protagoras-第1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！










　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　380　BC



　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　PROTAGORAS



　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　by　Plato



　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　translated　by　Benjamin　Jowett



PROTAGORAS



　　PERSONS　OF　THE　DIALOGUE：　SOCRATES；　who　is　the　narrator　of　the



Dialogue　to　his　Companion；　HIPPOCRATES；　ALCIBIADES；　CRINAS；



PROTAGORAS；　HIPPIAS；　PRODICUS；　Sophists；　CALLIAS；　a　wealthy



Athenian。　Scene：　The　House　of　Callias







　　Com。　Where　do　you　come　from；　Socrates？　And　yet　I　need　hardly　ask　the



question；　for　I　know　that　you　have　been　in　chase　of　the　fair



Alcibiades。　I　saw　the　day　before　yesterday；　and　he　had　got　a　beard



like　a　man…and　he　is　a　man；　as　I　may　tell　you　in　your　ear。　But　I



thought　that　he　was　still　very　charming。



　　Soc。　What　of　his　beard？　Are　you　not　of　Homer's　opinion；　who　says







　　　　　Youth　is　most　charming　when　the　beard　first　appears？







And　that　is　now　the　charm　of　Alcibiades。



　　Com。　Well；　and　how　do　matters　proceed？　Have　you　been　visiting　him；



and　was　he　gracious　to　you？



　　Soc。　Yes；　I　thought　that　he　was　very　gracious；　and　especially



to…day；　for　I　have　just　come　from　him；　and　he　has　been　helping　me　in



an　argument。　But　shall　I　tell　you　a　strange　thing？　I　paid　no　attention



to　him；　and　several　times　I　quite　forgot　that　he　was　present。



　　Com。　What　is　the　meaning　of　this？　Has　anything　happened　between



you　and　him？　For　surely　you　cannot　have　discovered　a　fairer　love



than　he　is；　certainly　not　in　this　city　of　Athens。



　　Soc。　Yes；　much　fairer。



　　Com。　What　do　you　mean…a　citizen　or　a　foreigner？



　　Soc。　A　foreigner。



　　Com。　Of　what　country？



　　Soc。　Of　Abdera。



　　Com。　And　is　this　stranger　really　in　your　opinion　a　fairer　love



than　the　son　of　Cleinias？



　　Soc。　And　is　not　the　wiser　always　the　fairer；　sweet　friend？



　　Com。　But　have　you　really　met；　Socrates；　with　some　wise　one？



　　Soc。　Say　rather；　with　the　wisest　of　all　living　men；　if　you　are



willing　to　accord　that　title　to　Protagoras。



　　Com。　What！　Is　Protagoras　in　Athens？



　　Soc。　Yes；　he　has　been　here　two　days。



　　Com。　And　do　you　just　come　from　an　interview　with　him？



　　Soc。　Yes；　and　I　have　heard　and　said　many　things。



　　Com。　Then；　if　you　have　no　engagement；　suppose　that　you　sit　down　tell



me　what　passed；　and　my　attendant　here　shall　give　up　his　place　to　you。



　　Soc。　To　be　sure；　and　I　shall　be　grateful　to　you　for　listening。



　　Com。　Thank　you；　too；　for　telling　us。



　　Soc。　That　is　thank　you　twice　over。　Listen　then：…



　　Last　night；　or　rather　very　early　this　morning；　Hippocrates；　the



son　of　Apollodorus　and　the　brother　of　Phason；　gave　a　tremendous



thump　with　his　staff　at　my　door；　some　one　opened　to　him；　and　he　came



rushing　in　and　bawled　out：　Socrates；　are　you　awake　or　asleep？



　　I　knew　his　voice；　and　said：　Hippocrates；　is　that　you？　and　do　you



bring　any　news？



　　Good　news；　he　said；　nothing　but　good。



　　Delightful；　I　said；　but　what　is　the　news？　and　why　have　you　come



hither　at　this　unearthly　hour？



　　He　drew　nearer　to　me　and　said：　Protagoras　is　come。



　　Yes；　I　replied；　he　came　two　days　ago：　have　you　only　just　heard　of



his　arrival？



　　Yes；　by　the　gods；　he　said；　but　not　until　yesterday　evening。



　　At　the　same　time　he　felt　for　the　truckle…bed；　and　sat　down　at　my



feet；　and　then　he　said：　Yesterday　quite　late　in　the　evening；　on　my



return　from　Oenoe　whither　I　had　gone　in　pursuit　of　my　runaway　slave



Satyrus；　as　I　meant　to　have　told　you；　if　some　other　matter　had　not



come　in　the　way；…on　my　return；　when　we　had　done　supper　and　were



about　to　retire　to　rest；　my　brother　said　to　me：　Protagoras　is　come。



I　was　going　to　you　at　once；　and　then　I　thought　that　the　night　was



far　spent。　But　the　moment　sleep　left　me　after　my　fatigue；　I　got　up　and



came　hither　direct。



　　I；　who　knew　the　very　courageous　madness　of　the　man；　said：　What　is



the　matter？　Has　Protagoras　robbed　you　of　anything？



　　He　replied；　laughing：　Yes；　indeed　he　has；　Socrates；　of　the　wisdom



which　he　keeps　from　me。



　　But；　surely；　I　said；　if　you　give　him　money；　and　make　friends　with



him；　he　will　make　you　as　wise　as　he　is　himself。





　　Would　to　heaven；　he　replied；　that　this　were　the　case！　He　might



take　all　that　I　have；　and　all　that　my　friends　have；　if　he　pleased。　But



that　is　why　I　have　come　to　you　now；　in　order　that　you　may　speak　to　him



on　my　behalf；　for　I　am　young；　and　also　I　have　never　seen　nor　heard



him；　（when　he　visited　Athens　before　I　was　but　a　child）　and　all　men



praise　him；　Socrates；　he　is　reputed　to　be　the　most　accomplished　of



speakers。　There　is　no　reason　why　we　should　not　go　to　him　at　once；



and　then　we　shall　find　him　at　home。　He　lodges；　as　I　hear；　with　Callias



the　son　of　Hipponicus：　let　us　start。



　　I　replied：　Not　yet；　my　good　friend；　the　hour　is　too　early。　But　let



us　rise　and　take　a　turn　in　the　court　and　wait　about　there　until



daybreak；　when　the　day　breaks；　then　we　will　go。　For　Protagoras　is



generally　at　home；　and　we　shall　be　sure　to　find　him；　never　fear。



　　Upon　this　we　got　up　and　walked　about　in　the　court；　and　I　thought



that　I　would　make　trial　of　the　strength　of　his　resolution。　So　I



examined　him　and　put　questions　to　him。　Tell　me；　Hippocrates；　I　said；



as　you　are　going　to　Protagoras；　and　will　be　paying　your　money　to



him；　what　is　he　to　whom　you　are　going？　and　what　will　he　make　of　you？



If；　for　example；　you　had　thought　of　going　to　Hippocrates　of　Cos；　the



Asclepiad；　and　were　about　to　give　him　your　money；　and　some　one　had



said　to　you：　You　are　paying　money　to　your　namesake　Hippocrates；　O



Hippocrates；　tell　me；　what　is　he　that　you　give　him　money？　how　would



you　have　answered？



　　I　should　say；　he　replied；　that　I　gave　money　to　him　as　a　physician。



　　And　what　will　he　make　of　you？



　　A　physician；　he　said。



　　And　if　you　were　resolved　to　go　to　Polycleitus　the　Argive；　or



Pheidias　the　Athenian；　and　were　intending　to　give　them　money；　and　some



one　had　asked　you：　What　are　Polycleitus　and　Pheidias？　and　why　do　you



give　them　this　money？…how　would　you　have　answered？



　　I　should　have　answered；　that　they　were　statuaries。



　　And　what　will　they　make　of　you？



　　A　statuary；　of　course。



　　Well　now；　I　said；　you　and　I　are　going　to　Protagoras；　and　we　are



ready　to　pay　him　money　on　your　behalf。　If　our　own　means　are



sufficient；　and　we　can　gain　him　with　these；　we　shall　be　only　too　glad；



but　if　not；　then　we　are　to　spend　the　money　of　your　friends　as　well。



Now　suppose；　that　while　we　are　thus　enthusiastically　pursuing　our



object　some　one　were　to　say　to　us：　Tell　me；　Socrates；　and　you



Hippocrates；　what　is　Protagoras；　and　why　are　you　going　to　pay　him



money；…how　should　we　answer？　I　know　that　Pheidias　is　a　sculptor；　and



that　Homer　is　a　poet；　but　what　appellation　is　given　to　Protagoras？　how



is　he　designated？



　　They　call　him　a　Sophist；　Socrates；　he　replied。



　　Then　we　are　going　to　pay　our　money　to　him　in　the　character　of　a



Sophist？



　　Certainly。



　　But　suppose　a　person　were　to　ask　this　further　question：　And　how



about　yourself？　What　will　Protagoras　make　of　you；　if　you　go　to　see



him？



　　He　answered；　with　a　blush　upon　his　face　（for　the　day　was　just



beginning　to　dawn；　so　that　I　could　see　him）：　Unless　this　differs　in



some　way　from　the　former　instances；　I　suppose　that　he　will　make　a



Sophist　of　me。



　　By　the　gods；　I　said；　and　are　you　not　ashamed　at　having　to　appear



before　the　Hellenes　in　the　character　of　a　Sophist？



　　Indeed；　Socrates；　to　confess　the　truth；　I　am。



　　But　you　should　not　assume；　Hippocrates；　that　the　instruction　of



Protagoras　is　of　this　nature：　may　you　not　learn　of　him　in　the　same　way



that　you　learned　the　arts　of　the　grammarian；　musician；　or　trainer；　not



with　the　view　of　making　any　of　them　a　profession；　but　only　as　a　part



of　education；　and　because　a　private　gentleman　and　freeman　ought　to



know　them？



　　Just　so；　he　said；　and　that；　in　my　opinion；　is　a　far　truer　account　of



the　teaching　of　Protagoras。



　　I　said：　I　wonder　whether　you　know　what　you　are　doing？



　　And　what　am　I　doing？



　　You　are　going　to　commit　your　soul　to　the　care　of　a　man　whom　you　call



a　Sophist。　And　yet　I　hardly　think　that　you　know　what　a　Sophist　is；　and



if　not；　then　you　do　not　even　know　to　whom　you　are　committing　your　soul



and　whether　the　thing　to　which　you　commit　yourself　be　good　or　evil。



　　I　certainly　think　that　I　do　know；　he　replied。



　　Then　tell　me；　what　do　you　imagine　that　he　is？



　　I　take　him　to　be　one　who　knows　wise　things；　he　replied；　as　his



name　implies。



　　And　might　you　not；　I　said；　affirm　this　of　the　painter　and　of　the



carpenter　also：　Do　not　they；　too；　know　wise　things？　But　suppose　a



person　were　to　ask　us：　In　what　are　the　painters　wise？　We　should



answer：　In　what　relates　to　the　making　of　likenesses；　and　similarly



of　other　things。　And　if　he　were　further　to　ask：　What　is　the　wisdom



of　the　Sophist；　and　what　is　the　manufacture　over　which　he



presides？…how　should　we　answer　him？



　　How　should　we　answer　him；　Socrates？　What　other　answer　could　there　be



but　that　he　presides　over　the　art　which　makes　men　eloquent？



　　Yes；　I　replied；　that　is　very　likely　true；　but　not　enough；　for　in　the



answer　a　further　question　is　involved：　Of　what　does　the　Sophist　make　a



man　talk　eloquently？　The　player　on　the　lyre　may　be　supposed　to　make



a　man　talk　eloquently　about　that　which　he　makes　him　understand；　that



is　about　playing　the　lyre。　Is　not　that　true？



　　Yes。



　　Then　about　what　does　the　Sophist　make　him　eloquent？　Must　not　he　make



him　eloquent　in　that　which　he　understands？



　　Yes；　that　may　be　assumed。



　　And　what　is　that　which　the　Sophist　knows　and　makes　his　disciple



know？



　　Indeed；　he　said；　I　cannot　tell。



　　Then　I　proceeded　to　say：　Well；　but　are　you　aware　of　the　danger　which



you　are　incurring？　If　you　were　going　to　commit　your　body　to　some



one；　who　might　d