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タイトル第13回
記事No26
投稿日: 2003/12/13(Sat) 16:37
投稿者惣田正明   <vem13077@nifty.ne.jp>
第13回テキスト

---はじめ---

The "Chalcedonian giant," Thrasymachus, of whom we have
already heard in the Phaedrus, is the personification of the
Sophists, according to Plato's conception of them, in some of
their worst characteristics. He is vain and blustering,
refusing to discourse unless he is paid, fond of making an
oration, and hoping thereby to escape the inevitable
Socrates; but a mere child in argument, and unable to foresee
that the next "move" (to use a Platonic expression)
will "shut him up." He has reached the stage of framing
general notions, and in this respect is in advance of
Cephalus and Polemarchus. But he is incapable of defending
them in a discussion, and vainly tries to cover his confusion
in banter and insolence. Whether such doctrines as are
attributed to him by Plato were really held either by him or
by any other Sophist is uncertain; in the infancy of
philosophy serious errors about morality might easily grow
up --they are certainly put into the mouths of speakers in
Thucydides; but we are concerned at present with Plato's
description of him, and not with the historical reality. The
inequality of the contest adds greatly to the humor of the
scene. The pompous and empty Sophist is utterly helpless in
the hands of the great master of dialectic, who knows how to
touch all the springs of vanity and weakness in him. He is
greatly irritated by the irony of Socrates, but his noisy and
imbecile rage only lays him more and more open to the thrusts
of his assailant. His determination to cram down their
throats, or put "bodily into their souls" his own words,
elicits a cry of horror from Socrates. The state of his
temper is quite as worthy of remark as the process of the
argument. Nothing is more amusing than his complete
submission when he has been once thoroughly beaten. At first
he seems to continue the discussion with reluctance, but soon
with apparent good-will, and he even testifies his interest
at a later stage by one or two occasional remarks. When
attacked by Glaucon he is humorously protected by
Socrates "as one who has never been his enemy and is now his
friend." From Cicero and Quintilian and from Aristotle's
Rhetoric we learn that the Sophist whom Plato has made so
ridiculous was a man of note whose writings were preserved in
later ages. The play on his name which was made by his
contemporary Herodicus, "thou wast ever bold in battle,"
seems to show that the description of him is not devoid of
verisimilitude.

---終わり---

タイトルRe: 第13回
記事No27
投稿日: 2003/12/21(Sun) 18:06
投稿者惣田正明   <vem13077@nifty.ne.jp>
> 第13回テキスト
>
> ---はじめ---
>
> The "Chalcedonian giant," Thrasymachus, of whom we have
> already heard in the Phaedrus, is the personification of the
> Sophists, according to Plato's conception of them, in some of
> their worst characteristics.

 「カルケドンの巨人」トラシュマコス、私たちは、彼のことをすでにパエドロス
で聞いているが、彼は、プラトンのソフィストの概念によれば、彼らの最も悪いい
くつかの特徴に於いて、ソフィストの化身である。

> He is vain and blustering,
> refusing to discourse unless he is paid, fond of making an
> oration, and hoping thereby to escape the inevitable
> Socrates; but a mere child in argument, and unable to foresee
> that the next "move" (to use a Platonic expression)
> will "shut him up."

 彼は、虚栄に満ち威張り散らし、報酬が支払われないと講話を拒否し、演説をぶ
つのが好きで、それ故に、不可抗力のソクラテスから逃れたいと思っている。しか
し、議論は単なる子供であり、(プラトンの表現を用いると)次の「動き」が
「封じ込められる」ことを予見することができない。

> He has reached the stage of framing
> general notions, and in this respect is in advance of
> Cephalus and Polemarchus.

 彼は、一般的な概念を組み立てる段階には達しており、この点では、ケパルスや
ポレマルコスよりも進んでいる。

> But he is incapable of defending
> them in a discussion, and vainly tries to cover his confusion
> in banter and insolence.

 しかし、彼は、議論で彼らを守ることができない。そして、虚しくごまかし笑い
や横柄さで自らの混乱を隠そうとする。

> Whether such doctrines as are
> attributed to him by Plato were really held either by him or
> by any other Sophist is uncertain; in the infancy of
> philosophy serious errors about morality might easily grow
> up --they are certainly put into the mouths of speakers in
> Thucydides; but we are concerned at present with Plato's
> description of him, and not with the historical reality.

 プラトンによって彼に帰せられたようなそうした教義が、本当に彼や他のどのソ
フィストによっても保持されていたのかは、不確かである。哲学の幼年期には、道
徳についての深刻な間違いは、容易に成長する。--彼らは、確かにツキュディデス
において、話し手の口の中に入れられるが、私たちは、現在、プラトンの彼の描写
を問題にしているのであって、歴史的真実ではない。

> The
> inequality of the contest adds greatly to the humor of the
> scene.

 その論戦の不均質さは、その場面に大いにユーモアを加える。

> The pompous and empty Sophist is utterly helpless in
> the hands of the great master of dialectic, who knows how to
> touch all the springs of vanity and weakness in him.

 尊大で実のないソフィストは、彼の中の虚栄と弱さのあらゆる源泉に触れること
のできる、弁証の偉大な師の手に掛かっては、全く無力である。

> He is
> greatly irritated by the irony of Socrates, but his noisy and
> imbecile rage only lays him more and more open to the thrusts
> of his assailant.

 彼は、ソクラテスの皮肉に非常にいらだつが、彼の騒がしく愚鈍な怒りは、ただ、
ますます彼の乱暴者の攻撃へと開いていくだけである。

> His determination to cram down their
> throats, or put "bodily into their souls" his own words,
> elicits a cry of horror from Socrates.

 彼の喉を詰まらせたり、彼自身の言葉を「身体で魂の中に」入れたりする決心は、
ソクラテスからの恐怖の叫びを呼び起こす。

> The state of his
> temper is quite as worthy of remark as the process of the
> argument.

 彼の気分の状態は、議論の過程と全く同じくらい価値のあるものである。

> Nothing is more amusing than his complete
> submission when he has been once thoroughly beaten.

 彼がかつて完全に打ち負かされたとき、彼の完全なまでの従順さより面白いもの
はない。

> At first
> he seems to continue the discussion with reluctance, but soon
> with apparent good-will, and he even testifies his interest
> at a later stage by one or two occasional remarks.

 初め、彼は、嫌々ながら議論を続けているように思えるが、やがて、明らかに楽
しんでおり、後の段階では、時折する一つ二つの言及が彼の関心を証拠付けてさえ
いる。

> When
> attacked by Glaucon he is humorously protected by
> Socrates "as one who has never been his enemy and is now his
> friend."

 グラウコンに攻撃されたとき、彼は、ソクラテスにユーモア溢れて擁護される。
「これまで一度も彼の敵でなかったし、今は友人である者として。

> From Cicero and Quintilian and from Aristotle's
> Rhetoric we learn that the Sophist whom Plato has made so
> ridiculous was a man of note whose writings were preserved in
> later ages.

 キケロやクィンティリアヌスから、また、アリストテレスの修辞学から、私た
ちは、プラトンがそれほどまでばかにしたそのソフィストは、その著作が後の時代
まで保存された著名な人であった。

> The play on his name which was made by his
> contemporary Herodicus, "thou wast ever bold in battle,"
> seems to show that the description of him is not devoid of
> verisimilitude.

 彼の同時代のヘロディコスによって作られた彼の名の劇、「汝は、かつて戦いで
大胆であった」は、彼の描写が真実みを帯びていないわけではないことを示してい
るように思える。

> ---終わり---