第 17 节
作者:      更新:2021-02-18 23:31      字数:9322
  him。 He can be pleasing enough to others; but to me; whenever he appears
  on the scene; he is not a blessingno! but by every manner of means the
  reverse。
  Soc。 May it not happen that just as a horse is no gain to the inexpert
  rider who essays to handle him; so in like manner; if a man tries to deal
  with his brother after an ignorant fashion; this same brother will kick?
  Chaer。   But   is   it   likely   now?   How   should   I   be   ignorant   of   the   art   of
  dealing with my brother if I know the art of repaying kind words and good
  deeds in kind? But a man who tries all he can to annoy me by word and
  deed; I can neither bless nor benefit; and; what is more; I will not try。
  Soc。 Well now; that is a marvellous statement; Chaerecrates。 Your dog;
  the serviceable guardian of your flocks; who will fawn and lick the hand
  of your shepherd; when you come near him can only growl and show his
  teeth。 Well; you take no notice of the dog's ill…temper; you try to propitiate
  him by kindness; but your brother? If your brother were what he ought to
  be;   he   would   be   a   great   blessing   to   youthat   you   admit;   and;   as   you
  further confess; you know the secret of kind acts and words; yet you will
  not set yourself to apply means to make him your best of friends。
  Chaer。   I   am   afraid;   Socrates;   that   I   have   no   wisdom   or   cunning   to
  make Chaerephon bear himself towards me as he should。
  Soc。 Yet there is no need to apply any recondite or novel machinery。
  Only   bait   your   hook   in   the   way   best   known   to   yourself;   and   you   will
  capture him; whereupon he will become your devoted friend。
  Chaer。   If   you   are   aware   that   I   know   some   love…charm;   Socrates;   of
  which   I   am   the   happy   but   unconscious   possessor;   pray   make   haste   and
  enlighten me。
  Soc。 Answer me then。 Suppose you wanted to get some acquaintance
  to invite you to dinner when he next keeps holy day;'4' what steps would
  you take?
  '4'  〃When   he next does sacrifice〃;   see   〃Hiero;〃 viii。  3。  Cf。 Theophr。
  〃Char。〃 xv。 2; and Prof。 Jebb's note ad loc。
  Chaer。   No   doubt   I   should   set   him   a   good   example   by   inviting   him
  myself on a like occasion。
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  Soc。 And if you wanted to induce some friend to look after your affairs
  during your absence abroad; how would you achieve your purpose?
  Chaer。 No doubt I should present a precedent in undertaking to look
  after his in like circumstances。
  Soc。 And if you wished to get some foreign friend to take you under
  his roof while visiting his country; what would you do?
  Chaer。 No doubt I should begin by offering him the shelter of my own
  roof when he came to Athens; in order to enlist his zeal in furthering the
  objects of my visit; it is plain I should first show my readiness to do as
  much for him in a like case。
  Soc。 Why; it seems you are an adept after all in all the philtres known
  to man; only you chose to conceal your knowledge all the while; or is it
  that you shrink from taking the first step because of the scandal you will
  cause by kindly advances to your brother? And yet it is commonly held to
  redound to a man's praise to have outstripped an enemy in mischief or a
  friend in kindness。 Now if it seemed to me that Chaerephon were better
  fitted   to   lead   the   way   towards   this   friendship;'5'   I   should   have   tried   to
  persuade him to take the first step in winning your affection; but now I am
  persuaded the first move belongs to you; and to you the final victory。
  '5'    Reading     {pros    ten   philian};    or  if  {phusin};     transl。   〃natural
  disposition。〃
  Chaer。 A startling   announcement;   Socrates;   from  your   lips;   and   most
  unlike   you;   to   bid   me   the   younger   take   precedence   of   my  elder   brother。
  Why; it is contrary to the universal custom of mankind; who look to the
  elder to take the lead in everything; whether as a speaker or an actor。
  Soc。 How so? Is it not the custom everywhere for the younger to step
  aside when he meets his elder in the street and to give him place? Is he not
  expected to get up and offer him his seat; to pay him the honour of a soft
  couch;'6' to yield him precedence in argument?
  '6' Lit。 〃with a soft bed;〃 or; as we say; 〃the best bedroom。〃
  My   good   fellow;   do   not   stand   shilly…shallying;'7'   but   put   out   your
  hand caressingly;  and   you   will see   the   worthy  soul   will   respond   at once
  with   alacrity。   Do   you   not   note   your   brother's   character;   proud   and   frank
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  and sensitive to honour? He is not a mean and sorry rascal to be caught by
  a bribeno better way indeed for such riff…raff。 No! gentle natures need a
  finer treatment。 You can best hope to work on them by affection。
  '7' Or; 〃have no fears; essay a soothing treatment。〃
  Chaer。   But   suppose   I   do;   and   suppose   that;   for   all   my   attempts;   he
  shows no change for the better?
  Soc。 At the worst you will have shown yourself to be a good; honest;
  brotherly man; and he will appear as a sorry creature on whom kindness is
  wasted。   But   nothing   of   the   sort   is   going   to   happen;   as   I   conjecture。   My
  belief   is   that   as   soon   as   he   hears   your   challenge;   he   will   embrace   the
  contest; pricked on by emulous pride; he will insist upon getting the better
  of you in kindness of word and deed。
  At present you two are in the condition of two hands formed by God to
  help each other; but which have let go their business and have turned to
  hindering one another all they can。 You are a pair of feet fashioned on the
  Divine   plan   to   work   together;   but   which   have   neglected   this   in   order   to
  trammel each other's gait。 Now is it not insensate stupidity'8' to use for
  injury what was meant for advantage? And yet in fashioning two brothers
  God   intends   them;   methinks;   to   be   of   more   benefit   to   one   another   than
  either   two   hands;   or   two   feet;   or   two   eyes;   or   any   other   of   those   pairs
  which   belong   to   man   from   his   birth。'9'   Consider   how   powerless   these
  hands of ours if   called upon   to   combine  their action   at two points   more
  than   a   single   fathom's   length   apart;'10'   and   these   feet   could   not   stretch
  asunder'11' even a bare fathom; and these eyes; for all the wide…reaching
  range we claim for them; are incapable of seeing simultaneously the back
  and front of an object at even closer quarters。 But a pair of brothers; linked
  in bonds of amity; can work each for the other's good; though seas divide
  them。'12'
  '8' 〃Boorishness verging upon monomania。〃
  '9' 〃With which man is endowed at birth。〃
  '10' 〃More than an 'arms'…stretch' asunder。〃
  '11'    Lit。  〃reach    at  one    stretch   two    objects;   even    over    that  small
  distance。〃
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  '12' 〃Though leagues separate them。〃
  IV
  I   have   at   another   time   heard   him  discourse   on   the   kindred   theme   of
  friendship in language well calculated; as it seemed to me; to help a man
  to choose and also to use his friends aright。
  He (Socrates) had often heard the remark made that of all possessions
  there is none equal to that of a good and sincere friend; but; in spite of this
  assertion; the mass of people; as far as he could see; concerned themselves
  about nothing so little as the acquisition of friends。 Houses; and fields; and
  slaves; and cattle; and furniture of all sorts (he said) they were at pains to
  acquire; and they strove hard to keep what they had got; but to procure for
  themselves this greatest of all blessings; as they admitted a friend to be; or
  to   keep    the  friends   whom      they   already    possessed;     not  one   man    in  a
  hundred ever gave himself a thought。 It was noticeable;  in the case of  a
  sickness      befalling    a   man's    friend    and    one    of   his  own     household
  simultaneously;   the   promptness   with   which   the   master   would   fetch   the
  doctor     to  his   domestic;     and   take   every    precaution     necessary     for  his
  recovery;   with   much   expenditure   of   pains;   but   meanwhile   little   account
  would be taken of the friend in like condition;