第 7 节
作者:不言败      更新:2024-01-24 16:00      字数:9322
  Phrase。
  A Letter is an indivisible sound; yet not every such sound; but only
  one which can form part of a group of sounds。 For even brutes utter
  indivisible sounds; none of which I call a letter。 The sound I mean
  may be either a vowel; a semivowel; or a mute。 A vowel is that which
  without impact of tongue or lip has an audible sound。 A semivowel that
  which with such impact has an audible sound; as S and R。 A mute;
  that which with such impact has by itself no sound; but joined to a
  vowel sound becomes audible; as G and D。 These are distinguished
  according to the form assumed by the mouth and the place where they
  are produced; according as they are aspirated or smooth; long or
  short; as they are acute; grave; or of an intermediate tone; which
  inquiry belongs in detail to the writers on meter。
  A Syllable is a nonsignificant sound; composed of a mute and a
  vowel: for GR without A is a syllable; as also with A… GRA。 But the
  investigation of these differences belongs also to metrical science。
  A Connecting Word is a nonsignificant sound; which neither causes
  nor hinders the union of many sounds into one significant sound; it
  may be placed at either end or in the middle of a sentence。 Or; a
  nonsignificant sound; which out of several sounds; each of them
  significant; is capable of forming one significant sound… as amphi;
  peri; and the like。 Or; a nonsignificant sound; which marks the
  beginning; end; or division of a sentence; such; however; that it
  cannot correctly stand by itself at the beginning of a sentence… as
  men; etoi; de。
  A Noun is a composite significant sound; not marking time; of
  which no part is in itself significant: for in double or compound
  words we do not employ the separate parts as if each were in itself
  significant。 Thus in Theodorus; 'god…given;' the doron or 'gift' is
  not in itself significant。
  A Verb is a composite significant sound; marking time; in which;
  as in the noun; no part is in itself significant。 For 'man' or 'white'
  does not express the idea of 'when'; but 'he walks' or 'he has walked'
  does connote time; present or past。
  Inflection belongs both to the noun and verb; and expresses either
  the relation 'of;' 'to;' or the like; or that of number; whether one
  or many; as 'man' or 'men'; or the modes or tones in actual
  delivery; e。g。; a question or a command。 'Did he go?' and 'go' are
  verbal inflections of this kind。
  A Sentence or Phrase is a composite significant sound; some at least
  of whose parts are in themselves significant; for not every such group
  of words consists of verbs and nouns… 'the definition of man;' for
  example… but it may dispense even with the verb。 Still it will
  always have some significant part; as 'in walking;' or 'Cleon son of
  Cleon。' A sentence or phrase may form a unity in two ways… either as
  signifying one thing; or as consisting of several parts linked
  together。 Thus the Iliad is one by the linking together of parts;
  the definition of man by the unity of the thing signified。
  POETICS|21
  XXI
  Words are of two kinds; simple and double。 By simple I mean those
  composed of nonsignificant elements; such as ge; 'earth。' By double or
  compound; those composed either of a significant and nonsignificant
  element (though within the whole word no element is significant); or
  of elements that are both significant。 A word may likewise be
  triple; quadruple; or multiple in form; like so many Massilian
  expressions; e。g。; 'Hermo…caico…xanthus 'who prayed to Father Zeus'。'
  Every word is either current; or strange; or metaphorical; or
  ornamental; or newly…coined; or lengthened; or contracted; or altered。
  By a current or proper word I mean one which is in general use among
  a people; by a strange word; one which is in use in another country。
  Plainly; therefore; the same word may be at once strange and
  current; but not in relation to the same people。 The word sigynon;
  'lance;' is to the Cyprians a current term but to us a strange one。
  Metaphor is the application of an alien name by transference
  either from genus to species; or from species to genus; or from
  species to species; or by analogy; that is; proportion。 Thus from
  genus to species; as: 'There lies my ship'; for lying at anchor is a
  species of lying。 From species to genus; as: 'Verily ten thousand
  noble deeds hath Odysseus wrought'; for ten thousand is a species of
  large number; and is here used for a large number generally。 From
  species to species; as: 'With blade of bronze drew away the life;' and
  'Cleft the water with the vessel of unyielding bronze。' Here arusai;
  'to draw away' is used for tamein; 'to cleave;' and tamein; again
  for arusai… each being a species of taking away。 Analogy or proportion
  is when the second term is to the first as the fourth to the third。 We
  may then use the fourth for the second; or the second for the
  fourth。 Sometimes too we qualify the metaphor by adding the term to
  which the proper word is relative。 Thus the cup is to Dionysus as
  the shield to Ares。 The cup may; therefore; be called 'the shield of
  Dionysus;' and the shield 'the cup of Ares。' Or; again; as old age
  is to life; so is evening to day。 Evening may therefore be called;
  'the old age of the day;' and old age; 'the evening of life;' or; in
  the phrase of Empedocles; 'life's setting sun。' For some of the
  terms of the proportion there is at times no word in existence;
  still the metaphor may be used。 For instance; to scatter seed is
  called sowing: but the action of the sun in scattering his rays is
  nameless。 Still this process bears to the sun the same relation as
  sowing to the seed。 Hence the expression of the poet 'sowing the
  god…created light。' There is another way in which this kind of
  metaphor may be employed。 We may apply an alien term; and then deny of
  that term one of its proper attributes; as if we were to call the
  shield; not 'the cup of Ares;' but 'the wineless cup'。
  A newly…coined word is one which has never been even in local use;
  but is adopted by the poet himself。 Some such words there appear to
  be: as ernyges; 'sprouters;' for kerata; 'horns'; and areter;
  'supplicator'; for hiereus; 'priest。'
  A word is lengthened when its own vowel is exchanged for a longer
  one; or when a syllable is inserted。 A word is contracted when some
  part of it is removed。 Instances of lengthening are: poleos for
  poleos; Peleiadeo for Peleidou; of contraction: kri; do; and ops; as
  in mia ginetai amphoteron ops; 'the appearance of both is one。'
  An altered word is one in which part of the ordinary form is left
  unchanged; and part is recast: as in dexiteron kata mazon; 'on the
  right breast;' dexiteron is for dexion。
  Nouns in themselves are either masculine; feminine; or neuter。
  Masculine are such as end in N; R; S; or in some letter compounded
  with S… these being two; PS and X。 Feminine; such as end in vowels
  that are always long; namely E and O; and… of vowels that admit of
  lengthening… those in A。 Thus the number of letters in which nouns
  masculine and feminine end is the same; for PS and X are equivalent to
  endings in S。 No noun ends in a mute or a vowel short by nature。 Three
  only end in I… meli; 'honey'; kommi; 'gum'; peperi; 'pepper'; five end
  in U。 Neuter nouns end in these two latter vowels; also in N and S。
  POETICS|22
  XXII
  The perfection of style is to be clear without being mean。 The
  clearest style is that which uses only current or proper words; at the
  same time it is mean… witness the poetry of Cleophon and of Sthenelus。
  That diction; on the other hand; is lofty and raised above the
  commonplace which employs unusual words。 By unusual; I mean strange
  (or rare) words; metaphorical; lengthened… anything; in short; that
  differs from the normal idiom。 Yet a style wholly composed of such
  words is either a riddle or a jargon; a riddle; if it consists of
  metaphors; a jargon; if it consists of strange (or rare) words。 For
  the essence of a riddle is to express true facts under impossible
  combinations。 Now this cannot be done  by any arrangement of
  ordinary words; but by the use of metaphor it can。 Such is the riddle:
  'A man I saw who on another man had glued the bronze by aid of
  fire;' and others of the same kind。 A diction that is made up of
  strange (or rare) terms is a jargon。 A certain infusion; therefore; of
  these elements is necessary to style; for the strange (or rare)
  word; the metaphorical; the ornamental; and the other kinds above
  mentioned; will raise it above the commonplace and mean; while the use
  of proper words will make it perspicuous。 But nothing contributes more
  to produce a cleanness of diction that is remote from commonness
  than the lengthening; contracti