太子爷小说网 > 英语电子书 > charmides >

第10节

charmides-第10节

小说: charmides 字数: 每页4000字

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!






no one; however rich; or noble; or fair; persuade you to give him the cure;



without the charm。'  Now I have sworn; and I must keep my oath; and



therefore if you will allow me to apply the Thracian charm first to your



soul; as the stranger directed; I will afterwards proceed to apply the cure



to your head。  But if not; I do not know what I am to do with you; my dear



Charmides。







Critias; when he heard this; said:  The headache will be an unexpected gain



to my young relation; if the pain in his head compels him to improve his



mind:  and I can tell you; Socrates; that Charmides is not only pre…eminent



in beauty among his equals; but also in that quality which is given by the



charm; and this; as you say; is temperance?







Yes; I said。







Then let me tell you that he is the most temperate of human beings; and for



his age inferior to none in any quality。







Yes; I said; Charmides; and indeed I think that you ought to excel others



in all good qualities; for if I am not mistaken there is no one present who



could easily point out two Athenian houses; whose union would be likely to



produce a better or nobler scion than the two from which you are sprung。 



There is your father's house; which is descended from Critias the son of



Dropidas; whose family has been commemorated in the panegyrical verses of



Anacreon; Solon; and many other poets; as famous for beauty and virtue and



all other high fortune:  and your mother's house is equally distinguished;



for your maternal uncle; Pyrilampes; is reputed never to have found his



equal; in Persia at the court of the great king; or on the continent of



Asia; in all the places to which he went as ambassador; for stature and



beauty; that whole family is not a whit inferior to the other。  Having such



ancestors you ought to be first in all things; and; sweet son of Glaucon;



your outward form is no dishonour to any of them。  If to beauty you add



temperance; and if in other respects you are what Critias declares you to



be; then; dear Charmides; blessed art thou; in being the son of thy mother。 



And here lies the point; for if; as he declares; you have this gift of



temperance already; and are temperate enough; in that case you have no need



of any charms; whether of Zamolxis or of Abaris the Hyperborean; and I may



as well let you have the cure of the head at once; but if you have not yet



acquired this quality; I must use the charm before I give you the medicine。



Please; therefore; to inform me whether you admit the truth of what Critias



has been saying;have you or have you not this quality of temperance?







Charmides blushed; and the blush heightened his beauty; for modesty is



becoming in youth; he then said very ingenuously; that he really could not



at once answer; either yes; or no; to the question which I had asked:  For;



said he; if I affirm that I am not temperate; that would be a strange thing



for me to say of myself; and also I should give the lie to Critias; and



many others who think as he tells you; that I am temperate:  but; on the



other hand; if I say that I am; I shall have to praise myself; which would



be ill manners; and therefore I do not know how to answer you。







I said to him:  That is a natural reply; Charmides; and I think that you



and I ought together to enquire whether you have this quality about which I



am asking or not; and then you will not be compelled to say what you do not



like; neither shall I be a rash practitioner of medicine:  therefore; if



you please; I will share the enquiry with you; but I will not press you if



you would rather not。







There is nothing which I should like better; he said; and as far as I am



concerned you may proceed in the way which you think best。







I think; I said; that I had better begin by asking you a question; for if



temperance abides in you; you must have an opinion about her; she must give



some intimation of her nature and qualities; which may enable you to form a



notion of her。  Is not that true?







Yes; he said; that I think is true。







You know your native language; I said; and therefore you must be able to



tell what you feel about this。







Certainly; he said。







In order; then; that I may form a conjecture whether you have temperance



abiding in you or not; tell me; I said; what; in your opinion; is



Temperance?







At first he hesitated; and was very unwilling to answer:  then he said that



he thought temperance was doing things orderly and quietly; such things for



example as walking in the streets; and talking; or anything else of that



nature。  In a word; he said; I should answer that; in my opinion;



temperance is quietness。







Are you right; Charmides? I said。  No doubt some would affirm that the



quiet are the temperate; but let us see whether these words have any



meaning; and first tell me whether you would not acknowledge temperance to



be of the class of the noble and good?







Yes。







But which is best when you are at the writing…master's; to write the same



letters quickly or quietly?







Quickly。







And to read quickly or slowly?







Quickly again。







And in playing the lyre; or wrestling; quickness or sharpness are far



better than quietness and slowness?







Yes。







And the same holds in boxing and in the pancratium?







Certainly。







And in leaping and running and in bodily exercises generally; quickness and



agility are good; slowness; and inactivity; and quietness; are bad?







That is evident。







Then; I said; in all bodily actions; not quietness; but the greatest



agility and quickness; is noblest and best?







Yes; certainly。







And is temperance a good?







Yes。







Then; in reference to the body; not quietness; but quickness will be the



higher degree of temperance; if temperance is a good?







True; he said。







And which; I said; is betterfacility in learning; or difficulty in



learning?







Facility。







Yes; I said; and facility in learning is learning quickly; and difficulty



in learning is learning quietly and slowly?







True。







And is it not better to teach another quickly and energetically; rather



than quietly and slowly?







Yes。







And which is better; to call to mind; and to remember; quickly and readily;



or quietly and slowly?







The former。







And is not shrewdness a quickness or cleverness of the soul; and not a



quietness?







True。







And is it not best to understand what is said; whether at the writing…



master's or the music…master's; or anywhere else; not as quietly as



possible; but as quickly as possible?







Yes。







And in the searchings or deliberations of the soul; not the quietest; as I



imagine; and he who with difficulty deliberates and discovers; is thought



worthy of praise; but he who does so most easily and quickly?







Quite true; he said。







And in all that concerns either body or soul; swiftness and activity are



clearly better than slowness and quietness?







Clearly they are。







Then temperance is not quietness; nor is the temperate life quiet;



certainly not upon this view; for the life which is temperate is supposed



to be the good。  And of two things; one is true;either never; or very



seldom; do the quiet actions in life appear to be better than the quick and



energetic ones; or supposing that of the nobler actions; there are as many



quiet; as quick and vehement:  still; even if we grant this; temperance



will not be acting quietly any more than acting quickly and energetically;



either in walking or talking or in anything else; nor will the quiet life



be more temperate than the unquiet; seeing that temperance is admitted by



us to be a good and noble thing; and the quick have been shown to be as



good as the quiet。







I think; he said; Socrates; that you are right。







Then once more; Charmides; I said; fix your attention; and look within;



consider the effect which temperance has upon yourself; and the nature of



that which has the effect。  Think over all this; and; like a brave youth;



tell meWhat is temperance?







After a moment's pause; in which he made a real manly effort to think; he



said:  My opinion is; Socrates; that temperance makes a man ashamed or



modest; and that temperance is the same as modesty。







Very good

返回目录 上一页 下一页 回到顶部 0 1

你可能喜欢的