And how is propulsion by the veins impossible? The situation of the kidneys is against it. They do not occupy a position beneath the hollow vein6 [vena cava] as does the sieve-like [ethmoid] passage in the nose and palate in relation to the surplus matter from the brain; they are situated9 on both sides of it. Besides, if the kidneys are like sieves10, and readily let the thinner serous [whey-like] portion through, and keep out the thicker portion, then the whole of the blood contained in the vena cava must go to them, just as the whole of the wine is thrown into the filters. Further, the example of milk being made into cheese will show clearly what I mean. For this, too, although it is all thrown into the wicker strainers, does not all percolate11 through; such part of it as is too fine in proportion to the width of the meshes12 passes downwards13, and this is called whey [serum]; the remaining thick portion which is destined14 to become cheese cannot get down, since the pores of the strainers will not admit it. Thus it is that, if the blood-serum has similarly to percolate through the kidneys, the whole of the blood must come to them, and not merely one part of it.
What, then, is the appearance as found on dissection15?
One division of the vena cava is carried upwards16 to the heart, and the other mounts upon the spine17 and extends along its whole length as far as the legs; thus one division does not even come near the kidneys, while the other approaches them but is certainly not inserted into them. Now, if the blood were destined to be purified by them as if they were sieves, the whole of it would have to fall into them, the thin part being and the thick part retained above. But, as a matter of fact, this is not so. For the kidneys lie on either side of the vena cava. They therefore do not act like sieves, filtering fluid sent to them by the vena cava, and themselves contributing no force. They obviously exert traction; for this is the only remaining alternative.
How, then, do they exert this traction? If, as Epicurus thinks, all attraction takes place by virtue18 of the rebounds19 and entanglements20 of atoms, it would be certainly better to maintain that the kidneys have no attractive action at all; for his theory, when examined, would be found as it stands to be much more ridiculous even than the theory of the lodestone, mentioned a little while ago. Attraction occurs in the way that Hippocrates laid down; this will be stated more clearly as the discussion proceeds; for the present our task is not to demonstrate this, but to point out that no other cause of the secretion of urine can be given except that of attraction by the kidneys, and that this attraction does not take place in the way imagined by people who do not allow Nature a faculty of her own.
For if it be granted that there is any attractive faculty at all in those things which are governed by Nature, a person who attempted to say anything else about the absorption of nutriment would be considered a fool.
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1 secretion | |
n.分泌 | |
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2 absurdities | |
n.极端无理性( absurdity的名词复数 );荒谬;谬论;荒谬的行为 | |
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3 conveyance | |
n.(不动产等的)转让,让与;转让证书;传送;运送;表达;(正)运输工具 | |
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4 faculty | |
n.才能;学院,系;(学院或系的)全体教学人员 | |
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5 veins | |
n.纹理;矿脉( vein的名词复数 );静脉;叶脉;纹理 | |
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6 vein | |
n.血管,静脉;叶脉,纹理;情绪;vt.使成脉络 | |
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7 propulsive | |
adj.推进的 | |
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8 traction | |
n.牵引;附着摩擦力 | |
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9 situated | |
adj.坐落在...的,处于某种境地的 | |
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10 sieves | |
筛,漏勺( sieve的名词复数 ) | |
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11 percolate | |
v.过滤,渗透 | |
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12 meshes | |
网孔( mesh的名词复数 ); 网状物; 陷阱; 困境 | |
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13 downwards | |
adj./adv.向下的(地),下行的(地) | |
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14 destined | |
adj.命中注定的;(for)以…为目的地的 | |
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15 dissection | |
n.分析;解剖 | |
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16 upwards | |
adv.向上,在更高处...以上 | |
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17 spine | |
n.脊柱,脊椎;(动植物的)刺;书脊 | |
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18 virtue | |
n.德行,美德;贞操;优点;功效,效力 | |
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19 rebounds | |
反弹球( rebound的名词复数 ); 回弹球; 抢断篮板球; 复兴 | |
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20 entanglements | |
n.瓜葛( entanglement的名词复数 );牵连;纠缠;缠住 | |
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