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Helmholtz laughed. "Then why aren't you on an island yourself?"
赫姆霍爾茲笑了。“那你現在為什么不是在一個島上呢？”
"Because, finally, I preferred this," the Controller answered.
“因為我最終選擇了這兒，”總統回答，
I was given the choice:to be sent to an island, where I could have got on with my pure science,
他們曾經給過我選擇：是被送到一個島子上去繼續搞我的純科學，
or to be taken on to the Controllers' Council with the prospect of succeeding in due course to an actual Controllership.
還是進入總統委員會——其遠景是在適當的時候繼任總統。
I chose this and let the science go. After a little silence,
我選擇了這個，放棄了科學
Sometimes,he added, I rather regret the science. Happiness is a hard master–particularly other people's happiness.
有時候，他說，我為放棄了科學感到遺憾。幸福是一個很難服侍的老板——特別是別人的幸福。
A much harder master, if one isn't conditioned to accept it unquestioningly, than truth.
如果一個人并沒有特別設置得可以接受幸福而不提出疑問，那么幸福就比真理還要難服侍得多。
He sighed, fell silent again,then continued in a brisker tone,
他嘆了一口氣，又沉默了。然后才以較為活潑的口氣說下去。
Well, duty's duty. One can't consult one's own preference.
好了，職責就是職責。應該如何選擇是無法討價還價的。
I'm interested in truth, I like science. But truth's a menace, science is a public danger.
我對真理感到興趣，我喜歡科學。但是真理是一種威脅，科學危害社會。
As dangerous as it's been beneficent. It has given us the stablest equilibrium in history.
它的危害之大正如它的好處。它給了我們歷史上最平衡的穩定。
China's was hopelessly insecure by comparison; even the primitive matriarchies weren't steadier than we are.
跟我們的穩定相比，中國的穩定也只能算是最不可靠的。即使原始的母系社會也不會比我們更穩定。
Thanks, l repeat, to science. But we can't allow science to undo its own good work.
我再說一句，我們要感謝科學。但是我們不能讓科學破壞它自己辦成的好事。
That's why we so carefully limit the scope of its researches–that's why I almost got sent to an island.
因此我們小心翼翼地控制著它的研究范圍——正是因此我幾乎被送到島子上去了。
We don't allow it to deal with any but the most immediate problems of the moment.
除了當前最急需的問題，我們都不讓科學處理。
All other enquiries are most sedulously discouraged. It's curious, he went on after a little pause,
其他的一切探索都要非常小心謹慎地遏制，他沉吟了一會，又說，
to read what people in the time of Our Ford used to write about scientific progress.
讀一讀我主福帝時代的人所寫的關于科學進步的文章是很有意思的，
They seemed to have imagined that it could be allowed to go on indefinitely, regardless of everything else.
他停了一下又說，那時候的人似乎想象科學是可以肆無忌憚、無限制地進行下去的，
Knowledge was the highest good, truth the supreme value;
知識是最高的善，真理是最高的價值，
all the rest was secondary and subordinate.
其他的一切都是次要的，從屬的。
True, ideas were beginning to change even then.
不錯，甚至在那時候觀念就已經開始改變。
Our Ford himself did a great deal to shift the emphasis from truth and beauty to comfort and happiness.
我主福帝就曾經做過極大的努力，要把強調真與美轉軌為強調舒適和幸福。
