第 42 节
作者:
美丽心点 更新:2021-02-20 16:51 字数:9315
ht that ever I saw in my life; so like you that nothing is more like than the likeness。 。 。 。 By the mercy of Heaven they have a healthy colour and strong lungs。 One held a piece of white bread; like a little prince; the other a common piece; like a true philosophers son。'
1 Ad Verum。 Imp。 Aur。 Caes。; i。 3。
2 Ad Ant。 Imp i。; 3。
Marcus; we know; was devoted to his children。 They were delicate in health; in spite of Fronto's assurance; and only one son survived the father。 We find echoes of this affection now and again in the letters。 'We have summer heat here still;' writes Marcus; 'but since my little girls are pretty well; if I may say so; it is like the bracing climate of spring to us。'(1) When little Faustina came back from the valley of the shadow of death; her father at once writes to inform Fronto。(2) The sympathy he asks he also gives; and as old age brings more and more infirmity; Marcus becomes even more solicitous for his beloved teacher。 The poor old man suffered a heavy blow in the death of his grandson; on which Marcus writes:(3) 'I have just heard of your misfortune。 Feeling grieved as I do when one of your joints gives you pain; what do you think I feel; dear master; when you have pain of mind?' The old man's reply; in spite of a certain self…consciousness; is full of pathos。 He recounts with pride the events of a long and upright life; in which he has wronged no man; and lived in harmony with his friends and family。 His affectations fall away from him; as the cry of pain is forced from his heart:… (4)'Many such sorrows has fortune visited me with all my life long。 To pass by my other afflictions; I have lost five children under the most pitiful conditions possible: for the five I lost one by one when each was my only child; suffering these blows of bereavement in such a manner that each child was born to one already bereaved。 Thus I ever lost my children without solace; and got them amidst fresh grief。。。。。'
The letter continues with reflections on the nature of death; 'more to be rejoiced at than bewailed; the younger one dies;' and an arraignment of Providence not without dignity; wrung from him as it were by this last culminating misfortune。 It concludes with a summing…up of his life in protest against the blow which has fallen on his grey head。
1 Ad M。 Caes。; v。 19
2 iv。 11
3 De Nepote Amissa
4 De Nepote Amissa 2
'Through my long life I have committed nothing which might bring dishonour; or disgrace; or shame: no deed of avarice or treachery have I done in all my day's: nay; but much generosity; much kindness; much truth and faithfulness have I shown; often at the risk of my own life。 I have lived in amity with my good brother; whom I rejoice to see in possession of the highest office by your father's goodness; and by your friendship at peace and perfect rest。 Th~ offices which I have myself obtained I never strove for by any underhand means。 I have cultivated my mind rather than my body; the pursuit of learning I have preferred to increasing my wealth。 I preferred to he poor rather than bound by any' man's obligation; even to want rather than to beg。 I have never been extravagant in spending money; I have earned it sometimes because I must。 I have scrupulously spoken the truth; and have been glad to hear it spoken to me。 I have thought it better to be neglected than to fawn; to be dumb than to feign; to be seldom a friend than to be often a flatterer。 1 have sought little; deserved not little。 So far as I could; I have assisted each according to my means。 I have given help readily to the deserving; fearlessly to the undeserving。 No one by proving to be ungrateful has made me more slow to bestow promptly all benefits I could give; nor have I ever been harsh to ingratitude。 (A fragmentary passage follows; in which he appears to speak of his desire for a peaceful end; and the desolation of his house。) I have suffered long and painful sickness; my beloved Marcus。 Then I was visited by pitiful misfortunes: my wife I have lost; my grandson I have lost in Germany:(1) woe is me! I have lost my Decimanus。 If I were made of iron; at this tine I could write no more。' It is noteworthy that in his meditations Marcus Aurelius mentions Fronto only once。(2) All his literary studies; his oratory and criticism (such as it was) is forgotten; and; says he; 'Fronto taught me not to expect natural affection from the highly…born。' Fronto really said more than this: that 'affection' is not a Roman quality; nor has it a Latin name。(3) Roman or not Roman; Marcus found affection in Fronto; and if he outgrew his master's intellectual training; he never lost touch with the true heart of the man it is that which Fronto's name brings up to his remembrance; not dissertations on compound verbs or fatuous criticisms of style。 1 In the war against the Catti。
2 Book I。; 8。
3 Ad Verum; ii。 7
NOTES
THIS being neither a critical edition of the text nor an emended edition of Casaubon's translation; it has not been thought necessary to add full notes。 Casaubon's own notes have been omitted; because for the most part they are discursive; and not necessary to an understanding of what is written。 In those which here follow; certain emendations of his are mentioned; which he proposes in his notes; and follows in the translation。 In addition; one or two corrections are made where he has mistaken the Greek; and the translation might be misleading。 Those which do not come under these two heads will explain themselves。
The text itself has been prepared by a comparison of the editions of 1634 and 1635。 It should he borne in mind that Casaubon's is often rather a paraphrase than a close translation; and it did not seem worth while to notice every variation or amplification of the original。 In the original editions all that Casauhon conceives as understood; but not expressed; is enclosed in square brackets。 These brackets are here omitted; as they interfere with the comfort of the reader; and so have some of the alternative renderings suggested by the translator。 In a few cases; Latin words in the text have been replaced by English。
Numbers in brackets refer to the Teubner text of Stich; but the divisions of the text are left unaltered。 For some of the references identified I am indebted to Mr。 G。 H。 Rendall's Marcus Aurelius。
BOOK I I 〃Both to frequent〃 (4)。 Gr。 to mh; C。 conjectures to me。 The text is probably right: 〃I did not frequent public lectures; and I was taught at home。〃
VI Idiots。 。 。 。 philosophers (9)。 The reading is doubtful; but the meaning seems to be: 〃simple and unlearned men〃
XII 〃Claudius Maximus〃 (15)。 The reading of the Palatine MS。 (now lost) was paraklhsiz Maximon; which C。 supposes to conceal the letters kl as an abbreviation of Claudius。
XIII 〃Patient hearing。 。 。 He would not〃 (16)。 C。 translates his conjectural reading epimonon ollan。 on proapsth Stich suggests a reading with much the same sense: 。。。。。epimonon all antoi 〃Strict and rigid dealing〃 (16)。 C。 translates tonvn (Pal。 MS。) as though from tonoz; in the sense of 〃strain。〃 〃rigour。〃 The reading of other MSS。 tonvn is preferable。
XIII 〃Congiaries〃 (13)。 dianomais; 〃doles。〃
XIV 〃Cajeta〃 (17)。 The passage is certainly corrupt。 C。 spies a reference to Chryses praying by the sea…shore in the Illiad; and supposes M。 Aurelius to have done the like。 None of the emendations suggested is satisfactory。 At § XV。 Book II。 is usually reckoned to begin。 BOOK II III。 Do; soul〃 (6)。 If the received reading be right; it must be sarcastic; but there are several variants which show how unsatisfactory it is。 C。 translates 〃en gar o bioz ekasty so par eanty 〃 which I do not understand。 The sense required is: 〃Do not violence to thyself; for thou hast not long to use self…respect。 Life is not (v。 1。 so) for each; and this life for thee is all but done。〃
X。 〃honour and credit do proceed〃 (12)。 The verb has dropt out of the text; but C。 has supplied one of the required meaning。
XI。 〃Consider;〃 etc。 (52)。 This verb is not in the Greek; which means: 〃(And reason also shows) how man; etc。〃
BOOK IV XV。 〃Agathos〃 (18): This is probably not a proper name; but the text seems to be unsound。 The meaning may be 〃the good man ought〃
XVI。 oikonomian (16) is a 〃practical benefit;〃 a secondary end。 XXXIX。 〃For herein lieth all。。。。〃 (~3)。 C。 translates his conjecture olan for ola。
BOOK V XIV。 katorqwseiz (15): Acts of 〃rightness〃 or 〃straightness。〃 XXIII。 〃Roarer〃 (28): Gr。 〃tragedian。〃 Ed。 1 has whoremonger;' ed。 2 corrects to 〃harlot;〃 but omits to alter' the word at its second occurrence。
XXV。 〃Thou hast 。 。 。 them〃 (33): A quotation from Homer; Odyssey; iv。 690。
XXVII。 〃 One of the poets〃 (33) : Hesiod; Op。 et Dies; 197。 XXIX and XXX。 (36)。 The Greek appears to contain quotations from sources not known; and the translation is a paraphrase。 (One or two alterations are here made on the authority of the second edition。) BOOK VI XIII。 〃Affected and qualified〃 (i4): exis; the power of cohesion shown in things inanimate; fusiz; power of growth seen in plants and the like。
XVII。 〃Wonder at them〃 (18) : i。e。 mankind。
XXXVII。 〃Chrysippus〃 (42): C。 refers to a passage of Pluta