卷三·第一章　引言

As in what precedes we have presented the theory of universal events, because this comes first and for the most part has power to control the predictions which concern the special nature of any individual, the prognostic part of which we call the genethlialogical art, we must believe that the two divisions have one and the same power both practically and theoretically.

前文我们已陈述了普遍事件的理论，因为它居先，而且大体上有力量统辖那些关乎个人特殊本性的预言——这类预言的部分，我们称为本命占之术；我们须相信，这两个分支无论在实践上还是理论上，都具有同一种力。

For the cause both of universal and of particular events is the motion of the planets, sun, and moon; and the prognostic art is the scientific observation of precisely the change in the subject natures which corresponds to parallel movements of the heavenly bodies through the surrounding heavens, except that universal conditions are greater and independent, and particular ones not similarly so. We must not, however, consider that both divisions employ the same starting-points, from which, by reckoning the disposition of the heavenly bodies, we attempt to foretell the events signified by their aspects at that time.

因为普遍事件与个别事件的原因，都是行星、太阳与月亮的运动；而预言之术，就是对受其作用的万物本性随天体在周天中相应的运动而起的那种变化，作科学的观察；只是普遍的状况较大而独立，个别的则不然。然而，我们不可认为两个分支用的是同样的起点——我们正是从起点出发，推算诸天体的布局，以预言它们当时的相位所示之事。

On the contrary, in the case of the universals we have to take many starting-points, since we have no single one for the universe; and these too are not always taken from the subjects themselves, but also from the elements that attend them and carry with them the causes; for we investigate practically all the starting-points presented by the more complete eclipses and the significant passages of the planets. In predictions affecting individual men, however, we have both one and many starting-points.

恰恰相反，就普遍之事而言，我们必须取许多起点，因为对于宇宙，我们没有单一的起点；而且这些起点也不总是取自受影响的事物本身，还取自伴随它们、带着原因的那些因素——因为我们考察的，几乎都是较为完全的交食与行星有意义的行经所提供的起点。至于影响个人的预言，我们则既有一个起点，又有许多起点。

The one is the beginning of the temperament itself, for this we have; and the many are the successive significances of the ambients which are relative to this first beginning, though to be sure the single starting-point is naturally in this case of greatest importance because it produces the others. As this is so, the general characteristics of the temperament are determined from the first starting-point, while by means of the others we predict events that will come about at specific times and vary in degree, following the so‑called ages of life.

一个起点，是气质本身的开端，这是我们掌握得到的；许多起点，则是相对于这第一个开端、周天相继所示的种种意义——当然，在此单一的起点自然最为重要，因为是它产生了其余的起点。既然如此，气质的总体特征由第一个起点来确定，而凭其余的起点，我们预言那些将在特定时间发生、程度各异的事，依循所谓的人生诸龄。

Since the chronological starting-point of human nativities is naturally the very time of conception, but potentially and accidentally the moment of birth, in cases in which the very time of conception is known either by chance or by observation, it is more fitting that we should follow it in determining the special nature of body and soul, examining the effective power of the configuration of the stars at that time.

人的本命，在时间上的起点自然是受孕的那一刻，而在潜能上、在偶然的意义上，则是降生的那一刻；所以，凡受孕的确切时间碰巧得知或经观察得知的，我们更宜依循它来判定身体与灵魂的特殊本性，考察那时诸星格局的有效之力。

For to the seed is given once and for all at the beginning such and such qualities by the endowment of the ambient; and even though it may change as the body subsequently grows, since by natural process it mingles with itself in the process of growth only matter which is akin to itself, thus it resembles even more closely the type of its initial quality.

因为种子在开端就由周天的赋予，一次性地得到了如此这般的性质；即使身体后来生长时它也许会改变，但由于在生长过程中，它按自然的进程只把与自己同类的物质融入自身，所以它反而更加近似于它最初性质的类型。

But if they do not know the time of conception, which is usually the case, we must follow the starting-point furnished by the moment of birth and give to this our attention, for it too is of great importance and falls short of the former only in this respect — that by the former it is possible to have foreknowledge also of events preceding birth.

但如果人们不知道受孕的时间——通常正是如此——我们就必须依循降生那一刻所提供的起点，并留意于它；因为它也极为重要，比前者只差在这一点上：凭前者，还能预知降生之前的事。

For if one should call the one "source" and the other, as it were, "beginning," its importance in time, indeed, is secondary, but it is equal or rather even more perfect in potentiality, and with reasonable propriety would the former be called the genesis of human seed and the latter the genesis of a man.

因为若把前者称为「源头」，把后者称为——不妨这样说——「开端」，后者在时间上的重要性固然居次，在潜能上却与前者相等，甚至更为完满；前者理当称为人之种子的生成，后者理当称为人的生成。

For the child at birth and his bodily form take on many additional attributes which he did not have before, when he was in the womb, those very ones indeed which belong to human nature alone; and even if it seems that the ambient at the time of birth contributes nothing toward his quality, at least his very coming forth into the light under the appropriate conformation of the heavens contributes, since nature, after the child is perfectly formed, gives the impulse to its birth under a configuration of similar type to that which governed the child's formation in detail in the first place.

因为婴儿在降生时，连同他的形体，添上了许多在母腹中时所没有的属性，而这些恰恰是唯独人性才有的；即使看来降生时的周天对他的性质毫无贡献，至少他在相应的天象布局之下来到光明之中这件事本身有所贡献，因为自然在婴儿完全成形之后，是在与当初逐一支配其成形的格局同类的格局之下，推动他降生的。

Accordingly one may with good reason believe that the position of the stars at the time of birth is significant of things of this sort, not, however, for the reason that it is causative in the full sense, but that of necessity and by nature it has potentially very similar causative power.

因此，人们有充分的理由相信，降生时诸星的位置预示着这类事情——但不是因为它是完全意义上的原因，而是因为它必然地、依其本性，在潜能上具有极为相似的致因之力。

Since it is our present purpose to treat of this division likewise systematically on the basis of the discussion, introduced at the beginning of this compendium, of the possibility of prediction of this kind, we shall decline to present the ancient method of prediction, which brings into combination all or most of the stars, because it is manifold and well-nigh infinite, if one wishes to recount it with accuracy.

我们现在的目的，是依据本书开头关于这类预言是否可能的讨论，同样有条理地处理这个分支；因此我们不打算介绍那种把全部或大部分星辰合在一起的古代预言之法，因为若要准确地叙述它，它繁复多端，几乎没有穷尽。

Besides, it depends much more upon the particular attempts of those who make their inquiries directly from nature than of those who can theorize on the basis of the traditions; and furthermore we shall omit it on account of the difficulty in using it and following it. Those very procedures through which each kind of thing is apprehended by the practical method, and the active influences of the stars, both special and general, we shall, as far as possible, consistently and briefly, in accordance with natural conjecture, set forth.

况且，它更多依赖于直接向自然探究的人各自的尝试，而不是能依据传统立论的人；此外，我们也因为它难以运用、难以遵循而略去它。至于实践之法据以把握每一类事物的那些步骤，以及诸星或特殊或普遍的作用之力，我们将尽可能一贯而简要地、依照自然的推测加以陈述。

Our preface shall be an account of the places in the heavens to which reference is made when particular human events are theoretically considered, a kind of mark at which one must aim before proceeding further; to this we shall add a general discussion of the active powers of the heavenly bodies that gain kinship with these places by dominating them — the loosing of the arrow, as it were; but the predicted result, summed up by the combination of many elements applied to the underlying form, we shall leave, as to a skilful archer, to the calculation of him who conducts this investigation.

我们的开场，将是叙述理论上考察个人之事时所参照的天上诸位，这好比一个靶子，必须先瞄准它才能更进一步；在此之上，我们再总论那些通过主宰这些位而与之结亲的天体的作用之力——好比放出箭去；至于由许多因素合起来、施于底下的形质而汇总成的预言结果，我们就留给做这番考察的人去推算，如同留给一位善射的弓手。

First, then, we shall discuss in proper sequence the general matters the consideration of which is accomplished through the time of birth taken as the starting-point, for, as we have said, this furnishes an explanation of all natural events, but, if one is willing to take the additional trouble, by the same reasoning the properties that fall at the time of conception will also be of aid toward ascertaining the peculiar qualities that apply directly to the combination.

那么，我们首先按适当的次序，讨论那些以降生时刻为起点来考察的一般事项，因为如我们所说，它能解释一切自然之事；不过，若有人愿意多费些功夫，凭同样的道理，落在受孕时刻的那些特性，也将有助于查明直接属于这一结合体的特殊性质。