第十四章　存續概念和它的簡單型相(Chapter XIV: Idea of Duration and its Simple Modes)----前一章討論空間相關的概念，這一章討論與時間相關的概念，嚴格的說，人類至今都還在”逐步”的釐清物質、空間及時間的性質和期相互間的聯繫，三百多年的探索---人類能夠量測”奈米”(nanometers---- 1×10⁻⁹ m)的空間(space)及”原秒”(attosecond---- 10⁻¹⁸ Sec.)的時間(time)。 那麼，人類真的能掌握空間及時間的意涵及相互間連繫的關係嗎?  人類認識大自然是一個沒有終點的旅程(endless journey)!!

• 存續是刹那的廣延(Duration is fleeting extension.)有另一種距離或長度，我們獲得這概念不來自於空間常久的元素，而是來自於刹那及接續流逝元素。(There is another sort of distance, or length, the idea whereof we get not from the permanent parts of space, but from the fleeting and perpetually perishing parts of succession.) 我們稱之為存續; 這個簡單符號是一種我們有全然不同概念的長度，譬如：時辰、日、年等等，時間和永恒。(This we call duration ; the simple modes whereof are any different lengths of it whereof we have distinct ideas, as hours, days, years, &c., time and eternity.)
• (存續)它的概念是來自於對我們概念續列的反省(Its idea from reflection on the train of our ideas.) 有一個偉大人物 (I.E. 聖奧古斯丁(Aurelio Agostino d`Ippona, 354-430))，對”時間是什麼？”提問的回答可歸結為:”我自己越思考它(時間)，我就越不瞭解它”;或許能說服人們相信時間，雖啟示所有其他的事物，但是它(時間)自身卻是不能被瞭解的。(The answer of a great man, to one who asked what time was : Si non rogas intelligo, (which amounts to this ; The more I set myself to think of it, the less I understand it,) might perhaps persuade one that time, which reveals all other things, is itself not to be discovered.) 存續、時間和永恒，他們的性質被認為有深奧內涵的一種東西，不是沒有道理的。(Duration, time, and eternity, are, not without reason, thought to have something very abstruse in their nature.) 但是無論如何模糊的這些(這三者的概念)似乎可能出於我們的理解能力，此外，如果我們追蹤它們的真正本源，我不會懷疑這是我們所有知識諸多來源之一，稱之為:感覺和反省，將能提供我們這些概念，就如同許多其它比較不模糊的概念般一樣清晰、明白的(概念);而且我們亦會發現，永恒概念本身是同其他概念一樣源自於共通的本源。(But however remote these may seem from our comprehension, yet if we trace them right to their originals, I doubt not but one of those sources of all our knowledge, viz. sensation and reflection, will be able to furnish us with these ideas, as clear and distinct as many others which are thought much less obscure ; and we shall find that the idea of eternity itself is derived from the same common original with the rest of our ideas.)
• 存續概念的性質和根源(Nature and origin of the idea of duration.) 要正確瞭解時間和永恒，我們應當仔細考量我們對存續的概念，和經由何過程獲得它(存續概念)的。(To understand time and eternity aright, we ought with attention to consider what idea it is we have of duration, and how we came by it.) 那是很明顯的，只要他醒著，任何人都會覺察到他自己心靈，一個接一個接續不斷掠過概念續列。(It is evident to any one who will but observe what passes in his own mind, that there is a train of ideas which constantly succeed one another in his understanding, as long as he is awake.) 在對心靈一個接一個出現的各種概念的反省，這就為我們提供了接續概念: 任何接續部分間，或心靈任何兩個概念出現時的距離，就是我們稱之謂存續(概念)。 (Reflection on these appearances of several ideas one after another in our minds, is that which furnishes us with the idea of succession : and the distance between any parts of that succession, or between the appearance of any two ideas in our minds, is that we call duration.) 因為當我們正在思想，或我們正在連續的接受心靈各種概念時，我們知道我們是存在的;因此，我們稱為存在，或我們自己存在，或任何其他的持續，相對應於我們心中任何概念的接續，我們自己的存續，或任何這類其它的事物是和我們的思想同時共存的。(For whilst we are thinking, or whilst we receive successively several ideas in our minds, we know that we do exist ; and so we call the existence, or the continuation of the existence of ourselves, or anything else, commensurate to the succession of any ideas in our minds, the duration of ourselves, or any such other thing co-existent with our thinking.)(I.E. 這是借用笛卡爾(René Descartes，1596~1650)的觀點開闢探討接續概念的路徑。)
• 它(存續)的概念來自對我們概念續列反省的證明(Proof that its idea is got from reflection on the train of our ideas.)我們有接續和存續的印象有這產生的，乃是對我們發現我們自己心中一個接一個出現的概念續列的反省，似乎對我是很顯然的，因為只有經由考量概念續列接受它們的轉變為我們的認識，否則我們便沒有存續的感覺。(That we have our notion of succession and duration from this original, viz. from reflection on the train of ideas, which we find to appear one after another in our own minds, seems plain to me, in that we have no perception of duration but by considering the train of ideas that take their turns in our understandings.)
• 接續概念並不起於運動(The idea of succession not from motion.)約翰·洛克說明雖然眼睛看到實體的運動也會產生接續概念，但這卻不是產生接續概念的”充分條件”，他舉出非常慢的運動是不被覺察的(Very slow motions unperceived.)、非常迅速的運動是不被覺察的(Very swift motions unperceived.)，但”經過一段時間後”，這個運動可以被覺察---如: 日晷影子的移動、砲彈飛過頭頂後的爆炸---心中還是能出現概念續列的反省，產生接續概念，因此可證接續(概念) 概念的產生，無論如何都沒有運動的意識(Ideas, however made, include no sense of motion.)。中間”索索碎碎”的敘述"有心人”就請自行閱讀。
• 時間是經由計量單位分割的存續(Time is duration set out by measures.)既然有存續概念，心靈自然會要做的下一步，產生一種這種共通存續的計量單位，憑藉它能判斷它(存續)各種不相同的長度，並且來考量各種事物存在的獨特秩序;沒有它(計量單位)，我們大部分的知識就會紛亂了，並且大部分的歷史會成為無用之物。(Having thus got the idea of duration, the next thing natural for the mind to do, is to get some measure of this common duration, whereby it might judge of its different lengths, and consider the distinct order wherein several things exist ; without which a great part of our knowledge would be confused, and a great part of history be rendered very useless.)這樣存續的考量，以可靠的期間，並以可靠的計量單位或紀元標測，我認為，這最恰當的稱呼我們稱之為時間。(This consideration of duration, as set out by certain periods, and marked by certain measures or epochs, is that, I think, which most properly we call time.)
• 好的時間計量單位必須它的把整體存續劃分成相等的期間(A good measure of time must divide its whole duration into equal periods.) 在計量廣延時，我們只須把我們的設定的標準或計量單位施用在要量測的事物，它的廣延就被知曉。(In the measuring of extension, there is nothing more required but the application of the standard or measure we make use of to the thing of whose extension we would be informed.) 不過在計算存續時，我們並不能如此，因為我們並不能把兩個互相差異的，連續部分合在一塊，互相度量。(But in the measuring of duration this cannot be done, because no two different parts of succession can be put together to measure one another.) 只有存續能度量存續，正如同只有廣延度量廣延似的;我們不能有一種確定、不變的存續計量單位，因為存續由不間斷的刹那接續組成;因為我們能有確定的廣延長度，如吋、呎、碼等等，標記永存物體的部位。(And nothing being a measure of duration but duration, as nothing is of extension but extension, we cannot keep by us any standing, unvarying measure of duration, which consists in a constant fleeting succession, as we can of certain lengths of extension, as inches, feet, yards, &c., marked out in permanent parcels of matter.) 那麼，就沒有好用、合宜的時間計量單位，只能將存續的全體長度，經過穩定、重複的時期，劃分成”感覺上”相等的各部分。……(Nothing then could serve well for a convenient measure of time, but what has divided the whole length of its duration into apparently equal portions, by constantly repeated periods. )……
• 日、月的周期，對人類是最適當的時間計量單位(The revolutions of the sun and moon, the properest measures of time for mankind.) 太陽的每日和每年周期，由大自然存在以來，就是恒常的、有規則的、為一切人類所觀察到的，而且應該是對每一個人是相等的，很合理的已經用來做為存續計量單位。 (The diurnal and annual revolutions of the sun, as having been, from the beginning of nature, constant, regular, and universally observable by all mankind, and supposed equal to one another, have been with reason made use of for the measure of duration.)……
• 並非借著它(太陽)的運動，而是(太陽)週期現象(But not by their motion, but periodical appearances.) 因為水的冰凍、或植物的花開，在地球所有地區等比例的周而復始，則人們可很容易的依此來推算他們的年----正如同經由如依靠太陽運動一樣的(推算) : 實際上，我們看到，在美洲的有些民族就是以某些鳥群在某個季節的來、去推算年的。……(For the freezing of water, or the blowing of a plant, returning at equidistant periods in all parts of the earth, would as well serve men to reckon their years by as the motions of the sun : and in effect we see, that some people in America counted their years by the coming of certain birds amongst them at their certain seasons, and leaving them at others.)……

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