of the nature of things-第15节

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！


Unto　its　deeps；　pouring　o'er　all　that　is
The　black　of　death；　nor　leaves　not　anything
To　prosper…　a　liquid　and　unsullied　joy。
For　as　to　what　men　sometimes　will　affirm：
That　more　than　Tartarus　（the　realm　of　death）
They　fear　diseases　and　a　life　of　shame；
And　know　the　substance　of　the　soul　is　blood；
Or　rather　wind　（if　haply　thus　their　whim）；
And　so　need　naught　of　this　our　science；　then
Thou　well　may'st　note　from　what's　to　follow　now
That　more　for　glory　do　they　braggart　forth
Than　for　belief。　For　mark　these　very　same：
Exiles　from　country；　fugitives　afar
From　sight　of　men；　with　charges　foul　attaint；
Abased　with　every　wretchedness；　they　yet
Live；　and　where'er　the　wretches　come；　they　yet
Make　the　ancestral　sacrifices　there；
Butcher　the　black　sheep；　and　to　gods　below
Offer　the　honours；　and　in　bitter　case
Turn　much　more　keenly　to　religion。
Wherefore；　it's　surer　testing　of　a　man
In　doubtful　perils…　mark　him　as　he　is
Amid　adversities；　for　then　alone
Are　the　true　voices　conjured　from　his　breast；
The　mask　off…stripped；　reality　behind。
And　greed；　again；　and　the　blind　lust　of　honours
Which　force　poor　wretches　past　the　bounds　of　law；
And；　oft　allies　and　ministers　of　crime；
To　push　through　nights　and　days　with　hugest　toil
To　rise　untrammelled　to　the　peaks　of　power…
These　wounds　of　life　in　no　mean　part　are　kept
Festering　and　open　by　this　fright　of　death。
For　ever　we　see　fierce　Want　and　foul　Disgrace
Dislodged　afar　from　secure　life　and　sweet；
Like　huddling　Shapes　before　the　doors　of　death。
And　whilst；　from　these；　men　wish　to　scape　afar；
Driven　by　false　terror；　and　afar　remove；
With　civic　blood　a　fortune　they　amass；
They　double　their　riches；　greedy；　heapers…up
Of　corpse　on　corpse　they　have　a　cruel　laugh
For　the　sad　burial　of　a　brother…born；
And　hatred　and　fear　of　tables　of　their　kin。
Likewise；　through　this　same　terror；　envy　oft
Makes　them　to　peak　because　before　their　eyes
That　man　is　lordly；　that　man　gazed　upon
Who　walks　begirt　with　honour　glorious；
Whilst　they　in　filth　and　darkness　roll　around；
Some　perish　away　for　statues　and　a　name；
And　oft　to　that　degree；　from　fright　of　death；
Will　hate　of　living　and　beholding　light
Take　hold　on　humankind　that　they　inflict
Their　own　destruction　with　a　gloomy　heart…
Forgetful　that　this　fear　is　font　of　cares；
This　fear　the　plague　upon　their　sense　of　shame；
And　this　that　breaks　the　ties　of　comradry
And　oversets　all　reverence　and　faith；
Mid　direst　slaughter。　For　long　ere　to…day
Often　were　traitors　to　country　and　dear　parents
Through　quest　to　shun　the　realms　of　Acheron。
For　just　as　children　tremble　and　fear　all
In　the　viewless　dark；　so　even　we　at　times
Dread　in　the　light　so　many　things　that　be
No　whit　more　fearsome　than　what　children　feign；
Shuddering；　will　be　upon　them　in　the　dark。
This　terror；　then；　this　darkness　of　the　mind；
Not　sunrise　with　its　flaring　spokes　of　light；
Nor　glittering　arrows　of　morning　sun　disperse；
But　only　nature's　aspect　and　her　law。

　NATURE　AND　COMPOSITION　OF　THE　MIND

　　First；　then；　I　say；　the　mind　which　oft　we　call
The　intellect；　wherein　is　seated　life's
Counsel　and　regimen；　is　part　no　less
Of　man　than　hand　and　foot　and　eyes　are　parts
Of　one　whole　breathing　creature。　＇But　some　hold＇
That　sense　of　mind　is　in　no　fixed　part　seated；
But　is　of　body　some　one　vital　state；…
Named　〃harmony〃　by　Greeks；　because　thereby
We　live　with　sense；　though　intellect　be　not
In　any　part：　as　oft　the　body　is　said
To　have　good　health　（when　health；　however；　's　not
One　part　of　him　who　has　it）；　so　they　place
The　sense　of　mind　in　no　fixed　part　of　man。
Mightily；　diversly；　meseems　they　err。
Often　the　body　palpable　and　seen
Sickens；　while　yet　in　some　invisible　part
We　feel　a　pleasure；　oft　the　other　way；
A　miserable　in　mind　feels　pleasure　still
Throughout　his　body…　quite　the　same　as　when
A　foot　may　pain　without　a　pain　in　head。
Besides；　when　these　our　limbs　are　given　o'er
To　gentle　sleep　and　lies　the　burdened　frame
At　random　void　of　sense；　a　something　else
Is　yet　within　us；　which　upon　that　time
Bestirs　itself　in　many　a　wise；　receiving
All　motions　of　joy　and　phantom　cares　of　heart。
Now；　for　to　see　that　in　man's　members　dwells
Also　the　soul；　and　body　ne'er　is　wont
To　feel　sensation　by　a　〃harmony〃
Take　this　in　chief：　the　fact　that　life　remains
Oft　in　our　limbs；　when　much　of　body's　gone；
Yet　that　same　life；　when　particles　of　heat；
Though　few；　have　scattered　been；　and　through　the　mouth
Air　has　been　given　forth　abroad；　forthwith
Forever　deserts　the　veins；　and　leaves　the　bones。
Thus　mayst　thou　know　that　not　all　particles
Perform　like　parts；　nor　in　like　manner　all
Are　props　of　weal　and　safety：　rather　those…
The　seeds　of　wind　and　exhalations　warm…
Take　care　that　in　our　members　life　remains。
Therefore　a　vital　heat　and　wind　there　is
Within　the　very　body；　which　at　death
Deserts　our　frames。　And　so；　since　nature　of　mind
And　even　of　soul　is　found　to　be；　as　'twere；
A　part　of　man；　give　over　〃harmony〃…
Name　to　musicians　brought　from　Helicon；…
Unless　themselves　they　filched　it　otherwise；
To　serve　for　what　was　lacking　name　till　then。
Whate'er　it　be；　they're　welcome　to　it…　thou；
Hearken　my　other　maxims。
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Mind　and　soul；
I　say；　are　held　conjoined　one　with　other；
And　form　one　single　nature　of　themselves；
But　chief　and　regnant　through　the　frame　entire
Is　still　that　counsel　which　we　call　the　mind；
And　that　cleaves　seated　in　the　midmost　breast。
Here　leap　dismay　and　terror；　round　these　haunts
Be　blandishments　of　joys；　and　therefore　here
The　intellect；　the　mind。　The　rest　of　soul；
Throughout　the　body　scattered；　but　obeys…
Moved　by　the　nod　and　motion　of　the　mind。
This；　for　itself；　sole　through　itself；　hath　thought；
This　for　itself　hath　mirth；　even　when　the　thing
That　moves　it；　moves　nor　soul　nor　body　at　all。
And　as；　when　head　or　eye　in　us　is　smit
By　assailing　pain；　we　are　not　tortured　then
Through　all　the　body；　so　the　mind　alone
Is　sometimes　smitten；　or　livens　with　a　joy；
Whilst　yet　the　soul's　remainder　through　the　limbs
And　through　the　frame　is　stirred　by　nothing　new。
But　when　the　mind　is　moved　by　shock　more　fierce；
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；
Th