of the nature of things-第14节

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And　as　at　last　those　seeds　together　dwelt；
Which；　when　together　of　a　sudden　thrown；
Should　alway　furnish　the　commencements　fit
Of　mighty　things…　the　earth；　the　sea；　the　sky；
And　race　of　living　creatures。　Thus；　I　say；
Again；　again；　'tmust　be　confessed　there　are
Such　congregations　of　matter　otherwhere；
Like　this　our　world　which　vasty　ether　holds
In　huge　embrace。
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Besides；　when　matter　abundant
Is　ready　there；　when　space　on　hand；　nor　object
Nor　any　cause　retards；　no　marvel　'tis
That　things　are　carried　on　and　made　complete；
Perforce。　And　now；　if　store　of　seeds　there　is
So　great　that　not　whole　life…times　of　the　living
Can　count　the　tale。。。
And　if　their　force　and　nature　abide　the　same；
Able　to　throw　the　seeds　of　things　together
Into　their　places；　even　as　here　are　thrown
The　seeds　together　in　this　world　of　ours；
'Tmust　be　confessed　in　other　realms　there　are
Still　other　worlds；　still　other　breeds　of　men；
And　other　generations　of　the　wild。
　　Hence　too　it　happens　in　the　sum　there　is
No　one　thing　single　of　its　kind　in　birth；
And　single　and　sole　in　growth；　but　rather　it　is
One　member　of　some　generated　race；
Among　full　many　others　of　like　kind。
First；　cast　thy　mind　abroad　upon　the　living：
Thou'lt　find　the　race　of　mountain…ranging　wild
Even　thus　to　be；　and　thus　the　scions　of　men
To　be　begot；　and　lastly　the　mute　flocks
Of　scaled　fish；　and　winged　frames　of　birds。
Wherefore　confess　we　must　on　grounds　the　same
That　earth；　sun；　moon；　and　ocean；　and　all　else；
Exist　not　sole　and　single…　rather　in　number
Exceeding　number。　Since　that　deeply　set
Old　boundary　stone　of　life　remains　for　them
No　less；　and　theirs　a　body　of　mortal　birth
No　less；　than　every　kind　which　here　on　earth
Is　so　abundant　in　its　members　found。
　　Which　well　perceived　if　thou　hold　in　mind；
Then　Nature；　delivered　from　every　haughty　lord；
And　forthwith　free；　is　seen　to　do　all　things
Herself　and　through　herself　of　own　accord；
Rid　of　all　gods。　For…　by　their　holy　hearts
Which　pass　in　long　tranquillity　of　peace
Untroubled　ages　and　a　serene　life！…
Who　hath　the　power　（I　ask）；　who　hath　the　power
To　rule　the　sum　of　the　immeasurable；
To　hold　with　steady　hand　the　giant　reins
Of　the　unfathomed　deep？　Who　hath　the　power
At　once　to　roll　a　multitude　of　skies；
At　once　to　heat　with　fires　ethereal　all
The　fruitful　lands　of　multitudes　of　worlds；
To　be　at　all　times　in　all　places　near；
To　stablish　darkness　by　his　clouds；　to　shake
The　serene　spaces　of　the　sky　with　sound；
And　hurl　his　lightnings；…　ha；　and　whelm　how　oft
In　ruins　his　own　temples；　and　to　rave；
Retiring　to　the　wildernesses；　there
At　practice　with　that　thunderbolt　of　his；
Which　yet　how　often　shoots　the　guilty　by；
And　slays　the　honourable　blameless　ones！
　　Ere　since　the　birth…time　of　the　world；　ere　since
The　risen　first…born　day　of　sea；　earth；　sun；
Have　many　germs　been　added　from　outside；
Have　many　seeds　been　added　round　about；
Which　the　great　All；　the　while　it　flung　them　on；
Brought　hither；　that　from　them　the　sea　and　lands
Could　grow　more　big；　and　that　the　house　of　heaven
Might　get　more　room　and　raise　its　lofty　roofs
Far　over　earth；　and　air　arise　around。
For　bodies　all；　from　out　all　regions；　are
Divided　by　blows；　each　to　its　proper　thing；
And　all　retire　to　their　own　proper　kinds：
The　moist　to　moist　retires；　earth　gets　increase
From　earthy　body；　and　fires；　as　on　a　forge；
Beat　out　new　fire；　and　ether　forges　ether；
Till　nature；　author　and　ender　of　the　world；
Hath　led　all　things　to　extreme　bound　of　growth：
As　haps　when　that　which　hath　been　poured　inside
The　vital　veins　of　life　is　now　no　more
Than　that　which　ebbs　within　them　and　runs　off。
This　is　the　point　where　life　for　each　thing　ends；
This　is　the　point　where　nature　with　her　powers
Curbs　all　increase。　For　whatsoe'er　thou　seest
Grow　big　with　glad　increase；　and　step　by　step
Climb　upward　to　ripe　age；　these　to　themselves
Take　in　more　bodies　than　they　send　from　selves；
Whilst　still　the　food　is　easily　infused
Through　all　the　veins；　and　whilst　the　things　are　not
So　far　expanded　that　they　cast　away
Such　numerous　atoms　as　to　cause　a　waste
Greater　than　nutriment　whereby　they　wax。
For　'tmust　be　granted；　truly；　that　from　things
Many　a　body　ebbeth　and　runs　off；
But　yet　still　more　must　come；　until　the　things
Have　touched　development's　top　pinnacle；
Then　old　age　breaks　their　powers　and　ripe　strength
And　falls　away　into　a　worser　part。
For　ever　the　ampler　and　more　wide　a　thing；
As　soon　as　ever　its　augmentation　ends；
It　scatters　abroad　forthwith　to　all　sides　round
More　bodies；　sending　them　from　out　itself。
Nor　easily　now　is　food　disseminate
Through　all　its　veins；　nor　is　that　food　enough
To　equal　with　a　new　supply　on　hand
Those　plenteous　exhalations　it　gives　off。
Thus；　fairly；　all　things　perish；　when　with　ebbing
They're　made　less　dense　and　when　from　blows　without
They　are　laid　low；　since　food　at　last　will　fail
Extremest　eld；　and　bodies　from　outside
Cease　not　with　thumping　to　undo　a　thing
And　overmaster　by　infesting　blows。
　　Thus；　too；　the　ramparts　of　the　mighty　world
On　all　sides　round　shall　taken　be　by　storm；
And　tumble　to　wrack　and　shivered　fragments　down。
For　food　it　is　must　keep　things　whole；　renewing；
'Tis　food　must　prop　and　give　support　to　all；…
But　to　no　purpose；　since　nor　veins　suffice
To　hold　enough；　nor　nature　ministers
As　much　as　needful。　And　even　now　'tis　thus：
Its　age　is　broken　and　the　earth；　outworn
With　many　parturitions；　scarce　creates
The　little　lives…　she　who　created　erst
All　generations　and　gave　forth　at　birth
Enormous　bodies　of　wild　beasts　of　old。
For　never；　I　fancy；　did　a　golden　cord
From　off　the　firmament　above　let　down
The　mortal　generations　to　the　fields；
Nor　sea；　nor　breakers　pounding　on　the　rocks
Created　them；　but　earth　it　was　who　bore…
The　same　to…day　who　feeds　them　from　herself。
Besides；　herself　of　own　accord；　she　first
The　shining　grains　and　vineyards　of　all　joy
Created　for　mortality；　herself
Gave　the　sweet　fruitage　and　the　pastures　glad；
Which　now　to…day　yet　scarcely　wax　in　size；
Even　when　aided　by　our　toiling　arms。
We　break　the　ox；　and　wear　away　the　strength
Of　sturdy　farm…hands；　iron　tools　to…day
Barely　avail　for　tilling　of　the　fields；
So　niggardly　they　grudge　our　harvestings；
So　much　increase　our　labour。　Now　to…day
The　aged　ploughman；　shaking　of　his　head；
Sighs　o'er　and　o'er　that　labours　of　his　hands
Have　fallen　out　in　vain；　and；　as　he　thinks
How　present　times　are　not　as　times　of　old；
Often　he　praises　the　fortunes　of　his　sire；
And　crackles；　prating；　how　the　ancient　race；
Fulfilled　with　piety；　supported　life
With　simple　comfort　in　a　narrow　plot；
Since；　man　for　man；　the　measure　of　each　field
Was　smaller　far　i'　the　old　days。　And；　again；
The　gloomy　planter　of　the　withered　vine
Rails　at　the　season's　change　and　wearies　heaven；
Nor　grasps　that　all　of　things　by　sure　degrees
Are　wasting　away　and　going　to　the　tomb；
Outworn　by　venerable　length　of　life。

BOOK　III

PROEM

O　thou　who　first　uplifted　in　such　dark
So　clear　a　torch　aloft；　who　first　shed　light
Upon　the　profitable　ends　of　man；
O　thee　I　follow；　glory　of　the　Greeks；
And　set　my　footsteps　squarely　planted　now
Even　in　the　impress　and　the　marks　of　thine…
Less　like　one　eager　to　dispute　the　palm；
More　as　one　craving　out　of　very　love
That　I　may　copy　thee！…　for　how　should　swallow
Contend　with　swans　or　what　compare　could　be
In　a　race　between　young　kids　with　tumbling　legs
And　the　strong　might　of　the　horse？　Our　father　thou；
And　finder…out　of　truth；　and　thou　to　us
Suppliest　a　father's　precepts；　and　from　out
Those　scriven　leaves　of　thine；　renowned　soul
（Like　bees　that　sip　of　all　in　flowery　wolds）；
We　feed　upon　thy　golden　sayings　all…
Golden；　and　ever　worthiest　endless　life。
For　soon　as　ever　thy　planning　thought　that　sprang
From　god…like　mind　begins　its　loud　proclaim
Of　nature's　courses；　terrors　of　the　brain
Asunder　flee；　the　ramparts　of　the　world
Dispart　away；　and　through　the　void　entire
I　see　the　movements　of　the　universe。
Rises　to　vision　the　majesty　of　gods；
And　their　abodes　of　everlasting　calm
Which　neither　wind　may　shake　nor　rain…cloud　splash；
Nor　snow；　congealed　by　sharp　frosts；　may　harm
With　its　white　downfall：　ever；　unclouded　sky
O'er　roofs；　and　laughs　with　far…diffused　light。
And　nature　gives　to　them　their　all；　nor　aught
May　ever　pluck　their　peace　of　mind　away。
But　nowhere　to　my　vision　rise　no　more
The　vaults　of　Acheron；　though　the　broad　earth
Bars　me　no　more　from　gazing　down　o'er　all
Which　under　our　feet　is　going　on　below
Along　the　void。　O；　here　in　these　affairs
Some　new　divine　delight　and　trembling　awe
Takes　hold　through　me；　that　thus　by　power　of　thine
Nature；　so　plain　and　manifest　at　last；
Hath　been　on　every　side　laid　bare　to　man！
　　And　since　I've　taught　already　of　what　sort
The　seeds　of　all　things　are；　and　how；　distinct
In　divers　forms；　they　flit　of　own　accord；
Stirred　with　a　motion　everlasting　on；
And　in　what　mode　things　be　from　them　create；
Now；　after　such　matters；　should　my　verse；　meseems；
Make　clear　the　nature　of　the　mind　and　soul；
And　drive　that　dread　of　Acheron　without；
Headlong；　which　so　confounds　our　human　life
Unto　its　deeps；　pouring　o'er　all　that　is
The　black　of　death；　nor　leaves　not　anything
To　prosper…　a　liquid　a