ion-第1部分

快捷操作: 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! 如果本书没有阅读完，想下次继续接着阅读，可使用上方 "收藏到我的浏览器" 功能 和 "加入书签" 功能！


　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　ION


　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　by　Plato


　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　translated　by　Benjamin　Jowett


ION


　　PERSONS　OF　THE　DIALOGUE：　SOCRATES；　ION





　　Socrates。　Welcome；　Ion。　Are　you　from　your　native　city　of　Ephesus？


　　Ion。　No；　Socrates；　but　from　Epidaurus；　where　I　attended　the　festival


of　Asclepius。


　　Soc。　And　do　the　Epidaurians　have　contests　of　rhapsodes　at　the


festival？


　　Ion。　O　yes；　and　of　all　sorts　of　musical　performers。


　　Soc。　And　were　you　one　of　the　competitors…　and　did　you　succeed？


　　Ion。　I　obtained　the　first　prize　of　all；　Socrates。


　　Soc。　Well　done；　and　I　hope　that　you　will　do　the　same　for　us　at　the


Panathenaea。


　　Ion。　And　I　will；　please　heaven。


　　Soc。　I　often　envy　the　profession　of　a　rhapsode；　Ion；　for　you　have


always　to　wear　fine　clothes；　and　to　look　as　beautiful　as　you　can　is


a　part　of　your　art。　Then；　again；　you　are　obliged　to　be　continually


in　the　company　of　many　good　poets；　and　especially　of　Homer；　who　is　the


best　and　most　divine　of　them；　and　to　understand　him；　and　not　merely


learn　his　words　by　rote；　is　a　thing　greatly　to　be　envied。　And　no　man


can　be　a　rhapsode　who　does　not　understand　the　meaning　of　the　poet。　For


the　rhapsode　ought　to　interpret　the　mind　of　the　poet　to　his　hearers；


but　how　can　he　interpret　him　well　unless　he　knows　what　he　means？　All


this　is　greatly　to　be　envied。


　　Ion。　Very　true；　Socrates；　interpretation　has　certainly　been　the　most


laborious　part　of　my　art；　and　I　believe　myself　able　to　speak　about


Homer　better　than　any　man；　and　that　neither　Metrodorus　of　Lampsacus；


nor　Stesimbrotus　of　Thasos；　nor　Glaucon；　nor　any　one　else　who　ever


was；　had　as　good　ideas　about　Homer　as　I　have；　or　as　many。


　　Soc。　I　am　glad　to　hear　you　say　so；　Ion；　I　see　that　you　will　not


refuse　to　acquaint　me　with　them。


　　Ion。　Certainly；　Socrates；　and　you　really　ought　to　hear　how


exquisitely　I　render　Homer。　I　think　that　the　Homeridae　should　give


me　a　golden　crown。


　　Soc。　I　shall　take　an　opportunity　of　hearing　your　embellishments　of


him　at　some　other　time。　But　just　now　I　should　like　to　ask　you　a


question：　Does　your　art　extend　to　Hesiod　and　Archilochus；　or　to


Homer　only？


　　Ion。　To　Homer　only；　he　is　in　himself　quite　enough。


　　Soc。　Are　there　any　things　about　which　Homer　and　Hesiod　agree？


　　Ion。　Yes；　in　my　opinion　there　are　a　good　many。


　　Soc。　And　can　you　interpret　better　what　Homer　says；　or　what　Hesiod


says；　about　these　matters　in　which　they　agree？


　　Ion。　I　can　interpret　them　equally　well；　Socrates；　where　they　agree。


　　Soc。　But　what　about　matters　in　which　they　do　not　agree？…　for


example；　about　divination；　of　which　both　Homer　and　Hesiod　have


something　to　say…


　　Ion。　Very　true：


　　Soc。　Would　you　or　a　good　prophet　be　a　better　interpreter　of　what


these　two　poets　say　about　divination；　not　only　when　they　agree；　but


when　they　disagree？


　　Ion。　A　prophet。


　　Soc。　And　if　you　were　a　prophet；　would　you　be　able　to　interpret


them　when　they　disagree　as　well　as　when　they　agree？


　　Ion。　Clearly。


　　Soc。　But　how　did　you　come　to　have　this　skill　about　Homer　only；　and


not　about　Hesiod　or　the　other　poets？　Does　not　Homer　speak　of　the


same　themes　which　all　other　poets　handle？　Is　not　war　his　great


argument？　and　does　he　not　speak　of　human　society　and　of　intercourse　of


men；　good　and　bad；　skilled　and　unskilled；　and　of　the　gods　conversing


with　one　another　and　with　mankind；　and　about　what　happens　in　heaven


and　in　the　world　below；　and　the　generations　of　gods　and　heroes？　Are


not　these　the　themes　of　which　Homer　sings？


　　Ion。　Very　true；　Socrates。


　　Soc。　And　do　not　the　other　poets　sing　of　the　same？


　　Ion。　Yes；　Socrates；　but　not　in　the　same　way　as　Homer。


　　Soc。　What；　in　a　worse　way？


　　Ion。　Yes；　in　a　far　worse。


　　Soc。　And　Homer　in　a　better　way？


　　Ion。　He　is　incomparably　better。


　　Soc。　And　yet　surely；　my　dear　friend　Ion；　in　a　discussion　about


arithmetic；　where　many　people　are　speaking；　and　one　speaks　better　than


the　rest；　there　is　somebody　who　can　judge　which　of　them　is　the　good


speaker？


　　Ion。　Yes。


　　Soc。　And　he　who　judges　of　the　good　will　be　the　same　as　he　who　judges


of　the　bad　speakers？


　　Ion。　The　same。


　　Soc。　And　he　will　be　the　arithmetician？


　　Ion。　Yes。


　　Soc。　Well；　and　in　discussions　about　the　wholesomeness　of　food；


when　many　persons　are　speaking；　and　one　speaks　better　than　the　rest；


will　he　who　recognizes　the　better　speaker　be　a　different　person　from


him　who　recognizes　the　worse；　or　the　same？


　　Ion。　Clearly　the　same。


　　Soc。　And　who　is　he；　and　what　is　his　name？


　　Ion。　The　physician。


　　Soc。　And　speaking　generally；　in　all　discussions　in　which　the　subject


is　the　same　and　many　men　are　speaking；　will　not　he　who　knows　the


good　know　the　bad　speaker　also？　For　if　he　does　not　know　the　bad；


neither　will　he　know　the　good　when　the　same　topic　is　being　discussed。


　　Ion。　True。


　　Soc。　Is　not　the　same　person　skilful　in　both？


　　Ion。　Yes。


　　Soc。　And　you　say　that　Homer　and　the　other　poets；　such　as　Hesiod


and　Archilochus；　speak　of　the　same　things；　although　not　in　the　same


way；　but　the　one　speaks　well　and　the　other　not　so　well？


　　Ion。　Yes；　and　I　am　right　in　saying　so。


　　Soc。　And　if　you　knew　the　good　speaker；　you　would　also　know　the


inferior　speakers　to　be　inferior？


　　Ion。　That　is　true。


　　Soc。　Then；　my　dear　friend；　can　I　be　mistaken　in　saying　that　Ion　is


equally　skilled　in　Homer　and　in　other　poets；　since　he　himself


acknowledges　that　the　same　person　will　be　a　good　judge　of　all　those


who　speak　of　the　same　things；　and　that　almost　all　poets　do　speak　of


the　same　things？


　　Ion。　Why　then；　Socrates；　do　I　lose　attention　and　go　to　sleep　and


have　absolutely　no　ideas　of　the　least　value；　when　any　one　speaks　of


any　other　poet；　but　when　Homer　is　mentioned；　I　wake　up　at　once　and


am　all　attention　and　have　plenty　to　say？


　　Soc。　The　reason；　my　friend；　is　obvious。　No　one　can　fail　to　see


that　you　speak　of　Homer　without　any　art　or　knowledge。　If　you　were　able


to　speak　of　him　by　rules　of　art；　you　would　have　been　able　to　speak


of　all　other　poets；　for　poetry　is　a　whole。


　　Ion。　Yes。


　　Soc。　And　when　any　one　acquires　any　other　art　as　a　whole；　the　same


may　be　said　of　them。　Would　you　like　me　to　explain　my　meaning；　Ion？


　　Ion。　Yes；　indeed；　Socrates；　I　very　much　wish　that　you　would：　for　I


love　to　hear　you　wise　men　talk。


　　Soc。　O　that　we　were　wise；　Ion；　and　that　you　could　truly　call　us


so；　but　you　rhapsodes　and　actors；　and　the　poets　whose　verses　you　sing；


are　wise；　whereas　I　am　a　common　man；　who　only　speak　the　truth。　For


consider　what　a　very　commonplace　and　trivial　thing　is　this　which　I


have　said…　a　thing　which　any　man　might　say：　that　when　a　man　has


acquired　a　knowledge　of　a　whole　art；　the　enquiry　into　good　and　bad


is　one　and　the　same。　Let　us　consider　this　matter；　is　not　the　art　of


painting　a　whole？


　　Ion。　Yes。


　　Soc。　And　there　are　and　have　been　many　painters　good　and　bad？


　　Ion。　Yes。


　　Soc。　And　did　you　ever　know　any　one　who　was　skilful　in　pointing　out


the　excellences　and　defects　of　Polygnotus　the　son　of　Aglaophon；　but


incapable　of　criticizing　other　painters；　and　when　the　work　of　any


other　painter　was　produced；　went　to　sleep　and　was　at　a　loss；　and　had


no　ideas；　but　when　he　had　to　give　his　opinion　about　Polygnotus；　or


whoever　the　painter　might　be；　and　about　him　only；　woke　up　and　was


attentive　and　had　plenty　to　say？


　　Ion。　No　indeed；　I　have　never　known　such　a　person。


　　Soc。　Or　did　you　ever　know　of　any　one　in　sculpture；　who　was　skilful


in　expounding　the　merits　of　Daedalus　the　son　of　Metion；　or　of　Epeius


the　son　of　Panopeus；　or　of　Theodorus　the　Samian；　or　of　any


individual　sculptor；　but　when　the　works　of　sculptors　in　general　were


produced；　was　at　a　loss　and　went　to　sleep　and　had　nothing　to　say？


　　Ion。　No　indeed；　no　more　than　the　other。


　　Soc。　And　if　I　am　not　mistaken；　you　never　met　with　any　one　among


flute…players　or　harp…　players　or　singers　to　the　harp　or　rhapsodes　who


was　able　to　discourse　of　Olympus　or　Thamyras　or　Orpheus；　or　Phemius


the　rhapsode　of　Ithaca；　but　was　at　a　loss　when　he　came　to　speak　of　Ion


of　Ephesus；　and　had　no　notion　of　his　merits　or　defects？


　　Ion。　I　cannot　deny　what　you　say；　Socrates。　Nevertheless　I　am


conscious　in　my　own　self；　and　the　world　agrees　with　me　in　thinking


that　I　do　speak　better　and　have　more　to　say　about　Homer　than　any　other


man。　But　I　do　not　speak　equally　well　about　others…　tell　me　the


reason　of　this。


　　Soc。　I　perceive；　Ion；　and　I　will　proceed　to　explain　to　you　what　I


imagine　to　be　the　reason　of　this。　The　gift　which　you　possess　of


speaking　excellently　about　Homer　is　not　an　art；　but；　as　I　was　just


saying；　an　inspiration；　there　is　a　divinity　moving　you；　like　that


contained　in　the　stone　which　Euripides　calls　a　magnet；　but　which　is


commonly　known　as　the　stone　of　Heraclea。　This　stone　not　only


attracts　iron　rings；　but　also　imparts　to　them　a　similar　power　of


attracting　other　rings；　and　sometimes　you　may　see　a　number　of　pieces


of　iron　and　rings　suspended　from　one　another　so　as　to　form　quite　a


long　chain：　and　all　of　them　derive　their　power　of　suspension　from


the　original　stone。　In　like　manner　the　Muse　first　of　all　inspires


men　herself；　and　from　these　inspired　persons　a　chain　of　other


persons　is　suspended；　who　take　the　inspiration。　For　all　good　poets；


epic　as　well　as　lyric；　compose　their　beautiful　poems　not　by　art；　but


because　they　are　inspired　and　possessed。　And　as　the　Corybantian


revellers　when　they　dance　are　not　in　their　right　mind；　so　the　lyric


poets　are　not　in　their　right　mind　when　they　are　composing　their


beautiful　strains：　but　when　falling　under　the　power　of　music　and　metre


they　are　inspired　and　possessed；　like　Bacchic　maidens　who　draw　milk


and　honey　from　the　rivers　when　they　are　under　the　influence　of


Dionysus　but　not　when　they　are　in　their　right　mind。　And　the　soul　of


the　lyric　poet　does　the　same；　as　they　themselves　say；　for　they　tell　us


that　they　bring　songs　from　honeyed　fountains；　culling　them　out　of


the　gardens　and　dells　of　the　Muses；　they；　like