Chapter 19

Cleon, Emperor of the Galaxy¹, was walking hurriedly through the arcade² that led from his private quarters in the Small Palace to the offices of the rather tremendous staff that lived in the various annexes³ of the Imperial Palace, which served as the nerve center of the Empire.
    Several of his personal attaches walked after him, with looks of the deepest concern on their faces. The Emperor did not walk to others. He summoned them and they came to him. If he did walk, he never showed signs of haste or emotional trauma⁴. How could he? He was the Emperor and, as such, far more a symbol of all the worlds than a human being.
    Yet now he seemed to be a human being. He motioned everyone aside with an impatient wave of his right hand. In his left hand he held a gleaming hologram.
    "The First Minister," he said in an almost strangled voice, not at all like the carefully cultivated tones he had painstakingly⁵ assumed along with the throne. "Where is he?"
    And all the high functionaries⁶ who were in his way fumbled⁷ and gasped⁸ and found it impossible to manage coherence⁹. He brushed past them angrily, making them all feel, undoubtedly¹⁰, as though they were living through a waking nightmare.
    Finally he burst into Demerzel's private office, panting slightly, and shouted-literally shouted- "Demerzel!"
    Demerzel looked up with a trace of surprise and rose smoothly¹¹ to his feet, for one did not sit in the presence of the Emperor unless specifically invited to. "Sire?" he said.
    And the Emperor slammed the hologram down on Demerzel's desk and said, "What is this? Will you tell me that?"
    Demerzel looked at what the Emperor had given him. It was a beautiful hologram, sharp and alive. One could almost hear the little boy-perhaps ten years old-speaking the words that were included in the caption¹²: "I don't want no robot in charge of running the Empire."
    Demerzel said quietly, "Sire, I have received this, too."
    "And who else has?"
    "I am under the impression, Sire, that it is a flier that is being widely spread over Trantor."
    "Yes, and do you see the person at whom that brat¹³ is looking?" He tapped his Imperial forefinger¹⁴ at it. "Isn't that you?"
    "The resemblance is striking, Sire."
    "Am I wrong in supposing that the whole intent of this flier, as you call it, is to accuse you of being a robot?"
    "That does seem to be its intention, Sire."
    "And stop me if I'm wrong, but aren't robots the legendary¹⁵ mechanical human beings one finds in-in thrillers¹⁶ and children's stories?"
    "The Mycogenians have it as an article of faith, Sire, that robots-"
    "I'm not interested in the Mycogenians and their articles of faith. Why are they accusing you of being a robot?"
    "Merely a metaphorical¹⁷ point, I'm sure, Sire. They wish to portray¹⁸ me as a man of no heart, whose views are the conscienceless calculations of a machine."
    "That's too subtle, Demerzel. I'm no fool." He tapped the hologram again. "They're trying to make people believe you are really a robot."
    "We can scarcely prevent it, Sire, if people choose to believe that."
    "We cannot afford it. It detracts from the dignity of your office. Worse than that, it detracts from the dignity of the Emperor, The implication is that I-I would choose as my First Minister a mechanical man. That is impossible to endure. See here, Demerzel, aren't there laws that forbid the denigration¹⁹ of public officers of the Empire?"
    "Yes, there are-and quite severe ones, Sire, dating back to the great Law Codes of Aburamis."
    "And to denigrate²⁰ the Emperor himself is a capital offense²¹, is it not?"
    "Death is the punishment, Sire. Yes."
    "Well, this not only denigrates²² you, it denigrates me-and whoever did it should be executed forthwith. It was this Joranum, of course, who is behind it."
    "Undoubtedly. Sire, but proving it might be rather difficult."
    "Nonsense! I have proof enough! I want an execution."
    "The trouble is, Sire, that the laws of denigration are virtually never enforced. Not in this century, certainly."
    "And that is why society is becoming so unstable²³ and the Empire is being shaken to its roots. The laws are still in the books, so enforce them."
    Demerzel said, "Consider, Sire, if that would be wise. It would make you appear to be a tyrant²⁴ and a despot. Your rule has been a most successful one through kindness and mildness-"
    "Yes and see where that got me. Let's have them fear me for a change, rather than love me-in this fashion."
    "I strongly recommend that you not do so, Sire. It may be the spark that will start a rebellion."
    "What would you do, then? Go before the people and say, `Look at me. I am no robot."'
    "No, Sire, for as you say that would destroy my dignity and, worse yet, yours."
    "Then?"
    "I am not certain, Sire. I have not yet thought it through."
    "Not yet thought it through? -Get in touch with Seldon."
    "Sire?"
    "What is so difficult to understand about my order? Get in touch with Seldon!"
    "You wish me to summon him to the Palace, Sire?"
    "No, there's no time for that. I presume you can set up a sealed communication line between us that cannot be tapped."
    "Certainly, Sire."
    "Then do so. Now!"
   

1 galaxy   

n.星系；银河系；一群(杰出或著名的人物)

参考例句：

• The earth is one of the planets in the Galaxy.地球是银河系中的星球之一。
• The company has a galaxy of talent.该公司拥有一批优秀的人才。

2 arcade   

n.拱廊；(一侧或两侧有商店的)通道

参考例句：

• At this time of the morning,the arcade was almost empty.在早晨的这个时候，拱廊街上几乎空无一人。
• In our shopping arcade,you can find different kinds of souvenir.在我们的拱廊市场，你可以发现许多的纪念品。

3 annexes   

并吞( annex的名词复数 )； 兼并； 强占； 并吞（国家、地区等）； 附加物，附属建筑( annexe的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The Annexes to this Agreement are an integral part of this Agreement. 本协定的附件为本协定的组成部分。
• Annexes 1 to 2 form the integral part of the Contract. 附件一至二将作为本合同的有效组成部分。

4 trauma   

n.外伤，精神创伤

参考例句：

• Counselling is helping him work through this trauma.心理辅导正帮助他面对痛苦。
• The phobia may have its root in a childhood trauma.恐惧症可能源于童年时期的创伤。

5 painstakingly   

adv. 费力地 苦心地

参考例句：

• Every aspect of the original has been closely studied and painstakingly reconstructed. 原作的每一细节都经过了仔细研究，费尽苦心才得以重现。
• The cause they contrived so painstakingly also ended in failure. 他们惨淡经营的事业也以失败而告终。

6 functionaries   

n.公职人员，官员( functionary的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The Indian transmitters were court functionaries, not missionaries. 印度文化的传递者都是朝廷的官员而不是传教士。 来自辞典例句
• All government institutions functionaries must implement state laws, decrees and policies. 所有政府机关极其工作人员都必须认真执行国家的法律，法规和政策。 来自互联网

7 fumbled   

（笨拙地）摸索或处理（某事物）( fumble的过去式和过去分词 )； 乱摸，笨拙地弄； 使落下

参考例句：

• She fumbled in her pocket for a handkerchief. 她在她口袋里胡乱摸找手帕。
• He fumbled about in his pockets for the ticket. 他（瞎）摸着衣兜找票。

8 gasped   

v.喘气( gasp的过去式和过去分词 )；喘息；倒抽气；很想要

参考例句：

• She gasped at the wonderful view. 如此美景使她惊讶得屏住了呼吸。
• People gasped with admiration at the superb skill of the gymnasts. 体操运动员的高超技艺令人赞叹。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

9 coherence   

n.紧凑；连贯；一致性

参考例句：

• There was no coherence between the first and the second half of the film.这部电影的前半部和后半部没有连贯性。
• Environmental education is intended to give these topics more coherence.环境教育的目的是使这些课题更加息息相关。

10 undoubtedly   

adv.确实地，无疑地

参考例句：

• It is undoubtedly she who has said that.这话明明是她说的。
• He is undoubtedly the pride of China.毫无疑问他是中国的骄傲。

11 smoothly   

adv.平滑地，顺利地，流利地，流畅地

参考例句：

• The workmen are very cooperative,so the work goes on smoothly.工人们十分合作，所以工作进展顺利。
• Just change one or two words and the sentence will read smoothly.这句话只要动一两个字就顺了。

12 caption   

n.说明，字幕，标题；v.加上标题，加上说明

参考例句：

• I didn't understand the drawing until I read the caption.直到我看到这幅画的说明才弄懂其意思。
• There is a caption under the picture.图片下边附有说明。

13 brat   

n.孩子；顽童

参考例句：

• He's a spoilt brat.他是一个被宠坏了的调皮孩子。
• The brat sicked his dog on the passer-by.那个顽童纵狗去咬过路人。

14 forefinger   

n.食指

参考例句：

• He pinched the leaf between his thumb and forefinger.他将叶子捏在拇指和食指之间。
• He held it between the tips of his thumb and forefinger.他用他大拇指和食指尖拿着它。

15 legendary   

adj.传奇（中）的，闻名遐迩的；n.传奇（文学）

参考例句：

• Legendary stories are passed down from parents to children.传奇故事是由父母传给孩子们的。
• Odysseus was a legendary Greek hero.奥狄修斯是传说中的希腊英雄。

16 thrillers   

n.紧张刺激的故事( thriller的名词复数 )；戏剧；令人感到兴奋的事；（电影）惊悚片

参考例句：

• He has written seven thrillers, and clearly enjoys intellectual pursuits. 他已经写了7本惊悚小说，显然很喜欢这样的智力活动。 来自辞典例句
• Most Americans prefer to read fast-moving adventure stories that we call "thrillers". 大部分美国人喜欢看我们称之为"惊险小说"的情节多变的冒险故事。 来自辞典例句

17 metaphorical   

a.隐喻的，比喻的

参考例句：

• Here, then, we have a metaphorical substitution on a metonymic axis. 这样，我们在换喻（者翻译为转喻，一种以部分代替整体的修辞方法）上就有了一个隐喻的替代。
• So, in a metaphorical sense, entropy is arrow of time. 所以说，我们可以这样作个比喻：熵像是时间之矢。

18 portray   

v.描写，描述；画(人物、景象等)

参考例句：

• It is difficult to portray feelings in words.感情很难用言语来描写。
• Can you portray the best and worst aspects of this job?您能描述一下这份工作最好与最坏的方面吗？

19 denigration   

n.弄黑；诋毁；贬低；抹黑[医] 涂黑，变黑

参考例句：

• The essence of the denigration of women is our definition as sex object. 诋毁妇女的实质就是视我们为性目标。 来自演讲部分
• None of you a failure as a denigration of your intellect. 不要觉得失败而诋毁了自己的才华。 来自互联网

20 denigrate   

v.诬蔑，诽谤

参考例句：

• It was unkind to denigrate her achievement.贬低她的成就是刻薄的。
• To assert this is to denigrate the effectiveness of the police.坚持这一点就是贬低警方的办事能力。

21 offense   

n.犯规，违法行为；冒犯，得罪

参考例句：

• I hope you will not take any offense at my words. 对我讲的话请别见怪。
• His words gave great offense to everybody present.他的发言冲犯了在场的所有人。

22 denigrates   

v.诋毁，诽谤( denigrate的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• The line is clever, but it unfairly denigrates the predictive power of stock markets. 话说的很聪明，但却不公平地贬低了股市的预测能力。 来自互联网

23 unstable   

adj.不稳定的，易变的

参考例句：

• This bookcase is too unstable to hold so many books.这书橱很不结实，装不了这么多书。
• The patient's condition was unstable.那患者的病情不稳定。

24 tyrant   

n.暴君，专制的君主，残暴的人

参考例句：

• The country was ruled by a despotic tyrant.该国处在一个专制暴君的统治之下。
• The tyrant was deaf to the entreaties of the slaves.暴君听不到奴隶们的哀鸣。