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伊利亚随笔续集 > VIII. -- THAT VERBAL ALLUSIONS ARE NOT WIT, BECAUS
VIII. -- THAT VERBAL ALLUSIONS ARE NOT WIT, BECAUS
Thesamemightbesaidofthewittiestlocalallusions.Acustomissometimesasdifficulttoexplaintoaforeignerasapun.Whatwouldbeeofagreatpartofthewitofthelastage,ifitweretriedbythistest?Howwouldcertaintopics,asaldermanity,cuckoldry,havesoundedtoaTerentianauditory,thoughTerencehimselfhadbeenalivetotranslatethem?Senatorurbanus,withCurrucatobootforasynonime,wouldbutfaintlyhavedonethebusiness.Words,involvingnotions,arehardenoughtorender;itistoomuchtoexpectustotranslateasound,andgiveanelegantversiontoajingle.TheVirgilianharmonyisnottranslatable,butbysubstitutingharmonioussoundsinanotherlanguageforit.ToLatiniseapun,wemustseekapuninLatin,thatwillanswertoit;as,togiveanideaofthedoubleendingsinHudibras,wemusthaverecoursetoasimilarpracticeintheoldmonkishdoggerel.Dennis,thefiercestoppugnerofpunsinancientormoderntimes,professeshimselfhighlytickledwiththe"astick"chimingto"ecclesiastic."Yetwhatisthisbutaspeciesofpun,averbalconsonance?