第 14 节
作者:      更新:2021-02-18 23:31      字数:9320
  '23' Cf。 above; I。 vi。 8。
  '24'   Or;   〃in   admiration   of   themselves;   the   praise   and   envy   of   the
  world at large。〃
  '25' See Hippocrates; 〃V。 Med。〃 18。
  '26' Hesiod; 〃Works and Days;〃 285。 See Plat。 〃Prot。〃 340 C; 〃Rep。〃
  ii。 364 D; 〃Laws;〃 iv。 718 E。
  And Ephicharmus'27' bears his testimony when he says:
  The gods sell us all good things in return for our labours。
  '27' Epicharmus of Cos; the chief comic poet among the Dorians; fl。
  500 B。C。 Cf。 Plat。 〃Theaet。〃 152 E; 〃the prince of comedy〃;                        〃Gorg。〃
  505 D。
  And again in another passage he exclaims:
  Set   not   thine   heart   on   soft   things;   thou   knave;   lest   thou   light
  upon the hard。
  And     that  wise   man    Prodicus'28'      delivers   himself    in  a   like  strain
  concerning virtue in that composition of his about Heracles; which crowds
  have listened to。'29' This; as far as I can recollect it; is the substance at
  least of what he says:
  '28'   Prodicus     of  Ceos。    See   Plat。  〃Men。〃     24;  〃Cratyl。〃    1;  Philostr。
  〃Vit。 Soph。〃 i。 12。
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  '29'   Or;   〃which   he   is   fond   of   reciting   as   a   specimen   of   style。〃   The
  title of the {epideixis} was {'Orai} according to Suidas;                      {Prodikos}。
  〃When Heracles was emerging from boyhood into the bloom of youth;
  having reached that season in which the young man; now standing upon
  the verge of independence; shows plainly whether he will enter upon the
  path of virtue or of vice; he went forth into a quiet place; and sat debating
  with himself which of those two paths he should pursue; and as he there
  sat musing; there appeared to him two women of great stature which drew
  nigh   to   him。   The   one   was   fair   to   look   upon;   frank   and   free   by   gift   of
  nature;'30' her limbs adorned with purity and her eyes with bashfulness;
  sobriety set the rhythm of her gait; and she was clad in white apparel。 The
  other was of a different type; the fleshy softness of her limbs betrayed her
  nurture; while the complexion of her skin was embellished that she might
  appear whiter and rosier than she really was; and her figure that she might
  seem taller than nature made her; she stared with wide…open eyes; and the
  raiment wherewith she was clad served but to reveal the ripeness of her
  bloom。 With frequent glances she surveyed her person; or looked to see if
  others   noticed   her;   while   ever   and      anon   she   fixed   her   gaze   upon     the
  shadow of herself intently。
  '30'     Reading       {eleutherion      phusei;     。   。  。}   or    if  {eleutherion;
  phusei 。 。 。} translate 〃nature had adorned her limbs 。 。 。〃
  〃Now when these two had drawn near to Heracles; she who was first
  named   advanced   at   an   even   pace'31'   towards   him;   but   the   other;   in   her
  eagerness to outstrip her; ran forward to the youth; exclaiming; 'I see you;
  Heracles;   in   doubt   and   difficulty   what   path   of   life   to   choose;   make   me
  your friend; and I will lead you to the pleasantest road and easiest。 This I
  promise you: you shall taste all of life's sweets and escape all bitters。 In
  the first place; you shall not trouble your brain with war or business; other
  topics   shall   engage   your   mind;'32'   your   only  speculation;   what   meat   or
  drink you   shall find   agreeable to   your   palate; what   delight'33' of   ear or
  eye; what pleasure of smell or touch; what darling lover's intercourse shall
  most enrapture you; how you shall pillow your limbs in softest slumber;
  how   cull   each   individual   pleasure   without   alloy  of   pain;   and   if   ever   the
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  suspicion steal upon you that the stream of joys will one day dwindle; trust
  me I will not lead you where you shall replenish the store by toil of body
  and trouble of soul。 No! others shall labour; but you shall reap the fruit of
  their labours; you shall withhold your hand from nought which shall bring
  you   gain。   For   to   all   my   followers   I   give   authority   and   power   to   help
  themselves freely from every side。'
  '31' Or; 〃without change in her demeanour。〃
  '32'   Reading   {diese};   or   {dioisei};   〃you   shall   continue   speculating
  solely。〃
  '33'   It   will   be   recollected   that   Prodicus   prided   himself   on   {orthotes
  onomaton}。 Possibly Xenophon is imitating (caricaturing?) his                            style。
  {terphtheies; estheies; euphrantheies}。
  〃Heracles   hearing   these   words   made   answer:   'What;   O   lady;   is   the
  name you bear?' To which she: 'Know that my friends call be Happiness;
  but   they   that   hate   me   have   their   own   nicknames'34'   for   me;   Vice   and
  Naughtiness。'
  '34' So the vulg。 {upokorizomenoi} is interpreted。 Cobet (〃Pros。 Xen。〃
  p。     36)      suggests      {upoknizomenoi}            =     〃quippe       qui     desiderio
  pungantur。〃
  〃But   just   then   the   other   of   those   fair   women   approached   and   spoke:
  'Heracles; I too am come to you; seeing that your parents are well known
  to   me;    and   in  your    nurture    I  have    gauged     your   nature;    wherefore      I
  entertain   good   hope that   if   you   choose the   path   which   leads to   me;   you
  shall   greatly   bestir   yourself   to   be   the   doer   of   many   a   doughty   deed   of
  noble emprise; and that I too shall be held in even higher honour for your
  sake; lit with the lustre shed by valorous deeds。'35' I will not cheat you
  with preludings of pleasure;'36' but I will relate to you the things that are
  according to the ordinances of God in very truth。 Know then that among
  things that are lovely and of good report; not one have the gods bestowed
  upon mortal men apart from toil and pains。 Would you obtain the favour of
  the gods; then must you pay these same gods service; would you be loved
  by   your    friends;    you   must    benefit   these    friends;   do   you   desire    to  be
  honoured   by   the   state;   you   must   give   the   state   your   aid;   do   you   claim
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  admiration   for   your   virtue   from   all   Hellas;   you   must   strive   to   do   some
  good to Hellas; do you wish earth to yield her fruits to you abundantly; to
  earth   must   you   pay   your   court;   do   you   seek   to   amass   riches   from   your
  flocks   and   herds;   on   them   must   you   bestow   your   labour;   or   is   it   your
  ambition to be potent as a warrior; able to save your friends and to subdue
  your foes; then must you learn the arts of war from those who have   the
  knowledge;   and   practise   their   application   in   the   field   when   learned;   or
  would   you   e'en   be   powerful   of   limb   and   body;   then   must   you   habituate
  limbs   and   body   to   obey   the   mind;   and   exercise   yourself   with   toil   and
  sweat。'
  '35' Or; 〃bathed in the splendour of thy virtues。〃
  '36' Or; 〃honeyed overtures of pleasure。〃
  〃At this point; (as Prodicus relates) Vice broke in exclaiming: 'See you;
  Heracles; how hard and long the road is by which yonder woman would
  escort you to her festal joys。'37' But I will guide you by a short and easy
  road to happiness。'
  '37' Hesiod; 〃Theog。〃 909; Milton; 〃L'Allegro;〃 12。
  〃Then spoke Virtue: 'Nay; wretched one; what good thing hast thou? or
  what sweet thing art thou acquainted withthat wilt stir neither hand nor
  foot to gain it? Thou; that mayest not even await the desire of pleasure; but;
  or   ever   that   desire   springs   up;   art   already   satiated;   eating   before   thou
  hungerest; and drinking before thou thirsteth; who to eke out an appetite
  must   invent   an   army   of   cooks   and   confectioners;   and   to   whet   thy   thirst
  must lay down costliest wines; and run up and down in search of ice   in
  summer…time; to help thy slumbers soft coverlets suffice not; but couches
  and feather…beds must be   prepared thee and rockers  to rock thee to   rest;
  since desire for sleep in thy case springs not from toil but from vacuity and
  nothing in the world to do。 Even the natural appetite of love thou forcest
  prematurely by every means thou mayest devise; confounding the sexes in
  thy service。 Thus thou educatest thy friends: with insult in the night season
  and   drowse   of   slumber   during   the   precious   hours