后来，他们备好了帐棚，备好了皮毛，备好了火，女子与男子连合，一同退到一处，就被人知道了。当他们看到自己的后代诞生时，人类首先开始软化。因为现在，火焰使他们颤抖的身躯变得难以承受，在苍穹之下，寒冷;爱降低了它们的粗壮;孩子们叽叽喳喳地说着，亲吻着，很快就平息了父母傲慢的脾气。那时，邻居们也开始结成朋友，不愿再亏待别人，也不愿受别人的亏待，他们要求孩子和妇女们得到父亲们的怜悯，同时用哭喊和手势结结巴巴地暗示，大家应该同情弱者，这是多么合适。然而，尽管当时的和谐在各方面都不可能产生，但一个善良的人，一个优秀的人，必须信守诺言，否则，人类早就无可言传地断绝了，繁衍后代也不可能使这个物种代代相传。也许，你在默想这些事情时，让我说:“那是闪电，从原始的时候把火带到人间，给人类，从那里蔓延到所有的土地上。”因为直到现在，我们还能看到许多物体，被天上的火焰所触动，当雷电给它们带来热量时，它们就会发出闪光。然而，当一棵多枝的树，被风吹动，前后摇摆，压在邻树的树枝上，在那里，由于强大的摩擦和摩擦的力量，产生了火; and at times out-flares The scorching heat of flame, when boughs do chafe Against the trunks. And of these causes, either May well have given to mortal men the fire. Next, food to cook and soften in the flame The sun instructed, since so oft they saw How objects mellowed, when subdued by warmth And by the raining blows of fiery beams, Through all the fields. And more and more each day Would men more strong in sense, more wise in heart, Teach them to change their earlier mode and life By fire and new devices. Kings began Cities to found and citadels to set, As strongholds and asylums for themselves, And flocks and fields to portion for each man After the beauty, strength, and sense of each- For beauty then imported much, and strength Had its own rights supreme. Thereafter, wealth Discovered was, and gold was brought to light, Which soon of honour stripped both strong and fair; For men, however beautiful in form Or valorous, will follow in the main The rich man's party. Yet were man to steer His life by sounder reasoning, he'd own Abounding riches, if with mind content He lived by thrift; for never, as I guess, Is there a lack of little in the world. But men wished glory for themselves and power Even that their fortunes on foundations firm Might rest forever, and that they themselves, The opulent, might pass a quiet life- In vain, in vain; since, in the strife to climb On to the heights of honour, men do make Their pathway terrible; and even when once They reach them, envy like the thunderbolt At times will smite, O hurling headlong down To murkiest Tartarus, in scorn; for, lo, All summits, all regions loftier than the rest, Smoke, blasted as by envy's thunderbolts; So better far in quiet to obey, Than to desire chief mastery of affairs And ownership of empires. Be it so; And let the weary sweat their life-blood out All to no end, battling in hate along The narrow path of man's ambition; Since all their wisdom is from others' lips, And all they seek is known from what they've heard And less from what they've thought. Nor is this folly Greater to-day, nor greater soon to be, Than' twas of old. And therefore kings were slain, And pristine majesty of golden thrones And haughty sceptres lay o'erturned in dust; And crowns, so splendid on the sovereign heads, Soon bloody under the proletarian feet, Groaned for their glories gone- for erst o'er-much Dreaded, thereafter with more greedy zest Trampled beneath the rabble heel. Thus things Down to the vilest lees of brawling mobs Succumbed, whilst each man sought unto himself Dominion and supremacy. So next Some wiser heads instructed men to found The magisterial office, and did frame Codes that they might consent to follow laws. For humankind, o'er wearied with a life Fostered by force, was ailing from its feuds; And so the sooner of its own free will Yielded to laws and strictest codes. For since Each hand made ready in its wrath to take A vengeance fiercer than by man's fair laws Is now conceded, men on this account Loathed the old life fostered by force. 'Tis thence Th