cratylus-第24部分

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SOCRATES：　　You　impose　a　great　many　tasks　upon　me。　　Still；　if　you　wish；　I

will　not　refuse。



HERMOGENES：　　You　will　oblige　me。



SOCRATES：　　How　would　you　have　me　begin？　　Shall　I　take　first　of　all　him　whom

you　mentioned　firstthe　sun？



HERMOGENES：　　Very　good。



SOCRATES：　　The　origin　of　the　sun　will　probably　be　clearer　in　the　Doric

form；　for　the　Dorians　call　him　alios；　and　this　name　is　given　to　him　because

when　he　rises　he　gathers　（alizoi）　men　together　or　because　he　is　always

rolling　in　his　course　（aei　eilein　ion）　about　the　earth；　or　from　aiolein；　of

which　the　meaning　is　the　same　as　poikillein　（to　variegate）；　because　he

variegates　the　productions　of　the　earth。



HERMOGENES：　　But　what　is　selene　（the　moon）？



SOCRATES：　　That　name　is　rather　unfortunate　for　Anaxagoras。



HERMOGENES：　　How　so？



SOCRATES：　　The　word　seems　to　forestall　his　recent　discovery；　that　the　moon

receives　her　light　from　the　sun。



HERMOGENES：　　Why　do　you　say　so？



SOCRATES：　　The　two　words　selas　（brightness）　and　phos　（light）　have　much　the

same　meaning？



HERMOGENES：　　Yes。



SOCRATES：　　This　light　about　the　moon　is　always　new　（neon）　and　always　old

（enon）；　if　the　disciples　of　Anaxagoras　say　truly。　　For　the　sun　in　his

revolution　always　adds　new　light；　and　there　is　the　old　light　of　the

previous　month。



HERMOGENES：　　Very　true。



SOCRATES：　　The　moon　is　not　unfrequently　called　selanaia。



HERMOGENES：　　True。



SOCRATES：　　And　as　she　has　a　light　which　is　always　old　and　always　new　（enon

neon　aei）　she　may　very　properly　have　the　name　selaenoneoaeia；　and　this　when

hammered　into　shape　becomes　selanaia。



HERMOGENES：　　A　real　dithyrambic　sort　of　name　that；　Socrates。　　But　what　do

you　say　of　the　month　and　the　stars？



SOCRATES：　　Meis　（month）　is　called　from　meiousthai　（to　lessen）；　because

suffering　diminution；　the　name　of　astra　（stars）　seems　to　be　derived　from

astrape；　which　is　an　improvement　on　anastrope；　signifying　the　upsetting　of

the　eyes　（anastrephein　opa）。



HERMOGENES：　　What　do　you　say　of　pur　（fire）　and　udor　（water）？



SOCRATES：　　I　am　at　a　loss　how　to　explain　pur；　either　the　muse　of　Euthyphro

has　deserted　me；　or　there　is　some　very　great　difficulty　in　the　word。　

Please；　however；　to　note　the　contrivance　which　I　adopt　whenever　I　am　in　a

difficulty　of　this　sort。



HERMOGENES：　　What　is　it？



SOCRATES：　　I　will　tell　you；　but　I　should　like　to　know　first　whether　you　can

tell　me　what　is　the　meaning　of　the　pur？



HERMOGENES：　　Indeed　I　cannot。



SOCRATES：　　Shall　I　tell　you　what　I　suspect　to　be　the　true　explanation　of

this　and　several　other　words？My　belief　is　that　they　are　of　foreign

origin。　　For　the　Hellenes；　especially　those　who　were　under　the　dominion　of

the　barbarians；　often　borrowed　from　them。



HERMOGENES：　　What　is　the　inference？



SOCRATES：　　Why；　you　know　that　any　one　who　seeks　to　demonstrate　the　fitness

of　these　names　according　to　the　Hellenic　language；　and　not　according　to　the

language　from　which　the　words　are　derived；　is　rather　likely　to　be　at　fault。



HERMOGENES：　　Yes；　certainly。



SOCRATES：　　Well　then；　consider　whether　this　pur　is　not　foreign；　for　the

word　is　not　easily　brought　into　relation　with　the　Hellenic　tongue；　and　the

Phrygians　may　be　observed　to　have　the　same　word　slightly　changed；　just　as

they　have　udor　（water）　and　kunes　（dogs）；　and　many　other　words。



HERMOGENES：　　That　is　true。



SOCRATES：　　Any　violent　interpretations　of　the　words　should　be　avoided；　for

something　to　say　about　them　may　easily　be　found。　　And　thus　I　get　rid　of　pur

and　udor。　　Aer　（air）；　Hermogenes；　may　be　explained　as　the　element　which

raises　（airei）　things　from　the　earth；　or　as　ever　flowing　（aei　rei）；　or

because　the　flux　of　the　air　is　wind；　and　the　poets　call　the　winds　'air…

blasts；'　（aetai）；　he　who　uses　the　term　may　mean；　so　to　speak；　air…flux

（aetorroun）；　in　the　sense　of　wind…flux　（pneumatorroun）；　and　because　this

moving　wind　may　be　expressed　by　either　term　he　employs　the　word　air　（aer　=

aetes　rheo）。　　Aither　（aether）　I　should　interpret　as　aeitheer；　this　may　be

correctly　said；　because　this　element　is　always　running　in　a　flux　about　the

air　（aei　thei　peri　tou　aera　reon）。　　The　meaning　of　the　word　ge　（earth）

comes　out　better　when　in　the　form　of　gaia；　for　the　earth　may　be　truly

called　'mother'　（gaia；　genneteira）；　as　in　the　language　of　Homer　（Od。）

gegaasi　means　gegennesthai。



HERMOGENES：　　Good。



SOCRATES：　　What　shall　we　take　next？



HERMOGENES：　　There　are　orai　（the　seasons）；　and　the　two　names　of　the　year；

eniautos　and　etos。



SOCRATES：　　The　orai　should　be　spelt　in　the　old　Attic　way；　if　you　desire　to

know　the　probable　truth　about　them；　they　are　rightly　called　the　orai

because　they　divide　（orizousin）　the　summers　and　winters　and　winds　and　the

fruits　of　the　earth。　　The　words　eniautos　and　etos　appear　to　be　the　same；

'that　which　brings　to　light　the　plants　and　growths　of　the　earth　in　their

turn；　and　passes　them　in　review　within　itself　（en　eauto　exetazei）'：　　this

is　broken　up　into　two　words；　eniautos　from　en　eauto；　and　etos　from　etazei；

just　as　the　original　name　of　Zeus　was　divided　into　Zena　and　Dia；　and　the

whole　proposition　means　that　his　power　of　reviewing　from　within　is　one；　but

has　two　names；　two　words　etos　and　eniautos　being　thus　formed　out　of　a

single　proposition。



HERMOGENES：　　Indeed；　Socrates；　you　make　surprising　progress。



SOCRATES：　　I　am　run　away　with。



HERMOGENES：　　Very　true。



SOCRATES：　　But　am　not　yet　at　my　utmost　speed。



HERMOGENES：　　I　should　like　very　much　to　know；　in　the　next　place；　how　you

would　explain　the　virtues。　　What　principle　of　correctness　is　there　in　those

charming　wordswisdom；　understanding；　justice；　and　the　rest　of　them？



SOCRATES：　　That　is　a　tremendous　class　of　names　which　you　are　disinterring；

still；　as　I　have　put　on　the　lion's　skin；　I　must　not　be　faint　of　heart；　and

I　suppose　that　I　must　consider　the　meaning　of　wisdom　（phronesis）　and

understanding　（sunesis）；　and　judgment　（gnome）；　and　knowledge　（episteme）；

and　all　those　other　charming　words；　as　you　call　them？



HERMOGENES：　　Surely；　we　must　not　leave　off　until　we　find　out　their　meaning。



SOCRATES：　　By　the　dog　of　Egypt　I　have　a　not　bad　notion　which　came　into　my

head　only　this　moment：　　I　believe　that　the　primeval　givers　of　names　were

undoubtedly　like　too　many　of　our　modern　philosophers；　who；　in　their　search

after　the　nature　of　things；　are　always　getting　dizzy　from　constantly　going

round　and　round；　and　then　they　imagine　that　the　world　is　going　round　and

round　and　moving　in　all　directions；　and　this　appearance；　which　arises　out

of　their　own　internal　condition；　they　suppose　to　be　a　reality　of　nature；

they　think　that　there　is　nothing　stable　or　permanent；　but　only　flux　and

motion；　and　that　the　world　is　always　full　of　every　sort　of　motion　and

change。　　The　consideration　of　the　names　which　I　mentioned　has　led　me　into

making　this　reflection。



HERMOGENES：　　How　is　that；　Socrates？



SOCRATES：　　Perhaps　you　did　not　observe　that　in　the　names　which　have　been

just　cited；　the　motion　or　flux　or　generation　of　things　is　most　surely

indicated。



HERMOGENES：　　No；　indeed；　I　never　thought　of　it。



SOCRATES：　　Take　the　first　of　those　which　you　mentioned；　clearly　that　is　a

name　indicative　of　motion。



HERMOGENES：　　What　was　the　name？



SOCRATES：　　Phronesis　（wisdom）；　which　may　signify　phoras　kai　rhou　noesis

（perception　of　motion　and　flux）；　or　perhaps　phoras　onesis　（the　blessing　of

motion）；　but　is　at　any　rate　connected　with　pheresthai　（motion）；　gnome

（judgment）；　again；　certainly　implies　the　ponderation　or　consideration

（nomesis）　of　generation；　for　to　ponder　is　the　same　as　to　consider；　or；　if

you　would　rather；　here　is　noesis；　the　very　word　just　now　mentioned；　which

is　neou　esis　（the　desire　of　the　new）；　the　word　neos　implies　that　the　world

is　always　in　process　of　creation。　　The　giver　of　the　name　wanted　to　express

this　longing　of　the　soul；　for　the　original　name　was　neoesis；　and　not

noesis；　but　eta　took　the　place　of　a　double　epsilon。　　The　word　sophrosune　is

the　salvation　（soteria）　of　that　wisdom　（phronesis）　which　we　were　just　now

considering。　　Epioteme　（knowledge）　is　akin　to　this；　and　indicates　that　the

soul　which　is　good　for　anything　follows　（epetai）　the　motion　of　things；

neither　anticipating　them　nor　falling　behind　them；　wherefore　the　word

should　rather　be　read　as　epistemene；　inserting　epsilon　nu。　　Sunesis

（understanding）　may　be　regarded　in　like　manner　as　a　kind　of　conclusion；　the

word　is　derived　from　sunienai　（to　go　along　with）；　and；　like　epistasthai　（to

know）；　implies　the　progression　of　the　soul　in　company　with　the　nature　of

things。　　Sophia　（wisdom）　is　very　dark；　and　appears　not　to　be　of　native

growth；　the　meaning　is；　touching　the　motion　or　stream　of　things。　　You　must

remember　that　the　poets；　when　they　speak　of　the　commencement　of　any　rapid

motion；　often　use　the　word　esuthe　（he　rushed）；　and　there　was　a　famous

Lacedaemonian　who　was　named　Sous　（Rush）；　for　by　this　word　the

Lacedaemonians　signify　rapid　motion；　and　the　touching　（epaphe）　of　motion　is

expressed　by　sophia；　for　all　things　are　supposed　to　be　in　motion。　　Good

（agathon）　is　the　name　which　is　given　to　the　admirable　（agasto）　in　nature；

for；　although　all　things　move；　still　there　are　degrees　of　motion；　some　are

swifter；　some　slower；　but　there　are　some　things　which　are　admirable　for

their　swiftness；　and　this　admirable　part　of　nature　is　called　agathon。　

Dikaiosune　（justice）　is　clearly　dikaiou　sunesis　（understanding　of　the

just）；　but　the　actual　word　dikaion　is　more　difficult：　　men　are　only　agreed

to　a　certain　extent　about　justice；　and　then　they　begin　to　disagree。　　For

those　who　suppose　all　things　to　be　in　motion　conceive　the　greater　part　of

nature　to　be　a　mere　receptacle；　and　they　say　that　there　is　a　penetrating

power　which　passes　through　all　this；　and　is　the　instrument　of　creation　in

all；　and　is　the　subtlest　and　swiftest　element；　for　if　it　were　not　the

subtlest；　and　a　p