卷一·第二十二章　论位与度

Some have made even finer divisions of rulership than these, using the terms "places" and "degrees." Defining "place" as twelfth part of a sign, or 2½°, they assign the domination over them to the signs in order. Others follow other illogical orders; and again they assign each "degree" from the beginning to each of the planets of each sign in accordance with the Chaldaean order of terms. These matters, as they have only plausible and not natural, but, rather, unfounded, arguments in their favour, we shall omit.

有些人把主管划分得比这些更细，用了「位」与「度」两个名目。他们把「位」定义为一个星座的十二分之一，即二度半，并把对各位的主宰依次分给各星座。另有些人遵循别的不合理的次序；又有人把每一「度」从头起，依迦勒底人的界的次序，分给每个星座的各行星。这些说法只有似是而非、并非出于自然、毋宁说毫无根据的论据支持，我们略去不谈。

The following, however, upon which it is worth while to dwell, we shall not pass by, namely, that it is reasonable to reckon the beginnings of the signs also from the equinoxes and solstices, partly because the writers make this quite clear, and particularly because from our previous demonstrations we observe that their natures, powers, and familiarities take their cause from the solstitial and equinoctial starting-places, and from no other source.

不过下面这一点值得细说，我们不会略过：星座的起点也应当从分点与至点算起，这是合理的；部分是因为作者们把这一点说得很清楚，尤其是因为从我们前面的论证可以看出，星座的本性、力量与亲缘，都以至点与分点这些起点为因，而不是出于别的来源。

For if other starting-places are assumed, we shall either be compelled no longer to use the natures of the signs for prognostications or, if we use them, to be in error, since the spaces of the zodiac which implant their powers in the planets would then pass over to others and become alienated.

因为如果另取别的起点，我们就要么不得不不再用星座的本性来作预言，要么用了也会出错，因为那些把力量灌注给行星的黄道区段，届时就会转移到别处，变得疏离。