtly refused. 这个请求被毫不客气地拒绝了。 来自《简明英汉词典》