評論
打印
3 Socrates
3 蘇格拉底
Socratic “irony”
蘇格拉底的“偽裝”
Socrates is talking to Hippias of Elis, a travelling “sophist” who sets up as a professional “wise man”，taking money for lessons in private and public rhetoric, and managing public business himself. How, Socrates asks, does Hippias explain the fact that wise men in the old days were not rich public figures?
蘇格拉底正在和埃里斯的希比阿聊天。希比阿是云游四方的“智術大師”，將自己稱為職業的“智者”，主講修辭術，收費授課，還親自負責公眾事務。蘇格拉底問希比阿：為何歷史上的智者都不富有呢？
Hippias: What do you think it could be, Socrates, other than that they were incompetent and not capable of using their wisdom to achieve in both areas, public and private?
希比阿：你怎么想呢，蘇格拉底？還不是因為他們無能，不會把智慧運用于個人和國家，并在這兩方面有所作為。
Socrates: Well, other skills have certainly improved, and by comparison with modern craftsmen the older ones are worthless. Are we to say that your skill — sophistry — has improved in the same way, and that the ancients who practiced wisdom were worthless compared to you?
蘇格拉底：對呀，其他的技藝都有進步，例如與現代工匠相比，古代工匠簡直一錢不值。我們是否可以說：你這門技藝——詭辯術，也同樣進步了？與你相比，那些以智慧為業的古人也同樣一文不值呢？
Hippias: Yes, you’re completely right!
希比阿：是的，你說得沒錯！
Socrates: None of those early thinkers thought it right to demand money as payment, or to make displays of their own wisdom before all sorts of people. That’s how simple-minded they were; they didn’t notice how valuable money is. But each of the modern people you mention has made more money from his wisdom than any other craftsman from any skill. And Protagoras did it even before they did.
蘇格拉底：早先的思想家以為，在各種各樣的人面前公開展露自己的智慧是不對的，收費更是錯的。他們的頭腦真簡單，居然不知道錢是多么重要。但你提到的現代人，每個人靠自己的智慧掙了大錢，超過任何一個工匠。在他們之前，還有普羅泰弋拉，早就這樣做了。
Hippias: Socrates, you have no idea just how fine this is. If you knew how much money I've made, you'd be amazed! I'm pretty sure that I’ve made more money than any two sophists you like put together!
希比阿：蘇格拉底，你根本不知道這樣做有多棒。如果你知道我掙了多少錢，你肯定要嚇壞了！我敢肯定，你隨便舉兩個智術師，我一個人掙的錢絕對超過他們的總和！
Socrates: What a fine thing to say, Hippias! It’s very indicative of your own wisdom, and of what a difference there is between people nowadays and the ancients.
蘇格拉底：希比阿，你說得真好！這恰恰體現了你的智慧，也顯示出今人和古人的確不一樣啊。
Hippias thinks Socrates is complimenting him. The reader, however, sees clearly that Socrates despises the use of intellect to make money, rather than to search for the truth, and hence has complete contempt for Hippias. This is the “Socratic irony”.
希比阿以為蘇格拉底在夸獎他。然而，讀者卻能清楚地看出蘇格拉底認為智術應當求真理，他蔑視以智術牟利的做法，因此他對希比阿嗤之以鼻。這就是所謂的“蘇格拉底的偽裝”。
