Chapter 7

Hari Seldon walked into Dr. Endelecki's office, a nervous smile on his face.
    He said, "You said a couple of weeks, Doctor. It's been over a month mow¹."
    Dr. Endelecki nodded. "I'm sorry, Professor Seldon but you wanted everything exact and that is what I have tried to do."
    "Well?" The look of anxiety on Seldon's face did not disappear. What did you find?"
    "A hundred or so defective² genes³."
    "What! Defective genes. Are you serious, Doctor?"
    "Quite serious. Why not? There are no genomes without at least a hundred defective genes; usually there are considerably⁵ more. It's not as bad as it sounds, you know."
    "No, I don't know. You're the expert, Doctor, not I."
    Dr. Endelecki sighed and stirred in her chair. "You don't know anything about genetics, do you, Professor?"
    "No, I don't. A man can't know everything."
    "You're perfectly⁶ right. I know nothing about this-what do you call it?-this psychohistory of yours."
    Dr. Endelecki shrugged⁷, then continued. "If you wanted to explain anything about it, you would be forced to start from the beginning and I would probably not understand it even so. "Now, as to genetics-"
    "Well?"
    "An imperfect gene⁴ usually means nothing. There are imperfect genes-so imperfect and so crucial that they produce terrible disorders⁸. These are very rare, though. Most imperfect genes simply don't work with absolute accuracy. They're like wheels that are slightly out of balance. A vehicle will move along, trembling a bit, but it will move along."
    "Is that what Wanda has?"
    "Yes. More or less. After all, if all genes were perfect, we would all look precisely⁹ the same, we would all behave precisely the same. It's the difference in genes that makes for different people."
    "But won't it get worse as we grow older?"
    "Yes. We all get worse as we grow older. I noticed you limping when you came in. Why is that?"
    "A touch of sciatica," muttered Seldon.
    "Did you have it all your life?"
    "Of course not."
    "Well, some of your genes have gotten worse with time and now you limp."
    "And what will happen to Wanda with time?"
    "I don't know. I can't predict the future, Professor; I believe that is your province. However, if I were to hazard a guess, I would say that nothing unusual will happen to Wanda-at least, genetically-except the gathering¹⁰ of old age."
    Seldon said, "Are you sure?"
    "You have to take my word for it. You wanted to find out about Wanda's genome and you ran the risk of discovering things perhaps it is better not to know. But I tell you that, in my opinion, I can see nothing terrible happening to her."
    "The imperfect genes-should we fix them? Can we fix them?"
    "No. In the first place, it would be very expensive. Secondly¹¹, the chances are that they would not stay fixed¹². And finally, people are against it.
    "But why?"
    "Because they're against science in general. You should know this as well as anyone, Professor. I'm afraid the situation is such, especially since Cleon's death, that mysticism has been gaining ground. People don't believe in fixing genes scientifically. They would rather cure things by the laying on of hands or by mumbo-jumbo of some sort or other. Frankly¹³ it is extremely difficult for me to continue with my job. Very little funding is coming in."
    Seldon nodded. "Actually I understand this situation all too well. Psychohistory explains it, but I honestly didn't think the situation was growing so bad so rapidly. I've been too involved in my own work to see the difficulties all around me." He sighed. "I've been watching the Galactic Empire slowly fall apart for over thirty years now-and now that it's beginning to collapse¹⁴ much more rapidly, I don't see how we can stop it in time."
    "Are you trying to?" Dr. Endelecki seemed amused.
    "Yes, I am."
    "Lots of luck. -About your sciatica. You know, fifty years ago it could have been cured. Not now, though."
    "Why not?"
    "Well, the devices used for it are gone; the people who could have handled them are working on other things. Medicine is declining."
    "Along with everything else," mused¹⁵ Seldon. "-But let's get back to Wanda. I feel she is a most unusual young woman with a brain that is different from most. What do her genes tell you about her brain?"
    Dr. Endelecki leaned back in her chair. "Professor Seldon do you know just how many genes are involved in brain function?"
    "No.
    "I'll remind you that, of all the aspects of the human body, the brain Junction¹⁶ is the most intricate. In fact, as far as we know, there is nothing m the Universe as intricate as the human brain. So you won't be surprised when I tell you that there are thousands of genes that each play a i0ale in brain function."
    "Thousands?"
    "Exactly. And it is impossible to go through those genes and see anything specifically unusual. I will take your word for it, as far as Wanda is concerned. She is an unusual girl with an unusual brain, but I see nothing in her genes that can tell me anything about that brain-except, of course, that it is normal."
    "Could you find other people whose genes for mental functioning are like Wanda's, that have the same brain pattern?"
    "I doubt it very much. Even if another brain were much like hers, there would still be enormous differences in the genes. No use looking for similarities. -Tell me, Professor, just what is it about Wanda that makes you think her brain is so unusual?"
    Seldon shook his head. "I'm sorry. It's not something I can discuss."
    "In that case, I am certain that I can find out nothing for you. How did you discover that there was something unusual about her brain-this thing you can't discuss?"
    "Accident," muttered Seldon. "Sheer accident."
    "In that case, you're going to have to find other brains like hers-also by accident. Nothing else can be done."
    Silence settled over both of them. Finally Seldon said, "Is there anything else you can tell me?"
    "I'm afraid not. Except that I'll send you my bill."
    Seldon rose with an effort. His sciatica hurt him badly. "Well then, thank you, Doctor. Send the bill and I'll pay it."
    Hari Seldon left the doctor's office, wondering just what he would do next.

1 mow   

v.割（草、麦等），扫射，皱眉；n.草堆，谷物堆

参考例句：

• He hired a man to mow the lawn.他雇人割草。
• We shall have to mow down the tall grass in the big field.我们得把大田里的高草割掉。

2 defective   

adj.有毛病的，有问题的，有瑕疵的

参考例句：

• The firm had received bad publicity over a defective product. 该公司因为一件次品而受到媒体攻击。
• If the goods prove defective, the customer has the right to compensation. 如果货品证明有缺陷， 顾客有权索赔。

3 genes   

n.基因( gene的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• You have good genes from your parents, so you should live a long time. 你从父母那儿获得优良的基因，所以能够活得很长。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Differences will help to reveal the functions of the genes. 它们间的差异将会帮助我们揭开基因多种功能。 来自英汉非文学 - 生命科学 - 生物技术的世纪

4 gene   

n.遗传因子，基因

参考例句：

• A single gene may have many effects.单一基因可能具有很多种效应。
• The targeting of gene therapy has been paid close attention.其中基因治疗的靶向性是值得密切关注的问题之一。

5 considerably   

adv.极大地；相当大地；在很大程度上

参考例句：

• The economic situation has changed considerably.经济形势已发生了相当大的变化。
• The gap has narrowed considerably.分歧大大缩小了。

6 perfectly   

adv.完美地，无可非议地，彻底地

参考例句：

• The witnesses were each perfectly certain of what they said.证人们个个对自己所说的话十分肯定。
• Everything that we're doing is all perfectly above board.我们做的每件事情都是光明正大的。

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 disorders   

n.混乱( disorder的名词复数 )；凌乱；骚乱；（身心、机能）失调

参考例句：

• Reports of anorexia and other eating disorders are on the increase. 据报告，厌食症和其他饮食方面的功能紊乱发生率正在不断增长。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The announcement led to violent civil disorders. 这项宣布引起剧烈的骚乱。 来自《简明英汉词典》

9 precisely   

adv.恰好，正好，精确地，细致地

参考例句：

• It's precisely that sort of slick sales-talk that I mistrust.我不相信的正是那种油腔滑调的推销宣传。
• The man adjusted very precisely.那个人调得很准。

10 gathering   

n.集会，聚会，聚集

参考例句：

• He called on Mr. White to speak at the gathering.他请怀特先生在集会上讲话。
• He is on the wing gathering material for his novels.他正忙于为他的小说收集资料。

11 secondly   

adv.第二，其次

参考例句：

• Secondly,use your own head and present your point of view.第二，动脑筋提出自己的见解。
• Secondly it is necessary to define the applied load.其次，需要确定所作用的载荷。

12 fixed   

adj.固定的，不变的，准备好的；(计算机)固定的

参考例句：

• Have you two fixed on a date for the wedding yet?你们俩选定婚期了吗？
• Once the aim is fixed,we should not change it arbitrarily.目标一旦确定，我们就不应该随意改变。

13 frankly   

adv.坦白地，直率地；坦率地说

参考例句：

• To speak frankly, I don't like the idea at all.老实说，我一点也不赞成这个主意。
• Frankly speaking, I'm not opposed to reform.坦率地说，我不反对改革。

14 collapse   

vi.累倒；昏倒；倒塌；塌陷

参考例句：

• The country's economy is on the verge of collapse.国家的经济已到了崩溃的边缘。
• The engineer made a complete diagnosis of the bridge's collapse.工程师对桥的倒塌做了一次彻底的调查分析。

15 mused   

v.沉思，冥想( muse的过去式和过去分词 )；沉思自语说（某事）

参考例句：

• \"I wonder if I shall ever see them again, \"he mused. “我不知道是否还可以再见到他们，”他沉思自问。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• \"Where are we going from here?\" mused one of Rutherford's guests. 卢瑟福的一位客人忍不住说道：‘我们这是在干什么？” 来自英汉非文学 - 科学史

16 junction   

n.连接，接合；交叉点，接合处，枢纽站

参考例句：

• There's a bridge at the junction of the two rivers.两河的汇合处有座桥。
• You must give way when you come to this junction.你到了这个路口必须让路。