第 35 节
作者:      更新:2021-02-18 23:31      字数:9322
  distributed   partly   along   the   collar…bone   and   shoulder…   blade;   partly   over
  the shoulders and chest; and partly the back and belly; feels like another
  natural integument rather than an extra load to carry。'13'
  '13'   Schneider   ad   loc。   cf   Eur。   〃Electr。〃   192;   {prosthemata   aglaias};
  and for the weight cf。 Aristoph。 〃Peace;〃 1224。
  Pist。   You    have    named     the   very   quality    which    gives    my   work     its
  exceptional value; as I consider; still there are customers; I am bound to
  say;   who     look   for  something   else      in   a  corseletthey   must     have    them
  ornamental or inlaid with gold。
  For all that (replied Socrates); if they end by purchasing an ill… fitting
  article;   they   only   become   the   proprietors   of   a   curiously…   wrought   and
  gilded nuisance; as it seems to me。 But (he added); as the body is never in
  one fixed position; but is at one time curved; at another raised erect how
  can an exactly…modelled corselet fit?
  Pist。 It cannot fit at all。      You mean (Socrates continued) that it is not
  the exactly…modelled corselet which fits; but that which does not gall the
  wearer in the using?
  Pist。 There; Socrates; you have hit the very point。 I see you understand
  the matter most precisely。'14'
  '14'   Or;   〃There;   Socrates;   you   have   hit   the   very   phrase。   I   could   not
  state the matter more explicitly myself。〃
  XI
  There was once in the city a fair woman named Theodote。'1' She was
  not   only   fair;   but   ready   to   consort   with   any   suitor   who   might   win   her
  favour。   Now   it   chanced   that   some   one   of   the   company   mentioned   her;
  saying   that   her   beauty   beggared   description。   〃So   fair   is   she;〃   he   added;
  〃that   painters   flock   to   draw   her   portrait;   to   whom;   within   the   limits   of
  decorum; she displays the marvels of her beauty。〃 〃Then there is nothing
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  for it but to go and see her;〃 answered Socrates; 〃since to comprehend by
  hearsay  what   is   beyond   description   is   clearly  impossible。〃 Then   he   who
  had introduced the matter replied: 〃Be quick then to follow me〃; and on
  this   wise   they   set   off   to   seek   Theodote。   They   found   her   〃posing〃   to   a
  certain     painter;   and   they   took    their  stand    as  spectators。    Presently     the
  painter had ceased his work; whereupon Socrates:
  '1' For Theodote see Athen。 v。 200 F; xiii。 574 F; Liban。 i。 582。 Some
  say that it was Theodote who stood by Alcibiades to the last;                          though
  there are apparently other better claimants to the honour。                       Plut。 〃Alc。〃
  (Clough; ii。 p。 50)。
  〃Do you think; sirs; that we ought to thank Theodote for displaying her
  beauty   to   us;   or   she   us   for   coming   to   gaze   at   her?   。   。   。   It   would   seem;
  would it not; that if the exhibition of her charms is the more profitable to
  her; the debt is on her side; but if the spectacle of her beauty confers the
  greater benefit on us; then we are her debtors。〃
  Some one answered that 〃was an equitable statement of the case。〃
  Well   then   (he   continued);   as   far   as   she   is   concerned;   the   praise   we
  bestow on her is an immediate gain; and presently; when we have spread
  her    fame    abroad;    she   will   be  further    benefited;    but   for  ourselves     the
  immediate effect on us is a strong desire to touch what we have seen; by
  and   by;   too;   we   shall   go   away   with   a   sting   inside   us;   and   when   we   are
  fairly gone we shall be consumed with longing。 Consequently it seems that
  we should do her service and she accept our court。
  Whereupon Theodote: Oh dear! if that is how the matter stands; it is I
  who am your debtor for the spectacle。'2'
  '2'   In   reference   to   the   remark   of   Socrates   above;   or;   〃have   to   thank
  you for coming to look at me。〃
  At this point; seeing that the lady herself was expensively attired; and
  that    she   had    with    her   her   mother     also;   whose      dress   and    style   of
  attendance'3'       were    out   of  the   common;      not   to  speak    of   the  waiting…
  womenmany and fair to look upon; who presented anything but a forlorn
  appearance; while in every respect the whole house itself was sumptuously
  furnishedSocrates put a question:
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  '3'   Or;   〃her  mother     there   with   her  in  a  dress   and   general    get…up
  ({therapeia})        which      was     out    of    the    common。〃         See    Becker;
  〃Charicles;〃 p。 247 (Eng。 tr。)
  Pray tell me; Theodote; have you an estate in the country?
  Theod。 Not I indeed。
  Soc。 Then perhaps you possess a house and large revenues along with
  it?
  Theod。 No; nor yet a house。
  Soc。 You are not an employer of labour on a large scale?'4'
  '4' Lit。 〃You have not (in your employ) a body of handicraftsmen of
  any sort?〃
  Theod。 No; nor yet an employer of labour。
  Soc。     From     what     source;     then;    do   you     get   your     means     of
  subsistence?'5'
  '5' Or; Anglice; 〃derive your income。〃
  Theod。 My friends are my life and fortune; when they care to be kind
  to me。
  Soc。 By heaven; Theodote; a very fine property indeed; and far better
  worth possessing than a multitude of sheep or goats or cattle。 A flock of
  friends!   。   。   。   But   (he   added)   do   you   leave  it   to   fortune   whether   a   friend
  lights   like   a   fly   on   your   hand   at   random;   or   do   you   use   any   artifice'6'
  yourself to attract him?
  '6' Or; 〃means and appliances;〃 〃machinery。〃
  Theod。 And how might I hit upon any artifice to attract him?
  Soc。 Bless me! far more naturally than any spider。 You know how they
  capture the creatures on which they live;'7' by weaving webs of gossamer;
  is it not? and woe betide the fly that tumbles into their toils! They eat him
  up。
  '7' Lit。 〃the creatures on which they live。〃
  Theod。  So   then   you   would   consel   me   to   weave   myself   some   sort   of
  net?
  Soc。  Why;   surely   you   do   not   suppose   you   are   going   to   ensnare   that
  noblest of all gamea lover; to witin so artless a fashion? Do you not see
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  (to speak of a much less noble sort of game) what a number of devices are
  needed   to   bag   a   hare?'8'   The   creatures   range   for   their   food   at   night;
  therefore   the   hunter   must   provide   himself   with   night   dogs。   At   peep   of
  dawn they are off as fast as they can run。 He must therefore have another
  pack of dogs to scent out and discover which way they betake them from
  their grazing ground to their forms;'9' and as they are so fleet of foot that
  they run and are out of sight in no time; he must once again be provided
  with other fleet…footed dogs to follow their tracks and overtake them;'10'
  and as some of them will give even these the slip; he must; last of all; set
  up nets on the paths at the points of escape; so that they may fall into the
  meshes and be caught。
  '8' See the author's own treatise on 〃Hunting;〃 vi。 6 foll。
  '9' Lit。 〃from pasture to bed。〃
  '10' Or; 〃close at their heels and run them down。〃 See 〃Hunting〃; cf。
  〃Cyrop。〃 I。 vi。 40。
  Theod。 And   by   what   like   contrivance   would   you   have   me   catch   my
  lovers?
  Soc。 Well now! what if in place of a dog you can get a man who will
  hunt   up   your   wealthy   lover   of   beauty   and   discover   his   lair;   and   having
  found him; will plot and plan to throw him into your meshes?
  Theod。 Nay; what sort of meshes have I?
  Soc。   One   you   have;   and   a   close…folding   net   it   is;'11'   I   trow;   to   wit;
  your own person; and inside it sits a soul that teaches you'12' with what
  looks to please and with what words to cheer; how; too; with smiles you
  are    to  welcome     true   devotion;    but   to  exclude    all  wantons     from   your
  presence。'13' It tells you; you are to visit your beloved in sickness with
  solicitude; and when he has wrought some noble deed you are greatly to
  rejoice with him;   and to one who   passionately cares   for you;  you are   to
  make surrender of yourself with heart and soul。 The secret of true