of the nature of things-第33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！


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　once　ye　offer　to　man's　listening　ears
Something　before　unheard　of；　but　may　not
Subject　it　to　the　view　of　eyes　for　him
Nor　put　it　into　hand…　the　sight　and　touch；
Whereby　the　opened　highways　of　belief
Lead　most　directly　into　human　breast
And　regions　of　intelligence。　But　yet
I　will　speak　out。　The　fact　itself；　perchance；
Will　force　belief　in　these　my　words；　and　thou
Mayst　see；　in　little　time；　tremendously
With　risen　commotions　of　the　lands　all　things
Quaking　to　pieces…　which　afar　from　us
May　she；　the　steersman　Nature；　guide：　and　may
Reason；　O　rather　than　the　fact　itself；
Persuade　us　that　all　things　can　be　o'erthrown
And　sink　with　awful…sounding　breakage　down！
　　But　ere　on　this　I　take　a　step　to　utter
Oracles　holier　and　soundlier　based
Than　ever　the　Pythian　pronounced　for　men
From　out　the　tripod　and　the　Delphian　laurel；
I　will　unfold　for　thee　with　learned　words
Many　a　consolation；　lest　perchance；
Still　bridled　by　religion；　thou　suppose
Lands；　sun；　and　sky；　sea；　constellations；　moon；
Must　dure　forever；　as　of　frame　divine…
And　so　conclude　that　it　is　just　that　those；
（After　the　manner　of　the　Giants）；　should　all
Pay　the　huge　penalties　for　monstrous　crime；
Who　by　their　reasonings　do　overshake
The　ramparts　of　the　universe　and　wish
There　to　put　out　the　splendid　sun　of　heaven；
Branding　with　mortal　talk　immortal　things…
Though　these　same　things　are　even　so　far　removed
From　any　touch　of　deity　and　seem
So　far　unworthy　of　numbering　with　the　gods；
That　well　they　may　be　thought　to　furnish　rather
A　goodly　instance　of　the　sort　of　things
That　lack　the　living　motion；　living　sense。
For　sure　'tis　quite　beside　the　mark　to　think
That　judgment　and　the　nature　of　the　mind
In　any　kind　of　body　can　exist…
Just　as　in　ether　can't　exist　a　tree；
Nor　clouds　in　the　salt　sea；　nor　in　the　fields
Can　fishes　live；　nor　blood　in　timber　be；
Nor　sap　in　boulders：　fixed　and　arranged
Where　everything　may　grow　and　have　its　place。
Thus　nature　of　mind　cannot　arise　alone
Without　the　body；　nor　have　its　being　far
From　thews　and　blood。　Yet　if　'twere　possible？…
Much　rather　might　this　very　power　of　mind
Be　in　the　head；　the　shoulders；　or　the　heels；
And；　born　in　any　part　soever；　yet
In　the　same　man；　in　the　same　vessel　abide
But　since　within　this　body　even　of　ours
Stands　fixed　and　appears　arranged　sure
Where　soul　and　mind　can　each　exist　and　grow；
Deny　we　must　the　more　that　they　can　dure
Outside　the　body　and　the　breathing　form
In　rotting　clods　of　earth；　in　the　sun's　fire；
In　water；　or　in　ether's　skiey　coasts。
Therefore　these　things　no　whit　are　furnished
With　sense　divine；　since　never　can　they　be
With　life…force　quickened。
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Likewise；　thou　canst　ne'er
Believe　the　sacred　seats　of　gods　are　here
In　any　regions　of　this　mundane　world；
Indeed；　the　nature　of　the　gods；　so　subtle；
So　far　removed　from　these　our　senses；　scarce
Is　seen　even　by　intelligence　of　mind。
And　since　they've　ever　eluded　touch　and　thrust
Of　human　hands；　they　cannot　reach　to　grasp
Aught　tangible　to　us。　For　what　may　not
Itself　be　touched　in　turn　can　never　touch。
Wherefore；　besides；　also　their　seats　must　be
Unlike　these　seats　of　ours；…　even　subtle　too；
As　meet　for　subtle　essence…　as　I'll　prove
Hereafter　unto　thee　with　large　discourse。
Further；　to　say　that　for　the　sake　of　men
They　willed　to　prepare　this　world's　magnificence；
And　that　'tis　therefore　duty　and　behoof
To　praise　the　work　of　gods　as　worthy　praise；
And　that　'tis　sacrilege　for　men　to　shake
Ever　by　any　force　from　out　their　seats
What　hath　been　stablished　by　the　Forethought　old
To　everlasting　for　races　of　mankind；
And　that　'tis　sacrilege　to　assault　by　words
And　overtopple　all　from　base　to　beam；…
Memmius；　such　notions　to　concoct　and　pile；
Is　verily…　to　dote。　Our　gratefulness；
O　what　emoluments　could　it　confer
Upon　Immortals　and　upon　the　Blessed
That　they　should　take　a　step　to　manage　aught
For　sake　of　us？　Or　what　new　factor　could；
After　so　long　a　time；　inveigle　them…
The　hitherto　reposeful…　to　desire
To　change　their　former　life？　For