女神电子书 > 浪漫言情电子书 > the symposium >

第6部分

the symposium-第6部分

小说: the symposium 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!




'22' Lit。 〃being beautiful〃; but there is a touch of bombast infused     into the speech by the artist。 Cf。 the speech of Callias (〃Hell。〃     VI。 iii。 3) and; for the humour; 〃Cyrop。〃 passim。

'23' See Cobet; 〃Pros。 Xen。〃 p。 59。 Cf。 〃Mem。〃 I。 iii。 8。

'24' Or; 〃for that they reveal his splendour to me。〃

Yes; and herein also have we; the beautiful;'25' just claim to boast。 The strong man may by dint of toil obtain good things; the brave; by danger boldly faced; and the wise by eloquence of speech; but to the beautiful alone it is given to achieve all ends in absolute quiescence。 To take myself as an example。 I know that riches are a sweet possession; yet sweeter far to me to give all that I have to Cleinias than to receive a fortune from another。 Gladly would I become a slaveay; forfeit freedomif Cleinias would deign to be my lord。 Toil in his service were easier for me than rest from labour: danger incurred in his behalf far sweeter than security of days。 So that if you; Callias; may boast of making men more just and upright; to me belongs by juster right than yours to train mankind to every excellence。 We are the true inspirers'26' who infuse some subtle fire into amorous souls; we beauties; and thereby raise them to new heights of being; we render them more liberal in the pursuit of wealth; we give them a zest for toil that mocks at danger; and enables them where honour the fair vision leads; to follow。'27' We fill their souls with deeper modesty; a self…constraint more staunch; about the things they care for most; there floats a halo of protecting awe。'28' Fools and unwise are they who choose not beauteous men to be their generals。 How merrily would I; at any rate; march through fire by the side of Cleinias;'29' and so would all of you; I know full well; in company of him who now addresses you。

'25' 〃We beauties。〃

'26' The {eispnelas} in relation to the {aitas}; the Inspirer to the     Hearer。 Cf。 Theocr。 xii。 13; Ael。 〃V。 H。〃 iii。 12。 See Muller;     〃Dorians;〃 ii。 300 foll。

'27' {philokaloterous}。 Cf。 Plat。 〃Phaedr。〃 248 D; 〃Criti。〃 111 E;     Aristot。 〃Eth。 N。〃 iv。 4。 4; x。 9。 3。

'28' Lit。 〃they feel most awe of what they most desire。〃

'29' Cf。 〃Mem。〃 I。 iii。 9。

Cease; therefore; your perplexity; O Socrates; abandon fears and doubts; believe and know that this thing of which I make great boast; my beauty; has power to confer some benefit on humankind。

Once more; let no man dare dishonour beauty; merely because the flower of it soon fades; since even as a child has growth in beauty; so is it with the stripling; the grown man; the reverend senior。'30' And this the proof of my contention。 Whom do we choose to bear the sacred olive…shoot'31' in honour of Athena?whom else save beautiful old men? witnessing thereby'32' that beauty walks hand in hand as a companion with every age of life; from infancy to eld。

'30' Cf。 ib。 III。 iii。 12。

'31' Cf。 Aristoph。 〃Wasps;〃 544。

'32' Or; 〃beauty steps in attendance lovingly hand in hand at every     season of the life of man。〃 So Walt Whitman; passim。

Or again; if it be sweet to win from willing hearts the things we seek for; I am persuaded that; by the eloquence of silence; I could win a kiss from yonder girl or boy more speedily than ever you could; O sage! by help of half a hundred subtle arguments。

Eh; bless my ears; what's that? (Socrates broke in upon this final flourish of the speaker)。 So beautiful you claim to rival me; you boaster?

Crit。 Why; yes indeed; I hope so; or else I should be uglier than all the Silenuses in the Satyric drama。'33'

'33' The MSS。 add '〃to whom; be it noted; Socrates indeed bore a     marked resemblance〃'。 Obviously a gloss。 Cf。 Aristoph。 〃Clouds;〃     224; Plat。 〃Symp。〃 215 B。

Good! (Socrates rejoined); the moment the programme of discussion is concluded;'34' please remember; we must obtain a verdict on the point of beauty。 Judgment shall be givennot at the bar of Alexander; son of Priambut of these'35' who; as you flatter yourself; have such a hankering to kiss you。

'34' Lit。 〃the arguments proposed have gone the round。〃

'35' i。e。 〃the boy and girl。〃 Al。 〃the present company; who are so     eager to bestow on you their kisses。〃

Oh; Socrates (he answered; deprecatingly); will you not leave it to the arbitrament of Cleinias?

Then Socrates: Will you never tire of repeating that one name? It is Cleinias here; there; and everywhere with you。

Crit。 And if his name died on my lips; think you my mind would less recall his memory? Know you not; I bear so clear an image of him in my soul; that had I the sculptor's or the limner's skill; I might portray his features as exactly from this image of the mind as from contemplation of his actual self。

But Socrates broke in: Pray; why then; if you bear about this lively image; why do you give me so much trouble; dragging me to this and that place; where you hope to see him?

Crit。 For this good reason; Socrates; the sight of him inspires gladness; whilst his phantom brings not joy so much as it engenders longing。

At this point Hermogenes protested: I find it most unlike you; Socrates; to treat thus negligently one so passion…crazed as Critobulus。

Socrates replied: Do you suppose the sad condition of the patient dates from the moment only of our intimacy?

Herm。 Since when; then?

Soc。 Since when? Why; look at him: the down begins to mantle on his cheeks;'36' and on the nape'37' of Cleinias' neck already mounts。 The fact is; when they fared to the same school together; he caught the fever。 This his father was aware of; and consigned him to me; hoping I might be able to do something for him。 Ay; and his plight is not so sorry now。 Once he would stand agape at him like one whose gaze is fixed upon the Gorgons;'38' his eyes one stony stare; and like a stone himself turn heavily away。 But nowadays I have seen the statue actually blink。'39' And yet; may Heaven help me! my good sirs; I think; between ourselves; the culprit must have bestowed a kiss on Cleinias; than which love's flame asks no fiercer fuel。'40' So insatiable a thing it is and so suggestive of mad fantasy。 'And for this reason held perhaps in higher honour; because of all external acts the close of lip with lip bears the same name as that of soul with soul in love。''41' Wherefore; say I; let every one who wishes to be master of himself and sound of soul abstain from kisses imprinted on fair lips。'42'

'36' Lit。 〃creeping down beside his ears。〃 Cf。 〃Od。〃 xi。 319:

{prin sphoin upo krotaphoisin ioulous anthesai pukasai te genus euanthei lakhne。}

    〃(Zeus destroyed the twain) ere the curls had bloomed beneath     their temples; and darked their chins with the blossom of youth。〃     Butcher and Lang。 Cf。 Theocr。 xv。 85: {praton ioulon apo     krotaphon kataballon}; 〃with the first down upon his cheeks〃     (Lang); Aesch。 〃Theb。〃 534。

'37' {pros to opisthen}; perhaps = 〃ad posteriorem capitis partem;〃     which would be more applicable to Critobulus; whose whiskers were     just beginning to grow; than to Callias。 Possibly we should read     (after Pollux; ii。 10) {peri ten upenen}; 〃on the upper lip。〃 See     Plat。 〃Protag。〃 309 B; 〃Il。〃 xxiv。 348; 〃Od。〃 x。 279。

'38' Cf。 Pind。 〃Pyth。〃 x。 75。

'39' See 〃Cyrop。〃 I。 iv。 28; Shakesp。 〃Ven。 and Ad。〃 89: 〃But when her     lips were ready for his pay; he winks; and turns his lips another     way。〃

'40' Or; 〃a kiss which is to passion as dry combustious matter is to     fire;〃 Shakesp。 ib。 1162。

'41' Or; 〃is namesake of the love within the soul of lovers。〃 The     whole passage; involving a play on the words {philein     phileisthai}; 〃where kisses rain without; love reigns within;〃 is     probably to be regarded as a gloss。 Cf。 〃Mem。〃 I。 iii。 13。

'42' Cf。 〃Mem。〃 I。 iii。 8…14。

Then Charmides: Oh! Socrates; why will you scare your friends with these hobgoblin terrors;'43' bidding us all beware of handsome faces; whilst you yourselfyes; by Apollo; I will swear I saw you at the schoolmaster's'44' that time when both of you were poring over one book; in which you searched for something; you and Critobulus; head to head; shoulder to shoulder bare; as if incorporate?'45'

'43' Cf。 Plat。 〃Crit。〃 46 D; 〃Hell。〃 IV。 iv。 17; Arist。 〃Birds;〃 1245。

'44' 〃Grammarian's。〃 Plat。 〃Protag。〃 312 B; 326 D; Dem。 315。 8。

'45' Like Hermia and Helena; 〃Mids。 N。 D。〃 iii。 2。 208。

As yes; alack the day! (he answered); and that is why; no doubt; my shoulder ached for more than five days afterwards; as if I had been bitten by some fell beast; and methought I felt a sort of scraping at the heart。'46' Now therefore; in the presence of these witnesses; I warn you; Critobulus; never again to touch me till you wear as thick a crop of hair'47' upon your chin as on your head。

'46' Reading {knisma}; 〃scratching。〃 Plat。 〃Hipp。 maj。〃 304 A。 Al。     {knesma}。

'47' See Jebb; 〃Theophr。 Ch。〃 xxiv。 16。

So pell…mell they went at it; half jest half earnest; and so the medley ended。 Callias here called on Charmides。

Call。 Now; Charmides; it lies with you to tell us why you pride yourself on poverty。'48'

'48' Zeune; cf。 〃Cyrop。〃 VIII。 iii。 35…50。

Charmides responded: On all hands it is admitted; I believe; that confidence is better than alarm; b

返回目录 上一页 下一页 回到顶部 2 0

你可能喜欢的