phaedrus-第4章

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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　him；　if　he　would　not　be　deprived　of　his



fleeting　joy。　And　therefore　he　cannot　help　being　jealous；　and　will



debar　his　beloved　from　the　advantages　of　society　which　would　make　a



man　of　him；　and　especially　from　that　society　which　would　have　given



him　wisdom；　and　thereby　he　cannot　fail　to　do　him　great　harm。　That　is



to　say；　in　his　excessive　fear　lest　he　should　come　to　be　despised　in



his　eyes　he　will　be　compelled　to　banish　from　him　divine　philosophy；



and　there　is　no　greater　injury　which　he　can　inflict　upon　him　than



this。　He　will　contrive　that　his　beloved　shall　be　wholly　ignorant；



and　in　everything　shall　look　to　him；　he　is　to　be　the　delight　of　the



lover's　heart；　and　a　curse　to　himself。　Verily；　a　lover　is　a　profitable



guardian　and　associate　for　him　in　all　that　relates　to　his　mind。



　　Let　us　next　see　how　his　master；　whose　law　of　life　is　pleasure　and



not　good；　will　keep　and　train　the　body　of　his　servant。　Will　he　not



choose　a　beloved　who　is　delicate　rather　than　sturdy　and　strong？　One



brought　up　in　shady　bowers　and　not　in　the　bright　sun；　a　stranger　to



manly　exercises　and　the　sweat　of　toil；　accustomed　only　to　a　soft　and



luxurious　diet；　instead　of　the　hues　of　health　having　the　colours　of



paint　and　ornament；　and　the　rest　of　a　piece？…such　a　life　as　any　one



can　imagine　and　which　I　need　not　detail　at　length。　But　I　may　sum　up



all　that　I　have　to　say　in　a　word；　and　pass　on。　Such　a　person　in　war；



or　in　any　of　the　great　crises　of　life；　will　be　the　anxiety　of　his



friends　and　also　of　his　lover；　and　certainly　not　the　terror　of　his



enemies；　which　nobody　can　deny。



　　And　now　let　us　tell　what　advantage　or　disadvantage　the　beloved



will　receive　from　the　guardianship　and　society　of　his　lover　in　the



matter　of　his　property；　this　is　the　next　point　to　be　considered。　The



lover　will　be　the　first　to　see　what；　indeed；　will　be　sufficiently



e