第 16 节
作者:连过十一人      更新:2021-02-27 01:34      字数:9322
  food which the particular creature likes best。〃
  '4' For the poison method see Pollux; v。 82; Plin。 〃H。 N。〃 viii。 27。
  In   some   cases   the   custom   is   to   construct   large   circular   pits   of   some
  depth; leaving a single pillar of earth in the centre; on the top of which at
  nightfall they set a goat fast…bound; and hedge the pit about with timber; so
  as    to  prevent     the   wild   beasts    seeing    over;    and   without     a  portal    of
  admission。 What happens then is this: the wild beasts; hearing the bleating
  in the night; keep scampering round the barrier; and finding no passage;
  59
  … Page 60…
  The Sportsman
  leap over it; and are caught。'5'
  '5' See 〃Tales from the Fjeld;〃 Sir George W。 Dasent; 〃Father Bruin in
  the Corner。〃
  60
  … Page 61…
  The Sportsman
  XII
  With regard to methods of procedure in the hunting…field; enough has
  been said。'1' But there are many benefits which the enthusiastic sportsman
  may expect to derive from this pursuit。'2' I speak of the health which will
  thereby accrue to the physical frame; the quickening of the eye and ear; the
  defiance of old age; and last; but not least; the warlike training which it
  ensures。 To begin with; when some day he has to tramp along rough ways
  under arms; the heavy infantry soldier will not faint or flaghe will stand
  the toil from being long accustomed to the same experiences in capturing
  wild beasts。 In the next place; men so trained will be capable of sleeping
  on hard couches; and prove brave guardians of the posts assigned them。 In
  the actual encounter with the enemy; they will know at once how to attack
  and to carry out the word of command as it passes along the lines; because
  it was just so in the old hunting days that they captured the wild game。 If
  posted     in  the  van   of  battle;  they   will  not   desert   their  ranks;   because
  endurance is engrained in them。 In the rout of the enemy their footsteps
  will not falter nor fail: straight as an arrow they will follow the flying foe;
  on every kind of ground; through long habituation。'3' Or if their own army
  encounter      a   reverse   on    wooded     and    precipitous    ground     beset   with
  difficulties; these will be the men to save themselves with honour and to
  extricate   their   friends;   since   long   acquaintance   with   the   business   of   the
  chase has widened their intelligence。'4'
  '1'   Or;   〃Respecting   the   methods   employed   in   different   forms   of   the
  chase;    I  have    said  my    say。〃   As   to  the   genuineness     of   this  and   the
  following      chapter     see   L。   Dind。    ad   loc。;   K。   Lincke;     〃Xenophon's
  Dialog。〃 {peri oikonomias}; p。 132。
  '2'   Lit。  〃this  work〃;    and   in  reference    to  the  highly   Xenophontine
  argument which follows see 〃Hellenica Essays;〃 p。 342; cf。                       〃Cyrop。〃
  I。 vi。 28; 39…41。
  '3' 〃For the sake of 'auld lang syne。'〃
  '4' Or; 〃will place them on the vantage…ground of experts。〃
  Nay;   even   under   the   worst   of   circumstances;   when   a   whole   mob   of
  fellow…combatants'5'   has   been   put   to   flight;   how   often   ere   now   has   a
  61
  … Page 62…
  The Sportsman
  handful'6' of such   men; by virtue   of their bodily  health'7' and   courage;
  caught the victorious enemy roaming blindly in some intricacy of ground;
  renewed   the   fight;   and   routed   him。   Since   so   it   must   ever   be;   to   those
  whose souls and bodies are in happy case success is near at hand。'8'
  '5' Or; 〃allies。〃
  '6' Or; 〃a forlorn hope。〃
  '7' {euexia}; al。 {eutaxia}; 〃by good discipline。〃
  '8'   〃Fortune   favours   the   brave;〃   reading   {to   eutukhesai}   (L。   D。);   or
  if {tou eutukhesai}; (vulg。) 〃those whose health of soul and body                          is
  established are ipso facto nigh unto good fortune。〃
  It was through knowledge that they owed success against their foes to
  such   a   training;   that   our   own   forefathers   paid   so   careful   a   heed   to   the
  young。'9'      Though      they   had   but   a  scant   supply    of   fruits;  it  was   an
  immemorial   custom   〃not   to   hinder'10'   the   hunter   from   hunting   any   of
  earth's offspring〃; and in addition; 〃not to hunt by night'11' within many
  furlongs of the city;〃 in order that the adepts in that art might not rob the
  young lads of their game。 They saw plainly that among the many pleasures
  to   which    youth    is  prone;   this  one   alone   is  productive     of  the   greatest
  blessings。 In other words; it tends to make them sound of soul and upright;
  being trained in the real world of actual things'12' 'and; as was said before;
  our   ancestors   could   not   but   perceive   they   owed   their   success   in   war   to
  such instrumentality'13'';   and   the   chase   alone deprives   them  of   none   of
  the other fair and noble pursuits that they may choose to cultivate; as do
  those other evil pleasures; which ought never to be learned。 Of such stuff
  are    good   soldiers    and   good    generals    made。'14'     Naturally;    those   from
  whose souls and bodies the sweat of toil has washed all base and wanton
  thoughts; who have implanted in them a passion for manly virtuethese; I
  say; are the true nobles。'15' Not theirs will it be to allow their city or its
  sacred soil to suffer wrong。
  '9' Al。 〃looked upon the chase as a pursuit incumbent on the young。〃
  '10' {me koluein 'dia' to meden ton epi te ge phuomenon agreuein}。
  The          commentators generally omit {dia}; in which case translate as in
  text。 Lenz reads {un koluein dia meden} (see his note ad v。 34);                         and
  translates (p。 61); 〃Dass man die Jager nicht hindern solle;                       in allem
  62
  … Page 63…
  The Sportsman
  was die   Erde hervorbrachte zu   jagen;〃 〃not to hinder the                         huntsmen
  from ranging over any of the crops which spring from                           earth〃; (but if
  so;   we   should   expect   {dia   medenos})。   Sturz;   s。v。            {agreuein};   notes
  〃festive;〃 〃because the hunter does not hunt                      vegetable products。〃 So
  Gail;   〃parce   que   le   chasseur   rien   veut   pas           aux   productions   de   la
  terre。〃
  '11'   Or;   〃set   their   face   against   night…hunting;〃   cf。   〃Mem。〃   IV。   vii。
  4;    Plat。   〃Soph。〃     220    D;   〃Stranger:      There    is  one    mode      of  striking
  which is done at night; and by the light of a fire; and is called                        by the
  hunters     themselves      firing;   or   spearing     by   firelight〃         (Jowett);     for
  which   see   Scott;   〃Guy   Mannering;〃   ch。   x。   It   seems             〃night   hunting
  was not to be practised within a certain                   considerable radius; whereby
  the   proficients   in   that   art   might         deprive   it   (lit。   in   order   that   they
  might not deprive) them (the                 young huntsmen) of their game。〃
  '12' Lit。 〃in truth and reality (not among visionary phantoms)。〃
  '13'   These   words   are   commonly   regarded   as   an   addition;   and   what
  does          {te} signify?
  '14'   Or;   〃Here   you   have   the   making   of   brave   soldiers   and   generals。
  Here     in   embryo      are   to  be   found     your    future    soldiers    and   generals
  worthy the name。〃
  '15' {outoi aristoi}: these are prima virorum; the true aristocrats。
  Some people tell us it is not right to indulge a taste for hunting; lest it
  lead    to   neglect    of   home     concerns;     not   knowing      that   those    who    are
  benefactors of their country and their friends are in proportion all the more
  devoted      to  domestic      duties。   If  lovers    of  the   chase    pre…   eminently     fit
  themselves to be useful to the fatherland;  that is as much as to say  they
  will    not   squander     their   private    means;     since   with    the  state   itself  the
  domestic fortunes of each are saved or lost。 The real fact is; these men are
  saviours; not of their own fortunes only; but of the private fortunes of the
  rest; of yours and mine。 Yet there are not a few irrational people amongst
  these  cavillers   who;   out of   jealousy;   would   rather perish;   thanks   to   their
  own   baseness;   than   ow