第 7 节
作者:
左思右想 更新:2022-06-19 10:06 字数:9322
'48' Zeune; cf。 〃Cyrop。〃 VIII。 iii。 35…50。
Charmides responded: On all hands it is admitted; I believe; that confidence is better than alarm; better to be a freeman than a slave; better to be worshipped than pay court to others; better to be trusted than to be suspected by one's country。
Well now; I will tell you how it fared with me in this same city when I was wealthy。 First; I lived in daily terror lest some burglar should break into my house and steal my goods and do myself some injury。 I cringed before informers。'49' I was obliged to pay these people court; because I knew that I could injure them far less than they could injure me。 Never…ending the claims upon my pocket which the state enforced upon me; and as to setting foot abroad; that was beyond the range of possibility。 But now that I have lost my property across the frontier;'50' and derive no income from my lands in Attica itself; now that my very household goods have been sold up; I stretch my legs at ease; I get a good night's rest。 The distrust of my fellow…citizens has vanished; instead of trembling at threats; it is now my turn to threaten; at last I feel myself a freeman; with liberty to go abroad or stay at home as suits my fancy。 The tables now are turned。 It is the rich who rise to give me their seats; who stand aside and make way for me as I meet them in the streets。 To…day I am like a despot; yesterday I was literally a slave; formerly it was I who had to pay my tribute'51' to the sovereign people; now it is I who am supported by the state by means of general taxation。'52'
'49' 〃And police agents。〃
'50' Cf。 〃Mem。〃 II。 viii。 1。
'51' {phoros}; tributum。 Al。 〃property…tax。〃 Cf。 〃Econ。〃 ii。 6。
'52' {telos}; vectigal。 Sturz; 〃Lex。 Xen。〃 s。v。 Cf。 〃Pol。 Ath。〃 i。 3。
And there is another thing。 So long as I was rich; they threw in my teeth as a reproach that I was friends with Socrates; but now that I am become a beggar no one troubles his head two straws about the matter。 Once more; the while I rolled in plenty I had everything to lose; and; as a rule; I lost it; what the state did not exact; some mischance stole from me。 But now that is over。 I lose nothing; having nought to lose; but; on the contrary; I have everything to gain; and live in hope of some day getting something。'53'
'53' 〃I feed on the pleasures of hope; and fortune in the future。〃
Call。 And so; of course; your one prayer is that you may never more be rich; and if you are visited by a dream of luck your one thought is to offer sacrifice to Heaven to avert misfortune。'54'
'54' Or; 〃you wake up in a fright; and offer sacrifice to the 'Averters。'〃 For {tois apotropaiois} see Aristoph。 〃Plutus;〃 359; Plat。 〃Laws;〃 854 B; 〃Hell。〃 III。 iii。 4。
Char。 No; that I do not。 On the contrary; I run my head into each danger most adventurously。 I endure; if haply I may see a chance of getting something from some quarter of the sky some day。
Come now (Socrates exclaimed); it lies with you; sir; you; Antisthenes; to explain to us; how it is that you; with means so scanty; make so loud a boast of wealth。
Because (he answered) I hold to the belief; sirs; that wealth and poverty do not lie in a man's estate; but in men's souls。 Even in private life how many scores of people have I seen; who; although they roll in wealth; yet deem themselves so poor; there is nothing they will shrink from; neither toil nor danger; in order to add a little to their store。'55' I have known two brothers;'56' heirs to equal fortunes; one of whom has enough; more than enough; to cover his expenditure; the other is in absolute indigence。 And so to monarchs; there are not a few; I perceive; so ravenous of wealth that they will outdo the veriest vagrants in atrocity。 Want'57' prompts a thousand crimes; you must admit。 Why do men steal? why break burglariously into houses? why hale men and women captive and make slaves of them? Is it not from want? Nay; there are monarchs who at one fell swoop destroy whole houses; make wholesale massacre; and oftentimes reduce entire states to slavery; and all for the sake of wealth。 These I must needs pity for the cruel malady which plagues them。 Their condition; to my mind; resembles that poor creature's who; in spite of all he has'58' and all he eats; can never stay the wolf that gnaws his vitals。
'55' Cf。 〃Cyrop。〃 VIII。 ii。 21; Hor。 〃Epist。〃 i。 2。 26; 〃semper avarus eget。〃
'56' Is Antisthenes thinking of Callias and Hermogenes? (presuming these are sons of Hipponicus and brothers)。 Cf。 〃Mem。〃 II。 x。 3。
'57' Or; 〃'Tis want that does it。〃 See 〃Pol。 Ath。〃 i。 5; 〃Rev;〃 i。 1。
'58' Reading {ekhon}; or if {pinon}; transl。 〃who eats and drinks; but never sates himself。〃
But as to me; my riches are so plentiful I cannot lay my hands on them myself;'59' yet for all that I have enough to eat till my hunger is stayed; to drink till my thirst is sated;'60' to clothe myself withal; and out of doors not Callias there; with all his riches; is more safe than I from shivering; and when I find myself indoors; what warmer shirting'61' do I need than my bare walls? what ampler greatcoat than the tiles above my head? these seem to suit me well enough; and as to bedclothes; I am not so ill supplied but it is a business to arouse me in the morning。
'59' 〃That I can scarce discover any portion of it。〃 Zeune cf。 〃Econ。〃 viii。 2。
'60' So 〃the master〃 himself。 See 〃Mem。〃 I。 ii。 1; vi。 5。
'61' Cf。 Aristot。 〃Pol。〃 ii。 8。 1; of Hippodamus。
And as to sexual desire; my body's need is satisfied by what comes first to hand。 Indeed; there is no lack of warmth in the caress which greets me; just because it is unsought by others。'62'
'62' Cf。 〃Mem。〃 I。 iii。 14; the germ of cynicism and stoicism; the Socratic {XS} form of 〃better to marry than to burn。〃
Well then; these several pleasures I enjoy so fully that I am much more apt to pray for less than more of them; so strongly do I feel that some of them are sweeter than what is good for one or profitable。
But of all the precious things in my possession; I reckon this the choicest; that were I robbed of my whole present stock; there is no work so mean; but it would amply serve me to furnish me with sustenance。 Why; look you; whenever I desire to fare delicately; I have not to purchase precious viands in the market; which becomes expensive; but I open the storehouse of my soul; and dole them out。'63' Indeed; as far as pleasure goes; I find it better to await desire before I suffer meat or drink to pass my lips; than to have recourse to any of your costly viands; as; for instance; now; when I have chanced on this fine Thasian wine;'64' and sip it without thirst。 But indeed; the man who makes frugality; not wealth of worldly goods; his aim; is on the face of it a much more upright person。 And why? the man who is content with what he has will least of all be prone to clutch at what is his neighbour's。
'63' Or; 〃turn to the storehouse of a healthy appetite。〃 See 〃Apol。〃 18; the same sentiment 〃ex ore Socratis。〃
'64' See Athen。 〃Deipnos。〃 i。 28。
And here's a point worth noting。 Wealth of my sort will make you liberal of soul。 Look at Socrates; from him it was I got these riches。 He did not supply me with it by weight or by measure; but just as much as I could carry; he with bounteous hand consigned to me。 And I; too; grudge it to no man now。 To all my friends without distinction I am ready to display my opulence: come one; come all; and whosoever likes to take a share is welcome to the wealth that lies within my soul。 Yes; and moreover; that most luxurious of possessions;'65' unbroken leisure; you can see; is mine; which leaves me free to contemplate things worthy of contemplation;'66' and to drink in with my ears all charming sounds。 And what I value most; freedom to spend whole days in pure scholastic intercourse'67' with Socrates; to whom I am devoted。'68' And he; on his side; is not the person to admire those whose tale of gold and silver happens to be the largest; but those who are well…pleasing to him he chooses for companions; and will consort with to the end。
'65' See Eur。 〃Ion;〃 601。 Lit。 〃at every moment I command it。〃
'66' 〃To gaze upon all fairest shows (like a spectator in the theatre); and to drink in sounds most delectable。〃 So Walt Whitman。
'67' Aristot。 〃Rhet。〃 ii。 4。 12; 〃Eth。 N。〃 ix。 4。 9。
'68' See 〃Mem。〃 III。 xi。 17。
With these words the speaker ended; and Callias exclaimed:
By Hera; I envy you your wealth; Antisthenes; firstly; because the state does not lay burthens on you and treat you like a slave; and secondly; people do not fall into a rage with you when you refuse to be their creditor。
You may stay your envy (interposed Niceratus); I shall presently present myself to borrow of him this same key of his to independence。'69' Trained as I am to cast up figures by my master Homer
Seven tripods; which ne'er felt the fire; and of gold ten talents And burnished braziers twenty; and horses twelve'70'
by weight and measure duly reckoned;'71' I cannot stay my craving for enormous wealth。 And that's the reason certain people; I daresay; imagine I am inordinately fond of riches。
'69' Or; 〃his want…for…nothing;〃 or; 〃supply…all。〃
'70' Ni