第 17 节
作者:连过十一人      更新:2021-02-27 01:34      字数:9321
  own   baseness;   than   owe   their   lives   to   the   virtue   of   their   neighbours。   So
  true is it that the mass of pleasures are but evil;'16' to which men succumb;
  and thereby are incited to adopt the worse cause in speech and course in
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  action。'17' And   with   what   result?from  vain   and   empty  arguments   they
  contract emnities; and reap the fruit of evil deeds; diseases; losses; death
  to the undoing of themselves; their children; and their friends。'18' Having
  their   senses   dulled   to   things   evil;   while   more   than   commonly   alive   to
  pleasures; how shall these be turned to good account for the salvation of
  the   state? Yet   from   these   evils   every   one   will   easily   hold   aloof;   if   once
  enamoured of those joys whose brief I hold; since a chivalrous education
  teaches   obedience   to       laws;   and   renders   justice    familiar   to   tongue    and
  ear。'19'
  '16' See 〃Hellenica Essays;〃 p。 371。
  '17'  〃To   depravity  of   speech   and   conduct〃   (whether   as   advocates   or
  performers)。 See Aristoph。 〃Clouds。〃
  '18' Or; 〃bring down on themselves; their children; and their friends
  a    spring    of   misfortunes      in   the   shape    of   diseases;    losses;    or   even
  death。〃
  '19' 〃For what does a chivalrous education teach save to obey the law;
  and to make the theme of justice familiar to tongue and ear?〃
  In the one camp are those who; subjecting themselves ever to new toil
  and fresh instruction; have; at the cost of lessons and exercises painful to
  themselves; obtained to their several states salvation; and in the other are
  those who for the very irksomeness of the process choose not to be taught;
  but   rather   to   pass   away   their   days    in   pleasures    unseasonablenature's
  abjects      these。'20'     Not    theirs    is  it  to   obey     either    laws    or   good
  instruction;'21'   nay;   how   should   they;   who   never   toil;   discover   what   a
  good   man   ought   to   be?in   other   words;   wisdom   and   justice   are   alike
  beyond their power。 Subject to indiscipline; they have many a fault to find
  with him who is well educated。
  '20' Lit。 〃the sorriest of mankind these by nature。〃
  '21' Or; 〃virtuous argument〃; {logois agathois}; lit。 〃good words。〃
  Through   the   instrumentality   of   such   as   these   nothing   can   go   well;
  whereas every blessing which mankind enjoys has been discovered by the
  efforts of the nobler sort。 Nobler; I say; are those who choose to toil。'22'
  '22'   Or;   〃of   choice   spirits;   and   who   are   the   choice   spirits?Clearly
  those who choose to toil。〃
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  And   this   has   been   proved   conclusively   by   a   notable   example。   If   we
  look back to the men of old who sat at the feet of Cheironwhose names I
  mentionedwe see that it was by dedicating the years of their youth to the
  chase'23' that they learnt all their noble lore; and therefrom they attained
  to great renown; and are admired even to this day for their virtuevirtue
  who numbers all men as her lovers; as is very plain。 Only because of the
  pains it costs to win her the greater number fall away; for the achievement
  of her is hid in obscurity; while the pains that cleave to her are manifest。
  Perchance;   if   only   she   were   endowed   with   a   visible   bodily   frame;   men
  would less have neglected her; knowing that even as she is visible to them;
  so they also are not hid from her eyes。 For is it not so that when a man
  moves   in   the   presence   of   him   whom   he   dearly   loves;'24'   he   rises   to   a
  height   above   himself;   being   incapable   of   aught   base   or   foul   in   word   or
  deed   in   sight   of   him?'25'   But   fondly   dreaming   that   the   eye   of   virtue   is
  closed to them; they are guilty of many a base thing and foul before her
  very face; who is hidden from their eyes。 Yet she is present everywhere;
  being      dowered      with    immortality;      and    those     who     are   perfect    in
  goodness'26' she honours; but the wicked she thrusts aside from honour。
  If only  men   could know that   she regards them;  how eagerly would they
  rush to the embrace of toilful training and tribulation;'27' by which alone
  she is hardly taken; and so should they gain the mastery over her; and she
  should be laid captive at their feet。
  '23' Or; 〃that they made their first essay in hunting when mere boys;
  and from hunting upwards were taught many noble arts。〃
  '24' Lit。 〃is beheld by his beloved。〃 Cf。 〃Symp。〃 iv。 4; viii。 31。
  '25' Lit。 〃in order not to be seen of him。〃
  '26' Lit。 〃good with respect to her。〃
  '27' Or; 〃to those toils and that training。〃
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  XIII
  Now   what   astonishes   me   in   the   〃sophists;〃   as   they   are   called;'1'   is;
  that   though   they   profess;   the   greater   part   of   them;   to   lead   the   young   to
  virtue; they really lead them in the opposite direction。 Never have we set
  eyes on the man anywhere who owed his goodness to the sophists of to…
  day。'2' Nor do their writings contain anything'3' calculated to make men
  good;   but   they   have   written   volumes   on   vain   and   frivolous   subjects;   in
  which the young may find pleasures that pall; but the essence of virtue is
  not in them。 The result of this literature is to inflict unncessary waste of
  time on those who look to learn something from it all and look in   vain;
  cutting them off from wholesome occupations and even teaching what is
  bad。 I cannot then but blame them for certain large offences'4' more than
  lightly;   but   as   regards   the   subject   matter   of   their   writings   my   charge   is;
  that    while    full   of   far…fetched     phraseology;'5'      of   solid    wholesome
  sentiments;   by   which   the   young   might   be   trained   to   virtue;   I   see   not   a
  vestige。 Speaking as a plain man; I know that to be taught what is good by
  one's   own   nature   is   best   of   all;'6'   and   next   best   to   learn   of   those   who
  really do know some good thing rather than of those who have an art to
  deceive。 It may well be that I fail to express myself in subtle language;'7'
  nor do I pretend to aim at subtlety; what I do aim at is to express rightly…
  conceived thoughts such as may serve the need of those who have been
  nobly     disciplined    in  virtue;   for  it  is  not  words    and   names     that  give
  instruction; but thoughts and sentiments worthy the name。
  '1'   Cf。   Isocr。  〃Against     the  Sophists〃;    〃Antidosis〃;     〃Hel。   Encom。〃;
  Plat。 〃Sophist。〃
  '2' Who are these {oi nun sophistai}?
  '3' Lit。 〃do they present writings to the world。〃
  '4' Or; 〃as to certain weightier matters gravely。〃
  '5' {remata} = 〃words and phrases〃; {ynomai} = 〃moral maxims; just
  thoughts。〃
  '6' 〃Being myself but a private individual and a plain man。〃 According
  to Hartman; 〃A。 X。 N。〃 p。 350; 〃ridicule detorquet Hesiodeum〃:
  {outos men panaristos os auto panta noese esthlos d' au kakeinos os eu
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  eiponti pithetai}。
  '7'   Al。   〃in   true  sophistic   style。〃   The   writer    seems   to   say:   〃I  lack
  subtlety of expression (nor is that at all my object); what I do                        aim at
  is   to   trace   with    some    exactness;     to   present    with    the          lucidity
  appropriate      to  them;    certain    thoughts    demanded       by   persons          well
  educated in the school of virtue。〃
  Nor am I singular in thus reproaching the modern type of sophist (not
  the   true   philosopher;   be   it   understood);   it   is   a   general   reproach   that   the
  wisdom he professes consists in word…subtleties; not in ideas。'8' Certainly
  it does not escape my notice that an orderly sequence of ideas adds beauty
  to   the   composition:'9'   I   mean   it   will   be   easy   to   find   fault   with   what   is
  written incorrectly。'10' Nevertheless; I warrant it is written in this fashion
  with   an   eye   to   rectitude;   to   make   the   reader   wise   and   good;   not   more
  sophistical。   For   I   would   wish   my   writings   not   to   seem   but   rather   to   be
  useful。 I would have them stand the test of ages