贝壳电子书 > 英文原著电子书 > hiero >

第2章

hiero-第2章

小说: hiero 字数: 每页4000字

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!
————未阅读完?加入书签已便下次继续阅读!










'14' {en tois dia tes opseos theamasi}。 See Hartman; 〃An。 Xen。 Nova;〃



    p。 246。 {theamasi} = 〃spectacular effects;〃 is perhaps a gloss on



    〃all objects apprehensible through vision。〃 Holden (crit。 app。)



    would rather omit {dia tes opseos} with Schneid。







'15' The words are perhaps a gloss。







'16' e。g。 the games at Olympia; or the great Dionysia at Athens; etc。







'17' Omitting {einai}; or if with Breit。 {dokei einai 。 。 。



    sunageiresthai}; transl。 〃in which it is recognised that sights



    are to be seen best fitted to enchain the eyes and congregate vast



    masses。〃 For other emendations see Holden; crit。 app。; Hartm。 op。



    cit。 p。 258。







'18' 〃Religious embassies〃; it。 〃Theories。〃 See Thuc。 vi。 16; 〃Mem。〃



    IV。 viii。 2。







'19' Lit。 〃not stronger than those present。〃







'20' Or; 〃The dread oppresses him; he may be deprived of his empire



    and yet be powerless。〃







'21' Cf。 Plat。 〃Rep。〃 ix。 579 B: 〃His soul is dainty and greedy; and



    yet he only of all men is never allowed to go on a journey; or to



    see things which other free men desire to see; but he lives in his



    hole like a woman hidden in the house; and is jealous of any other



    citizen who goes into foreign parts and sees things of interest〃



    (Jowett)。







Perhaps you will retort: 〃Why should he trouble to go abroad to seek



for such things? They are sure to come to him; although he stops at



home。〃 Yes; Simonides; that is so far true; a small percentage of them



no doubt will; and this scant moiety will be sold at so high a price



to the despotic monarch; that the exhibitor of the merest trifle looks



to receive from the imperial pocket; within the briefest interval; ten



times more than he can hope to win from all the rest of mankind in a



lifetime; and then he will be off。'22'







'22' Lit。 〃to get from the tyrant all in a moment many times more than



    he will earn from all the rest of mankind in a whole lifetime; and



    depart。〃







To which Simonides: Well; granted you have the worst of it in sights



and sightseeing; yet; you must admit you are large gainers through the



sense of hearing; you who are never stinted of that sweetest of all



sounds;'23' the voice of praise; since all around you are for ever



praising everything you do and everything you say。 Whilst; conversely;



to that most harsh and grating of all sounds; the language of abuse;



your ears are sealed; since no one cares to speak evil against a



monarch to his face。







'23' Cf。 Cic。 〃pro Arch。〃 20; 〃Themistoclem illum dixisse aiunt cum ex



    eo quaereretur; 'quod acroama aut cujus vocem libentissime



    audiret': 'ejus; a quo sua virtus optime praedicaretur。'〃







Then Hiero: And what pleasure do you suppose mere abstinence from evil



words implies; when it is an open secret that those silent persons are



cherishing all evil thoughts against the tyrant?'24' What mirth; do



you imagine; is to be extracted from their panegyrics who are



suspected of bestowing praise out of mere flattery?







'24' 〃One knows plainly that these dumb attendants stand there like



    mutes; but harbour every evil thought against their autocratic



    lord。〃







Simonides made answer: Yes; I must indeed admit; I do concede to you;



that praise alone is sweetest which is breathed from lips of free men



absolutely free。 But; look you; here is a point: you will find it hard



to persuade another; that you despots; within the limits of those



things whereby we one and all sustain our bodies; in respect; that is;



of meats and drinks; have not a far wider range of pleasures。







Yes; Simonides (he answered); and what is more; I know the explanation



of the common verdict。 The majority have come to the conclusion that



we monarchs eat and drink with greater pleasure than do ordinary



people; because they have got the notion; they themselves would make a



better dinner off the viands served at our tables than their own。 And



doubtless some break in the monotony gives a fillip of pleasure。 And



that explains why folk in general look forward with pleasure to high



days and holy daysmankind at large; but not the despot; his well…



stocked table groaning from day to day under its weight of viands



admits of no state occasions。 So that; as far as this particular



pleasure; to begin with; goes; the pleasure of anticipation; the



monarch is at disadvantage compared with private people。







And in the next place (he continued); I am sure your own experience



will bear me out so far: the more viands set before a man at table



(beyond what are sufficient);'25' the more quickly will satiety of



eating overtake him。 So that in actual duration of the pleasure; he



with his many dishes has less to boast of than the moderate liver。







'25' {ta peritta ton ikanon}。 These words Hartm。 op。 cit。 p。 254;



    regards as an excrescence。







Yes; but good gracious! surely (broke in Simonides); during the actual



time;'26' before the appetite is cloyed; the gastronomic pleasure



derived from the costlier bill of fare far exceeds that of the cheaper



dinner…table。







'26' Lit。 〃so long as the soul (i。e。 the appetite) accepts with



    pleasure the viands〃; i。e。 there's an interval; at any rate;



    during which 〃such as my soul delights in〃 can still apply and for



    so long。







But; as a matter of plain logic (Hiero retorted); should you not say;



the greater the pleasure a man feels in any business; the more



enthusiastic his devotion to it?







That is quite true (he answered)。







Hiero。 Then have you ever noticed that crowned heads display more



pleasure in attacking the bill of fare provided them; than private



persons theirs?







No; rather the reverse (the poet answered); if anything; they show a



less degree of gusto;'27' unless they are vastly libelled。







'27' 〃No; not more pleasure; but exceptional fastidiousness; if what



    people say is true。〃 {agleukesteron}; said ap。 Suid。 to be a



    Sicilian word = 〃more sourly。〃







Well (Hiero continued); and all these wonderfully…made dishes which



are set before the tyrant; or nine…tenths of them; perhaps you have



observed; are combinations of things acid to the taste; or pungent; or



astringent; or akin to these?'28'







'28' Lit。 〃and their congeners;〃 〃their analogues;〃 e。g。 〃curries;



    pickles; bitters; peppery condiments。〃







To be sure they are (he answered); unnatural viands; one and all; in



my opinion; most alien to ordinary palates。'29'







'29' Or; 〃unsuited to man's taste;〃 〃'caviare to the general' I name



    them。〃







Hiero。 In fact; these condiments can only be regarded as the



cravings'30' of a stomach weakened by luxurious living; since I am



quite sure that keen appetites (and you; I fancy; know it well too)



have not the slightest need for all these delicate made things。







'30' Cf。 Plat。 〃Laws;〃 687 C; 〃Hipp。〃 ii。 44。 Lit。 〃can you in fact



    regard these condiments as other than 。 。 。〃 See Holden ad loc。



    (ed。 1888); Hartm。 op。 cit。 p。 259; suggests {enthumemata};



    〃inventions。〃







It is true; at any rate (observed Simonides); about those costly



perfumes; with which your persons are anointed; that your neighbours



rather than yourselves extract enjoyment from them; just as the



unpleasant odour of some meats is not so obvious to the eater as to



those who come in contact with him。







Hiero。 Good; and on this principle

返回目录 上一页 下一页 回到顶部 0 0

你可能喜欢的