of the nature of things-第11节

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The　wild　laments；　companions　old　of　death
And　the　black　rites。
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　This；　too；　in　these　affairs
'Tis　fit　thou　hold　well　sealed；　and　keep　consigned
With　no　forgetting　brain：　nothing　there　is
Whose　nature　is　apparent　out　of　hand
That　of　one　kind　of　elements　consists…
Nothing　there　is　that's　not　of　mixed　seed。
And　whatsoe'er　possesses　in　itself
More　largely　many　powers　and　properties
Shows　thus　that　here　within　itself　there　are
The　largest　number　of　kinds　and　differing　shapes
Of　elements。　And；　chief　of　all；　the　earth
Hath　in　herself　first　bodies　whence　the　springs；
Rolling　chill　waters；　renew　forevermore
The　unmeasured　main；　hath　whence　the　fires　arise…
For　burns　in　many　a　spot　her　flamed　crust；
Whilst　the　impetuous　Aetna　raves　indeed
From　more　profounder　fires…　and　she；　again；
Hath　in　herself　the　seed　whence　she　can　raise
The　shining　grains　and　gladsome　trees　for　men；
Whence；　also；　rivers；　fronds；　and　gladsome　pastures
Can　she　supply　for　mountain…roaming　beasts。
Wherefore　great　mother　of　gods；　and　mother　of　beasts；
And　parent　of　man　hath　she　alone　been　named。
　　Her　hymned　the　old　and　learned　bards　of　Greece
　　　　　　　。　　　　　。　　　　　。　　　　　。　　　　　。　　　　　。
Seated　in　chariot　o'er　the　realms　of　air
To　drive　her　team　of　lions；　teaching　thus
That　the　great　earth　hangs　poised　and　cannot　lie
Resting　on　other　earth。　Unto　her　car
They've　yoked　the　wild　beasts；　since　a　progeny；
However　savage；　must　be　tamed　and　chid
By　care　of　parents。　They　have　girt　about
With　turret…crown　the　summit　of　her　head；
Since；　fortressed　in　her　goodly　strongholds　high；
'Tis　she　sustains　the　cities；　now；　adorned
With　that　same　token；　to…day　is　carried　forth；
With　solemn　awe　through　many　a　mighty　land；
The　image　of　that　mother；　the　divine。
Her　the　wide　nations；　after　antique　rite；
Do　name　Idaean　Mother；　giving　her
Escort　of　Phrygian　bands；　since　first；　they　say；
From　out　those　regions　'twas　that　grain　began
Through　all　the　world。　To　her　do　they　assign
The　Galli；　the　emasculate；　since　thus
They　wish　to　show　that　men　who　violate
The　majesty　of　the　mother　and　have　proved
Ingrate　to　parents　are　to　be　adjudged
Unfit　to　give　unto　the　shores　of　light
A　living　progeny。　The　Galli　come：
And　hollow　cymbals；　tight…skinned　tambourines
Resound　around　to　bangings　of　their　hands；
The　fierce　horns　threaten　with　a　raucous　bray；
The　tubed　pipe　excites　their　maddened　minds
In　Phrygian　measures；　they　bear　before　them　knives；
Wild　emblems　of　their　frenzy；　which　have　power
The　rabble's　ingrate　heads　and　impious　hearts
To　panic　with　terror　of　the　goddess'　might。
And　so；　when　through　the　mighty　cities　borne；
She　blesses　man　with　salutations　mute；
They　strew　the　highway　of　her　journeyings
With　coin　of　brass　and　silver；　gifting　her
With　alms　and　largesse；　and　shower　her　and　shade
With　flowers　of　roses　falling　like　the　snow
Upon　the　Mother　and　her　companion…bands。
Here　is　an　armed　troop；　the　which　by　Greeks
Are　called　the　Phrygian　Curetes。　Since
Haply　among　themselves　they　use　to　play
In　games　of　arms　and　leap　in　measure　round
With　bloody　mirth　and　by　their　nodding　shake
The　terrorizing　crests　upon　their　heads；
This　is　the　armed　troop　that　represents
The　arm'd　Dictaean　Curetes；　who；　in　Crete；
As　runs　the　story；　whilom　did　out…drown
That　infant　cry　of　Zeus；　what　time　their　band；
Young　boys；　in　a　swift　dance　around　the　boy；
To　measured　step　beat　with　the　brass　on　brass；
That　Saturn　might　not　get　him　for　his　jaws；
And　give　its　mother　an　eternal　wound
Along　her　heart。　And　'tis　on　this　account
That　armed　they　escort　the　mighty　Mother；
Or　else　because　they　signify　by　this
That　she；　the　goddess；　teaches　men　to　be
Eager　with　armed　valour　to　defend
Their　motherland；　and　ready　to　stand　forth；
The　guard　and　glory　of　their　parents'　years。
A　tale；　however　beautifully　wrought；
That's　wide　of　reason　by　a　long　remove：
For　all　the　gods　must　of　themselves　enjoy
Immortal　aeons　and　supreme　repose；
Withdrawn　from　our　affairs；　detached；　afar：
Immune　from　peril　and　immune　from　pain；
Themselves　abounding　in　riches　of　their　own；
Needing　not　us；　they　are　not　touched　by　wrath
They　are　not　taken　by　service　or　by　gift。
Truly　is　earth　insensate　for　all　time；
But；　by　obtaining　germs　of　many　things；
In　many　a　way　she　brings　the　many　forth
Into　the　light　of　sun。　And　here；　whoso
Decides　to　call　the　ocean　Neptune；　or
The　grain…crop　Ceres；　and　prefers　to　abuse
The　name　of　Bacchus　rather　than　pronounce
The　liquor's　proper　designation；　him
Let　us　permit　to　go　on　calling　earth
Mother　of　Gods；　if　only　he　will　spare
To　taint　his　soul　with　foul　religion。
　So；　too；　the　wooly　flocks；　and　horned　kine；
　And　brood　of　battle…eager　horses；　grazing
Often　together　along　one　grassy　plain；
Under　the　cope　of　one　blue　sky；　and　slaking
From　out　one　stream　of　water　each　its　thirst；
All　live　their　lives　with　face　and　form　unlike；
Keeping　the　parents'　nature；　parents'　habits；
Which；　kind　by　kind；　through　ages　they　repeat。
So　great　in　any　sort　of　herb　thou　wilt；
So　great　again　in　any　river　of　earth
Are　the　distinct　diversities　of　matter。
Hence；　further；　every　creature…　any　one
From　out　them　all…　compounded　is　the　same
Of　bones；　blood；　veins；　heat；　moisture；　flesh；　and　thews…
All　differing　vastly　in　their　forms；　and　built
Of　elements　dissimilar　in　shape。
Again；　all　things　by　fire　consumed　ablaze；
Within　their　frame　lay　up；　if　naught　besides；
At　least　those　atoms　whence　derives　their　power
To　throw　forth　fire　and　send　out　light　from　under；
To　shoot　the　sparks　and　scatter　embers　wide。
If；　with　like　reasoning　of　mind；　all　else
Thou　traverse　through；　thou　wilt　discover　thus
That　in　their　frame　the　seeds　of　many　things
They　hide；　and　divers　shapes　of　seeds　contain。
Further；　thou　markest　much；　to　which　are　given
Along　together　colour　and　flavour　and　smell；
Among　which；　chief；　are　most　burnt　offerings。
　　　　　　　。　　　　　。　　　　　。　　　　　。　　　　　。　　　　　。
Thus　must　they　be　of　divers　shapes　composed。
A　smell　of　scorching　enters　in　our　frame
Where　the　bright　colour　from　the　dye　goes　not；
And　colour　in　one　way；　flavour　in　quite　another
Works　inward　to　our　senses…　so　mayst　see
They　differ　too　in　elemental　shapes。
Thus　unlike　forms　into　one　mass　combine；
And　things　exist　by　intermixed　seed。
　　But　still　'tmust　not　be　thought　that　in　all　ways
All　things　can　be　conjoined；　for　then　wouldst　view
Portents　begot　about　thee　every　side：
Hulks　of　mankind　half　brute　astarting　up；
At　times　big　branches　sprouting　from　man's　trunk；
Limbs　of　a　sea…beast　to　a　land…beast　knit；
And　nature　along　the　all…producing　earth
Feeding　those　dire　Chimaeras　breathing　flame
From　hideous　jaws…　Of　which　'tis　simple　fact
That　none　have　been　begot；　because　we　see
All　are　from　fixed　seed　and　fixed　dam
Engendered　and　so　function　as　to　keep
Throughout　their　growth　their　own　ancestral　type。
This　happens　surely　by　a　fixed　law：
For　from　all　food…stuff；　when　once　eaten　down；
Go　sundered　atoms；　suited　to　each　creature；
Throughout　their　bodies；　and；　conjoining　there；
Produce　the　proper　motions；　but　we　see
How；　contrariwise；　nature　upon　the　ground
Throws　off　those　foreign　to　their　frame；　and　many
With　viewless　bodies　from　their　bodies　fly；
By　blows　impelled…　those　impotent　to　join
To　any　part；　or；　when　inside；　to　accord
And　to　take　on　the　vital　motions　there。
But　think　not；　haply；　living　forms　alone
Are　bound　by　these　laws：　they　distinguished　all。
　　　　　　　。　　　　　。　　　　　。　　　　　。　　　　　。　　　　　。
For　just　as　all　things　of　creation　are；
In　their　whole　nature；　each　to　each　unlike；
So　must　their　atoms　be　in　shape　unlike…
Not　since　few　only　are　fashioned　of　like　form；
But　since　they　all；　as　general　rule；　are　not
The　same　as　all。　Nay；　here　in　these　our　verses；
Elements　many；　common　to　many　words；
Thou　seest；　though　yet　'tis　needful　to　confess
The　words　and　verses　differ；　each　from　each；
Compounded　out　of　different　elements…
Not　since　few　only；　as　common　letters；　run
Through　all　the　words；　or　no　two　words　are　made；
One　and　the　other；　from　all　like　elements；
But　since　they　all；　as　general　rule；　are　not
The　same　as　all。　Thus；　too；　in　other　things；
Whilst　many　germs　common　to　many　things
There　are；　yet　they；　combined　among　themselves；
Can　form　new　wholes　to　others　quite　unlike。
Thus　fairly　one　may　say　that　humankind；
The　grains；　the　gladsome　trees；　are　all　made　up
Of　different　atoms。　Further；　since　the　seeds
Are　different；　difference　must　there　also　be
In　intervening　spaces；　thoroughfares；
Connections；　weights；　blows；　clashings；　motions；　all
Which　not　alone　distinguish　living　forms；
But　sunder　earth's　whole　ocean　from　the　lands；
And　hold　all　heaven　from　the　lands　away。

　ABSENCE　OF　SECONDARY　QUALITIES

　　Now　come；　this　wisdom　by　my　sweet　toil　sought
Look　thou　perceive；　lest　haply　thou　shouldst　guess
That　the　white　objects　shining　to　thine　eyes
Are　gendered　of　white　atoms；　or　the　black
Of　a　black　seed；　or　yet　believe　that　aught
That's　steeped　in　any　hue　should　take　its　dye
From　bits　of　matter　tinct　with　hue　the　same。
For　matter's　bodies　own　no　hue　the　least…
Or　like　to　objects　or；　again；　unlike。
But；　if　percase　it　seem　to　thee　that　mind
Itself　can　dart　no　influence　of　its　own
Into　these　bodies；　wide　thou　wand'rest　off。
For　since　the　b