【英文原著类】alcibiadesii(阿尔西比亚德斯)

ALCIBIADESII1ALCIBIADESIIPlatonicImitatorTranslatedbyBenjaminJowettALCIBIADESII2APPENDIXII.ThetwodialogueswhicharetranslatedinthesecondappendixarenotmentionedbyAristotle,orbyanyearlyauthority,andhavenoclaimtobeascribedtoPlato.TheyareexamplesofPlatonicdialoguestobeassignedprobablytothesecondorthirdgenerationafterPlato,whenhiswritingswerewellknownatAthensandAlexandria.Theyexhibitconsiderableoriginality,andareremarkableforcontainingseveralthoughtsofthesortwhichwesupposetobemodernratherthanancient,andwhichthereforehaveapeculiarinterestforus.TheSecondAlcibiadesshowsthatthedifficultiesaboutprayerwhichhaveperplexedChristiantheologianswerenotunknownamongthefollowersofPlato.TheEryxiaswasdoubtedbytheancientsthemselves:yetitmayclaimthedistinctionofbeing,amongallGreekorRomanwritings,theonewhichanticipatesinthemoststrikingmannerthemodernscienceofpoliticaleconomyandgivesanabstractformtosomeofitsprincipaldoctrines.ForthetranslationofthesetwodialoguesIamindebtedtomyfriendandsecretary,Mr.Knight.ThattheDialoguewhichgoesbythenameoftheSecondAlcibiadesisagenuinewritingofPlatowillnotbemaintainedbyanymoderncritic,andwashardlybelievedbytheancientsthemselves.Thedialecticispoorandweak.Thereisnopoweroverlanguage,orbeautyofstyle;andthereisacertainabruptnessandagroikiaintheconversation,whichisveryun-Platonic.Thebestpassageisprobablythataboutthepoets:--theremarkthatthepoet,whoisofareserveddisposition,isuncommonlydifficulttounderstand,andtheridiculousinterpretationofHomer,areentirelyinthespiritofPlato(compareProtag;Ion;Apol.).Thecharactersareill-drawn.Socratesassumesthe'superiorperson'andpreachestoomuch,whileAlcibiadesisstupidandheavy-in-hand.TherearetracesofStoicinfluenceinthegeneraltoneandphraseologyoftheDialogue(compareoposmeleseitis...kaka:otipasaphronmainetai):andthewriterseemstohavebeenacquaintedwiththe'Laws'ofPlato(compareLaws).AnincidentfromtheSymposiumisratherclumsilyintroduced,andtwosomewhathackneyedquotations(Symp.,Gorg.)recur.ThereferencetothedeathofALCIBIADESII3Archelausashavingoccurred'quitelately'isonlyafiction,probablysuggestedbytheGorgias,wherethestoryofArchelausistold,andasimilarphraseoccurs;--tagarechtheskaiproengegonotatauta,k.t.l.Thereareseveralpassageswhichareeithercorruptorextremelyill-expressed.Butthereisamoderninterestinthesubjectofthedialogue;anditisagoodexampleofashortspuriouswork,whichmaybeattributedtothesecondorthirdcenturybeforeChrist.ALCIBIADESII4ALCIBIADESIIPERSONSOFTHEDIALOGUE:SocratesandAlcibiades.SOCRATES:Areyougoing,Alcibiades,toofferprayertoZeus?ALCIBIADES:Yes,Socrates,Iam.SOCRATES:youseemtobetroubledandtocastyoureyesontheground,asthoughyouwerethinkingaboutsomething.ALCIBIADES:OfwhatdoyousupposethatIamthinking?SOCRATES:Ofthegreatestofallthings,asIbelieve.Tellme,doyounotsupposethattheGodssometimespartlygrantandpartlyrejecttherequestswhichwemakeinpublicandprivate,andfavoursomepersonsandnotothers?ALCIBIADES:Certainly.SOCRATES:Doyounotimagine,then,thatamanoughttobeverycareful,lestperchancewithoutknowingitheimploregreatevilsforhimself,deemingthatheisaskingforgood,especiallyiftheGodsareinthemoodtograntwhateverhemayrequest?ThereisthestoryofOedipus,forinstance,whoprayedthathischildrenmightdividetheirinheritancebetweenthembythesword:hedidnot,ashemighthavedone,begthathispresentevilsmightbeaverted,butcalleddownnewones.Andwasnothisprayeraccomplished,anddidnotmanyandterribleevilsthencearise,uponwhichIneednotdilate?ALCIBIADES:Yes,Socrates,butyouarespeakingofamadman:surelyyoudonotthinkthatanyoneinhissenseswouldventuretomakesuchaprayer?SOCRATES:Madness,then,youconsidertobetheoppositeofdiscretion?ALCIBIADES:Ofcourse.SOCRATES:Andsomemenseemtoyoutobediscreet,andothersthecontrary?ALCIBIADES:Theydo.SOCRATES:Well,then,letusdiscusswhotheseare.Weacknowledgethatsomearediscreet,somefoolish,andthatsomearemad?ALCIBIADES:Yes.ALCIBIADESII5SOCRATES:Andagain,therearesomewhoareinhealth?ALCIBIADES:Thereare.SOCRATES:Whileothersareailing?ALCIBIADES:Yes.SOCRATES:Andtheyarenotthesame?ALCIBIADES:Certainlynot.SOCRATES:Norarethereanywhoareinneitherstate?ALCIBIADES:No.SOCRATES:Amanmusteitherbesickorbewell?ALCIBIADES:Thatismyopinion.SOCRATES:Verygood:anddoyouthinkthesameaboutdiscretionandwantofdiscretion?ALCIBIADES:Howdoyoumean?SOCRATES:Doyoubelievethatamanmustbeeitherinoroutofhissenses;oristheresomethirdorintermediatecondition,inwhichheisneitheronenortheother?ALCIBIADES:Decidedlynot.SOCRATES:Hemustbeeithersaneorinsane?ALCIBIADES:SoIsuppose.SOCRATES:Didyounotacknowledgethatmadnesswastheoppositeofdiscretion?ALCIBIADES:Yes.SOCRATES:Andthatthereisnothirdormiddletermbetweendiscretionandindiscretion?ALCIBIADES:True.SOCRATES:Andtherecannotbetwooppositestoonething?ALCIBIADES:Therecannot.SOCRATES:Thenmadnessandwantofsensearethesame?ALCIBIADES:Thatappearstobethecase.SOCRATES:Weshallbeintheright,therefore,Alcibiades,ifwesaythatallwhoaresenselessaremad.Forexample,ifamongpersonsofyourownageorolderthanyourselftherearesomewhoaresenseless,--astherecertainlyare,--theyaremad.Fortellme,byheaven,doyounotthinkthatinthecitythewisearefew,whilethefoolish,whomyoucall