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第7节

timaeu-第7节

小说: timaeu 字数: 每页4000字

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instruments of time severally adapted to them; and to come forth the

most religious of animals; and as human nature was of two kinds; the

superior race would here after be called man。 Now; when they should be

implanted in bodies by necessity; and be always gaining or losing some

part of their bodily substance; then in the first place it would be

necessary that they should all have in them one and the same faculty

of sensation; arising out of irresistible impressions; in the second

place; they must have love; in which pleasure and pain mingle; also

fear and anger; and the feelings which are akin or opposite to them;

if they conquered these they would live righteously; and if they

were conquered by them; unrighteously。 He who lived well during his

appointed time was to return and dwell in his native star; and there

he would have a blessed and congenial existence。 But if he failed in

attaining this; at the second birth he would pass into a woman; and

if; when in that state of being; he did not desist from evil; he would

continually be changed into some brute who resembled him in the evil

nature which he had acquired; and would not cease from his toils and

transformations until he followed the revolution of the same and the

like within him; and overcame by the help of reason the turbulent

and irrational mob of later accretions; made up of fire and air and

water and earth; and returned to the form of his first and better

state。 Having given all these laws to his creatures; that he might

be guiltless of future evil in any of them; the creator sowed some

of them in the earth; and some in the moon; and some in the other

instruments of time; and when he had sown them he committed to the

younger gods the fashioning of their mortal bodies; and desired them

to furnish what was still lacking to the human soul; and having made

all the suitable additions; to rule over them; and to pilot the mortal

animal in the best and wisest manner which they could; and avert

from him all but self…inflicted evils。

  When the creator had made all these ordinances he remained in his

own accustomed nature; and his children heard and were obedient to

their father's word; and receiving from him the immortal principle

of a mortal creature; in imitation of their own creator they

borrowed portions of fire; and earth; and water; and air from the

world; which were hereafter to be restored…these they took and

welded them together; not with the indissoluble chains by which they

were themselves bound; but with little pegs too small to be visible;

making up out of all the four elements each separate body; and

fastening the courses of the immortal soul in a body which was in a

state of perpetual influx and efflux。 Now these courses; detained as

in a vast river; neither overcame nor were overcome; but were hurrying

and hurried to and fro; so that the whole animal was moved and

progressed; irregularly however and irrationally and anyhow; in all

the six directions of motion; wandering backwards and forwards; and

right and left; and up and down; and in all the six directions。 For

great as was the advancing and retiring flood which provided

nourishment; the affections produced by external contact caused

still greater tumult…when the body of any one met and came into

collision with some external fire; or with the solid earth or the

gliding waters; or was caught in the tempest borne on the air; and the

motions produced by any of these impulses were carried through the

body to the soul。 All such motions have consequently received the

general name of 〃sensations;〃 which they still retain。 And they did in

fact at that time create a very great and mighty movement; uniting

with the ever flowing stream in stirring up and violently shaking

the courses of the soul; they completely stopped the revolution of the

same by their opposing current; and hindered it from predominating and

advancing; and they so disturbed the nature of the other or diverse;

that the three double intervals 'i。e。 between 1; 2; 4; 8'; and the

three triple intervals 'i。e。 between 1; 3; 9; 27'; together with the

mean terms and connecting links which are expressed by the ratios of 3

: 2; and 4 : 3; and of 9 : 8…these; although they cannot be wholly

undone except by him who united them; were twisted by them in all

sorts of ways; and the circles were broken and disordered in every

possible manner; so that when they moved they were tumbling to pieces;

and moved irrationally; at one time in a reverse direction; and then

again obliquely; and then upside down; as you might imagine a person

who is upside down and has his head leaning upon the ground and his

feet up against something in the air; and when he is in such a

position; both he and the spectator fancy that the right of either

is his left; and left right。 If; when powerfully experiencing these

and similar effects; the revolutions of the soul come in contact

with some external thing; either of the class of the same or of the

other; they speak of the same or of the other in a manner the very

opposite of the truth; and they become false and foolish; and there is

no course or revolution in them which has a guiding or directing

power; and if again any sensations enter in violently from without and

drag after them the whole vessel of the soul; then the courses of

the soul; though they seem to conquer; are really conquered。

  And by reason of all these affections; the soul; when encased in a

mortal body; now; as in the beginning; is at first without

intelligence; but when the flood of growth and nutriment abates; and

the courses of the soul; calming down; go their own way and become

steadier as time goes on; then the several circles return to their

natural form; and their revolutions are corrected; and they call the

same and the other by their right names; and make the possessor of

them to become a rational being。 And if these combine in him with

any true nurture or education; he attains the fulness and health of

the perfect man; and escapes the worst disease of all; but if he

neglects education he walks lame to the end of his life; and returns

imperfect and good for nothing to the world below。 This; however; is a

later stage; at present we must treat more exactly the subject

before us; which involves a preliminary enquiry into the generation of

the body and its members; and as to how the soul was created…for

what reason and by what providence of the gods; and holding fast to

probability; we must pursue our way。

  First; then; the gods; imitating the spherical shape of the

universe; enclosed the two divine courses in a spherical body; that;

namely; which we now term the head; being the most divine part of us

and the lord of all that is in us: to this the gods; when they put

together the body; gave all the other members to be servants;

considering that it partook of every sort of motion。 In order then

that it might not tumble about among the high and deep places of the

earth; but might be able to get over the one and out of the other;

they provided the body to be its vehicle and means of locomotion;

which consequently had length and was furnished with four limbs

extended and flexible; these God contrived to be instruments of

locomotion with which it might take hold and find support; and so be

able to pass through all places; carrying on high the dwelling…place

of the most sacred and divine part of us。 Such was the origin of

legs and hands; which for this reason were attached to every man;

and the gods; deeming the front part of man to be more honourable

and more fit to command than the hinder part; made us to move mostly

in a forward direction。 Wherefore man must needs have his front part

unlike and distinguished from the rest of his body。

  And so in the vessel of the head; they first of all put a face in

which they inserted organs to minister in all things to the providence

of the soul; and they appointed this part; which has authority; to

be by nature the part which is in front。 And of the organs they

first contrived the eyes to give light; and the principle according to

which they were inserted was as follows: So much of fire as would

not burn; but gave a gentle light; they formed into a substance akin

to the light of every…day life; and the pure fire which is within us

and related thereto they made to flow through the eyes in a stream

smooth and dense; compressing the whole eye; and especially the centre

part; so that it kept out everything of a coarser nature; and

allowed to pass only this pure element。 When the light of day

surrounds the stream of vision; then like falls upon like; and they

coalesce; and one body is formed by natural affinity in the line of

vision; wherever the light that falls from within meets with an

external object。 And the whole stream of vision; being similarly

affected in virtue of similarity; diffuses the motions of what it

touches or what touches it over the whole body; until they reach the

soul; causing that perception which we call sight。 But when night

comes on and the external and kind

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