第 24 节
作者:      更新:2021-02-18 23:31      字数:9322
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  BOOK III
  I
  Aspirants      to  honour     and   distinction'1'     derived    similar   help    from
  Socrates;   who   in   each   case   stimulated   in   them   a   persevering   assiduity
  towards   their   several   aims;  as   the   following narratives tend to show。   He
  had   heard   on   one   occasion   of   the   arrival   in Athens   of   Dionysodorus;'2'
  who   professed   to   teach   the   whole   duty   of   a   general。'3' Accordingly   he
  remarked      to  one    of  those   who    were    with   him   a  young     man    whose
  anxiety to obtain the office of Strategos'4' was no secret to him:
  '1' {ton kalon} = everything which the {kalos te kagathos} should aim
  at;    but    especially     the   honourable       offices    of    state   such     as   the
  Archonship; Strategia; Hipparchia; etc。 See Plat。 〃Laches。〃
  '2'   Dionysodorus   of   Chios;   presumably。   See   Plat。   〃Euthyd。〃   271   C
  foll。
  '3' A professor of the science and art of strategy。
  '4' Lit。 〃that honour;〃 sc。 the Strategia。
  Soc。   It   would   be   monstrous   on   the   part   of   any   one   who   sought   to
  become a  general'5'  to   throw  away  the  slightest opportunity  of   learning
  the duties of the office。 Such a person; I should say; would deserve to be
  fined and punished by the state far more than the charlatan who without
  having learnt the art of a sculptor undertakes a contract to carve a statue。
  Considering       that  the   whole    fortunes    of  the   state  are   entrusted    to  the
  general during a war; with all its incidental peril; it is only reasonable to
  anticipate that great blessings or great misfortunes will result in proportion
  to the success or bungling of that officer。 I appeal to you; young sir; do you
  not agree that a candidate who; while taking pains to be elected neglects to
  learn the duties of the office; would richly deserve to be fined?
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  '5' i。e。 〃head of the war department; and commander…in…chief;〃 etc。
  With arguments like these he persuaded the young man to go and take
  lessons。 After he had gone through the course he came back; and Socrates
  proceeded playfully to banter him。
  Soc。 Behold our young friend; sirs; as Homer says of Agamemnon; of
  mein   majestical;'6'   so   he;   does   he not   seem  to   move   more   majestically;
  like one who has studied to be a general? Of course; just as a man who has
  learned to play the harp is a harper; even if he never touch the instrument;
  or   as   one   who   has   studied   medicine   is   a   physician;   though   he   does   not
  practise; so our friend here from this time forward is now and ever shall be
  a general; even though he does not receive a vote at the elections。 But the
  dunce who has not the science is neither general nor doctor; no; not even if
  the whole world appointed him。 But (he proceeded; turning to the youth);
  in case any of us should ever find ourselves captain or colonel'7' under
  you;   to   give   us   some   smattering     of  the   science   of   war;   what   did   the
  professor take as the starting…point of his instruction in generalship? Please
  inform us。
  '6' 〃Il。〃 iii。 169; 170。
  '7' Or; 〃brigadier or captain;〃 lit。 taxiarch or lochagos。
  Then     the   young    man:    He    began    where    he   ended;    he   taught    me
  tactics'8' tactics and nothing else。
  '8' Cf。 〃Cyrop。〃 I。 vi。 12 foll。; VIII。 v。 15。
  Yet    surely   (replied   Socrates)     that  is  only   an   infinitisemal    part   of
  generalship。 A general'9' must be ready in furnishing the material of war:
  in providing the commissariat for his troops; quick in devices; he must be
  full of practical resource; nothing must escape his eye or tax his endurance;
  he must be shrewd; and ready of wit; a combination at once of clemency
  and fierceness; of simplicity and of insidious craft; he must play the part of
  watchman; of robber; now prodigal as a spendthrift; and again close…fisted
  as   a   miser;   the   bounty    of  his   munificence      must    be  equalled     by   the
  narrowness   of   his   greed;   impregnable   in   defence;   a   very   dare…devil   in
  attackthese and many other qualities must he possess who is to make a
  good general and minister of war; they must come to him by gift of nature
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  or through science。 No doubt it is a grand thing also to be a tactician; since
  there is all the difference in the world between an army properly handled
  in the field and the same in disorder; just as stones and bricks; woodwork
  and tiles; tumbled together in a heap are of no use at all; but arrange them
  in a certain orderat bottom and atop materials which will not crumble or
  rot; such as stones and earthen tiles; and in the middle between the two put
  bricks    and   woodwork;       with    an  eye   to  architectural    principle;'10'     and
  finally you get a valuable possessionto wit; a dwelling…place。
  '9' A  strategos。   For   the   duties   and   spheres   of   action   of   this   officer;
  see Gow; op。 cit。 xiv。 58。
  '10'   〃As   in   the   building   of   a   house。〃   See   Vitrivius;   ii。   3;   Plin。   xxv。
  14。
  The simile is very apt; Socrates'11' (replied the youth); for in battle;
  too; the   rule is to   draw up the   best men   in   front   and   rear;  with those   of
  inferior   quality   between;   where   they   may   be   led   on   by   the   former   and
  pushed on by the hinder。
  '11' Cf。 〃Il。〃 iv。 297 foll。; 〃Cyrop。〃 VI。 iii。 25; Polyb。 x。 22。
  Soc。  Very   good;   no   doubt;   if   the   professor   taught   you   to   distinguish
  good   and   bad;   but   if   not;   where   is   the   use   of   your   learning?   It   would
  scarcely help you; would it; to be told to arrange coins in piles; the best
  coins at top and bottom and the worst in the middle; unless you were first
  taught to distinguish real from counterfeit。
  The Youth。 Well no; upon my word; he did not teach us that; so that the
  task of distinguishing between good and bad must devolve on ourselves。
  Soc。 Well; shall we see; then; how we may best avoid making blunders
  between them?
  I am ready (replied the youth)。
  Soc。    Well    then!   Let   us   suppose    we    are  marauders;      and   the   task
  imposed upon us is to carry off some bullion; it will be a right disposition
  of our forces if we place in the vanguard those who are the greediest of
  gain?'12'
  '12' 〃Whose fingers itch for gold。〃
  The Youth。 I should think so。
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  Soc。   Then   what   if   there   is   danger   to   be   faced?   Shall   the   vanguard
  consist of men who are greediest of honour?
  The Youth。 It is these; at any rate; who will face danger for the sake of
  praise and glory。'13' Fortunately such people are not hid away in a corner;
  they shine forth conspicuous everywhere; and are easy to be discovered。
  '13' Cf。 Shakesp。 〃seeking the bubble reputation even in the cannon's
  mouth。〃
  Soc。 But tell me; did he teach you how to draw up troops in general; or
  specifically     where    and   how    to  apply    each   particular   kind    of  tactical
  arrangement?
  The Youth。 Nothing of the sort。
  Soc。   And   yet   there   are   and   must   be   innumerable   circumstances   in
  which the same ordering of march or battle will be out of place。
  The Youth。 I assure you he did not draw any of these fine distinctions。
  He did not; did not he? (he answered)。 Bless me! Go back to him again;
  then; and ply him with questions; if he really has the science; and is not
  lost to all sense of shame; he will blush to have taken your money and then
  to have sent you away empty。
  II
  At   another time   he   fell  in   with   a   man   who had   been   chosen   general
  and minister of war; and thus accosted him。
  Soc。 Why did Homer; think you; designate Agamemnon 〃shepherd of
  the   peoples〃?'1'  Was   it   possibly   to   show   that;   even   as   a   shepherd   must
  care for his sheep and see that they are safe and have all things needful;
  and that the objects of their rearing be secured; so also must a general take
  care that his soldiers are s