§11.19Διὰ τί ἐγγύθεν μὲν ἡ βαρυτέρα μᾶλλον ἐξακούεται, πόρρωθεν δὲ ἧττον;
Why is it that from close by, a lower voice is heard more, but from afar, less?
ἢ διότι ἡ βαρυτέρα φωνὴ πλείω μὲν ἀέρα κινεῖ, οὐκ εἰς μῆκος δέ;
Is it because a lower voice moves more air, but not to a distance?
πόρρωθεν μὲν οὖν ἧττον ἀκούομεν, διότι ἐπ’ ἔλαττον κινεῖται, ἐγγύθεν δὲ μᾶλλον, διότι πλείων ἡμῖν ἀὴρ πρὸς τὸ αἰσθητήριον προσπίπτει.
From afar, therefore, we hear it less because it is moved to a smaller distance, but from close by, more, because more air falls on our sense-organ.
ἡ δὲ ὀξεῖα πόρρω ἀκούεται, ὅτι λεπτοτέρα ἐστί, τὸ δὲ λεπτὸν τὴν εἰς μῆκος αὔξησιν ἔχει.
And the high-pitched voice is heard from afar, because it is thinner, and what is thin has expansion in length.
λέγοι δ’ ἄν τις ὅτι καὶ θάττων ἐστὶν ἡ ποιοῦσα αὐτὴν κίνησις.
And one might say that the movement producing it is also quicker.
εἴη δ’ ἂν τοῦτο, εἰ πυκνὸν μὲν στενὸν δ’ εἴη τὸ κινοῦν πνεῦμα τὸν ἀέρα.
And this would be the case, if the breath moving the air were dense and narrow.
ὅ τε γὰρ ὀλίγος εὐκινητότερός ἐστιν ἀήρ (κινεῖται γὰρ ὀλίγος ὑπὸ τοῦ στενοῦ), καὶ τὸ πυκνὸν πλείους πληγὰς ποιεῖ, ἃ τὸν ψόφον ποιοῦσιν.
For indeed a small amount of air is more easily moved (for a small amount is moved by what is narrow), and what is dense produces more blows, which produce the sound.
ἰδεῖν δ’ ἔστι τοῦτο ἐπὶ τῶν ὀργάνων· αἱ γὰρ λεπτότεραι χορδαὶ ὀξύτεραί εἰσι, τῶν ἄλλων τῶν αὐτῶν ὑπαρχόντων αὐταῖς.
And this can be seen in the case of instruments; for thinner strings are higher-pitched, other things being equal.
§11.20Διὰ τί ἡ φωνὴ ὀξυτέρα φαίνεται τοῖς μακροτέραν ἀφεστηκόσι, τοῦ ὀξέος ὄντος ἐν τῷ ταχέως φέρεσθαι;
Why does the voice seem higher-pitched to those standing further away, although high pitch consists in being carried quickly?
τὸ δὲ μακρότερον φερόμενον βραδύτερον κινεῖται.
But what is carried further moves more slowly.
ἢ ὅτι ἡ ὀξύτης τῆς φωνῆς οὐ μόνον ἐστὶν ἐν τῷ ταχέως κινεῖσθαι, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐν τῷ λεπτότατον ψόφον γίνεσθαι·
Is it because the high pitch of the voice is not only in moving quickly, but also in becoming a very thin sound?
τοῖς δὲ μακροτέραν ἀφεστηκόσιν ἀεὶ λεπτοτέρα ἡ φωνὴ ἀφικνεῖται διὰ τὴν ὀλιγότητα τοῦ ἀέρος τοῦ κινουμένου.
And to those standing further away, the voice always arrives thinner because of the smallness of the air moved.
μαραίνεται γὰρ ἡ κίνησις, μαραινόμενος δὲ ὁ ἀριθμὸς μὲν εἰς τὸ ἓν τελευτᾷ, σῶμα δὲ εἰς διάστημα ἕν. ὅ ἐστιν ἐν σώματι λεπτότης. ὁμοίως δὲ καὶ ἐν φωνῇ.
For the movement fades away, and as it fades, number ends in unity, and a body ends in a single dimension, which is thinness in a body; and similarly also in the voice.
§11.21Διὰ τί καὶ οἱ γεγυμνασμένοι καὶ οἱ ἀσθενεῖς ὀξὺ φθέγγονται;
Why do both those who are trained and the weak speak with a high pitch?
ἢ ὅτι οἱ μὲν ἀσθενεῖς ὀλίγον ἀέρα κινοῦσιν, ὁ δὲ ὀλίγος τοῦ πλείονος θᾶττον φέρεται· οἱ δὲ γεγυμνασμένοι ἰσχυρῶς κινοῦσι τὸν ἀέρα, ὁ δὲ ἰσχυρῶς κινούμενος ἀὴρ θᾶττον φέρεται.
Is it because the weak move a small amount of air, and a small amount is carried quicker than a larger amount; while those who are trained move the air with force, and air moved with force is carried quicker?
τὸ δὲ ταχὺ ἐν φορᾷ ἐν φωνῇ ὀξύ ἐστιν.
And what is quick in transport is high-pitched in the voice.
§11.22Διὰ τί τοῖς μετὰ τὰ σιτία κεκραγόσιν ἡ φωνὴ διαφθείρεται;
Why is the voice ruined in those who shout after meals?
καὶ πάντας ἂν ἴδοιμεν τοὺς φωνασκοῦντας, οἷον ὑποκριτὰς καὶ χορευτὰς καὶ τοὺς ἄλλους τοὺς τοιούτους, ἕωθέν τε καὶ νήστεις ὄντας τὰς μελέτας ποιουμένους.
Indeed, we can see all those who train their voice, such as actors, dancers, and others of this kind, doing their exercises in the morning while fasting.
ἢ τὸ διαφθείρεσθαι τὴν φωνὴν οὐθὲν ἕτερόν ἐστιν ἢ τὸν τόπον διαφθείρεσθαι καθ’ ὃν τὸ πνεῦμα διεξέρχεται;
Or is the ruining of the voice nothing other than the ruining of the region through which the breath passes?
διὸ καὶ οἱ βραγχιῶντες διαφθείρονται τὰς φωνάς, οὐ τῷ τὸ πνεῦμα γίνεσθαι χεῖρον, ὃ ποιεῖ τὴν φωνήν, ἀλλὰ τῷ τετραχύνθαι τὴν ἀρτηρίαν.
Wherefore also those who have hoarseness ruin their voices, not because the breath which produces the voice becomes worse, but because the windpipe has become rough.
ὑπὸ δὲ τῆς θερμασίας τῆς σφοδρᾶς μάλιστα τραχύνεσθαι πέφυκεν ὁ τόπος οὗτος.
And this region is naturally most of all roughened by intense heat.
διὸ καὶ οὔθ’ οἱ πυρέττοντες οὔτε οἱ σφόδρα πεπυρεχότες εὐθὺς μετὰ τὴν ἄνεσιν τοῦ πυρετοῦ ᾄδειν δύνανται· τετράχυνται γὰρ ὁ φάρυξ αὐτοῖς διὰ τὴν θερμασίαν.
Therefore neither those with fever nor those who have had a high fever are able to sing immediately after the remission of the fever; for their throat has been roughened because of the heat.
ἀπὸ δὲ τῶν σιτίων εἰκὸς εἶναι τὸ πνεῦμα καὶ πολὺ καὶ θερμόν· τὸ δὲ τοιοῦτον εὔλογόν ἐστι διεξιὸν ἑλκοῦν τε καὶ τραχύνειν τὴν ἀρτηρίαν· τούτου δὲ συμβαίνοντος εἰκότως ἡ φωνὴ διαφθείρεται.
And from meals the breath is likely to be both abundant and hot; and it is reasonable that such breath, in passing through, should gall and roughen the windpipe; and when this happens, naturally the voice is ruined.
§11.23Διὰ τί, εἴπερ ἡ φωνή ἐστιν ἀήρ τις ἐσχηματισμένος καὶ φερόμενος, διαλύεται πολλάκις τὸ σχῆμα, ἡ δὲ ἠχώ, ἣ γίνεται πληγέντος τοῦ τοιούτου πρός τι στερεόν, οὐ διαλύεται αὕτη, ἀλλὰ σαφῶς ἀκούομεν αὐτῆς;
Why, if indeed the voice is a certain air shaped and carried, is its shape often dissolved, whereas the echo, which is produced when such air is struck against some solid object, does not dissolve itself, but we hear it clearly?
ἢ ὅτι ἀνάκλασίς ἐστιν, ἀλλ’ οὐ κατάκλασις;
Is it because it is reflection, and not refraction?
οὕτω δὲ τό θ’ ὅλον διαμένει, καὶ δύο μέρη ὁμοιοσχήμονα ἐξ αὐτοῦ γίνεται· πρὸς ὁμοίαν γὰρ γωνίαν ἐστὶν ἡ ἀνάκλασις.
And in this way both the whole persists, and two similarly-shaped parts are produced from it; for the reflection is at a similar angle.
διὸ καὶ ὁμοία γίνεται ἡ τῆς ἠχοῦς φωνὴ τῇ ἐξ ἀρχῆς.
Therefore also the voice of the echo becomes similar to the original voice.