of the nature of things-第24部分

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We　think　to　mark　the　daylight　and　the　sun；
And；　shut　within　a　room；　yet　still　we　seem
To　change　our　skies；　our　oceans；　rivers；　hills；
To　cross　the　plains　afoot；　and　hear　new　sounds；
Though　still　the　austere　silence　of　the　night
Abides　around　us；　and　to　speak　replies；
Though　voiceless。　Other　cases　of　the　sort
Wondrously　many　do　we　see；　which　all
Seek；　so　to　say；　to　injure　faith　in　sense…
In　vain；　because　the　largest　part　of　these
Deceives　through　mere　opinions　of　the　mind；
Which　we　do　add　ourselves；　feigning　to　see
What　by　the　senses　are　not　seen　at　all。
For　naught　is　harder　than　to　separate
Plain　facts　from　dubious；　which　the　mind　forthwith
Adds　by　itself。
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Again；　if　one　suppose
That　naught　is　known；　he　knows　not　whether　this
Itself　is　able　to　be　known；　since　he
Confesses　naught　to　know。　Therefore　with　him
I　waive　discussion…　who　has　set　his　head
Even　where　his　feet　should　be。　But　let　me　grant
That　this　he　knows；…　I　question：　whence　he　knows
What　'tis　to　know　and　not…to…know　in　turn；
And　what　created　concept　of　the　truth；
And　what　device　has　proved　the　dubious
To　differ　from　the　certain？…　since　in　things
He's　heretofore　seen　naught　of　true。　Thou'lt　find
That　from　the　senses　first　hath　been　create
Concept　of　truth；　nor　can　the　senses　be
Rebutted。　For　criterion　must　be　found
Worthy　of　greater　trust；　which　shall　defeat
Through　own　authority　the　false　by　true；
What；　then；　than　these　our　senses　must　there　be
Worthy　a　greater　trust？　Shall　reason；　sprung
From　some　false　sense；　prevail　to　contradict
Those　senses；　sprung　as　reason　wholly　is
From　out　the　senses？…　For　lest　these　be　true；
All　reason　also　then　is　falsified。
Or　shall　the　ears　have　power　to　blame　the　eyes；
Or　yet　the　touch　the　ears？　Again；　shall　taste
Accuse　this　touch　or　shall　the　nose　confute
Or　eyes　defeat　it？　Methinks　not　so　it　is：
For　unto　each　has　been　divided　off
Its　function　quite　apart；　its　power　to　each；
And　thus　we're　still　constrained　to　perceive
The　soft；　the　cold；　the　hot　apart；　apart
All　divers　hues　and　whatso　things　there　be
Conjoined　with　hues。　Likewise　the　tasting　tongue
Has　its　own　power　apart；　and　smells　apart
And　sounds　apart　are　known。　And　thus　it　is
That　no　one　sense　can　e'er　convict　another。
Nor　shall　one　sense　have　power　to　blame　itself；
Because　it　always　must　be　deemed　the　same；
Worthy　of　equal　trust。　And　therefore　what
At　any　time　unto　these　senses　showed；
The　same　is　true。　And　if　the　reason　be
Unable　to　unravel　us　the　cause
Why　objects；　which　at　hand　were　square；　afar
Seemed　rounded；　yet　it　more　availeth　us；
Lacking　the　reason；　to　pretend　a　cause
For　each　configuration；　than　to　let
From　out　our　hands　escape　the　obvious　things
And　injure　primal　faith　in　sense；　and　wreck
All　those　foundations　upon　which　do　rest
Our　life　and　safety。　For　not　only　reason
Would　topple　down；　but　even　our　very　life
Would　straightaway　collapse；　unless　we　dared
To　trust　our　senses　and　to　keep　away
From　headlong　heights　and　places　to　be　shunned
Of　a　like　peril；　and　to　seek　with　speed
Their　opposites！　Again；　as　in　a　building；
If　the　first　plumb…line　be　askew；　and　if
The　square　deceiving　swerve　from　lines　exact；
And　if　the　level　waver　but　the　least
In　any　part；　the　whole　construction　then
Must　turn　out　faulty…　shelving　and　askew；
Leaning　to　back　and　front；　incongruous；
That　now　some　portions　seem　about　to　fall；
And　falls　the　whole　ere　long…　betrayed　indeed
By　first　deceiving　estimates：　so　too
Thy　calculations　in　affairs　of　life
Must　be　askew　and　false；　if　sprung　for　thee
From　senses　false。　So　all　that　troop　of　words
Marshalled　against　the　senses　is　quite　vain。
　　And　now　remains　to　demonstrate　with　ease
How　other　senses　each　their　things　perceive。
　　Firstly；　a　sound　and　every　voice　is　heard；
When；　getting　into　ears；　they　strike　the　sense
With　their　own　body。　For　confess　we　must
Even　voice　and　sound　to　be　corporeal；
Because　they're　able　on　the　sense　to　strike。
Besides　voice　often　scrapes　against　the　throat；
And　screams　in　going　out　do　make　more　rough
The　wind…pipe…　naturally　enough；　methinks；
When；　through　the　narrow　exit　rising　up
In　larger　throng；　these　primal　germs　of　voice
Have　thus　begun　to　issue　forth。　In　sooth；
Also　the　door　of　the　mouth　is　scraped　against
＇By　air　blown　outward＇　from　distended　＇cheeks＇。
　　　　　　　。　　　　　。　　　　　。　　　　　。　　　　　。　　　　　。
And　thus　no　doubt　there　is；　that　voice　and　words
Consist　of　elements　corporeal；
With　power　to　pain。　Nor　art　thou　unaware
Likewise　how　much　of　body's　ta'en　away；
How　much　from　very　thews　and　powers　of　men
May　be　withdrawn　by　steady　talk；　prolonged
Even　from　the　rising　splendour　of　the　morn
To　shadows　of　black　evening；…　above　all
If　't　be　outpoured　with　most　exceeding　shouts。
Therefore　the　voice　must　be　corporeal；
Since　the　long　talker　loses　from　his　frame
A　part。
　　　　　　　　Moreover；　roughness　in　the　sound
Comes　from　the　roughness　in　the　primal　germs；
As　a　smooth　sound　from　smooth　ones　is　create；
Nor　have　these　elements　a　form　the　same
When　the　trump　rumbles　with　a　hollow　roar；
As　when　barbaric　Berecynthian　pipe
Buzzes　with　raucous　boomings；　or　when　swans
By　night　from　icy　shores　of　Helicon
With　wailing　voices　raise　their　liquid　dirge。
　　Thus；　when　from　deep　within　our　frame　we　force
These　voices；　and　at　mouth　expel　them　forth；
The　mobile　tongue；　artificer　of　words；
Makes　them　articulate；　and　too　the　lips
By　their　formations　share　in　shaping　them。
Hence　when　the　space　is　short　from　starting…point
To　where　that　voice　arrives；　the　very　words
Must　too　be　plainly　heard；　distinctly　marked。
For　then　the　voice　conserves　its　own　formation；
Conserves　its　shape。　But　if　the　space　between
Be　longer　than　is　fit；　the　words　must　be
Through　the　much　air　confounded；　and　the　voice
Disordered　in　its　flight　across　the　winds…
And　so　it　haps；　that　thou　canst　sound　perceive；
Yet　not　determine　what　the　words　may　mean；
To　such　degree　confounded　and　encumbered
The　voice　approaches　us。　Again；　one　word；
Sent　from　the　crier's　mouth；　may　rouse　all　ears
Among　the　populace。　And　thus　one　voice
Scatters　asunder　into　many　voices；
Since　it　divides　itself　for　separate　ears；
Imprinting　form　of　word　and　a　clear　tone。
But　whatso　part　of　voices　fails　to　hit
The　ears　themselves　perishes；　borne　beyond；
Idly　diffused　among　the　winds。　A　part；
Beating　on　solid　porticoes；　tossed　back
Returns　a　sound；　and　sometimes　mocks　the　ear
With　a　mere　phantom　of　a　word。　When　this
Thou　well　hast　noted；　thou　canst　render　count
Unto　thyself　and　others　why　it　is
Along　the　lonely　places　that　the　rocks
Give　back　like　shapes　of　words　in　order　like；
When　search　we　after　comrades　wandering
Among　the　shady　mountains；　and　aloud
Call　unto　them；　the　scattered。　I　have　seen
Spots　that　gave　back　even　voices　six　or　seven
For　one　thrown　forth…　for　so　the　very　hills；
Dashing　them　back　against　the　hills；　kept　on
With　their　reverberations。　And　these　spots
The　neighbouring　country…side　doth　feign　to　be
Haunts　of　the　goat…foot　satyrs　and　the　nymphs；
And　tells　ye　there　be　fauns；　by　whose　night　noise
And　antic　revels　yonder　they　declare
The　voiceless　silences　are　broken　oft；
And　tones　of　strings　are　made　and　wailings　sweet
Which　the　pipe；　beat　by　players'　finger…tips；
Pours　out；　and　far　and　wide　the　farmer…race
Begins　to　hear；　when；　shaking　the　garmentings
Of　pine　upon　his　half…beast　head；　god…Pan
With　puckered　lip　oft　runneth　o'er　and　o'er
The　open　reeds；…　lest　flute　should　cease　to　pour
The　woodland　music！　Other　prodigies
And　wonders　of　this　ilk　they　love　to　tell；
Lest　they　be　thought　to　dwell　in　lonely　spots
And　even　by　gods　deserted。　This　is　why
They　boast　of　marvels　in　their　story…tellings；
Or　by　some　other　reason　are　led　on…
Greedy；　as　all　mankind　hath　ever　been；
To　prattle　fables　into　ears。
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Again；
One　need　not　wonder　how　it　comes　about
That　through　those　places　（through　which　eyes　cannot
View　objects　manifest）　sounds　yet　may　pass
And　assail　the　ears。　For　often　we　observe
People　conversing；　though　the　doors　be　closed；
No　marvel　either；　since　all　voice　unharmed
Can　wind　through　bended　apertures　of　things；
While　idol…films　decline　to…　for　they're　rent；
Unless　along　straight　apertures　they　swim；
Like　those　in　glass；　through　which　all　images
Do　fly　across。　And　yet　this　voice　itself；
In　passing　through　shut　chambers　of　a　house；
Is　dulled；　and　in　a　jumble　enters　ears；
And　sound　we　seem　to　hear　far　more　than　words。
Moreover；　a　voice　is　into　all　directions
Divided　up；　since　off　from　one　another
New　voices　are　engendered；　when　one　voice
Hath　once　leapt　forth；　outstarting　into　many…
As　oft　a　spark　of　fire　is　wont　to　sprinkle
Itself　into　its　several　fires。　And　so；
Voices　do　fill　those　places　hid　behind；
Which　all　are　in　a　hubbub　round　about；
Astir　with　sound。　But　idol…films　do　tend；
As　once　sent　forth；　in　straight　directions　all；
Wherefore　one　can　inside　a　wall　see　naught；
Yet　catch　the　voices　from　beyond　the　same。
　　Nor　tongue　and　palate；　whereby　we　flavour　feel；
Present　more　problems　for　more　work　of　thought。
Firstly；　we　feel　a　flavour　in　the　mouth；
When　forth　we　squeeze　it；　in　chewing　up　our　food；…
As　any　one　perchance　begins　to　squeeze
With　hand　and　dry　a　sponge　with　water　soake