第 4 节
作者:
连过十一人 更新:2021-02-27 01:34 字数:9291
conjecture; and when they catch sight of the quarry are all in a tremor;'19'
and will not advance a step till they see the creature begin to stir。
'14' Or; 〃Also the same dogs will exhibit many styles of coursing: one
set as soon as they have got the trail pursue it without a sign; so there
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is no means of finding out that the animal is on the track。〃
'15' 〃Stern。〃
'16' Or 〃with their noses solemnly fixed on the ground and sterns
lowered。〃
'17' Or; 〃have quite a different action〃; 〃exhibit quite another
manner。〃
'18' i。e。 〃they cast forwards to make short cuts;〃 of skirters too
lazy to run the line honestly。
'19' Reading {tremousi}; 〃fall a…trembling〃; al。 {atremousi}; stand
stock…still〃; i。e。 are 〃dwellers。〃
A particular sort may be described as hounds which; when hunting or
pursuing; run forward with a frequent eye to the discoveries of the rest of
the pack; because they have no confidence in themselves。 Another sort is
over…confidentnot letting the cleverer members of the pack go on ahead;
but keeping them back with nonsensical clamour。 Others will wilfully hug
every false scent;'20' and with a tremendous display of eagerness;
whatever they chance upon; will take the lead; conscious all the while they
are playing false;'21' whilst another sort again will behave in a precisely
similar style out of sheer ignorance。'22' It is a poor sort of hound which
will not leave a stale line'23' for want of recognising the true trail。 So; too;
a hound that cannot distinguish the trail leading to a hare's form; and
scampers over that of a running hare; hot haste; is no thoroughbred。'24'
'20' Al。 〃seem to take pleasure in fondling every lie。〃
'21' Or; 〃fully aware themselves that the whole thing is a make…
believe。〃
'22' Or; 〃do exactly the same thing because they do not know any
better。〃
'23' {ek ton trimmon}。 Lit。 〃keep away from beaten paths;〃 and
commonly of footpaths; but here apparently of the hare's habitual
〃run;〃 not necessarily lately traversed; still less the true line。
'24' Lit。 〃A dog who on the one hand ignores the form track; and on
the other tears swiftly over a running track; is not a well…bred dog。〃
Al。 {ta eunaia}; 〃traces of the form〃; {ta dromaia}; 〃tracks of a
running hare。〃 See Sturz。 s。v。 {dromaios}。
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When it comes to the actual chase; some hounds will show great
ardour at first starting; but presently give up from weakness of spirit。
Others will run in too hastily'25' and then balk; and go hopelessly astray;
as if they had lost the sense of hearing altogether。
'25' So L。 & S。; {upotheousin} = 〃cut in before〃 the rest of the pack
and over…run the scent。 Al。 〃flash in for a time; and then lose the
scent。〃
Many a hound will give up the chase and return from mere distaste for
hunting;'26' and not a few from pure affection for mankind。 Others with
their clamorous yelping on the line do their best to deceive; as if true and
false were all one to them。'27' There are others that will not do that; but
which in the middle of their running;'28' should they catch the echo of a
sound from some other quarter; will leave their own business and
incontinently tear off towards it。'29' The fact is;'30' they run on without
clear motive; some of them; others taking too much for granted; and a
third set to suit their whims and fancies。 Others simply play at hunting; or
from pure jealousy; keep questing about beside the line; continually
rushing along and tumbling over one another。'31'
'26' Or; {misotheron}; 〃out of antipathy to the quarry。〃 For
{philanthropon} cf。 Pollux; ib。 64; Hermog。 ap。 L。 Dind。
'27' Or; 〃unable apparently to distinguish false from true。〃 See
Sturz; s。v。 {poieisthai}。 Cf。 Plut。 〃de Exil。〃 6。 Al。 〃Gaily substituting
false for true。〃
'28' 〃In the heat of the chase。〃
'29' 〃Rush to attack it。〃
'30' The fact is; there are as many different modes of following up
the chase almost as there are dogs。 Some follow up the chase
{asaphos}; indistinctly; some {polu upolambanousai}; with a good
deal of guess…work; others again {doxazousai}; without conviction;
insincerely; others; {peplasmenos}; out of mere pretence; pure
humbug; make…believe; or {phthoneros}; in a fit of jealousy;
{ekkunousi}; are skirters; al。 {ekkinousi}; Sturz; quit the scent。
'31' Al。 〃unceasingly tearing along; around; and about it。〃
The majority of these defects are due to natural disposition; though
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some must be assigned no doubt to want of scientific training。 In either
case such hounds are useless; and may well deter the keenest sportsman
from the hunting field。'32'
'32' Or; 〃Naturally; dogs like these damp the sportsman's ardour; and
indeed are enough to sicken him altogether with the chase。〃
The characters; bodily and other; exhibited by the finer specimens of
the same breed;'33' I will now set forth。
'33' Or; 〃The features; points; qualities; whether physical or other;
which characterise the better indidivuals。〃 But what does Xenophon
mean by {tou autou genous}?
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IV
In the first place; this true type of hound should be of large build; and;
in the next place; furnished with a light small head; broad and flat in the
snout;'1' well knit and sinewy; the lower part of the forehead puckered
into strong wrinkles; eyes set well up'2' in the head; black and bright;
forehead large and broad; the depression between the eyes pronounced;'3'
ears long'4' and thin; without hair on the under side; neck long and
flexible; freely moving on its pivot;'5' chest broad and fairly fleshy;
shoulder…blades detached a little from the shoulders;'6' the shin…bones of
the fore…legs should be small; straight; round; stout and strong; the elbows
straight; ribs'7' not deep all along; but sloped away obliquely; the loins
muscular; in size a mean between long and short; neither too flexible nor
too stiff;'8' flanks; a mean between large and small; the hips (or 〃couples〃)
rounded; fleshy behind; not tied together above; but firmly knitted on the
inside;'9' the lower or under part of the belly'10' slack; and the belly itself
the same; that is; hollow and sunken; tail long; straight; and pointed;'11'
thighs (i。e。 hams) stout and compact; shanks (i。e。 lower thighs) long; round;
and solid; hind…legs much longer than the fore…legs; and relatively lean;
feet round and cat… like。'12'
'1' Pollux; v。 7; Arrian; 〃Cyn。〃 iv。
'2' {meteora}; prominent。 ?See Sturz; s。v。
'3' {tas diakriseis batheias}; lit。 〃with a deep frontal sinus。〃
'4' Reading {makra}; or if {mikra}; 〃small。〃
'5' Al。 〃well rounded。〃
'6' 〃Shoulder blades standing out a little from the shoulders〃; i。e。
〃free。〃
'7' i。e。 〃not wholly given up to depth; but well curved〃; depth is not
everything unless the ribs be also curved。 Schneid。 cf。 Ov。 〃Met。〃 iii。
216; 〃et substricta gerens Sicyonius ilia Ladon;〃 where the poet is
perhaps describing a greyhound; 〃chyned like a bream。〃 See
Stonehenge; pp。 21; 22。 Xenophon's 〃Castorians〃 were more like the
Welsh harrier in build; I presume。
'8' Or; 〃neither soft and spongy nor unyielding。〃 See Stoneh。; p。 23。