§28διὰ τί τῶν θηρίων ἡ ἄρκτος ἥκιστα διεσθίει τὰ δίκτυα, καίτοι καὶ λύκοι καὶ ἀλώπεκες διεσθίουσι;
Why is it that among wild beasts, the bear least of all bites through nets, although both wolves and foxes bite through them?
πότερον ἐνδοτάτω τοὺς ὀδόντας ἔχουσα τοῦ χάσματος ἥκιστα πρὸς τὰ λίνα ἐξικνεῖται, προεμπίπτει γὰρ τὰ χείλη διὰ πάχος καὶ μέγεθος·
Is it because, having its teeth furthest inside its jaws, it least of all reaches the linen threads? For its lips, because of their thickness and size, fall upon [them] beforehand.
ἢ μᾶλλον ἰσχύουσα ταῖς χερσὶ ῥήγνυσι καὶ διασπᾷ τὸν βρόχον·
Or rather, because it is strong with its paws, does it break and tear apart the mesh?
ἢ καὶ ταῖς χερσὶν ἅμα χρῆται καὶ τῷ στόματι, ταῖς μὲν διασπῶσα τὸ λίνον τῷ δʼ ἀμυνομένη τοὺς διώκοντας;
Or does it use both its paws and its mouth at the same time, tearing apart the linen with the former, and with the latter fending off its pursuers?
οὐδενὸς δʼ ἧττον αὐτῇ βοηθοῦσιν αἱ περικαλινδήσεις· διὸ μᾶλλον ἢ διασπᾶν τὰ λίνα πραγματευομένη πολλάκις ἐκκυβιστᾷ καὶ σῴζεται, ἀμὴ καὶ δέοι ἡ τῶν ὀδόντων.
And rolling about helps it no less than anything else; wherefore, rather than busying itself with tearing apart the linen, it often somersaults out and is saved, without any need of teeth.
§29τίς ἡ αἰτία, διʼ ἣν τὰ ψυχρὰ τῶν ὑδάτων οὐ θαυμάζομεν ἀλλὰ τὰ θερμά, καίτοι δῆλον ὅτι θερμότης αἰτία τούτων ὡς ψυχρότης ἐκείνων;
What is the cause for which we do not marvel at cold waters but at hot ones, although it is clear that heat is the cause of the latter, just as cold is of the former?
οὐ γὰρ, ὡς ἔνιοι νομίζουσιν, ἡ μὲν θερμότης δύναμίς ἐστιν ἡ δὲ ψυχρότης στέρησις θερμότητος· ἐπεὶ πλειόνων αἴτιον ἐφαίνετο τὸ μὴ ὂν τοῦ ὄντος.
For it is not, as some believe, that heat is a positive power and cold is the privation of heat; since [in that case] non-being would appear to be the cause of more things than being.
ἀλλʼ ἔοικε τῷ σπανίῳ τὸ θαυμάσιον ἡ φύσις νέμουσα πῶς;
But nature seems to assign wonder to what is rare; how?
γίγνεται ζητεῖν τὸ μὴ πολλάκις γιγνόμενον.
It comes about that we investigate what does not happen often.
"
ὁρᾷς τὸν ὑψοῦ τόνδʼ ἄπειρον αἰθέρα
καὶ γῆν πέριξ ἔχονθʼ ὑγραῖς ἐν ἀγκάλαις
"
ὅσα μὲν ἔρχεται φέρων θεάματα νυκτός, ὅσον δὲ μεθʼ ἡμέραν κάλλος ἀναδείκνυσιν;
"You see this boundless ether high above, And holding earth around in moist embrace, "how many spectacles does it bring when it comes at night, and how much beauty does it reveal by day!
οἱ δὲ πολλοὶ τὴν τούτων φύσιν οὐ θαυμάζουσιν, ἴριδας δὲ καὶ ποικίλματα νεφῶν ἡμέρας καὶ σέλα ῥηγνύμενα πομφόλυγος δίκην νυκτὸς κεκόσμηται.
Yet the multitude do not marvel at the nature of these things, but rather at rainbows and the variegated patterns of clouds by day, and flashing lights bursting like bubbles by night, [with which the sky] is adorned.
§30διὰ τί τῶν ἀμπέλων τὰς ἀκάρπους, τοῖς δʼ ἀκρέμοσι καὶ ἔρνεσιν εὐτροφούσας τραγᾶν λέγομεν;
Why is it that we say that vines which are fruitless, but luxuriant in branches and shoots, "act the goat" (tragān)?
ἦ ὅτι τῶν τράγων οἱ σφόδρα πίονες ἧττόν εἰσι γόνιμοι καὶ μόλις ὑπὸ πιμελῆς ὀχεύουσι;
Is it because those of the goats that are exceedingly fat are less fertile, and because of their fatness copulate with difficulty?
τὸ γὰρ σπέρμα περίττωμα τῆς τροφῆς ἐστι τῆς τῷ σώματι προστιθεμένης· ὅταν οὖν ἢ ζῷον ἢ δένδρον εὐεκτῇ καὶ παχύνηται, τοῦτο σημεῖόν ἐστι τοῦ τὴν τροφὴν ἐν ἑαυτῷ καταναλισκομένην μηθὲν ἢ μικρόν τι καὶ ἀγεννὲς περίττωμα ποιεῖν.
For the seed is a residue of the nourishment added to the body; whenever, therefore, either an animal or a tree is in too robust a state and grows fat, this is a sign that the nourishment is consumed within itself, producing either no residue at all or only a small and sterile one.
§31διὰ τί ἄμπελος οἴνῳ ῥαινομένη, μάλιστα τῷ ἐξ αὑτῆς, ἀναξηραίνεται;
Why is it that a vine sprinkled with wine, especially with that of its own, dries up?
πότερον, ὥσπερ ἐν τοῖς πολυπόταις γίνεται φαλάκρωσις, ὑπὸ θερμότητος τοῦ οἴνου τὸ ὑγρὸν ἐξατμίζοντος·
Is it because, just as baldness occurs among heavy drinkers, the heat of the wine evaporates the moisture?
ἢ φὺ τὸ οἰνῶδές ἐστιν, ὥς φησιν Ἐμπεδοκλῆς
οἶνον ὑπὸ φλοιοῦ πέλεσθαι σαπὲν ἐν ξύλῳ ὕδωρ·
Or is the wine-like substance of such a nature, as Empedocles says: "wine is water putrefied in wood under the bark"?
ὅταν οὖν ἔξωθεν οἴνῳ βρέχηται, γίγνεται πῦρ ἐπὶ πῦρ τῇ ἀμπέλῳ καὶ τοῦ τρέφοντος δύναμιν ἐξίστησιν ἡ κρᾶσις·
Therefore, when it is wet from without with wine, it becomes "fire upon fire" for the vine, and the mixture destroys the power of what nourishes [it].
ἢ στυπτικὴν φύσιν ἔχων ὁ ἄκρατος ἐνδύεται ταῖς ῥίζαις, καὶ τοὺς πόρους συναγαγὼν καὶ πυκνώσας οὐ διίησι τὸ ὕδωρ εἰς τὸ φυτόν, ᾧ εὐθαλεῖν καὶ βλαστάνειν πέφυκεν ἢ καὶ τοῦτο μᾶλλον εἰκὸς εἶναι τῇ ἀμπέλῳ παρὰ φύσιν, τὸ ἐξ αὐτῆς ἀπιὸν εἰς αὐτὴν ἐπανιὸν πάλιν δέχεσθαι;
Or is it because unmixed wine, having an astringent nature, penetrates into the roots, and by contracting and condensing the pores, does not let the water pass into the plant, by which it is naturally disposed to flourish and sprout? Or is this rather likely to be contrary to nature for the vine, to receive back again that which, having gone out from itself, returns into itself?
τῆς γὰρ ἐν τοῖς φυτοῖς ὑγρότητος ἤνθει καί τι τρέφειν μηδὲ προστίθεσθαι μηδὲ μέρος εἶναι τοῦ φυ
For of the moisture in plants, some flourished and nourished, neither being added to nor being a part of the plant...
§32Cur inter omnes arbores sola palma contra impositum onus adsurgit?
Utrum quod ignea et spirabilis facultas, qua maxime pollet, quum tentatur et irritatur, sese exercens magis et magis erigit? An quoniam pondus ramos subito urgens, aerem omnem qui in hi est, oppressum cedere retro cogat, qni deinde resumptis paullo viribus, adversum onus aerius rursus instat: An molles et tenerae virgae impetum non sustinentes, quum onus quiescit, paullatim se erigunt, et speciem, quaei contra illud adsurgant, praebent?
Why is it that among all trees, only the palm rises up against a weight placed upon it? Is it because the fiery and breathable power, in which it especially abounds, when tested and provoked, exerting itself, raises it more and more? Or is it because the weight suddenly pressing upon the branches forces all the air in them, being oppressed, to retreat, which then, having recovered its strength a little, as air presses back again against the weight? Or is it that the soft and tender twigs, not sustaining the impact, when the weight becomes still, gradually raise themselves, and present the appearance as if they were rising up against it?
§33Quare aqua de puteis hausta minus alit quam quae de fonte aut caelo manat?
An quia frigidior magis sit et parum quoque aeris habeat: An quod salis multum immixta sibi de terra habeat;
Why does water drawn from wells nourish less than that which flows from a spring or from the sky? Is it because it is colder and also has too little air? Or is it because it has much salt mixed with it from the earth; whereas salt, if anything else does, causes thinness?
sal autem maciem, si quid aliud, facit: An quod pigra nec cursu exercita, qualitatem aliquam malam adquirat, quae stirpibus et animantibus contraria, in causa est quod nec bene concoquatur nec nutrire quicquam possit: Hinc et stagnantes aquae minus probae cenaentur, quod injuriae quae vel ab aeris mala qualitate vel a terra accipiunt, digerere nequeant.
Or is it because, being stagnant and not exercised by flowing, it acquires some bad quality, which, being contrary to plants and animals, is the cause that it is neither well digested nor can nourish anything? Hence also stagnant waters are considered less wholesome, because they cannot digest the harms which they receive either from the bad quality of the air or from the earth.