第 9 节
作者:
阎王 更新:2021-12-07 09:36 字数:9322
desire。 If Protagoras is not disposed to answer; let him ask and I
will answer; and I will endeavour to show at the same time how; as I
maintain; he ought to answer: and when I have answered as many
questions as he likes to ask; let him in like manner answer me; and if
he seems to be not very ready at answering the precise question
asked of him; you and I will unite in entreating him; as you entreated
me; not to spoil the discussion。 And this will require no special
arbiter…all of you shall be arbiters。
This was generally approved; and Protagoras; though very much
against his will; was obliged to agree that he would ask questions;
and when he had put a sufficient number of them; that he would
answer in his turn those which he was asked in short replies。 He began
to put his questions as follows:…
I am of opinion; Socrates; he said; that skill in poetry is the
principal part of education; and this I conceive to be the power of
knowing what compositions of the poets are correct; and what are
not; and how they are to be distinguished; and of explaining when
asked the reason of the difference。 And I propose to transfer the
question which you and I have been discussing to the domain of poetry;
we will speak as before of virtue; but in reference to a passage of
a poet。 Now Simonides says to Scopas the son of Creon the Thessalian:
Hardly on the one hand can a man become truly good; built
four…square in hands and feet and mind; a work without a flaw。
Do you know the poem? or shall I repeat the whole?
There is no need; I said; for I am perfectly well acquainted with
the ode…I have made a careful study of it。
Very well; he said。 And do you think that the ode is a good
composition; and true?
Yes; I said; both good and true。
But if there is a contradiction; can the composition be good or
true?
No; not in that case; I replied。
And is there not a contradiction? he asked。 Reflect。
Well; my friend; I have reflected。
And does not the poet proceed to say; 〃I do not agree with the
word of Pittacus; albeit the utterance of a wise man: Hardly can a man
be good〃? Now you will observe that this is said by the same poet。
I know it。
And do you think; he said; that the two sayings are consistent?
Yes; I said; I think so (at the same time I could not help fearing
that there might be something in what he said)。 And you think
otherwise?
Why; he said; how can he be consistent in both? First of all;
premising as his own thought; 〃Hardly can a man become truly good〃;
and then a little further on in the poem; forgetting; and blaming
Pittacus and refusing to agree with him; when he says; 〃Hardly can a
man be good;〃 which is the very same thing。 And yet when he blames him
who says the same with himself; he blames himself; so that he must
be wrong either in his first or his second assertion。
Many of the audience cheered and applauded this。 And I felt at first
giddy and faint; as if I had received a blow from the hand of an
expert boxer; when I heard his words and the sound of the cheering;
and to confess the truth; I wanted to get time to think what the
meaning of the poet really was。 So I turned to Prodicus and called
him。 Prodicus; I said; Simonides is a countryman of yours; and you
ought to come to his aid。 I must appeal to you; like the river
Scamander in Homer; who; when beleaguered by Achilles; summons the
Simois to aid him; saying:
Brother dear; let us both together stay the force of the hero。
And I summon you; for I am afraid that Protagoras will make an end
of Simonides。 Now is the time to rehabilitate Simonides; by the
application of your philosophy of synonyms; which enables you to
distinguish 〃will〃 and 〃wish;〃 and make other charming distinctions
like those which you drew just now。 And I should like to know
whether you would agree with me; for I am of opinion that there is
no contradiction in the words of Simonides。 And first of all I wish
that you would say whether; in your opinion; Prodicus; 〃being〃 is
the same as 〃becoming。〃
Not the same; certainly; replied Prodicus。
Did not Simonides first set forth; as his own view; that 〃Hardly can
a man become truly good〃?
Quite right; said Prodicus。
And then he blames Pittacus; not; as Protagoras imagines; for
repeating that which he says himself; but for saying something
different from himself。 Pittacus does not say as Simonides says;
that hardly can a man become good; but hardly can a man be good: and
our friend Prodicus would maintain that being; Protagoras; is not
the same as becoming; and if they are not the same; then Simonides
is not inconsistent with himself。 I dare say that Prodicus and many
others would say; as Hesiod says;
On the one hand; hardly can a man become good;
For the gods have made virtue the reward of toil;
But on the other hand; when you have climbed the height;
Then; to retain virtue; however difficult the acquisition; is easy。
Prodicus heard and approved; but Protagoras said: Your correction;
Socrates; involves a greater error than is contained in the sentence
which you are correcting。
Alas! I said; Protagoras; then I am a sorry physician; and do but
aggravate a disorder which I am seeking to cure。
Such is the fact; he said。
How so? I asked。
The poet; he replied; could never have made such a mistake as to say
that virtue; which in the opinion of all men is the hardest of all
things; can be easily retained。
Well; I said; and how fortunate are we in having Prodicus among
us; at the right moment; for he has a wisdom; Protagoras; which; as
I imagine; is more than human and of very ancient date; and may be
as old as Simonides or even older。 Learned as you are in many
things; you appear to know nothing of this; but I know; for I am a
disciple of his。 And now; if I am not mistaken; you do not
understand the word 〃hard〃 (chalepon) in the sense which Simonides
intended; and I must correct you; as Prodicus corrects me when I use
the word 〃awful〃 (deinon) as a term of praise。 If I say that
Protagoras or any one else is an 〃awfully〃 wise man; he asks me if I
am not ashamed of calling that which is good 〃awful〃; and then he
explains to me that the term 〃awful〃 is always taken in a bad sense;
and that no one speaks of being 〃awfully〃 healthy or wealthy; or
〃awful〃 peace; but of 〃awful〃 disease; 〃awful〃 war; 〃awful〃 poverty;
meaning by the term 〃awful;〃 evil。 And I think that Simonides and
his countrymen the Ceans; when they spoke of 〃hard〃 meant 〃evil;〃 or
something which you do not understand。 Let us ask Prodicus; for he
ought to be able to answer questions about the dialect of Simonides。
What did he mean; Prodicus; by the term 〃hard?〃
Evil; said Prodicus。
And therefore; I said; Prodicus; he blames Pittacus for saying;
〃Hard is the good;〃 just as if that were equivalent to saying; Evil is
the good。
Yes; he said; that was certainly his meaning; and he is twitting
Pittacus with ignorance of the use of terms; which in a Lesbian; who
has been accustomed to speak a barbarous language; is natural。
Do you hear; Protagoras; I asked; what our friend Prodicus is
saying? And have you an answer for him?
You are entirely mistaken; Prodicus; said Protagoras; and I know
very well that Simonides in using the word 〃hard〃 meant what all of us
mean; not evil; but that which is not easy…that which takes a great
deal of trouble: of this I am positive。
I said: I also incline to believe; Protagoras; that this was the
meaning of Simonides; of which our friend Prodicus was very well
aware; but he thought that he would make fun; and try if you could
maintain your thesis; for that Simonides could never have meant the
other is clearly proved by the context; in which he says that God only
has this gift。 Now he cannot surely mean to say that to be good is
evil; when he afterwards proceeds to say that God only has this
gift; and that this is the attribute of him and of no other。 For if
this be his meaning; Prodicus would impute to Simonides a character of
recklessness which is very unlike his countrymen。 And I should like to
tell you; I said; what I imagine to be the real meaning of Simonides
in this poem; if you will test what; in your way of speaking; would be
called my skill in poetry; or if you would rather; I will be the
listener。
To this proposal Protagoras replied: As you please;…and Hippias;
Prodicus; and the others told me by all means to do as I proposed。
Then now; I said; I will endeavour to explain to you my opinion
about this poem of Simonides。 There is a very ancient philosophy which
is more cultivate