of the nature of things-第26部分

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They're　like　to　fathers。　But　whom　seest　to　be
Partakers　of　each　shape；　one　equal　blend
Of　parents'　features；　these　are　generate
From　fathers'　body　and　from　mothers'　blood；
When　mutual　and　harmonious　heat　hath　dashed
Together　seeds；　aroused　along　their　frames
By　Venus'　goads；　and　neither　of　the　twain
Mastereth　or　is　mastered。　Happens　too
That　sometimes　offspring　can　to　being　come
In　likeness　of　their　grandsires；　and　bring　back
Often　the　shapes　of　grandsires'　sires；　because
Their　parents　in　their　bodies　oft　retain
Concealed　many　primal　germs；　commixed
In　many　modes；　which；　starting　with　the　stock；
Sire　handeth　down　to　son；　himself　a　sire；
Whence　Venus　by　a　variable　chance
Engenders　shapes；　and　diversely　brings　back
Ancestral　features；　voices　too；　and　hair。
A　female　generation　rises　forth
From　seed　paternal；　and　from　mother's　body
Exist　created　males：　since　sex　proceeds
No　more　from　singleness　of　seed　than　faces
Or　bodies　or　limbs　of　ours：　for　every　birth
Is　from　a　twofold　seed；　and　what's　created
Hath；　of　that　parent　which　it　is　more　like；
More　than　its　equal　share；　as　thou　canst　mark；…
Whether　the　breed　be　male　or　female　stock。
　　Nor　do　the　powers　divine　grudge　any　man
The　fruits　of　his　seed…sowing；　so　that　never
He　be　called　〃father〃　by　sweet　children　his；
And　end　his　days　in　sterile　love　forever。
What　many　men　suppose；　and　gloomily
They　sprinkle　the　altars　with　abundant　blood；
And　make　the　high　platforms　odorous　with　burnt　gifts；
To　render　big　by　plenteous　seed　their　wives…
And　plague　in　vain　godheads　and　sacred　lots。
For　sterile　are　these　men　by　seed　too　thick；
Or　else　by　far　too　watery　and　thin。
Because　the　thin　is　powerless　to　cleave
Fast　to　the　proper　places；　straightaway
It　trickles　from　them；　and；　returned　again；
Retires　abortively。　And　then　since　seed
More　gross　and　solid　than　will　suit　is　spent
By　some　men；　either　it　flies　not　forth　amain
With　spurt　prolonged　enough；　or　else　it　fails
To　enter　suitably　the　proper　places；
Or；　having　entered；　the　seed　is　weakly　mixed
With　seed　of　the　woman：　harmonies　of　Venus
Are　seen　to　matter　vastly　here；　and　some
Impregnate　some　more　readily；　and　from　some
Some　women　conceive　more　readily　and　become
Pregnant。　And　many　women；　sterile　before
In　several　marriage…beds；　have　yet　thereafter
Obtained　the　mates　from　whom　they　could　conceive
The　baby…boys；　and　with　sweet　progeny
Grow　rich。　And　even　for　husbands　（whose　own　wives；
Although　of　fertile　wombs；　have　borne　for　them
No　babies　in　the　house）　are　also　found
Concordant　natures　so　that　they　at　last
Can　bulwark　their　old　age　with　goodly　sons。
A　matter　of　great　moment　'tis　in　truth；
That　seeds　may　mingle　readily　with　seeds
Suited　for　procreation；　and　that　thick
Should　mix　with　fluid　seeds；　with　thick　the　fluid。
And　in　this　business　'tis　of　some　import
Upon　what　diet　life　is　nourished：
For　some　foods　thicken　seeds　within　our　members；
And　others　thin　them　out　and　waste　away。
And　in　what　modes　the　fond　delight　itself
Is　carried　on…　this　too　importeth　vastly。
For　commonly　'tis　thought　that　wives　conceive
More　readily　in　manner　of　wild…beasts；
After　the　custom　of　the　four…foot　breeds；
Because　so　postured；　with　the　breasts　beneath
And　buttocks　then　upreared；　the　seeds　can　take
Their　proper　places。　Nor　is　need　the　least
For　wives　to　use　the　motions　of　blandishment；
For　thus　the　woman　hinders　and　resists
Her　own　conception；　if　too　joyously
Herself　she　treats　the　Venus　of　the　man
With　haunches　heaving；　and　with　all　her　bosom
Now　yielding　like　the　billows　of　the　sea…
Aye；　from　the　ploughshare's　even　course　and　track
She　throws　the　furrow；　and　from　proper　places
Deflects　the　spurt　of　seed。　And　courtesans
Are　thuswise　wont　to　move　for　their　own　ends；
To　keep　from　pregnancy　and　lying　in；
And　all　the　while　to　render　Venus　more
A　pleasure　for　the　men…　the　which　meseems
Our　wives　have　never　need　of。
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Sometimes　too
It　happens…　and　through　no　divinity
Nor　arrows　of　Venus…　that　a　sorry　chit
Of　scanty　grace　will　be　beloved　by　man；
For　sometimes　she　herself　by　very　deeds；
By　her　complying　ways；　and　tidy　habits；
Will　easily　accustom　thee　to　pass
With　her　thy　life…time…　and；　moreover；　lo；
Long　habitude　can　gender　human　love；
Even　as　an　object　smitten　o'er　and　o'er
By　blows；　however　lightly；　yet　at　last
Is　overcome　and　wavers。　Seest　thou　not；
Besides；　how　drops　of　water　falling　down
Against　the　stones　at　last　bore　through　the　stones？

BOOK　V

PROEM
　
O　WHO　can　build　with　puissant　breast　a　song
Worthy　the　majesty　of　these　great　finds？
Or　who　in　words　so　strong　that　he　can　frame
The　fit　laudations　for　deserts　of　him
Who　left　us　heritors　of　such　vast　prizes；
By　his　own　breast　discovered　and　sought　out？…
There　shall　be　none；　methinks；　of　mortal　stock。
For　if　must　needs　be　named　for　him　the　name
Demanded　by　the　now　known　majesty
Of　these　high　matters；　then　a　god　was　he；…
Hear　me；　illustrious　Memmius…　a　god；
Who　first　and　chief　found　out　that　plan　of　life
Which　now　is　called　philosophy；　and　who
By　cunning　craft；　out　of　such　mighty　waves；
Out　of　such　mighty　darkness；　moored　life
In　havens　so　serene；　in　light　so　clear。
Compare　those　old　discoveries　divine
Of　others：　lo；　according　to　the　tale；
Ceres　established　for　mortality
The　grain；　and　Bacchus　juice　of　vine…born　grape；
Though　life　might　yet　without　these　things　abide；
Even　as　report　saith　now　some　peoples　live。
But　man's　well…being　was　impossible
Without　a　breast　all　free。　Wherefore　the　more
That　man　doth　justly　seem　to　us　a　god；
From　whom　sweet　solaces　of　life；　afar
Distributed　o'er　populous　domains；
Now　soothe　the　minds　of　men。　But　if　thou　thinkest
Labours　of　Hercules　excel　the　same；
Much　farther　from　true　reasoning　thou　farest。
For　what　could　hurt　us　now　that　mighty　maw
Of　Nemeaean　Lion；　or　what　the　Boar
Who　bristled　in　Arcadia？　Or；　again；
O　what　could　Cretan　Bull；　or　Hydra；　pest
Of　Lerna；　fenced　with　vipers　venomous？
Or　what　the　triple…breasted　power　of　her
The　three…fold　Geryon。。。
The　sojourners　in　the　Stymphalian　fens
So　dreadfully　offend　us；　or　the　Steeds
Of　Thracian　Diomedes　breathing　fire
From　out　their　nostrils　off　along　the　zones
Bistonian　and　Ismarian？　And　the　Snake；
The　dread　fierce　gazer；　guardian　of　the　golden
And　gleaming　apples　of　the　Hesperides；
Coiled　round　the　tree…trunk　with　tremendous　bulk；
O　what；　again；　could　he　inflict　on　us
Along　the　Atlantic　shore　and　wastes　of　sea？…
Where　neither　one　of　us　approacheth　nigh
Nor　no　barbarian　ventures。　And　the　rest
Of　all　those　monsters　slain；　even　if　alive；
Unconquered　still；　what　injury　could　they　do？
None；　as　I　guess。　For　so　the　glutted　earth
Swarms　even　now　with　savage　beasts；　even　now
Is　filled　with　anxious　terrors　through　the　woods
And　mighty　mountains　and　the　forest　deeps…
Quarters　'tis　ours　in　general　to　avoid。
But　lest　the　breast　be　purged；　what　conflicts　then；
What　perils；　must　bosom；　in　our　own　despite！
O　then　how　great　and　keen　the　cares　of　lust
That　split　the　man　distraught！　How　great　the　fears！
And　lo；　the　pride；　grim　greed；　and　wantonness…
How　great　the　slaughters　in　their　train！　and　lo；
Debaucheries　and　every　breed　of　sloth！
Therefore　that　man　who　subjugated　these；
And　from　the　mind　expelled；　by　words　indeed；
Not　arms；　O　shall　it　not　be　seemly　him
To　dignify　by　ranking　with　the　gods？…
And　all　the　more　since　he　was　wont　to　give；
Concerning　the　immortal　gods　themselves；
Many　pronouncements　with　a　tongue　divine；
And　to　unfold　by　his　pronouncements　all
The　nature　of　the　world。

ARGUMENT　OF　THE　BOOK　AND　NEW　PROEM
AGAINST　A　TELEOLOGICAL　CONCEPT

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　And　walking　now
In　his　own　footprints；　I　do　follow　through
His　reasonings；　and　with　pronouncements　teach
The　covenant　whereby　all　things　are　framed；
How　under　that　covenant　they　must　abide
Nor　ever　prevail　to　abrogate　the　aeons'
Inexorable　decrees；…　how　（as　we've　found）；
In　class　of　mortal　objects；　o'er　all　else；
The　mind　exists　of　earth…born　frame　create
And　impotent　unscathed　to　abide
Across　the　mighty　aeons；　and　how　come
In　sleep　those　idol…apparitions；
That　so　befool　intelligence　when　we
Do　seem　to　view　a　man　whom　life　has　left。
Thus　far　we've　gone；　the　order　of　my　plan
Hath　brought　me　now　unto　the　point　where　I
Must　make　report　how；　too；　the　universe
Consists　of　mortal　body；　born　in　time；
And　in　what　modes　that　congregated　stuff
Established　itself　as　earth　and　sky；
Ocean；　and　stars；　and　sun；　and　ball　of　moon；
And　then　what　living　creatures　rose　from　out
The　old　telluric　places；　and　what　ones
Were　never　born　at　all；　and　in　what　mode
The　human　race　began　to　name　its　things
And　use　the　varied　speech　from　man　to　man；
And　in　what　modes　hath　bosomed　in　their　breasts
That　awe　of　gods；　which　halloweth　in　all　lands
Fanes；　altars；　groves；　lakes；　idols　of　the　gods。
Also　I　shall　untangle　by　what　power
The　steersman　nature　guides　the　sun's　courses；
And　the　meanderings　of　the　moon；　lest　we；
Percase；　should　fancy　that　of　own　free　will
They　circle　their　perennial　courses　round；
Timing　their　motions　for　increase　of　crops
And　living　creatures；　or　lest　we　should　think
They　roll　along　by　any　plan　of　gods。
For　even　those　men　who　have　learned　full　well
That　godheads　lead　a　long　life　free　of　care；
If　yet　meanwhile　they　wonder　by　what　plan
Things　can　go　on　（and　chiefly　yon　high　things
Observed　o'erhead　on　the　ethereal　coasts）；
Again　are　hurried　back　unto　the　fears
Of　old　religion　and　adopt　again
Harsh　masters；　deemed　almighty；…　wretched　men；
Unwitting　what　can　be　and　what　cannot；
And　by　what　law　to　each　its　scope　prescribed；
Its　boundary　stone　that　clings　so　deep　in　Time。
　　But　for　the　rest；…　lest　we　delay　thee　here
Longer　by　empty　promises…　behold；
Before　all　else；　the　seas；　the　lands；　the　sky：
O　Memmius；　their　threefold　nature；　lo；
Their　bodies　three；　three　aspects　so　unlike；
Three　frames　so　vast；　a　single　day　shall　give
Unto　annihilation！　Then　shall　crash
That　massive　form　and　fabric　of　the　world
Sustained　so　many　aeons！　Nor　do　I
Fail　to　perceive　how　strange　and　marvellous
This　fact　must　strike　the　intellect　of　man；…
Annihilation　of　the　sky　and　earth
That　is　to　be；…　and　with　what　toil　of　words
'Tis　mine　to　prove　the　same；　as　happens　oft
When