Chapter 17

Hari Seldon said, "It is beautiful outside-a marvelous evening. Considering that we live under a dome¹, you would think we would have beautiful weather like this every evening."
    Wanda said indifferently, "We would grow tired of it, Grandpa, if it were beautiful all the time. A little change from night to night is good for us."
    "For you, because you're young, Wanda. You have many, many evenings ahead of you. I don't. I want more good ones."
    "Now, Grandpa, you're not old. Your leg is doing well and your mind m as sharp as ever. I know. "
    "Sure. Go ahead. Make me feel better." He then said with an air of discomfort², "I want to walk. I want to get out of this tiny apartment and take a walk to the Library and enjoy this beautiful evening."
    "What do you want at the Library?"
    "At the moment, nothing. I want the walk. -But .    "
    "Yes. But?"
    "I promised Raych I wouldn't go walking around Trantor without a bodyguard³."
    "Raych isn't here."
    "I know," mumbled⁴ Seldon "but a promise is a promise."
    "He didn't say who the bodyguard should be, did he? Let's go for a walk and I'll be your bodyguard "
    "You?" Seldon grinned.
    "Yes, me. I hereby volunteer my services. Get yourself ready and we'll go for a walk."
    Seldon was amused. He had half a mind to go without his cane⁵, since his leg was scarcely painful of late, but, on the other hand, he had a new cane, one in which the head had been filled with lead. It was both heavier and stronger than his old cane and, if he was going to have none other than Wanda as a bodyguard, he thought he had better bring his new cane.
    The walk was delightful⁶ and Seldon was terribly glad he had given in to the temptation-until they reached a certain spot.
    Seldon lifted his cane in a mixture of anger and resignation and said, "Look at that!"
    Wanda lifted her eyes. The dome was glowing, as it always did in the evening, in order to lend an air of first twilight⁷. It grew darker as night went on, of course.
    What Seldon was pointing at, however, was a strip of darkness along the dome. A section of lights had gone out.
    Seldon said, "When I first came to Trantor, anything like that was unthinkable. There were people tending the lights at all times. The city worked, but now it is falling apart in all these little ways and what bothers me most is that no one cares. Why aren't there petitions to the Imperial Palace? Why aren't there meetings of indignation? It is as though the people of Trantor expect the city to be falling apart and then they find themselves annoyed with me because I am pointing out that this is exactly what is happening."
    Wanda said softly, "Grandpa, there are two men behind us."
    They had walked into the shadows beneath the broken dome lights and Seldon asked, "Are they just walking?"
    "No." Wanda did not look at them. She did not have to. "They're after you "
    "Can you stop them-push them?"
    "I'm trying, but there are two and they are determined⁸. It's-it's like pushing a wall."
    "How far behind me are they?"
    "About three meters."
    "Closing in?"
    "Yes, Grandpa."
    "Tell me when they're a meter behind me." He slid his hand down his cane till he was holding the thin end, leaving the leaded head swinging free.
    "Now, Grandpa!" hissed⁹ Wanda.
    And Seldon turned, swinging his cane. It came down hard upon the shoulder of one of the men behind him, who went down with a scream, writhing¹⁰ on the pavement.
    Seldon said, "Where's the other guy?"
    "He took off."
    Seldon looked down on the man on the ground and put his foot on his chest. He said, "Go through his pockets, Wanda. Someone must have paid him and I'd like to find his credit file-perhaps I can identify where they came from." He added thoughtfully, "I meant to hit him on the head "
    "You'd have killed him, Grandpa."
    Seldon nodded. "It's what I wanted to do. Rather shameful¹¹. I'm lucky I missed."
    A harsh voice said, "What is all this?" A figure in uniform came running up, perspiring¹². "Give me that cane, you!"
    "Officer," said Seldon mildly.
    "You can give me your story later. We've got to call an ambulance for this poor man."
    "Poor man, " said Seldon angrily. "He was going to assault me. I acted in self-defense."
    "I saw it happen," said the security officer. "This guy never laid a finger on you. You turned on him and struck him without provocation¹³. That's not self-defense. That's assault and battery."
    "Officer, I'm telling you that-"
    "Don't tell me anything. You can tell it in court."
    Wanda said in a sweet small voice, "Officer, if you will just listen to us-"
    The officer said, "You go along home, young lady."
    Wanda drew herself up. "I most certainly won't, Officer. Where my grandfather goes, there go I." Her eyes flashed and the security officer muttered, "Well, come along, then."
   

1 dome   

n.圆屋顶，拱顶

参考例句：

• The dome was supported by white marble columns.圆顶由白色大理石柱支撑着。
• They formed the dome with the tree's branches.他们用树枝搭成圆屋顶。

2 discomfort   

n.不舒服，不安，难过，困难，不方便

参考例句：

• One has to bear a little discomfort while travelling.旅行中总要忍受一点不便。
• She turned red with discomfort when the teacher spoke.老师讲话时她不好意思地红着脸。

3 bodyguard   

n.护卫，保镖

参考例句：

• She has to have an armed bodyguard wherever she goes.她不管到哪儿都得有带武器的保镖跟从。
• The big guy standing at his side may be his bodyguard.站在他身旁的那个大个子可能是他的保镖。

4 mumbled   

含糊地说某事，叽咕，咕哝( mumble的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• He mumbled something to me which I did not quite catch. 他对我叽咕了几句话，可我没太听清楚。
• George mumbled incoherently to himself. 乔治语无伦次地喃喃自语。

5 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。

6 delightful   

adj.令人高兴的，使人快乐的

参考例句：

• We had a delightful time by the seashore last Sunday.上星期天我们在海滨玩得真痛快。
• Peter played a delightful melody on his flute.彼得用笛子吹奏了一支欢快的曲子。

7 twilight   

n.暮光，黄昏；暮年，晚期，衰落时期

参考例句：

• Twilight merged into darkness.夕阳的光辉融于黑暗中。
• Twilight was sweet with the smell of lilac and freshly turned earth.薄暮充满紫丁香和新翻耕的泥土的香味。

8 determined   

adj.坚定的；有决心的

参考例句：

• I have determined on going to Tibet after graduation.我已决定毕业后去西藏。
• He determined to view the rooms behind the office.他决定查看一下办公室后面的房间。

9 hissed   

发嘶嘶声( hiss的过去式和过去分词 )； 发嘘声表示反对

参考例句：

• Have you ever been hissed at in the middle of a speech? 你在演讲中有没有被嘘过？
• The iron hissed as it pressed the wet cloth. 熨斗压在湿布上时发出了嘶嘶声。

10 writhing   

（因极度痛苦而）扭动或翻滚( writhe的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• She was writhing around on the floor in agony. 她痛得在地板上直打滚。
• He was writhing on the ground in agony. 他痛苦地在地上打滚。

11 shameful   

adj.可耻的，不道德的

参考例句：

• It is very shameful of him to show off.他向人炫耀自己，真不害臊。
• We must expose this shameful activity to the newspapers.我们一定要向报社揭露这一无耻行径。

12 perspiring   

v.出汗，流汗( perspire的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• He had been working hard and was perspiring profusely. 他一直在努力干活，身上大汗淋漓的。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• So they "went it lively," panting and perspiring with the work. 于是他们就“痛痛快快地比一比”了，结果比得两个人气喘吁吁、汗流浃背。 来自英汉文学 - 汤姆历险

13 provocation   

n.激怒，刺激，挑拨，挑衅的事物，激怒的原因

参考例句：

• He's got a fiery temper and flares up at the slightest provocation.他是火爆性子，一点就着。
• They did not react to this provocation.他们对这一挑衅未作反应。