the memorabilia(纪念品)-第36节
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make surrender of yourself with heart and soul。 The secret of true love I
am sure you know： not to love softly merely； but devotedly。＇14＇ And of
this too I am sure： you can convince your lovers of your fondness for them
not by lip phrases； but by acts of love。
＇11＇ Or； 〃right well woven。〃
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＇12＇ Lit。 〃by which you understand。〃
＇13＇ Or； 〃with what smiles to lie in wait for （cf。 'Cyrop。' II。 iv。 20；
Herod。 vi。 104） the devoted admirer； and how to banish from your
presence the voluptary。〃
＇14＇ Or； 〃that it should be simply soft； but full of tender goodwill。〃
Theod。 No； upon my word； I have none of these devices。
Soc。 And yet it makes all the difference whether you approach a
human being in the natural and true way； since it is not by force certainly
that you can either catch or keep a friend。 Kindness and pleasure are the
only means to capture this fearful wild…fowl man and keep him constant。
Theod。 You are right。
Soc。 In the first place you must make such demands only of your well…
wisher as he can grant without repentance； and in the next place you must
make requital； dispensing your favours with a like economy。 Thus you will
best make friends whose love shall last the longest and their generosity
know no stint。＇15＇ And for your favours you will best win your friends if
you suit your largess to their penury； for； mark you； the sweetest viands
presented to a man before he wants them are apt to prove insipid； or； to
one already sated； even nauseous； but create hunger； and even coarser stuff
seems honey…sweet。
＇15＇ Or； 〃This is the right road to friendshippermanent and open…
handed friendship。〃
Theod。 How then shall I create this hunger in the heart of my friends？
Soc。 In the first place you must not offer or make suggestion of your
dainties to jaded appetites until satiety has ceased and starvation cries for
alms。 Even then shall you make but a faint suggestion to their want； with
modest converselike one who would fain bestow a kindness 。 。 。 and lo！
the vision fades and she is goneuntil the very pinch of hunger； for the
same gifts have then a value unknown before the moment of supreme
desire。
Then Theodote： Oh why； Socrates； why are you not by my side （like
the huntsman's assistant） to help me catch my friends and lovers？
Soc。 That will I be in good sooth if only you can woo and win me。
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Theod。 How shall I woo and win you？
Soc。 Seek and you will find means； if you truly need me。
Theod。 Come then in hither and visit me often。
And Socrates； poking sly fun at his own lack of business occupation；
answered： Nay； Theodote； leisure is not a commodity in which I largely
deal。 I have a hundred affairs of my own too； private or public； to occupy
me； and then there are my lady…loves； my dear friends； who will not suffer
me day or night to leave them； for ever studying to learn love…charms and
incantations at my lips。
Theod。 Why； are you really versed in those things； Socrates？
Soc。 Of course； or else how is it； do you suppose； that Apollodorus＇16＇
here and Antisthenes never leave me； or why have Cebes and Simmias
come all the way from Thebes to stay with me？ Be assured these things
cannot happen without diverse love…charms and incantations and magic
wheels。
＇16＇ For Apollodorus see 〃Apol。〃 28； Plat。 〃Symp。〃 172 A； 〃Phaed。〃
59 A； 117 D。 For Antisthenes see above。 For Cebes and Simmias see
above； I。 ii。 48； Plat。 〃Crit。〃 45 B； 〃Phaed。〃 passim。
Theod。 I wish you would lend me your magic…wheel；＇17＇ then； and I
will set it spinning first of all for you。
＇17＇ Cf。 Theocr。 ii。 17； Schneider ad loc。
Soc。 Ah！ but I do not wish to be drawn to you。 I wish you to come to
me。
Theod。 Then I will come。 Only； will you be 〃at home〃 to me？
Soc。 Yes； I will welcome you； unless some one still dearer holds me
engaged； and I must needs be 〃not at home。〃
XII
Seeing one of those who were with him； a young man； but feeble of
body； named Epigenes；＇1＇ he addressed him。
＇1＇ Epigenes； possibly the son of Antiphon。 See Plat。 〃Apol。〃 33 E；
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〃Phaed。〃 59 B。
Soc。 You have not the athletic appearance of a youth in training；＇2＇
Epigenes。
＇2＇ ｛idiotikos｝； lit。 of the person untrained in gymnastics。 See A。 R。
Cluer ad loc。 Cf。 Plat。 〃Laws；〃 839 E； I。 ii。 4； III。 v。 15； 〃Symp。〃 ii。
17。
And he： That may well be； seeing I am an amateur and not in training。
Soc。 As little of an amateur； I take it； as any one who ever entered the
lists of Olympia； unless you are prepared to make light of that contest for
life and death against the public foe which the Athenians will institute
when the day comes。＇3＇ And yet they are not a few who； owing to a bad
habit of body； either perish outright in the perils of war； or are ignobly
saved。 Many are they who for the self…same cause are taken prisoners； and
being taken must； if it so betide； endure the pains of slavery for the rest of
their days； or； after falling into dolorous straits；＇4＇ when they have paid to
the uttermost farthing of all； or may be more than the worth of all； that
they possess； must drag on a miserable existence in want of the barest
necessaries until death release them。 Many also are they who gain an evil
repute through infirmity of body； being thought to play the coward。 Can it
be that you despise these penalties affixed to an evil habit？ Do you think
you could lightly endure them？ Far lighter； I imagine； nay； pleasant even
by comparison； are the toils which he will undergo who duly cultivates a
healthy bodily condition。 Or do you maintain that the evil habit is healthier；
and in general more useful than the good？ Do you pour contempt upon
those blessings which flow from the healthy state？ And yet the very
opposite of that which befalls the ill attends the sound condition。 Does not
the very soundness imply at once health and strength？＇5＇ Many a man
with no other talisman than this has passed safely through the ordeal of
war； stepping； not without dignity；＇6＇ through all its horrors unscathed。
Many with no other support than this have come to the rescue of friends；
or stood forth as benefactors of their fatherland； whereby they were
thought worthy of gratitude； and obtained a great renown and received as a
recompense the highest honours of the State； to whom is also reserved a
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happier and brighter passage through what is left to them of life； and at
their death they leave to their children the legacy of a fairer starting…point
in the race of life。
＇3＇ Or； 〃should chance betide。〃 Is the author thinking of a life…and…
death struggle with Thebes？
＇4＇ e。g。 the prisoners in the Latomiae。 Thuc。 vii。 87。
＇5＇ It is almost a proverb〃Sound of body and limb is hale and
strong。〃 〃Qui valet praevalebit。〃
＇6＇ e。g。 Socrates himself； according to Alcibiades； ap。 Plat。 〃Symp。〃
221 B； and for the word ｛euskhemonos｝ see Arist。 〃Wasps；〃 1210；
〃like a gentleman〃； L。 and S。； 〃Cyr。〃 I。 iii。 8； Aristot。 〃Eth。 N。〃 i。 10；
13； 〃gracefully。〃
Because our city does not practise military training in public；＇7＇ that is
no reason for neglecting it in private； but rather a reason for making it a
foremost care。 For be you assured that there is no contest of any sort； nor
any transaction； in which you will be the worse off for being well prepared
in body； and in fact there is nothing which men do for which the body is
not a help。 In every demand； therefore； which can be laid upon the body it
is much better that it should be in the best condition； since； even where
you might imagine the claims upon
