the symposium-第3章
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strength。〃 Lange conj。 {romes} for {gnomes}; 〃all she needs is force and strength of body。〃 See Newman; op。 cit。 i。 419。
'15' Lit。 〃so that; if any of you has a wife; he may well take heart and teach her whatever he would wish her to know in dealing with her。〃 Cf。 〃N。 A。〃 i。 17。
Antisthenes rejoined: If that is your conclusion; Socrates; why do you not tutor your own wife; Xanthippe;'16' instead of letting her'17' remain; of all the wives that are; indeed that ever will be; I imagine; the most shrewish?
'16' See Cobet; 〃Pros。 Xen。〃 p。 56; 〃Mem。〃 II。 ii。 1; Aul。 Gell。 〃N。 A。〃 i。 17。
'17' Lit。 〃dealing with her;〃 〃finding in her〃; {khro} corresponding to {khresthai} in Socrates' remarks。
Well now; I will tell you (he answered)。 I follow the example of the rider who wishes to become an expert horseman: 〃None of your soft… mouthed; docile animals for me;〃 he says; 〃the horse for me to own must show some spirit〃:'18' in the belief; no doubt; if he can manage such an animal; it will be easy enough to deal with every other horse besides。 And that is just my case。 I wish to deal with human beings; to associate with man in general; hence my choice of wife。'19' I know full well; if I can tolerate her spirit; I can with ease attach myself to every human being else。
'18' Lit。 〃Because I see the man who aims at skill in horsemanship does not care to own a soft…mouthed; docile animal; but some restive; fiery creature。〃
'19' Lit。 〃being anxious to have intercourse with all mankind; to deal with every sort of human being; I possess my wife。〃
A well…aimed argument; not wide of the mark by any means!'20' the company were thinking。
'20' Cf。 Plat。 〃Theaet。〃 179 C。
Hereupon a large hoop studded with a bristling row of upright swords'21' was introduced; and into the centre of this ring of knives and out of it again the girl threw somersaults backwards; forwards; several times; till the spectators were in terror of some accident; but with the utmost coolness and without mishap the girl completed her performance。
'21' See Becker; 〃Char。〃 p。 101。 Cf。 Plat。 〃Symp。〃 190; 〃Euthyd。〃 294。
Here Socrates; appealing to Antisthenes: None of the present company; I take it; who have watched this spectacle will ever again deny that courage can be taught;'22' when the girl there; woman should she be; rushes so boldly into the midst of swords。
'22' Cf。 〃Mem。〃 III。 ix。 1。
He; thus challenged; answered: No; and what our friend; the Syracusan here; should do is to exhibit his dancing…girl to the state。'23' Let him tell the authorities he is prepared; for a consideration; to give the whole Athenian people courage to face the hostile lances at close quarters。
'23' Or; 〃to the city;〃 i。e。 of Athens。
Whereat the jester: An excellent idea; upon my word; and when it happens; may I be there to see that mighty orator'24' Peisander learning to throw somersaults'25' into swords; since incapacity to look a row of lances in the face at present makes him shy of military service。'26'
'24' Or; 〃tribune of the people。〃 Cf。 Plat。 〃Gorg。〃 520 B; 〃Laws;〃 908 D。
'25' Or; 〃learning to go head over heels into swords。〃
'26' For Peisander see Cobet; 〃Pros。 Xen。〃 p。 46 foll。 A thoroughgoing oligarch (Thuc。 viii。 90); he was the occasion of much mirth to the comic writers (so Grote; 〃H。 G。〃 viii。 12)。 See re his 〃want of spirit〃 Aristoph。 〃Birds;〃 1556:
{entha kai Peisandros elthe deomenos psukhen idein; e zont ekeinon proulipe; k。t。l。}
where the poet has a fling at Socrates also:
Socrates beside the brink; Summons from the murky sink Many a disembodied ghost; And Peisander reached the coast To raise the spirit that he lost; With conviction strange and new; A gawky camel which he slew; Like Ulysses。Whereupon; etc。
H。 Frere
Cf。 〃Peace;〃 395; 〃Lysistr。〃 490。
At this stage of the proceedings the boy danced。
The dance being over; Socrates exclaimed: Pray; did you notice how the beauty of the child; so lovely in repose; became enhanced with every movement of his supple body?
To which Charmides replied: How like a flatterer you are! one would think you had set yourself to puff the dancing…master。'27'
'27' See 〃The Critic;〃 I。 ii。
To be sure (he answered solemnly); and there's another point I could not help observing: how while he danced no portion of his body remained idle; neck and legs and hands together; one and all were exercised。'28' That is how a man should dance; who wants to keep his body light and healthy。'29' (Then turning to the Syracusan; he added): I cannot say how much obliged I should be to you; O man of Syracuse; for lessons in deportment。 Pray teach me my steps。'30'
'28' Cf。 〃Pol。 Lac。〃 v。 9。
'29' Cf。 Aristot。 〃H。 A。〃 vi。 21。 4。
'30' 〃Gestures;〃 〃postures;〃 〃figures。〃 See Eur。 〃Cycl。〃 221; Aristoph。 〃Peace;〃 323; Isocr。 〃Antid。〃 183。
And what use will you make of them? (the other asked)。
God bless me! I shall dance; of course (he answered)。
The remark was greeted with a peal of merriment。
Then Socrates; with a most serious expression of countenance:'31' You are pleased to laugh at me。 Pray; do you find it so ridiculous my wishing to improve my health by exercise? or to enjoy my victuals better? to sleep better? or is it the sort of exercise I set my heart on? Not like those runners of the long race;'32' to have my legs grow muscular and my shoulders leaner in proportion; nor like a boxer; thickening chest and shoulders at expense of legs; but by distribution of the toil throughout my limbs'33' I seek to give an even balance to my body。 Or are you laughing to think that I shall not in future have to seek a partner in the training school;'34' whereby it will not be necessary for an old man like myself to strip in public?'35' All I shall need will be a seven…sofa'd chamber;'36' where I can warm to work;'37' just like the lad here who has found this room quite ample for the purpose。 And in winter I shall do gymnastics'38' under cover; or when the weather is broiling under shade。 。 。 。 But what is it you keep on laughing atthe wish on my part to reduce to moderate size a paunch a trifle too rotund? Is that the source of merriment?'39' Perhaps you are not aware; my friends; that Charmidesyes! he there caught me only the other morning in the act of dancing?
'31' 〃Bearing a weighty and serious brow。〃
'32' 〃Like your runner of the mile race。〃 Cf。 Plat。 〃Prot。〃 335 E。
'33' Or; 〃resolute exercise of the whole body。〃 See Aristot。 〃Pol。〃 viii。 4。 9; 〃Rhet。〃 i。 5。 14。
'34' Or; 〃be dependent on a fellow…gymnast。〃 〃Pol。 Lac。〃 ix。 5; Plat。 〃Soph。〃 218 B; 〃Laws;〃 830 B; 〃Symp。〃 217 B; C。
'35' Or; 〃to strip in puiblic when my hair turns gray。〃 Socrates was (421 B。C。) about 50; but is pictured; I think; as an oldish man。
'36' See Aristot。 〃H。 A。〃 ix。 45。 1; 〃Econ。〃 viii。 13。
'37' Passage referred to by Diog。 Laert。 ii。 5。 15; Lucian; 〃de Salt。〃 25; Plut。 〃Praec。 San。〃 496。
'38' 〃Take my exercise。〃
'39' Zeune cf。 Max。 Tyr。 〃Diss。〃 vii。 9; xxxix。 5。
Yes; that I will swear to (the other answered); and at first I stood aghast; I feared me you had parted with your senses; but when I heard your explanation; pretty much what you have just now told us; I went home andI will not say; began to dance myself (it is an accomplishment I have not been taught as yet); but I fell to sparring;'40' an art of which I have a very pretty knowledge。
'40' 〃Sparring;〃 etc。; an art which Quintil。 〃Inst。 Or。〃 i。 11; 17; attributes to Socrates。 Cf。 Herod。 vi。 129 concerning Hippocleides; and Rich; 〃Dict。 of Antiq。〃 s。v。 〃Chironomia。〃
That's true; upon my life! (exclaimed the jester)。 One needs but look at you to see there's not a dram of difference between legs and shoulders。'41' I'll be bound; if both were weighed in the scales apart; like 〃tops and bottoms;〃 the clerks of the market'42' would let you off scot…free。
'41' Lit。 〃your legs are equal in weight with your shoulders。〃 Cf。 〃Od。〃 xviii。 373; {elikes 。 。 。 isophoroi boes}; 〃of equal age and force to bear the yoke。〃Butcher and Lang。
'42' See Boeckh; 〃Public Economy of Athens;〃 p。 48; Aristoph。 〃Acharn。〃 723; Lys。 165; 34。
Then Calli