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小说: symposium 字数: 每页4000字

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 of diseases on animals and plants; for hoar…frost and hail and blight spring from the excesses and disorders of these elements of love; which to know in relation to the revolutions of the heavenly bodies and the seasons of the year is termed astronomy。 Furthermore all sacrifices and the whole province of divination; which is the art of communion between gods and men…these; I say; are concerned with the preservation of the good and the cure of the evil love。 For all manner of impiety is likely to ensue if; instead of accepting and honouring and reverencing the harmonious love in all his actions; a man honours the other love; whether in his feelings towards gods or parents; towards the living or the dead。 Wherefore the business of divination is to see to these loves and to heal them; and divination is the peacemaker of gods and men; working by a knowledge of the religious or irreligious tendencies which exist in human loves。 Such is the great and mighty; or rather omnipotent force of love in general。 And the love; more especially; which is concerned with the good; and which is perfected in company with temperance and justice; whether among gods or men; has the greatest power; and is the source of all our happiness and harmony; and makes us friends with the gods who are above us; and with one another。 I dare say that I too have omitted several things which might be said in praise of Love; but this was not intentional; and you; Aristophanes; may now supply the omission or take some other line of commendation; for I perceive that you are rid of the hiccough。   Yes; said Aristophanes; who followed; the hiccough is gone; not; however; until I applied the sneezing; and I wonder whether the harmony of the body has a love of such noises and ticklings; for I no sooner applied the sneezing than I was cured。   Eryximachus said: Beware; friend Aristophanes; although you are going to speak; you are making fun of me; and I shall have to watch and see whether I cannot have a laugh at your expense; when you might speak in peace。   You are right; said Aristophanes; laughing。 I will unsay my words; but do you please not to watch me; as I fear that in the speech which I am about to make; instead of others laughing with me; which is to the manner born of our muse and would be all the better; I shall only be laughed at by them。   Do you expect to shoot your bolt and escape; Aristophanes? Well; perhaps if you are very careful and bear in mind that you will be called to account; I may be induced to let you off。   Aristophanes professed to open another vein of discourse; he had a mind to praise Love in another way; unlike that either of Pausanias or Eryximachus。 Mankind; he said; judging by their neglect of him; have never; as I think; at all understood the power of Love。 For if they had understood him they would surely have built noble temples and altars; and offered solemn sacrifices in his honour; but this is not done; and most certainly ought to be done: since of all the gods he is the best friend of men; the helper and the healer of the ills which are the great impediment to the happiness of the race。 I will try to describe his power to you; and you shall teach the rest of the world what I am teaching you。 In the first place; let me treat of the nature of man and what has happened to it; for the original human nature was not like the present; but different。 The sexes were not two as they are now; but originally three in number; there was man; woman; and the union of the two; having a name corresponding to this double nature; which had once a real existence; but is now lost; and the word 〃Androgynous〃 is only preserved as a term of reproach。 In the second place; the primeval man was round; his back and sides forming a circle; and he had four hands and four feet; one head with two faces; looking opposite ways; set on a round neck and precisely alike; also four ears; two privy members; and the remainder to correspond。 He could walk upright as men now do; backwards or forwards as he pleased; and he could also roll over and over at a great pace; turning on his four hands and four feet; eight in all; like tumblers going over and over with their legs in the air; this was when he wanted to run fast。 Now the sexes were three; and such as I have described them; because the sun; moon; and earth are three;…and the man was originally the child of the sun; the woman of the earth; and the man…woman of the moon; which is made up of sun and earth; and they were all round and moved round and round: like their parents。 Terrible was their might and strength; and the thoughts of their hearts were great; and they made an attack upon the gods; of them is told the tale of Otys and Ephialtes who; as Homer says; dared to scale heaven; and would have laid hands upon the gods。 Doubt reigned in the celestial councils。 Should they kill them and annihilate the race with thunderbolts; as they had done the giants; then there would be an end of the sacrifices and worship which men offered to them; but; on the other hand; the gods could not suffer their insolence to be unrestrained。   At last; after a good deal of reflection; Zeus discovered a way。 He said: 〃Methinks I have a plan which will humble their pride and improve their manners; men shall continue to exist; but I will cut them in two and then they will be diminished in strength and increased in numbers; this will have the advantage of making them more profitable to us。 They shall walk upright on two legs; and if they continue insolent and will not be quiet; I will split them again and they shall hop about on a single leg。〃 He spoke and cut men in two; like a sorb…apple which is halved for pickling; or as you might divide an egg with a hair; and as he cut them one after another; he bade Apollo give the face and the half of the neck a turn in order that the man might contemplate the section of himself: he would thus learn a lesson of humility。 Apollo was also bidden to heal their wounds and compose their forms。 So he gave a turn to the face and pulled the skin from the sides all over that which in our language is called the belly; like the purses which draw in; and he made one mouth at the centre; which he fastened in a knot (the same which is called the navel); he also moulded the breast and took out most of the wrinkles; much as a shoemaker might smooth leather upon a last; he left a few; however; in the region of the belly and navel; as a memorial of the primeval state。 After the division the two parts of man; each desiring his other half; came together; and throwing their arms about one another; entwined in mutual embraces; longing to grow into one; they were on the point of dying from hunger and

self…neglect; because they did not like to do anything apart; and when one of the halves died and the other survived; the survivor sought another mate; man or woman as we call them; being the sections of entire men or women; and clung to that。 They were being destroyed; when Zeus in pity of them invented a new plan: he turned the parts of generation round to the front; for this had not been always their position and they sowed the seed no longer as hitherto like grasshoppers in the ground; but in one another; and after the transposition the male generated in the female in order that by the mutual embraces of man and woman they might breed; and the race might continue; or if man came to man they might be satisfied; and rest; and go their ways to the business of life: so ancient is the desire of one another which is implanted in us; reuniting our original nature; making one of two; and healing the state of man。   Each of us when separated; having one side only; like a flat fish; is but the indenture of a man; and he is always looking for his other half。 Men who are a section of that double nature which was once called Androgynous are lovers of women; adulterers are generally of this breed; and also adulterous women who lust after men: the women who are a section of the woman do not care for men; but have female attachments; the female companions are of this sort。 But they who are a section of the male follow the male; and while they are young; being slices of the original man; they hang about men and embrace them; and they are themselves the best of boys and youths; because they have the most manly nature。 Some indeed assert that they are shameless; but this is not true; for they do not act thus from any want of shame; but because they are valiant and manly; and have a manly countenance; and they embrace that which is like them。 And these when they grow up become our statesmen; and these only; which is a great proof of the truth of what I am saving。 When they reach manhood they are loves of youth; and are not naturally inclined to marry or beget children;…if at all; they do so only in obedience to the law; but they are satisfied if they may be allowed to live with one another unwedded; and such a nature is prone to love and ready to return love; always embracing that which is akin to him。 And when one of them meets with his other half; the actual half of himself; whether he be a lover of youth or a lover of another sort; the pair are lost in an amazement of love and friendship and intimacy; and would not be out of the other's sight; as I m

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