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第10章

phaedrus-第10章

小说: phaedrus 字数: 每页4000字

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and haunches to the ground and punishes him sorely。 And when this



has happened several times and the villain has ceased from his



wanton way; he is tamed and humbled; and follows the will of the



charioteer; and when he sees the beautiful one he is ready to die of



fear。 And from that time forward the soul of the lover follows the



beloved in modesty and holy fear。



  And so the beloved who; like a god; has received every true and



loyal service from his lover; not in pretence but in reality; being



also himself of a nature friendly to his admirer; if in former days he



has blushed to own his passion and turned away his lover; because



his youthful companions or others slanderously told him that he



would be disgraced; now as years advance; at the appointed age and



time; is led to receive him into communion。 For fate which has



ordained that there shall be no friendship among the evil has also



ordained that there shall ever be friendship among the good。 And the



beloved when he has received him into communion and intimacy; is quite



amazed at the good…will of the lover; he recognises that the



inspired friend is worth all other friends or kinsmen; they have



nothing of friendship in them worthy to be compared with his。 And when



his feeling continues and he is nearer to him and embraces him; in



gymnastic exercises and at other times of meeting; then the fountain



of that stream; which Zeus when he was in love with Ganymede named



Desire; overflows upon the lover; and some enters into his soul; and



some when he is filled flows out again; and as a breeze or an echo



rebounds from the smooth rocks and returns whence it came; so does the



stream of beauty; passing through the eyes which are the windows of



the soul; come back to the beautiful one; there arriving and



quickening the passages of the wings; watering。 them and inclining



them to grow; and filling the soul of the beloved also with love。



And thus he loves; but he knows not what; he does not understand and



cannot explain his own state; he appears to have caught the



infection of blindness from another; the lover is his mirror in whom



he is beholding himself; but he is not aware of this。 When he is



with the lover; both cease from their pain; but when he is away then



he longs as he is longed for; and has love's image; love for love



(Anteros) lodging in his breast; which he calls and believes to be not



love but friendship only; and his desire is as the desire of the



other; but weaker; he wants to see him; touch him; kiss him; embrace



him; and probably not long afterwards his desire is accomplished。 When



they meet; the wanton steed of the lover has a word to say to the



charioteer; he would like to have a little pleasure in return for many



pains; but the wanton steed of the beloved says not a word; for he



is bursting with passion which he understands not;…he throws his



arms round the lover and embraces him as his dearest friend; and; when



they are side by side; he is not in it state in which he can refuse



the lover anything; if he ask him; although his fellow…steed and the



charioteer oppose him with the arguments of shame and reason。



  After this their happiness depends upon their self…control; if the



better elements of the mind which lead to order and philosophy



prevail; then they pass their life here in happiness and



harmony…masters of themselves and orderly…enslaving the vicious and



emancipating the virtuous elements of the soul; and when the end



comes; they are light and winged for flight; having conquered in one



of the three heavenly or truly Olympian victories; nor can human



discipline or divine inspiration confer any greater blessing on man



than this。 If; on the other hand; they leave philosophy and lead the



lower life of ambition; then probably; after wine or in some other



careless hour; the two wanton animals take the two souls when off



their guard and bring them together; and they accomplish that desire



of their hearts which to the many is bliss; and this having once



enjoyed they continue to enjoy; yet rarely because they have not the



approval of the whole soul。 They too are dear; but not so dear to



one another as the others; either at the time of their love or



afterwards。 They consider that they have given and taken from each



other the most sacred pledges; and they may not break them and fall



into enmity。 At last they pass out of the body; unwinged; but eager to



soar; and thus obtain no mean reward of love and madness。 For those



who have once begun the heavenward pilgrimage may not go down again to



darkness and the journey beneath the earth; but they live in light



always; happy companions in their pilgrimage; and when the time



comes at which they receive their wings they have the same plumage



because of their love。



  Thus great are the heavenly blessings which the friendship of a



lover will confer upon you; my youth。 Whereas the attachment of the



non…lover; which is alloyed with a worldly prudence and has worldly



and niggardly ways of doling out benefits; will breed in your soul



those vulgar qualities which the populace applaud; will send you



bowling round the earth during a period of nine thousand years; and



leave; you a fool in the world below。



  And thus; dear Eros; I have made and paid my recantation; as well



and as fairly as I could; more especially in the matter of the



poetical figures which I was compelled to use; because Phaedrus



would have them。 And now forgive the past and accept the present;



and be gracious and merciful to me; and do not in thine anger



deprive me of sight; or take from me the art of love which thou hast



given me; but grant that I may be yet more esteemed in the eyes of the



fair。 And if Phaedrus or I myself said anything rude in our first



speeches; blame Lysias; who is the father of the brat; and let us have



no more of his progeny; bid him study philosophy; like his brother



Polemarchus; and then his lover Phaedrus will no longer halt between



two opinions; but will dedicate himself wholly to love and to



philosophical discourses。



  Phaedr。 I join in the prayer; Socrates; and say with you; if this be



for my good; may your words come to pass。 But why did you make your



second oration so much finer than the first? I wonder why。 And I begin



to be afraid that I shall lose conceit of Lysias; and that he will



appear tame in comparison; even if he be willing to put another as



fine and as long as yours into the field; which I doubt。 For quite



lately one of your politicians was abusing him on this very account;



and called him a 〃speech writer〃 again and again。 So that a feeling of



pride may probably induce him to give up writing speeches。



  Soc。 What a very amusing notion! But I think; my young man; that you



are much mistaken in your friend if you imagine that he is



frightened at a little noise; and possibly; you think that his



assailant was in earnest?



  Phaedr。 I thought; Socrates; that he was。 And you are aware that the



greatest and most influential statesmen are ashamed of writing



speeches and leaving them in a written form; lest they should be



called Sophists by posterity。



  Soc。 You seem to be unconscious; Phaedrus; that the 〃sweet elbow〃 of



the proverb is really the long arm of the Nile。 And you appear to be



equally unaware of the fact that this sweet elbow of theirs is also



a long arm。 For there is nothing of which our great politicians are so



fond as of writing speeches and bequeathing them to posterity。 And



they add their admirers' names at the top of the writing; out of



gratitude 

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