the memorabilia(纪念品)-第31章
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Soc。 Empty…handed； or had he something to carry？
He。 Of course； carrying my rugs and other baggage。
Soc。 And how did he come off on the journey？
He。 Better than I did myself； I take it。
Soc。 Well； but now suppose you had had to carry his baggage； what
would your condition have been like？
He。 Sorry enough； I can tell you； or rather； I could not have carried it
at all。
Soc。 What a confession！ Fancy being capable of so much less toil than
a poor slave boy！ Does that sound like the perfection of athletic training？
XIV
On the occasion of a common dinner…party＇1＇ where some of the
company would present themselves with a small； and others with a large
supply of viands； Socrates would bid the servants＇2＇ throw the small
supplies into the general stock； or else to help each of the party to a share
all round。 Thus the grand victuallers were ashamed in the one case not to
share in the common stock； and in the other not to throw in their supplies
also。＇3＇ Accordingly in went the grand supplies into the common stock。
And now； being no better off than the small contributors； they soon ceased
to cater for expensive delicacies。
＇1＇ For the type of entertainment see Becker； 〃Charicles；〃 p。 315
（Eng。 tr。）
＇2＇ 〃The boy。〃
＇3＇ Or； 〃were ashamed not to follow suit by sharing in the common
stock and contributing their own portion。〃
At a supper…party one member of the company； as Socrates chanced to
note； had put aside the plain fare and was devoting himself to certain
dainties。＇4＇ A discussion was going on about names and definitions； and
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the proper applications of terms to things。＇5＇ Whereupon Socrates；
appealing to the company： 〃Can we explain why we call a man a 'dainty
fellow'？ What is the particular action to which the term applies？＇6＇ since
every one adds some dainty to his food when he can get it。＇7＇ But we have
not quite hit the definition yet； I think。 Are we to be called dainty eaters
because we like our bread buttered？〃＇8＇
＇4＇ For the distinction between ｛sitos｝ and ｛opson｝ see Plat。 〃Rep。〃
372 C。
＇5＇ Or； 〃The conversation had fallen upon names： what is the precise
thing denoted under such and such a term？ Define the meaning of so
and so。〃
＇6＇ ｛opsophagos｝ = ｛opson｝ （or relish） eater； and so a 〃gourmand〃 or
〃epicure〃； but how to define a gourmand？
＇7＇ Lit。 〃takes some ｛opson｝ （relish） to his ｛sitos｝ （food）。〃
＇8＇ Lit。 〃simply for that〃 （sc。 the taking of some sort of ｛opson｝。
For ｛epi touto｝ cf。 Plat。 〃Soph。〃 218 C； 〃Parmen。〃 147 D。
No！ hardly！ （some member of the company replied）。
Soc。 Well； but now suppose a man confine himself to eating venison or
other dainty without any plain food at all； not as a matter of training；＇9＇
but for the pleasure of it： has such a man earned the title？ 〃The rest of the
world would have a poor chance against him；〃＇10＇ some one answered。
〃Or；〃 interposed another； 〃what if the dainty dishes he devours are out of
all proportion to the rest of his mealwhat of him？〃＇11＇
＇9＇ Lit。 〃｛opson｝ （relish） by itself； not for the sake of training；〃
etc。 The English reader wil bear in mind that a raw beefsteak or other
meat prescribed by the gymnastic trainer in preference to farinaceous
food （｛sitos｝） would be ｛opson｝。
＇10＇ Or； more lit。 〃Hardly any one could deserve the appellation
better。〃
＇11＇ Lit。 〃and what of the man who eats much ｛opson｝ on the top of a
little （｛sitos｝）？〃 ｛epesthion｝ = follows up one course by another；
like the man in a fragment of Euripides； 〃Incert。〃 98： ｛kreasi boeiois
khlora suk' epesthien｝； who 〃followed up his beefsteak with a
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garnish of green figs。〃
Soc。 He has established a very fair title at any rate to the appellation；
and when the rest of the world pray to heaven for a fine harvest： 〃May our
corn and oil increase！〃 he may reasonably ejaculate； 〃May my fleshpots
multiply！〃
At this last sally the young man； feeling that the conversation set
somewhat in his direction； did not desist indeed from his savoury viands；
but helped himself generously to a piece of bread。 Socrates was all…
observant； and added： Keep an eye on our friend yonder； you others next
him； and see fair play between the sop and the sauce。＇12＇
＇12＇ Lit。 〃see whether he will make a relish of the staple or a staple
of the relish〃 （〃butter his bread or bread his butter〃）。
Another time； seeing one of the company using but one sop of
bread＇13＇ to test several savoury dishes； he remarked： Could there be a
more extravagant style of cookery； or more murderous to the dainty dishes
themselves； than this wholesale method of taking so many dishes
together？why； bless me； twenty different sorts of seasoning at one
swoop！＇14＇ First of all he mixes up actually more ingredients than the
cook himself prescribes； which is extravagant； and secondly； he has the
audacity to commingle what the chef holds incongruous； whereby if the
cooks are right in their method he is wrong in his； and consequently the
destroyer of their art。 Now is it not ridiculous first to procure the greatest
virtuosi to cook for us； and then without any claim to their skill to take and
alter their procedure？ But there is a worse thing in store for the bold man
who habituates himself to eat a dozen dishes at once： when there are but
few dishes served； out of pure habit he will feel himself half starved；
whilst his neighbour； accustomed to send his sop down by help of a single
relish； will feast merrily； be the dishes never so few。
＇13＇ ｛psomos｝； a sop or morsel of bread （cf。 ｛psomion｝； N。 T。； in mod。
Greek = 〃bread〃）。
＇14＇ Huckleberry Finn （p。 2 of that young person's 〃Adventures〃）
propounds the rationale of the system： 〃In a barrel of odds and ends
it is different； things get mixed up； and the juice kind of swaps
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around； and the things go better。〃
He had a saying that ｛euokheisthai｝； to 〃make good cheer；〃＇15＇ was in
Attic parlance a synonym for 〃eating；〃 and the affix ｛eu｝ （the attributive
〃good〃） connoted the eating of such things as would not trouble soul or
body； and were not far to seek or hard to find。 So that to 〃make good
cheer〃 in his vocabulary applied to a modest and well…ordered style of
living。＇16＇
＇15＇ ｛euokheisthai｝； cf。 〃Cyrop。〃 IV。 v。 7； 〃Pol。 Ath。〃 ii。 9； Kuhner
cf。 Eustah。 〃ad Il。〃 ii。 p。 212； 37； ｛'Akhaioi ten trophen okhen
legousin oxutonos｝。 Athen。 viii。 363 B。 See 〃Hipparch；〃 viii。 4； of
horses。 Cf。 Arist。 〃H。 A。〃 viii。 6。
＇16＇ See 〃Symp。〃 vi。 7； and for similar far…fetched etymologies； Plat。
〃Crat。〃 passim。
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BOOK IV
I
Such was Socrates； so helpful under all circumstances and in every
way that no observer； gifted with ordinary sensibility； could fail to
appreciate the fact； that to be with Socrates； and to spend long time in his
society （no matter where or what the circumstances）； was indeed a
priceless gain。 Even the recollection of him； when he was no longer
present； was felt as no small benefit by those who had grown accustomed
to be with him； and who accepted him。 Nor indeed was he less helpful to
his acquaintance in his lighter than in his graver moods。
Let us take as an example that saying of his； so often on his lips： 〃I am
in love with so and so〃； and all the while it was obvious the going…forth of
his soul was not towards excellence of body in the bloom of beauty； but
rather towards faculties of the soul unfolding in virtue。＇1＇ And these 〃good
natures〃 he detected by certain tokens： a readiness to learn that to which
the attention was directed； a power of retaining in the memory the lessons
learnt； and a passionate predilection for those studies in particular which
serve to good administration of a house or of a state；＇2＇ and in general to
the proper handling of man and human affairs。 Such beings； he maintained；
needed only to be educated＇3＇ to become not only happy themselves and
happy administrators of their private households； but to be capable of
rendering other human beings as states or individuals happy also。
＇1＇ Or； 〃not excellence of body in respect of beauty； but of the soul
as regards virtue； and this good natural disposition might be detected
by the readiness of its possessor to learn；〃 etc。 Cf。 Plat。 〃Rep。〃 535
B。
＇2＇ Cf。 above； I。 i。 7。
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＇3＇ Or； 〃A person of this type would； if educated； not only prove a
fortune…favoured invididual himself and；〃 etc。 Al。 Kuhner； 〃Eos； qui
ita instituti sunt； ut tales sint。〃
He had indeed a different way of dealing with different kinds of
people。＇4＇ Those who thought they had good natural ability and despised
learning he instructed that the most highly…gifted nature stands most in
need of training and education；＇5＇ and he would point out how in the case
of horses it is just the spirited and fiery thoroughbred which； if properly
broken in
