of the nature of things-第27节

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When　creatures　draw　a　breath　or　blow　it　out。
Wherefore；　since　body　thus　is　flogged　alike
Upon　the　inside　and　the　out；　and　blows
Come　in　upon　us　through　the　little　pores
Even　inward　to　our　body's　primal　parts
And　primal　elements；　there　comes　to　pass
By　slow　degrees；　along　our　members　then；
A　kind　of　overthrow；　for　then　confounded
Are　those　arrangements　of　the　primal　germs
Of　body　and　of　mind。　It　comes　to　pass
That　next　a　part　of　soul's　expelled　abroad；
A　part　retreateth　in　recesses　hid；
A　part；　too；　scattered　all　about　the　frame；
Cannot　become　united　nor　engage
In　interchange　of　motion。　Nature　now
So　hedges　off　approaches　and　the　paths；
And　thus　the　sense；　its　motions　all　deranged；
Retires　down　deep　within；　and　since　there's　naught；
As　'twere；　to　prop　the　frame；　the　body　weakens；
And　all　the　members　languish；　and　the　arms
And　eyelids　fall；　and；　as　ye　lie　abed；
Even　there　the　houghs　will　sag　and　loose　their　powers。
Again；　sleep　follows　after　food；　because
The　food　produces　same　result　as　air；
Whilst　being　scattered　round　through　all　the　veins；
And　much　the　heaviest　is　that　slumber　which；
Full　or　fatigued；　thou　takest；　since　'tis　then
That　the　most　bodies　disarrange　themselves；
Bruised　by　labours　hard。　And　in　same　wise；
This　three…fold　change：　a　forcing　of　the　soul
Down　deeper；　more　a　casting…forth　of　it；
A　moving　more　divided　in　its　parts
And　scattered　more。
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　And　to　whate'er　pursuit
A　man　most　clings　absorbed；　or　what　the　affairs
On　which　we　theretofore　have　tarried　much；
And　mind　hath　strained　upon　the　more；　we　seem
In　sleep　not　rarely　to　go　at　the　same。
The　lawyers　seem　to　plead　and　cite　decrees；
Commanders　they　to　fight　and　go　at　frays；
Sailors　to　live　in　combat　with　the　winds；
And　we　ourselves　indeed　to　make　this　book；
And　still　to　seek　the　nature　of　the　world
And　set　it　down；　when　once　discovered；　here
In　these　my　country's　leaves。　Thus　all　pursuits；
All　arts　in　general　seem　in　sleeps　to　mock
And　master　the　minds　of　men。　And　whosoever
Day　after　day　for　long　to　games　have　given
Attention　undivided；　still　they　keep
（As　oft　we　note）；　even　when　they've　ceased　to　grasp
Those　games　with　their　own　senses；　open　paths
Within　the　mind　wherethrough　the　idol…films
Of　just　those　games　can　come。　And　thus　it　is
For　many　a　day　thereafter　those　appear
Floating　before　the　eyes；　that　even　awake
They　think　they　view　the　dancers　moving　round
Their　supple　limbs；　and　catch　with　both　the　ears
The　liquid　song　of　harp　and　speaking　chords；
And　view　the　same　assembly　on　the　seats；
And　manifold　bright　glories　of　the　stage…
So　great　the　influence　of　pursuit　and　zest；
And　of　the　affairs　wherein　'thas　been　the　wont
Of　men　to　be　engaged…nor　only　men；
But　soothly　all　the　animals。　Behold；
Thou'lt　see　the　sturdy　horses；　though　outstretched；
Yet　sweating　in　their　sleep；　and　panting　ever；
And　straining　utmost　strength；　as　if　for　prize；
As　if；　with　barriers　opened　now。。。
And　hounds　of　huntsmen　oft　in　soft　repose
Yet　toss　asudden　all　their　legs　about；
And　growl　and　bark；　and　with　their　nostrils　sniff
The　winds　again；　again；　as　though　indeed
They'd　caught　the　scented　foot…prints　of　wild　beasts；
And；　even　when　wakened；　often　they　pursue
The　phantom　images　of　stags；　as　though
They　did　perceive　them　fleeing　on　before；
Until　the　illusion's　shaken　off　and　dogs
Come　to　themselves　again。　And　fawning　breed
Of　house…bred　whelps　do　feel　the　sudden　urge
To　shake　their　bodies　and　start　from　off　the　ground；
As　if　beholding　stranger…visages。
And　ever　the　fiercer　be　the　stock；　the　more
In　sleep　the　same　is　ever　bound　to　rage。
But　flee　the　divers　tribes　of　birds　and　vex
With　sudden　wings　by　night　the　groves　of　gods；
When　in　their　gentle　slumbers　they　have　dreamed
Of　hawks　in　chase；　aswooping　on　for　fight。
Again；　the　minds　of　mortals　which　perform
With　mighty　motions　mighty　enterprises；
Often　in　sleep　will　do　and　dare　the　same
In　manner　like。　Kings　take　the　towns　by　storm；
Succumb　to　capture；　battle　on　the　field；
Raise　a　wild　cry　as　if　their　throats　were　cut
Even　then　and　there。　And　many　wrestle　on
And　groan　with　pains；　and　fill　all　regions　round
With　mighty　cries　and　wild；　as　if　then　gnawed
By　fangs　of　panther　or　of　lion　fierce。
Many　amid　their　slumbers　talk　about
Their　mighty　enterprises；　and　have　often
Enough　become　the　proof　of　their　own　crimes。
Many　meet　death；　many；　as　if　headlong
From　lofty　mountains　tumbling　down　to　earth
With　all　their　frame；　are　frenzied　in　their　fright；
And　after　sleep；　as　if　still　mad　in　mind；
They　scarce　come　to；　confounded　as　they　are
By　ferment　of　their　frame。　The　thirsty　man；
Likewise；　he　sits　beside　delightful　spring
Or　river　and　gulpeth　down　with　gaping　throat
Nigh　the　whole　stream。　And　oft　the　innocent　young；
By　sleep　o'ermastered；　think　they　lift　their　dress
By　pail　or　public　jordan　and　then　void
The　water　filtered　down　their　frame　entire
And　drench　the　Babylonian　coverlets；
Magnificently　bright。　Again；　those　males
Into　the　surging　channels　of　whose　years
Now　first　has　passed　the　seed　（engendered
Within　their　members　by　the　ripened　days）
Are　in　their　sleep　confronted　from　without
By　idol…images　of　some　fair　form…
Tidings　of　glorious　face　and　lovely　bloom；
Which　stir　and　goad　the　regions　turgid　now
With　seed　abundant；　so　that；　as　it　were
With　all　the　matter　acted　duly　out；
They　pour　the　billows　of　a　potent　stream
And　stain　their　garment。
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　And　as　said　before；
That　seed　is　roused　in　us　when　once　ripe　age
Has　made　our　body　strong。。。
As　divers　causes　give　to　divers　things
Impulse　and　irritation；　so　one　force
In　human　kind　rouses　the　human　seed
To　spurt　from　man。　As　soon　as　ever　it　issues；
Forced　from　its　first　abodes；　it　passes　down
In　the　whole　body　through　the　limbs　and　frame；
Meeting　in　certain　regions　of　our　thews；
And　stirs　amain　the　genitals　of　man。
The　goaded　regions　swell　with　seed；　and　then
Comes　the　delight　to　dart　the　same　at　what
The　mad　desire　so　yearns；　and　body　seeks
That　object；　whence　the　mind　by　love　is　pierced。
For　well…nigh　each　man　falleth　toward　his　wound；
And　our　blood　spurts　even　toward　the　spot　from　whence
The　stroke　wherewith　we　are　strook；　and　if　indeed
The　foe　be　close；　the　red　jet　reaches　him。
Thus；　one　who　gets　a　stroke　from　Venus'　shafts…
Whether　a　boy　with　limbs　effeminate
Assault　him；　or　a　woman　darting　love
From　all　her　body…　that　one　strains　to　get
Even　to　the　thing　whereby　he's　hit；　and　longs
To　join　with　it　and　cast　into　its　frame
The　fluid　drawn　even　from　within　its　own。
For　the　mute　craving　doth　presage　delight。

THE　PASSION　OF　LOVE

　　This　craving　'tis　that's　Venus　unto　us：
From　this；　engender　all　the　lures　of　love；
From　this；　O　first　hath　into　human　hearts
Trickled　that　drop　of　joyance　which　ere　long
Is　by　chill　care　succeeded。　Since；　indeed；
Though　she　thou　lovest　now　be　far　away；
Yet　idol…images　of　her　are　near
And　the　sweet　name　is　floating　in　thy　ear。
But　it　behooves　to　flee　those　images；
And　scare　afar　whatever　feeds　thy　love；
And　turn　elsewhere　thy　mind；　and　vent　the　sperm；
Within　thee　gathered；　into　sundry　bodies；
Nor；　with　thy　thoughts　still　busied　with　one　love；
Keep　it　for　one　delight；　and　so　store　up
Care　for　thyself　and　pain　inevitable。
For；　lo；　the　ulcer　just　by　nourishing
Grows　to　more　life　with　deep　inveteracy；
And　day　by　day　the　fury　swells　aflame；
And　the　woe　waxes　heavier　day　by　day…
Unless　thou　dost　destroy　even　by　new　blows
The　former　wounds　of　love；　and　curest　them
While　yet　they're　fresh；　by　wandering　freely　round
After　the　freely…wandering　Venus；　or
Canst　lead　elsewhere　the　tumults　of　thy　mind。
　　Nor　doth　that　man　who　keeps　away　from　love
Yet　lack　the　fruits　of　Venus；　rather　takes
Those　pleasures　which　are　free　of　penalties。
For　the　delights　of　Venus；　verily；
Are　more　unmixed　for　mortals　sane…of…soul
Than　for　those　sick…at…heart　with　love…pining。
Yea；　in　the　very　moment　of　possessing；
Surges　the　heat　of　lovers　to　and　fro；
Restive；　uncertain；　and　they　cannot　fix
On　what　to　first　enjoy　with　eyes　and　hands。
The　parts　they　sought　for；　those　they　squeeze　so　tight；
And　pain　the　creature's　body；　close　their　teeth
Often　against　her　lips；　and　smite　with　kiss
Mouth　into　mouth；…　because　this　same　delight
Is　not　unmixed；　and　underneath　are　stings
Which　goad　a　man　to　hurt　the　very　thing；
Whate'er　it　be；　from　whence　arise　for　him
Those　germs　of　madness。　But　with　gentle　touch
Venus　subdues　the　pangs　in　midst　of　love；
And　the　admixture　of　a　fondling　joy
Doth　curb　the　bites　of　passion。　For　they　hope
That　by　the　very　body　whence　they　caught
The　heats　of　love　their　flames　can　be　put　out。
But　nature　protests　'tis　all　quite　otherwise；
For　this　same　love　it　is　the　one　sole　thing
Of　which；　the　more　we　have；　the　fiercer　burns
The　breast　with　fell　desire。　For　food　and　drink
Are　taken　within　our　members；　and；　since　they
Can　stop　up　certain　parts；　thus；　easily
Desire　of　water　is　glutted　and　of　bread。
But；　lo；　from　human　face　and　lovely　bloom
Naught　penetrates　our　frame　to　be　enjoyed
Save　flimsy　idol…images　and　vain…
A　sorry　hope　which　oft　the　winds　disperse。
As　when　the　thirsty　man　in　slumber　seeks
To　drink；　and　water　ne'er　is　granted　him
Wherewith　to　quench　the　heat　wi