达芬奇哲学19

OF NECROMANCY

关于通灵

But of all human discourses that must be considered as most foolish which affirms a belief in necromancy, which is the sister of alchemy, the producer of simple and natural things, but is so much the more worthy of blame than alchemy, because it never gives birth to anything whatever except to things like itself, that is to say lies; and this is not the case with alchemy, which works by the simple products of nature, but whose function cannot be exercised by nature itself, because there are in her no organic instruments with which she might be able to do the work which man performs with his hands, by the use of which he has made glass, etc. But this necromancy, an ensign or flying banner, blown by the wind, is the guide of the foolish multitude, which is a continual witness by its clamor to the limitless effects of such an art. And they have filled whole books in affirming that enchantments and spirits can work and speak without tongues, and can speak without any organic instrument - without which speech is impossible - and carry the heaviest weights, and bring tempests and rain, and that men can changed into cats and wolves and other beasts, although those first become beasts who affirm such things.

但在所有人类物种中，那些坚信通灵的人是最蠢的，通灵是制造简单自然的东西的炼金术的姐妹，但是比炼金术要值得被骂多了。因为除了制造像它自己那样的，啥都制造不出来，这就是在扯淡啊；炼金术还不一样呢，它是使用大自然的简单产物，但大自然自己干不了这些事儿，因为自然界里没有那些她需要干这些活的有机容器，而人类可以用手做这些事，比如用手做玻璃等等。但是这个通灵啊，就像是风中飘舞的旗子，指引着愚蠢的方向，它一直的喧嚣声鼓吹这样艺术的无穷效果，他们已经填满整本书来说魔法和精灵能不用舌头来讲话，也能在没有任何有机容器内发声，但没有有机容器，说话是不可能的，并且通灵能承最大的重量，甚至带来风暴和雨水，还有人能变成猫和狼及其它野兽，就是那些先变成野兽的才相信这样的事儿吧。

And undoubtedly if this necromancy did exist, as is believed by shallow mind, there is nothing on earth that would have so much power either to harm or to benefit man; if it were true, that is, that by such an art one had the power to disturb the tranquil clearness of the air, and transform it into the hue of night, to create coruscations and tempests with dreadful thunderclaps and lighting-flashes rushing through the darkness, and with impetuous storms to overthrow high buildings and uproot forests, and with these to encounter armies and break and overthrow them, and - more important even than this - to make the devastating tempests, and thereby rob the husbandmen of the reward of their labours. For what method of warfare can there be which can inflict such damage upon the enemy as the exercise of the power to deprive him of his crops?

那么就像那些狭隘的思想相信的，如果通灵毫无疑问的存在的话，那地球上就没有像它这样的能量能给人带来伤害或者幸福；如果它是真的，那么，通灵这样的艺术就有搅动平静的大晴天的能力，把它转换成夜晚，制造闪电和风暴，还有闷雷及那穿过黑暗的电闪，还能用风暴摧毁高楼和拔光森林， 用这些能量打败摧毁敌军，还有 - 比这更重要的是 - 创造最吓人的风暴去摧毁人类辛苦劳作的成果。是啥战争方法能像摧毁敌人一样的能量剥夺人类的庄稼？

What naval combat could there be which should compare with that which he would wage who has command of the winds and can create ruinous tempests that would submerge every fleet whatsoever? In truth, whoever has control of such irresistible forces will be lord over all nations, and no human skill will be able to resist his destructive power. The buried treasures, the jewels that lie in the body of the earth will all become manifest to him; no lock, no fortress, however impregnable, will avail to save anyone against the will of such necromancer. He will cause himself to be carried through the air from east to west, and through all the uppermost parts of the universe. But why do I thus go on adding instance to instance? such as this? Almost nothing, except the escaping from death?

海战可能就能像他指挥风，制造杀伤力的风暴以去淹没每一个战舰？事实上，谁能拥有这样不可抵抗的力量谁就是控制所有国家的主，没有人类的技能能抵抗他的这样破坏性力量，他能看到深埋地下的珍宝和宝藏；没有锁，没有城堡，也无敌，也将用来挽救任何反对通灵议员的人。他能让自己从东穿到西，并穿过宇宙的最上层。那我为啥这里一遍遍的举一个个像这样的例子？而不提咋逃脱死亡？

We have therefore ascertained in part the mischief and the usefulness that belong to such as art if it is real; and if it is real why has it not remained among men who desire so much, not having regard to any deity, merely because there are an infinite number of persons who in order to gratify one of their appetites would destroy God and the whole universe?

我们已经部分确定，这样的艺术如果是真的，既有伤害又有利处；为啥没在那些不尊重神圣，却那么想拥有它的人中找到它？仅仅是因为想干掉上帝和整个宇宙的人是有限的吗？

If then it has never remained among men, although so necessary to them, it never existed, and never can exist, as follows from the definition of a spirit, which is invisible and incorporeal, for within the elements there are no incorporeal things, because where there is not body there is vacuum, and the vacuum does not exist within elements, because it would be instantly filled up by the elements.

虽然人类很需要，但是通灵从来没有在人类中存在，过去不存在，也永将不存在， 如果我们跟随精神的定义，即是不可见和无形的，元素里不存在无形的东西，因为有形就无虚空，并虚空是不存在在元素里的，因为它将会不断的被物资元素充满。

Therefore， O students， study mathematics and do not build without foundation.

因此，学生们，学学数学吧，别干事都没个基础。