the memorabilia(纪念品)-第31节
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private who carries off the palm of victory in public。
Charm。 But do you not see that modesty and timidity are feelings
implanted in man's nature？ and these are much more powerfully present to
us in a crowd than within the cirlce of our intimates。
Soc。 Yes； but what I am bent on teaching you is that while you feel no
such bashfulness and timidity before the wisest and strongest of men； you
are ashamed of opening your lips in the midst of weaklings and dullards。＇6＇
Is it the fullers among them of whom you stand in awe； or the cobblers； or
the carpenters； or the coppersmiths； or the merchants； or the farmers； or
the hucksters of the market…place exchanging their wares； and bethinking
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them how they are to buy this thing cheap； and to sell the other dearis it
before these you are ashamed； for these are the individual atoms out of
which the Public Assembly is composed？＇7＇ And what is the difference；
pray； between your behaviour and that of a man who； being the superior of
trained athletes； quails before a set of amateurs？ Is it not the case that you
who can argue so readily with the foremost statesmen in the city； some of
whom affect to look down upon youyou； with your vast superiority over
practised popular debatersare no sooner confronted with a set of folk
who never in their lives gave politics a thought； and into whose heads
certainly it never entered to look down upon youthan you are afraid to
open your lips in mortal terror of being laughed at？
＇6＇ Cf。 Cic。 〃Tusc。〃 v。 36； 104； Plat。 〃Gorg。〃 452 E； 454 B。
＇7＇ Cf。 Plat。 〃Protag。〃 319 C。 See W。 L。 Newman； op。 cit。 i。 103。
Well； but you would admit （he answered） that sound argument does
frequently bring down the ridicule of the Popular Assembly。
Soc。 Which is equally true of the others。＇8＇ And that is just what
rouses my astonishment； that you who can cope so easily with these lordly
people （when guilty of ridicule） should persuade yourself that you cannot
stand up against a set of commoners。＇9＇ My good fellow； do not be
ignorant of yourself！＇10＇ do not fall into that commonest of errorstheirs
who rush off to investigate the concerns of the rest of the world； and have
no time to turn and examine themselves。 Yet that is a duty which you must
not in cowardly sort draw back from： rather must you brace ourself to give
good heed to your own self； and as to public affairs； if by any manner of
means they may be improved through you； do not neglect them。 Success in
the sphere of politics means that not only the mass of your fellow…citizens；
but your personal friends and you yourself last but not least； will profit by
your action。
＇8＇ ｛oi eteroi｝； i。e。 〃the foremost statesmen〃 mentioned before。 Al。
〃the opposite party；〃 the 〃Tories；〃 if one may so say； of the political
clubs。
＇9＇ Lit。 〃those 。 。 。 these。〃
＇10＇ Ernesti aptly cf。 Cic。 〃ad Quint。〃 iii。 6。 See below； III。 ix。 6；
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IV。 ii。 24。
VIII
Once when Aristippus＇1＇ set himself to subject Socrates to a cross…
examination； such as he had himself undergone at the hands of Socrates on
a former occasion；＇2＇ Socrates； being minded to benefit those who were
with him； gave his answers less in the style of a debater guarding against
perversions of his argument； than of a man persuaded of the supreme
importance of right conduct。＇3＇
＇1＇ For Aristippus see above； p。 38； for the connection； ｛boulomenos
tous sunontas ophelein｝； between this and the preceeding chapter；
see above； Conspectus； p。 xxvi。
＇2＇ Possibly in reference to the conversation above。 In reference to
the present dialogue see Grote； 〃Plato；〃 I。 xi。 p。 380 foll。
＇3＇ For ｛prattein ta deonta｝ cf。 below； III。 ix。 4； 11； Plat。 〃Charm。〃
164 B； but see J。 J。 Hartman； 〃An。 Xen。〃 p。 141。
Aristippus asked him 〃if he knew of anything good；〃＇4＇ intending in
case he assented and named any particular good thing； like food or drink；
or wealth； or health； or strength； or courage； to point out that the thing
named was sometimes bad。 But he； knowing that if a thing troubles us； we
immediately want that which will put an end to our trouble； answered
precisely as it was best to do。＇5＇
＇4＇ See Grote； 〃Plato；〃 ii。 585； on Philebus。
＇5＇ Or； 〃made the happiest answer。〃
Soc。 Do I understand you to ask me whether I know anything good for
fever？
No （he replied）； that is not my question。
Soc。 Then for inflammation of the eyes？
Aristip。 No； nor yet that。
Soc。 Well then； for hunger？
Aristip。 No； nor yet for hunger。
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Well； but （answered Socrates） if you ask me whether I know of any
good thing which is good for nothing； I neither know of it nor want to
know。
And when Aristippus； returning to the charge； asked him 〃if he knew
of any thing beautiful；〃
He answered： Yes； many things。
Aristip。 Are they all like each other？
Soc。 On the contrary； they are often as unlike as possible。
How then （he asked） can that be beautiful which is unlike the
beautiful？
Soc。 Bless me！ for the simple reason that it is possible for a man who
is a beautiful runner to be quite unlike another man who is a beautiful
boxer；＇6＇ or for a shield； which is a beautiful weapon for the purpose of
defence； to be absolutely unlike a javelin； which is a beautiful weapon of
swift and sure discharge。
＇6＇ See Grote； 〃H。 G。〃 x。 164； in reference to Epaminondas and his
gymnastic training； below； III。 x。 6。
Aristip。 Your answers are no better now than＇7＇ when I asked you
whether you knew any good thing。 They are both of a pattern。
＇7＇ Or； 〃You answer precisely as you did when 。 。 。〃
Soc。 And so they should be。 Do you imagine that one thing is good and
another beautiful？ Do not you know that relatively to the same standard all
things are at once beautiful and good？＇8＇ In the first place； virtue is not a
good thing relatively to one standard and a beautiful thing relatively to
another standard； and in the next place； human beings； on the same
principle＇9＇ and relatively to the same standard； are called 〃beautiful and
good〃； and so the bodily frames of men relatively to the same standards
are seen to be 〃beautiful and good；〃 and in general all things capable of
being used by man are regarded as at once beautiful and good relatively to
the same standard the standing being in each case what the thing happens
to be useful for。＇10＇
＇8＇ Or； 〃good and beautiful are convertible terms： whatever is good is
beautiful； or whatever is beautiful is good。〃
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＇9＇ Or； 〃in the same breath。〃 Cf。 Plat。 〃Hipp。 maj。〃 295 D； 〃Gorg。〃
474 D。
＇10＇ Or； 〃and this standard is the serviceableness of the thing in
question。〃
Aristip。 Then I presume even a basket for carrying dung＇11＇ is a
beautiful thing？
＇11＇ Cf。 Plat。 〃Hipp。 maj。〃 288 D； 290 D； and Grote's note； loc。 cit。
p。 381： 〃in regard to the question wherein consists ｛to kalon｝？〃
Soc。 To be sure； and a spear of gold an ugly thing； if for their
respective usesthe former is well and the latter ill adapted。
Aristip。 Do you mean to assert that the same things may be beautiful
and ugly？
Soc。 Yes； to be sure； and by the same showing things may be good and
bad： as； for instance； what is good for hunger may be bad for fever； and
what is good for fever bad for hunger； or again； what is beautiful for
wrestling is often ugly for running； and in general everything is good and
beautiful when well adapted for the end in
