of the nature of things-第42节

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'Thas　shoved　unto　the　levels　of　the　main
That　laden　cloud；　the　whirl　suddenly　then
Plunges　its　whole　self　into　the　waters　there
And　rouses　all　the　sea　with　monstrous　roar；
Constraining　it　to　seethe。　It　happens　too
That　very　vortex　of　the　wind　involves
Itself　in　clouds；　scraping　from　out　the　air
The　seeds　of　cloud；　and　counterfeits；　as　'twere；
The　〃bellows〃　pushed　from　heaven。　And　when　this　shape
Hath　dropped　upon　the　lands　and　burst　apart；
It　belches　forth　immeasurable　might
Of　whirlwind　and　of　blast。　Yet　since　'tis　formed
At　most　but　rarely；　and　on　land　the　hills
Must　block　its　way；　'tis　seen　more　oft　out　there
On　the　broad　prospect　of　the　level　main
Along　the　free　horizons。
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Into　being
The　clouds　condense；　when　in　this　upper　space
Of　the　high　heaven　have　gathered　suddenly；
As　round　they　flew；　unnumbered　particles…
World's　rougher　ones；　which　can；　though　interlinked
With　scanty　couplings；　yet　be　fastened　firm；
The　one　on　other　caught。　These　particles
First　cause　small　clouds　to　form；　and；　thereupon；
These　catch　the　one　on　other　and　swarm　in　a　flock
And　grow　by　their　conjoining；　and　by　winds
Are　borne　along；　along；　until　collects
The　tempest　fury。　Happens；　too；　the　nearer
The　mountain　summits　neighbour　to　the　sky；
The　more　unceasingly　their　far　crags　smoke
With　the　thick　darkness　of　swart　cloud；　because
When　first　the　mists　do　form；　ere　ever　the　eyes
Can　there　behold　them　（tenuous　as　they　be）；
The　carrier…winds　will　drive　them　up　and　on
Unto　the　topmost　summits　of　the　mountain；
And　then　at　last　it　happens；　when　they　be
In　vaster　throng　upgathered；　that　they　can
By　this　very　condensation　lie　revealed；
And　that　at　same　time　they　are　seen　to　surge
From　very　vertex　of　the　mountain　up
Into　far　ether。　For　very　fact　and　feeling；
As　we　up…climb　high　mountains；　proveth　clear
That　windy　are　those　upward　regions　free。
Besides；　the　clothes　hung…out　along　the　shore；
When　in　they　take　the　clinging　moisture；　prove
That　nature　lifts　from　over　all　the　sea
Unnumbered　particles。　Whereby　the　more
'Tis　manifest　that　many　particles
Even　from　the　salt　upheavings　of　the　main
Can　rise　together　to　augment　the　bulk
Of　massed　clouds。　For　moistures　in　these　twain
Are　near　akin。　Besides；　from　out　all　rivers；
As　well　as　from　the　land　itself；　we　see
Up…rising　mists　and　steam；　which　like　a　breath
Are　forced　out　from　them　and　borne　aloft；
To　curtain　heaven　with　their　murk；　and　make；
By　slow　foregathering；　the　skiey　clouds。
For；　in　addition；　lo；　the　heat　on　high
Of　constellated　ether　burdens　down
Upon　them；　and　by　sort　of　condensation
Weaveth　beneath　the　azure　firmament
The　reek　of　darkling　cloud。　It　happens；　too；
That　hither　to　the　skies　from　the　Beyond
Do　come　those　particles　which　make　the　clouds
And　flying　thunderheads。　For　I　have　taught
That　this　their　number　is　innumerable
And　infinite　the　sum　of　the　Abyss；
And　I　have　shown　with　what　stupendous　speed
Those　bodies　fly　and　how　they're　wont　to　pass
Amain　through　incommunicable　space。
Therefore；　'tis　not　exceeding　strange；　if　oft
In　little　time　tempest　and　darkness　cover
With　bulking　thunderheads　hanging　on　high
The　oceans　and　the　lands；　since　everywhere
Through　all　the　narrow　tubes　of　yonder　ether；
Yea；　so　to　speak；　through　all　the　breathing…holes
Of　the　great　upper…world　encompassing；
There　be　for　the　primordial　elements
Exits　and　entrances。
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Now　come；　and　how
The　rainy　moisture　thickens　into　being
In　the　lofty　clouds；　and　how　upon　the　lands
'Tis　then　discharged　in　down…pour　of　large　showers；
I　will　unfold。　And　first　triumphantly
Will　I　persuade　thee　that　up…rise　together；
With　clouds　themselves；　full　many　seeds　of　water
From　out　all　things；　and　that　they　both　increase…
Both　clouds　and　water　which　is　in　the　clouds…
In　like　proportion；　as　our　frames　increase
In　like　proportion　with　our　blood；　as　well
As　sweat　or　any　moisture　in　our　members。
Besides；　the　clouds　take　in　from　time　to　time
Much　moisture　risen　from　the　broad　marine；…
Whilst　the　winds　bear　them　o'er　the　mighty　sea；
Like　hanging　fleeces　of　white　wool。　Thuswise；
Even　from　all　rivers　is　there　lifted　up
Moisture　into　the　clouds。　And　when　therein
The　seeds　of　water　so　many　in　many　ways
Have　come　together；　augmented　from　all　sides；
The　close…jammed　clouds　then　struggle　to　discharge
Their　rain…storms　for　a　two…fold　reason：　lo；
The　wind's　force　crowds　them；　and　the　very　excess
Of　storm…clouds　（massed　in　a　vaster　throng）
Giveth　an　urge　and　pressure　from　above
And　makes　the　rains　out…pour。　Besides　when；　too；
The　clouds　are　winnowed　by　the　winds；　or　scattered
Smitten　on　top　by　heat　of　sun；　they　send
Their　rainy　moisture；　and　distil　their　drops；
Even　as　the　wax；　by　fiery　warmth　on　top；
Wasteth　and　liquefies　abundantly。
But　comes　the　violence　of　the　bigger　rains
When　violently　the　clouds　are　weighted　down
Both　by　their　cumulated　mass　and　by
The　onset　of　the　wind。　And　rains　are　wont
To　endure　awhile　and　to　abide　for　long；
When　many　seeds　of　waters　are　aroused；
And　clouds　on　clouds　and　racks　on　racks　outstream
In　piled　layers　and　are　borne　along
From　every　quarter；　and　when　all　the　earth
Smoking　exhales　her　moisture。　At　such　a　time
When　sun　with　beams　amid　the　tempest…murk
Hath　shone　against　the　showers　of　black　rains；
Then　in　the　swart　clouds　there　emerges　bright
The　radiance　of　the　bow。
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　And　as　to　things
Not　mentioned　here　which　of　themselves　do　grow
Or　of　themselves　are　gendered；　and　all　things
Which　in　the　clouds　condense　to　being…　all；
Snow　and　the　winds；　hail　and　the　hoar…frosts　chill；
And　freezing；　mighty　force…　of　lakes　and　pools
The　mighty　hardener；　and　mighty　check
Which　in　the　winter　curbeth　everywhere
The　rivers　as　they　go…　'tis　easy　still；
Soon　to　discover　and　with　mind　to　see
How　they　all　happen；　whereby　gendered；
When　once　thou　well　hast　understood　just　what
Functions　have　been　vouchsafed　from　of　old
Unto　the　procreant　atoms　of　the　world。
Now　come；　and　what　the　law　of　earthquakes　is
Hearken；　and　first　of　all　take　care　to　know
That　the　under…earth；　like　to　the　earth　around　us；
Is　full　of　windy　caverns　all　about；
And　many　a　pool　and　many　a　grim　abyss
She　bears　within　her　bosom；　ay；　and　cliffs
And　jagged　scarps；　and　many　a　river；　hid
Beneath　her　chine；　rolls　rapidly　along
Its　billows　and　plunging　boulders。　For　clear　fact
Requires　that　earth　must　be　in　every　part
Alike　in　constitution。　Therefore；　earth；
With　these　things　underneath　affixed　and　set；
Trembleth　above；　jarred　by　big　down…tumblings；
When　time　hath　undermined　the　huge　caves；
The　subterranean。　Yea；　whole　mountains　fall；
And　instantly　from　spot　of　that　big　jar
There　quiver　the　tremors　far　and　wide　abroad。
And　with　good　reason：　since　houses　on　the　street
Begin　to　quake　throughout；　when　jarred　by　a　cart
Of　no　large　weight；　and；　too；　the　furniture
Within　the　house　up…bounds；　when　a　paving…block
Gives　either　iron　rim　of　the　wheels　a　jolt。
It　happens；　too；　when　some　prodigious　bulk
Of　age…worn　soil　is　rolled　from　mountain　slopes
Into　tremendous　pools　of　water　dark；
That　the　reeling　land　itself　is　rocked　about
By　the　water's　undulations；　as　a　basin
Sometimes　won't　come　to　rest　until　the　fluid
Within　it　ceases　to　be　rocked　about
In　random　undulations。
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　And　besides；
When　subterranean　winds；　up…gathered　there
In　the　hollow　deeps；　bulk　forward　from　one　spot；
And　press　with　the　big　urge　of　mighty　powers
Against　the　lofty　grottos；　then　the　earth
Bulks　to　that　quarter　whither　push　amain
The　headlong　winds。　Then　all　the　builded　houses
Above　ground…　and　the　more；　the　higher　up…reared
Unto　the　sky…　lean　ominously；　careening
Into　the　same　direction；　and　the　beams；
Wrenched　forward；　over…hang；　ready　to　go。
Yet　dread　men　to　believe　that　there　awaits
The　nature　of　the　mighty　world　a　time
Of　doom　and　cataclysm；　albeit　they　see
So　great　a　bulk　of　lands　to　bulge　and　break！
And　lest　the　winds　blew　back　again；　no　force
Could　rein　things　in　nor　hold　from　sure　career
On　to　disaster。　But　now　because　those　winds
Blow　back　and　forth　in　alternation　strong；
And；　so　to　say；　rallying　charge　again；
And　then　repulsed　retreat；　on　this　account
Earth　oftener　threatens　than　she　brings　to　pass
Collapses　dire。　For　to　one　side　she　leans；
Then　back　she　sways；　and　after　tottering
Forward；　recovers　then　her　seats　of　poise。
Thus；　this　is　why　whole　houses　rock；　the　roofs
More　than　the　middle　stories；　middle　more
Than　lowest；　and　the　lowest　least　of　all。
　　Arises；　too；　this　same　great　earth…quaking；
When　wind　and　some　prodigious　force　of　air；
Collected　from　without　or　down　within
The　old　telluric　deeps；　have　hurled　themselves
Amain　into　those　caverns　sub…terrene；
And　there　at　first　tumultuously　chafe
Among　the　vasty　grottos；　borne　about
In　mad　rotations；　till　their　lashed　force
Aroused　out…bursts　abroad；　and　then　and　there；
Riving　the　deep　earth；　makes　a　mighty　chasm…
What　once　in　Syrian　Sidon　did　befall；
And　once　in　Peloponnesian　Aegium；
Twain　cities　which　such　out…break　of　wild　air
And　earth's　convulsion；　following　hard　upon；
O'erthrew　of　old。　And　many　a　walled　town；
Besides；　hath　fall'n　by　such　omnipotent
Convulsions　on　the　land；　and　in　the　sea