登陆注册
5420300000004

第4章

Not at all.They are the Clouds of heaven, great goddesses for the lazy; to them we owe all, thoughts, speeches, trickery, roguery, boasting, lies, sagacity.

STREPSIADES

Ah! that was why, as I listened to them, my mind spread out its wings; it burns to babble about trifles, to maintain worthless arguments, to voice its petty reasons, to contradict, to tease some opponent.But are they not going to show themselves? I should like to see them, were it possible.

SOCRATES

Well, look this way in the direction of Parnes; I already see those who are slowly descending.

STREPSIADES

But where, where? Show them to me.

SOCRATES

They are advancing in a throng, following an oblique path across the dales and thickets.

STREPSIADES

Strange! I can see nothing.

SOCRATES

There, close to the entrance.

STREPSIADES

Hardly, if at all, can I distinguish them.

SOCRATES

You must see them clearly now, unless your eyes are filled with gum as thick as pumpkins.

STREPSIADES

Aye, undoubtedly! Oh! the venerable goddesses! Why, they fill up the entire stage.

SOCRATES

And you did not know, you never suspected, that they were goddesses?

STREPSIADES

No, indeed; I thought the Clouds were only fog, dew and vapour.

SOCRATES

But what you certainly do not know is that they are the support of a crowd of quacks, the diviners, who were sent to Thurium, the notorious physicians, the well-combed fops, who load their fingers with rings down to the nails, and the braggarts, who write dithyrambic verses, all these are idlers whom the Clouds provide a living for, because they sing them in their verses.

STREPSIADES

It is then for this that they praise "the rapid flight of the moist clouds, which veil the brightness of day" and "the waving locks of the hundred-headed Typho" and "the impetuous tempests, which float through the heavens, like birds of prey with aerial wings loaded with mists" and "the rains, the dew, which the clouds outpour." As a reward for these fine phrases they bolt well-grown, tasty mullet and delicate thrushes.

SOCRATES

Yes, thanks to these.And is it not right and meet?

STREPSIADES

Tell me then why, if these really are the Clouds, they so very much resemble mortals.This is not their usual form.

SOCRATES

What are they like then?

STREPSIADES

I don't know exactly; well, they are like great packs of wool, but not like women-no, not in the least....And these have noses.

SOCRATES

Answer my questions.

STREPSIADES

Willingly! Go on, I am listening.

SOCRATES

Have you not sometimes seen clouds in the sky like a centaur, a leopard, a wolf or a bull?

STREPSIADES

Why, certainly I have, but what of that?

SOCRATES

They take what metamorphosis they like.If they see a debauchee with long flowing locks and hairy as a beast, like the son of Xenophantes, they take the form of a Centaur in derision of his shameful passion.

STREPSIADES

And when they see Simon, that thiever of public money, what do they do then?

SOCRATES

To picture him to the life, they turn at once into wolves.

STREPSIADES

So that was why yesterday, when they saw Cleonymus, who cast away his buckler because he is the veriest poltroon amongst men, they changed into deer.

SOCRATES

And to-day they have seen Clisthenes; you see....they are women STREPSIADESHail, sovereign goddesses, and if ever you have let your celestial voice be heard by mortal ears, speak to me, oh! speak to me, ye all-powerful queens.

CHORUS-LEADER

Hail! veteran of the ancient times, you who burn to instruct yourself in fine language.And you, great high-priest of subtle nonsense, tell us; your desire.To you and Prodicus alone of all the hollow orationers of to-day have we lent an ear-to Prodicus, because of his knowledge and his great wisdom, and to you, because you walk with head erect, a confident look, barefooted, resigned to everything and proud of our protection.

STREPSIADES

Oh! Earth! What august utterances! how sacred! how wondrous!

SOCRATES

That is because these are the only goddesses; all the rest are pure myth.

STREPSIADES

But by the Earth! is our father, Zeus, the Olympian, not a god?

SOCRATES

Zeus! what Zeus! Are you mad? There is no Zeus.

STREPSIADES

What are you saying now? Who causes the rain to fall? Answer me that!

SOCRATES

Why, these, and I will prove it.Have you ever seen it raining without clouds? Let Zeus then cause rain with a clear sky and without their presence!

STREPSIADES

By Apollo! that is powerfully argued! For my own part, I always thought it was Zeus pissing into a sieve.But tell me, who is it makes the thunder, which I so much dread?

SOCRATES

These, when they roll one over the other.

STREPSIADES

But how can that be? you most daring among men!

SOCRATES

Being full of water, and forced to move along, they are of necessity precipitated in rain, being fully distended with moisture from the regions where they have been floating; hence they bump each other heavily and burst with great noise.

STREPSIADES

But is it not Zeus who forces them to move?

SOCRATES

Not at all; it's the aerial Whirlwind.

STREPSIADES

The Whirlwind! ah! I did not know that.So Zeus, it seems, has no existence, and its the Whirlwind that reigns in his stead? But you have not yet told me what makes the roll of the thunder?

SOCRATES

Have you not understood me then? I tell you, that the Clouds, when full of rain, bump against one another, and that, being inordinately swollen out, they burst with a great noise.

STREPSIADES

How can you make me credit that?

SOCRATES

Take yourself as an example.When you have heartily gorged on stew at the Panathenaea, you get throes of stomach-ache and then suddenly your belly resounds with prolonged rumbling.

STREPSIADES

Yes, yes, by Apollo I suffer, I get colic, then the stew sets to rumbling like thunder and finally bursts forth with a terrific noise.At first, it's but a little gurgling pappax, pappax! then it increases, papapappax! and when I take my crap, why, it's thunder indeed, papapappax! pappax!! papapappax!!! just like the clouds.

SOCRATES

同类推荐
  • 太上洞玄灵宝八威召龙妙经

    太上洞玄灵宝八威召龙妙经

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • The Critique of Judgement

    The Critique of Judgement

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 辩中边论

    辩中边论

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 须真天子经

    须真天子经

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 玉照神应真经

    玉照神应真经

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
热门推荐
  • 极品妖女入豪门

    极品妖女入豪门

    他,顾城西,有名的京城贵公子,典型的富二代,身边形形色色的女友走马换灯一般,八卦周刊上有关他的绯闻接连不断。她,墨幽幽,貌不惊人,家境一般,贪吃自恋,没心没肺,脸皮厚得可以媲美城墙。偏偏最瞧不上的就是“米虫”人类富二代,从来没有妄想过攀上高枝,嫁入豪门。两人因一场相亲结实,从此纷纷扰扰,战火不断。他们本来郎无情,妾无意,按说可以相安无事。怎料到一场醉酒,两人疯狂缠绵一夜,事后被捉奸在床,被逼无奈才结了婚。原本不屑嫁入豪门的墨幽幽,就这样进了豪门,做了豪门少奶奶。★本文:前文火爆诙谐,十分搞笑!后文则稍稍虐心,内容精彩,值得期待!★某朵不才,文中也许没有太华丽的辞藻,也没有太感人肺腑的情节,但是一直都在用心写,自问无愧!朵不要假收藏,假评论,更不要所谓的刷点击。一切都只看你们,我亲爱的读者,让你们告诉我一切!【精彩片段一】:车子一停稳,男人忙下车,绅士地为女人打开车门。女人黑眸含笑,波光潋滟的一双眼,“哧哧!”的往外直放电,紧接着玉腿一伸,蛮腰一扭,风情万种,华丽丽的下车。男人顿时又有些傻眼,这个女人,脑子是不是有毛病,就这么点肉的干瘪身材,还想学人家玛丽莲梦露!这样一个“举世无双”的妖女,叶庭铮究竟是从哪里挖出来的?偏偏还要介绍给他,这不是成心整他嘛!?谁知道更骇人的在后面,女人矫揉造作的朝他抛了个媚眼,声音嗲得足够听到的人掉一层鸡皮疙瘩:“富二代,要上楼坐坐吗?”【精彩片段二】:女人眼巴巴的看着男人,可怜兮兮道:“富二代,要不我们结婚吧,我实在受不了我老妈的炮轰了!”都说酒后乱性,她原来不信,直到酒后乱性还被抓个现行,她信了,可惜晚了,因为她这辈子都栽在这上面了!男人感同深受,要知道,他也快被他家的老头子逼疯了,“结就结吧,和谁结婚不是结,但是你别奢望我会爱你。”女人豪爽地冲他摆摆手,“结了婚你也是自由的,知道你还惦记那个慕凝霜,你爱什么时候找她就什么时候找,行了吧?”“成交!”【精彩片段三】:花园,蓝色的躺椅上,一个大肚子女人躺在上面,正悠闲的晒着太阳,啃着薯条。男人不知道什么时候回来的,恼怒的将薯条夺过来,咬牙切齿道:“这么没营养的东西还吃,你不知道现在你怀孕了!?”
  • 极品夫妻

    极品夫妻

    如果一对才貌双全而且事业如日中天的男女结为夫妻的话在家里是谁说了算啊?是东风压倒西风,还是西风压倒东风?而且这一对夫妻都是娱乐圈里最只是客人的当红偶像,而且属于不同的公司,而且还要隐婚,常年聚少离多,感情能够长久吗?她与他是娱乐圈里面最火的当红偶像,相识相知,相恋,结婚,可却无奈选择了隐婚,在外人面前他们依旧是独立的,事业要顾好,而且还得防止小三入侵,日子过的的确是艰难,某天小三真的来了,他们又该如何?
  • 新译大乘起信论

    新译大乘起信论

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 危险的南迁之旅(小猪弗莱迪)

    危险的南迁之旅(小猪弗莱迪)

    《小猪弗莱迪》系列童话故事书每册都是一个精彩独立的故事。或是迷案重重、悬疑跌宕的侦探故事,或是意外横生、步步惊心的冒险故事;或是斗智斗勇、充满惊险的间谍之战;或是想像奇特、笑料十足的太空旅行……
  • 重生天后要出道

    重生天后要出道

    【甜宠+娱乐圈】一朝重生,她被誉为国民女神,引起全民追星热潮。她左打白莲花,右踩极品男,不是在虐渣,就是在虐渣的路上。拍电影,票房分分钟破亿。开店,客流量天天爆满。随手救个人,都能遇上前世的商业大鳄!(1V1甜宠,触动你的少女心~)
  • 反派也妖娆

    反派也妖娆

    穿进千万字玛丽苏长文里,与女主讲和失败,该怎么办?乐瑶表示她很有经验,不就是当大反派陈玄灵吗,她锄头挥得熟,挖男主,挖男配,挖灵药,挖灵兽……就问你女主薛婉离害怕不害怕?哈,我乐瑶版陈玄灵,坏得专业,坏得掉渣!
  • 总裁,别逼我!

    总裁,别逼我!

    【同父异母的姐姐和她孩子父亲的大喜之日,她亲手为他们准备了一份大礼。】白色游艇,浪漫唯美的婚礼,随着一声婴儿的啼叫突然中断,侍者将一个襁褓中的男婴递到新郎怀中,“三少,这是一位女士送给您的新婚礼物。”他眯着眸子,眼中拢了一抹雾霭看向远方,慢条斯理地扔掉手中的戒指,“取消婚礼。”暗中的她,偷偷地看着这一幕,悄然离去。当她以为一切终于结束时,他竟然找上了门。她装作不认识他,慌乱地出声,“先生,您找错人了!”他一把扼住她手臂,将她桎梏在墙角,“破坏了我的婚礼,你以为我会轻易放过你?”她慌地心突突直跳,“不…不是我…”他却不依不饶,将她逼在死角,“那是谁?”为了她,他布下天罗地网,苦心算计,只等她跳入,整整三百六十五天的巨债,堆攒在一起,只等她慢慢清算,好不容易熬到了这一天,怎会轻易放开。————————————————————若干年后他望着她,将一枚钻戒强行套在她无名指上,“传说中,上天真有准备另一半给你。他是属于你的,你是属于他的,遇到时你便会知道。他与你一拍即合,心血相连,凹凸完美契合,直至终老。”她伸手摘下,放回他掌心,淡然一笑,“如果,上天准备的那一半根本不合意、不能相处,宁可不要。”
  • 那些年在山寨的日子

    那些年在山寨的日子

    “丫丫的,打劫了、打劫了!那个帅哥,跟我回寨子去,不从?看本姑娘的厉害!!”当贼了,打劫了,千不该万不该劫了个酷王爷,报复、充军、发配,天哪,不过是四年前初次相遇,咋知道四年后重逢是麻烦不断……人、神、魔,剪不断、理还乱……预知下回分解,大大们还请关注——《劫个王爷当老公》
  • 封道榜

    封道榜

    六道七术天下争,三人锋芒毕露现,无尽梦魇化自在,寻道途中不曾绝!
  • 王者荣耀之魔君

    王者荣耀之魔君

    【2018王者荣耀文学大赛·征文参赛作品】曹操是烛龙,司马懿是死神,吕布又是天外神魔,王者皮肤尽然是王者英雄真正的身份!蔡文姬,我妲己才是王妃!妲己,我大乔才是小熙的最爱!大乔,你这样说貂蝉又算什么?姜子牙,一千年前你灭了纣王,屠戮妖族,今天我袁熙又回来了,神挡杀神,魔挡杀魔,我要这王者大陆,唯我独尊!