of the nature of things-第33部分

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！


Each　hand　made　ready　in　its　wrath　to　take
A　vengeance　fiercer　than　by　man's　fair　laws
Is　now　conceded；　men　on　this　account
Loathed　the　old　life　fostered　by　force。　'Tis　thence
That　fear　of　punishments　defiles　each　prize
Of　wicked　days；　for　force　and　fraud　ensnare
Each　man　around；　and　in　the　main　recoil
On　him　from　whence　they　sprung。　Not　easy　'tis
For　one　who　violates　by　ugly　deeds
The　bonds　of　common　peace　to　pass　a　life
Composed　and　tranquil。　For　albeit　he　'scape
The　race　of　gods　and　men；　he　yet　must　dread
'Twill　not　be　hid　forever…　since；　indeed；
So　many；　oft　babbling　on　amid　their　dreams
Or　raving　in　sickness；　have　betrayed　themselves
（As　stories　tell）　and　published　at　last
Old　secrets　and　the　sins。
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　But　nature　'twas
Urged　men　to　utter　various　sounds　of　tongue
And　need　and　use　did　mould　the　names　of　things；
About　in　same　wise　as　the　lack…speech　years
Compel　young　children　unto　gesturings；
Making　them　point　with　finger　here　and　there
At　what's　before　them。　For　each　creature　feels
By　instinct　to　what　use　to　put　his　powers。
Ere　yet　the　bull…calf's　scarce　begotten　horns
Project　above　his　brows；　with　them　he　'gins
Enraged　to　butt　and　savagely　to　thrust。
But　whelps　of　panthers　and　the　lion's　cubs
With　claws　and　paws　and　bites　are　at　the　fray
Already；　when　their　teeth　and　claws　be　scarce
As　yet　engendered。　So　again；　we　see
All　breeds　of　winged　creatures　trust　to　wings
And　from　their　fledgling　pinions　seek　to　get
A　fluttering　assistance。　Thus；　to　think
That　in　those　days　some　man　apportioned　round
To　things　their　names；　and　that　from　him　men　learned
Their　first　nomenclature；　is　foolery。
For　why　could　he　mark　everything　by　words
And　utter　the　various　sounds　of　tongue；　what　time
The　rest　may　be　supposed　powerless
To　do　the　same？　And；　if　the　rest　had　not
Already　one　with　other　used　words；
Whence　was　implanted　in　the　teacher；　then；
Fore…knowledge　of　their　use；　and　whence　was　given
To　him　alone　primordial　faculty
To　know　and　see　in　mind　what　'twas　he　willed？
Besides；　one　only　man　could　scarce　subdue
An　overmastered　multitude　to　choose
To　get　by　heart　his　names　of　things。　A　task
Not　easy　'tis　in　any　wise　to　teach
And　to　persuade　the　deaf　concerning　what
'Tis　needful　for　to　do。　For　ne'er　would　they
Allow；　nor　ne'er　in　anywise　endure
Perpetual　vain　dingdong　in　their　ears
Of　spoken　sounds　unheard　before。　And　what；
At　last；　in　this　affair　so　wondrous　is；
That　human　race　（in　whom　a　voice　and　tongue
Were　now　in　vigour）　should　by　divers　words
Denote　its　objects；　as　each　divers　sense
Might　prompt？…　since　even　the　speechless　herds；　aye；　since
The　very　generations　of　wild　beasts
Are　wont　dissimilar　and　divers　sounds
To　rouse　from　in　them；　when　there's　fear　or　pain；
And　when　they　burst　with　joys。　And　this；　forsooth；
'Tis　thine　to　know　from　plainest　facts：　when　first
Huge　flabby　jowls　of　mad　Molossian　hounds；
Baring　their　hard　white　teeth；　begin　to　snarl；
They　threaten；　with　infuriate　lips　peeled　back；
In　sounds　far　other　than　with　which　they　bark
And　fill　with　voices　all　the　regions　round。
And　when　with　fondling　tongue　they　start　to　lick
Their　puppies；　or　do　toss　them　round　with　paws；
Feigning　with　gentle　bites　to　gape　and　snap；
They　fawn　with　yelps　of　voice　far　other　then
Than　when；　alone　within　the　house；　they　bay；
Or　whimpering　slink　with　cringing　sides　from　blows。
Again　the　neighing　of　the　horse；　is　that
Not　seen　to　differ　likewise；　when　the　stud
In　buoyant　flower　of　his　young　years　raves；
Goaded　by　winged　Love；　amongst　the　mares；
And　when　with　widening　nostrils　out　he　snorts
The　call　to　battle；　and　when　haply　he
Whinnies　at　times　with　terror…quaking　limbs？
Lastly；　the　flying　race；　the　dappled　birds；
Hawks；　ospreys；　sea…gulls；　searching　food　and　life
Amid　the　ocean　billows　in　the　brine；
Utter　at　other　times　far　other　cries
Than　when　they　fight　for　food；　or　with　their　prey
Struggle　and　strain。　And　birds　there　are　which　change
With　changing　weather　their　own　raucous　songs…
As　long…lived　generations　of　the　crows
Or　flocks　of　rooks；　when　they　be　said　to　cry
For　rain　and　water　and　to　call　at　times
For　winds　and　gales。　Ergo；　if　divers　moods
Compel　the　brutes；　though　speechless　evermore；
To　send　forth　divers　sounds；　O　truly　then
How　much　more　likely　'twere　that　mortal　men
In　those　days　could　with　many　a　different　sound
Denote　each　separate　thing。
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　And　now　what　cause
Hath　spread　divinities　of　gods　abroad
Through　mighty　nations；　and　filled　the　cities　full
Of　the　high　altars；　and　led　to　practices
Of　solemn　rites　in　season…　rites　which　still
Flourish　in　midst　of　great　affairs　of　state
And　midst　great　centres　of　man's　civic　life；
The　rites　whence　still　a　poor　mortality
Is　grafted　that　quaking　awe　which　rears　aloft
Still　the　new　temples　of　gods　from　land　to　land
And　drives　mankind　to　visit　them　in　throngs
On　holy　days…　'tis　not　so　hard　to　give
Reason　thereof　in　speech。　Because；　in　sooth；
Even　in　those　days　would　the　race　of　man
Be　seeing　excelling　visages　of　gods
With　mind　awake；　and　in　his　sleeps；　yet　more…
Bodies　of　wondrous　growth。　And；　thus；　to　these
Would　men　attribute　sense；　because　they　seemed
To　move　their　limbs　and　speak　pronouncements　high；
Befitting　glorious　visage　and　vast　powers。
And　men　would　give　them　an　eternal　life；
Because　their　visages　forevermore
Were　there　before　them；　and　their　shapes　remained；
And　chiefly；　however；　because　men　would　not　think
Beings　augmented　with　such　mighty　powers
Could　well　by　any　force　o'ermastered　be。
And　men　would　think　them　in　their　happiness
Excelling　far；　because　the　fear　of　death
Vexed　no　one　of　them　at　all；　and　since
At　same　time　in　men's　sleeps　men　saw　them　do
So　many　wonders；　and　yet　feel　therefrom
Themselves　no　weariness。　Besides；　men　marked
How　in　a　fixed　order　rolled　around
The　systems　of　the　sky；　and　changed　times
Of　annual　seasons；　nor　were　able　then
To　know　thereof　the　causes。　Therefore　'twas
Men　would　take　refuge　in　consigning　all
Unto　divinities；　and　in　feigning　all
Was　guided　by　their　nod。　And　in　the　sky
They　set　the　seats　and　vaults　of　gods；　because
Across　the　sky　night　and　the　moon　are　seen
To　roll　along…　moon；　day；　and　night；　and　night's
Old　awesome　constellations　evermore；
And　the　night…wandering　fireballs　of　the　sky；
And　flying　flames；　clouds；　and　the　sun；　the　rains；
Snow　and　the　winds；　the　lightnings；　and　the　hail；
And　the　swift　rumblings；　and　the　hollow　roar
Of　mighty　menacings　forevermore。
　　O　humankind　unhappy！…　when　it　ascribed
Unto　divinities　such　awesome　deeds；
And　coupled　thereto　rigours　of　fierce　wrath！
What　groans　did　men　on　that　sad　day　beget
Even　for　themselves；　and　O　what　wounds　for　us；
What　tears　for　our　children's　children！　Nor；　O　man；
Is　thy　true　piety　in　this：　with　head
Under　the　veil；　still　to　be　seen　to　turn
Fronting　a　stone；　and　ever　to　approach
Unto　all　altars；　nor　so　prone　on　earth
Forward　to　fall；　to　spread　upturned　palms
Before　the　shrines　of　gods；　nor　yet　to　dew
Altars　with　profuse　blood　of　four…foot　beasts；
Nor　vows　with　vows　to　link。　But　rather　this：
To　look　on　all　things　with　a　master　eye
And　mind　at　peace。　For　when　we　gaze　aloft
Upon　the　skiey　vaults　of　yon　great　world
And　ether；　fixed　high　o'er　twinkling　stars；
And　into　our　thought　there　come　the　journeyings
Of　sun　and　moon；　O　then　into　our　breasts；
O'erburdened　already　with　their　other　ills；
Begins　forthwith　to　rear　its　sudden　head
One　more　misgiving：　lest　o'er　us；　percase；
It　be　the　gods'　immeasurable　power
That　rolls；　with　varied　motion；　round　and　round
The　far　white　constellations。　For　the　lack
Of　aught　of　reasons　tries　the　puzzled　mind：
Whether　was　ever　a　birth…time　of　the　world；
And　whether；　likewise；　any　end　shall　be
How　far　the　ramparts　of　the　world　can　still
Outstand　this　strain　of　ever…roused　motion；
Or　whether；　divinely　with　eternal　weal
Endowed；　they　can　through　endless　tracts　of　age
Glide　on；　defying　the　o'er…mighty　powers
Of　the　immeasurable　ages。　Lo；
What　man　is　there　whose　mind　with　dread　of　gods
Cringes　not　close；　whose　limbs　with　terror…spell
Crouch　not　together；　when　the　parched　earth
Quakes　with　the　horrible　thunderbolt　amain；
And　across　the　mighty　sky　the　rumblings　run？
Do　not　the　peoples　and　the　nations　shake；
And　haughty　kings　do　they　not　hug　their　limbs；
Strook　through　with　fear　of　the　divinities；
Lest　for　aught　foully　done　or　madly　said
The　heavy　time　be　now　at　hand　to　pay？
When；　too；　fierce　force　of　fury…winds　at　sea
Sweepeth　a　navy's　admiral　down　the　main
With　his　stout　legions　and　his　elephants；
Doth　he　not　seek　the　peace　of　gods　with　vows；
And　beg　in　prayer；　a…tremble；　lulled　winds
And　friendly　gales？…　in　vain；　since；　often　up…caught
In　fury…cyclones；　is　he　borne　along；
For　all　his　mouthings；　to　the　shoals　of　doom。
Ah；　so　irrevocably　some　hidden　power
Betramples　forevermore　affairs　of　men；
And　visibly　grindeth　with　its　heel　in　mire
The　lictors'　glorious　rods　and　axes　dire；
Having　them　in　derision！　Again；　when　earth
From　end　to　end　is　rocking　under　foot；
And　shaken　cities　ruin　down；　or　threaten
Upon　the　verge；　what　wonder　is　it　then
That　mortal　generations　abase　themselves；
And　unto　gods　in　all　affairs　of　earth
Assign　as　last　resort　almighty　powers
And　wondrous　energies　to　govern　all？
　　Now　for　the　rest：　copper　and　gold　and　iron
Discovered　were；　and　with　them　silver's　weight
And　power　of　lead；　when　with　prodigious　heat
The　conflagrations　burned　the　forest　trees
Among　the　mighty　mountains；　by　a　bolt
Of　lightning　from　the　sky；　or　else　because
Men；　warring　in　the　woodlands；　on　their　foes
Had　hurled　fire　to　frighten　and　dismay；
Or　yet　because；　by　goodness　of　the　soil
Invited；　men　desired　to　clear　rich　fields
And　turn　the　countryside　to　pasture…lands；
Or　slay　the　wild　and　thrive　upon　the　spoils。
（For　hunting　by　pit…fall　and　by　fire　arose
Before　the　art　of　hedging　the　covert　round
With　net　or　stirring　it　with　dogs　of　chase。）
Howso　the　fact；　and　from　what　cause　soever
The　flamy　heat　with　awful　crack　and　roar
Had　there　devoured　to　their　deepest　roots
The　forest　trees　and　baked　the　earth　with　fire；
Then　from　the　boiling　veins　began　to　ooze
O　rivulets　of　silver　and　of　gold；
Of　lead　and　copper　too；　collecting　soon
Into　the　hollo