symposium-第4章

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！


ecret　ones；　and　that　the　love　of　the　noblest　and　highest；　even　if　their　persons　are　less　beautiful　than　others；　is　especially　honourable。　　　Consider；　too；　how　great　is　the　encouragement　which　all　the　world　gives　to　the　lover；　neither　is　he　supposed　to　be　doing　anything　dishonourable；　but　if　he　succeeds　he　is　praised；　and　if　he　fail　he　is　blamed。　And　in　the　pursuit　of　his　love　the　custom　of　mankind　allows　him　to　do　many　strange　things；　which　philosophy　would　bitterly　censure　if　they　were　done　from　any　motive　of　interest；　or　wish　for　office　or　power。　He　may　pray；　and　entreat；　and　supplicate；　and　swear；　and　lie　on　a　mat　at　the　door；　and　endure　a　slavery　worse　than　that　of　any　slave…in　any　other　case　friends　and　enemies　would　be　equally　ready　to　prevent　him；　but　now　there　is　no　friend　who　will　be　ashamed　of　him　and　admonish　him；　and　no　enemy　will　charge　him　with　meanness　or　flattery；　the　actions　of　a　lover　have　a　grace　which　ennobles　them；　and　custom　has　decided　that　they　are　highly　commendable　and　that　there　no　loss　of　character　in　them；　and；　what　is　strangest　of　all；　he　only　may　swear　and　forswear　himself　（so　men　say）；　and　the　gods　will　forgive　his　transgression；　for　there　is　no　such　thing　as　a　lover's　oath。　Such　is　the　entire　liberty　which　gods　and　men　have　allowed　the　lover；　according　to　the　custom　which　prevails　in　our　part　of　the　world。　From　this　point　of　view　a　man　fairly　argues　in　Athens　to　love　and　to　be　loved　is　held　to　be　a　very　honourable　thing。　But　when　parents　forbid　their　sons　to　talk　with　their　lovers；　and　place　them　under　a　tutor's　care；　who　is　appointed　to　see　to　these　things；　and　their　companions　and　equals　cast　in　their　teeth　anything　of　the　sort　which　they　may　observe；　and　their　elders　refuse　to　silence　the　reprovers　and　do　not　rebuke　them…any　one　who　reflects　on　all　this　will；　on　the　contrary；　think　that　we　hold　these　practices　to　be　most　disgraceful。　But；　as　I　was　saying　at　first；　the　truth　as　I　imagine　is；　that　whether　such　practices　are　honourable　or　whether　they　are　dishonourable　is　not　a　simple　question；　they　are　honourable　to　him　who　follows　them　honourably；　dishonourable　to　him　who　follows　them　dishonourably。　There　is　dishonour　in　yielding　to　the　evil；　or　in　an　evil　manner；　but　there　is　honour　in　yielding　to　the　good；　or　in　an　honourable　manner。　　　Evil　is　the　vulgar　lover　who　loves　the　body　rather　than　the　soul；　inasmuch　as　he　is　not　even　stable；　because　he　loves　a　thing　which　is　in　itself　unstable；　and　therefore　when　the　bloom　of　youth　which　he　was　desiring　is　over；　he　takes　wing　and　flies　away；　in　spite　of　all　his　words　and　promises；　whereas　the　love　of　the　noble　disposition　is　life…long；　for　it　becomes　one　with　the　everlasting。　The　custom　of　our　country　would　have　both　of　them　proven　well　and　truly；　and　would　have　us　yield　to　the　one　sort　of　lover　and　avoid　the　other；　and　therefore　encourages　some　to　pursue；　and　others　to　fly；　testing　both　the　lover　and　beloved　in　contests　and　trials；　until　they　show　to　which　of　the　two　classes　they　respectively　belong。　And　this　is　the　reason　why；　in　the　first　place；　a　hasty　attachment　is　held　to　be　dishonourable；　because　time　is　the　true　test　of　this　as　of　most　other　things；　and　secondly　there　is　a　dishonour　in　being　overcome　by　the　love　of　money；　or　of　wealth；　or　of　political　power；　whether　a　man　is　frightened　into　surrender　by　the　loss　of　them；　or；　having　experienced　the　benefits　of　money　and　political　corruption；　is　unable　to　rise　above　the　seductions　of　them。　For　none　of　these　things　are　of　a　permanent　or　lasting　nature；　not　to　mention　that　no　generous　friendship　ever　sprang　from　them。　There　remains；　then；　only　one　way　of　honourable　attachment　which　custom　allows　in　the　beloved；　and　this　is　the　way　of　virtue；　for　as　we　admitted　that　any　service　which　the　lover　does　to　him　is　not　to　be　accounted　flattery　or　a　dishonour　to　himself；　so　the　beloved　has　one　way　only　of　voluntary　service　which　is　not　dishonourable；　and　this　is　virtuous　service。　　　For　we　have　a　custom；　and　according　to　our　custom　any　one　who　does　service　to　another　under　the　idea　that　he　will　be　improved　by　him　either　in　wisdom；　or；　in　some　other　particular　of　virtue…such　a　voluntary　service；　I　say；　is　not　to　be　regarded　as　a　dishonour；　and　is　not　open　to　the　charge　of　flattery。　And　these　two　customs；　one　the　love　of　youth；　and　the　other　the　practice　of　philosophy　and　virtue　in　general；　ought　to　meet　in　one；　and　then　the　beloved　may　honourably　indulge　the　lover。　For　when　the　lover　and　beloved　come　together；　having　each　of　them　a　law；　and　the　lover　thinks　that　he　is　right　in　doing　any　service　which　he　can　to　his　gracious　loving　one；　and　the　other　that　he　is　right　in　showing　any　kindness　which　he　can　to　him　who　is　making　him　wise　and　good；　the　one　capable　of　communicating　wisdom　and　virtue；　the　other　seeking　to　acquire　them　with　a　view　to　education　and　wisdom；　when　the　two　laws　of　love　are　fulfilled　and　meet　in　one…then；　and　then　only；　may　the　beloved　yield　with　honour　to　the　lover。　Nor　when　love　is　of　this　disinterested　sort　is　there　any　disgrace　in　being　deceived；　but　in　every　other　case　there　is　equal　disgrace　in　being　or　not　being　deceived。　For　he　who　is　gracious　to　his　lover　under　the　impression　that　he　is　rich；　and　is　disappointed　of　his　gains　because　he　turns　out　to　be　poor；　is　disgraced　all　the　same：　for　he　has　done　his　best　to　show　that　he　would　give　himself　up　to　any　one's　〃uses　base〃　for　the　sake　of　money；　but　this　is　not　honourable。　And　on　the　same　principle　he　who　gives　himself　to　a　lover　because　he　is　a　good　man；　and　in　the　hope　that　he　will　be　improved　by　his　company；　shows　himself　to　be　virtuous；　even　though　the　object　of　his　affection　turn　out　to　be　a　villain；　and　to　have　no　virtue；　and　if　he　is　deceived　he　has　committed　a　noble　error。　For　he　has　proved　that　for　his　part　he　will　do　anything　for　anybody　with　a　view　to　virtue　and　improvement；　than　which　there　can　be　nothing　nobler。　Thus　noble　in　every　case　is　the　acceptance　of　another　for　the　sake　of　virtue。　This　is　that　love　which　is　the　love　of　the　heavenly　godess；　and　is　heavenly；　and　of　great　price　to　individuals　and　cities；　making　the　lover　and　the　beloved　alike　eager　in　the　work　of　their　own　improvement。　But　all　other　loves　are　the　offspring　of　the　other；　who　is　the　common　goddess。　To　you；　Phaedrus；　I　offer　this　my　contribution　in　praise　of　love；　which　is　as　good　as　I　could　make　extempore。　　　Pausanias　came　to　a　pause…this　is　the　balanced　way　in　which　I　have　been　taught　by　the　wise　to　speak；　and　Aristodemus　said　that　the　turn　of　Aristophanes　was　next；　but　either　he　had　eaten　too　much；　or　from　some　other　cause　he　had　the　hiccough；　and　was　obliged　to　change　turns　with　Eryximachus　the　physician；　who　was　reclining　on　the　couch　below　him。　Eryximachus；　he　said；　you　ought　either　to　stop　my　hiccough；　or　to　speak　in　my　turn　until　I　have　left　off。　　　I　will　do　both；　said　Eryximachus：　I　will　speak　in　your　turn；　and　do　you　speak　in　mine；　and　while　I　am　speaking　let　me　recommend　you　to　hold　your　breath；　and　if　after　you　have　done　so　for　some　time　the　hiccough　is　no　better；　then　gargle　with　a　little　water；　and　if　it　still　continues；　tickle　your　nose　with　something　and　sneeze；　and　if　you　sneeze　once　or　twice；　even　the　most　violent　hiccough　is　sure　to　go。　I　will　do　as　you　prescribe；　said　Aristophanes；　and　now　get　on。　　　Eryximachus　spoke　as　follows：　Seeing　that　Pausanias　made　a　fair　beginning；　and　but　a　lame　ending；　I　must　endeavour　to　supply　his　deficiency。　I　think　that　he　has　rightly　distinguished　two　kinds　of　love。　But　my　art　further　informs　me　that　the　double　love　is　not　merely　an　affection　of　the　soul　of　man　towards　the　fair；　or　towards　anything；　but　is　to　be　found　in　the　bodies　of　all　animals　and　in　productions　of　the　earth；　and　I　may　say　in　all　that　is；　such　is　the　conclusion　which　I　seem　to　have　gathered　from　my　own　art　of　medicine；　whence　I　learn　how　great　and　wonderful　and　universal　is　the　deity　of　love；　whose　empire　extends　over　all　things；　divine　as　well　as　human。　And　from　medicine　I　would　begin　that　I　may　do　honour　to　my　art。　There　are　in　the　human　body　these　two　kinds　of　love；　which　are　confessedly　different　and　unlike；　and　being　unlike；　they　have　loves　and　desires　which　are　unlike；　and　the　desire　of　the　healthy　is　one；　and　the　desire　of　the　dis