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第10章

the symposium-第10章

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And when these propositions were agreed to also; he turned about and said: Just such a man; I take it; is before you in the person of Antisthenes!'97'

'97' See Diog。 Laert。 〃Antisth。〃 VI。 i。 8; Plut。 〃Symp。〃 ii。 1。 503。

Whereupon Antisthenes exclaimed: What! are you going to pass on the business? will you devolve this art of yours on me as your successor; Socrates?'98'

'98' Or; 〃going to give up business; and hand on the trade to me as     your successor?〃

I will; upon my word; I will (he answered): since I see that you have practised to some purpose; nay elaborated; an art which is the handmaid to this other。

And what may that be? asked Antisthenes。

Soc。 The art of the procurer。'99'

'99' Cf。 Plat。 〃Theaet。〃 150 A; Aristot。 〃Eth。 N。〃 v。 2; 13; Aeschin。     3; 7; Plut。 〃Solon;〃 23。

The other (in a tone of deep vexation): Pray; what thing of the sort are you aware I ever perpetrated?

Soc。 I am aware that it was you who introduced our host here; Callias; to that wise man Prodicus;'100' they were a match; you saw; the one enamoured of philosophy; and the other in need of money。 It was you again; I am well enough aware; who introduced him once again to Hippias'101' of Elis; from whom he learnt his 〃art of memory〃;'102' since which time he has become a very ardent lover;'103' from inability to forget each lovely thing he sets his eyes on。 And quite lately; if I am not mistaken; it was you who sounded in my ears such praise of our visitor from Heraclea;'104' that first you made me thirst for his society; and then united us。'105' For which indeed I am your debtor; since I find him a fine handsome fellow and true gentleman。'106' And did you not; moreover; sing the praises of Aeschylus of Phlius'107' in my ears and mine in his?in fact; affected us so much by what you said; we fell in love and took to coursing wildly in pursuit of one another like two dogs upon a trail。'108'

'100' Or; 〃the sage;〃 〃the sophist。〃 See 〃Mem。〃 I。 vi。 13; II。 i。 21。

'101' See 〃Mem。〃 IV。 iv。 5; and for his art of memory cf。 Plat。 〃Hipp。     min。〃 368 D; 〃Hipp。 maj。〃 285 E。

'102' The 〃memoria technica〃 (see Aristot。 〃de An。〃 iii。 3; 6); said     to have been invented by Simonides of Ceos。 Cic。 〃de Or。〃 ii。 86;     〃de Fin。〃 ii。 32; Quinct。 xi。 2。 559。

'103' Or; 〃has grown amorous to a degree〃 'al。 〃an adept in love's     lore himself。〃 Cf。 Plat。 〃Rep。〃 474 D; 〃an authority in love。〃     Jowett' 〃for the simple reason he can't forget each lovely thing     he once has seen。〃 Through the 〃ars memoriae〃 of Hippias; it     becomes an 〃idee fixe〃 of the mind。

'104' Perhaps Zeuxippus。 See Plat。 〃Prot。〃 318 B。 Al。 Zeuxis; also a     native of Heraclea。 See 〃Mem。〃 I。 iv。 3; 〃Econ。〃 x。 1。

'105' Or; 〃introduced him to me。〃 Cf。 〃Econ。〃 iii。 14; Plat。 〃Lach。〃     200 D。

'106' 〃An out…and…out {kalos te kagathos}。〃

'107' Who this Phliasian is; no one knows。

'108' Al。 〃like two hounds chevying after one another。〃

With such examples of your wonder…working skill before my eyes; I must suppose you are a first…rate matchmaker。 For consider; a man with insight to discern two natures made to be of service to each other; and with power to make these same two people mutually enamoured! That is the sort of man; I take it; who should weld together states in friendship; cement alliances with gain to the contracting parties;'109' and; in general; be found an acquisition to those several states; to friends and intimates; and partisans in war; a treasure worth possessing。'110' But you; my friend; you got quite angry。 One would suppose I had given you an evil name in calling you a first…rate matchmaker。

'109' Al。 〃and cement desirable matrimonial connections。〃 Cf。 Aristot。     〃Pol。〃 iii。 9; 13。 1280 B; v。 4; 5…8。 1303 B。

'110' See the conversation with Critobulus; so often referred to;     {peri philias}; in 〃Mem。〃 II。 vi。

Yes (he answered meekly); but now I am calm。 It is clear enough; if I possess these powers I shall find myself surcharged with spiritual riches。

In this fashion the cycle of the speeches was completed。'111'

'111' See Hug; 〃Einleitung;〃 xxxi。 〃Quellen des Platonischen     Symposion。〃



V

Then Callias: Our eyes are on you; Critobulus。 Yours to enter the lists'1' against the champion Socrates; who claims the prize of beauty。 Do you hesitate?

'1' Soph。 〃Fr。〃 234; Thuc。 i。 93。

Soc。 Likely enough he does; for possibly he sees Sir Pandarus stands high in their esteem who are the judges of the contest。

In spite of which (retorted Critobulus); I am not for drawing back。'2' I am ready; so come on; and if you have any subtle argument to prove that you are handsomer than I am; now's your time; instruct us。 But just stop one minute; have the goodness; please; to bring the lamp a little closer。

'2' Or; 〃I do; but all the same; I am not for shirking。〃 Cf。 Aristoph。     〃Frogs;〃 860; {etiomos eum egoge; kouk anaduomai; daknein}: 〃I'm     up to it; I am resolved〃 (Frere); Dem。 〃de F。 Leg。〃 406 20: 〃His     resolution never reached that point; but shrank back; for his     conscience checked it〃 (Kennedy)。

Soc。 Well then; I call upon you first of all; as party to this suit; to undergo the preliminary examination。'3' Attend to what I say; and please be good enough to answer。

'3' The {anakrisis}; or 〃previous inquiry〃 (before one of the archons)     of parties concerned in a suit; to see whether the action lay。 Cf。     Plat。 〃Charm。〃 176 C。 See Gow; 〃Companion;〃 xiv。 74。

Crit。 Do you be good enough yourself to put your questions。

Soc。 Do you consider that the quality of beauty is confined to man; or is it to be found in other objects also? What is your belief on this point?

Crit。 For my part; I consider it belongs alike to animalsthe horse; the oxand to many things inanimate: that is to say; a shield; a sword; a spear are often beautiful。

Soc。 How is it possible that things; in no respect resembling one another; should each and all be beautiful?'4'

'4' See 〃Mem。〃 III。 viii。 5; quoted by Galen; 〃de Usu Part。〃 i。 370。

Crit。 Of course it is; God bless me! if well constructed by the hand of man to suit the sort of work for which we got them; or if naturally adapted to satisfy some want; the things in either case are beautiful。

Soc。 Can you tell me; then; what need is satisfied by our eyes?

Crit。 Clearly; the need of vision。

Soc。 If so; my eyes are proved at once to be more beautiful than yours。

Crit。 How so?

Soc。 Because yours can only see just straight in front of them; whereas mine are prominent and so projecting; they can see aslant。'5'

'5' Or; 〃squint sideways and command the flanks。〃

Crit。 And amongst all animals; you will tell us that the crab has loveliest eyes?'6' Is that your statement?

'6' Or; 〃is best provided in respect of eyeballs。〃

Soc。 Decidedly; the creature has。 And all the more so; since for strength and toughness its eyes by nature are the best constructed。

Crit。 Well; let that pass。 To come to our two noses; which is the more handsome; yours or mine?

Soc。 Mine; I imagine; if; that is; the gods presented us with noses for the sake of smelling。 Your nostrils point to earth; but mine are spread out wide and flat; as if to welcome scents from every quarter。

Crit。 But consider; a snubness of the nose; how is that more beautiful than straightness?'7'

'7' Or; 〃your straight nose。〃 Cf。 Plat。 〃Theaet。〃 209 C: Soc。 〃Or; if     I had further known you not only as having nose and eyes; but as     having a snub nose and prominent eyes; should I have any more     notion of you than myself and others who resemble me?〃 Cf。 also     Aristot。 〃Pol。〃 v。 9; 7: 〃A nose which varies from the ideal of     straightness to a hook or snub may still be a good shape and     agreeable to the eye; but if the excess be very great; all     symmetry is lost; and the nose at last ceases to be a nose at all     on account of some excess in one direction or defect in the other;     and this is true of every other part of the human body。 The same     law of proportion holds in states。〃Jowett。

Soc。 For this good reason; that a snub nose does not discharge the office of a barrier;'8' it allows the orbs of sight free range of vision: whilst your towering nose looks li

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