§65Λιγυραὶ δʼ εἰσὶ τῶν φωνῶν αἰ λεπταὶ καὶ πυκναί, καθάπερ καὶ ἐπὶ τῶν τεττίγων καὶ τῶν ἀκρίδων καὶ αἱ τῶν ἀηδόνων, καὶ ὅλως. ὅσαις λεπταῖς οὔσαις μηθεὶς ἀλλότριος ἧχος παρακολουθεῖ.
Clear voices are those that are thin and dense, just as in the case of cicadas and grasshoppers, and those of nightingales, and generally all those which, being thin, are accompanied by no foreign sound.
Ὄλως γὰρ οὐκ ἔστιν οὔτʼ ἐν ὄγκῳ φωνῆς τὸ λιγυρόν, οὔτʼ ἐν τόνοις ἀνιεμένοις καὶ βαρέσιν, οὔτʼ ἐν ταῖς τῶν φθόγγων ἁφαῖς, ἀλλὰ μάλλον ὀξύτητι καὶ λεπτότητι καὶ ἀκριβείᾳ.
For generally, clearness is neither in the volume of the voice, nor in relaxed and deep pitches, nor in the contacts of the sounds, but rather in highness, thinness, and accuracy.
§66Διὸ καὶ τῶν ὀργάνων τὰ λεπτὰ καὶ σύντονα καὶ μὴ ἔχοντα κέρας τὰς φωνὰς ἔχει λιγυρωτέρας· ὁ γὰρ ἀπὸ τῶν ὑδάτων ἧχος, καὶ ὅλως ὅταν ἀπό τινος γιγνόμενος παρακολουθῇ, συνέχει τὴν ἀκρίβειαν τῶν φθόγγων.
Therefore also among instruments, those that are thin, highly-strung, and have no horn have clearer voices; for the noise from water, and generally when it accompanies a sound from some source, impairs the accuracy of the notes.
Σαθραὶ δʼ εἰσὶ καὶ παρερρυηκυῖαι τῶν φωνῶν ὅσαι μέχρι τινὸς φερόμεναι συνεχεῖς διασπώνται.
But those voices are cracked and leaking which, being carried continuously up to a certain point, are then broken.
§67Φανερώτατον δὲ τοῦτʼ ἐστὶν ἐπὶ τοῦ κεράμου· πᾶς γάρ ὁ ἐκ πληγῆς ῥαγεὶς ποιεῖ τὸν ἧχον σαθρόν, διασπωμένης τῆς κινήσεως κατὰ τὴν πληγήν, ὥστε μηκέτι γίγνεσθαι τοὺς ἐκπίπτοντας ἤχους συνεχεῖς.
And this is most manifest in the case of pottery; for all pottery cracked by a blow makes its sound cracked, since the movement is broken at the blow, so that the emerging sounds are no longer continuous.
Ὁμοίως δὲ τοῦτο συμβαίνει καὶ ἐπὶ τῶν ἐρρωγότων κεράτων καὶ ἐπὶ τῶν χορδῶν τῶν παρανενευρισμένων.
And this happens in the same way both in cracked horns and in frayed strings.
§68Ἐπὶ πάντων γὰρ τῶν τοιούτων μέχρι μέν τινος ὁ ἦχος φέρεται συνεχής, ἔπειτα διασπᾶται, καθʼ ὅ τι ὅν ᾖ μὴ συνεχὲς τὸ ὑποκείμενον, ὥστε μὴ μίαν γίγνεσθαι πληγὴν ἀλλὰ διεσπασμένην, καὶ φαίνεσθαι τὸν ἦχον σαθρόν.
For in all such things, up to a certain point, the sound is carried continuously, but then it is broken wherever the underlying material is not continuous, so that the blow does not become one but is broken, and the sound appears cracked.
§69Σχεδὸν γὰρ παραπλήσιαι τυγχάνουσιν οὗσαι ταῖς τραχείαις· πλὴν ἐκεῖναι μέν εἰσιν ἀπʼ ἀλλήλων κατὰ μικρὰ μέρη διεσπασμέναι, τῶν δὲ σαθρῶν αἱ πλεῖσται τὰς μὲν ἀρχὰς ἔχουσι συνεχεῖς, ἔπειτʼ εἰς πλείω μέρη τὴν διαίρεσιν λαμβάνουσιν.
For they happen to be nearly similar to rough voices; except that those are broken from one another in small parts, while most of the cracked voices have their beginnings continuous, but then receive division into several parts.
§70Δασεῖαι δʼ εἰσὶ τῶν φωνῶν ὅσαις ἔσωθεν τὸ πνεῦμα εὐθέως συνεκβάλλομεν μετὰ τῶν φθόγγων, ψιλαὶ δʼ εἰσὶ τοὐναντίον ὅσαι γίγνονται χωρὶς τῆς τοῦ πνεύματος ἐκβολῆς.
And aspirate voices are those in which we immediately eject the breath from within along with the sounds, while smooth voices, on the contrary, are those produced without the ejection of the breath.
Ἀπορρήγνυσθαι δὲ συμβαίνει τὰς φωνάς, ὅταν μηκέτι δύνωνται τὸν ἀέρα μετὰ πληγῆς ἐκπέμπειν, ἀλλʼ ὁ περὶ τὸν πνεύμονα τόπος αὐτῶν ὑπὸ τῆς διαστάσεως ἐκλυθῇ.
And voices happen to be broken off when they are no longer able to send out the air with a blow, but their region around the lungs is relaxed by over-tension.
§71Ὤσπερ γὰρ καὶ τὰ σκεύη καὶ τοὺς ὤμους ἐκλύεσθαι συμβαίνει τὸ τελευταῖον συντόνως, οὕτως καὶ τὸν περὶ τὸν πνεύμονα τόπον.
For just as both vehicles and shoulders happen to be relaxed at last after tension, so also is the region around the lungs.
Κοῦφον γὰρ ἔξω φέρεσθαι τὸ πνεῦμα διὰ τὸ μὴ γίνεσθαι βίαιον αὐτοῦ τὴν πληγήν.
For the breath is carried outward lightly because its blow does not become violent.
Ἄμα δὲ καὶ διὰ τὸ τετραχύνθαι τὴν ἀρτηρίαν αὐτῶν ἰσχυρῶς, οὐ δύναται τὸ πνεῦμα ἔξω φέρεσθαι συνεχές, ἀλλὰ διεσπασμένον, ὡς ἀπερρωγυίας γίγνεσθαι τὰς φωνὰς αὐτῶν.
And at the same time, because their windpipe has become severely roughened, the breath cannot be carried outward continuously, but is broken up, so that their voices become broken off.
§72Καί τινες οἴονται διὰ τὴν τοῦ πνεύμονος γλισχρότητα τὸ πνεῦμα οὐ δύνασθαι περαιοῦσθαι περὶ τὸν ἔξω τόπον, διαμαρτάνοντες· φθέγγονται μὲν γὰρ ἀλλʼ οὐ δύνανται γεγωνεῖν διὰ τὸ μὴ γίνεσθαι μετὰ συντονίας τὴν τοῦ ἀέρος πληγήν, ἀλλὰ μόνον φωνοῦσιν, ὡς ἂν ἀπʼ αὐτοῦ τοῦ φάρυγγος τὸ πνεῦμα βιαζόμενον.
And some think that because of the stickiness of the lung, the breath is unable to pass through to the outer region, but they are mistaken; for they do utter sounds, but are unable to speak aloud because the blow upon the air does not occur with tension, but they only make a sound, as if the breath were forced from the larynx itself.
§73Τῶν δʼ σχνοφώνων οὔτε περὶ τὰς φλέβας οὔτε περὶ τὰς ἀρτηρίας ἐστὶ τὸ πάθος, ἀλλὰ περὶ τὴν κίνησιν τῆς γλώττης.
But the affection of stammerers is neither about the veins nor about the windpipes, but about the movement of the tongue.
Χαλεπῶς γὰρ αὐτὴν μεταφέρουσιν, ὅταν ἕτερον δέῃ φθόγγον εἰπεῖν.
For they move it with difficulty when it is necessary to speak another sound.
Διὸ καὶ πολὺν χρόνον τὸ αὐτὸ ῥῆμα λέγουσιν, οὐ δυνάμενοι τὸ ἑξῆς εἰπεῖν, ἀλλὰ συνεχῶς τῆς κινήσεως καὶ τοῦ πνεύμονος αὐτῶν ἐπὶ τὴν αὐτὴν ὁρμὴν φερομένου διὰ τὸ πλῆθος καὶ τὴν βίαν τοῦ πνεύματος.
Therefore they say the same word for a long time, unable to speak the next, because their movement and breath are continuously carried toward the same impulse owing to the abundance and violence of the breath.
§74Ὤσπερ γὰρ καὶ τὸ σῶμα ὅλον τῶν τρεχόντων βιαίως χαλεπόν ἐστιν ἐκ τῆς ὁρμῆς εἰς ἄλλην κίνησιν μεταστῆσαι, τὸν αὐτὸν τρόπον καὶ κατά μέρος.
For just as it is difficult to turn the whole body of those running violently from its impulse to another movement, in the same way it is also in a part.
Διὸ καὶ πολλάκις τὸ μὲν ἑξῆς εἰπεῖν οὐ δύνανται, τὸ δὲ μετά τοῦτο λέγουσι ῥᾳδίως, ὅταν ἄλλην ποιήσωνται τῆς κινήσεως ἀρχήν.
Therefore also they are often unable to speak the next word, but they say the one after this easily when they make another beginning of the movement.
Δῆλον δʼ ἐστίν· καὶ γὰρ τοῖς ὀργιζομένοις τοῦτο συμβαίνει πολλάκις διὰ τὸ βίαιον αὐτῶν γίγνεσθαι τὴν τοῦ πνεύματος φοράν.
And it is manifest; for this happens often to those who are angry because the rush of their breath becomes violent.