§11.50Διὰ τί ποτε οἱ μὲν γελῶντες βαρὺ φθέγγονται, οἱ δὲ κλαίοντες ὀξύ;
Why is it that those who laugh speak in a deep voice, but those who weep in a high voice?
ἢ διότι ἀπὸ τῶν συντόνων ὀξεῖα ἡ φωνή, τὸ δὲ ὀξύ ἐστιν ἀσθενές;
Is it because the voice from tense things is high-pitched, and the high-pitched is weak?
ἄμφω δὲ ταῦτα μᾶλλον τοῖς κλαίουσιν ὑπάρχει· καὶ γὰρ συντέτανται μᾶλλον οἱ κλαίοντες καὶ ἀσθενέστεροί εἰσιν.
And both of these belong more to those who weep; for those who weep are more tense and are weaker.
§11.51Διὰ τί, εἴπερ ἡ φωνὴ ἀήρ τις ἐσχηματισμένος ἐστί, καὶ φερομένη διαλύεται πολλάκις τὸ σχῆμα, ἡ δὲ ἠχώ, ἣ γίνεται πληγέντος τοῦ τοιούτου πρός τι στερεόν, οὐ διαλύεται, ἀλλὰ σαφῶς ἀκούομεν;
Why is it that, if the voice is indeed a kind of shaped air, and as it is carried its shape is often dissolved, yet the echo, which occurs when such air strikes against something solid, is not dissolved, but we hear it clearly?
ἢ διότι ἀνάκλασίς ἐστιν, οὐ κατάκλασις;
Is it because it is reflection, and not refraction?
τοῦτο δὲ ὅλον ἀφ’ ὅλου.
And this is a reflection of the whole from the whole.
εἶτα τὸ πάθος ἀφ’ ὁμοίου· ἀπὸ γὰρ τοῦ ἀέρος ἀνακλᾶται ἐν τῷ κοίλῳ, οὐκ ἀπὸ τοῦ κοίλου.
Furthermore, the affection is from a like thing; for the air is reflected in the hollow from the air, not from the hollow.
§11.52Διὰ τί ἑνός τε καὶ πολλῶν φθεγγομένων ἅμα οὔτε ἴσος ὁ φθόγγος, οὔτε ἐπὶ πλεῖον γεγωνόσιν ὡς κατὰ λόγον εἰς τὸ πόρρω;
Why is it that, when one person and many people speak at the same time, the sound is not equal to the proportion, nor does it sound louder at a distance in proportion?
ἢ ὅτι ἕκαστος τὸν καθ’ αὑτὸν ἀέρα προωθεῖ, ἀλλ’ οὐ τὸν αὐτόν, πλὴν ἐπὶ μικρόν;
Is it because each person pushes forward the air adjacent to himself, but not the same air, except to a small extent?
ὅμοιον δὴ συμβαίννει ὥσπερ ἂν εἰ πολλοὶ μὲν εἶεν οἱ βάλλοντες, ἕκαστος μέντοι λίθῳ ἑτέρῳ ἢ οἵ γε πλεῖστοι.
Indeed, a similar thing happens as if there were many throwers, but each, or at least most of them, threw a different stone.
οὔτε γὰρ ἐκεῖ πόρρω οὐθὲν ἀφίξεται βέλος, ἢ οὐ κατὰ λόγον, οὔτε ἐνταῦθα· οὐ γὰρ ἑνὸς ἡ τοσαύτη φωνή, ἀλλὰ πολλῶν.
For neither in that case will any missile reach far, or at least not in proportion, nor will it do so here; for so great a voice is not of one person, but of many.
ἐγγύθεν μὲν οὖν κατὰ λόγον πολλὴ φαίνεται ἡ φωνή (καὶ γὰρ τὰ βέλη πλείω τεύξεται τοῦ αὐτοῦ), πόρρωθεν δὲ οὐκέτι.
Therefore, from nearby, the voice appears great in proportion (for indeed more missiles will hit the same target), but from afar it is no longer so.
§11.53Διὰ τί ἀγωνιῶντες μὲν βαρύτερον φθέγγονται, φοβούμενοι δὲ ὀξύτερον;
Why is it that those who are anxious speak in a deeper voice, but those who are afraid in a higher voice?
καίτοι καὶ ἡ αἰδὼς φόβος τίς ἐστιν.
And yet shame also is a kind of fear.
ἢ διαφέρει πολὺ τὸ πάθος;
Or do their states differ greatly?
οἱ μὲν γὰρ αἰδούμενοι ἐρυθριῶσιν (ἡ δὲ ἀγωνία αἰσχύνη τίς ἐστιν), οἱ δὲ φοβούμενοι ὠχριῶσιν.
For those who feel shame blush (and anxiety is a kind of shame), but those who are afraid turn pale.
φανερὸν οὖν ὅτι τοῖς μὲν φοβουμένοις ἐκλείπει ἄνωθεν τὸ θερμόν, ὥστε κινεῖ ἀσθενὲς ὂν ὀλίγον ἀέρα τὸ πνεῦμα, τὸ δὲ ὀλίγον ταχὺ φέρεται, τὸ δὲ ταχὺ ἐν φωνῇ τὸ ὀξύ·
It is clear, then, that in those who are afraid warmth fails from above, so that the breath, being weak, moves only a little air; and a little air is carried quickly, and in voice the quick is the high-pitched.
τοῖς δὲ αἰδουμένοις ἄνω ἔρχεται τὸ θερμὸν περὶ τὰ στήθη. σημεῖον δὲ ὅτι γίνονται ἐξέρυθροι.
But in those who feel shame the warmth goes upward around the chest; and a sign of this is that they become red.
πολὺν δὲ κινεῖ ἀέρα ἡ πολλὴ δύναμις, τὸ δὲ πολὺ βραδέως φέρεται, τὸ δὲ βραδὺ ἐν φωνῇ βαρύ.
And a great force moves much air, and much air is carried slowly, and in voice the slow is the deep.
§11.54Διὰ τί ἰσχνόφωνοι γίνονται;
Why do people become stammerers?
ἢ αἴτιον ἡ κατάψυξις τοῦ τόπου ᾧ φθέγγονται, καὶ ὥσπερ ἀποπληξία τοῦ μέρους τούτου ἐστίν;
Is it because of the cooling of the region with which they speak, and a kind of paralysis of this part?
διὸ καὶ θερμαινόμενοι ὑπὸ οἴνου καὶ τοῦ λέγειν συνεχῶς ῥᾷον συνείρουσι τὸν λόγον.
Therefore, when they are warmed by wine and by speaking continuously, they connect their words more easily.
§11.55Διὰ τί μόνον τῶν ἄλλων ζῴων ἄνθρωπος γίνεται ἰσχνόφωνον;
Why is it that, alone among other animals, man becomes a stammerer?
ἢ ὅτι λόγου κοινωνεῖ μόνον, τὰ δὲ ἄλλα φωνῆς;
Is it because he alone shares in rational speech, while other animals share only in voice?
οἱ δὲ ἰσχνόφωνοι φωνοῦσι μέν, λόγον δὲ οὐ δύνανται συνείρειν.
And stammerers indeed make sounds, but they are unable to connect rational speech.
§11.56Διὰ τί τοῦ μὲν χειμῶνος ὀξύτερον φθέγγονται καὶ νήφοντες, θέρους δὲ καὶ μεθύοντες βαρύτερον;
Why is it that in winter, and when they are sober, people speak in a higher voice, but in summer, and when they are drunk, in a deeper voice?
ἢ ὅτι ὀξυτέρα μέν ἐστιν ἡ ταχυτέρα, ταχυτέρα δέ ἐστιν ἡ ἀπὸ συντεταμένου φωνή;
Is it because the faster voice is higher, and the voice from a tense thing is faster?
τῶν δὲ νηφόντων καὶ ἐν τῷ χειμῶνι τὰ σώμματα συνέστηκε μᾶλλον ἢ μεθυόντων καὶ ἐν τῷ θέρει.
And the bodies of those who are sober, and in winter, are more contracted than those of those who are drunk, and in summer.
τὸ γὰρ θερμὸν καὶ αἱ ἀλέαι διαλύουσι τὰ σώματα.
For warmth and heat dissolve bodies.
§11.57Διὰ τί ἡ φωνὴ ὕστατον τελειοῦται τοῖς ἀνθρώποις τῶν φθεγγομένων;
Why is it that, of the things that make sounds, the voice in humans is completed last?
ἢ διότι πλείστας ἔχει διαφορὰς καὶ εἴδη;
Is it because it has the most differences and kinds?
τὰ γὰρ ἄλλα ζῷα ἢ οὐθὲν γράμμα ἢ ὀλίγα διαλέγονται.
For other animals pronounce either no articulated sounds or only a few.
τὸ δὲ ποικιλώτατον καὶ πλείστας ἔχον διαφορὰς ἀνάγκη ἐν πλείστῳ χρόνῳ ἀποτελεῖσθαι.
But that which is most varied and has the most differences must of necessity be completed in the longest time.