第 13 节
作者:连过十一人      更新:2021-02-27 01:34      字数:9322
  That done; place the foot…gin deep enough to be just even with the surface
  of the soil;'28' and round the circle of the crown the cord…noose。 The cord
  itself and wooden clog must now be lowered into their respective places。
  Which done; place on the crown some rods of spindle…tree;'29' but not so
  as to stick out beyond the outer rim; and above these again light leaves;
  such as the season may provide。 After this put a final coating of earth upon
  the leaves; in the first place the surface soil from the holes just dug; and
  atop of that some unbroken solid earth from a distance; so that the lie of
  the trap may be as much as possible unnoticed by the deer。 Any earth left
  over should be carried to a distance from the gin。 The mere smell of the
  newly…turned…up soil will suffice to make the animal suspicious;'30' and
  smell it readily she will。
  '27'   Or;   〃remove   a   mass   of   soil   to   the   depth   of   five   palms   so   as   to
  form      a  circular    hole    corresponding       in   size   with    the    rim   above…
  named。〃
  '28'   Or;   〃like   a   door   over   the   cavity;   somewhat   below   the   surface;
  flatwise〃; i。e。 〃in a horizontal position。〃
  '29'   So   literally;   but   really   Carthamus   creticus;   a   thistle…like   plant
  used     for   making     spindles    (Sprengel      ap。  L。   &    S。);  the   Euonymous
  europaeus being our spindle…tree。 Aristot。 〃H。 A。〃 ix。 40; 49;                      Theocr。
  iv。 52。
  '30'   Lit。   〃if   she   once   sniffs   the   new…turned   soil   the   deer   grows   shy;
  and that she will quickly do。〃 See Plat。 〃Laws;〃 933 A; 〃Phaedr。〃                          242
  C; 〃Mem。〃 II。 i。 4。
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  The   hunter   should   take   his   hounds   and   inspect   the   traps   upon   the
  mountains; early in the morning if possible; though he should do so also
  during the day at other times。 Those set on cultivated land must always be
  inspected early; before the sun is up in fact;'31' and for this reason: on the
  hills; so desert is the region;'32' the creatures may be caught not only at
  night but at any time of day; while; on the cultivated lands; owing to their
  chronic apprehension of mankind in daytime; night is the only time。'33'
  '31' 〃Before the sun is up。〃
  '32' Or; 〃thanks to the lonesomeness of the region。〃
  '33' 〃It is night or never; owing to the dread of man which haunts the
  creature's mind during daytime。〃
  As   soon   as   the   huntsman   finds   a   gin   uprooted   he   will   let   slip   his
  hounds and with cheery encouragement'34' follow along the wake of the
  wooden clog; with a keen eye to the direction of its march。 That for the
  most   part   will   be   plain   enough;   since   stones   will   be   displaced;   and   the
  furrow   which   the   clog   makes   as   it   trails   along   will   be   conspicuous   on
  tilled ground; or if the deer should strike across rough ground; the rocks
  will    show     pieces    of   bark    torn   from    the   clog;    and   the    chase    will
  consequently be all the easier。'35'
  '34' See vi。 20; 〃with view…halloo。〃
  '35' Or; 〃along that track will not be difficult。〃
  Should the deer have been caught by one of its fore…feet it will soon be
  taken; because in the act of running it will beat and batter its own face and
  body;   if   by   the   hind…leg;   the   clog   comes   trailing   along   and   must   needs
  impede the action of every limb。 Sometimes; too; as it is whirled along it
  will   come   in   contact   with   the   forked   branches   of   some   tree;   and   then
  unless the   animal   can   snap   the   rope in   twain;   she is   fairly  caught;   there
  ends the chase。 But even so; if caught in this way or overdone with fatigue;
  it were well not to come too close the quarry; should it chance to be a stag;
  or he will lunge out with his antlers and his feet; better therefore let fly
  your javelins from a distance。
  These animals may also be captured without aid of gin or caltrop; by
  sheer coursing in hot summer time; they get so tired; they will stand still to
  be shot down。 If hard pressed they will plunge into the sea or take to water
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  of   any   sort   in   their   perplexity;   and   at   times   will   drop   down   from   sheer
  want of breath。'36'
  '36' 〃From mere shortness of breath。〃
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  X
  To cope   with the wild boar   the huntsman   needs to have   a   variety  of
  dogs; Indian; Cretan; Locrian; and Laconian;'1' along with a stock of nets;
  javelins; boar…spears; and foot…traps。
  '1'   For   these   breeds   see   Pollux;   v。   37:   for   the   Laconian;   Pind。   〃Fr。〃
  73; Soph。 〃Aj。〃 8; cf。 Shakesp。 〃Mids。 N。 D。〃 iv。 1。 119; 129                      foll。
  To    begin   with;   the   hounds    must    be  no   ordinary   specimens       of  the
  species named;'2' in order to do battle with the beast in question。
  '2'   Or;   〃these   hounds   of   the   breed   named   must   not   be   any   ordinary
  specimens〃; but what does Xenophon mean by {ek toutou tou genous}?
  The nets should be made of the same flaxen cord'3' as those for hares
  above described。 They should be forty…five threaded in three strands; each
  strand consisting of fifteen threads。 The height from the upper rim'4' (i。e。
  from top to bottom) should be ten meshes; and the depth of the nooses or
  pockets one elbow…length (say fifteen inches)。'5' The ropes running round
  the   net   should   be   half   as   thick   again   as   the   cords   of   the   net;   and   at   the
  extremities'6' they should be fitted with rings; and should be inserted (in
  and   out)   under   the   nooses;   with   the   end   passing   out   through   the   rings。
  Fifteen nets will be sufficient。'7'
  '3' i。e。 〃of Phasian or Cathaginian fine flax。〃
  '4' {tou koruphaiou}。
  '5'   {pugon}。   The   distance   from   the   elbow   to   the   first   joint   of   the
  finger = 20 {daktuloi} = 5 {palaistai} = 1 1/4 ft。 + (L。 & S。)
  '6' {ep akrois}。 Cf。 {akreleniois}。
  '7' Reading {ikanai}; vid。 Lenz ad loc。 and ii。 4。
  The javelins should be of all sorts;'8' having blades of a good breadth
  and razor…sharpness; and stout shafts。
  '8' Al。 〃of various material。〃 See Pollux; v。 20 ap。 Schneid。
  The   boar…spears   should   in   the   first   place   have   blades   fifteen   inches
  long; and in the middle of the socket two solid projecting teeth of wrought
  metal;'9' and shafts of cornel…wood a spear…shaft's thickness。
  '9' Wrought of copper (or bronze)。
  The foot…traps should resemble those used for deer。
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  These hunts should be conducted not singly;'10' but in parties; since
  the wild boar can be captured only by the collective energy of several men;
  and that not easily。
  '10' Lit。 〃There should be a band of huntsmen〃; or; 〃It will take the
  united energies of several to capture this game。〃 See Hom。 〃Il。〃                          ix。
  543; of the Calydonian boar:
  {ton d' uios Oineos apekteinen Meleagros; polleon ek polion theretoras
  andras ageiras kai kunas 。 ou men gar k' edame pauroisi brotoisin tossos
  een; pollous de pures epebes' alegeines。}
  〃But   him   slew   Meleagros   the   son   of   Oineus;   having   gathered
  together   from   many   cities   huntsmen   and   hounds;   for   not   of   few   men
  could   the   boar   be   slain;   so   mighty   was   he;   and   many   an   one   brought
  he to the grievous pyre〃 (W。 Leaf)。
  I will now explain how each part of the gear is to be used in hunting。
  The company being come to some place where a boar is thought to lie;
  the   first   step   is   to   bring   up   the   pack;'11'   which   done;   they   will   loose   a
  single Laconian bitch; and keeping the rest in leash; beat about with this
  one hound。'12' As soon as she has got on the boar's track; let them follow
  in order; one after another; close on the tracking hound; who gives the lead
  to the whole company。'13' Even to the huntsmen themselves many a mark
  of the creature will be plain; such as his footprints on soft portions of the
  ground; and in the thick undergrowth of forests broken twigs; and; where
  there are single trees; the scars made by his tusks。'14' As she follows up
  the   trail   th