Chapter 24

The young man arrived at precisely¹ 4 T.S.T. (Trantorian Standard Time) and Seldon smiled. He loved punctual people. He placed his hands on his desk and made ready to heave to his feet, but the young man said, "Please, Professor, I know you have a bad leg. You needn't stand up."
    Seldon said, "Thank you, young man. However, that does not mean that you cannot sit down. Please do."
    The young man removed his jacket and sat down.
    Seldon said, "You must forgive me .     when we met and set up this appointment, I neglected to learn your name-which is .     ?
    "Stettin Palver," said the young man.
    "Ah. Palver!         The name sounds familiar."
    "It should, Professor. My grandfather boasted frequently of having known you."
    "Your grandfather. Of course. Joramis Palver. He was two years younger than I was, as I recall. I tried to get him to join me in psychohistory, but he refused. He said there was no chance of his ever learning enough mathematics to make it possible. Too bad! How is Joramis, by the way?"
    Palver said solemnly, "I'm afraid that Joramis has gone the way of old men generally. He's dead."
    Seldon winced². Two years younger than he himself was-and dead. An old friend and they had lost touch to such a degree that, when death came, it did so unknowingly.
    Seldon sat there for a while and finally muttered, "I'm sorry."
    The young man shrugged⁴. "He had a good life."
    "And you, young man, where did you have your schooling⁵?"
    "Langano University."
    Seldon frowned. "Langano? Stop me if I'm wrong, but that's not on Trantor, is it?"
    "No. I wanted to try a different world. The Universities on Trantor, as you undoubtedly⁶ know very well, are all overcrowded. I wanted to find a place where I could study in peace."
    "And what did you study?"
    "Nothing much. History. Not the sort of thing that would lead one to a good job."
    (Another wince³, even worse than the first. Dors Venabili had been a historian.)
    Seldon said, "But you're back here on Trantor. Why is that?"
    "Credits. Jobs."
    "As an historian?"
    Palver laughed. "Not a chance. I run a device that pulls and hauls. Not exactly a professional occupation."
    Seldon looked at Palver with a twinge of envy. The contours of Palver's arms and chest were highlighted by the thin fabric⁷ of his shirt. He was well muscled. Seldon had never himself been quite that muscular.
    Seldon said, "I presume that when you were at the University, you were on the boxing team."
    "Who, me? Never. I'm a Twister."
    "A Twister!" Seldon's spirits jumped. "Are you from Helicon?"
    Palver said with a certain contempt, "You don't have to come from Helicon to be a good Twister."
    No, thought Seldon, but that's where the best ones come from.
    However, he said nothing.
    He did say, though, "Well, your grandfather would not join me. How about you?"
    "Psychohistory?"
    "I heard you talking to the others when I first encountered you and it seemed to me that you were talking quite intelligently about psychohistory. Would you like to join me, then?"
    "As I said, Professor, I have a job."
    "Pushing and hauling. Come, come."
    "It pays well."
    "Credits aren't everything."
    "They're quite a bit. Now you, on the other hand, can't pay me much. I'm quite certain that you're short of credits."
    "Why do you say that?"
    "I'm guessing, in a way, I suppose. -But am I wrong?"
    Seldon's lips pressed together hard, then he said, "No, you're not wrong and I can't pay you much. I'm sorry. I suppose that ends our little interview."
    "Wait, waaaaaaaaa." Palver held up his hands. "Not quite so fast, please. We're still talking about psychohistory. If I work for you, I will be taught psychohistory, right?"
    "Of course."
    "In that case, credits aren't everything, after all. I'll make you a deal. You teach me all the psychohistory you can and you pay me whatever you can and I'll get by somehow. How about it?"
    "Wonderful," said Seldon joyously⁸. "That sounds great. Now, one more thing."
    "Oh?"
    "Yes. I've been attacked twice in recent weeks. The first time my son came to my defense⁹, but he has since gone to Santanni. The second time I made use of my lead-filled walking stick. It worked, but I was dragged before a magistrate¹⁰ and accused of assault and battery-"
    "Why the attacks?" interjected Palver.
    "I am not popular. I have been preaching the Fall of the Empire for so long that, now that it is coming, I am blamed for aa."
    "I see. Now then, what does all that have to do with the one more thing you mentioned?"
    "I want you to be my bodyguard¹¹. You're young, you're strong, and, most of all, you're a Twister. You're exactly what I need."
    "I suppose it can be managed," Palver said with a smile.

1 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。

2 winced   

赶紧避开，畏缩( wince的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• He winced as the dog nipped his ankle. 狗咬了他的脚腕子，疼得他龇牙咧嘴。
• He winced as a sharp pain shot through his left leg. 他左腿一阵剧痛疼得他直龇牙咧嘴。

3 wince   

n.畏缩，退避，（因痛苦，苦恼等)面部肌肉抽动；v.畏缩，退缩，退避

参考例句：

• The barb of his wit made us wince.他那锋芒毕露的机智使我们退避三舍。
• His smile soon modified to a wince.他的微笑很快就成了脸部肌肉的抽搐。

4 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》

5 schooling   

n.教育；正规学校教育

参考例句：

• A child's access to schooling varies greatly from area to area.孩子获得学校教育的机会因地区不同而大相径庭。
• Backward children need a special kind of schooling.天赋差的孩子需要特殊的教育。

6 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。

7 fabric   

n.织物，织品，布；构造，结构，组织

参考例句：

• The fabric will spot easily.这种织品很容易玷污。
• I don't like the pattern on the fabric.我不喜欢那块布料上的图案。

8 joyously   

ad.快乐地, 高兴地

参考例句：

• She opened the door for me and threw herself in my arms, screaming joyously and demanding that we decorate the tree immediately. 她打开门，直扑我的怀抱，欣喜地喊叫着要马上装饰圣诞树。
• They came running, crying out joyously in trilling girlish voices. 她们边跑边喊，那少女的颤音好不欢快。 来自名作英译部分

9 defense   

n.防御，保卫；[pl.]防务工事；辩护，答辩

参考例句：

• The accused has the right to defense.被告人有权获得辩护。
• The war has impacted the area with military and defense workers.战争使那个地区挤满了军队和防御工程人员。

10 magistrate   

n.地方行政官，地方法官，治安官

参考例句：

• The magistrate committed him to prison for a month.法官判处他一个月监禁。
• John was fined 1000 dollars by the magistrate.约翰被地方法官罚款1000美元。

11 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。