timaeu-第12章

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！


now　been　created　in　idea；　among　the　four　elements。

　　To　earth；　then；　let　us　assign　the　cubical　form；　for　earth　is　the

most　immoveable　of　the　four　and　the　most　plastic　of　all　bodies；　and

that　which　has　the　most　stable　bases　must　of　necessity　be　of　such　a

nature。　Now；　of　the　triangles　which　we　assumed　at　first；　that　which

has　two　equal　sides　is　by　nature　more　firmly　based　than　that　which　has

unequal　sides；　and　of　the　compound　figures　which　are　formed　out　of

either；　the　plane　equilateral　quadrangle　has　necessarily；　a　more

stable　basis　than　the　equilateral　triangle；　both　in　the　whole　and　in

the　parts。　Wherefore；　in　assigning　this　figure　to　earth；　we　adhere

to　probability；　and　to　water　we　assign　that　one　of　the　remaining　forms

which　is　the　least　moveable；　and　the　most　moveable　of　them　to　fire；

and　to　air　that　which　is　intermediate。　Also　we　assign　the　smallest

body　to　fire；　and　the　greatest　to　water；　and　the　intermediate　in

size　to　air；　and；　again；　the　acutest　body　to　fire；　and　the　next　in

acuteness　to；　air；　and　the　third　to　water。　Of　all　these　elements；　that

which　has　the　fewest　bases　must　necessarily　be　the　most　moveable；

for　it　must　be　the　acutest　and　most　penetrating　in　every　way；　and　also

the　lightest　as　being　composed　of　the　smallest　number　of　similar

particles：　and　the　second　body　has　similar　properties　in　a　second

degree；　and　the　third　body　in　the　third　degree。　Let　it　be　agreed；

then；　both　according　to　strict　reason　and　according　to　probability；

that　the　pyramid　is　the　solid　which　is　the　original　element　and　seed

of　fire；　and　let　us　assign　the　element　which　was　next　in　the　order

of　generation　to　air；　and　the　third　to　water。　We　must　imagine　all

these　to　be　so　small　that　no　single　particle　of　any　of　the　four

kinds　is　seen　by　us　on　account　of　their　smallness：　but　when　many　of

them　are　collected　together　their　aggregates　are　seen。　And　the

ratios　of　their　numbers；　motions；　and　other　properties；　everywhere

God；　as　far　as　necessity　allowed　or　gave　consent；　has　exactly

perfected；　and　harmonised　in　due　proportion。

　　From　all　that　we　have　just　been　saying　about　the　elements　or

kinds；　the　most　probable　conclusion　is　as　follows：…earth；　when　meeting

with　fire　and　dissolved　by　its　sharpness；　whether　the　dissolution　take

place　in　the　fire　itself　or　perhaps　in　some　mass　of　air　or　water；　is

borne　hither　and　thither；　until　its　parts；　meeting　together　and

mutually　harmonising；　again　become　earth；　for　they　can　never　take

any　other　form。　But　water；　when　divided　by　fire　or　by　air；　on

reforming；　may　become　one　part　fire　and　two　parts　air；　and　a　single

volume　of　air　divided　becomes　two　of　fire。　Again；　when　a　small　body　of

fire　is　contained　in　a　larger　body　of　air　or　water　or　earth；　and

both　are　moving；　and　the　fire　struggling　is　overcome　and　broken　up；

then　two　volumes　of　fire　form　one　volume　of　air；　and　when　air　is

overcome　and　cut　up　into　small　pieces；　two　and　a　half　parts　of　air　are

condensed　into　one　part　of　water。　Let　us　consider　the　matter　in

another　way。　When　one　of　the　other　elements　is　fastened　upon　by

fire；　and　is　cut　by　the　sharpness　of　its　angles　and　sides；　it

coalesces　with　the　fire；　and　then　ceases　to　be　cut　by　them　any　longer。

For　no　element　which　is　one　and　the　same　with　itself　can　be　changed　by

or　change　another　of　the　same　kind　and　in　the　same　state。　But　so

long　as　in　the　process　of　transition　the　weaker　is　fighting　against

the　stronger；　the　dissolution　continues。　Again；　when　a　few　small

particles；　enclosed　in　many　larger　ones；　are　in　process　of

decomposition　and　extinction；　they　only　cease　from　their　tendency　to

extinction　when　they　consent　to　pass　into　the　conquering　nature；　and

fire　becomes　air　and　air　water。　But　if　bodies　of　another　kind　go　and

attack　them　＇i。e。　the　small　particles＇；　the　latter　continue　to　be

dissolved　until；　being　completely　forced　back　and　dispersed；　they　make

their　escape　to　their　own　kindred；　or　else；　being　overcome　and

assimilated　to　the　conquering　power；　they　remain　where　they　are　and

dwell　with　their　victors；　and　from　being　many　become　one。　And　owing　to

these　affections；　all　things　are　changing　their　place；　for　by　the

motion　of　the　receiving　vessel　the　bulk　of　each　class　is　distributed

into　its　proper　place；　but　those　things　which　become　unlike　themselves

and　like　other　things；　are　hurried　by　the　shaking　into　the　place　of

the　things　to　which　they　grow　like。

　　Now　all　unmixed　and　primary　bodies　are　produced　by　such　causes　as

these。　As　to　the　subordinate　species　which　are　included　in　the　greater

kinds；　they　are　to　be　attributed　to　the　varieties　in　the　structure

of　the　two　original　triangles。　For　either　structure　did　not　originally

produce　the　triangle　of　one　size　only；　but　some　larger　and　some

smaller；　and　there　are　as　many　sizes　as　there　are　species　of　the

four　elements。　Hence　when　they　are　mingled　with　themselves　and　with

one　another　there　is　an　endless　variety　of　them；　which　those　who　would

arrive　at　the　probable　truth　of　nature　ought　duly　to　consider。

　　Unless　a　person　comes　to　an　understanding　about　the　nature　and

conditions　of　rest　and　motion；　he　will　meet　with　many　difficulties

in　the　discussion　which　follows。　Something　has　been　said　of　this

matter　already；　and　something　more　remains　to　be　said；　which　is；

that　motion　never　exists　in　what　is　uniform。　For　to　conceive　that

anything　can　be　moved　without　a　mover　is　hard　or　indeed　impossible；

and　equally　impossible　to　conceive　that　there　can　be　a　mover　unless

there　be　something　which　can　be　moved…motion　cannot　exist　where　either

of　these　are　wanting；　and　for　these　to　be　uniform　is　impossible；

wherefore　we　must　assign　rest　to　uniformity　and　motion　to　the　want

of　uniformity。　Now　inequality　is　the　cause　of　the　nature　which　is

wanting　in　uniformity；　and　of　this　we　have　already　described　the

origin。　But　there　still　remains　the　further　point…why　things　when

divided　after　their　kinds　do　not　cease　to　pass　through　one　another　and

to　change　their　place…which　we　will　now　proceed　to　explain。　In　the

revolution　of　the　universe　are　comprehended　all　the　four　elements；　and

this　being　circular　and　having　a　tendency　to　come　together；　compresses

everything　and　will　not　allow　any　place　to　be　left　void。　Wherefore；

also；　fire　above　all　things　penetrates　everywhere；　and　air　next；　as

being　next　in　rarity　of　the　elements；　and　the　two　other　elements　in

like　manner　penetrate　according　to　their　degrees　of　rarity。　For

those　things　which　are　composed　of　the　largest　particles　have　the

largest　void　left　in　their　compositions；　and　those　which　are

composed　of　the　smallest　particles　have　the　least。　And　the　contraction

caused　by　the　compression　thrusts　the　smaller　particles　into　the

interstices　of　the　larger。　And　thus；　when　the　small　parts　are　placed

side　by　side　with　the　larger；　and　the　lesser　divide　the　greater　and

the　greater　unite　the　lesser；　all　the　elements　are　borne　up　and　down

and　hither　and　thither　towards　their　own　places；　for　the　change　in　the

size　of　each　changes　its　position　in　space。　And　these　causes

generate　an　inequality　which　is　always　maintained；　and　is

continually　creating　a　perpetual　motion　of　the　elements　in　all　time。

　　In　the　next　place　we　have　to　consider　that　there　are　divers　kinds　of

fire。　There　are；　for　example；　first；　flame；　and　secondly；　those

emanations　of　flame　which　do　not　burn　but　only　give　light　to　the　eyes；

thirdly；　the　remains　of　fire；　which　are　seen　in　red…hot　embers　after

the　flame　has　been　extinguished。　There　are　similar　differences　in

the　air；　of　which　the　brightest　part　is　called　the　aether；　and　the

most　turbid　sort　mist　and　darkness；　and　there　are　various　other

nameless　kinds　which　arise　from　the　inequality　of　the　triangles。

Water；　again；　admits　in　the　first　place　of　a　division　into　two

kinds；　the　one　liquid　and　the　other　fusile。　The　liquid　kind　is

composed　of　the　small　and　unequal　particles　of　water；　and　moves　itself

and　is　moved　by　other　bodies　owing　to　the　want　of　uniformity　and　the

shape　of　its　particles；　whereas　the　fusile　kind；　being　formed　of　large

and　uniform　particles；　is　more　stable　than　the　other；　and　is　heavy　a