of the nature of things-第13章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


We　mark　the　whole　soul　suffering　all　at　once
Along　man's　members：　sweats　and　pallors　spread
Over　the　body；　and　the　tongue　is　broken；
And　fails　the　voice　away；　and　ring　the　ears；
Mists　blind　the　eyeballs；　and　the　joints　collapse；…
Aye；　men　drop　dead　from　terror　of　the　mind。
Hence；　whoso　will　can　readily　remark
That　soul　conjoined　is　with　mind；　and；　when
'Tis　strook　by　influence　of　the　mind；　forthwith
In　turn　it　hits　and　drives　the　body　too。
　　And　this　same　argument　establisheth
That　nature　of　mind　and　soul　corporeal　is：
For　when　'tis　seen　to　drive　the　members　on；
To　snatch　from　sleep　the　body；　and　to　change
The　countenance；　and　the　whole　state　of　man
To　rule　and　turn；…　what　yet　could　never　be
Sans　contact；　and　sans　body　contact　fails…
Must　we　not　grant　that　mind　and　soul　consist
Of　a　corporeal　nature？…　And　besides
Thou　markst　that　likewise　with　this　body　of　ours
Suffers　the　mind　and　with　our　body　feels。
If　the　dire　speed　of　spear　that　cleaves　the　bones
And　bares　the　inner　thews　hits　not　the　life；
Yet　follows　a　fainting　and　a　foul　collapse；
And；　on　the　ground；　dazed　tumult　in　the　mind；
And　whiles　a　wavering　will　to　rise　afoot。
So　nature　of　mind　must　be　corporeal；　since
From　stroke　and　spear　corporeal　'tis　in　throes。
　　Now；　of　what　body；　what　components　formed
Is　this　same　mind　I　will　go　on　to　tell。
First；　I　aver；　'tis　superfine；　composed
Of　tiniest　particles…　that　such　the　fact
Thou　canst　perceive；　if　thou　attend；　from　this：
Nothing　is　seen　to　happen　with　such　speed
As　what　the　mind　proposes　and　begins；
Therefore　the　same　bestirs　itself　more　swiftly
Than　aught　whose　nature's　palpable　to　eyes。
But　what's　so　agile　must　of　seeds　consist
Most　round；　most　tiny；　that　they　may　be　moved；
When　hit　by　impulse　slight。　So　water　moves；
In　waves　along；　at　impulse　just　the　least…
Being　create　of　little　shapes　that　roll；
But；　contrariwise；　the　quality　of　honey
More　stable　is；　its　liquids　more　inert；
More　tardy　its　flow；　for　all　its　stock　of　matter
Cleaves　more　together；　since；　indeed；　'tis　made
Of　atoms　not　so　smooth；　so　fine；　and　round。
For　the　light　breeze　that　hovers　yet　can　blow
High　heaps　of　poppy…seed　away　for　thee
Downward　from　off　the　top；　but；　contrariwise；
A　pile　of　stones　or　spiny　ears　of　wheat
It　can't　at　all。　Thus；　in　so　far　as　bodies
Are　small　and　smooth；　is　their　mobility；
But；　contrariwise；　the　heavier　and　more　rough；
The　more　immovable　they　prove。　Now；　then；
Since　nature　of　mind　is　movable　so　much；
Consist　it　must　of　seeds　exceeding　small
And　smooth　and　round。　Which　fact　once　known　to　thee；
Good　friend；　will　serve　thee　opportune　in　else。
This　also　shows　the　nature　of　the　same；
How　nice　its　texture；　in　how　small　a　space
'Twould　go；　if　once　compacted　as　a　pellet：
When　death's　unvexed　repose　gets　hold　on　man
And　mind　and　soul　retire；　thou　markest　there
From　the　whole　body　nothing　ta'en　in　form；
Nothing　in　weight。　Death　grants　ye　everything；
But　vital　sense　and　exhalation　hot。
Thus　soul　entire　must　be　of　smallmost　seeds；
Twined　through　the　veins；　the　vitals；　and　the　thews；
Seeing　that；　when　'tis　from　whole　body　gone；
The　outward　figuration　of　the　limbs
Is　unimpaired　and　weight　fails　not　a　whit。
Just　so；　when　vanished　the　bouquet　of　wine；
Or　when　an　unguent's　perfume　delicate
Into　the　winds　away　departs；　or　when
From　any　body　savour's　gone；　yet　still
The　thing　itself　seems　minished　naught　to　eyes；
Thereby；　nor　aught　abstracted　from　its　weight…
No　marvel；　because　seeds　many　and　minute
Produce　the　savours　and　the　redolence
In　the　whole　body　of　the　things。　And　so；
Again；　again；　nature　of　mind　and　soul
'Tis　thine　to　know　created　is　of　seeds
The　tiniest　ever；　since　at　flying…forth
It　beareth　nothing　of　the　weight　away。
　　Yet　fancy　not　its　nature　simple　so。
For　an　impalpable　aura；　mixed　with　heat；
Deserts　the　dying；　and　heat　draws　off　the　air；
And　heat　there's　none；　unless　commixed　with　air：
For；　since　the　nature　of　all　heat　is　rare；
Athrough　it　many　seeds　of　air　must　move。
Thus　nature　of　mind　is　triple；　yet　those　all
Suffice　not　for　creating　sense…　since　mind
Accepteth　not　that　aught　of　these　can　cause
Sense…bearing　motions；　and　much　less　the　thoughts
A　man　revolves　in　mind。　So　unto　these
Must　added　be　a　somewhat；　and　a　fourth；
That　somewhat's　altogether　void　of　name；
Than　which　existeth　naught　more　mobile；　naught
More　an　impalpable；　of　elements
More　small　and　smooth　and　round。　That　first　transmits
Sense…bearing　motions　through　the　frame；　for　that
Is　roused　the　first；　composed　of　little　shapes；
Thence　heat　and　viewless　force　of　wind　take　up
The　motions；　and　thence　air；　and　thence　all　things
Are　put　in　motion；　the　blood　is　strook；　and　then
The　vitals　all　begin　to　feel；　and　last
To　bones　and　marrow　the　sensation　comes…
Pleasure　or　torment。　Nor　will　pain　for　naught
Enter　so　far；　nor　a　sharp　ill　seep　through；
But　all　things　be　perturbed　to　that　degree
That　room　for　life　will　fail；　and　parts　of　soul
Will　scatter　through　the　body's　every　pore。
Yet　as　a　rule；　almost　upon　the　skin
These　motion　aIl　are　stopped；　and　this　is　why
We　have　the　power　to　retain　our　life。
　　Now　in　my　eagerness　to　tell　thee　how
They　are　commixed；　through　what　unions　fit
They　function　so；　my　country's　pauper…speech
Constrains　me　sadly。　As　I　can；　however；
I'll　touch　some　points　and　pass。　In　such　a　wise
Course　these　primordials　'mongst　one　another
With　inter…motions　that　no　one　can　be
From　other　sundered；　nor　its　agency
Perform；　if　once　divided　by　a　space；
Like　many　powers　in　one　body　they　work。
As　in　the　flesh　of　any　creature　still
Is　odour　and　savour　and　a　certain　warmth；
And　yet　from　all　of　these　one　bulk　of　body
Is　made　complete；　so；　viewless　force　of　wind
And　warmth　and　air；　commingled；　do　create
One　nature；　by　that　mobile　energy
Assisted　which　from　out　itself　to　them
Imparts　initial　motion；　whereby　first
Sense…bearing　motion　along　the　vitals　springs。
For　lurks　this　essence　far　and　deep　and　under；
Nor　in　our　body　is　aught　more　shut　from　view；
And　'tis　the　very　soul　of　all　the　soul。
And　as　within　our　members　and　whole　frame
The　energy　of　mind　and　power　of　soul
Is　mixed　and　latent；　since　create　it　is
Of　bodies　small　and　few；　so　lurks　this　fourth；
This　essence　void　of　name；　composed　of　small；
And　seems　the　very　soul　of　all　the　soul；
And　holds　dominion　o'er　the　body　all。
And　by　like　reason　wind　and　air　and　heat
Must　function　so；　commingled　through　the　frame；
And　now　the　one　subside　and　now　another
In　interchange　of　dominance；　that　thus
From　all　of　them　one　nature　be　produced；
Lest　heat　and　wind　apart；　and　air　apart；
Make　sense　to　perish；　by　disseverment。
There　is　indeed　in　mind　that　heat　it　gets
When　seething　in　rage；　and　flashes　from　the　eyes
More　swiftly　fire；　there　is；　again；　that　wind；
Much；　and　so　cold；　companion　of　all　dread；
Which　rouses　the　shudder　in　the　shaken　frame；
There　is　no　less　that　state　of　air　composed；
Making　the　tranquil　breast；　the　serene　face。
But　more　of　hot　have　they　whose　restive　hearts；
Whose　minds　of　passion　quickly　seethe　in　rage…
Of　which　kind　chief　are　fierce　abounding　lions；
Who　often　with　roaring　burst　the　breast　o'erwrought；
Unable　to　hold　the　surging　wrath　within；
But　the　cold　mind　of　stags　has　more　of　wind；
And　speedier　through　their　inwards　rouses　up
The　icy　currents　which　make　their　members　quake。
But　more　the　oxen　live　by　tranquil　air；
Nor　e'er　doth　smoky　torch　of　wrath　applied；
O'erspreading　with　shadows　of　a　darkling　murk；
Rouse　them　too　far；　nor　will　they　stiffen　stark；
Pierced　through　by　icy　javelins　of　fear；
But　have　their　place　half…way　between　the　two…
Stags　and　fierce　lions。　Thus　the　race　of　men：
Though　training　make　them　equally　refined；
It　leaves　those　pristine　vestiges　behind
Of　each　mind's　nature。　Nor　may　we　suppose
Evil　can　e'er　be　rooted　up　so　far
That　one　man's　not　more　given　to　fits　of　wrath；
Another's　not　more　quickly　touched　by　fear；
A　third　not　more　long…suffering　than　he　should。
And　needs　must　differ　in　many　things　besides
The　varied　natures　and　resulting　habits
Of　humankind…　of　which　not　now　can　I
Expound　the　hidden　causes；　nor　find　names
Enough　for　all　the　divers　shapes　of　those
Primordials　whence　this　variation　springs。
But　this　meseems　I'm　able　to　declare：
Those　vestiges　of　natures　left　behind
Which　reason　cannot　quite　expel　from　us
Are　still　so　slight　that　naught　prevents　a　man
From　living　a　life　even　worthy　of　the　gods。
　　So　then　this　soul　is　kept　by　all　the　body；
Itself　the　body's　guard；　and　source　of　weal：
For　they　with　common　roots　cleave　each　to　each；
Nor　can　be　torn　asunder　without　death。
Not　easy　'tis　from　lumps　of　frankincense
To　tear　their　fragrance　forth；　without　its　nature
Perishing　likewise：　so；　not　easy　'tis
From　all　the　body　nature　of　mind　and　soul
To　draw　away；　without　the　whole　dissolved。
With　seeds　so　intertwined　even　from　birth；
They're　dowered　conjointly　with　a　partner…life；
No　energy　of　body　or　mind；　apart；
Each　of　itself　without　the　other's　power；
Can　have　sensation；　but　our　sense；　enkindled
Along　the　vitals；　to　flame　is　blown　by　both
With　mutual　motions。　Besides　the　body　alone
Is　nor　begot　nor　grows；　nor　after　death
Seen　to　endure。　For　not　as　water　at　times
Gives　off　the　alien　heat；　nor　is　thereby
Itself　destroyed；　but　unimpaired　remains…
Not　thus；　I　say；　can　the　deserted　frame
Bear　the　dissevering　of　its　joined　soul；
But；　rent　and　ruined；　moulders　all　away。
Thus　the　joint　contact　of　the　body　and　soul
Learns　from　their　earliest　age　the　vital　motions；
Even　when　still　buried　in　the　mother's　womb；
So　no　dissevering　can　hap　to　them；
Without　their　bane　and　ill。　And　thence　mayst　see
That；　as　conjoined　is　their　source　of　weal；
Conjoined　also　must　their　nature　be。
　　If　one；　moreover；　denies　that　body　feel；
And　holds　that　soul；　through　all　the　body　mixed；
Takes　on　this　motion　which　we　title　〃sense；〃
He　battles　in　vain　indubitable　facts：
For　who'll　explain　what　body's　feeling　is；
Except　by　what　the　public　fact　itself
Has　given　and　taught　us？　〃But　when　soul　is　parted；
Body's　without　all　sense。〃　True！…　loses　what
Was　even　in　its　life…time　not　its　own；
And　much　beside　it　loses；　when　soul's　driven
Forth　from　that　life…time。　Or；　to　say　that　eyes
Themselves　can　see　no　thing；　but　through　the　same
The　mind　looks　forth；　as　out　of　opened　doors；
Is…　a　hard　saying；　since　the　feel　in　eyes
Says　the　reverse。　For　this　itself　draws　on
And　forces　into　the　pupils　of　our　eyes
Our　consciousness。　And　note　the　case　when　often
We　lack　the　power　to　see　refulgent　things；
Because　our　eyes　are　hampered　by　their　light…
With　a　mere　doorway　this　would　happen　not；
For；　since　it　is　our　very　selves　that　see；
No　open　portals　undertake　the　toil。
Besides；　if　eyes　of　ours　but　act　as　doors；
Methinks　that；　were　our　sight　removed；　the　mind
Ought　then　still　better　to　behold　a　thing…
When　even　the　door…posts　have　been　cleared　away。
　　Herein　in　these　affairs　nowise　take　up
What　honoured　sage；　Democritus；　lays　down…
That　proposition；　that　primordials
Of　body　and　mind；　each　super…posed　on　each；
Vary　alternately　and　interweave
The　fabric　of　our　members。　For　not　only
Are　the　soul…elements　smaller　far　than　those
Which　this　our　body　and　inward　parts　compose；
But　also　are　they　in　their　number　less；
And　scattered　spars