第 23 节
作者:      更新:2021-02-18 23:31      字数:9279
  without some mistake or other; and no less difficult; if you should succeed
  in doing it immaculately; to escape all unfriendly criticism。 I wonder now
  whether you find it easy to get through your present occupations entirely
  without   reproach。  No?   Let   me   tell   you   what   you   should do。 You   should
  avoid censorious persons and attach yourself to the considerate and kind…
  79
  … Page 80…
  The Memorabilia
  hearted; and in all your affairs accept with a good grace what you can and
  decline what you feel you cannot do。 Whatever it be; do it heart and soul;
  and make it your finest work。'4' There lies the method at once to silence
  fault…finders and to minister help to your own difficulties。 Life will flow
  smoothly; risks will be diminished; provision against old age secured。
  '4'   Or;   〃study   to   make   it   your   finest   work;   the   expression   of   a   real
  enthusiasm。〃
  IX
  At   another   time;   as   I   am   aware;   he   had   heard   a   remark   made   by
  Crito'1' that life at Athens was no easy matter for a man who wished to
  mind his own affairs。
  '1' Crito。 See above; I。 ii。 48; Cobet; 〃P。 X。〃; cf。 Plat。 〃Rep。〃                viii。
  549 C。
  As; for   instance;   at   this   moment   (Crito   proceeded) there   are a   set   of
  fellows     threatening     me    with   lawsuits;    not   because     they    have   any
  misdemeanour to allege against me; but simply under the conviction that I
  will sooner pay a sum of money than be troubled further。
  To which Socrates replied: Tell me; Crito; you keep dogs; do you not;
  to ward off wolves from your flocks?
  Cr。 Certainly; it pays to do so。
  Soc。 Then why do you not keep a watchman willing and competent to
  ward off this pack of people who seek to injure you?
  I should not at all mind (he answered); if I were not afraid he might
  turn again and rend his keeper。
  What!   (rejoined   Socrates);   do   you   not   see   that   to   gratify   a   man   like
  yourself is far pleasanter as a matter of self…interest than to quarrel with
  you? You may be sure there are plenty of people here who will take the
  greatest pride in making you their friend。
  Accordingly; they  sought   out Archedemus;'2'  a   practical man   with a
  clever tongue in his head'3' but poor; the fact being; he was not the sort to
  80
  … Page 81…
  The Memorabilia
  make gain by hook or by crook; but a lover of honesty and of too good a
  nature himself to make his living as a pettifogger。'4' Crito would then take
  the   opportunity   of   times   of   harvesting   and   put   aside   small   presents   for
  Achedemus   of   corn   and   oil;   or   wine;   or   wool;   or   any   other   of   the   farm
  produce forming the staple commodities of life; or he would invite him to
  a sacrificial feast; and otherwise pay him marked attention。 Archedemus;
  feeling that he had in Crito's house a harbour of refuge; could not make
  too   much   of   his   patron;   and   ere   long   he   had   hunted   up   a   long   list   of
  iniquities   which   could be   lodged   against   Crito's   pettifogging   persecutors
  themselves;      and    not  only    their  numerous      crimes    but   their   numerous
  enemies; and presently he prosecuted one of them in a public suit; where
  sentence would be given against him 〃what to suffer or what to pay。〃'5'
  The accused; conscious as he was of many rascally deeds; did all he could
  to be quit of Archedemus; but Archedemus was not to be got rid of。 He
  held on until he had made the informer not only loose his hold of Crito but
  pay himself a sum of money; and now that Archedemus had achieved this
  and other similar victories; it is easy to guess what followed。'6' It was just
  as when some shepherd has got a very good dog; all the other shepherds
  wish to lodge their flocks in his neighbourhood that they too may reap the
  benefit of him。 So a number of Crito's friends came begging him to allow
  Archedemus to be their guardian also; and Archedemus was overjoyed to
  do   something   to   gratify   Crito;   and   so   it   came   about   that   not   only   Crito
  abode in peace; but his friends likewise。 If any of those people with whom
  Archedemus was not on the best of terms were disposed to throw it in his
  teeth that he accepted his patron's benefits and paid in flatteries; he had a
  ready retort: 〃Answer me this questionwhich is the more scandalous; to
  accept kindnesses from honest folk and to repay them; with the result that
  I   make    such   people    my    friends   but  quarrel    with   knaves;    or  to  make
  enemies of honourable gentlemen'7' by attempts to do them wrong; with
  the off…chance indeed of winning the friendship of some scamps in return
  for    my   co…operation;      but  the   certainty    of  losing   in   the  tone   of   my
  acquaintances?〃'8'
  '2' Archedemus; possibly the demagogue; 〃Hell。〃 I。 vii。 2。 So Cobet;
  81
  … Page 82…
  The Memorabilia
  〃P。 X。;〃 but see Grote; 〃H。 G。〃 viii。 245。
  '3'   Lit。   〃very   capable   of   speech   and   action〃the   writer's   favourite
  formula      for  the   well…trained     Athenian     who    can   speak    fluently   and
  reason clearly; and act energetically and opportunely。
  '4' Reading {kai euphuesteros on} 'or {e os}' 。 。 。 {apo sukophanton}
  'or {sukophantion}'; after Cobet; 〃P。 X。〃 s。v。 Archedemus。 The                      MSS。
  give    {kai   ephe   raston   einai}〃nothing      is  easier;〃  he  said;        〃than
  recovering from sycophants。〃
  '5' For this formula cf。 〃Econ。〃 vi。 24。 Cf。 Plat。 〃Statesm。〃 299 A。
  '6' {ede tote}。 Cf。 Plat。 〃Laws;〃 vi。 778 C。
  '7' Lit。 the {kaloi kagathoi}; which like {khrestous} and {ponerous}
  has a political as well as an ethical meaning。
  '8'   Lit。   〃must   associate   with   these   (the   {ponerois})   instead   of   those
  (the {kalois te kagathois})。
  The net result of the whole proceedings was that Archedemus was now
  Crito's   right   hand;'9'   and   by   the   rest   of   Crito's   friends   he   was   held   in
  honour。
  '9' He was No。 1{eis}。
  X
  Again I may cite; as known to myself;'1' the following discussion; the
  arguments      were    addressed     to  Diodorus;    one    of  his  companions。      The
  master said:
  '1' Or; 〃for which I can personally vouch。〃
  Tell me; Diodorus; if one of your slaves runs away; are you at pains to
  recover him?
  More than that (Diodorus answered); I summon others to my aid and I
  have a reward cried for his recovery。
  Soc。 Well; if one of your domestics is sick; do you tend him and call in
  the doctors to save his life?
  Diod。 Decidedly I do。
  82
  … Page 83…
  The Memorabilia
  Soc。 And if an intimate acquaintance who is far more precious to you
  than any of your household slaves is about to perish of want; you would
  think it incumbent on you   to take pains to save his life? Well! now  you
  know without my telling you that Hermogenes'2' is not made of wood or
  stone。 If you helped him he would be ashamed not to pay you in kind。 And
  yetthe   opportunity   of   possessing   a   willing;   kindly;   and   trusty   assistant
  well    fitted   to  do   your   bidding;    and   not   merely    that;  but   capable    of
  originating      useful   ideas   himself;   with    a  certain   forecast   of  mind    and
  judgmentI say such a man is worth dozens of slaves。 Good economists
  tell us that when a precious article may be got at a low price we ought to
  buy。   And   nowadays   when   times   are   so   bad   it   is   possible   to   get   good
  friends exceedingly cheap。
  '2' Hermogenes; presumably the son of Hipponicus。 See I。 ii。 48。
  Diodorus   answered:   You   are   quite   right;   Socrates;   bid   Hermogenes
  come to me。
  Soc。 Bid Hermogenes come to you!not I indeed! since for aught I can
  understand   you   are   no   better   entitled   to   summon   him   that   to   go   to   him
  yourself; nor is the advantage more on his side than your own。
  Thus Diodorus went off in a trice to seek Hermogenes; and at no great
  outlay won to himself a frienda friend whose one concern it now was to
  discover how; by word or deed; he might help and gladden Diodorus。
  83
  … Page 84…