§21.14Διὰ τί τὰ αὐτὰ συνεθιζομένοις τε ἡδέα φαίνεται καὶ λίαν συνεχῶς προσφερομένοις οὐχ ἡδέα;
Why is it that the same things appear pleasant to those who are becoming accustomed to them, but not pleasant to those to whom they are administered too continuously?
τὸ δὲ ἔθος ἐστὶν τὸ πολλάκις καὶ συνεχῶς τι ποιεῖν.
And custom is the doing of something often and continuously.
ἢ ὅτι τὸ μὲν ἔθος ἕξιν δεκτικήν τινος ἐν ἡμῖν ποιεῖ, οὐ πλήρωσιν, τὸ δὲ συνεχῶς προσφέρεσθαί τι πληροῖ τὴν ἐπιθυμίαν, καὶ καθάπερ αἴτιον;
Or is it because custom produces in us a receptive habit, but not satiety, whereas the continuous administration of a thing satisfies the desire, and acts, as it were, as a cause?
ἔστι γάρ τι καὶ ἡ ἐπιθυμία.
For desire also is a kind of vessel.
αἱ μὲν οὖν ἕξεις γυμναζόμεναι αὔξονται καὶ ἐπιδιδόασιν· τὰ δὲ ἀγγεῖα σαττόμενα οὐδὲν μείζω γίνεται.
Now, habits are increased and improved by exercise; but vessels do not become at all larger by being crammed.
διόπερ τὸ μὲν ἔθος ὂν γυμνάσιον αὔξει τὴν δεκτικὴν ἕξιν· τὸ δὲ συνεχῶς προσφερόμενον σάττει μὲν καὶ πληροῖ τὴν ἐπιθυμίαν, ἧς πληρωθείσης οὐκέτι προσιέμεθα, αὔξει δὲ οὐθὲν αὐτὴν διὰ τὰ προειρημένα ἐπὶ τῆς σάξεως.
Therefore, custom, being an exercise, increases the receptive habit; but that which is continuously administered crams and satisfies the desire, which once satisfied we no longer welcome, but it does not increase the desire at all, for the reasons already stated in the case of cramming.
ἔτι τὸ ἔθος οὐ τῷ ἀεὶ ἡδύνειν ἡδύ ἐστι (λυπεῖ γὰρ καὶ τὰ τοιαῦτα ἐάν τις συνεχῶς ποιῇ), ἀλλὰ τῷ τὴν ἀρχὴν τοῦ ἔργου ἡδέως ἡμᾶς προσίεσθαι, καὶ πλείω χρόνον δύνασθαι ταὐτὸν ποιεῖν ἢ ἀσυνήθεις ὄντας.
Furthermore, custom is pleasant, not because it always gives pleasure (for even such things cause pain if one does them continuously), but because we welcome the beginning of the action with pleasure, and because we can do the same thing for a longer time than those who are unaccustomed to it.
ἐν ᾧ οὖν καὶ τοῦτο λυπεῖ ἡδὺ ὄν, ἐν ταὐτῷ καὶ τὰ ἄλλα ἡδέα.
Therefore, in the very point in which this, though pleasant, causes pain, other pleasant things do so too.
συνεχῶς γὰρ γινόμενα ἢ προσφερόμενα ἀμφότερα λυπεῖ.
For both, when they occur or are administered continuously, cause pain.
αἴτιον δὲ τὸ μὴ ἀπείρους ἡμᾶς ἐν αὐτοῖς δυνάμεις ἔχειν τὰς δεκτικὰς καὶ ποιητικάς, ἀλλὰ πεπερασμένας, αἳ τυγχάνουσαι τοῦ συμμέτρου αὐταῖς (τοῦτο γὰρ συνεχῶς ἐστιν αἰσθητὸν εἰς ἐπίδοσιν) αἱ μὲν πληροῦνται, αἱ δὲ ἀδυνατοῦσιν ἐνεργεῖν.
The cause is that we do not possess infinite receptive and active powers in these matters, but finite ones, which, when they meet with what is proportionate to them (for this is continuously perceptible as producing an increase), some are satisfied, while others are unable to act.
§21.15Διὰ τί τὸ μὲν σταῖς γίνεται τριβόμενον λευκόν, ἡ δὲ μᾶζα μελαντέρα;
Why is it that dough becomes white when it is kneaded, but a barley-cake becomes darker?
πότερον ὅτι ξηραίνεται μᾶλλον τὸ ἐπιπολῆς ἐν τῷ ἀλφίτῳ, οἷον ἐν ὑγρῷ θερμόν, ὃ ποιεῖ τὴν λευκότητα;
Is it because the surface of the barley-meal dries more—like heat in moisture, which produces whiteness?
ἢ διὰ τὸ πεπυρῶσθαι ἕλκει τὸ ὑγρὸν εἰς αὑτό, μεγαλομερέστερον ὄν.
Or because, being heated, it draws the moisture into itself, since it consists of larger parts?
§21.16Διὰ τί τὰ ἄλφιτα μᾶλλον τῷ ὕδατι συμμένει φυρώμενα ἢ τῷ ἐλαίῳ, ὄντι γλισχροτέρῳ;
Why is it that barley-meal holds together better when kneaded with water than with oil, which is stickier?
καίτοι κολλητικώτερον τὸ γλίσχρον, τὸ δὲ ἔλαιον τοῦ ὕδατος γλισχρότερον.
Although the sticky is more adhesive, and oil is stickier than water.
ἢ ὅτι λεπτότερον τὸ ὕδωρ, ὥστε εἰσέρχεται εἰς ἅπαν καὶ μαλακὰ ποιεῖ, συμφύεταί τε μᾶλλον καὶ συνθλίβεται πρὸς ἄλληλα, καίτοι θλιβόμενα καὶ χωρὶς τῆς τρίψεως.
Is it because water is thinner, so that it enters into everything and makes it soft, and they grow together more and are compressed against one another, even though they are compressed even without kneading?
§21.17Διὰ τί οἱ ἄτριπτοι ἄρτοι καὶ οἱ σφόδρα τετριμμένοι ῥήγνυνται;
Why is it that both unkneaded loaves and those that are excessively kneaded crack?
ἢ ὅτι οἱ μὲν ἄτριπτοι διὰ τὸ ἀσύνδετοι εἶναι;
Is it because the unkneaded ones are disconnected?
ἡ γὰρ τρῖψις συνδεῖ· προωδοποίηνται οὖν τῷ ῥήγνυσθαι.
For kneading binds them together; therefore, they are already prepared for cracking.
ἔτι ἀμιγὲς καὶ πολὺ ἔχουσιν τὸ ὑγρόν.
Furthermore, they contain a large amount of unmixed moisture.
οἱ δὲ τετριμμένοι σφόδρα λίαν εἰσὶ ξηροὶ διὰ τὸ ὀλίγον ἔχειν ὑγρόν· θερμαινομένων γὰρ πᾶν ἐξέρχεται.
While those that are excessively kneaded are too dry because they contain little moisture; for when they are heated, all of it escapes.
ὥστε ἄμφω διὰ τὸ πολὺ ὑγρὸν ἐξιέναι ῥήγνυνται· πολὺ γὰρ ἐν μὲν τοῖς ἀτρίπτοις ἀπλῶς ἔνεστιν, ἐν δὲ τοῖς τετριμμένοις πρὸς τὸ ὑπόλοιπον.
Consequently, both crack because a large amount of moisture escapes; for a large amount is present absolutely in the unkneaded, but in the kneaded in proportion to what is left.
§21.18Διὰ τί κουφότερον τὸ φύραμα γίνεται ἢ ἄμφω, τό τε ὑγρὸν καὶ τὸ ἄλφιτον;
Why is it that the kneaded mixture becomes lighter than both together, the liquid and the barley-meal?
πότερον ὅτι μιγνυμένων πνεῦμα συγκατακλείεται;
Is it because, as they are mixed, air is enclosed within?
ἢ ὅτι ὑπὸ τοῦ θερμοῦ τοῦ ἐν τοῖς ἀλφίτοις ἐξατμίζεται τοῦ ὕδατος, ὥστε ἔλαττον γίνεται τὸ μεμιγμένον;
Or because some of the water is evaporated by the heat in the barley-meal, so that the mixture becomes less?
ὁ δὲ ἀήρ, εἰ καὶ μίγνυται, οὐθὲν ἂν κουφότερον ποιοῖ· ἔχει γὰρ βάρος καὶ ὁ ἀὴρ ἐν τῷ ἀέρι.
While the air, even if it is mixed in, would not make it any lighter; for even air has weight in air.