of the nature of things-第26部分

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Of　course　the　change　must　be　conceived　as　speedy；
So　great　the　swiftness　and　so　great　the　store
Of　idol…things；　and　（in　an　instant　brief
As　mind　can　mark）　so　great；　again；　the　store
Of　separate　idol…parts　to　bring　supplies。
　　It　happens　also　that　there　is　supplied
Sometimes　an　image　not　of　kind　the　same；
But　what　before　was　woman；　now　at　hand
Is　seen　to　stand　there；　altered　into　male；
Or　other　visage；　other　age　succeeds；
But　slumber　and　oblivion　take　care
That　we　shall　feel　no　wonder　at　the　thing。
　　And　much　in　these　affairs　demands　inquiry；
And　much；　illumination…　if　we　crave
With　plainness　to　exhibit　facts。　And　first；
Why　doth　the　mind　of　one　to　whom　the　whim
To　think　has　come　behold　forthwith　that　thing？
Or　do　the　idols　watch　upon　our　will；
And　doth　an　image　unto　us　occur；
Directly　we　desire…　if　heart　prefer
The　sea；　the　land；　or　after　all　the　sky？
Assemblies　of　the　citizens；　parades；
Banquets；　and　battles；　these　and　all　doth　she；
Nature；　create　and　furnish　at　our　word？…
Maugre　the　fact　that　in　same　place　and　spot
Another's　mind　is　meditating　things
All　far　unlike。　And　what；　again；　of　this：
When　we　in　sleep　behold　the　idols　step；
In　measure；　forward；　moving　supple　limbs；
Whilst　forth　they　put　each　supple　arm　in　turn
With　speedy　motion；　and　with　eyeing　heads
Repeat　the　movement；　as　the　foot　keeps　time？
Forsooth；　the　idols　they　are　steeped　in　art；
And　wander　to　and　fro　well　taught　indeed；…
Thus　to　be　able　in　the　time　of　night
To　make　such　games！　Or　will　the　truth　be　this：
Because　in　one　least　moment　that　we　mark…
That　is；　the　uttering　of　a　single　sound…
There　lurk　yet　many　moments；　which　the　reason
Discovers　to　exist；　therefore　it　comes
That；　in　a　moment　how　so　brief　ye　will；
The　divers　idols　are　hard　by；　and　ready
Each　in　its　place　diverse？　So　great　the　swiftness；
So　great；　again；　the　store　of　idol…things；
And　so；　when　perishes　the　former　image；
And　other　is　gendered　of　another　pose；
The　former　seemeth　to　have　changed　its　gestures。
And　since　they　be　so　tenuous；　mind　can　mark
Sharply　alone　the　ones　it　strains　to　see；
And　thus　the　rest　do　perish　one　and　all；
Save　those　for　which　the　mind　prepares　itself。
Further；　it　doth　prepare　itself　indeed；
And　hopes　to　see　what　follows　after　each…
Hence　this　result。　For　hast　thou　not　observed
How　eyes；　essaying　to　perceive　the　fine；
Will　strain　in　preparation；　otherwise
Unable　sharply　to　perceive　at　all？
Yet　know　thou　canst　that；　even　in　objects　plain；
If　thou　attendest　not；　'tis　just　the　same
As　if　'twere　all　the　time　removed　and　far。
What　marvel；　then；　that　mind　doth　lose　the　rest；
Save　those　to　which　'thas　given　up　itself？
So　'tis　that　we　conjecture　from　small　signs
Things　wide　and　weighty；　and　involve　ourselves
In　snarls　of　self…deceit。

SOME　VITAL　FUNCTIONS

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　In　these　affairs
We　crave　that　thou　wilt　passionately　flee
The　one　offence；　and　anxiously　wilt　shun
The　error　of　presuming　the　clear　lights
Of　eyes　created　were　that　we　might　see；
Or　thighs　and　knees；　aprop　upon　the　feet；
Thuswise　can　bended　be；　that　we　might　step
With　goodly　strides　ahead；　or　forearms　joined
Unto　the　sturdy　uppers；　or　serving　hands
On　either　side　were　given；　that　we　might　do
Life's　own　demands。　All　such　interpretation
Is　aft…for…fore　with　inverse　reasoning；
Since　naught　is　born　in　body　so　that　we
May　use　the　same；　but　birth　engenders　use：
No　seeing　ere　the　lights　of　eyes　were　born；
No　speaking　ere　the　tongue　created　was；
But　origin　of　tongue　came　long　before
Discourse　of　words；　and　ears　created　were
Much　earlier　than　any　sound　was　heard；
And　all　the　members；　so　meseems；　were　there
Before　they　got　their　use：　and　therefore；　they
Could　not　be　gendered　for　the　sake　of　use。
But　contrariwise；　contending　in　the　fight
With　hand　to　hand；　and　rending　of　the　joints；
And　fouling　of　the　limbs　with　gore；　was　there；
O　long　before　the　gleaming　spears　ere　flew；
And　nature　prompted　man　to　shun　a　wound；
Before　the　left　arm　by　the　aid　of　art
Opposed　the　shielding　targe。　And；　verily；
Yielding　the　weary　body　to　repose；
Far　ancienter　than　cushions　of　soft　beds；
And　quenching　thirst　is　earlier　than　cups。
These　objects；　therefore；　which　for　use　and　life
Have　been　devised；　can　be　conceived　as　found
For　sake　of　using。　But　apart　from　such
Are　all　which　first　were　born　and　afterwards
Gave　knowledge　of　their　own　utility…
Chief　in　which　sort　we　note　the　senses；　limbs：
Wherefore；　again；　'tis　quite　beyond　thy　power
To　hold　that　these　could　thus　have　been　create
For　office　of　utility。
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Likewise；
'Tis　nothing　strange　that　all　the　breathing　creatures
Seek；　even　by　nature　of　their　frame；　their　food。
Yes；　since　I've　taught　thee　that　from　off　the　things
Stream　and　depart　innumerable　bodies
In　modes　innumerable　too；　but　most
Must　be　the　bodies　streaming　from　the　living…
Which　bodies；　vexed　by　motion　evermore；
Are　through　the　mouth　exhaled　innumerable；
When　weary　creatures　pant；　or　through　the　sweat
Squeezed　forth　innumerable　from　deep　within。
Thus　body　rarefies；　so　undermined
In　all　its　nature；　and　pain　attends　its　state。
And　so　the　food　is　taken　to　underprop
The　tottering　joints；　and　by　its　interfusion
To　re…create　their　powers；　and　there　stop　up
The　longing；　open…mouthed　through　limbs　and　veins；
For　eating。　And　the　moist　no　less　departs
Into　all　regions　that　demand　the　moist；
And　many　heaped…up　particles　of　hot；
Which　cause　such　burnings　in　these　bellies　of　ours；
The　liquid　on　arriving　dissipates
And　quenches　like　a　fire；　that　parching　heat
No　longer　now　can　scorch　the　frame。　And　so；
Thou　seest　how　panting　thirst　is　washed　away
From　off　our　body；　how　the　hunger…pang
It；　too；　appeased。
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Now；　how　it　comes　that　we；
Whene'er　we　wish；　can　step　with　strides　ahead；
And　how　'tis　given　to　move　our　limbs　about；
And　what　device　is　wont　to　push　ahead
This　the　big　load　of　our　corporeal　frame；
I'll　say　to　thee…　do　thou　attend　what's　said。
I　say　that　first　some　idol…films　of　walking
Into　our　mind　do　fall　and　smite　the　mind；
As　said　before。　Thereafter　will　arises；
For　no　one　starts　to　do　a　thing；　before
The　intellect　previsions　what　it　wills；
And　what　it　there　pre…visioneth　depends
On　what　that　image　is。　When；　therefore；　mind
Doth　so　bestir　itself　that　it　doth　will
To　go　and　step　along；　it　strikes　at　once
That　energy　of　soul　that's　sown　about
In　all　the　body　through　the　limbs　and　frame…
And　this　is　easy　of　performance；　since
The　soul　is　close　conjoined　with　the　mind。
Next；　soul　in　turn　strikes　body；　and　by　degrees
Thus　the　whole　mass　is　pushed　along　and　moved。
Then　too　the　body　rarefies；　and　air；
Forsooth　as　ever　of　such　nimbleness；
Comes　on　and　penetrates　aboundingly
Through　opened　pores；　and　thus　is　sprinkled　round
Unto　all　smallest　places　in　our　frame。
Thus　then　by　these　twain　factors；　severally；
Body　is　borne　like　ship　with　oars　and　wind。
Nor　yet　in　these　affairs　is　aught　for　wonder
That　particles　so　fine　can　whirl　around
So　great　a　body　and　turn　this　weight　of　ours；
For　wind；　so　tenuous　with　its　subtle　body；
Yet　pushes；　driving　on　the　mighty　ship
Of　mighty　bulk；　one　hand　directs　the　same；
Whatever　its　momentum；　and　one　helm
Whirls　it　around；　whither　ye　please；　and　loads；
Many　and　huge；　are　moved　and　hoisted　high
By　enginery　of　pulley…blocks　and　wheels；
With　but　light　strain。
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Now；　by　what　modes　this　sleep
Pours　through　our　members　waters　of　repose
And　frees　the　breast　from　cares　of　mind；　I'll　tell
In　verses　sweeter　than　they　many　are；
Even　as　the　swan's　slight　note　is　better　far
Than　that　dispersed　clamour　of　the　cranes
Among　the　southwind's　aery　clouds。　Do　thou
Give　me　sharp　ears　and　a　sagacious　mind；…
That　thou　mayst　not　deny　the　things　to　be
Whereof　I'm　speaking；　nor　depart　away
With　bosom　scorning　these　the　spoken　truths；
Thyself　at　fault　unable　to　perceive。
Sleep　chiefly　comes　when　energy　of　soul
Hath　now　been　scattered　through　the　frame；　and　part
Expelled　abroad　and　gone　away；　and　part
Crammed　back　and　settling　deep　within　the　frame…
Whereafter　then　our　loosened　members　droop。
For　doubt　is　none　that　by　the　work　of　soul
Exist　in　us　this　sense；　and　when　by　slumber
That　sense　is　thwarted；　we　are　bound　to　think
The　soul　confounded　and　expelled　abroad…
Yet　not　entirely；　else　the　frame　would　lie
Drenched　in　the　everlasting　cold　of　death。
In　sooth；　where　no　one　part　of　soul　remained
Lurking　among　the　members；　even　as　fire
Lurks　buried　under　many　ashes；　whence
Could　sense　amain　rekindled　be　in　members；
As　flame　can　rise　anew　from　unseen　fire？
　　By　what　devices　this　strange　state　and　new
May　be　occasioned；　and　by　what　the　soul
Can　be　confounded　and　the　frame　grow　faint；
I　will　untangle：　see　to　it；　thou；　that　I
Pour　forth　my　words　not　unto　empty　winds。
In　first　place；　body　on　its　outer　parts…
Since　these　are　touched　by　neighbouring　aery　gusts…
Must　there　be　thumped　and　strook　by　blows　of　air
Repeatedly。　And　therefore　almost　all
Are　covered　either　with　hides；　or　else　with　shells；
Or　with　the　horny　callus；　or　with　bark。
Yet　this　same　air　lashes　their　inner　parts；
When　creatures　draw　a　breath　or　blow　it　out。
Wherefore；　since　body　thus　is　flogged　alike
Upon　the　inside　and　the　out；