第21回テキスト

---はじめ---

Glaucon - CEPHALUS - SOCRATES

Accordingly we went with Polemarchus to his house; and there
we found his brothers Lysias and Euthydemus, and with them
Thrasymachus the Chalcedonian, Charmantides the Paeanian, and
Cleitophon the son of Aristonymus. There too was Cephalus the
father of Polemarchus, whom I had not seen for a long time,
and I thought him very much aged. He was seated on a
cushioned chair, and had a garland on his head, for he had
been sacrificing in the court; and there were some other
chairs in the room arranged in a semicircle, upon which we
sat down by him. He saluted me eagerly, and then he said: --

You don't come to see me, Socrates, as often as you ought: If
I were still able to go and see you I would not ask you to
come to me. But at my age I can hardly get to the city, and
therefore you should come oftener to the Piraeus. For let me
tell you, that the more the pleasures of the body fade away,
the greater to me is the pleasure and charm of conversation.
Do not then deny my request, but make our house your resort
and keep company with these young men; we are old friends,
and you will be quite at home with us.

I replied: There is nothing which for my part I like better,
Cephalus, than conversing with aged men; for I regard them as
travellers who have gone a journey which I too may have to
go, and of whom I ought to enquire, whether the way is smooth
and easy, or rugged and difficult. And this is a question
which I should like to ask of you who have arrived at that
time which the poets call the 'threshold of old age' --Is
life harder towards the end, or what report do you give of
it?

---終わり---

> 第21回テキスト
>
> ---はじめ---
>
> Glaucon - CEPHALUS - SOCRATES

　グラウコン - ケパルス - ソクラテス

> Accordingly we went with Polemarchus to his house; and there
> we found his brothers Lysias and Euthydemus, and with them
> Thrasymachus the Chalcedonian, Charmantides the Paeanian, and
> Cleitophon the son of Aristonymus.

　そこで、私たちは、ポレマルコスと共に彼の家へ行った。すると、そこに彼
の兄弟リュシアスとエウトュデモス、それに彼らと共にカルケドニア人のトラ
シュマコス、パエアン人のカルマンティデスそしてアリストニュスの息子のク
レイトポンがいるのに気づいた。

> There too was Cephalus the
> father of Polemarchus, whom I had not seen for a long time,
> and I thought him very much aged.

　　そこには、ポレマルコスの父親のケパルスもいた。彼には、私は長い間会
っていなく、私は彼をとても年を取っていると思っていた。

> He was seated on a
> cushioned chair, and had a garland on his head, for he had
> been sacrificing in the court; and there were some other
> chairs in the room arranged in a semicircle, upon which we
> sat down by him.

　彼は、柔らかな布団の椅子に座り、頭には花冠をかぶっていた。なぜなら、
彼は宮廷で犠牲を捧げていたから。そして、部屋には他にいくつか椅子が半円
状に置かれ、私たちはそこに彼のそばに腰を下ろした。

> He saluted me eagerly, and then he said: --
> You don't come to see me, Socrates, as often as you ought: If
> I were still able to go and see you I would not ask you to
> come to me.

　彼は、私に熱心に挨拶し、それから言った。--あなたは、そうするべきであ
るほどには、私のところを訪ねてこない。もし、まだ私があなたに会いにいけ
るのなら、私は、あなたに私のところに来るように頼まないだろう。

> But at my age I can hardly get to the city, and
> therefore you should come oftener to the Piraeus.

　しかし、私の年になると、私はほとんど町へ行くことができないから、それ
であなたがもっとピラエオスに来るべきだ。

> For let me
> tell you, that the more the pleasures of the body fade away,
> the greater to me is the pleasure and charm of conversation.

　なぜなら、あなたに言わせて欲しい。身体の楽しみが失せていくにつれて、
私には会話の楽しみ魅力が大きくなっていくから。

> Do not then deny my request, but make our house your resort
> and keep company with these young men; we are old friends,
> and you will be quite at home with us.

　その時には、私の頼みを拒むのでなく、私たちの家をあなたの行楽地と考え、
これらの若者たちと仲良くやって欲しい。私たちは古くからの友人であり、
あなたは私たちのところではまったく気楽に過ごせるだろうから。


> I replied: There is nothing which for my part I like better,
> Cephalus, than conversing with aged men; for I regard them as
> travellers who have gone a journey which I too may have to
> go, and of whom I ought to enquire, whether the way is smooth
> and easy, or rugged and difficult.

　私は答えた。私の方からは老齢の人達と話ができること以上に望むことはあ
りません、ケパルスよ。なぜなら、私は、老齢の人々は、私も行かなければな
らない旅をした旅行者のようなものだと思っているから。そして、その道が滑
らかで容易なのか、でこぼこだらけで困難なのか彼らに尋ねるべきであると考
えているからです。

> And this is a question
> which I should like to ask of you who have arrived at that
> time which the poets call the 'threshold of old age' --Is
> life harder towards the end, or what report do you give of
> it?

　そして、次のことが、私が詩人が「老齢の入口（敷居）」と呼ぶ時代に到達
したあなたに尋ねたいことです。--人生は終わりに向かうにつれ困難なものな
のか、あなたはそのことをどう考えておられますか。

> ---終わり---