of the nature of things-第26章

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And　strike　the　eyes；　disordering　their　joints。
So　piecing　lustre　often　burns　the　eyes；
Because　it　holdeth　many　seeds　of　fire
Which；　working　into　eyes；　engender　pain。
Again；　whatever　jaundiced　people　view
Becomes　wan…yellow；　since　from　out　their　bodies
Flow　many　seeds　wan…yellow　forth　to　meet
The　films　of　things；　and　many　too　are　mixed
Within　their　eye；　which　by　contagion　paint
All　things　with　sallowness。　Again；　we　view
From　dark　recesses　things　that　stand　in　light；
Because；　when　first　has　entered　and　possessed
The　open　eyes　this　nearer　darkling　air；
Swiftly　the　shining　air　and　luminous
Followeth　in；　which　purges　then　the　eyes
And　scatters　asunder　of　that　other　air
The　sable　shadows；　for　in　large　degrees
This　air　is　nimbler；　nicer；　and　more　strong。
And　soon　as　ever　'thas　filled　and　oped　with　light
The　pathways　of　the　eyeballs；　which　before
Black　air　had　blocked；　there　follow　straightaway
Those　films　of　things　out…standing　in　the　light；
Provoking　vision…　what　we　cannot　do
From　out　the　light　with　objects　in　the　dark；
Because　that　denser　darkling　air　behind
Followeth　in；　and　fills　each　aperture
And　thus　blockades　the　pathways　of　the　eyes
That　there　no　images　of　any　things
Can　be　thrown　in　and　agitate　the　eyes。
　　And　when　from　far　away　we　do　behold
The　squared　towers　of　a　city；　oft
Rounded　they　seem；…　on　this　account　because
Each　distant　angle　is　perceived　obtuse；
Or　rather　it　is　not　perceived　at　all；
And　perishes　its　blow　nor　to　our　gaze
Arrives　its　stroke；　since　through　such　length　of　air
Are　borne　along　the　idols　that　the　air
Makes　blunt　the　idol　of　the　angle's　point
By　numerous　collidings。　When　thuswise
The　angles　of　the　tower　each　and　all
Have　quite　escaped　the　sense；　the　stones　appear
As　rubbed　and　rounded　on　a　turner's　wheel…
Yet　not　like　objects　near　and　truly　round；
But　with　a　semblance　to　them；　shadowily。
Likewise；　our　shadow　in　the　sun　appears
To　move　along　and　follow　our　own　steps
And　imitate　our　carriage…　if　thou　thinkest
Air　that　is　thus　bereft　of　light　can　walk；
Following　the　gait　and　motion　of　mankind。
For　what　we　use　to　name　a　shadow；　sure
Is　naught　but　air　deprived　of　light。　No　marvel：
Because　the　earth　from　spot　to　spot　is　reft
Progressively　of　light　of　sun；　whenever
In　moving　round　we　get　within　its　way；
While　any　spot　of　earth　by　us　abandoned
Is　filled　with　light　again；　on　this　account
It　comes　to　pass　that　what　was　body's　shadow
Seems　still　the　same　to　follow　after　us
In　one　straight　course。　Since；　evermore　pour　in
New　lights　of　rays；　and　perish　then　the　old；
Just　like　the　wool　that's　drawn　into　the　flame。
Therefore　the　earth　is　easily　spoiled　of　light
And　easily　refilled　and　from　herself
Washeth　the　black　shadows　quite　away。
　　And　yet　in　this　we　don't　at　all　concede
That　eyes　be　cheated。　For　their　task　it　is
To　note　in　whatsoever　place　be　light；
In　what　be　shadow：　whether　or　no　the　gleams
Be　still　the　same；　and　whether　the　shadow　which
Just　now　was　here　is　that　one　passing　thither；
Or　whether　the　facts　be　what　we　said　above；
'Tis　after　all　the　reasoning　of　mind
That　must　decide；　nor　can　our　eyeballs　know
The　nature　of　reality。　And　so
Attach　thou　not　this　fault　of　mind　to　eyes；
Nor　lightly　think　our　senses　everywhere
Are　tottering。　The　ship　in　which　we　sail
Is　borne　along；　although　it　seems　to　stand；
The　ship　that　bides　in　roadstead　is　supposed
There　to　be　passing　by。　And　hills　and　fields
Seem　fleeing　fast　astern；　past　which　we　urge
The　ship　and　fly　under　the　bellying　sails。
The　stars；　each　one；　do　seem　to　pause；　affixed
To　the　ethereal　caverns；　though　they　all
Forever　are　in　motion；　rising　out
And　thence　revisiting　their　far　descents
When　they　have　measured　with　their　bodies　bright
The　span　of　heaven。　And　likewise　sun　and　moon
Seem　biding　in　a　roadstead；…　objects　which；
As　plain　fact　proves；　are　really　borne　along。
Between　two　mountains　far　away　aloft
From　midst　the　whirl　of　waters　open　lies
A　gaping　exit　for　the　fleet；　and　yet
They　seem　conjoined　in　a　single　isle。
When　boys　themselves　have　stopped　their　spinning　round；
The　halls　still　seem　to　whirl　and　posts　to　reel；
Until　they　now　must　almost　think　the　roofs
Threaten　to　ruin　down　upon　their　heads。
And　now；　when　nature　begins　to　lift　on　high
The　sun's　red　splendour　and　the　tremulous　fires；
And　raise　him　o'er　the　mountain…tops；　those　mountains…
O'er　which　he　seemeth　then　to　thee　to　be；
His　glowing　self　hard　by　atingeing　them
With　his　own　fire…　are　yet　away　from　us
Scarcely　two　thousand　arrow…shots；　indeed
Oft　scarce　five　hundred　courses　of　a　dart；
Although　between　those　mountains　and　the　sun
Lie　the　huge　plains　of　ocean　spread　beneath
The　vasty　shores　of　ether；　and　intervene
A　thousand　lands；　possessed　by　many　a　folk
And　generations　of　wild　beasts。　Again；
A　pool　of　water　of　but　a　finger's　depth；
Which　lies　between　the　stones　along　the　pave；
Offers　a　vision　downward　into　earth
As　far；　as　from　the　earth　o'erspread　on　high
The　gulfs　of　heaven；　that　thus　thou　seemest　to　view
Clouds　down　below　and　heavenly　bodies　plunged
Wondrously　in　heaven　under　earth。
Then　too；　when　in　the　middle　of　the　stream
Sticks　fast　our　dashing　horse；　and　down　we　gaze
Into　the　river's　rapid　waves；　some　force
Seems　then　to　bear　the　body　of　the　horse；
Though　standing　still；　reversely　from　his　course；
And　swiftly　push　up…stream。　And　wheresoe'er
We　cast　our　eyes　across；　all　objects　seem
Thus　to　be　onward　borne　and　flow　along
In　the　same　way　as　we。　A　portico；
Albeit　it　stands　well　propped　from　end　to　end
On　equal　columns；　parallel　and　big；
Contracts　by　stages　in　a　narrow　cone；
When　from　one　end　the　long；　long　whole　is　seen；…
Until；　conjoining　ceiling　with　the　floor；
And　the　whole　right　side　with　the　left；　it　draws
Together　to　a　cone's　nigh…viewless　point。
To　sailors　on　the　main　the　sun　he　seems
From　out　the　waves　to　rise；　and　in　the　waves
To　set　and　bury　his　light…　because　indeed
They　gaze　on　naught　but　water　and　the　sky。
Again；　to　gazers　ignorant　of　the　sea；
Vessels　in　port　seem；　as　with　broken　poops；
To　lean　upon　the　water；　quite　agog；
For　any　portion　of　the　oars　that's　raised
Above　the　briny　spray　is　straight；　and　straight
The　rudders　from　above。　But　other　parts；
Those　sunk；　immersed　below　the　water…line；
Seem　broken　all　and　bended　and　inclined
Sloping　to　upwards；　and　turned　back　to　float
Almost　atop　the　water。　And　when　the　winds
Carry　the　scattered　drifts　along　the　sky
In　the　night…time；　then　seem　to　glide　along
The　radiant　constellations　'gainst　the　clouds
And　there　on　high　to　take　far　other　course
From　that　whereon　in　truth　they're　borne。　And　then；
If　haply　our　hand　be　set　beneath　one　eye
And　press　below　thereon；　then　to　our　gaze
Each　object　which　we　gaze　on　seems　to　be；
By　some　sensation　twain…　then　twain　the　lights
Of　lampions　burgeoning　in　flowers　of　flame；
And　twain　the　furniture　in　all　the　house；
Two…fold　the　visages　of　fellow…men；
And　twain　their　bodies。　And　again；　when　sleep
Has　bound　our　members　down　in　slumber　soft
And　all　the　body　lies　in　deep　repose；
Yet　then　we　seem　to　self　to　be　awake
And　move　our　members；　and　in　night's　blind　gloom
We　think　to　mark　the　daylight　and　the　sun；
And；　shut　within　a　room；　yet　still　we　seem
To　change　our　skies；　our　oceans；　rivers；　hills；
To　cross　the　plains　afoot；　and　hear　new　sounds；
Though　still　the　austere　silence　of　the　night
Abides　around　us；　and　to　speak　replies；
Though　voiceless。　Other　cases　of　the　sort
Wondrously　many　do　we　see；　which　all
Seek；　so　to　say；　to　injure　faith　in　sense…
In　vain；　because　the　largest　part　of　these
Deceives　through　mere　opinions　of　the　mind；
Which　we　do　add　ourselves；　feigning　to　see
What　by　the　senses　are　not　seen　at　all。
For　naught　is　harder　than　to　separate
Plain　facts　from　dubious；　which　the　mind　forthwith
Adds　by　itself。
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Again；　if　one　suppose
That　naught　is　known；　he　knows　not　whether　this
Itself　is　able　to　be　known；　since　he
Confesses　naught　to　know。　Therefore　with　him
I　waive　discussion…　who　has　set　his　head
Even　where　his　feet　should　be。　But　let　me　grant
That　this　he　knows；…　I　question：　whence　he　knows
What　'tis　to　know　and　not…to…know　in　turn；
And　what　created　concept　of　the　truth；
And　what　device　has　proved　th