卷四·第九章　论死亡的性质

Since after all the others the inquiry concerning the quality of death remains, we shall first determine, through the means furnished by the discussion of the length of life, whether the destruction will be accomplished by the projection of a ray or by the descent of the significator to the occident.

既然在其余一切之后，剩下的是对死亡性质的探究，我们首先要借论寿数时提供的办法，确定毁灭是由投射光线完成，还是由征象星降到下降点完成。

For if the destruction should come about through the projection of rays and occourse, it is fitting to observe the place of the occourse in order to determine the quality of the death, but if it occurs by the descent of the significator to the occident, we must observe the occident itself.

因为若毁灭是经由投射光线与会遇而来，就宜观察会遇之处，以确定死亡的性质；但若它是由征象星降到下降点而发生，我们就必须观察下降点本身。

For of whatever quality are the planets that are upon the aforesaid places, or, if they are not upon them, the first planets to approach them, such we must understand that the deaths will be, while at the same time the planets in aspect by their natures contribute to the complexity of the events, as do also the peculiar characters of the aforesaid destructive places themselves, both through the signs of the zodiac and through the nature of the terms.

因为无论在上述位置上的行星是什么性质——或者，若位置上没有行星，就看最先趋近它们的行星——我们都要认定死亡也是那种性质；同时，成相位的行星也以各自的本性为事件增添错综，上述这些杀位本身的特性亦然，既通过黄道星座，也通过界的性质。

Now then, if Saturn holds the lordship of death, he brings about the end through long illness, phthisis, rheumatism, colliquations, chills and fever, and splenic, dropsical, enteric, or hysteric conditions, and such as arise through excesses of cold. Jupiter causes death through strangulation, pneumonia, apoplexy, spasms, headaches, and cardiac affections, and such conditions as are accompanied by irregularity or foulness of breath.

那么，若土星掌握死亡的主权，它借久病、肺痨、风湿、消融之症、寒热，以及脾病、水肿、肠病或子宫之病，和一切因过冷而起的病症带来终结。木星借窒息、肺炎、中风、痉挛、头痛与心病致死，以及一切伴有呼吸不匀或气息污浊的病症。

Mars kills by means of fevers, continued or intermittent at intervals of one and a half days, sudden strokes, nephritic conditions and those that involve the spitting of blood, haemorrhages, miscarriages, childbirth, erysipelas, and pestilences, and such diseases as induce death by fever and immoderate heat. Venus causes death by stomachic, hepatic, and intestinal conditions, and furthermore through cancers, fistulas, lichens, taking poisons, and such misfortunes as come about from excess or deficiency of moisture.

火星借发热致死——持续不退的，或每隔一天半间歇发作的——以及猝然的发作、肾病和咯血之症、出血、流产、分娩、丹毒与瘟疫，和一切因发热与过度之热而致死的疾病。金星借胃病、肝病、肠病致死，此外还有癌肿、瘘管、苔癣、服毒，以及一切因湿气过多或不足而起的不幸。

Mercury portends death by madness, distraction, melancholy, the falling sickness, epilepsy, diseases accompanied by coughing and raising, and all such ailments as arise from the excess or deficiency of dryness.

水星预示的死因是疯狂、神志错乱、忧郁、跌仆之病、癫痫、伴有咳嗽与咯痰的疾病，以及一切因干燥过多或不足而起的病痛。

Thus, then, those who depart from life in the way described die natural deaths, whenever the lords of death happen to be in their own or in kindred natural characters, and if no planet that is able to do injury and to make the end more remarkable overcomes them. They die, however, by violent and conspicuous means whenever both the evil planets dominate the destructive places, either in conjunction, or in quartile, or in opposition, or also if one of the two, or both, seize upon the sun, or the moon, or both the luminaries.

这样，按上述方式离世的人，都是自然而死——只要死亡之主恰好处在自己的、或与之相近的本性之中，并且没有能够加害、使结局更引人注目的行星压制它们。然而，每当两颗凶星都支配杀位——无论是会合、四分还是对冲——或者其中一颗、或两颗都攫住太阳、月亮、或两光时，他们便以暴烈而引人注目的方式死去。

The affliction of the death in this case arises from their junction, its magnitude from the testimony of the luminaries, and its quality, again, from the way in which the other planets regard them, and from the signs in which the evil planets are found.

这种情形下，死亡的侵害出于两凶星的结合，其大小出于两光的作证，其性质则又出于其余行星怎样照看它们，以及凶星所在的星座。

For if Saturn is in quartile to the sun from a sign of the opposite sect, or is in opposition, in the solid signs he causes death by trampling in a mob, or by the noose, or by indurations, and similarly if he is setting and the moon is approaching him; in the signs that have the form of animals, he causes death by wild beasts, and if Jupiter, who is himself afflicted, bears witness to him, death in public places, or on days of celebration, in fighting with the beasts; but in the ascendant, in opposition to either of the luminaries, death in prison.

因为若土星从属相反昼夜之分的星座与太阳成四分，或与之对冲：在固定星座，它造成在人群中被践踏而死，或死于绞索，或死于硬结之症；若它正在沉没而月亮趋近它，也是一样；在兽形星座，它造成死于野兽；若木星本身受侵害而为它作证，则死在公共场所，或在节庆之日与野兽搏斗而死；但若它在上升之处，与任一光体对冲，则死于狱中。

If he is in aspect to Mercury, and particularly in the neighbourhood of the serpents in the sphere, or in the terrestrial signs, he makes men die from the bites of poisonous creatures, and if Venus is present with them, by poisoning and by feminine plots; but in Virgo and Pisces, or the watery signs, if the moon is in aspect, by drowning and suffocation in water; in the neighbourhood of Argo, as the victims of shipwreck; in the tropical or four-footed signs, when [Saturn] is with the sun or is in opposition to him, or if he is with Mars instead of the sun, by being caught in the collapse of a house; and if they are in mid‑heaven, above or below the earth, by a fall from a height.

若它与水星成相位，尤其在天球上的蛇形星群附近，或在陆生星座，它使人死于毒物的咬伤；若金星也与它们同在，则死于下毒与女人的阴谋；但在处女与双鱼，或在水生星座，若月亮成相位，则死于溺水与水中窒息；在南船座附近，则作为沉船的遇难者而死；在回归星座或四足星座，当土星与太阳同在、或与之对冲，或者与之同在的不是太阳而是火星时，则死于房屋倒塌；若它们在中天，不论在地上还是地下，则死于从高处坠落。

If Mars is quartile or in opposition to the sun or the moon, from a sign of the other sect, in the signs of human form, he causes the subjects to be slaughtered in civil factions or by the enemy, or to commit suicide, and to die because of women or as murderers of women, whenever Venus testifies to them; and if Mercury also is in aspect to these, he causes death at the hands of pirates, robbers, or criminals in the mutilated and imperfect signs, or in the Gorgon of Perseus, death by decapitation or mutilation; in Scorpio and Taurus, death through cautery, cutting, or amputation by physicians, or death in convulsions; at mid‑heaven or the opposite point, by being set up on stakes, and particularly in Cepheus and Andromeda; at the occident or in opposition to the horoscope, by being burned alive; in the quadrupedal signs, death by the collapse of houses, by breaking, or by crushing; if Jupiter also bears witness to him and is afflicted at the same time, again the subjects perish conspicuously by condemnation and through the anger of generals or kings.

若火星从属另一昼夜之分的星座与太阳或月亮成四分或对冲：在人形星座，它使当事人在内乱中或被敌人所杀，或自尽；每当金星为它们作证，则因女人而死，或作为杀害女人者而死；若水星也与这些星成相位，则死于海盗、强盗或罪犯之手；在残缺不全的星座，或在英仙座的戈尔贡，死于斩首或肢体残损；在天蝎与金牛，死于医生的烧灼、切割或截肢，或死于抽搐；在中天或其对面之点，死于被立在木桩上，尤其在仙王座与仙女座；在下降点或与上升点相对之处，死于被活活烧死；在四足星座，死于房屋倒塌、断折或压碎；若木星也为它作证，而且同时受侵害，当事人又会因判罪、因将军或君王的愤怒而引人注目地丧命。

If the maleficent planets are together and in this state are in opposition in some one of the aforesaid significant positions, they work together all the more for the affliction of the death. In this case the signification of the quality of the death lies with the one that chances to occupy the destructive place, or else the fatal occurrences are multiplied, or doubled, either in quality or in quantity, whenever both have some relation to the destructive places.

若两颗凶星在一起，并在这种状态下于上述某个要紧的位置上处于对冲，它们便更加合力加重死亡的侵害。这种情形下，死亡性质的主宰，归于碰巧占据杀位的那一颗；否则，当两者都与杀位有某种关系时，致命之事便在性质或数量上成倍、或加倍。

Persons with such genitures are even left without burial, and are consumed by wild beasts or birds, whenever the maleficent planets chance to be in signs of such form, if none of the beneficent planets is witnessing to the lower mid‑heaven or to the destructive places. Deaths occur in foreign lands if the planets that occupy the destructive places fall in the declining places, and particularly whenever the moon happens to be in, or quartile to, or in opposition to, the aforesaid regions.

有这种命盘的人，甚至会不得安葬，被野兽或鸟类吞食——每当凶星碰巧落在具有这类形象的星座，而又没有任何吉星为地底中天或杀位作证时。若占据杀位的行星落在果宫，尤其每当月亮在上述区域、或与之成四分、或与之对冲时，死亡便发生在异乡。