第 10 节
作者:      更新:2021-02-18 23:31      字数:9322
  us   and   we   wished     to  choose   a   man   who   would   best   help   us   to   save
  ourselves and to subdue our enemy; I suppose we should scarcely select
  one whom we knew to be a slave to his belly; to wine; or lust; and prone to
  succumb   to toil   or sleep。  Could   we  expect   such   an   one  to   save  us   or   to
  master our foes? Or if one of us were nearing the end of his days; and he
  wished     to  discover   some      one   to  whom   he     might   entrust    his   sons  for
  education; his maiden daughters for protection; and his property in general
  for preservation; would he deem a libertine worthy of such offices? Why;
  no   one   would   dream   of   entrusting   his   flocks   and   herds;   his   storehouses
  and barns; or the superintendence of his works to the tender mercies of an
  intemperate slave。 If a butler or an errand boy with such a character were
  offered to us we would not take him as a free gift。 And if he would not
  accept an intemperate slave; what pains should the master himself take to
  avoid that imputation。'3' For with the incontinent man it is not as with the
  self…seeker   and   the   covetous。   These   may   at   any   rate   be   held   to   enrich
  themselves in depriving others。 But the intemperate man cannot claim in
  like fashion to be a blessing to himself if a curse to his neighbours; nay;
  the mischief which he may cause to others is nothing by comparison with
  that which redounds against himself; since it is the height of mischief to
  ruinI do not say one's own house and propertybut one's own body and
  one's   own   soul。   Or   to   take   an   example   from   social   intercourse;   no   one
  cares for a guest who evidently takes more pleasure in the wine and the
  viands   than   in   the   friends   beside   himwho   stints   his   comrades   of   the
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  affection due  to them  to dote  upon a  mistress。 Does it not   come to   this;
  that   every   honest   man   is   bound   to   look   upon   self…restraint   as   the   very
  corner…stone of virtue:'4' which he should seek to lay down as the basis
  and foundation of his soul? Without self…restraint who can lay any good
  lesson to heart or practise it when learnt in any degree worth speaking of?
  Or; to put it conversely; what slave of pleasure will not suffer degeneracy
  of soul and body? By Hera;'5' well may every free man pray to be saved
  from the service of such a slave; and well too may he who is in bondage to
  such pleasures supplicate Heaven to send him good masters; seeing that is
  the one hope of salvation left him。〃
  '1' Lit。 〃a beautiful and brave possesion。〃
  '2' {proubibaze}。
  '3'   Or;   〃how   should   the   master   himself   beware   lest   he   fall   into   that
  category。〃
  '4' {krepida}。 See Pind。 〃Pyth。〃 iv。 138; ib。 vii。 3; ib。 fr。 93。
  '5'    See   below;    III。  x。  9;  xi。   5;  IV。   ii。  9;  iv。  8;  〃Econ。〃    x。   1;
  〃Cyrop。〃 I。 iv。 12; Plat。 〃Phaedr。〃 230 B。 Cf。 Shakesp。 〃by'r                    Lakin。〃
  Well…tempered words:   yet   his   self…restraint   shone   forth   even   more   in
  his acts than in his language。 Not only was he master over the pleasures
  which flow from the body; but of those also which are fed by riches; his
  belief being   that he  who receives   money  from this   or that   chance  donor
  sets up over himself a master; and binds himself to an abominable slavery。
  VI
  In this context some discussions with Antiphon the sophist'1' deserve
  record。     Antiphon     approaches      Socrates    in  hope    of   drawing     away    his
  associates; and in their presence thus accosts him。
  '1'   {o   teratoskopos};     〃jealous    of  Socrates;〃    according     to  Aristotle
  ap。 Diog。 Laert。 II。 v。 25。 See Cobet; 〃Pros。 Xen。〃
  Antiphon。 Why; Socrates; I always thought it was expected of students
  of   philosophy   to   grow  in   happiness   daily;   but   you   seem  to   have   reaped
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  other fruits from your philosophy。 At any rate; you exist; I do not say live;
  in a style such as no slave serving under a master would put up with。 Your
  meat and your drink are of the cheapest sort; and as to clothes; you cling to
  one wretched cloak which serves you for summer and winter alike; and so
  you go the whole year round; without shoes to your feet or a shirt to your
  back。   Then   again;   you   are   not   for   taking   or   making   money;   the   mere
  seeking   of   which   is   a   pleasure;   even   as   the   possession   of   it   adds   to   the
  sweetness   and   independence   of   existence。   I   do   not   know   whether   you
  follow   the   common   rule   of   teachers;   who   try   to   fashion   their   pupils   in
  imitation   of themselves;'2'  and   propose   to   mould   the   characters of   your
  companions; but if you do you ought to dub yourself professor of the art of
  wretchedness。'3'
  '2' Or; 〃try to turn out their pupils as copies of themselves。〃
  '3' See Arist。 〃Clouds;〃 {on o kakodaimon Sokrates kai Khairephon}。
  Thus      challenged;     Socrates     replied:    One     thing    to  me    is  certain;
  Antiphon; you have conceived so vivid an idea of my life of misery that
  for   yourself   you   would   choose   death   sooner   than   live   as   I   do。   Suppose
  now we turn and consider what it is you find so hard in my life。 Is it that
  he   who   takes   payment   must   as   a   matter   of   contract   finish   the   work   for
  which he is paid; whereas I; who do not take it; lie under no constraint to
  discourse except with whom I choose? Do you despise my dietary on the
  ground that the food which I eat is less wholesome and less stengthening
  than   yours;   or   that   the   articles   of   my   consumption   are   so   scarce   and   so
  much costlier to procure than yours? Or have the fruits of your marketing
  a flavour denied to mine? Do you not know the sharper the appetite the
  less the need of sauces; the keener the thirst the less the desire for out…of…
  the…way   drinks? And   as   to   raiment;   clothes;   you   know;   are   changed   on
  account of cold or else of heat。 People only wear boots and shoes in order
  not to gall their feet and be prevented walking。 Now I ask you; have you
  ever noticed that I keep more within doors than others on account of the
  cold? Have you ever seen me battling with any one for shade on account
  of the heat? Do you not know that even a weakling by nature may; by dint
  of exercise and practice; come to outdo a giant who neglects his body? He
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  will beat him in the particular point of training; and bear the strain more
  easily。 But you apparently will not have it that I; who am for ever training
  myself to endure this; that; and the other thing which may befall the body;
  can    brave    all  hardships     more    easily   than   yourself    for   instance;   who
  perhaps are not so practised。 And to escape slavery to the belly or to sleep
  or lechery; can you suggest more effective means than the possession of
  some   powerful   attraction;   some   counter…charm   which   shall   gladden   not
  only in the using; but by the hope enkindled of its lasting usefulness? And
  yet this you do know; joy is not to him who feels that he is doing well in
  nothingit   belongs   to   one   who   is   persuaded   that   things   are   progressing
  with him; be it tillage or the working of a vessel;'4' or any of the thousand
  and one things on which a man may chance to be employed。 To him it is
  given   to   rejoice   as   he   reflects;   〃I   am   doing   well。〃   But   is   the   pleasured
  derived from all these put together half as joyous as the consciousness of
  becoming better oneself; of acquiring better and better friends? That; for
  my part; is the belief I continue to cherish。
  '4' 〃The business of a shipowner or skipper。〃
  Again; if it be a question of helping one's friends or country; which of
  the   two   will   have   the   larger   leisure   to   devote   to   these   objectshe   who
  leads the life which I lead to…day; or he who lives in the style which you
  deem   so   fortunate?   Which   of   the   two   will   adopt   a   soldier's   life   more
  easilythe   man   who   cannot   get   on   without   expensive   living;   or   he   to
  whom   whatever   comes   to   hand   suffices?   Which   will   be   the   readier   to
  capitulate and cry 〃mercy〃 in a siegethe man of elaborate wants; or he
  who can get alo