phaedo-第15节

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would　have　held　good　of　fire　and　heat　and　any　other　thing。



　　Very　true。



　　And　the　same　may　be　said　of　the　immortal：　if　the　immortal　is　also



imperishable；　then　the　soul　will　be　imperishable　as　well　as



immortal；　but　if　not；　some　other　proof　of　her　imperishableness　will



have　to　be　given。



　　No　other　proof　is　needed；　he　said；　for　if　the　immortal；　being



eternal；　is　liable　to　perish；　then　nothing　is　imperishable。



　　Yes；　replied　Socrates；　all　men　will　agree　that　God；　and　the



essential　form　of　life；　and　the　immortal　in　general；　will　never



perish。



　　Yes；　all　men；　he　said…that　is　true；　and　what　is　more；　gods；　if　I



am　not　mistaken；　as　well　as　men。



　　Seeing　then　that　the　immortal　is　indestructible；　must　not　the



soul；　if　she　is　immortal；　be　also　imperishable？



　　Most　certainly。



　　Then　when　death　attacks　a　man；　the　mortal　portion　of　him　may　be



supposed　to　die；　but　the　immortal　goes　out　of　the　way　of　death　and



is　preserved　safe　and　sound？



　　True。



　　Then；　Cebes；　beyond　question　the　soul　is　immortal　and



imperishable；　and　our　souls　will　truly　exist　in　another　world！



　　I　am　convinced；　Socrates；　said　Cebes；　and　have　nothing　more　to



object；　but　if　my　friend　Simmias；　or　anyone　else；　has　any　further



objection；　he　had　better　speak　out；　and　not　keep　silence；　since　I　do



not　know　how　there　can　ever　be　a　more　fitting　time　to　which　he　can



defer　the　discussion；　if　there　is　anything　which　he　wants　to　say　or



have　said。



　　But　I　have　nothing　more　to　say；　replied　Simmias；　nor　do　I　see　any



room　for　uncertainty；　except　that　which　arises　necessarily　out　of



the　greatness　of　the　subject　and　the　feebleness　of　man；　and　which　I



cannot　help　feeling。



　　Yes；　Simmias；　replied　Socrates；　that　is　well　said：　and　more　than



that；　first　principles；　even　if　they　appear　certain；　should　be



carefully　considered；　and　when　they　are　satisfactorily　ascertained；



then；　with　a　sort　of　hesitating　confidence　in　human　reason；　you　may；　I



think；　follow　the　course　of　the　argument；　and　if　this　is　clear；



there　will　be　no　need　for　any　further　inquiry。



　　That；　he　said；　is　true。



　　But　then；　O　my　friends；　he　said；　if　the　soul　is　really　immortal；



what　care　should　be　taken　of　her；　not　only　in　respect　of　the　portion



of　time　which　is　called　life；　but　of　eternity！　And　the　danger　of



neglecting　her　from　this　point　of　view　does　indeed　appear　to　be　awful。



If　death　had　only　been　the　end　of　all；　the　wicked　would　have　had　a



good　bargain　in　dying；　for　they　would　have　been　happily　quit　not



only　of　their　body；　but　of　their　own　evil　together　with　their　souls。



But　now；　as　the　soul　plainly　appears　to　be　immortal；　there　is　no



release　or　salvation　from　evil　except　the　attainment　of　the　highest



virtue　and　wisdom。　For　the　soul　when　on　her　progress　to　the　world



below　takes　nothing　with　her　but　nurture　and　education；　which　are



indeed　said　greatly　to　benefit　or　greatly　to　injure　the　departed；　at



the　very　beginning　of　its　pilgrimage　in　the　other　world。



　　For　after　death；　as　they　say；　the　genius　of　each　individual；　to　whom



he　belonged　in　life；　leads　him　to　a　certain　place　in　which　the　dead



are　gathered　together　for　judgment；　whence　they　go　into　the　world



below；　following　the　guide　who　is　appointed　to　conduct　them　from



this　world　to　the　other：　and　when　they　have　there　received　their　due



and　remained　their　time；　another　guide　brings　them　back　again　after



many　revolutions　of　ages。　Now　this　journey　to　the　other　world　is



not；　as　Aeschylus　says　in　the　〃Telephus；〃　a　single　and　straight



path…no　guide　would　be　wanted　for　that；　and　no　one　could　miss　a　single



path；　but　there　are　many　partings　of　the　road；　and　windings；　as　I　must



infer　from　the　rites　and　sacrifices　which　are　offered　to　the　gods



below　in　places　where　three　ways　meet　on　earth。　The　wise　and　orderly



soul　is　conscious　of　her　situation　and　follows　in　the　path；　but　the



soul　which　desires　the　body；　and　which；　as　I　was　relating　before；



has　long　been　fluttering　about　the　lifeless　frame　and　the　world　of



sight；　is　after　many　struggles　and　many　sufferings　hardly　and　with



violence　carried　away　by　her　attendant　genius；　and　when　she　arrives　at



the　place　where　the　other　souls　are　gathered；　if　she　be　impure　and



have　done　impure　deeds；　or　been　concerned　in　foul　murders　or　other



crimes　which　are　the　brothers　of　these；　and　the　works　of　brothers　in



crime…from　that　soul　everyone　flees　and　turns　away；　no　one　will　be　her



companion；　no　one　her　guide；　but　alone　she　wanders　in　extremity　of



evil　until　certain　times　are　fulfilled；　and　when　they　are　fulfilled；



she　is　borne　irresistibly　to　her　own　fitting　habitation；　as　every　pure



and　just　soul　which　has　passed　through　life　in　the　company　and　under



the　guidance　of　the　gods　has　also　her　own　proper　home。



　　Now　the　earth　has　divers　wonderful　regions；　and　is　indeed　in



nature　and　extent　very　unlike　the　notions　of　geographers；　as　I　believe



on　the　authority　of　one　who　shall　be　nameless。



　　What　do　you　mean；　Socrates？　said　Simmias。　I　have　myself　heard　many



descriptions　of　the　earth；　but　I　do　not　know　in　what　you　are　putting



your　faith；　and　I　should　like　to　know。



　　Well；　Simmias；　replied　Socrates；　the　recital　of　a　tale　does　not；　I



think；　require　the　art　of　Glaucus；　and　I　know　not　that　the　art　of



Glaucus　could　prove　the　truth　of　my　tale；　which　I　myself　should



never　be　able　to　prove；　and　even　if　I　could；　I　fear；　Simmias；　that



my　life　would　come　to　an　end　before　the　argument　was　completed。　I



may　describe　to　you；　however；　the　form　and　regions　of　the　earth



according　to　my　conception　of　them。



　　That；　said　Simmias；　will　be　enough。



　　Well；　then；　he　said；　my　conviction　is　that　the　earth　is　a　round　body



in　the　center　of　the　heavens；　and　therefore　has　no　need　of　air　or



any　similar　force　as　a　support；　but　is　kept　there　and　hindered　from



falling　or　inclining　any　way　by　the　equability　of　the　surrounding



heaven　and　by　her　own　equipoise。　For　that　which；　being　in　equipoise；



is　in　the　center　of　that　which　is　equably　diffused；　will　not　incline



any　way　in　any　degree；　but　will　always　remain　in　the　same　state　and



not　deviate。　And　this　is　my　first　notion。



　　Which　is　surely　a　correct　one；　said　Simmias。



　　Also　I　believe　that　the　earth　is　very　vast；　and　that　we　who　dwell　in



the　region　extending　from　the　river　Phasis　to　the　Pillars　of　Heracles；



along　the　borders　of　the　sea；　are　just　like　ants　or　frogs　about　a



marsh；　and　inhabit　a　small　portion　only；　and　that　many　others　dwell　in



many　like　places。　For　I　should　say　that　in　all　parts　of　the　earth



there　are　hollows　of　various　forms　and　sizes；　into　which　the　water　and



the　mist　and　the　air　collect；　and　that　the　true　earth　is　pure　and　in



the　pure　heaven；　in　which　also　are　the　stars…that　is　the　heaven



which　is　commonly　spoken　of　as　the　ether；　of　which　this　is　but　the



sediment　collecting　in　the　hollows　of　the　earth。　But　we　who　live　in



these　hollows　are　deceived　into　the　notion　that　we　are　dwelling



above　on　the　surface　of　the　earth；　which　is　just　as　if　a　creature



who　was　at　the　bottom　of　the　sea　were　to　fancy　that　he　was　on　the



surface　of　the　water；　and　that　the　sea　was　the　heaven　through　which　he



saw　the　sun　and　the　other　stars…he　having　never　come　to　the　surface　by



reason　of　his　feebleness　and　sluggishness；　and　having　never　lifted



up　his　head　and　seen；　nor　ever　heard　from　one　who　had　seen；　this



region　which　is　so　much　purer　and　fairer　than　his　own。　Now　this　is



exactly　our　case：　for　we　are　dwelling　in　a　hollow　of　the　earth；　and



fancy　that　we　are　on　the　surface；　and　the　air　we　call　the　heaven；



and　in　this　we　imagine　that　the　stars　move。　But　this　is　also　owing



to　our　feebleness　and　sluggishness；　which　prevent　our　reaching　the



surface　of　the　air：　for　if　any　man　could　arrive　at　the　exterior　limit；



or　take　the　wings　of　a　bird　and　fly　upward；　like　a　fish　who　puts　his



head　out　and　sees　this　world；　he　would　see　a　world　beyond；　and；　if　the



nature　of　man　could　sustain　the　sight；　he　would　acknowledge　that



this　was　the　place　of　the　true　heaven　and　the　true　light　and　the



true　stars。　For　this　earth；　and　the　stones；　and　the　entire　region



which　surrounds　us；　are　spoilt　and　corroded；　like　the　things　in　the



sea　which　are　corroded　by　the　brine；　for　in　the　sea　too　there　is



hardly　any　noble　or　perfect　growth；　but　clefts　only；　and　sand；　and



an　endless　slough　of　mud：　and　even　the　shore　is　not　to　be　compared



to　the　fairer　sights　of　this　world。　And　greater　far　is　the　superiority



of　the　other。　Now　of　that　upper　earth　which　is　under　the　heaven；　I　can



tell　you　a　charming　tale；　Simmias；　which　is　well　worth　hearing。



　　And　we；　Socrates；　replied　Simmias；　shall　be　charmed　to　listen。



　　The　tale；　my　friend；　he　said；　is　as　follows：　In　the　first　place；　the



earth；　when　looked　at　from　above；　is　like　one　of　those　balls　whic