the memorabilia(纪念品)-第8节
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zealously with things which no man； not even a madman； would choose to
make an object of concern。
Xen。 O Heracles！ how fell a power to reside in a kiss！
Soc。 Does it surprise you？ Do you not know that the tarantula； which
is no bigger than a threepenny bit；＇13＇ has only to touch the mouth and it
will afflict its victim with pains and drive him out of his senses。
＇13＇ Lit。 〃a half…obol piece。〃 For the ｛phalaggion｝ see Aristot。 〃H。
A。〃 ix。 39； 1。
Xen。 Yes； but then the creature injects something with its bite。
Soc。 Ah； fool！ and do you imagine that these lovely creatures infuse
nothing with their kiss； simply because you do not see the poison？ Do you
not know that this wild beast which men call beauty in its bloom is all the
more terrible than the tarantula in that the insect must first touch its victim；
but this at a mere glance of thebeholder； without even contact； will inject
something into himyards away which will make him man。 And may be
that is why the Loves are called 〃archers；〃 because these beauties wound
so far off。＇14＇ But my advice to you； Xenophon； is； whenever you catch
sight of one of these fair forms； to run helter…skelter for bare life without a
glance behind； and to you； Critobulus； I would say； 〃Go abroad for a year：
so long time will it take to heal you of this wound。〃
＇14＇ L。 Dindorf； etc。 regard the sentence as a gloss。 Cf。 〃Symp。〃 iv。
26 ＇｛isos de kai 。 。 。 entimoteron estin｝＇。
Such （he said）； in the affairs of Aphrodite； as in meats and drinks；
should be the circumspection of all whose footing is insecure。 At least they
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should confine themselves to such diet as the soul would dispense with；
save for some necessity of the body； and which even so ought to set up no
disturbance。＇15＇ But for himself； it was clear； he was prepared at all points
and invulnerable。 He found less difficulty in abstaining from beauty's
fairest and fullest bloom than many others from weeds and garbage。 To
sum up：＇16＇ with regard to eating and drinking and these other temptations
of the sense； the equipment of his soul made him independent； he could
boast honestly that in his moderate fashion＇17＇ his pleasures were no less
than theirs who take such trouble to procure them； and his pains far fewer。
＇15＇ Cf。 〃Symp。〃 iv。 38。
＇16＇ L。 Dindorf ＇brackets＇ this passage as spurious。
＇17＇ On the principle 〃enough is as good as a feast；〃 ｛arkountos｝。
IV
A belief is current； in accordance with views maintained concerning
Socrates in speech and writing； and in either case conjecturally； that；
however powerful he may have been in stimulating men to virtue as a
theorist； he was incapable of acting as their guide himself。＇1＇ It would be
well for those who adopt this view to weigh carefully not only what
Socrates effected 〃by way of castigation〃 in cross… questioning whose who
conceived themselves to be possessed of all knowledge； but also his
everyday conversation with those who spent their time in close intercourse
with himself。 Having done this； let them decide whether he was incapable
of making his companions better。
＇1＇ Al。 〃If any one believes that Socrates； as represented in certain
dialogues （e。g。 of Plato； Antisthenes； etc。） of an imaginary character；
was an adept （｛protrepsasthai｝） in the art of stimulating people to
virtue negatively but scarcely the man to guide （｛proagein｝） his
hearers on the true path himself。〃 Cf。 （Plat。） 〃Clitophon；〃 410 B； Cic。
〃de Or。〃 I。 xlvii。 204； Plut。 〃Mor。〃 798 B。 See Grote； 〃Plato；〃 iii。 21；
K。 Joel； op。 cit。 p。 51 foll。； Cf。 below； IV。 iii。 2。
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I will first state what I once heard fall from his lips in a discussion
with Aristodemus；＇2＇ 〃the little；〃 as he was called； on the topic of
divinity。＇3＇ Socrates had observed that Aristodemus neither sacrificed nor
gave heed to divination； but on the contrary was disposed to ridicule those
who did。
＇2＇ See Plat。 〃Symp。〃 173 B： 〃He was a little fellow who never wore
any shoes； Aristodemus； of the deme of Cydathenaeum。〃Jowett。
＇3＇ Or； 〃the divine element。〃
So tell me； Aristodemus （he begain）； are there any human beings who
have won your admiration for their wisdom？
Ar。 There are。
Soc。 Would you mention to us their names？
Ar。 In the writings of epic poetry I have the greatest admiration for
Homer。 。 。 。 And as a dithyrambic poet for Melanippides。＇4＇ I admire also
Sophocles as a tragedian； Polycleitus as a sculptor； and Zeuxis as a painter。
＇4＇ Melanippides； 430 B。C。 See Cobet； 〃Pros。 Xen。〃 s。n。
Soc。 Which would you consider the more worthy of admiration； a
fashioner of senseless images devoid of motion or one who could fashion
living creatures endowed with understanding and activity？
Ar。 Decidedly the latter； provided his living creatures owed their birth
to design and were not the offspring of some chance。
Soc。 But now if you had two sorts of things； the one of which presents
no clue as to what it is for； and the other is obviously for some useful
purposewhich would you judge to be the result of chance； which of
design？
Ar。 Clearly that which is produced for some useful end is the work of
design。
Soc。 Does it not strike you then that he who made man from the
beginning＇5＇ did for some useful end furnish him with his several senses
giving him eyes to behold the visible word； and ears to catch the
intonations of sound？ Or again； what good would there be in odours if
nostrils had not been bestowed upon us？ what perception of sweet things
and pungent； and of all the pleasures of the palate； had not a tongue been
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fashioned in us as an interpreter of the same？ And besides all this； do you
not think this looks like a matter of foresight； this closing of the delicate
orbs of sight with eyelids as with folding doors； which； when there is need
to use them for any purpose； can be thrown wide open and firmly closed
again in sleep？ and； that even the winds of heaven may not visit them too
roughly； this planting of the eyelashes as a protecting screen？＇6＇ this
coping of the region above the eyes with cornice…work of eyebrow so that
no drop of sweat fall from the head and injure them？ again this readiness
of the ear to catch all sounds and yet not to be surcharged？ this capacity of
the front teeth of all animals to cut and of the 〃grinders〃 to receive the
food and reduce it to pulp？ the position of the mouth again； close to the
eyes and nostrils as a portal of ingress for all the creature's supplies？ and
lastly； seeing that matter passing out＇7＇ of the body is unpleasant； this
hindward direction of the passages； and their removal to a distance from
the avenues of sense？ I ask you； when you see all these things constructed
with such show of foresight can you doubt whether they are products of
chance or intelligence？
＇5＇ Cf。 Aristot。 〃de Part。 Animal。〃 1。 For the 〃teleological〃 views
see IV。 iii。 2 foll。
＇6＇ 〃Like a sieve〃 or 〃colander。〃
＇7＇ 〃That which goeth out of a man。〃
Ar。 To be sure not！ Viewed in this light they would seem to be the
handiwork of some wise artificer；＇8＇ full of love for all things living。＇9＇
＇8＇ 〃Demiurge。〃
＇9＇ Passage referred to by Epictetus ap。 Stob。 〃Flor。〃 121； 29。
Soc。 What shall we say of this passion implanted in man to beget
offspring； this passion in the mother to rear her babe； and in the creature
itself； once born； this deep desire of life and fear of death？
Ar。 No doubt these do look like the contrivances of some one
deliberately planning the existence of living creatures。
Soc。 Well； and doubtless you feel to have a spark
