of the nature of things-第8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！


Or　haply　by　another's　blow　without。
For；　when；　in　their　incessancy　so　oft
They　meet　and　clash；　it　comes　to　pass　amain
They　leap　asunder；　face　to　face：　not　strange…
Being　most　hard；　and　solid　in　their　weights；
And　naught　opposing　motion；　from　behind。
And　that　more　clearly　thou　perceive　how　all
These　mites　of　matter　are　darted　round　about；
Recall　to　mind　how　nowhere　in　the　sum
Of　All　exists　a　bottom；…　nowhere　is
A　realm　of　rest　for　primal　bodies；　since
（As　amply　shown　and　proved　by　reason　sure）
Space　has　no　bound　nor　measure；　and　extends
Unmetered　forth　in　all　directions　round。
Since　this　stands　certain；　thus　'tis　out　of　doubt
No　rest　is　rendered　to　the　primal　bodies
Along　the　unfathomable　inane；　but　rather；
Inveterately　plied　by　motions　mixed；
Some；　at　their　jamming；　bound　aback　and　leave
Huge　gaps　between；　and　some　from　off　the　blow
Are　hurried　about　with　spaces　small　between。
And　all　which；　brought　together　with　slight　gaps；
In　more　condensed　union　bound　aback；
Linked　by　their　own　all　inter…tangled　shapes；…
These　form　the　irrefragable　roots　of　rocks
And　the　brute　bulks　of　iron；　and　what　else
Is　of　their　kind。。。
The　rest　leap　far　asunder；　far　recoil；
Leaving　huge　gaps　between：　and　these　supply
For　us　thin　air　and　splendour…lights　of　the　sun。
And　many　besides　wander　the　mighty　void…
Cast　back　from　unions　of　existing　things；
Nowhere　accepted　in　the　universe；
And　nowise　linked　in　motions　to　the　rest。
And　of　this　fact　（as　I　record　it　here）
An　image；　a　type　goes　on　before　our　eyes
Present　each　moment；　for　behold　whenever
The　sun's　light　and　the　rays；　let　in；　pour　down
Across　dark　halls　of　houses：　thou　wilt　see
The　many　mites　in　many　a　manner　mixed
Amid　a　void　in　the　very　light　of　the　rays；
And　battling　on；　as　in　eternal　strife；
And　in　battalions　contending　without　halt；
In　meetings；　partings；　harried　up　and　down。
From　this　thou　mayest　conjecture　of　what　sort
The　ceaseless　tossing　of　primordial　seeds
Amid　the　mightier　void…　at　least　so　far
As　small　affair　can　for　a　vaster　serve；
And　by　example　put　thee　on　the　spoor
Of　knowledge。　For　this　reason　too　'tis　fit
Thou　turn　thy　mind　the　more　unto　these　bodies
Which　here　are　witnessed　tumbling　in　the　light：
Namely；　because　such　tumblings　are　a　sign
That　motions　also　of　the　primal　stuff
Secret　and　viewless　lurk　beneath；　behind。
For　thou　wilt　mark　here　many　a　speck；　impelled
By　viewless　blows；　to　change　its　little　course；
And　beaten　backwards　to　return　again；
Hither　and　thither　in　all　directions　round。
Lo；　all　their　shifting　movement　is　of　old；
From　the　primeval　atoms；　for　the　same
Primordial　seeds　of　things　first　move　of　self；
And　then　those　bodies　built　of　unions　small
And　nearest；　as　it　were；　unto　the　powers
Of　the　primeval　atoms；　are　stirred　up
By　impulse　of　those　atoms'　unseen　blows；
And　these　thereafter　goad　the　next　in　size：
Thus　motion　ascends　from　the　primevals　on；
And　stage　by　stage　emerges　to　our　sense；
Until　those　objects　also　move　which　we
Can　mark　in　sunbeams；　though　it　not　appears
What　blows　do　urge　them。
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Herein　wonder　not
How　'tis　that；　while　the　seeds　of　things　are　all
Moving　forever；　the　sum　yet　seems　to　stand
Supremely　still；　except　in　cases　where
A　thing　shows　motion　of　its　frame　as　whole。
For　far　beneath　the　ken　of　senses　lies
The　nature　of　those　ultimates　of　the　world；
And　so；　since　those　themselves　thou　canst　not　see；
Their　motion　also　must　they　veil　from　men…
For　mark；　indeed；　how　things　we　can　see；　oft
Yet　hide　their　motions；　when　afar　from　us
Along　the　distant　landscape。　Often　thus；
Upon　a　hillside　will　the　woolly　flocks
Be　cropping　their　goodly　food　and　creeping　about
Whither　the　summons　of　the　grass；　begemmed
With　the　fresh　dew；　is　calling；　and　the　lambs；
Well　filled；　are　frisking；　locking　horns　in　sport：
Yet　all　for　us　seem　blurred　and　blent　afar…
A　glint　of　white　at　rest　on　a　green　hill。
Again；　when　mighty　legions；　marching　round；
Fill　all　the　quarters　of　the　plains　below；
Rousing　a　mimic　warfare；　there　the　sheen
Shoots　up　the　sky；　and　all　the　fields　about
Glitter　with　brass；　and　from　beneath；　a　sound
Goes　forth　from　feet　of　stalwart　soldiery；
And　mountain　walls；　smote　by　the　shouting；　send
The　voices　onward　to　the　stars　of　heaven；
And　hither　and　thither　darts　the　cavalry；
And　of　a　sudden　down　the　midmost　fields
Charges　with　onset　stout　enough　to　rock
The　solid　earth：　and　yet　some　post　there　is
Up　the　high　mountains；　viewed　from　which　they　seem
To　stand…　a　gleam　at　rest　along　the　plains。
　　　Now　what　the　speed　to　matter's　atoms　given
Thou　mayest　in　few；　my　Memmius；　learn　from　this：
When　first　the　dawn　is　sprinkling　with　new　light
The　lands；　and　all　the　breed　of　birds　abroad
Flit　round　the　trackless　forests；　with　liquid　notes
Filling　the　regions　along　the　mellow　air；
We　see　'tis　forthwith　manifest　to　man
How　suddenly　the　risen　sun　is　wont
At　such　an　hour　to　overspread　and　clothe
The　whole　with　its　own　splendour；　but　the　sun's
Warm　exhalations　and　this　serene　light
Travel　not　down　an　empty　void；　and　thus
They　are　compelled　more　slowly　to　advance；
Whilst；　as　it　were；　they　cleave　the　waves　of　air；
Nor　one　by　one　travel　these　particles
Of　the　warm　exhalations；　but　are　all
Entangled　and　enmassed；　whereby　at　once
Each　is　restrained　by　each；　and　from　without
Checked；　till　compelled　more　slowly　to　advance。
But　the　primordial　atoms　with　their　old
Simple　solidity；　when　forth　they　travel
Along　the　empty　void；　all　undelayed
By　aught　outside　them　there；　and　they；　each　one
Being　one　unit　from　nature　of　its　parts；
Are　borne　to　that　one　place　on　which　they　strive
Still　to　lay　hold；　must　then；　beyond　a　doubt；
Outstrip　in　speed；　and　be　more　swiftly　borne
Than　light　of　sun；　and　over　regions　rush；
Of　space　much　vaster；　in　the　self…same　time
The　sun's　effulgence　widens　round　the　sky。
　　　　　　　。　　　　　。　　　　　。　　　　　。　　　　　。　　　　　。
Nor　to　pursue　the　atoms　one　by　one；
To　see　the　law　whereby　each　thing　goes　on。
But　some　men；　ignorant　of　matter；　think；
Opposing　this；　that　not　without　the　gods；
In　such　adjustment　to　our　human　ways；
Can　nature　change　the　seasons　of　the　years；
And　bring　to　birth　the　grains　and　all　of　else
To　which　divine　Delight；　the　guide　of　life；
Persuades　mortality　and　leads　it　on；
That；　through　her　artful　blandishments　of　love；
It　propagate　the　generations　still；
Lest　humankind　should　perish。　When　they　feign
That　gods　have　stablished　all　things　but　for　man；
They　seem　in　all　ways　mightily　to　lapse
From　reason's　truth：　for　ev'n　if　ne'er　I　knew
What　seeds　primordial　are；　yet　would　I　dare
This　to　affirm；　ev'n　from　deep　judgment　based
Upon　the　ways　and　conduct　of　the　skies…
This　to　maintain　by　many　a　fact　besides…
That　in　no　wise　the　nature　of　the　world
For　us　was　builded　by　a　power　divine…
So　great　the　faults　it　stands　encumbered　with：
The　which；　my　Memmius；　later　on；　for　thee
We　will　clear　up。　Now　as　to　what　remains
Concerning　motions　we'll　unfold　our　thought。
　　Now　is　the　place；　meseems；　in　these　affairs
To　prove　for　thee　this　too：　nothing　corporeal
Of　its　own　force　can　e'er　be　upward　borne；
Or　upward　go…　nor　let　the　bodies　of　flames
Deceive　thee　here：　for　they　engendered　are
With　urge　to　upwards；　taking　thus　increase；
Whereby　grow　upwards　shining　grains　and　trees；
Though　all　the　weight　within　them　downward　bears。
Nor；　when　the　fires　will　leap　from　under　round
The　roofs　of　houses；　and　swift　flame　laps　up
Timber　and　beam；　'tis　then　to　be　supposed
They　act　of　own　accord；　no　force　beneath
To　urge　them　up。　'Tis　thus　that　blood；　discharged
From　out　our　bodies；　spurts　its　jets　aloft
And　spatters　gore。　And　hast　thou　never　marked
With　what　a　force　the　water　will　disgorge
Timber　and　beam？　The　deeper；　straight　and　down；
We　push　them　in；　and；　many　though　we　be；
The　more　we　press　with　main　and　toil；　the　more
The　water　vomits　up　and　flings　them　back；
That；　more　than　half　their　length；　they　there　emerge；
Rebounding。　Yet　we　never　doubt；　meseems；
That　all　the　weight　within　them　downward　bears
Through　empty　void。　Well；　in　like　manner；　flames
Ought　also　to　be　able；　when　pressed　out；
Through　winds　of　air　to　rise　aloft；　even　though
The　weight　within　them　strive　to　draw　them　down。
Hast　thou　not　seen；　sweeping　so　far　and　high；
The　meteors；　midnight　flambeaus　of　the　sky；
How　after　them　they　draw　long　trails　of　flame
Wherever　Nature　gives　a　thoroughfare？
How　stars　and　constellations　drop　to　earth；
Seest　not？　Nay；　too；　the　sun　from　peak　of　heaven
Sheds　round　to　every　quarter　its　large　heat；
And　sows　the　new…ploughed　intervales　with　light：
Thus　also　sun's　heat　downward　tends　to　earth。
Athwart　the　rain　thou　seest　the　lightning　fly；
Now　here；　now　there；　bursting　from　out　the　clouds；
The　fires　dash　zig…zag…　and　that　flaming　power
Falls　likewise　down　to　earth。
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　In　these　affairs
We　wish　thee　also　well　aware　of　this：
The　atoms；　as　their　own　weight　bears　them　down
Plumb　through　the　void；　at　scarce　determined　times；
In　scarce　determined　places；　from　their　course
Decline　a　little…　call　it；　so　to　speak；
Mere　changed　trend。　For　were　it　not　their　wont
Thuswise　to　swerve；　down　would　they　fall；　each　one；
Like　drops　of　rain；　through　the　unbottomed　void；
And　then　collisions　n