the economist-第19部分

快捷操作: 按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页 按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页 按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部! 如果本书没有阅读完，想下次继续接着阅读，可使用上方 "收藏到我的浏览器" 功能 和 "加入书签" 功能！


achus；　I　am　disposed　to　ask：　〃Does　teaching　consist　in　putting　questions？〃＇24＇　Indeed；　the　secret　of　your　system　has　just　this　instant　dawned　upon　me。　I　seem　to　see　the　principle　in　which　you　put　your　questions。　You　lead　me　through　the　field　of　my　own　knowledge；＇25＇　and　then　by　pointing　out　analogies＇26＇　to　what　I　know；　persuade　me　that　I　really　know　some　things　which　hitherto；　as　I　believed；　I　had　no　knowledge　of。

＇23＇　Or；　〃whose　skill　in　farming　is　proverbial。〃

＇24＇　Lit。　〃Is　questioning　after　all　a　kind　of　teaching？〃　See　Plat。　　　　　〃Meno〃；　〃Mem。〃　IV。　vi。　15。

＇25＇　It　appears；　then；　that　the　Xenophontean　Socrates　has　｛episteme｝　　　　　of　a　sort。

＇26＇　Or；　〃a　series　of　resemblances；〃　〃close　parallels；〃　reading　　　　　｛epideiknus｝：　or　if　with　Breit。　｛apodeiknus｝；　transl。　〃by　proving　　　　　such　or　such　a　thing　is　like　some　other　thing　known　to　me　　　　　already。〃

Isch。　Do　you　suppose　if　I　began　to　question　you　concerning　money　and　its　quality；＇27＇　I　could　possibly　persuade　you　that　you　know　the　method　to　distinguish　good　from　false　coin？　Or　could　I；　by　a　string　of　questions　about　flute…players；　painters；　and　the　like；　induce　you　to　believe　that　you　yourself　know　how　to　play　the　flute；　or　paint；　and　so　forth？

＇27＇　Lit。　〃whether　it　is　good　or　not。〃

Soc。　Perhaps　you　might；　for　have　you　not　persuaded　me　I　am　possessed　of　perfect　knowledge　of　this　art　of　husbandry；＇28＇　albeit　I　know　that　no　one　ever　taught　this　art　to　me？

＇28＇　Or；　〃since　you　actually　succeeded　in　persuading　me　I　was　　　　　scientifically　versed　in；〃　etc。　See　Plat。　〃Statesm。〃　301　B；　　　　　〃Theaet。〃　208　E；　Aristot。　〃An。　Post。〃　i。　6。　4；　〃Categ。〃　8。　41。

Isch。　Ah！　that　is　not　the　explanation；　Socrates。　The　truth　is　what　I　told　you　long　ago　and　kept　on　telling　you。　Husbandry　is　an　art　so　gentle；　so　humane；　that　mistress…like　she　makes　all　those　who　look　on　her　or　listen　to　her　voice　intelligent＇29＇　of　herself　at　once。　Many　a　lesson　does　she　herself　impart　how　best　to　try　conclusions　with　her。＇30＇　See；　for　instance；　how　the　vine；　making　a　ladder　of　the　nearest　tree　whereon　to　climb；　informs　us　that　it　needs　support。＇31＇　Anon　it　spreads　its　leaves　when；　as　it　seems　to　say；　〃My　grapes　are　young；　my　clusters　tender；〃　and　so　teaches　us；　during　that　season；　to　screen　and　shade　the　parts　exposed　to　the　sun's　rays；　but　when　the　appointed　moment　comes；　when　now　it　is　time　for　the　swelling　clusters　to　be　sweetened　by　the　sun；　behold；　it　drops　a　leaf　and　then　a　leaf；　so　teaching　us　to　strip　it　bare　itself　and　let　the　vintage　ripen。　With　plenty　teeming；　see　the　fertile　mother　shows　her　mellow　clusters；　and　the　while　is　nursing　a　new　brood　in　primal　crudeness。＇32＇　So　the　vine　plant　teaches　us　how　best　to　gather　in　the　vintage；　even　as　men　gather　figs；　the　juiciest　first。＇33＇

＇29＇　Or；　〃gives　them　at　once　a　perfect　knowledge　of　herself。〃

＇30＇　Lit。　〃best　to　deal　with　her；〃　〃make　use　of　her。〃

＇31＇　Lit。　〃teaches　us　to　prop　it。〃

＇32＇　Lit。　〃yet　immature。〃

＇33＇　Or；　〃first　one　and　then　another　as　it　swells。〃　Cf。　Shakespeare：

The　mellow　plum　doth　fall；　the　green　sticks　fast；　Or　being　early　pluck'd　is　sour　to　taste　（〃V。　and　A。〃　527）。



XX

At　this　point　in　the　conversation　I　remarked：　Tell　me；　Ischomachus；　if　the　details　of　the　art　of　husbandry　are　thus　easy　to　learn；　and　all　alike　know　what　needs　to　be　done；　how　does　it　happen　that　all　farmers　do　not　fare　like；　but　some　live　in　affluence　owning　more　than　they　can　possibly　enjoy；　while　others　of　them　fail　to　obtain　the　barest　necessities　and　actually　run　into　debt？

I　will　tell　you；　Socrates　（Ischomachus　replied）。　It　is　neither　knowledge　nor　lack　of　knowledge　in　these　husbandmen　which　causes　some　to　be　well　off；　while　others　are　in　difficulties；　nor　will　you　ever　hear　such　tales　afloat　as　that　this　or　that　estate　has　gone　to　ruin　because　the　sower　failed　to　sow　evenly；　or　that　the　planter　failed　to　plant　straight　rows　of　plants；　or　that　such　an　one；＇1＇　being　ignorant　what　soil　was　best　suited　to　bear　vines；　had　set　his　plants　in　sterile　ground；　or　that　another＇2＇　was　in　ignorance　that　fallow　must　be　broken　up　for　purposes　of　sowing；　or　that　a　third＇3＇　was　not　aware　that　it　is　good　to　mix　manure　in　with　the　soil。　No；　you　are　much　more　likely　to　hear　said　of　So…and…so：　No　wonder　the　man　gets　in　no　wheat　from　his　farm；　when　he　takes　no　pains　to　have　it　sown　or　properly　manured。　Or　of　some　other　that　he　grows　no　wine：　Of　course　not；　when　he　takes　no　pains　either　to　plant　new　vines　or　to　make　those　he　has　bear　fruit。　A　third　has　neither　figs　nor　olives；　and　again　the　self…same　reason：　He　too　is　careless；　and　takes　no　steps　whatever　to　succeed　in　growing　either　one　or　other。　These　are　the　distinctions　which　make　all　the　difference　to　prosperity　in　farming；　far　more　than　the　reputed　discovery　of　any　clever　agricultural　method　or　machine。＇4＇

＇1＇　〃Squire　This。〃

＇2＇　〃Squire　That。〃

＇3＇　〃Squire　T'other。〃

＇4＇　There　is　something　amiss　with　the　text　at　this　point。　For　　　　　emendations　see　Breit。；　Schenkl；　Holden；　Hartman。

You　will　find　the　principle　applies　elsewhere。　There　are　points　of　strategic　conduct　in　which　generals　differ　from　each　other　for　the　better　or　the　worse；　not　because　they　differ　in　respect　of　wit　or　judgment；　but　of　carefulness　undoubtedly。　I　speak　of　things　within　the　cognisance　of　every　general；　and　indeed　of　almost　every　private　soldier；　which　some　commanders　are　careful　to　perform　and　others　not。　Who　does　not　know；　for　instance；　that　in　marching　through　a　hostile　territory　an　army　ought　to　march　in　the　order　best　adapted　to　deliver　battle　with　effect　should　need　arise？＇5＇a　golden　rule　which；　punctually　obeyed　by　some；　is　disobeyed　by　others。　Again；　as　all　the　world　knows；　it　is　better　to　place　day　and　night　pickets＇6＇　in　front　of　an　encampment。　Yet　even　that　is　a　procedure　which；　carefully　observed　at　times；　is　at　times　as　carelessly　neglected。　Once　more：　not　one　man　in　ten　thousand；＇7＇　I　suppose；　but　knows　that　when　a　force　is　marching　through　a　narrow　defile；　the　safer　method　is　to　occupy　beforehand　certain　points　of　vantage。＇8＇　Yet　this　precaution　also　has　been　known　to　be　neglected。

＇5＇　See　Thuc。　ii。　81：　〃The　Hellenic　troops　maintained　order　on　the　　　　　march　and　kept　a　look…out　until　。　。　。〃Jowett。

＇6＇　See　〃Cyrop。〃　I。　vi。　43。

＇7＇　Lit。　〃it　would　be　hard　to　find　the　man　who　did　not　know。〃

＇8＇　Or；　〃to　seize　advantageous　positions　in　advance。〃　Cf。　〃Hiero；〃　x。　　　　　5。

Similarly；　every　one　will　tell　you　that　manure　is　the　best　thing　in　the　world　for　agriculture；　and　every　one　can　see　how　naturally　it　is　produced。　Still；　though　the　method　of　production　is　accurately　known；　though　there　is　every　facility　to　get　it　in　abundance；　the　fact　remains　that；　while　one　man　takes　pains　to　have　manure　collected；　another　is　entirely　neglectful。　And　yet　God　sends　us　rain　from　heaven；　and　every　hollow　place　becomes　a　standing　pool；　while　earth　supplies　materials　of　every　kind；　the　sower；　too；　about　to　sow　must　cleanse　the　soil；　and　what　he　takes　as　refuse　from　it　needs　only　to　be　thrown　into　water　and　time　itself　will　do　the　rest；　shaping　all　to　gladden　earth。＇9＇　For　matter　in　every　shape；　nay　earth　itself；＇10＇　in　stagnant　water　turns　to　fine　manure。

＇9＇　Lit。　〃Time　itself　will　make　that　wherein　Earth　rejoices。〃

＇10＇　i。e。　〃each　fallen　leaf；　each　sprig　or　spray　of　undergrowth；　the　　　　　very　weeds；　each　clod。〃　Lit。　〃what　kind　of　material；　what　kind　of　　　　　soil　does　not　become　manure　when　thrown　into　stagnant　water？〃

So；　again；　as　touching　the　various　ways　in　which　the　earth　itself　needs　treatment；　either　as　being　too　moist　for　sowing；　or　too　salt＇11＇　for　planting；　these　and　the　processes　of　cure　are　known　to　all　men：　how　in　one　case　the　superfluous　water　is　drawn　off　by　trenches；　and　in　the　other　the　salt　corrected　by　being　mixed　with　various　non…salt　bodies；　moist　or　dry。　Yet　here　again；　in　spite　of　knowledge；　some　are　careful　of　these　matters；　others　negligent。

＇11＇　See　Anatol。　〃Geop。〃　ii。　10。　9；　Theophr。　〃de　Caus。〃　ii。　5。　4；　16。　　　　　8；　ap。　Holden。　Cf。　Virg。　〃Georg。〃　ii。　238：

salsa　autem　tellus；　et　quae　perhibetur　amara　frugibus　infelix。

But　even　if　a　man　were　altogether　ignorant　what　earth　can　yield；　were　he　debarred　from　seeing　any　fruit　or　plant；　prevented　hearing　from　the　lips　of　any　one　the　truth　about　this　earth：　even　so；　I　put　it　to　you；　it　would　be　easier　far　for　any　living　soul　to　make　experiments　on　a　piece　of　land；＇12＇　than　on　a　horse；　for　instance；　or　on　his　fellow…　man。　For　there　is　nought　which　earth　displays　with　intent　to　deceive；　but　in　clear　and　simple　language　stamped　with　the　seal　of　truth　she　informs　us　what　she　can　and　cannot　do。＇13＇　Thus　it　has　ever　seemed　to　me　that　earth　is　the　best　discoverer　of　true　honesty；＇14＇　in　that　she　offers　all　her　stores　of　knowledge　in　a　shape　accessible　to　the　learner；　so　that　he　who　runs　may　read。　Here　it　is　not　open　to　the　sluggard；　as　in　other　arts；　to　put　forward　the　plea　of　ignorance　or　lack　of　knowledge；　for　all　men　know　that　earth；　if　kindly　treated；　will　repay　in　kind。　No！　there　is　no　witness＇15＇　against　a　coward　soul　so　clear　as　that　of　husbandry；＇16＇　since　no　man　ever　yet　persuaded　himself　that　he　could　live　without　the　staff　of　life。　He　therefore　that　is　unskilled　in　other　money…making　arts　and　will　not　dig；　shows　plainly　he　is　minded　to　make　his　living　by　picking　and　stealing；　or　by　begging　alms；　or　else　he　writes　himself　down　a　very　fool。＇17＇

＇12＇　Or；　〃this　fair　earth　herself。〃

＇13＇　Or；　〃earth　our　mother　reveals　her　powers　and　her　impotence。〃

＇14＇　Lit。　〃of　the　good　and　the　bad。〃　Cf。　Dem。　〃adv。　Phorm。〃　918。　18。

＇15＇　Lit。　〃no　accuser　of。〃　Cf。　Aesch。　〃Theb。〃　439。

＇16＇　Reading；　with　Sauppe；　｛all'　e　georgia｝；　or　if；　with　Jacobs；　｛e　en　　　　　georgia　argia｝；　transl。　〃as　that　of　idleness　in　husbandry。〃

＇17＇　Or；　〃if　not；　he　must　be　entirely　irrational。〃　Cf。　Plat。　〃Apol。〃　　　　　37　C。

Presently；　Ischomachus　proceeded：　Now　it　is　of　prime　importance；＇18＇　in　reference　to　the　profitableness　or　unprofitableness　of　agriculture；　even　on　a　large　estate　where　there　are　numerous＇19＇　workfolk；＇20＇　whether　a　man　takes　any　pains　at　all　to　see　that　his　labourers　are　devoted　to　the　work　on　hand　during　the　appointed　time；＇21＇　or　whether　he　neglects　that　duty。　Since　one　man　will　fairly　distance　ten＇22＇　simply　by　working　at　the　time；　and　ano