crito-第2部分

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have　saved　you　if　I　had　been　willing　to　give　money；　but　that　I　did　not

care。　　Now；　can　there　be　a　worse　disgrace　than　thisthat　I　should　be

thought　to　value　money　more　than　the　life　of　a　friend？　　For　the　many　will

not　be　persuaded　that　I　wanted　you　to　escape；　and　that　you　refused。



SOCRATES：　　But　why；　my　dear　Crito；　should　we　care　about　the　opinion　of　the

many？　　Good　men；　and　they　are　the　only　persons　who　are　worth　considering；

will　think　of　these　things　truly　as　they　occurred。



CRITO：　　But　you　see；　Socrates；　that　the　opinion　of　the　many　must　be

regarded；　for　what　is　now　happening　shows　that　they　can　do　the　greatest

evil　to　any　one　who　has　lost　their　good　opinion。



SOCRATES：　　I　only　wish　it　were　so；　Crito；　and　that　the　many　could　do　the

greatest　evil；　for　then　they　would　also　be　able　to　do　the　greatest　good

and　what　a　fine　thing　this　would　be！　　But　in　reality　they　can　do　neither；

for　they　cannot　make　a　man　either　wise　or　foolish；　and　whatever　they　do　is

the　result　of　chance。



CRITO：　　Well；　I　will　not　dispute　with　you；　but　please　to　tell　me；　Socrates；

whether　you　are　not　acting　out　of　regard　to　me　and　your　other　friends：　　are

you　not　afraid　that　if　you　escape　from　prison　we　may　get　into　trouble　with

the　informers　for　having　stolen　you　away；　and　lose　either　the　whole　or　a

great　part　of　our　property；　or　that　even　a　worse　evil　may　happen　to　us？　

Now；　if　you　fear　on　our　account；　be　at　ease；　for　in　order　to　save　you；　we

ought　surely　to　run　this；　or　even　a　greater　risk；　be　persuaded；　then；　and

do　as　I　say。



SOCRATES：　　Yes；　Crito；　that　is　one　fear　which　you　mention；　but　by　no　means

the　only　one。



CRITO：　　Fear　notthere　are　persons　who　are　willing　to　get　you　out　of

prison　at　no　great　cost；　and　as　for　the　informers　they　are　far　from　being

exorbitant　in　their　demandsa　little　money　will　satisfy　them。　　My　means；

which　are　certainly　ample；　are　at　your　service；　and　if　you　have　a　scruple

about　spending　all　mine；　here　are　strangers　who　will　give　you　the　use　of

theirs；　and　one　of　them；　Simmias　the　Theban；　has　brought　a　large　sum　of

money　for　this　very　purpose；　and　Cebes　and　many　others　are　prepared　to

spend　their　money　in　helping　you　to　escape。　　I　say；　therefore；　do　not

hesitate　on　our　account；　and　do　not　say；　as　you　did　in　the　court　（compare

Apol。）；　that　you　will　have　a　difficulty　in　knowing　what　to　do　with　yourself

anywhere　else。　　For　men　will　love　you　in　other　places　to　which　you　may　go；

and　not　in　Athens　only；　there　are　friends　of　mine　in　Thessaly；　if　you　like

to　go　to　them；　who　will　value　and　protect　you；　and　no　Thessalian　will　give

you　any　trouble。　　Nor　can　I　think　that　you　are　at　all　justified；　Socrates；

in　betraying　your　own　life　when　you　might　be　saved；　in　acting　thus　you　are

playing　into　the　hands　of　your　enemies；　who　are　hurrying　on　your

destruction。　　And　further　I　should　say　that　you　are　deserting　your　own

children；　for　you　might　bring　them　up　and　educate　them；　instead　of　which

you　go　away　and　leave　them；　and　they　will　have　to　take　their　chance；　and　if

they　do　not　meet　with　the　usual　fate　of　orphans；　there　will　be　small　thanks

to　you。　　No　man　should　bring　children　into　the　world　who　is　unwilling　to

persevere　to　the　end　in　their　nurture　and　education。　　But　you　appear　to　be

choosing　the　easier　part；　not　the　better　and　manlier；　which　would　have　been

more　becoming　in　one　who　professes　to　care　for　virtue　in　all　his　actions；

like　yourself。　　And　indeed；　I　am　ashamed　not　only　of　you；　but　of　us　who　are

your　friends；　when　I　reflect　that　the　whole　business　will　be　attributed

entirely　to　our　want　of　courage。　　The　trial　need　never　have　come　on；　or

might　have　been　managed　differently；　and　this　last　act；　or　crowning　folly；

will　seem　to　have　occurred　through　our　negligence　and　cowardice；　who　might

have　saved　you；　if　we　had　been　good　for　anything；　and　you　might　have　saved

yourself；　for　there　was　no　difficulty　at　all。　　See　now；　Socrates；　how　sad

and　discreditable　are　the　consequences；　both　to　us　and　you。　　Make　up　your

mind　then；　or　rather　have　your　mind　already　made　up；　for　the　time　of

deliberation　is　over；　and　there　is　only　one　thing　to　be　done；　which　must　be

done　this　very　night；　and　if　we　delay　at　all　will　be　no　longer　practicable

or　possible；　I　beseech　you　therefore；　Socrates；　be　persuaded　by　me；　and　do

as　I　say。



SOCRATES：　　Dear　Crito；　your　zeal　is　invaluable；　if　a　right　one；　but　if

wrong；　the　greater　the　zeal　the　greater　the　danger；　and　therefore　we　ought

to　consider　whether　I　shall　or　shall　not　do　as　you　say。　　For　I　am　and

always　have　been　one　of　those　natures　who　must　be　guided　by　reason；

whatever　the　reason　may　be　which　upon　reflection　appears　to　me　to　be　the

best；　and　now　that　this　chance　has　befallen　me；　I　cannot　repudiate　my　own

words：　　the　principles　which　I　have　hitherto　honoured　and　revered　I　still

honour；　and　unless　we　can　at　once　find　other　and　better　principles；　I　am

certain　not　to　agree　with　you；　no；　not　even　if　the　power　of　the　multitude

could　inflict　many　more　imprisonments；　confiscations；　deaths；　frightening

us　like　children　with　hobgoblin　terrors　（compare　Apol。）。　　What　will　be　the

fairest　way　of　considering　the　question？　　Shall　I　return　to　your　old

argument　about　the　opinions　of　men？we　were　saying　that　some　of　them　are

to　be　regarded；　and　others　not。　　Now　were　we　right　in　maintaining　this

before　I　was　condemned？　　And　has　the　argument　which　was　once　good　now

proved　to　be　talk　for　the　sake　of　talkingmere　childish　nonsense？　　That　is

what　I　want　to　consider　with　your　help；　Crito：whether；　under　my　present

circumstances；　the　argument　appears　to　be　in　any　way　different　or　not；　and

is　to　be　allowed　by　me　or　disallowed。　　That　argument；　which；　as　I　believe；

is　maintained　by　many　persons　of　authority；　was　to　the　effect；　as　I　was

saying；　that　the　opinions　of　some　men　are　to　be　regarded；　and　of　other　men

not　to　be　regarded。　　Now　you；　Crito；　are　not　going　to　die　to…morrowat

least；　there　is　no　human　probability　of　this；　and　therefore　you　are

disinterested　and　not　liable　to　be　deceived　by　the　circumstances　in　which

you　are　placed。　　Tell　me　then；　whether　I　am　right　in　saying　that　some

opinions；　and　the　opinions　of　some　men　only；　are　to　be　valued；　and　that

other　opinions；　and　the　opinions　of　other　men；　are　not　to　be　valued。　　I　ask

you　whether　I　was　right　in　maintaining　this？



CRITO：　　Certainly。



SOCRATES：　　The　good　are　to　be　regarded；　and　not　the　bad？



CRITO：　　Yes。



SOCRATES：　　And　the　opinions　of　the　wise　are　good；　and　the　opinions　of　the

unwise　are　evil？



CRITO：　　Certainly。



SOCRATES：　　And　what　was　said　about　another　matter？　　Is　the　pupil　who

devotes　himself　to　the　practice　of　gymnastics　supposed　to　attend　to　the

praise　and　blame　and　opinion　of　every　man；　or　of　one　man　onlyhis

physician　or　trainer；　whoever　he　may　be？



CRITO：　　Of　one　man　only。



SOCRATES：　　And　he　ought　to　fear　the　censure　and　welcome　the　praise　of　that

one　only；　and　not　of　the　many？



CRITO：　　Clearly　so。



SOCRATES：　　And　he　ought　to　act　and　train；　and　eat　and　drink　in　the　way

which　seems　good　to　his　single　master　who　has　understanding；　rather　than

according　to　the　opinion　of　all　other　men　put　together？



CRITO：　　True。



SOCRATES：　　And　if　he　disobeys　and　disregards　the　opinion　and　approval　of

the　one；　and　regards　the　opinion　of　the　many　who　have　no　understanding；

will　he　not　suffer　evil？



CRITO：　　Certainly　he　will。



SOCRATES：　　And　what　will　the　evil　be；　whither　tending　and　what　affecting；

in　the　disobedient　person？



CRITO：　　Clearly；　affecting　the　body；　that　is　what　is　destroyed　by　the　evil。



SOCRATES：　　Very　good；　and　is　not　this　true；　Crito；　of　other　things　which　we

need　not　separately　enumerate？　　In　questions　of　just　and　unjust；　fair　and

foul；　good　and　evil；　which　are　the　subjects　of　our　present　consultation；

ought　we　to　follow　the　opinion　of　the　many　and　to　fear　them；　or　the　opinion

of　the　one　man　who　has　understanding？　ought　we　not　to　fear　and　reverence

him　more　than　all　the　rest　of　the　world：　　and　if　we　desert　him　shall　we　not

destroy　and　injure　that　principle　in　us　which　may　be　assumed　to　be　improved

by　justice　and　deteriorated　by　injustice；there　is　such　a　principle？



CRITO：　　Certainly　there　is；　Socrates。



SOCRATES：　　Take　a　parallel　instance：if；　acting　under　the　advice　of　those

who　have　no　understanding；　we　destroy　that　which　is　improved　by　health　and

is　deteriorated　by　disease；　would　life　be　worth　having？　　And　that　which　has

been　destroyed　isthe　body？



CRITO：　　Yes。



SOCRATES：　　Could　we　live；　having　an　evil　and　corrupted　body？



CRITO：　　Certainly　not。



SOCRATES：　　And　will　life　be　worth　having；　if　that　higher　part　of　man　be

destroyed；　which　is　improved　by　justice　and　depraved　by　injustice？　　Do　we

suppose　that　principle；　whatever　it　may　be　in　man；　which　has　to　do　with

justice　and　injustice；　to　be　inferior　to　the　body？



CRITO：　　Certainly　not。



SOCRATES：　　More　honourable　than　the　body？



CRITO：　　Far　more。



SOCRATES：　　Then；　my　friend；　we　must　not　regard　what　the　many　say　of　us：　

but　what　he；　the　one　man　who　has　understanding　of　just　and　unjust；　will

say；　and　what　the　truth　will　say。　　And　therefore　you　begin　in　error　when

you　advise　that　we　should　regard　the　opinion　of　the　many　about　just　and

unjust；　good　and　evil；　honorable　and　dishonorable。'Well；'　some　one　will

say；　'but　the　many　can　kill　us。'



CRITO：　　Yes；　Socrates；　that　will　clearly　be　the　answer。



SOCRATES：　　And　it　is　true；　but　still　I　find　with　surprise　that　the　old

argument　is　unshaken　as　ever。　　And　I　should　like　to　know　whether　I　may　say

the　same　of　another　propositionthat　not　life；　but　a　good　life；　is　to　be

chiefly　valued？



CRITO：　　Yes；　that　also　remains　unshaken。



SOCRATES：　　And　a　good　life　is　equivalent　to　a　just　and　honorable　onethat

holds　also？



CRITO：　　Yes；　it　does。



SOCRATES：　　From　these　premisses　I　proceed　to　argue　the　question　whether　I

ought　or　ought　not　to　try　and　es