Ovid奧維德寫The Art of Love源遠流長，為人類增添了生活情趣，雖然衛道人士盡數“敗壞人心”，比之今日網路、資訊的教導，奧維德的這部書，或許是顆小小種子。薄薄一冊，英文版讀來順暢，有些玩世不恭的諷味。

自古，家族興旺，首先要求人數上的增加、生養眾多。人自稱是動物之王，在求偶上，當然繁複許多；文字間似乎表現人類兩性間Power的掌握。看過貓捉老鼠，會觀察到：貓不一定吃老鼠，也不會馬上置老鼠於死地，常常見它逗弄半天，直到鼠輩筋疲力竭，才鬆爪。北極熊將追進水中的動物，用熊掌撐壓水裡數次，待獵物束手就擒。勝利得到獎賞是力量的表現，奧維德的愛專注身體的征服，而沒有提及制度婚姻內規範的忠誠。人的獸性如此強烈？奧維德有數位妻子，大衛王正、側室也不少，舉凡有權、錢勢者，征服的力量皆似延伸至兩性間。

排除萬難看這本書，期許有智慧、理性！

如何選定追求的目標者呢？

the right girl has to be searched for: use your eyes.

The hunter knows where to spread nets for the stag;

he knows what valleys hide the angry boar.

the wild-fowler knows the woods: the fisherman

knows the waters where the most fish spawn:

You too, who search for the essence of lasting love,

must be taught the places that the girls frequent.

用您明亮的雙眼尋找對象，就像獵人知道在何處藏著暴烈的公豬，設置捕捉陷阱；獵野禽者該知曉樹林；捕魚的知道肥碩的魚產卵窩。同樣地，您也該知道持續愛的本質是何物，這也是必要教您知道哪裡是女孩們出現最頻繁的地方。

I don’t demand you set your sails, and search,

or wear out some long road to discover them.

Perseus brought Andromeda from darkest India,

and Trojan Paris snatched his girl from Greece,

Rome will grant you lots of such lovely girls,

you’ll say: ‘Here’s everything the world has had.’

Your Rome’s as many girls as Gargara’s sheaves,

as Methymna’s grapes, as fishes in the sea,

as birds in the hidden branches, stars in the sky:

Venus, Aeneas’s mother, haunts his city.

我不是要您張揚風帆或遙迢長路的尋覓女人，希臘神話的Perseus柏修斯從最黑暗的印度帶回了安朵美達公主，特洛依波利斯由希臘手中搶到了他的女人，羅馬賞您好一些如斯可愛的女孩。您會說：瞧！世上就是有這樣的事兒，羅馬的女孩多得像特洛亞得的滑輪、如Methymna美希姆納的葡萄、海洋的魚一樣多，似樹枝棲息的鳥兒、天上的繁星：特洛依的勇士Aeneas艾尼阿斯的母親Venus維納斯都要臨幸他的城呢。

 但丁說：道德可以彌補智慧的缺點，智慧永遠無法填補道德的空白。

奧維德寫作的時代和本書流傳影響背景，是非常久遠以前了。由於有違道德與人權，大約在十二、三世紀在歐洲漸漸有其語文版可以閱讀本，美國甚至在幾十年前仍然視為禁書。誠如以下提到的兒童新娘，就是其一。

If you’d catch them very young and not yet grown,

real child-brides will come before your eyes:

if it’s young girls you want, thousands will please you.

You’ll be forced to be unsure of your desires:

if you delight greatly in older wiser years,

here too, believe me, there’s an even greater crowd.

如果您趁年輕未成熟前就逮住她們，那麼兒童新娘就在你跟前：如果這些年輕女孩是您想要的，那麼成千個可以討喜您呢。使得您猶豫不決的話：假如想等到年紀理智些，那更多擠到爆的呢。

那些地方是能找到您的意中人？奧維德建議是走路時眼觀四面、耳聽八方的找search while you’re out walking.有點像獵豔高手的意味，另外像tiered theatre劇院、races比賽場、Circus馬戲團、沙灘等地方，還有餐桌there’s always the dinner-table：

The table laid for a feast also gives you an opening:

There’s something more than wine you can look for there.

餐桌擺放食物用餐可以打開話題，當然還有酒之外的東西了。所謂的香檳美酒使人醉，在酒酣耳熱眼、腦模糊之際，霧裡看花，樣樣皆美。一說蒙納麗沙這樣看才美麗。

Wine rouses courage and is fit for passion:
care flies, and deep drinking dilutes it.

Then laughter comes, the poor man dons the horns,

then pain and sorrow leave, and wrinkled brows.

Then what’s rarest in our age appears to our minds,

Simplicity: all art dispelled by the god.

Often at that time girls captivated men’s wits,

and Venus was in the vine, flame in the fire.

酒能振奮並激勵熱情，三杯酒下肚，心情就爽朗放開了。再窩囊的事、傷痛、哀愁皺紋全消失了，我們這般年紀心情少有的！酒醉使人迷，愛神維納斯也熱情如火！如果您次日回想美酒、夜晚、美女是等號的話，請相信night and wine can harm your view of beauty. 稱為「蒙納麗沙效應」。所謂食色性也、飽暖思淫慾，是天性！

男人不壞，女人不愛；是Ovid的主體架構。奧維德認為，不是農夫才要在田間耕耘，或水手要會判斷氣象，愛也是需要經營：

*掌握她身邊的女婢：

 But to get to know your desired-one’s maid

is your first care: she’ll smooth your way.

See if she’s close to her mistress’s thoughts,

and has plenty of true knowledge of her secret jests.

Corrupt her with promises, and with prayers:

you’ll easily get what you want, if she wishes.

She’ll tell the time (the doctors would know it too)

when her mistress’s mind is receptive, fit for love.

Her mind will be fit for love when she luxuriates

in fertility, like the crop on some rich soil.

  當時普遍有家僕，掌握情人近身的女婢是首要，往往可以探知情人的心意思念、品好、秘密等，敲邊鼓、通暢您的情路。討好您想追求者的親友，與他們建立良好的關係，對您評論、褒獎的好言環繞她，順服住她決意愛您的心。

*記得她的生日： 

Let your mistress’s birthday be one of great terror to you:

that’s a black day when anything has to be given.

However much you avoid it, she’ll still win: it’s

a woman’s skill, to strip wealth from an ardent lover.

不要逃避她的生日，縱使您視之為恐怖黑色星期五，面對、重視它，拿它當一回事。您或許早體會過自家媽媽、姊妹的招數，情人的技巧不一定勝過，但角色、重要性不同，效果不同，總之最後她還是贏家，這就是女人。

*承諾、承諾、承諾：

a god’s anger’s deflected by the voice of prayer.

Make promises: what harm can a promise do?

Anyone can be rich in promises.

Hope lasts, if she’s once believed in,

a useful, though deceptive, goddess.

祈禱聲可以平息神的怒氣；虔誠的信徒不斷禱告，神就給他。愛的路上有承諾，會順暢許多的。承諾有何傷呢？每個人可以是承諾高手，希望是最後順位。口頭或書寫都管用，極盡諂媚美言，只要她相信，連女神都蒙蔽。

(待續)