phaedrus-第3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！





spoken　better　or　more　exhaustively。



　　Soc。　There　I　cannot　go　along　with　you。　Ancient　sages；　men　and　women；



who　have　spoken　and　written　of　these　things；　would　rise　up　in　judgment



against　me；　if　out　of　complaisance　I　assented　to　you。



　　Phaedr。　Who　are　they；　and　where　did　you　hear　anything　better　than



this？



　　Soc。　I　am　sure　that　I　must　have　heard；　but　at　this　moment　I　do　not



remember　from　whom；　perhaps　from　Sappho　the　fair；　or　Anacreon　the



wise；　or；　possibly；　from　a　prose　writer。　Why　do　I　say　so？　Why；　because



I　perceive　that　my　bosom　is　full；　and　that　I　could　make　another　speech



as　good　as　that　of　Lysias；　and　different。　Now　I　am　certain　that　this



is　not　an　invention　of　my　own；　who　am　well　aware　that　I　know



nothing；　and　therefore　I　can　only　infer　that　I　have　been　filled



through　the　cars；　like　a　pitcher；　from　the　waters　of　another；　though　I



have　actually　forgotten　in　my　stupidity　who　was　my　informant。



　　Phaedr。　That　is　grand：…but　never　mind　where　you　beard　the



discourse　or　from　whom；　let　that　be　a　mystery　not　to　be　divulged



even　at　my　earnest　desire。　Only；　as　you　say；　promise　to　make　another



and　better　oration；　equal　in　length　and　entirely　new；　on　the　same



subject；　and　I；　like　the　nine　Archons；　will　promise　to　set　up　a　golden



image　at　Delphi；　not　only　of　myself；　but　of　you；　and　as　large　as　life。



　　Soc。　You　are　a　dear　golden　ass　if　you　suppose　me　to　mean　that　Lysias



has　altogether　missed　the　mark；　and　that　I　can　make　a　speech　from



which　all　his　arguments　are　to　be　excluded。　The　worst　of　authors



will　say　something　which　is　to　the　point。　Who；　for　example；　could



speak　on　this　thesis　of　yours　without　praising　the　discretion　of　the



non…lover　and　blaming　the　indiscretion　of　the　lover？　These　are　the



commonplaces　of　the　subject　which　must　come　in　（for　what　else　is　there



to　be　said？）　and　must　be　allowed　and　excused；　the　only　merit　is　in　the



arrangement　of　them；　for　there　can　be　none　in　the　invention；　but



when　you　leave　the　commonplaces；　then　there　may　be　some　originality。



　　Phaedr。　I　admit　that　there　is　reason　in　what　you　say；　and　I　too　will



be　reasonable；　and　will　allow　you　to　start　with　the　premiss　that　the



lover　is　more　disordered　in　his　wits　than　the　non…lover；　if　in　what



remains　you　make　a　longer　and　better　speech　than　Lysias；　and　use　other



arguments；　then　I　say　again；　that　a　statue　you　shall　have　of　beaten



gold；　and　take　your　place　by　the　colossal　offerings　of　the　Cypselids



at　Olympia。



　　Soc。　How　profoundly　in　earnest　is　the　lover；　because　to　tease　him



I　lay　a　finger　upon　his　love！　And　so；　Phaedrus；　you　really　imagine



that　I　am　going　to　improve　upon　the　ingenuity　of　Lysias？



　　Phaedr。　There　I　have　you　as　you　had　me；　and　you　must　just　speak



〃as　you　best　can。〃　Do　not　let　us　exchange　〃tu　quoque〃　as　in　a　farce；



or　compel　me　to　say　to　you　as　you　said　to　me；　〃I　know　Socrates　as　well



as　I　know　myself；　and　he　was　wanting　to；　speak；　but　he　gave　himself



airs。〃　Rather　I　would　have　you　consider　that　from　this　place　we　stir



not　until　you　have　unbosomed　yourself　of　the　speech；　for　here　are　we



all　alone；　and　I　am　stronger；　remember；　and　younger　than　you…Wherefore



perpend；　and　do　not　compel　me　to　use　violence。



　　Soc。　But；　my　sweet　Phaedrus；　how　ridiculous　it　would　be　of　me　to



compete　with　Lysias　in　an　extempore　speech！　He　is　a　master　in　his



art　and　I　am　an　untaught　man。



　　Phaedr。　You　see　how　matters　stand；　and　therefore　let　there　be　no



more　pretences；　for；　indeed；　I　know　the　word　that　is　irresistible。



　　Soc。　Then　don't　say　it。



　　Phaedr。　Yes；　but　I　will；　and　my　word　shall　be　an　oath。　〃I　say；　or



rather　swear〃…but　what　god　will　be　witness　of　my　oath？…〃By　this



plane…tree　I　swear；　that　unless　you　repeat　the　discourse　here　in　the



face　of　this　very　plane…tree；　I　will　never　tell　you　another；　never　let



you　have　word　of　another！〃



　　Soc。　Villain　I　am　conquered；　the　poor　lover　of　discourse　has　no　more



to　say。



　　Phaedr。　Then　why　are　you　still　at　your　tricks？



　　Soc。　I　am　not　going　to　play　tricks　now　that　you　have　taken　the　oath；



for　I　cannot　allow　myself　to　be　starved。



　　Phaedr。　Proceed。



　　Soc。　Shall　I　tell　you　what　I　will　do？



　　Phaedr。　What？



　　Soc。　I　will　veil　my　face　and　gallop　through　the　discourse　as　fast　as



I　can；　for　if　I　see　you　I　shall　feel　ashamed　and　not　know　what　to　say。



　　Phaedr。　Only　go　on　and　you　may　do　anything　else　which　you　please。



　　Soc。　Come；　O　ye　Muses；　melodious；　as　ye　are　called；　whether　you　have



received　this　name　from　the　character　of　your　strains；　or　because



the　Melians　are　a　musical　race；　help；　O　help　me　in　the　tale　which　my



good　friend　here　desires　me　to　rehearse；　in　order　that　his　friend　whom



he　always　deemed　wise　may　seem　to　him　to　be　wiser　than　ever。



　　Once　upon　a　time　there　was　a　fair　boy；　or；　more　properly　speaking；　a



youth；　he　was　very　fair　and　had　a　great　many　lovers；　and　there　was　one



special　cunning　one；　who　had　persuaded　the　youth　that　he　did　not



love　him；　but　he　really　loved　him　all　the　same；　and　one　day　when　he



was　paying　his　addresses　to　him；　he　used　this　very　argument…that　he



ought　to　accept　the　non…lover　rather　than　the　lover；　his　words　were　as



follows：…



　　〃All　good　counsel　begins　in　the　same　way；　a　man　should　know　what



he　is　advising　about；　or　his　counsel　will　all　come　to　nought。　But



people　imagine　that　they　know　about　the　nature　of　things；　when　they



don't　know　about　them；　and；　not　having　come　to　an　understanding　at



first　because　they　think　that　they　know；　they　end；　as　might　be



expected；　in　contradicting　one　another　and　themselves。　Now　you　and　I



must　not　be　guilty　of　this　fundamental　error　which　we　condemn　in



others；　but　as　our　question　is　whether　the　lover　or　non…lover　is　to　be



preferred；　let　us　first　of　all　agree　in　defining　the　nature　and



power　of　love；　and　then；　keeping　our　eyes　upon　the　definition　and　to



this　appealing；　let　us　further　enquire　whether　love　brings　advantage



or　disadvantage。



　　〃Every　one　sees　that　love　is　a　desire；　and　we　know　also　that



non…lovers　desire　the　beautiful　and　good。　Now　in　what　way　is　the　lover



to　be　distinguished　from　the　non…lover？　Let　us　note　that　in　every



one　of　us　there　are　two　guiding　and　ruling　principles　which　lead　us



whither　they　will；　one　is　the　natural　desire　of　pleasure；　the　other　is



an　acquired　opinion　which　aspires　after　the　best；　and　these　two　are



sometimes　in　harmony　and　then　again　at　war；　and　sometimes　the　one；



sometimes　the　other　conquers。　When　opinion　by　the　help　of　reason　leads



us　to　the　best；　the　conquering　principle　is　called　temperance；　but



when　desire；　which　is　devoid　of　reason；　rules　in　us　and　drags　us　to



pleasure；　that　power　of　misrule　is　called　excess。　Now　excess　has



many　names；　and　many　members；　and　many　forms；　and　any　of　these　forms



when　very　marked　gives　a　name；　neither　honourable　nor　creditable；　to



the　bearer　of　the　name。　The　desire　of　eating；　for　example；　which



gets　the　better　of　the　higher　reason　and　the　other　desires；　is



called　gluttony；　and　he　who　is　possessed　by　it　is　called　a　glutton…I



the　tyrannical　desire　of　drink；　which　inclines　the　possessor　of　the



desire　to　drink；　has　a　name　which　is　only　too　obvious；　and　there　can



be　as　little　doubt　by　what　name　any　other　appetite　of　the　same



family　would　be　called；…it　will　be　the　name　of　that　which　happens　to



be　eluminant。　And　now　I　think　that　you　will　perceive　the　drift　of　my



discourse；　but　as　every　spoken　word　is　in　a　manner　plainer　than　the



unspoken；　I　had　better　say　further　that　the　irrational　desire　which



overcomes　the　tendency　of　opinion　towards　right；　and　is　led　away　to



the　enjoyment　of　beauty；　and　especially　of　personal　beauty；　by　the



desires　which　are　her　own　kindred…that　supreme　desire；　I　say；　which　by



leading　conquers　and　by　the　force　of　passion　is　reinforced；　from



this　very　force；　receiving　a　name；　is　called　love。〃



　　And　now；　dear　Phaedrus；　I　shall　pause　for　an　instant　to　ask



whether　you　do　not　think　me；　as　I　appear　to　myself；　inspired？



　　Phaedr。　Yes；　Socrates；　you　seem　to　have　a　very　unusual　flow　of



words。



　　Soc。　Listen　to　me；　then；　in　silence；　for　surely　the　place　is　holy；



so　that　you　must　not　wonder；　if；　as　I　proceed；　I　appear　to　be　in　a



divine　fury；　for　already　I　am　getting　into　dithyrambics。



　　Phaedr。　Nothing　can　be　truer。



　　Soc。　The　responsibility　rests　with　you。　But　hear　what　follows；　and



Perhaps　the　fit　may　be　averted；　all　is　in　their　hands　above。　I　will　go



on　talking　to　my　youth。　Listen：



　　Thus；　my　friend；　we　have　declared　and　defined　the　nature　of　the



subject。　Keeping　the　definition　in　view；　let　us　now　enquire　what



advantage　or　disadvantage　is　likely　to　ensue　from　the　lover　or　the



non…lover　to　him　who　accepts　their　advances。



　　He　who　is　the　victim　of　his　passions　and　the　slave　of　pleasure



will　of　course　desire　to　make　his　beloved　as　agreeable　to　himself　as



possible。　Now　to　him　who　has　a　mind　discased　anything　is　agreeable



which　is　not　opposed　to　him；　but　that　which　is　equal　or　superior　is



hateful　to　him；　and　therefore　the　lover　Will　not　brook　any　superiority



or　equality　on　the　part　of　his　beloved；　he　is　always　employed　in



reducing　him　to　inferiority。　And　the　ignorant　is　the　inferior　of　the



wise；　the　coward　of　the　brave；　the　slow　of　speech　of　the　speaker；



the　dull　of　the　clever。　These；　and　not　these　only；　are　the　mental



defects　of　the　beloved；…defects　which；　when　implanted　by　nature；　are



necessarily　a　delight　to　the　lover；　and　when　not　implanted；　he　must



contrive　to　implant　them　in　h