the memorabilia(纪念品)-第9节
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Soc。 Well； and doubtless you feel to have a spark of wisdom yourself？
Ar。 Put your questions； and I will answer。
Soc。 And yet you imagine that elsewhere no spark of wisdom is to be
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found？ And that； too； when you know that you have in your body a tiny
fragment only of the mighty earth； a little drop of the great waters； and of
the other elements； vast in their extent； you got； I presume； a particle of
each towards the compacting of your bodily frame？ Mind alone； it would
seem； which is nowhere to be found；＇10＇ you had the lucky chance to
snatch up and make off with； you cannot tell how。 And these things around
and about us； enormous in size； infinite in number； owe their orderly
arrangement； as you suppose； to some vacuity of wit？
＇10＇ Cf。 Plat。 〃Phileb。〃 30 B： 〃Soc。 May our body be said to have a
soul？ Pro。 Clearly。 Soc。 And whence comes that soul； my dear
Protarchus； unless the body of the universe； which contains elements
similar to our bodies but finer； has also a soul？ Can there be any
other source？〃Jowett。 Cic。 〃de N。 D。〃 ii。 6； iii。 11。
Ar。 It may be； for my eyes fail to see the master agents of these； as one
sees the fabricators of things produced on earth。
Soc。 No more do you see your own soul； which is the master agent of
your body； so that； as far as that goes； you may maintain； if you like； that
you do nothing with intelligence；＇11＇ but everything by chance。
＇11＇ Or； 〃by your wit；〃 ｛gnome｝。
At this point Aristodemus： I assure you； Socrates； that I do not disdain
the Divine power。 On the contrary； my belief is that the Divinity is too
grand to need any service which I could render。
Soc。 But the grander that power is； which deigns to tend and wait upon
you； the more you are called upon to honour it。
Ar。 Be well assured； if I could believe the gods take thought for all
men； I would not neglect them。
Soc。 How can you suppose that they do not so take thought？ Who； in
the first place； gave to man alone of living creatures his erect posture；
enabling him to see farther in front of him and to contemplate more freely
the height above； and to be less subject to distress than other creatures
＇endowed like himself with eyes and ears and mouth＇。＇12＇ Consider next
how they gave to the beast of the field＇13＇ feet as a means of progression
only； but to man they gave in addition hands those hands which have
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achieved so much to raise us in the scale of happiness above all animals。
Did they not make the tongue also？ which belongs indeed alike to man
and beast； but in man they fashioned it so as to play on different parts of
the mouth at different times； whereby we can produce articulate speech；
and have a code of signals to express our every want to one another。 Or
consider the pleasures of the sexual appetite； limited in the rest of the
animal kingdom to certain seasons； but in the case of man a series
prolonged unbroken to old age。 Nor did it content the Godhead merely to
watch over the interests of man's body。 What is of far higher import； he
implanted in man the noblest and most excellent type of soul。 For what
other creature； to begin with； has a soul to appreciate the existence of the
gods who have arranged this grand and beauteous universe？ What other
tribe of animals save man can render service to the gods？ How apt is the
spirit of man to take precautions against hunger and thirst； cold and heat；
to alleviate disease and foster strength！ how suited to labour with a view to
learning！ how capable of garnering in the storehouse of his memory all
that he has heard or seen or understood！ Is it not most evident to you that
by the side of other animals men live and move a race of godsby nature
excellent； in beauty of body and of soul supreme？ For； mark you； had a
creature of man's wit been encased in the body of an ox；＇14＇ he would
have been powerless to carry out his wishes； just as the possession of
hands divorced from human wit is profitless。 And then you come； you who
have obtained these two most precious attributes； and give it as your
opinion； that the gods take no thought or care for you。 Why； what will you
have them to do； that you may believe and be persuaded that you too are in
their thoughts？
＇12＇ See Kuhner for an attempt to cure the text。
＇13＇ ｛erpetois｝； a 〃poetical〃 word。 Cf。 〃Od。〃 iv。 418； Herod。 i。 140。
＇14＇ See Aristot。 〃de Part。 Animal。〃 iv。 10。
Ar。 When they treat me as you tell us they treat you； and send me
counsellors to warn me what I am to do and what abstain from doing；＇15＇
I will believe。
＇15＇ See IV。 iii。 12。
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Soc。 Send you counsellors！ Come now； what when the people of
Athens make inquiry by oracle； and the gods' answer comes？ Are you not
an Athenian？ Think you not that to you also the answer is given？ What
when they send portents to forewarn the states of Hellas？ or to all mankind？
Are you not a man？ a Hellene？ Are not these intended for you also？ Can it
be that you alone are excepted as a signal instance of Divine neglect？
Again； do you suppose that the gods could have implanted in the heart of
man the belief in their capacity to work him weal or woe had they not the
power？ Would not men have discovered the imposture in all this lapse of
time？ Do you not perceive that the wisest and most perdurable of human
institutionsbe they cities or tribes of menare ever the most God…fearing；
and in the individual man the riper his age and judgment； the deeper his
religousness？ Ay； my good sir （he broke forth）； lay to heart and understand
that even as your own mind within you can turn and dispose of your body
as it lists； so ought we to think that the wisdom which abides within the
universal frame does so dispose of all things as it finds agreeable to itself；
for hardly may it be that your eye is able to range over many a league； but
that the eye of God is powerless to embrace all things at a glance； or that
to your soul it is given to dwell in thought on matters here or far away in
Egypt or in Sicily； but that the wisdom and thought of God is not sufficient
to include all things at one instant under His care。 If only you would copy
your own behaviour＇16＇ where human beings are concerned。 It is by acts
of service and of kindness that you discover which of your fellows are
willing to requite you in kind。 It is by taking another into your counsel that
you arrive at the secret of his wisdom。 If； on like principle； you will but
make trial of the gods by acts of service； whether they will choose to give
you counsel in matters obscure to mortal vision； you shall discover the
nature and the greatness of Godhead to be such that they are able at once
to see all things and to hear all things and to be present everywhere； nor
does the least thing escape their watchful care。
＇16＇ Or； 〃reason as you are wont to do。〃
To my mind the effect of words like these was to cause those about
him to hold aloof from unholiness； baseness； and injustice； not only whilst
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they were seen of men； but even in the solitary place； since they must
believe that no part of their conduct could escape the eye of Heaven。
V
I suppose it may be taken as admitted that self…control is a noble
acquirement for a man。＇1＇ If so； let us turn and consider whether by
language like the following he was likely to lead his listeners onwards＇2＇
to the attainment of this virtue。 〃Sirs；〃 he would say； 〃if a war came upon
us and we wished to choose a man who would best help us to save
ourselves and to subdue our en
