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Chapter 1
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Suppressing a small yawn, Cleon said, "Demerzel, have you by any chance ever heard of a man named Hari Seldon?"
Cleon had been Emperor for just over ten years and there were times at state occasions when, dressed in the necessary robes and regalia, he could manage to look stately. He did so, for instance, in the holograph of himself that stood in the niche1 in the wall behind him. It was placed so that it clearly dominated the other niches2 holding the holographs of several of his ancestors. The holograph was not a totally honest one, for though Cleons hair was light brown in hologram and reality alike, it was a bit thicker in the holograph. There was a certain asymmetry3 to his real face, for the left side of his upper lip raised itself a bit higher than the right side, and this was somehow not evident in the holograph. And if he had stood up and placed himself beside the holograph, he would have been seen to be 2 centimeters under the 1.83-meter height that the image portrayed--and perhaps a bit stouter4. Of course, the holograph was the official coronation portrait and he had been younger then. He still looked young and rather handsome, too, and when he was not in the pitiless grip of official ceremony, there was a kind of vague good nature about his face.
Demerzel said, with the tone of respect that he carefully cultivated, "Hari Seldon? It is an unfamiliar5 name to me, Sire. Ought I to know of him?"
"The Minister of Science mentioned him to me last night. I thought you might."
Demerzel frowned slightly, but only very slightly, for one does not frown in the Imperial presence. "The Minister of Science, Sire, should have spoken of this man to me as Chief of Staff. If you are to be bombarded from every side--"
Cleon raised his hand and Demerzel stopped at once. "Please, Demerzel, one cant6 stand on formality at all times. When I passed the Minister at last nights reception and exchanged a few words with him, he bubbled over. I could not refuse to listen and I was glad I had, for it was interesting."
"In what way interesting, Sire?"
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1
niche
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n.壁龛;合适的职务(环境、位置等) | |
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2
niches
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壁龛( niche的名词复数 ); 合适的位置[工作等]; (产品的)商机; 生态位(一个生物所占据的生境的最小单位) | |
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3
asymmetry
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n.不对称;adj.不对称的,不对等的 | |
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4
stouter
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粗壮的( stout的比较级 ); 结实的; 坚固的; 坚定的 | |
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5
unfamiliar
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adj.陌生的,不熟悉的 | |
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6
cant
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n.斜穿,黑话,猛扔 | |
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7
apparently
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adv.显然地;表面上,似乎 | |
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8
mathematician
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n.数学家 | |
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mathematicians
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数学家( mathematician的名词复数 ) | |
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10
foretell
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v.预言,预告,预示 | |
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acumen
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n.敏锐,聪明 | |
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foretelling
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v.预言,预示( foretell的现在分词 ) | |
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13
reign
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n.统治时期,统治,支配,盛行;v.占优势 | |
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mere
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adj.纯粹的;仅仅,只不过 | |
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15
transmuted
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v.使变形,使变质,把…变成…( transmute的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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16
terminology
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n.术语;专有名词 | |
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17
strings
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n.弦 | |
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