of the nature of things-第23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！


Upon　the　left；　because；　when　comes　the　image
Hitting　against　the　level　of　the　glass；
'Tis　not　returned　unshifted；　but　forced　off
Backwards　in　line　direct　and　not　oblique；…
Exactly　as　whoso　his　plaster…mask
Should　dash；　before　'twere　dry；　on　post　or　beam；
And　it　should　straightway　keep；　at　clinging　there；
Its　shape；　reversed；　facing　him　who　threw；
And　so　remould　the　features　it　gives　back：
It　comes　that　now　the　right　eye　is　the　left；
The　left　the　right。　An　image　too　may　be
From　mirror　into　mirror　handed　on；
Until　of　idol…films　even　five　or　six
Have　thus　been　gendered。　For　whatever　things
Shall　hide　back　yonder　in　the　house；　the　same；
However　far　removed　in　twisting　ways；
May　still　be　all　brought　forth　through　bending　paths
And　by　these　several　mirrors　seen　to　be
Within　the　house；　since　nature　so　compels
All　things　to　be　borne　backward　and　spring　off
At　equal　angles　from　all　other　things。
To　such　degree　the　image　gleams　across
From　mirror　unto　mirror；　where　'twas　left
It　comes　to　be　the　right；　and　then　again
Returns　and　changes　round　unto　the　left。
Again；　those　little　sides　of　mirrors　curved
Proportionate　to　the　bulge　of　our　own　flank
Send　back　to　us　their　idols　with　the　right
Upon　the　right；　and　this　is　so　because
Either　the　image　is　passed　on　along
From　mirror　unto　mirror；　and　thereafter；
When　twice　dashed　off；　flies　back　unto　ourselves；
Or　else　the　image　wheels　itself　around；
When　once　unto　the　mirror　it　has　come；
Since　the　curved　surface　teaches　it　to　turn
To　usward。　Further；　thou　might'st　well　believe
That　these　film…idols　step　along　with　us
And　set　their　feet　in　unison　with　ours
And　imitate　our　carriage；　since　from　that
Part　of　a　mirror　whence　thou　hast　withdrawn
Straightway　no　images　can　be　returned。
　　Further；　our　eye…balls　tend　to　flee　the　bright
And　shun　to　gaze　thereon；　the　sun　even　blinds；
If　thou　goest　on　to　strain　them　unto　him；
Because　his　strength　is　mighty；　and　the　films
Heavily　downward　from　on　high　are　borne
Through　the　pure　ether　and　the　viewless　winds；
And　strike　the　eyes；　disordering　their　joints。
So　piecing　lustre　often　burns　the　eyes；
Because　it　holdeth　many　seeds　of　fire
Which；　working　into　eyes；　engender　pain。
Again；　whatever　jaundiced　people　view
Becomes　wan…yellow；　since　from　out　their　bodies
Flow　many　seeds　wan…yellow　forth　to　meet
The　films　of　things；　and　many　too　are　mixed
Within　their　eye；　which　by　contagion　paint
All　things　with　sallowness。　Again；　we　view
From　dark　recesses　things　that　stand　in　light；
Because；　when　first　has　entered　and　possessed
The　open　eyes　this　nearer　darkling　air；
Swiftly　the　shining　air　and　luminous
Followeth　in；　which　purges　then　the　eyes
And　scatters　asunder　of　that　other　air
The　sable　shadows；　for　in　large　degrees
This　air　is　nimbler；　nicer；　and　more　strong。
And　soon　as　ever　'thas　filled　and　oped　with　light
The　pathways　of　the　eyeballs；　which　before
Black　air　had　blocked；　there　follow　straightaway
Those　films　of　things　out…standing　in　the　light；
Provoking　vision…　what　we　cannot　do
From　out　the　light　with　objects　in　the　dark；
Because　that　denser　darkling　air　behind
Followeth　in；　and　fills　each　aperture
And　thus　blockades　the　pathways　of　the　eyes
That　there　no　images　of　any　things
Can　be　thrown　in　and　agitate　the　eyes。
　　And　when　from　far　away　we　do　behold
The　squared　towers　of　a　city；　oft
Rounded　they　seem；…　on　this　account　because
Each　distant　angle　is　perceived　obtuse；
Or　rather　it　is　not　perceived　at　all；
And　perishes　its　blow　nor　to　our　gaze
Arrives　its　stroke；　since　through　such　length　of　air
Are　borne　along　the　idols　that　the　air
Makes　blunt　the　idol　of　the　angle's　point
By　numerous　collidings。　When　thuswise
The　angles　of　the　tower　each　and　all
Have　quite　escaped　the　sense；　the　stones　appear
As　rubbed　and　rounded　on　a　turner's　wheel…
Yet　not　like　objects　near　and　truly　round；
But　with　a　semblance　to　them；　shadowily。
Likewise；　our　shadow　in　the　sun　appears
To　move　along　and　follow　our　own　steps
And　imitate　our　carriage…　if　thou　thinkest
Air　that　is　thus　bereft　of　light　can　walk；
Following　the　gait　and　motion　of　mankind。
For　what　we　use　to　name　a　shadow；　sure
Is　naught　but　air　deprived　of　light。　No　marvel：
Because　the　earth　from　spot　to　spot　is　reft
Progressively　of　light　of　sun；　whenever
In　moving　round　we　get　within　its　way；
While　any　spot　of　earth　by　us　abandoned
Is　filled　with　light　again；　on　this　account
It　comes　to　pass　that　what　was　body's　shadow
Seems　still　the　same　to　follow　after　us
In　one　straight　course。　Since；　evermore　pour　in
New　lights　of　rays；　and　perish　then　the　old；
Just　like　the　wool　that's　drawn　into　the　flame。
Therefore　the　earth　is　easily　spoiled　of　light
And　easily　refilled　and　from　herself
Washeth　the　black　shadows　quite　away。
　　And　yet　in　this　we　don't　at　all　concede
That　eyes　be　cheated。　For　their　task　it　is
To　note　in　whatsoever　place　be　light；
In　what　be　shadow：　whether　or　no　the　gleams
Be　still　the　same；　and　whether　the　shadow　which
Just　now　was　here　is　that　one　passing　thither；
Or　whether　the　facts　be　what　we　said　above；
'Tis　after　all　the　reasoning　of　mind
That　must　decide；　nor　can　our　eyeballs　know
The　nature　of　reality。　And　so
Attach　thou　not　this　fault　of　mind　to　eyes；
Nor　lightly　think　our　senses　everywhere
Are　tottering。　The　ship　in　which　we　sail
Is　borne　along；　although　it　seems　to　stand；
The　ship　that　bides　in　roadstead　is　supposed
There　to　be　passing　by。　And　hills　and　fields
Seem　fleeing　fast　astern；　past　which　we　urge
The　ship　and　fly　under　the　bellying　sails。
The　stars；　each　one；　do　seem　to　pause；　affixed
To　the　ethereal　caverns；　though　they　all
Forever　are　in　motion；　rising　out
And　thence　revisiting　their　far　descents
When　they　have　measured　with　their　bodies　bright
The　span　of　heaven。　And　likewise　sun　and　moon
Seem　biding　in　a　roadstead；…　objects　which；
As　plain　fact　proves；　are　really　borne　along。
Between　two　mountains　far　away　aloft
From　midst　the　whirl　of　waters　open　lies
A　gaping　exit　for　the　fleet；　and　yet
They　seem　conjoined　in　a　single　isle。
When　boys　themselves　have　stopped　their　spinning　round；
The　halls　still　seem　to　whirl　and　posts　to　reel；
Until　they　now　must　almost　think　the　roofs
Threaten　to　ruin　down　upon　their　heads。
And　now；　when　nature　begins　to　lift　on　high
The　sun's　red　splendour　and　the　tremulous　fires；
And　raise　him　o'er　the　mountain…tops；　those　mountains…
O'er　which　he　seemeth　then　to　thee　to　be；
His　glowing　self　hard　by　atingeing　them
With　his　own　fire…　are　yet　away　from　us
Scarcely　two　thousand　arrow…shots；　indeed
Oft　scarce　five　hundred　courses　of　a　dart；
Although　between　those　mountains　and　the　sun
Lie　the　huge　plains　of　ocean　spread　beneath
The　vasty　shores　of　ether；　and　intervene
A　thousand　lands；　possessed　by　many　a　folk
And　generations　of　wild　beasts。　Again；
A　pool　of　water　of　but　a　finger's　depth；
Which　lies　between　the　stones　along　the　pave；
Offers　a　vision　downward　into　earth
As　far；　as　from　the　earth　o'erspread　on　high
The　gulfs　of　heaven；　that　thus　thou　seemest　to　view
Clouds　down　below　and　heavenly　bodies　plunged
Wondrously　in　heaven　under　earth。
Then　too；　when　in　the　middle　of　the　stream
Sticks　fast　our　dashing　horse；　and　down　we　gaze
Into　the　river's　rapid　waves；　some　force
Seems　then　to　bear　the　body　of　the　horse；
Though　standing　still；　reversely　from　his　course；
And　swiftly　push　up…stream。　And　wheresoe'er
We　cast　our　eyes　across；　all　objects　seem
Thus　to　be　onward　borne　and　flow　along
In　the　same　way　as　we。　A　portico；
Albeit　it　stands　well　propped　from　end　to　end
On　equal　columns；　parallel　and　big；
Contracts　by　stages　in　a　narrow　cone；
When　from　one　end　the　long；　long　whole　is　seen；…
Until；　conjoining　ceiling　with　the　floor；
And　the　whole　right　side　with　the　left；　it　draws
Together　to　a　cone's　nigh…viewless　point。
To　sailors　on　the　main　the　sun　he　seems
From　out　the　waves　to　rise；　and　in　the　waves
To　set　and　bury　his　light…　because　indeed
They　gaze　on　naught　but　water　and　the　sky。
Again；　to　gazers　ignorant　of　the　sea；
Vessels　in　port　seem；　as　with　broken　poops；
To　lean　upon　the　water；　quite　agog；
For　any　portion　of　the　oars　that's　raised
Above　the　briny　spray　is　straight；　and　straight
The　rudders　from　above。　But　other　parts；
Those　sunk；　immersed　below　the　water…line；
Seem　broken　all　and　bended　and　inclined
Sloping　to　upwards；　and　turned　back　to　float
Almost　atop　the　water。　And　when　the　winds
Carry　the　scattered　drifts　along　the　sky
In　the　night…time；　then　seem　to　glide　along
The　radiant　constellations　'gainst　the　clouds
And　there　on　high　to　take　far　other　course
From　that　whereon　in　truth　they're　borne。　And　then；
If　haply　our　hand　be　set　beneath　one　eye
And　press　below　thereon；　then　to　our　gaze
Each　object　which　we　gaze　on　seems　to　be；
By　some　sensation　twain…　then　twain　the　lights
Of　lampions　burgeoning　in　flowers　of　flame；
And　twain　the　furniture　in　all　the　house；
Two…fold　the　visages　of　fellow…men；
And　twain　their　bodies。　And　again；　when　sleep
Has　bound　our　members　down　in　slumber　soft
And　all　the　body　lies　in　deep　repose；
Yet　then　we　seem　to　self　to　be　awake
And　move　our　members；　and　in　night's　blind　gloom
We　think　to　mark　the　daylight　and　the　sun；
And；　shut　within　a　room；　yet　still　w