第 43 节
作者:      更新:2021-02-18 23:31      字数:9320
  Soc。   Or   have   you   not   heard   of   the   〃woes   of   Palamedes;〃'51'   that
  commonest   theme   of   song;   how   for   his   wisdom's   sake   Odysseus   envied
  him and slew him?
  '51' See Virg。 〃Aen。〃 ii。 90; Hygin。 105; Philostr。 〃Her。〃 x。
  Euth。 That tale also is current。
  Soc。 And how many others; pray; do you suppose have been seized on
  account of their wisdom; and despatched to the great king and at his court
  enslaved?'52'
  '52' Cf。 Herod。 iii。 129。
  Well;    prosperity;    well…being'53'      (he   exclaimed);     must    surely   be  a
  blessing; and that the most indisputable; Socrates?
  '53' {to eudaimonein}; 〃happiness。〃 Cf。 Herod。 i。 86。
  It might be so (replied the philosopher) if it chanced not to be in itself
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  a compound of other questionable blessings。
  Euth。 And which among the components of happiness and well…being
  can possibly be questionable?
  None   (he   retorted);   unless   of   course   we   are   to   include   among   these
  components beauty; or strength; or wealth; or reputation; or anything else
  of that kind?
  Euth。 By  heaven!   of   course   we   are   to   include these;   for   what   would
  happiness be without these?
  Soc。 By heaven! yes; only then we shall be including the commonest
  sources of mischief which befall mankind。 How many are ruined by their
  fair faces at the hand of admireres driven to distraction'54' by the sight of
  beauty in its bloom! how many; tempted by their strength to essay deeds
  beyond their power; are involved in no small evils! how many; rendered
  effeminate      by   reason   of   their  wealth;    have   been    plotted   against    and
  destroyed!'55' how many through fame and political power have suffered
  a world of woe!
  '54' Cf。 Plat。 〃Rep。〃 vii。 517 D; 〃Phaedr。〃 249 D。
  '55' e。g。 Alcibiades。
  Well (the youth replied) if I am not even right in praising happiness; I
  must   confess   I   know   not   for   what   one   ought   to   supplicate   the   gods   in
  prayer。'56'
  '56' See above for Socrates' own form of supplication。
  Nay;   these   are   matters   (proceeded   Socrates)   which   perhaps;   through
  excessive     confidence      in  your   knowledge      of  them;   you    have   failed   to
  examine   into;   but   since   the   state;   which   you   are   preparing   yourself   to
  direct;    is  democratically     constituted;'57'     of  course    you   know     what    a
  democracy is。
  '57' Or; 〃popularly governed。〃
  Euth。 I presume I do; decidedly。
  Soc。 Well; now; is it possible to know what a popular state is without
  knowing who the people are?
  Euth。 Certainly not。
  Soc。 And whom do you consider to be the people?
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  Euth。 The poor citizens; I should say。
  Soc。 Then you know who the poor are; of course?
  Euth。 Of course I do。
  Soc。 I presume you also know who the rich are?
  Euth。 As certainly as I know who are the poor。
  Soc。 Whom do you understand by poor and rich?
  Euth。   By   poor   I   mean   those   who   have   not   enough   to   pay   for   their
  necessaries;'58' and   by  rich   those   who have  more   means   than sufficient
  for all their needs。
  '58'   Al。   〃who   cannot   contribute   their   necessary   quota   to   the   taxes
  (according to the census)。〃
  Soc。 Have you noticed that some who possess a mere pittance not only
  find this sufficient; but actually succeed in getting a surplus out of it; while
  others do not find a large fortune large enough?
  I  have;    most   certainly;   and    I  thank   you   for  the  reminder     (replied
  Euthydemus)。 One has heard of crowned heads and despotic rulers being
  driven by want to commit misdeeds like the veriest paupers。
  Then; if that is how matters stand (continued Socrates); we must class
  these same crowned heads with the commonalty; and some possessors of
  scant fortunes; provided they are good economists; with the wealthy?
  Then Euthydemus: It is the poverty of my own wit which forces me to
  this admission。 I bethink me it is high time to keep silence altogether; a
  little more; and I shall be proved to know absolutely nothing。 And so he
  went   away  crestfallen;   in   an   agony   of   self…   contempt;   persuaded   that   he
  was verily and indeed no better than a slave。
  Amongst   those   who   were   reduced   to   a   like   condition   by   Socrates;
  many refused to come near him again; whom he for his part looked upon
  as dolts and dullards。'59' But Euthydemus had the wit to understand that;
  in order   to   become   worthy  of   account;   his best plan   was   to   associate as
  much   as   possible   with   Socrates;   and   from   that   moment;   save   for   some
  necessity;   he   never   left   himin   some   points   even   imitating   him   in   his
  habits and pursuits。 Socrates; on his side; seeing that this was the young
  man's disposition; disturbed   him  as   little as   possible;  but in the  simplest
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  and   plainest   manner   initiated   him   into   everything   which   he   held   to   be
  needful to know or important to practise。
  '59'   Or;   〃as   people   of   dull   intelligence   and   sluggish   temperament。〃
  Cf。 Plat。 〃Gorg。〃 488 A。
  III
  It may be inferred that Socrates was in no hurry for those who were
  with   him   to   discover   capacities   for   speech   and   action   or   as   inventive
  geniuses;'1' without at any rate a well…laid foundation of self… control。'2'
  For those who possessed such abilities without these same saving virtues
  would;     he   believed;     only   become      worse    men    with    greater   power     for
  mischief。 His first object was to instil into those who were with him a wise
  spirit   in   their   relation   to   the   gods。'3'   That   such   was   the   tenor   of   his
  conversation   in   dealing   with   men   may   be   seen   from   the   narratives   of
  others who were present on some particular occasion。'4' I confine myself
  to a particular discussion with Euthydemus at which I was present。
  '1'   Or;   〃as   speakers〃   (see   ch。   vi。   below);   〃and   men   of   action〃   (see
  ch。 v。 below); 〃or as masters of invention〃 (see ch。 vii。 below)。
  '2'   Or;   〃but   as   prior   to   those   excellences   must   be   engrafted   in   them
  {sophrosune} (the virtues of temperance and sanity of soul)。〃
  '3' Lit。 〃His first object and endeavour was to make those who were
  with him {sophronas} (sound of soul) as regards the gods。〃
  '4'    Reading      after   Herbst;    Cobet;     etc。;  {diegountai};      or   if  vulg。
  {diegounto}; translate; 〃from the current accounts penned during                            his
  lifetime by the other witnesses。〃 For {alloi} see K。 Joel; op。                         cit。 pp。
  15; 23; above; 〃Mem。〃 I。 iv。 1。
  Socrates      said:'5'   Tell   me;   Euthydemus;        has   it  ever  struck    you   to
  observe what tender pains the gods have taken to furnish man with all his
  needs?
  '5'   For   the   subject   matter   of   this   〃teleological〃   chapter;   see   above;
  I。   iv。;   K。   Joel;   op。   cit。 Appendix;   p。   547   foll。   in   ref。   to Dummler's
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  views。
  Euth。 No indeed; I cannot say that it has ever struck me。
  Well (Socrates cotinued); you do not need to be reminded that; in the
  first place; we need light; and with light the gods supply us。
  Euth。 Most true; and if we had not got it we should; as far as our own
  eyes could help us; be like men born blind。
  Soc。    And    then;   again;   seeing   that   we   stand   in   need   of  rest   and
  relaxation; they bestow upon us 〃the blessed balm of silent night。〃'6'
  '6' {kalliston anapauterion}。 The diction throughout is 〃poetical。〃
  Yes (he answered); we are much beholden for that boon。
  Soc。 Then; forasmuch as the sun in his splendour makes manifest to us
  the hours of the day and bathes all things in brightness; but anon night in
  her   darkness   obliterates   distinctions;   have   they   not   displayed   aloft   the
  starry orbs; which inform us of the watches of the night; whereby we can
  accomplish many of our needs?'7'
  '7'   e。g。