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Chapter 6: The Nature of Earth
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22Trevize felt almost drugged, and wondered how much time hadelapsed.
Beside him lay Mitza Lizalor, Minister of Transportation. She was onher stomach, head to one side, mouth open, snoring distinctly. Trevizewas relieved that she was asleep. Once she woke up, he hoped she wouldbe quite aware that she had been asleep.
Trevize longed to sleep himself, but he felt it important that henot do so. She must not wake to find him asleep. She must realize thatwhile she had been ground down to unconsciousness, he had endured. Shewould expect such endurance from a Foundation-reared immoralist and,at this point, it was better she not be disappointed.
In a way, he had done well. He had guessed, correctly, that Lizalor,given her physical size and strength, her political power, her contemptfor the Comporellian men she had encountered, her mingled1 horrorand fascination2 with tales (what had she heard? Trevize wondered)of the sexual feats3 of the decadents5 of Terminus, would want to bedominated. She might even expect to be, without being able to expressher desire and expectation.
He had acted on that belief and, to his good fortune, found he wascorrect. (Trevize, the ever-right, he mocked himself.) It pleased thewoman and it enabled Trevize to steer6 activities in a direction thatwould tend to wear her out while leaving himself relatively7 untouched.
It had not been easy. She had a marvelous body (forty-six, she hadsaid, but it would not have shamed a twenty-five-year-old athlete) andenormous stamina8 a stamina exceeded only by the careless zest9 withwhich she had spent it.
Indeed, if she could be tamed and taught moderation; if practice(but could he himself survive the practice?) brought her to a bettersense of her own capacities, and, even more important, his ,it might be pleasant to The snoring stopped suddenly and she stirred. He placed his handon the shoulder nearest him and stroked it lightly and her eyesopened. Trevize was leaning on his elbow, and did his best to look unwornand full of life.
"I'm glad you were sleeping, dear," he said. "You needed yourrest."She smiled at him sleepily and, for one queasy10 moment, Trevize thoughtshe might suggest renewed activity, but she merely heaved herself abouttill she was resting on her back. She said, in a soft and satisfiedvoice, "I had you judged correctly from the start. You are a king ofsexuality."Trevize tried to look modest. "I must be more moderate.""Nonsense. You were just right. I was afraid that you had been keptactive and drained by that young woman, but you assured me you hadnot. That it true, isn't it?""Have I acted like someone who was half-sated to begin with?""No, you did not," and her laughter boomed.
"Are you still thinking of Psychic12 Probes?"She laughed again. "Are you mad? Would I want to lose younow ?""Yet it would be better if you lost me temporarily ""What!" She frowned.
"If I were to stay here permanently13, my my dear, how longwould it be before eyes would begin to watch, and mouths would begin towhisper? It I went off on my mission, however, I would naturally returnperiodically to, report, and it would then be only natural that we shouldbe closeted together for a while and my mission is important."She thought about that, scratching idly at her right hip14. Then shesaid, "I suppose you're right. I hate the thought but I supposeyou're right.""And you need not think I would not come back," said Trevize. "I amnot so witless as to forget what I would have waiting for me here."She smiled at him, touched his cheek gently, and said, looking intohis eyes, "Did you find it pleasant, love?""Much more than pleasant, dear.""Yet you are a Foundationer. A man in the prime of youth fromTerminus itself. You must be accustomed to all sorts of women with allsoul skills ""I have encountered nothing nothing  in theleast like you," said Trevize, with a forcefulness that came easily tosomeone who was but telling the truth, after all.
Lizalor said complacently15, "Well, if you say so. Still, old habitsdie hard, you know, and I don't think I could bring myself to trust aman's word without some sort of surety. You and your friend, Pelorat,might conceivably go on this mission of yours once I hear about it andapprove, but I will keep the young woman here. She will be well treated,never fear, but I presume your Dr. Pelorat will want her, and he willsee to it that there are frequent returns to Comporellon, even if yourenthusiasm for this mission you to stay away too long.""But, Lizalor, that's impossible.""Indeed?" Suspicion at once seeped16 into her eyes. "Why impossible? Forwhat purpose would you need the woman?""Not for sex. I told you that, and I told you truthfully. She isPelorat's and I have no interest in her. Besides, I'm sure she'd breakin two if she attempted what you so triumphantly17 carried through."Lizalor almost smiled, but repressed it and said severely18, "What isit to you, then, if she remains19 on Comporellon?""Because she is of essential importance to our mission. That is whywe must have her.""Well, then, what is your mission? It is time you told me."Trevize hesitated very briefly20. It would have to be the truth. Hecould think of no lie as effective.
"Listen to me," he said. "Comporellon may be an old world, even amongthe oldest, but it can't be the oldest. Human life did notoriginate here. The earliest human beings reached here from some otherworld, and perhaps human life didn't originate there either, but camefrom still another and still older world. Eventually, though, thoseprobings back into time must stop, and we must reach the first world,the world of human origins. I am seeking Earth."The change that suddenly came over Mitza Lizalor staggered him.
Her eyes had widened, her breathing took on a sudden urgency, andevery muscle seemed to stiffen21 as she lay there in bed. Her arms shotupward rigidly22, and the first two fingers of both hands crossed.
"You named it," she whispered hoarsely23.
23She didn't say anything after that; she didn't look athim. Her arms slowly came down, her legs swung over the side of the bed,and she sat up, back to him. Trevize lay where he was, frozen.
He could hear, in memory, the words of Munn Li Compor, as theystood there in the empty tourist center at Sayshell. He could hear himsaying of his own ancestral planet the one that Trevize was onnow "They're superstitious24 about it. Every time they mention theword, they lift up both hands with first and second fingers crossed toward off misfortune."How useless to remember after the fact.
"What should I have said, Mitza?" he muttered.
She shook her head slightly, stood up, stalked toward and then througha door. It closed behind her and, after a moment, there was the soundof water running.
He had no recourse but to wait, bare, undignified, wondering whetherto join her in the shower, and then quite certain he had better not. Andbecause, in a way, he felt the shower denied him, he at once experienceda growing need for one.
She emerged at last and silently began to select clothing.
He said, "Do you mind if I "She said nothing, and he took silence for consent. He tried to strideinto the room in a strong and masculine way but he felt uncommonly25 ashe had in those days when his mother, offended by some misbehavior onhis part, offered him no punishment but silence, causing him to shrivelin discomfort26.
He looked about inside the smoothly27 walled cubicle28 that wasbare-completely bare. He looked more minutely. There wasnothing.
He opened the door again, thrust his head out, and said, "Listen,how are you supposed to start the shower?"She put down the deodorant29 (at least, Trevize guessed that was itsfunction), strode to the shower-room and, still without looking at him,pointed. Trevize followed the finger and noted30 a spot on the wall that wasround and faintly pink, barely colored, as though the designer resentedhaving to spoil the starkness31 of the white, for no reason more importantthan to give a hint of function.
Trevize shrugged32 lightly, leaned toward the wall, and touched thespot. Presumably that was what one had to do, for in a moment a deluge33 offine-sprayed water struck him from every direction. Gasping34, he touchedthe spot again and it stopped.
He opened the door, knowing he looked several degrees more undignifiedstill as he shivered hard enough to make it difficult to articulatewords. He croaked35, "How do you get hot water?"Now she looked at him and, apparently36, his appearance overcame heranger (or fear, or whatever emotion was victimizing her) for she snickeredand then, without warning, boomed her laughter at him.
"What hot water?" she said. "Do you think we're going to wastethe energy to heat water for washing? That's good mild water you had,water with the chill taken off. What more do you want? You sludge-softTerminians! Get back in there and wash!"Trevize hesitated, but not for long, since it was clear he had nochoice in the matter.
With remarkable37 reluctance38 he touched the pink spot again and this timesteeled his body for the icy spray. Mild water? He foundsuds forming on his body and he rubbed hastily here, there, everywhere,judging it to be the wash cycle and suspecting it would not last long.
Then came the rinse39 cycle. Ah, warm Well, perhaps not warm, butnot quite as cold, and definitely feeling warm to his thoroughly40 chilledbody. Then, even as he was considering touching41 the contact spot againto stop the water, and was wondering how Lizalor had come out dry whenthere was absolutely no towel or towel-substitute in the place thewater stopped. It was followed by a blast of air that would have certainlybowled him over if it had not come from various directions equally.
It was hot; almost too hot. It took far less energy, Trevize knew,to heat air than to heat water. The hot air steamed the water off himand, in a few minutes, he was able to step out as dry as though he hadnever encountered water in his life.
Lizalor seemed to have recovered completely. "Do you feel well?""Pretty well," said Trevize. Actually, he felt astonishinglycomfortable. "All I had to do was prepare myself for the temperature. Youdidn't tell me ""Sludge-soft," said Lizalor, with mild contempt.
He borrowed her deodorant, then began to dress, conscious of the factthat she had fresh underwear and he did not. He said, "What should Ihave called that world?"She said, "We refer to it as the Oldest."He said, "How was I to know the name I used was forbidden? Did youtell me?""Did you ask?""How was I to know to ask?""You know now.""I'm bound to forget.""You had better not.""What's the difference?" Trevize felt his temper rising. "It's justa word, a sound."Lizalor said darkly, "There are words one doesn't say. Do you sayevery word you know under all circumstances?""Some words are vulgar, some are inappropriate, some under particularcircumstances would be hurtful. Which is that word I used?"Lizalor said, "It's a sad word, a solemn word. It represents a worldthat was ancestor to us all and that now doesn't exist. It's tragic,and we feel it because it was near to us. We prefer not to speak of itor, if we must, not to use its name.""And the crossing of fingers at me? How does that relieve the hurtand sadness?"Lizalor's face flushed. "That was an automatic reaction, and I don'tthank you for forcing it on me. There are people who believe that theword, even the thought, brings on misfortune and that is how theyward it off.""Do you, too, believe crossing fingers wards42 off misfortune?""No. Well, yes, in a way. It makes me uneasy if I don't doit." She didn't look at him. Then, as though eager to shift the subject,she said quickly, "And how is that black-haired woman of yours of theessence with respect to your mission to reach that world youmentioned.""Say `the Oldest.' Or would you rather not even say that?""I would rather not discuss it at all, but I asked you a question.""I believe that her people reached their present world as emigrantsfrom the Oldest.""As we did," said Lizalor proudly.
"But her people have traditions of some sort which she says are thekey to understanding the Oldest, but only if we reach it and can studyits records.""She is lying.""Perhaps, but we must check it out.""If you have this woman with her problematical knowledge, and if youwant to reach the Oldest with her, why did you come to Comporellon?""To find the location of the Oldest. I had a friend once, who, likemyself, was a Foundationer. He, however, was descended43 from Comporellianancestors and he assured me that much of the history of the Oldest waswell known, on Comporellon.""Did he indeed? And did he tell you any of itshistory?""Yes," said Trevize, reaching for the truth again. "He said thatthe Oldest was a dead world, entirely44 radioactive. He did not know why,but he thought that it might be the result of nuclear explosions. In awar, perhaps.""No!" said Lizalor explosively.
"No, there was no war? Or no, the Oldest is not radioactive?""It is radioactive, but there was no war.""Then how did it become radioactive? It could not have been radioactiveto begin with since human life began on the Oldest. There would havebeen no life on it ever."Lizalor seemed to hesitate. She stood erect45, and was breathing deeply,almost gasping. She said, "It was a punishment. It was a world that usedrobots. Do you know what robots are?""Yes.""They had robots and for that they were punished. Every world thathas had robots has been punished and no longer exists.""Who punished them, Lizalor?""He Who Punishes. The forces of history. I don't know." She looked awayfrom him, uncomfortable, then said, in a lower voice, "Ask others.""I would like to, but whom do I ask? Are there those on Comporellonwho have studied primeval history?""There are. They are not popular with us with the averageComporellian but the Foundation, your Foundation,insists on intellectual freedom, as they call it.""Not a bad insistence46, in my opinion," said Trevize.
"All is bad that is imposed from without," said Lizalor.
Trevize shrugged. There was no purpose in arguing the matter. He sald,"My friend, Dr. Pelorat, is himself a primeval historian of a sort. Hewould, I'm sure, like to meet his Comporellian colleagues. Can youarrange that, Lizalor?"She nodded. "There is a historian named Vasil Deniador, who is basedat the University here in the city. He does not teach class, but he maybe able to tell you what you want to know.""Why doesn't he teach class?""It's not that he is forbidden; it's just that students do not electhis course.""I presume," said Trevize, trying not to say it sardonically47, "thatthe students are encouraged not to elect it.""Why should they want to? He is a Skeptic48. We have them, youknow. There are always individuals who pit their minds against thegeneral modes of thought and who are arrogant49 enough to feel that theyalone are right and that the many are wrong.""Might it not be that that could actually be so in some cases?""Never!" snapped Lizalor, with a firmness of belief that made itquite clear that no further discussion in that direction would be of anyuse. "And for all his Skepticism, he will be forced to tell you exactlywhat any Comporellian would tell you.""And that is?""That if you search for the Oldest, you will not find it."24In the private quarters assigned them, Pelorat listenedto Trevize thoughtfully, his long solemn face expressionless, then said,"Vasil Deniador? I do not recall having heard of him, but it may be thatback on the ship I will find papers by him in my library.""Are you sure you haven't heard of him? Think!" said Trevize.
"I don't recall, at the moment, having heard of him," said Peloratcautiously, "but after all, my dear chap, there must be hundreds ofestimable scholars I haven't heard of; or have, but can't remember.""Still, he can't be first-class, or you would have heard of him.""The study of Earth ""Practice saying `the Oldest,' Janov. It would complicate50 mattersotherwise.""The study of the Oldest," said Pelorat, "is not a well-rewarded nichein the corridors of learning, so that first-class scholars, even in thefield of primeval history, would not tend to find their way there. Or,if we put it the other way around, those who are already there do notmake enough of a name for themselves in an uninterested world to beconsidered first-class, even if they were. I am notfirst-class in anyone's estimation, I am sure."Bliss51 said tenderly, "In mine, Pel.""Yes, certainly in yours, my dear," said Pelorat, smiling slightly,"but you are not judging me in my capacity as scholar."It was almost night now, going by the clock, and Trevize felt himselfgrow slightly impatient, as he always did when Bliss and Pelorat tradedendearments.
He said, "I'll try to arrange our seeing this Deniador tomorrow,but if he knows as little about the matter as the Minister does, we'renot going to be much better off than we are now."Pelorat said, "He may be able to lead us to someone more useful.""I doubt it. This world's attitude toward Earth but I had betterpractice speaking of it elliptically, too. This world's attitude towardthe Oldest is a foolish and superstitious one." He turned away. "Butit's been a rough day and we ought to think of an evening meal ifwe can face their uninspired cookery and then begin thinking ofgetting some sleep. Have you two learned how to use the shower?""My dear fellow," said Pelorat, "we have been very kindlytreated. We've received all sorts of instructions, most of which wedidn't need."Bliss said, "Listen, Trevize. What about the ship?""What about it?""Is the Comporellian government confiscating52 it?""No. I don't think they will.""Ah. Very pleasant. Why aren't they?""Because I persuaded the Minister to change her mind."Pelorat said, "Astonishing. She didn't seem a particularly persuadableindividual to me."Bliss said, "I don't know. It was clear from the texture53 of her mindthat she was attracted to Trevize."Trevize looked at Bliss with sudden exasperation54. "Did you do that,Bliss?""What do you mean, Trevize?""I mean tamper55 with her ""I didn't tamper. However, when I noted that she was attracted toyou, I couldn't resist just snapping an inhibition or two. It was avery small thing to do. Those inhibitions might have snapped anyway,and it seemed to be important to make certain that she was filled withgood will toward you.""Good will? It was more than that! She softened56, yes, butpost-coitally."Pelorat said, "Surely you don't mean, old man ""Why not?" said Trevize testily57. "She may be past her first youth,but she knew the art well. She was no beginner, I assure you. Nor will Iplay the gentleman and lie on her behalf. It was her idea thanksto Bliss's fiddling58 with her inhibitions and I was not in aposition to refuse, even if that thought had occurred to me, which itdidn't. Come, Janov, don't stand there looking puritanical59. It'sbeen months since I've had an opportunity. You've " And he wavedhis hand vaguely60 in Bliss's direction.
"Believe me, Golan," said Pelorat, embarrassed, "if you areinterpreting my expression as puritanical, you mistake me. I have noobjection."Bliss said, "But she is puritanical. I meant to makeher warm toward you; I did not count on a sexual paroxysm."Trevize said, "But that is exactly what you brought on, my littleinterfering Bliss. It may be necessary for the Minister to play thepuritan in public, but if so, that seems merely to stoke the fires.""And so, provided you scratch the itch61, she will betray theFoundation ""She would have done that in any case," said Trevize. "She wantedthe ship " He broke off, and said in a whisper, "Are we beingoverheard?"Bliss said, "No!""Are you sure?""It is certain. It is impossible to impinge upon the mind of Gaia inany unauthorized fashion without Gaia being aware of it.""In that case, Comporellon wants the ship for itself a valuableaddition to its fleet.""Surely, the Foundation would not allow that.""Comporellon does not intend to have the Foundation know."Bliss sighed. "There are your Isolates62. The Minister intends tobetray the Foundation on behalf of Comporellon and, in return for sex,will promptly63 betray Comporellon, too. And as for Trevize, he willgladly sell his body's services as a way of inducing the betrayal. Whatanarchy there is in this Galaxy65 of yours. What chaos66 ."Trevize said coldly, "You are wrong, young woman ""In what I have just said, I am not a young woman, I am Gaia. I amall of Gaia.""Then you are wrong, Gaia . I did not sell my body'sservices. I gave them gladly. I enjoyed it and did no one harm. As forthe consequences, they turned out well from my standpoint and I acceptthat. And if Comporellon wants the ship for its own purposes, who is tosay who is right in this matter? It is a Foundation ship, but it wasgiven to me to search for Earth. It is mine then until I complete thesearch and I feel that the Foundation has no right to go back on itsagreement. As for Comporellon, it does not enjoy Foundation domination,so it dreams of independence. In its own eyes, it is correct to do soand to deceive the Foundation, for that is not an act of treason to thembut an act of patriotism67. Who knows?""Exactly. Who knows? In a Galaxy of anarchy64, how is it possible to sortout reasonable actions from unreasonable68 ones? How decide between rightand wrong, good and evil, justice and crime, useful and useless? Andhow do you explain the Minister's betrayal of her own government, whenshe lets you keep the ship? Does she long for personal independencefrom an oppressive world? Is she a traitor69 or a personal one-womanself-patriot?""To be truthful," said Trevize, "I don't know that she was willing tolet me have my ship simply because she was grateful to me for the pleasureI gave her. I believe she made that decision only when I told her I wassearching for the Oldest. It is a world of ill-omen to her and we andthe ship that carries us, by searching for it, have become ill-omened,too. It is my feeling that she feet/ she incurred70 the ill-omen for herselfand her world by attempting to take the ship, which she may, by now,be viewing with horror. Perhaps she feels that by allowing us and ourship to leave and go about our business, she is averting71 the misfortunefrom Comporellon and is, in that way, performing a patriotic72 act.""If that were so, which I doubt, Trevize, superstition73 is the springof the action. Do you admire that?""I neither admire nor condemn74. Superstition always directs action inthe absence of knowledge. The Foundation believes in the Seldon Plan,though no one in our realm can understand it, interpret its details,or use it to predict. We follow blindly out of ignorance and faith,and isn't that superstition?""Yes, it might be.""And Gaia, too. You believe I have given the correct decision injudging that Gaia should absorb the Galaxy into one large organism, butyou do not know why I should be right, or how safe it would be for you tofollow that decision. You are willing to go along only out of ignoranceand faith, and are even annoyed with me for trying to find evidencethat will remove the ignorance and make mere11 faith unnecessary. Isn'tthat superstition?""I think he has you there, Bliss," said Pelorat.
Bliss said, "Not so. He will either find nothing at all in this search,or he will find something that confirms his decision."Trevize said, "And to back up that belief, you have only ignoranceand faith. In other words, superstition!"25Vasil Deniador was a small man, little of feature, with a way oflooking up by raising his eyes without raising his head. This, combinedwith the brief smiles that periodically lit his face, gave him theappearance of laughing silently at the world.
His office was long and narrow, filled with tapes that seemed tobe in wild disorder75, not because there was any definite evidence forthat, but because they were not evenly placed in their recesses76 so thatthey gave the shelves a snaggle-toothed appearance. The three seats heindicated for his visitors were not matched and showed signs of havingbeen recently, and imperfectly, dusted.
He said, "Janov Pelorat, Golan Trevize, and Bliss. I do nothave your second name, madam.""Bliss," she said, "is all I am usually called," and sat down.
"It is enough after all," said Deniador, twinkling at her. "You areattractive enough to be forgiven if you had no name at all."All were sitting now. Deniador said, "I have heard of you, Dr. Pelorat,though we have never corresponded. You are a Foundationer, are younot? From Terminus?""Yes, Dr. Deniador.""And you, Councilman Trevize. I seem to have heard that recently youwere expelled from the Council and exiled. I don't think I have everunderstood why.""Not expelled, sir. I am still a member of the Council although Idon't know when I will take up my duties again. Nor exiled, quite. Iwas assigned a mission, concerning which we wish to consult you.""Happy to try to help," said Deniador. "And the blissful lady? Isshe from Terminus, too."Trevize interposed quickly. "She is from elsewhere, Doctor.""Ah, a strange world, this Elsewhere. A most unusual collection ofhuman beings are native to it. But since two of you are from theFoundation's capital at Terminus, and the third is an attractive youngwoman, and Mitza Lizalor is not known for her affection for eithercategory, how is it that she recommends you to my care so warmly?""I think," said Trevize, "to get rid of us. The sooner you help us,you see, the sooner we will leave Comporellon."Deniador eyed Trevize with interest (again the twinkling smile) andsaid, "Of course, a vigorous young man such as yourself might attracther whatever his origin. She plays the role of cold vestal well, butnot perfectly77.""I know nothing about that," said Trevize stiffly.
"And you had better not. In public, at least. But I am a Skepticand I am professionally unattuned to believing in surfaces. So come,Councilman, what is your mission? Let me find out if I can help you."Trevize said, "In this, Dr. Pelorat is our spokesman.""I have no objection to that," said Deniador. "Dr. Pelorat?"Pelorat said, "To put it at the simplest, dear Doctor, I have allmy mature life attempted to penetrate78 to the basic core of knowledgeconcerning the world on which the human species originated, and I wassent out along with my good friend, Golan Trevize although, tobe sure, I did not know him at the time to find, if we could,the uh Oldest, I believe you call it.""The Oldest?" said Deniador. "I take it you mean Earth."Pelorat's jaw79 dropped. Then he said, with a slight stutter, "I wasunder the impression that is, I was given to understand thatone did not "He looked at Trevize, rather helplessly.
Trevize said, "Minister Lizalor told me that that word was not usedon Comporellon.""You mean she did this?" Deniador's mouth turned downward, his nosescrewed up, and he thrust his arms vigorously forward, crossing thefirst two fingers on each hand.
"Yes," said Trevize. "That's what I mean."Deniador relaxed and laughed. "Nonsense, gentlemen. We do it as amatter of habit, and in the backwoods they may be serious about it but,on the whole, it doesn't matter. I don't know any Comporellian whowouldn't say `Earth' when annoyed or startled. It's the most commonvulgarism we have.""Vulgarism?" said Pelorat faintly.
"Or expletive, if you prefer.""Nevertheless," said Trevize, "the Minister seemed quite upset whenI used the word.""Oh well, she's a mountain woman.""What does that mean, sir?""What it says. Mitza Lizalor is from the Central Mountain Range. Thechildren out there are brought up in what is called the good old-fashionedway, which means that no matter how well educated they become you cannever knock those crossed fingers out of them.""Then the word `Earth' doesn't bother you at all, does it,Doctor?" said Bliss.
"Not at all, dear lady. I am a Skeptic."Trevize said, "I know what the word `skeptic' means in Galactic,but how do you use the word?""Exactly as you do, Councilman. I accept only what I am forcedto accept by reasonably reliable evidence, and keep that acceptancetentative pending80 the arrival of further evidence. That doesn't makeus popular.""Why not?" said Trevize.
"We wouldn't be popular anywhere. Where is the world whose people don'tprefer a comfortable, warm, and well-worn belief, however illogical,to the chilly81 winds of uncertainty82? Consider how you believe inthe Seldon Plan without evidence.""Yes," said Trevize, studying his finger ends. "I put that forwardyesterday as an example, too."Pelorat said, "May I return to the subject, old fellow? What is knownabout Earth that a Skeptic would accept?"Deniador said, "Very little. We can assume that there is a singleplanet on which the human species developed, because it is unlikelyin the extreme that the same species, so nearly identical as to beinterfertile, would develop on a number of worlds, or even on just two,independently. We can choose to call this world of origin Earth. Thebelief is general, here, that Earth exists in this corner of the Galaxy,for the worlds here are unusually old and it is likely that the firstworlds to be settled were close to Earth rather than far from it.""And has the Earth any unique characteristics aside from being theplanet of origin?" asked Pelorat eagerly.
"Do you have something in mind?" said Deniador, with his quicksmile.
"I'm thinking of its satellite, which some call the moon. That wouldbe unusual, wouldn't it?""That's a leading question, Dr. Pelorat. You may be putting thoughtsinto my mind.""I do not say what it is that would make the moon unusual.""Its size, of course. Am I right? Yes, I see I am. All thelegends of Earth speak of its vast array of living species and of itsvast satellite one that is some three thousand to three thousandfive hundred kilometers in diameter. The vast array of life is easyto accept since it would naturally have come about through biologicalevolution, if what we know of the process is accurate. A giant satelliteis more difficult to accept. No other inhabited world in the Galaxy hassuch a satellite. Large satellites are invariably associated with theuninhabited and uninhabitable gas-giants. As a Skeptic, then, I prefernot to accept the existence of the moon."Pelorat said, "If Earth is unique in its possession of millionsof species, might it not also be unique in its possession of a giantsatellite? One uniqueness might imply the other."Deniador smiled. "I don't see how the presence of millions of specieson Earth could create a giant satellite out of nothing.""But the other way around Perhaps a giant satellite could helpcreate the millions of species.""I don't see how that could be either."Trevize said, "What about the story of Earth's radioactivity?""That is universally told; universally believed.""But," said Trevize, "Earth could not have been so radioactive as topreclude life in the billions of years when it supported life. How didit become radioactive? A nuclear war?""That is the most common opinion, Councilman Trevize.""From the manner in which you say that, I gather you don't believeit.""There is no evidence that such a war took place. Common belief,even universal belief, is not, in itself, evidence.""What else might have happened?""There is no evidence that anything happened. The radioactivity mightbe as purely83 invented a legend as the large satellite."Pelorat said, "What is the generally accepted story of Earth'shistory? I have, during my professional career, collected a large numberof origin-legends, many of them involving a world called Earth, or somename very much like that. I have none from Comporellon, nothing beyondthe vague mention of a Benbally who might have come from nowhere forall that Comporellian legends say.""That's not surprising. We don't usually export our legends and I'mastonished you have found references even to Benbally. Superstition,again.""But you are not superstitious and you would not hesitate to talkabout it, would you?""That's correct," said the small historian, casting his eyes upwardat Pelorat. "It would certainly add greatly, perhaps even dangerously,to my unpopularity if I did, but you three are leaving Comporellon soonand I take it you will never quote me as a source.""You have our word of honor," said Pelorat quickly.
"Then here is a summary of what is supposed to have happened,shorn of any supernaturalism or moralizing. Earth existed as thesole world of human beings for an immeasurable period and then, abouttwenty to twenty-five thousand years ago, the human species developedinterstellar travel by way of the hyperspatial Jump and colonized84 agroup of planets.
"The Settlers on these planets made use of robots, which had firstbeen devised on Earth before the days of hyperspatial travel and doyou know what robots are, by the way?""Yes," said Trevize. "We have been asked that more than once. We knowwhat robots are.""The Settlers, with a thoroughly roboticized society, developeda high technology and unusual longevity85 and despised their ancestralworld. According to more dramatic versions of their story, they dominatedand oppressed the ancestral world.
"Eventually, then, Earth sent out a new group of Settlers, amongwhom robots were forbidden. Of the new worlds, Comporellon was amongthe first. Our own patriots86 insist it was the first, butthere is no evidence of that that a Skeptic can accept. The first groupof Settlers died out, and "Trevize said, "Why did the first set die out, Dr. Deniador?""Why? Usually they are imagined by our romantics as having beenpunished for their crimes by He Who Punishes, though no one bothersto say why He waited so long. But one doesn't have to resort to fairytales. It is easy to argue that a society that depends totally on robotsbecomes soft and decadent4, dwindling87 and dying out of sheer boredom88 or,more subtly, by losing the will to live.
"The second wave of Settlers, without robots, lived on and took overthe entire Galaxy, but Earth grew radioactive and slowly dropped out ofsight. The reason usually given for this is that there were robots onEarth, too, since the first wave had encouraged that."Bliss, who had listened to the account with some visible impatience,said, "Well, Dr. Deniador, radioactivity or not, and however many wavesof settlers there might have been, the crucial question is a simpleone. Exactly where is Earth? What are its co-ordinates?"Deniador said, "The answer to that question is: I don't know. Butcome, it is time for lunch. I can have one brought in, and we can discussEarth over it for as long as you want.""You don't know ?" said Trevize, the sound of his voicerising in pitch and intensity89.
"Actually, as far as I know, no one knows.""But that is impossible.""Councilman," said Deniador, with a soft sigh, "if you wish tocall the truth impossible, that is your privilege, but it will get younowhere."


点击收听单词发音收听单词发音  

1 mingled fdf34efd22095ed7e00f43ccc823abdf     
混合,混入( mingle的过去式和过去分词 ); 混进,与…交往[联系]
参考例句:
  • The sounds of laughter and singing mingled in the evening air. 笑声和歌声交织在夜空中。
  • The man and the woman mingled as everyone started to relax. 当大家开始放松的时候,这一男一女就开始交往了。
2 fascination FlHxO     
n.令人着迷的事物,魅力,迷恋
参考例句:
  • He had a deep fascination with all forms of transport.他对所有的运输工具都很着迷。
  • His letters have been a source of fascination to a wide audience.广大观众一直迷恋于他的来信。
3 feats 8b538e09d25672d5e6ed5058f2318d51     
功绩,伟业,技艺( feat的名词复数 )
参考例句:
  • He used to astound his friends with feats of physical endurance. 过去,他表现出来的惊人耐力常让朋友们大吃一惊。
  • His heroic feats made him a legend in his own time. 他的英雄业绩使他成了他那个时代的传奇人物。
4 decadent HaYyZ     
adj.颓废的,衰落的,堕落的
参考例句:
  • Don't let decadent ideas eat into yourselves.别让颓废的思想侵蚀你们。
  • This song was once banned, because it was regarded as decadent.这首歌曾经被认定为是靡靡之音而被禁止播放。
5 decadents 36b737f8d7700002a3c63b928414d2e2     
n.颓废派艺术家(decadent的复数形式)
参考例句:
6 steer 5u5w3     
vt.驾驶,为…操舵;引导;vi.驾驶
参考例句:
  • If you push the car, I'll steer it.如果你来推车,我就来驾车。
  • It's no use trying to steer the boy into a course of action that suits you.想说服这孩子按你的方式行事是徒劳的。
7 relatively bkqzS3     
adv.比较...地,相对地
参考例句:
  • The rabbit is a relatively recent introduction in Australia.兔子是相对较新引入澳大利亚的物种。
  • The operation was relatively painless.手术相对来说不痛。
8 stamina br8yJ     
n.体力;精力;耐力
参考例句:
  • I lacked the stamina to run the whole length of the race.我没有跑完全程的耐力。
  • Giving up smoking had a magical effect on his stamina.戒烟神奇地增强了他的体力。
9 zest vMizT     
n.乐趣;滋味,风味;兴趣
参考例句:
  • He dived into his new job with great zest.他充满热情地投入了新的工作。
  • He wrote his novel about his trip to Asia with zest.他兴趣浓厚的写了一本关于他亚洲之行的小说。
10 queasy sSJxH     
adj.易呕的
参考例句:
  • I felt a little queasy on the ship.我在船上觉得有点晕眩想呕吐。
  • He was very prone to seasickness and already felt queasy.他快晕船了,已经感到恶心了。
11 mere rC1xE     
adj.纯粹的;仅仅,只不过
参考例句:
  • That is a mere repetition of what you said before.那不过是重复了你以前讲的话。
  • It's a mere waste of time waiting any longer.再等下去纯粹是浪费时间。
12 psychic BRFxT     
n.对超自然力敏感的人;adj.有超自然力的
参考例句:
  • Some people are said to have psychic powers.据说有些人有通灵的能力。
  • She claims to be psychic and to be able to foretell the future.她自称有特异功能,能预知未来。
13 permanently KluzuU     
adv.永恒地,永久地,固定不变地
参考例句:
  • The accident left him permanently scarred.那次事故给他留下了永久的伤疤。
  • The ship is now permanently moored on the Thames in London.该船现在永久地停泊在伦敦泰晤士河边。
14 hip 1dOxX     
n.臀部,髋;屋脊
参考例句:
  • The thigh bone is connected to the hip bone.股骨连着髋骨。
  • The new coats blouse gracefully above the hip line.新外套在臀围线上优美地打着褶皱。
15 complacently complacently     
adv. 满足地, 自满地, 沾沾自喜地
参考例句:
  • He complacently lived out his life as a village school teacher. 他满足于一个乡村教师的生活。
  • "That was just something for evening wear," returned his wife complacently. “那套衣服是晚装,"他妻子心安理得地说道。 来自英汉文学 - 嘉莉妹妹
16 seeped 7b1463dbca7bf67e984ebe1b96df8fef     
v.(液体)渗( seep的过去式和过去分词 );渗透;渗出;漏出
参考例句:
  • The rain seeped through the roof. 雨水透过房顶渗透。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • Icy air seeped in through the paper and the room became cold. 寒气透过了糊窗纸。屋里骤然冷起来。 来自汉英文学 - 家(1-26) - 家(1-26)
17 triumphantly 9fhzuv     
ad.得意洋洋地;得胜地;成功地
参考例句:
  • The lion was roaring triumphantly. 狮子正在发出胜利的吼叫。
  • Robert was looking at me triumphantly. 罗伯特正得意扬扬地看着我。
18 severely SiCzmk     
adv.严格地;严厉地;非常恶劣地
参考例句:
  • He was severely criticized and removed from his post.他受到了严厉的批评并且被撤了职。
  • He is severely put down for his careless work.他因工作上的粗心大意而受到了严厉的批评。
19 remains 1kMzTy     
n.剩余物,残留物;遗体,遗迹
参考例句:
  • He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。
  • The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。
20 briefly 9Styo     
adv.简单地,简短地
参考例句:
  • I want to touch briefly on another aspect of the problem.我想简单地谈一下这个问题的另一方面。
  • He was kidnapped and briefly detained by a terrorist group.他被一个恐怖组织绑架并短暂拘禁。
21 stiffen zudwI     
v.(使)硬,(使)变挺,(使)变僵硬
参考例句:
  • The blood supply to the skin is reduced when muscles stiffen.当肌肉变得僵硬时,皮肤的供血量就减少了。
  • I was breathing hard,and my legs were beginning to stiffen.这时我却气吁喘喘地开始感到脚有点僵硬。
22 rigidly hjezpo     
adv.刻板地,僵化地
参考例句:
  • Life today is rigidly compartmentalized into work and leisure. 当今的生活被严格划分为工作和休闲两部分。
  • The curriculum is rigidly prescribed from an early age. 自儿童时起即已开始有严格的课程设置。
23 hoarsely hoarsely     
adv.嘶哑地
参考例句:
  • "Excuse me," he said hoarsely. “对不起。”他用嘶哑的嗓子说。
  • Jerry hoarsely professed himself at Miss Pross's service. 杰瑞嘶声嘶气地表示愿为普洛丝小姐效劳。 来自英汉文学 - 双城记
24 superstitious BHEzf     
adj.迷信的
参考例句:
  • They aim to deliver the people who are in bondage to superstitious belief.他们的目的在于解脱那些受迷信束缚的人。
  • These superstitious practices should be abolished as soon as possible.这些迷信做法应尽早取消。
25 uncommonly 9ca651a5ba9c3bff93403147b14d37e2     
adv. 稀罕(极,非常)
参考例句:
  • an uncommonly gifted child 一个天赋异禀的儿童
  • My little Mary was feeling uncommonly empty. 我肚子当时正饿得厉害。
26 discomfort cuvxN     
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。
27 smoothly iiUzLG     
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。
28 cubicle POGzN     
n.大房间中隔出的小室
参考例句:
  • She studies in a cubicle in the school library.她在学校图书馆的小自习室里学习。
  • A technical sergeant hunches in a cubicle.一位技术军士在一间小屋里弯腰坐着。
29 deodorant p9Hy9     
adj.除臭的;n.除臭剂
参考例句:
  • She applies deodorant to her armpits after she showers.沐浴后,她在腋下涂上除臭剂。
  • Spray deodorant and keep the silk garments dry before dressing.在穿衣之前,洒涂防臭剂并保持干燥。
30 noted 5n4zXc     
adj.著名的,知名的
参考例句:
  • The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
  • Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。
31 starkness ceda65b7f852a904b91a5d3ac044c176     
参考例句:
  • The starkness of their living conditions shocked him. 他们的生活条件一无所有,他感到十分震惊。
  • I was struck by the starkness of my father's room. 我被父亲房间的简陋震惊了。
32 shrugged 497904474a48f991a3d1961b0476ebce     
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》
33 deluge a9nyg     
n./vt.洪水,暴雨,使泛滥
参考例句:
  • This little stream can become a deluge when it rains heavily.雨大的时候,这条小溪能变作洪流。
  • I got caught in the deluge on the way home.我在回家的路上遇到倾盆大雨。
34 gasping gasping     
adj. 气喘的, 痉挛的 动词gasp的现在分词
参考例句:
  • He was gasping for breath. 他在喘气。
  • "Did you need a drink?""Yes, I'm gasping!” “你要喝点什么吗?”“我巴不得能喝点!”
35 croaked 9a150c9af3075625e0cba4de8da8f6a9     
v.呱呱地叫( croak的过去式和过去分词 );用粗的声音说
参考例句:
  • The crow croaked disaster. 乌鸦呱呱叫预报灾难。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
  • 'she has a fine head for it," croaked Jacques Three. “她有一个漂亮的脑袋跟着去呢,”雅克三号低沉地说。 来自英汉文学 - 双城记
36 apparently tMmyQ     
adv.显然地;表面上,似乎
参考例句:
  • An apparently blind alley leads suddenly into an open space.山穷水尽,豁然开朗。
  • He was apparently much surprised at the news.他对那个消息显然感到十分惊异。
37 remarkable 8Vbx6     
adj.显著的,异常的,非凡的,值得注意的
参考例句:
  • She has made remarkable headway in her writing skills.她在写作技巧方面有了长足进步。
  • These cars are remarkable for the quietness of their engines.这些汽车因发动机没有噪音而不同凡响。
38 reluctance 8VRx8     
n.厌恶,讨厌,勉强,不情愿
参考例句:
  • The police released Andrew with reluctance.警方勉强把安德鲁放走了。
  • He showed the greatest reluctance to make a reply.他表示很不愿意答复。
39 rinse BCozs     
v.用清水漂洗,用清水冲洗
参考例句:
  • Give the cup a rinse.冲洗一下杯子。
  • Don't just rinse the bottles. Wash them out carefully.别只涮涮瓶子,要仔细地洗洗里面。
40 thoroughly sgmz0J     
adv.完全地,彻底地,十足地
参考例句:
  • The soil must be thoroughly turned over before planting.一定要先把土地深翻一遍再下种。
  • The soldiers have been thoroughly instructed in the care of their weapons.士兵们都系统地接受过保护武器的训练。
41 touching sg6zQ9     
adj.动人的,使人感伤的
参考例句:
  • It was a touching sight.这是一幅动人的景象。
  • His letter was touching.他的信很感人。
42 wards 90fafe3a7d04ee1c17239fa2d768f8fc     
区( ward的名词复数 ); 病房; 受监护的未成年者; 被人照顾或控制的状态
参考例句:
  • This hospital has 20 medical [surgical] wards. 这所医院有 20 个内科[外科]病房。
  • It was a big constituency divided into three wards. 这是一个大选区,下设三个分区。
43 descended guQzoy     
a.为...后裔的,出身于...的
参考例句:
  • A mood of melancholy descended on us. 一种悲伤的情绪袭上我们的心头。
  • The path descended the hill in a series of zigzags. 小路呈连续的之字形顺着山坡蜿蜒而下。
44 entirely entirely     
ad.全部地,完整地;完全地,彻底地
参考例句:
  • The fire was entirely caused by their neglect of duty. 那场火灾完全是由于他们失职而引起的。
  • His life was entirely given up to the educational work. 他的一生统统献给了教育工作。
45 erect 4iLzm     
n./v.树立,建立,使竖立;adj.直立的,垂直的
参考例句:
  • She held her head erect and her back straight.她昂着头,把背挺得笔直。
  • Soldiers are trained to stand erect.士兵们训练站得笔直。
46 insistence A6qxB     
n.坚持;强调;坚决主张
参考例句:
  • They were united in their insistence that she should go to college.他们一致坚持她应上大学。
  • His insistence upon strict obedience is correct.他坚持绝对服从是对的。
47 sardonically e99a8f28f1ae62681faa2bef336b5366     
adv.讽刺地,冷嘲地
参考例句:
  • Some say sardonically that combat pay is good and that one can do quite well out of this war. 有些人讽刺地说战地的薪饷很不错,人们可借这次战争赚到很多钱。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • Tu Wei-yueh merely drew himself up and smiled sardonically. 屠维岳把胸脯更挺得直些,微微冷笑。 来自子夜部分
48 skeptic hxlwn     
n.怀疑者,怀疑论者,无神论者
参考例句:
  • She is a skeptic about the dangers of global warming.她是全球变暖危险的怀疑论者。
  • How am I going to convince this skeptic that she should attention to my research?我将如何使怀疑论者确信她应该关注我的研究呢?
49 arrogant Jvwz5     
adj.傲慢的,自大的
参考例句:
  • You've got to get rid of your arrogant ways.你这骄傲劲儿得好好改改。
  • People are waking up that he is arrogant.人们开始认识到他很傲慢。
50 complicate zX1yA     
vt.使复杂化,使混乱,使难懂
参考例句:
  • There is no need to complicate matters.没有必要使问题复杂化。
  • These events will greatly complicate the situation.这些事件将使局势变得极其复杂。
51 bliss JtXz4     
n.狂喜,福佑,天赐的福
参考例句:
  • It's sheer bliss to be able to spend the day in bed.整天都可以躺在床上真是幸福。
  • He's in bliss that he's won the Nobel Prize.他非常高兴,因为获得了诺贝尔奖金。
52 confiscating 47cc2d3927999f90a74354110e4aca8d     
没收(confiscate的现在分词形式)
参考例句:
  • There was Mame by my side confiscating my intellects and attention. 有玛米坐在我身边,害得我心不在焉。
  • Intimidate book sellers by confiscating books deemed unfavourable to the Barisan government. 充公被视为对国阵不利的书籍,威胁书商。
53 texture kpmwQ     
n.(织物)质地;(材料)构造;结构;肌理
参考例句:
  • We could feel the smooth texture of silk.我们能感觉出丝绸的光滑质地。
  • Her skin has a fine texture.她的皮肤细腻。
54 exasperation HiyzX     
n.愤慨
参考例句:
  • He snorted with exasperation.他愤怒地哼了一声。
  • She rolled her eyes in sheer exasperation.她气急败坏地转动着眼珠。
55 tamper 7g3zom     
v.干预,玩弄,贿赂,窜改,削弱,损害
参考例句:
  • Do not tamper with other's business.不要干预别人的事。
  • They had strict orders not to tamper with the customs of the minorities.他们得到命令严禁干涉少数民族的风俗习惯。
56 softened 19151c4e3297eb1618bed6a05d92b4fe     
(使)变软( soften的过去式和过去分词 ); 缓解打击; 缓和; 安慰
参考例句:
  • His smile softened slightly. 他的微笑稍柔和了些。
  • The ice cream softened and began to melt. 冰淇淋开始变软并开始融化。
57 testily df69641c1059630ead7b670d16775645     
adv. 易怒地, 暴躁地
参考例句:
  • He reacted testily to reports that he'd opposed military involvement. 有报道称他反对军队参与,对此他很是恼火。 来自柯林斯例句
58 fiddling XtWzRz     
微小的
参考例句:
  • He was fiddling with his keys while he talked to me. 和我谈话时他不停地摆弄钥匙。
  • All you're going to see is a lot of fiddling around. 你今天要看到的只是大量的胡摆乱弄。 来自英汉文学 - 廊桥遗梦
59 puritanical viYyM     
adj.极端拘谨的;道德严格的
参考例句:
  • He has a puritanical attitude towards sex.他在性问题上主张克制,反对纵欲。
  • Puritanical grandfather is very strict with his children.古板严厉的祖父对子女要求非常严格。
60 vaguely BfuzOy     
adv.含糊地,暖昧地
参考例句:
  • He had talked vaguely of going to work abroad.他含糊其词地说了到国外工作的事。
  • He looked vaguely before him with unseeing eyes.他迷迷糊糊的望着前面,对一切都视而不见。
61 itch 9aczc     
n.痒,渴望,疥癣;vi.发痒,渴望
参考例句:
  • Shylock has an itch for money.夏洛克渴望发财。
  • He had an itch on his back.他背部发痒。
62 isolates 338356f90b44ba66febab4a4c173b0f7     
v.使隔离( isolate的第三人称单数 );将…剔出(以便看清和单独处理);使(某物质、细胞等)分离;使离析
参考例句:
  • The transformer isolates the transistors with regard to d-c bias voltage. 变压器可在两个晶体管之间隔离直流偏压。 来自辞典例句
  • In regions with certain isolates of TRV, spraining is more prominent. 在具有TRV某些分离物的地区,坏死是比较显著的。 来自辞典例句
63 promptly LRMxm     
adv.及时地,敏捷地
参考例句:
  • He paid the money back promptly.他立即还了钱。
  • She promptly seized the opportunity his absence gave her.她立即抓住了因他不在场给她创造的机会。
64 anarchy 9wYzj     
n.无政府状态;社会秩序混乱,无秩序
参考例句:
  • There would be anarchy if we had no police.要是没有警察,社会就会无法无天。
  • The country was thrown into a state of anarchy.这国家那时一下子陷入无政府状态。
65 galaxy OhoxB     
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。
66 chaos 7bZyz     
n.混乱,无秩序
参考例句:
  • After the failure of electricity supply the city was in chaos.停电后,城市一片混乱。
  • The typhoon left chaos behind it.台风后一片混乱。
67 patriotism 63lzt     
n.爱国精神,爱国心,爱国主义
参考例句:
  • His new book is a demonstration of his patriotism.他写的新书是他的爱国精神的证明。
  • They obtained money under the false pretenses of patriotism.他们以虚伪的爱国主义为借口获得金钱。
68 unreasonable tjLwm     
adj.不讲道理的,不合情理的,过度的
参考例句:
  • I know that they made the most unreasonable demands on you.我知道他们对你提出了最不合理的要求。
  • They spend an unreasonable amount of money on clothes.他们花在衣服上的钱太多了。
69 traitor GqByW     
n.叛徒,卖国贼
参考例句:
  • The traitor was finally found out and put in prison.那个卖国贼终于被人发现并被监禁了起来。
  • He was sold out by a traitor and arrested.他被叛徒出卖而被捕了。
70 incurred a782097e79bccb0f289640bab05f0f6c     
[医]招致的,遭受的; incur的过去式
参考例句:
  • She had incurred the wrath of her father by marrying without his consent 她未经父亲同意就结婚,使父亲震怒。
  • We will reimburse any expenses incurred. 我们将付还所有相关费用。
71 averting edcbf586a27cf6d086ae0f4d09219f92     
防止,避免( avert的现在分词 ); 转移
参考例句:
  • The margin of time for averting crisis was melting away. 可以用来消弥这一危机的些许时光正在逝去。
  • These results underscore the value of rescue medications in averting psychotic relapse. 这些结果显示了救护性治疗对避免精神病复发的价值。
72 patriotic T3Izu     
adj.爱国的,有爱国心的
参考例句:
  • His speech was full of patriotic sentiments.他的演说充满了爱国之情。
  • The old man is a patriotic overseas Chinese.这位老人是一位爱国华侨。
73 superstition VHbzg     
n.迷信,迷信行为
参考例句:
  • It's a common superstition that black cats are unlucky.认为黑猫不吉祥是一种很普遍的迷信。
  • Superstition results from ignorance.迷信产生于无知。
74 condemn zpxzp     
vt.谴责,指责;宣判(罪犯),判刑
参考例句:
  • Some praise him,whereas others condemn him.有些人赞扬他,而有些人谴责他。
  • We mustn't condemn him on mere suppositions.我们不可全凭臆测来指责他。
75 disorder Et1x4     
n.紊乱,混乱;骚动,骚乱;疾病,失调
参考例句:
  • When returning back,he discovered the room to be in disorder.回家后,他发现屋子里乱七八糟。
  • It contained a vast number of letters in great disorder.里面七零八落地装着许多信件。
76 recesses 617c7fa11fa356bfdf4893777e4e8e62     
n.壁凹( recess的名词复数 );(工作或业务活动的)中止或暂停期间;学校的课间休息;某物内部的凹形空间v.把某物放在墙壁的凹处( recess的第三人称单数 );将(墙)做成凹形,在(墙)上做壁龛;休息,休会,休庭
参考例句:
  • I could see the inmost recesses. 我能看见最深处。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • I had continually pushed my doubts to the darker recesses of my mind. 我一直把怀疑深深地隐藏在心中。 来自《简明英汉词典》
77 perfectly 8Mzxb     
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。
78 penetrate juSyv     
v.透(渗)入;刺入,刺穿;洞察,了解
参考例句:
  • Western ideas penetrate slowly through the East.西方观念逐渐传入东方。
  • The sunshine could not penetrate where the trees were thickest.阳光不能透入树木最浓密的地方。
79 jaw 5xgy9     
n.颚,颌,说教,流言蜚语;v.喋喋不休,教训
参考例句:
  • He delivered a right hook to his opponent's jaw.他给了对方下巴一记右钩拳。
  • A strong square jaw is a sign of firm character.强健的方下巴是刚毅性格的标志。
80 pending uMFxw     
prep.直到,等待…期间;adj.待定的;迫近的
参考例句:
  • The lawsuit is still pending in the state court.这案子仍在州法庭等待定夺。
  • He knew my examination was pending.他知道我就要考试了。
81 chilly pOfzl     
adj.凉快的,寒冷的
参考例句:
  • I feel chilly without a coat.我由于没有穿大衣而感到凉飕飕的。
  • I grew chilly when the fire went out.炉火熄灭后,寒气逼人。
82 uncertainty NlFwK     
n.易变,靠不住,不确知,不确定的事物
参考例句:
  • Her comments will add to the uncertainty of the situation.她的批评将会使局势更加不稳定。
  • After six weeks of uncertainty,the strain was beginning to take its toll.6个星期的忐忑不安后,压力开始产生影响了。
83 purely 8Sqxf     
adv.纯粹地,完全地
参考例句:
  • I helped him purely and simply out of friendship.我帮他纯粹是出于友情。
  • This disproves the theory that children are purely imitative.这证明认为儿童只会单纯地模仿的理论是站不住脚的。
84 colonized b6d32edf2605d89b4eba608acb0d30bf     
开拓殖民地,移民于殖民地( colonize的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句:
  • The area was colonized by the Vikings. 这一地区曾沦为维京人的殖民地。
  • The British and French colonized the Americas. 英国人和法国人共同在美洲建立殖民地。
85 longevity C06xQ     
n.长命;长寿
参考例句:
  • Good habits promote longevity.良好的习惯能增长寿命。
  • Human longevity runs in families.人类的长寿具有家族遗传性。
86 patriots cf0387291504d78a6ac7a13147d2f229     
爱国者,爱国主义者( patriot的名词复数 )
参考例句:
  • Abraham Lincoln was a fine type of the American patriots. 亚伯拉罕·林肯是美国爱国者的优秀典型。
  • These patriots would fight to death before they surrendered. 这些爱国者宁愿战斗到死,也不愿投降。
87 dwindling f139f57690cdca2d2214f172b39dc0b9     
adj.逐渐减少的v.逐渐变少或变小( dwindle的现在分词 )
参考例句:
  • The number of wild animals on the earth is dwindling. 地球上野生动物的数量正日渐减少。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • He is struggling to come to terms with his dwindling authority. 他正努力适应自己权力被削弱这一局面。 来自辞典例句
88 boredom ynByy     
n.厌烦,厌倦,乏味,无聊
参考例句:
  • Unemployment can drive you mad with boredom.失业会让你无聊得发疯。
  • A walkman can relieve the boredom of running.跑步时带着随身听就不那么乏味了。
89 intensity 45Ixd     
n.强烈,剧烈;强度;烈度
参考例句:
  • I didn't realize the intensity of people's feelings on this issue.我没有意识到这一问题能引起群情激奋。
  • The strike is growing in intensity.罢工日益加剧。


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