gorgias-第1节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！




　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　380　BC
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　GORGIAS
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　by　Plato
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　translated　by　Benjamin　Jowett
GORGIAS

　　PERSONS　OF　THE　DIALOGUE：　CALLICLES；　SOCRATES；　CHAEREPHON；　GORGIAS；　POLUS　　　Scene：　The　house　of　Callicles。

　　Callicles。　The　wise　man；　as　the　proverb　says；　is　late　for　a　fray；　but　not　for　a　feast。　　　Socrates。　And　are　we　late　for　a　feast？　　　Cal。　Yes；　and　a　delightful　feast；　for　Gorgias　has　just　been　exhibiting　to　us　many　fine　things。　　　Soc。　It　is　not　my　fault；　Callicles；　our　friend　Chaerephon　is　to　blame；　for　he　would　keep　us　loitering　in　the　Agora。　　　Chaerephon。　Never　mind；　Socrates；　the　misfortune　of　which　I　have　been　the　cause　I　will　also　repair；　for　Gorgias　is　a　friend　of　mine；　and　I　will　make　him　give　the　exhibition　again　either　now；　or；　if　you　prefer；　at　some　other　time。　　　Cal。　What　is　the　matter；　Chaerephon…does　Socrates　want　to　hear　Gorgias？　　　Chaer。　Yes；　that　was　our　intention　in　coming。　　　Cal。　Come　into　my　house；　then；　for　Gorgias　is　staying　with　me；　and　he　shall　exhibit　to　you。　　　Soc。　Very　good；　Callicles；　but　will　he　answer　our　questions？　for　I　want　to　hear　from　him　what　is　the　nature　of　his　art；　and　what　it　is　which　he　professes　and　teaches；　he　may；　as　you　＇Chaerephon＇　suggest；　defer　the　exhibition　to　some　other　time。　　　Cal。　There　is　nothing　like　asking　him；　Socrates；　and　indeed　to　answer　questions　is　a　part　of　his　exhibition；　for　he　was　saying　only　just　now；　that　any　one　in　my　house　might　put　any　question　to　him；　and　that　he　would　answer。　　　Soc。　How　fortunate！　will　you　ask　him；　Chaerephon…？　　　Chaer。　What　shall　I　ask　him？　　　Soc。　Ask　him　who　he　is。　　　Chaer。　What　do　you　mean？　　　Soc。　I　mean　such　a　question　as　would　elicit　from　him；　if　he　had　been　a　maker　of　shoes；　the　answer　that　he　is　a　cobbler。　Do　you　understand？　　　Chaer。　I　understand；　and　will　ask　him：　Tell　me；　Gorgias；　is　our　friend　Callicles　right　in　saying　that　you　undertake　to　answer　any　questions　which　you　are　asked？　　　Gorgias。　Quite　right；　Chaerephon：　I　was　saying　as　much　only　just　now；　and　I　may　add；　that　many　years　have　elapsed　since　any　one　has　asked　me　a　new　one。　　　Chaer。　Then　you　must　be　very　ready；　Gorgias。　　　Gor。　Of　that；　Chaerephon；　you　can　make　trial。　　　Polus。　Yes；　indeed；　and　if　you　like；　Chaerephon；　you　may　make　trial　of　me　too；　for　I　think　that　Gorgias；　who　has　been　talking　a　long　time；　is　tired。　　　Chaer。　And　do　you；　Polus；　think　that　you　can　answer　better　than　Gorgias？　　　Pol。　What　does　that　matter　if　I　answer　well　enough　for　you？　　　Chaer。　Not　at　all：…and　you　shall　answer　if　you　like。　　　Pol。　Ask：…　　　Chaer。　My　question　is　this：　If　Gorgias　had　the　skill　of　his　brother　Herodicus；　what　ought　we　to　call　him？　Ought　he　not　to　have　the　name　which　is　given　to　his　brother？　　　Pol。　Certainly。　　　Chaer。　Then　we　should　be　right　in　calling　him　a　physician？　　　Pol。　Yes。　　　Chaer。　And　if　he　had　the　skill　of　Aristophon　the　son　of　Aglaophon；　or　of　his　brother　Polygnotus；　what　ought　we　to　call　him？　　　Pol。　Clearly；　a　painter。　　　Chaer。　But　now　what　shall　we　call　him…what　is　the　art　in　which　he　is　skilled。　　　Pol。　O　Chaerephon；　there　are　many　arts　among　mankind　which　are　experimental；　and　have　their　origin　in　experience；　for　experience　makes　the　days　of　men　to　proceed　according　to　art；　and　inexperience　according　to　chance；　and　different　persons　in　different　ways　are　proficient　in　different　arts；　and　the　best　persons　in　the　best　arts。　And　our　friend　Gorgias　is　one　of　the　best；　and　the　art　in　which　he　is　a　proficient　is　the　noblest。　　　Soc。　Polus　has　been　taught　how　to　make　a　capital　speech；　Gorgias；　but　he　is　not　fulfilling　the　promise　which　he　made　to　Chaerephon。　　　Gor。　What　do　you　mean；　Socrates？　　　Soc。　I　mean　that　he　has　not　exactly　answered　the　question　which　he　was　asked。　　　Gor。　Then　why　not　ask　him　yourself？　　　Soc。　But　I　would　much　rather　ask　you；　if　you　are　disposed　to　answer：　for　I　see；　from　the　few　words　which　Polus　has　uttered；　that　he　has　attended　more　to　the　art　which　is　called　rhetoric　than　to　dialectic。　　　Pol。　What　makes　you　say　so；　Socrates？　　　Soc。　Because；　Polus；　when　Chaerephon　asked　you　what　was　the　art　which　Gorgias　knows；　you　praised　it　as　if　you　were　answering　some　one　who　found　fault　with　it；　but　you　never　said　what　the　art　was。　　　Pol。　Why；　did　I　not　say　that　it　was　the　noblest　of　arts？　　　Soc。　Yes；　indeed；　but　that　was　no　answer　to　the　question：　nobody　asked　what　was　the　quality；　but　what　was　the　nature；　of　the　art；　and　by　what　name　we　were　to　describe　Gorgias。　And　I　would　still　beg　you　briefly　and　clearly；　as　you　answered　Chaerephon　when　he　asked　you　at　first；　to　say　what　this　art　is；　and　what　we　ought　to　call　Gorgias：　Or　rather；　Gorgias；　let　me　turn　to　you；　and　ask　the　same　question　what　are　we　to　call　you；　and　what　is　the　art　which　you　profess？　　　Gor。　Rhetoric；　Socrates；　is　my　art。　　　Soc。　Then　I　am　to　call　you　a　rhetorician？　　　Gor。　Yes；　Socrates；　and　a　good　one　too；　if　you　would　call　me　that　which；　in　Homeric　language；　〃I　boast　myself　to　be。〃　　　Soc。　I　should　wish　to　do　so。　　　Gor。　Then　pray　do。　　　Soc。　And　are　we　to　say　that　you　are　able　to　make　other　men　rhetoricians？　　　Gor。　Yes；　that　is　exactly　what　I　profess　to　make　them；　not　only　at　Athens；　but　in　all　places。　　　Soc。　And　will　you　continue　to　ask　and　answer　questions；　Gorgias；　as　we　are　at　present　doing　and　reserve　for　another　occasion　the　longer　mode　of　speech　which　Polus　was　attempting？　Will　you　keep　your　promise；　and　answer　shortly　the　questions　which　are　asked　of　you？　　　Gor。　Some　answers；　Socrates；　are　of　necessity　longer；　but　I　will　do　my　best　to　make　them　as　short　as　possible；　for　a　part　of　my　profession　is　that　I　can　be　as　short　as　any　one。　　　Soc。　That　is　what　is　wanted；　Gorgias；　exhibit　the　shorter　method　now；　and　the　longer　one　at　some　other　time。　　　Gor。　Well；　I　will；　and　you　will　certainly　say；　that　you　never　heard　a　man　use　fewer　words。　　　Soc。　Very　good　then；　as　you　profess　to　be　a　rhetorician；　and　a　maker　of　rhetoricians；　let　me　ask　you；　with　what　is　rhetoric　concerned：　I　might　ask　with　what　is　weaving　concerned；　and　you　would　reply　（would　you　not？）；　with　the　making　of　garments？　　　Gor。　Yes。　　　Soc。　And　music　is　concerned　with　the　composition　of　melodies？　　　Gor。　It　is。　　　Soc。　By　Here；　Gorgias；　I　admire　the　surpassing　brevity　of　your　answers。　　　Gor。　Yes；　Socrates；　I　do　think　myself　good　at　that。　　　Soc。　I　am　glad　to　hear　it；　answer　me　in　like　manner　about　rhetoric：　with　what　is　rhetoric　concerned？　　　Gor。　With　discourse。　　　Soc。　What　sort　of　discourse；　Gorgias？…such　discourse　as　would　teach　the　sick　under　what　treatment　they　might　get　well？　　　Gor。　No。　　　Soc。　Then　rhetoric　does　not　treat　of　all　kinds　of　discourse？　　　Gor。　Certainly　not。　　　Soc。　And　yet　rhetoric　makes　men　able　to　speak？　　　Gor。　Yes。　　　Soc。　And　to　understand　that　about　which　they　speak？　　　Gor。　Of　course。　　　Soc。　But　does　not　the　art　of　medicine；　which　we　were　just　now　mentioning；　also　make　men　able　to　understand　and　speak　about　the　sick？　　　Gor。　Certainly。　　　Soc。　Then　medicine　also　treats　of　discourse？　　　Gor。　Yes。　　　Soc。　Of　discourse　concerning　diseases？　　　Gor。　Just　so。　　　Soc。　And　does　not　gymnastic　also　treat　of　discourse　concerning　the　good　or　evil　condition　of　the　body？　　　Gor。　Very　true。　　　Soc。　And　the　same；　Gorgias；　is　true　of　the　other　arts：…all　of　them　treat　of　discourse　concerning　the　subjects　with　which　they　severally　have　to　do。　　　Gor。　Clearly。　　　Soc。　Then　why；　if　you　call　rhetoric　the　art　which　treats　of　discourse；　and　all　the　other　arts　treat　of　discourse；　do　you　not　call　them　arts　of　rhetoric？　　　Gor。　Because；　Socrates；　the　knowledge　of　the　other　arts　has　only　to　do　with　some　sort　of　external　action；　as　of　the　hand；　but　there　is　no　such　action　of　the　hand　in　rhetoric　which　works　and　takes　effect　only　through　the　medium　of　discourse。　And　therefore　I　am　justified　in　saying　that　rhetoric　treats　of　discourse。　　　Soc。　I　am　not　sure　whether　I　entirely　understand　you；　but　I　dare　say　I　shall　soon　know　better；　please　to　answer　me　a　question：…you　would　allow　that　there　are　arts？　　　Gor。　Yes。　　　Soc。　As　to　the　arts　generally；　they　are　for　the　most　part　concerned　with　doing；　and　require　little　or　no　speaking；　in　painting；　and　statuary；　and　many　other　arts；　the　work　may　proceed　in　silence；　and　of　such　arts　I　suppose　you　would　say　that　they　do　not　come　within　the　province　of　rhetoric。　　　Gor。　You　perfectly　conceive　my　meaning；　Socrates。　　　Soc。　But　there　are　other　arts　which　work　wholly　through　the　medium　of　language；　and　require　either　no　action　or　very　little；　as；　for　example；　the　arts　of　arithmetic；　of　calculation；　of　geometry；　and　of　playing　draughts；　in　some　of　these　speech　is　pretty　nearly　co…extensive　with　action；　but　in　most　of　them　the　verbal　element　is　greater…they　depend　wholly　on　words　for　their　efficacy　and　power：　and　I　take　your　meaning　to　be　that　rhetoric　is　an　art　of　this　latter　sort？　　　Gor。　Exactly。　　　Soc。　And　yet　I　do　not　believe　that　you　really　mean　to　call　any　of　these　arts　rhetoric；　although　the　precise　expression　which　you　used　was；　that　rhetoric　is　an　art　which　works　and　takes　effect　only　through　the　medium　of　discourse；　and　an　adversary　who　wished　to　be　captious　might　say；　〃And　so；　Gorgias；　you　call　arithmetic　rhetoric。〃　But　I　do　not　think　that　you　really　call　arithmetic　rhetoric　any　more　than　geometry　would　be　so　called　by　yo