Chapter 7

    Dors poked¹ her head through the door. "Am I allowed to come in?"
    "No, of course not. Why should you think I would?"
    "This is not your usual place."
    "I know," sighed Seldon. "I have been evicted² from my usual place because of the stupid birthday party. How I wish it were over."
    "There you are. Once that woman gets an idea in her head, it takes over and grows like the big bang."
    Seldon changed sides at once. "Come. She means well, Dors."
    "Save me from the well-meaning," said Dors. "In any case, I'm here to discuss something else. Something which may be important."
    "Go ahead. What is it?"
    "I've been talking to Wanda about her dream-" She hesitated.
    Seldon made a gargling sound in the back of his throat, then said, can't believe it. Just let it go."
    "No. Did you bother to ask her for the details of the dream?"
    "Why should I put the little girl through that?"
    "Neither did Raych, nor Manella. It was left up to me."
    "But why should you torture her with questions about it?"
    "Because I had the feeling I should," said Dors grimly. "In the first place, she didn't have the dream when she was home in her bed."
    "Where was she, then?"
    "In your office."
    "What was she doing in my office?"
    "She wanted to see the place where the party would be and she walked into your office and, of course, there was nothing to see, as it's been cleared out in preparation. But your chair was still there. The large one-tall back, tall wings, broken-down-the one you won't let me replace."
    Hari sighed, as if recalling a longstanding disagreement. "It's not broken-down. I don't want a new one. Go on."
    "She curled up in your chair and began to brood over the fact that maybe you weren't really going to have a party and she felt bad. Then, she tells me, she must have fallen asleep because nothing is clear in her mind, except that in her dream there were two men-not women, she was sure about that-two men, talking."
    "And what were they talking about?"
    "She doesn't know exactly. You know how difficult it is to remember details under such circumstances. But she says it was about dying and she thought it was you because you were so old. And she remembers two words clearly. They were `lemonade death.'"
    "What?"
    "Lemonade death."
    "What does that mean?"
    "I don't know. In any case, the talking ceased, the men left, and there she was in the chair, cold and frightened-and she's been upset about it ever since."
    Seldon mulled over Dors's report. Then he said, "Look, dear, what importance can we attach to a child's dream?"
    "We can ask ourselves first, Hari, if it even was a dream."
    "What do you mean?"
    "Wanda doesn't say outright<sup>4</sup> it was. She says she `must have fallen asleep.' Those are her words. She didn't say she fell asleep, she said she must have fallen asleep."
    "What do you deduce from that?"
    "She may have drifted off into a half-doze and, in that state, heard two men-two real men, not two dream men-talking."
    "Real men? Talking about killing⁵ me with lemonade death?"
    "Something like that, yes."
    "Dors," said Seldon forcefully, "I know that you're forever foreseeing danger for me, but this is going too far. Why should anyone want to kill me?"
    "It's been tried twice before."
    "So it has, but consider the circumstances. The first attempt came shortly after Cleon appointed me First Minister. Naturally this was an offense⁶ to the well-established court hierarchy⁷ and I was very resented. A few thought they might settle matters by getting rid of me. The second time was when the Joranumites were trying to seize power and they thought I was standing³ in their way-plus Namarti's distorted dream of revenge.
    "Fortunately neither assassination⁸ attempt succeeded, but why should there now be a third? I am no longer First Minister and haven't been for ten years. I am an aging mathematician⁹ in retirement¹⁰ and surely no one has anything to fear from me. The Joranumites have been rooted out and destroyed and Namarti was executed long ago. There is absolutely no motivation for anyone to want to kill me.
    "So please, Dors, relax. When you're nervous about me, you get unsettled, which makes you more nervous still, and I don't want that to happen."
    Dors rose from her seat and leaned across Hari's desk. "It's easy for you to say that there is no motive¹¹ to kill you, but none is needed. Our government is now a completely irresponsible one and if they wish-"
    "Stop!" commanded Seldon loudly. Then, very quietly, "Not a word, Dors. Not a word against the government. That could get us in the very trouble you're foreseeing."
    "I'm only talking to you, Hari."
    "Right now you are, but if you get into the habit of saying foolish things, you don't know when something will slip out in someone else's presence-someone who will then be glad to report you. Just learn, as a matter of necessity, to refrain from political commentary."
    "I'll try, Hari," said Dors, but she could not keep the indignation out of her voice. She turned on her heel and left.
    Seldon watched her go. Dors had aged¹² gracefully¹³, so gracefully that at times she seemed not to have aged at all. Though she was two years younger than Seldon, her appearance had not changed nearly as much as his had in the twenty-eight years they had been together. Naturally.
    Her hair was frosted with gray, but the youthful luster¹⁴ beneath the gray still shone through. Her complexion¹⁵ had grown more sallow; her voice was a bit huskier, and, of course, she wore clothes that were suitable for middle age. However, her movements were as agile¹⁶ and as quick as ever. It was as if nothing could be allowed to interfere¹⁷ with her ability to protect Hari in case of an emergency.
    Hari sighed. This business of being protected-more or less against his will, at all times-was sometimes a heavy burden.
   

1 poked   

v.伸出( poke的过去式和过去分词 )；戳出；拨弄；与（某人）性交

参考例句：

• She poked him in the ribs with her elbow. 她用胳膊肘顶他的肋部。
• His elbow poked out through his torn shirt sleeve. 他的胳膊从衬衫的破袖子中露了出来。 来自《简明英汉词典》

2 evicted   

v.（依法从房屋里或土地上）驱逐，赶出( evict的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• A number of tenants have been evicted for not paying the rent. 许多房客因不付房租被赶了出来。
• They had evicted their tenants for non-payment of rent. 他们赶走了未交房租的房客。

3 standing   

n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的

参考例句：

• After the earthquake only a few houses were left standing.地震过后只有几幢房屋还立着。
• They're standing out against any change in the law.他们坚决反对对法律做任何修改。

4 outright   

adv.坦率地；彻底地；立即；adj.无疑的；彻底的

参考例句：

• If you have a complaint you should tell me outright.如果你有不满意的事，你应该直率地对我说。
• You should persuade her to marry you outright.你应该彻底劝服她嫁给你。

5 killing   

n.巨额利润；突然赚大钱，发大财

参考例句：

• Investors are set to make a killing from the sell-off.投资者准备清仓以便大赚一笔。
• Last week my brother made a killing on Wall Street.上个周我兄弟在华尔街赚了一大笔。

6 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。

7 hierarchy   

n.等级制度；统治集团，领导层

参考例句：

• There is a rigid hierarchy of power in that country.那个国家有一套严密的权力等级制度。
• She's high up in the management hierarchy.她在管理阶层中地位很高。

8 assassination   

n.暗杀；暗杀事件

参考例句：

• The assassination of the president brought matters to a head.总统遭暗杀使事态到了严重关头。
• Lincoln's assassination in 1865 shocked the whole nation.1865年，林肯遇刺事件震惊全美国。

9 mathematician   

n.数学家

参考例句：

• The man with his back to the camera is a mathematician.背对着照相机的人是位数学家。
• The mathematician analyzed his figures again.这位数学家再次分析研究了他的这些数字。

10 retirement   

n.退休，退职

参考例句：

• She wanted to enjoy her retirement without being beset by financial worries.她想享受退休生活而不必为金钱担忧。
• I have to put everything away for my retirement.我必须把一切都积蓄起来以便退休后用。

11 motive   

n.动机，目的；adv.发动的，运动的

参考例句：

• The police could not find a motive for the murder.警察不能找到谋杀的动机。
• He had some motive in telling this fable.他讲这寓言故事是有用意的。

12 aged   

adj.年老的，陈年的

参考例句：

• He had put on weight and aged a little.他胖了，也老点了。
• He is aged,but his memory is still good.他已年老，然而记忆力还好。

13 gracefully   

ad.大大方方地；优美地

参考例句：

• She sank gracefully down onto a cushion at his feet. 她优雅地坐到他脚旁的垫子上。
• The new coats blouse gracefully above the hip line. 新外套在臀围线上优美地打着褶皱。

14 luster   

n.光辉；光泽，光亮；荣誉

参考例句：

• His great books have added luster to the university where he teaches.他的巨著给他任教的大学增了光。
• Mercerization enhances dyeability and luster of cotton materials.丝光处理扩大棉纤维的染色能力，增加纤维的光泽。

15 complexion   

n.肤色；情况，局面；气质，性格

参考例句：

• Red does not suit with her complexion.红色与她的肤色不协调。
• Her resignation puts a different complexion on things.她一辞职局面就全变了。

16 agile   

adj.敏捷的，灵活的

参考例句：

• She is such an agile dancer!她跳起舞来是那么灵巧！
• An acrobat has to be agile.杂技演员必须身手敏捷。

17 interfere   

v.(in)干涉，干预；(with)妨碍，打扰

参考例句：

• If we interfere, it may do more harm than good.如果我们干预的话，可能弊多利少。
• When others interfere in the affair,it always makes troubles. 别人一卷入这一事件，棘手的事情就来了。