按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
ch in a different way'？ Sound is a movement of what can rebound from a smooth surface when struck against it。 As we have explained' not everything sounds when it strikes or is struck； e。g。 if one needle is struck against another； neither emits any sound。 In order； therefore； that sound may be generated； what is struck must be smooth； to enable the air to rebound and be shaken off from it in one piece。 The distinctions between different sounding bodies show themselves only in actual sound； as without the help of light colours remain invisible； so without the help of actual sound the distinctions between acute and grave sounds remain inaudible。 Acute and grave are here metaphors； transferred from their proper sphere； viz。 that of touch； where they mean respectively （a） what moves the sense much in a short time； （b） what moves the sense little in a long time。 Not that what is sharp really moves fast； and what is grave； slowly； but that the difference in the qualities of the one and the other movement is due to their respective speeds。 There seems to be a sort of parallelism between what is acute or grave to hearing and what is sharp or blunt to touch； what is sharp as it were stabs； while what is blunt pushes； the one producing its effect in a short； the other in a long time； so that the one is quick； the other slow。 Let the foregoing suffice as an analysis of sound。 Voice is a kind of sound characteristic of what has soul in it； nothing that is without soul utters voice； it being only by a metaphor that we speak of the voice of the flute or the lyre or generally of what （being without soul） possesses the power of producing a succession of notes which differ in length and pitch and timbre。 The metaphor is based on the fact that all these differences are found also in voice。 Many animals are voiceless； e。g。 all non…sanuineous animals and among sanguineous animals fish。 This is just what we should expect； since voice is a certain movement of air。 The fish； like those in the Achelous； which are said to have voice； really make the sounds with their gills or some similar organ。 Voice is the sound made by an animal； and that with a special organ。 As we saw； everything that makes a sound does so by the impact of something （a） against something else； （b） across a space； （c） filled with air； hence it is only to be expected that no animals utter voice except those which take in air。 Once air is inbreathed； Nature uses it for two different purposes； as the tongue is used both for tasting and for articulating； in that case of the two functions tasting is necessary for the animal's existence （hence it is found more widely distributed）； while articulate speech is a luxury subserving its possessor's well…being； similarly in the former case Nature employs the breath both as an indispensable means to the regulation of the inner temperature of the living body and also as the matter of articulate voice； in the interests of its possessor's well…being。 Why its former use is indispensable must be discussed elsewhere。 The organ of respiration is the windpipe； and the organ to which this is related as means to end is the lungs。 The latter is the part of the body by which the temperature of land animals is raised above that of all others。 But what primarily requires the air drawn in by respiration is not only this but the region surrounding the heart。 That is why when animals breathe the air must penetrate inwards。 Voice then is the impact of the inbreathed air against the 'windpipe'； and the agent that produces the impact is the soul resident in these parts of the body。 Not every sound； as we said； made by an animal is voice （even with the tongue we may merely make a sound which is not voice； or without the tongue as in coughing）； what produces the impact must have soul in it and must be accompanied by an act of imagination； for voice is a sound with a meaning； and is not merely the result of any impact of the breath as in coughing； in voice the breath in the windpipe is used as an instrument to knock with against the walls of the windpipe。 This is confirmed by our inability to speak when we are breathing either out or in…we can only do so by holding our breath； we make the movements with the breath so checked。 It is clear also why fish are voiceless； they have no windpipe。 And they have no windpipe because they do not breathe or take in air。 Why they do not is a question belonging to another inquiry。 9
Smell and its object are much less easy to determine than what we have hitherto discussed； the distinguishing characteristic of the object of smell is less obvious than those of sound or colour。 The ground of this is that our power of smell is less discriminating and in general inferior to that of many species of animals； men have a poor sense of smell and our apprehension of its proper objects is inseparably bound up with and so confused by pleasure and pain； which shows that in us the organ is inaccurate。 It is probable that there is a parallel failure in the perception of colour by animals that have hard eyes： probably they discriminate differences of colour only by the presence or absence of what excites fear； and that it is thus that human beings distinguish smells。 It seems that there is an analogy between smell and taste； and that the species of tastes run parallel to those of smells…the only difference being that our sense of taste is more discriminating than our sense of smell； because the former is a modification of touch； which reaches in man the maximum of discriminative accuracy。 While in respect of all the other senses we fall below many species of animals； in respect of touch we far excel all other species in exactness of discrimination。 That is why man is the most intelligent of all animals。 This is confirmed by the fact that it is to differences in the organ of touch and to nothing else that the differences between man and man in respect of natural endowment are due； men whose flesh is hard are ill…endowed by nature； men whose flesh is soft； wellendowed。 As flavours may be divided into （a） sweet； （b） bitter； so with smells。 In some things the flavour and the smell have the same quality； i。e。 both are sweet or both bitter； in others they diverge。 Similarly a smell； like a flavour； may be pungent； astringent； acid； or succulent。 But； as we said； because smells are much less easy to discriminate than flavours； the names of these varieties are applied to smells only metaphorically； for example 'sweet' is extended from the taste to the smell of saffron or honey； 'pungent' to that of thyme； and so on。 In the same sense in which hearing has for its object both the audible and the inaudible； sight both the visible and the invisible； smell has for its object both the odorous and the inodorous。 'Inodorous' may be either （a） what has no smell at all； or （b） what has a small or feeble smell。 The same ambiguity lurks in the word 'tasteless'。 Smelling； like the operation of the senses previously examined； takes place through a medium； i。e。 through air or water…I add water； because water…animals too （both sanguineous and non…sanguineous） seem to smell just as much as land…animals； at any rate some of them make directly for their food from a distance if it has any scent。 That is why the following facts constitute a problem for us。 All animals smell in the same way； but man smells only when he inhales； if he exhales or holds his breath； he ceases to smell； no difference being made whether the odorous object is distant or near； or even placed inside the nose and actually on the wall of the nostril； it is a disability common to all the senses not to perceive what is in immediate contact with the organ of sense； but our failure to apprehend what is odorous without the help of inhalation is peculiar （the fact is obvious on making the experiment）。 Now since bloodless animals do not breathe； they must； it might be argued； have some novel sense not reckoned among the usual five。 Our reply must be that this is impossible； since it is scent that is perceived； a sense that apprehends what is odorous and what has a good or bad odour cannot be anything but smell。 Further； they are observed to be deleteriously effected by t