§4.10.32ἔχει δὲ διαφορὰς τὸ τῶν 32 ἀρρένων ὄργανον κατὰ τὰς τοῦ σώματος διαφοράς.
The male organ has differences according to the differences of the body.
οὐ γὰρ ὁμοίως ἅπαντα νευρώδη τὴν φύσιν ἐστίν.
For they are not all similarly tendinous in nature.
ἔτι δὲ μόνον τοῦτο τῶν μορίων ἄνευ νοσερᾶς μεταβολῆς αὔξησιν ἔχει καὶ ταπείνωσιν· τούτων γὰρ τὸ μὲν χρήσιμον πρὸς τὸν συνδυασμόν, τὸ δὲ πρὸς τὴν τοῦ ἄλλου σώματος χρείαν· ἀεὶ γὰρ ὁμοίως ἔχοντα ἐνεπόδιζεν ἄν.
Moreover, this alone of the parts, without any diseased change, experiences increase and decrease; for of these, one is useful for copulation, and the other for the need of the rest of the body; for if it were always in the same state, it would be an obstacle.
§4.10.33συνέστηκε δὲ τὴν φύσιν ἐκ τοιούτων 33 τὸ μόριον τοῦτο ὥστε δύνασθαι ταῦτ᾿ ἀμφότερα συμβαίνειν· τὸ μὲν γὰρ ἔχει νευρῶδες τὸ δὲ χονδρῶδες, διόπερ συνιέναι τε δύναται καὶ ἔκτασιν ἔχειν καὶ πνεύματός ἐστι δεκτικόν.
This part is composed by nature of such materials that both of these things can happen; for it has a tendinous part and a cartilaginous part, wherefore it is able to contract and to experience extension, and is receptive of breath.
τὰ μὲν οὖν θή λεα τῶν τετραπόδων πάντʼ ἐστὶν ὀπισθουρητικὰ διὰ τὸ πρὸς τὴν ὀχείαν οὕτως εἶναι αὐτοῖς χρησίμην τὴν θέσιν, τῶν δʼ ἀρρένων ὀλίγα ἐστὶν ὀπισθουρητικά, οἷον λύγξ, λέων, κάμηλος, δασύπους· μώνυχον δʼ οὐδέν ἐστιν ὀπισθουρητικὸν.
Now, the females of the quadrupeds are all backward-pissing, because this position is useful for them for copulation, but few of the males are backward-pissing, such as the lynx, the lion, the camel, and the hare; and no solid-hoofed animal is backward-pissing.
§4.10.34τὰ δʼ ὄπισθεν 34 καὶ τὰ περὶ τὰ σκέλη τοῖς ἀνθρώποις ἰδίως ἔχει πρὸς τὰ τετράποδα.
The posterior parts and those around the legs are peculiar to humans as compared with quadrupeds.
κέρκον δʼ ἔχει πάντα σχεδόν, οὐ μόνον τὰ ζῳοτόκα ἀλλὰ καὶ τὰ ᾠοτόκα· καὶ γὰρ ἂν μὴ μέγεθος αὐτοῖς ἔχον ᾖ τοῦτο τὸ μόριον, ἀλλὰ σημείου γʼ ἕνεκεν ἔχουσί τινα στόλον.
And almost all animals have a tail, not only the viviparous but also the oviparous; for even if this part does not have size in them, yet for the sake of a sign they have some sort of projection.
§4.10.35ὁ δ᾿ ἄνθρωπος 35 ἄκερκον μέν ἐστιν, ἰσχία δʼ ἔχει, τῶν δὲ τετραπόδων οὐδέν.
But humans are tailless, yet have buttocks, whereas none of the quadrupeds has them.
ἔτι δὲ καὶ τὰ σκέλη ὁ μὲν ἄνθρωπος σαρκώδη καὶ μηροὺς καὶ κνήμας, τὰ δʼ ἄλλα πάντʼ ἄσαρκα ἔχει, οὐ μόνον τὰ ζῳοτόκα ἀλλʼ ὅλως ὅσα σκέλη ἔχει τῶν ζῴων· νευρώδη γὰρ ἔχει καὶ ὀστώδη καὶ ἀκανθώδη.
Furthermore, as for the legs, humans have them fleshy, both thighs and shins, but all other animals have them fleshless, not only the viviparous but generally all of the animals that have legs; for they have them tendinous, bony, and spinous.
§4.10.36τούτων δʼ αἰτία μία τίς ἐστιν ὡς 36 εἰπεῖν ἀπάντων, διότι μόνον ἐστὶν ὀρθὸν τῶν ζῴων ἄνθρωπος.
The cause of all these things is, so to speak, one: because human is the only upright animal.
ἵνʼ οὖν φέρῃ ῥᾳδίως τἄυω κοῦφα ὄντα, ἀφελοῦσα τὸ σωματῶδες ἀπὸ τῶν ἄνω πρὸς τὰ κάτω τὸ βάρος ἡ φύσις προσέθηκεν· διόπερ τὰ ἰσχία σαρκώδη ἐποίησε καὶ μηροὺς καὶ γαστροκνημίας.
Therefore, in order to carry the upper parts easily, they being light, nature took away the bodily substance from the upper parts and added weight to the lower parts; for this reason she made the buttocks, thighs, and calves fleshy.
§4.10.37ἅμα 15 δὲ τήν τε τῶν ἰσχίων φύσιν καὶ πρὸς τὰς ἀναπαύσεις ἀπέδωκε χρήσιμον· τοῖς μὲν γὰρ τετράποσιν ἄκοπον τὸ ἑστάναι, καὶ οὐ κάμνουσι τοῦτο ποιοῦντα συνεχῶς (ὥσπερ γὰρ κατακείμενα διατελεῖ ὑποκειμένων τεττάρων ἐρεισμάτων), τοῖς δʼ ἀνθρώποις οὐ ῥᾴδιον ὀρθῶς ἑστῶσι διαμένειν, ἀλλὰ δεῖται τὸ σῶμα ἀναπαύσεως καὶ καθέδρας.
At the same time 15 she also rendered the nature of the buttocks useful for rest; for to quadrupeds standing is effortless, and they do not tire doing this continuously (for they continue as if lying down, with four supports placed beneath them), but for humans it is not easy to remain standing upright, but the body requires rest and sitting.
§4.10.3838 ὁ μὲν οὖν ἄνθρωπος ἰσχία τʼ ἔχει καὶ τὰ σκέλη σαρκώδη διὰ τὴν εἰρημένην αἰτιαν, καὶ διὰ ταῦτα ἄκερκον (ἥ τε γὰρ ἐκεῖ τροφὴ πορευομένη εἰς ταῦτα ἀναλίσκεται, καὶ διὰ τὸ ἔχειν ἰσχία ἀφῄρηται ἡ τῆς οὐρᾶς ἀναγκαία χρῆσις), τὰ δὲ τετράποδα καὶ τἆλλα ζῷα ἐξ ἐναντίας· νανώδεσι γὰρ οὖσι πρὸς τὸ ἄνω τὸ βάρος καὶ τὸ σωματῶδες ἐπίκειται πᾶν, ἀφῃρημένον ἀπὸ τῶν κάτωθεν· διόπερ ἀνίσχια καὶ σκληρὰ τὰ σκέλη ἔχουσιν.
So humans have buttocks and fleshy legs for the stated reason, and because of this are tailless (for the nourishment going there is consumed on these parts, and due to having buttocks the necessary use of a tail has been removed), but quadrupeds and the other animals are the opposite; for being dwarf-like towards the upper part, the weight and all the bodily substance lies upon the upper part, having been removed from below; therefore they have no buttocks and have hard legs.
§4.10.3939 ὅπως δʼ ἐν φυλακῇ καὶ σκέπῃ ᾖ τὸ λειτουργοῦν μόριον τὴν ἔξοδον τοῦ περιττώματος, τὴν καλουμένην οὐρὰν καὶ κέρκον αὐτοῖς ἀπέδωκεν ἡ φύσις, ἀφελο μένη τῆς εἰς τὰ σκέλη γινομένης τροφῆς.
But in order that the organ that serves the exit of the residue may be in protection and shelter, nature gave them the so-called tail, having taken away from the nourishment that would have gone to the legs.
ὁ δὲ πίθηκος διὰ τὸ τὴν μορφὴν ἐπαμφοτερίζειν καὶ μηδετέρων τʼ εἶναι καὶ ἀμφοτέρων, διὰ τοῦτʼ οὔτʼ οὐρὰν ἔχει οὔτʼ ἰσχία, ὡς μὲν δίπους ὢν οὐράν, ὡς δὲ τετράπους ἰσχία.
But the ape, because its form is ambiguous and belongs to neither and to both, for this reason has neither a tail nor buttocks: as a biped having no tail, and as a quadruped having no buttocks.