《cratylus》

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cratylus- 第23部分


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showing her wisdom。  And Hades; who is wise; consorts with her; because she

is wise。  They alter her name into Pherephatta now…a…days; because the

present generation care for euphony more than truth。  There is the other

name; Apollo; which; as I was saying; is generally supposed to have some

terrible signification。  Have you remarked this fact?



HERMOGENES:  To be sure I have; and what you say is true。



SOCRATES:  But the name; in my opinion; is really most expressive of the

power of the God。



HERMOGENES:  How so?



SOCRATES:  I will endeavour to explain; for I do not believe that any

single name could have been better adapted to express the attributes of the

God; embracing and in a manner signifying all four of them;music; and

prophecy; and medicine; and archery。



HERMOGENES:  That must be a strange name; and I should like to hear the

explanation。



SOCRATES:  Say rather an harmonious name; as beseems the God of Harmony。 

In the first place; the purgations and purifications which doctors and

diviners use; and their fumigations with drugs magical or medicinal; as

well as their washings and lustral sprinklings; have all one and the same

object; which is to make a man pure both in body and soul。



HERMOGENES:  Very true。



SOCRATES:  And is not Apollo the purifier; and the washer; and the absolver

from all impurities?



HERMOGENES:  Very true。



SOCRATES:  Then in reference to his ablutions and absolutions; as being the

physician who orders them; he may be rightly called Apolouon (purifier); or

in respect of his powers of divination; and his truth and sincerity; which

is the same as truth; he may be most fitly called Aplos; from aplous

(sincere); as in the Thessalian dialect; for all the Thessalians call him

Aplos; also he is aei Ballon (always shooting); because he is a master

archer who never misses; or again; the name may refer to his musical

attributes; and then; as in akolouthos; and akoitis; and in many other

words the alpha is supposed to mean 'together;' so the meaning of the name

Apollo will be 'moving together;' whether in the poles of heaven as they

are called; or in the harmony of song; which is termed concord; because he

moves all together by an harmonious power; as astronomers and musicians

ingeniously declare。  And he is the God who presides over harmony; and

makes all things move together; both among Gods and among men。  And as in

the words akolouthos and akoitis the alpha is substituted for an omicron;

so the name Apollon is equivalent to omopolon; only the second lambda is

added in order to avoid the ill…omened sound of destruction (apolon)。  Now

the suspicion of this destructive power still haunts the minds of some who

do not consider the true value of the name; which; as I was saying just

now; has reference to all the powers of the God; who is the single one; the

everdarting; the purifier; the mover together (aplous; aei Ballon;

apolouon; omopolon)。  The name of the Muses and of music would seem to be

derived from their making philosophical enquiries (mosthai); and Leto is

called by this name; because she is such a gentle Goddess; and so willing

(ethelemon) to grant our requests; or her name may be Letho; as she is

often called by strangersthey seem to imply by it her amiability; and her

smooth and easy…going way of behaving。  Artemis is named from her healthy

(artemes); well…ordered nature; and because of her love of virginity;

perhaps because she is a proficient in virtue (arete); and perhaps also as

hating intercourse of the sexes (ton aroton misesasa)。  He who gave the

Goddess her name may have had any or all of these reasons。



HERMOGENES:  What is the meaning of Dionysus and Aphrodite?



SOCRATES:  Son of Hipponicus; you ask a solemn question; there is a serious

and also a facetious explanation of both these names; the serious

explanation is not to be had from me; but there is no objection to your

hearing the facetious one; for the Gods too love a joke。  Dionusos is

simply didous oinon (giver of wine); Didoinusos; as he might be called in

fun;and oinos is properly oionous; because wine makes those who drink;

think (oiesthai) that they have a mind (noun) when they have none。  The

derivation of Aphrodite; born of the foam (aphros); may be fairly accepted

on the authority of Hesiod。



HERMOGENES:  Still there remains Athene; whom you; Socrates; as an

Athenian; will surely not forget; there are also Hephaestus and Ares。



SOCRATES:  I am not likely to forget them。



HERMOGENES:  No; indeed。



SOCRATES:  There is no difficulty in explaining the other appellation of

Athene。



HERMOGENES:  What other appellation?



SOCRATES:  We call her Pallas。



HERMOGENES:  To be sure。



SOCRATES:  And we cannot be wrong in supposing that this is derived from

armed dances。  For the elevation of oneself or anything else above the

earth; or by the use of the hands; we call shaking (pallein); or dancing。



HERMOGENES:  That is quite true。



SOCRATES:  Then that is the explanation of the name Pallas?



HERMOGENES:  Yes; but what do you say of the other name?



SOCRATES:  Athene?



HERMOGENES:  Yes。



SOCRATES:  That is a graver matter; and there; my friend; the modern

interpreters of Homer may; I think; assist in explaining the view of the

ancients。  For most of these in their explanations of the poet; assert that

he meant by Athene 'mind' (nous) and 'intelligence' (dianoia); and the

maker of names appears to have had a singular notion about her; and indeed

calls her by a still higher title; 'divine intelligence' (Thou noesis); as

though he would say:  This is she who has the mind of God (Theonoa);using

alpha as a dialectical variety for eta; and taking away iota and sigma

(There seems to be some error in the MSS。  The meaning is that the word

theonoa = theounoa is a curtailed form of theou noesis; but the omitted

letters do not agree。)。  Perhaps; however; the name Theonoe may mean 'she

who knows divine things' (Theia noousa) better than others。  Nor shall we

be far wrong in supposing that the author of it wished to identify this

Goddess with moral intelligence (en ethei noesin); and therefore gave her

the name ethonoe; which; however; either he or his successors have altered

into what they thought a nicer form; and called her Athene。



HERMOGENES:  But what do you say of Hephaestus?



SOCRATES:  Speak you of the princely lord of light (Phaeos istora)?



HERMOGENES:  Surely。



SOCRATES:  Ephaistos is Phaistos; and has added the eta by attraction; that

is obvious to anybody。



HERMOGENES:  That is very probable; until some more probable notion gets

into your head。



SOCRATES:  To prevent that; you had better ask what is the derivation of

Ares。



HERMOGENES:  What is Ares?



SOCRATES:  Ares may be called; if you will; from his manhood (arren) and

manliness; or if you please; from his hard and unchangeable nature; which

is the meaning of arratos:  the latter is a derivation in every way

appropriate to the God of war。



HERMOGENES:  Very true。



SOCRATES:  And now; by the Gods; let us have no more of the Gods; for I am

afraid of them; ask about anything but them; and thou shalt see how the

steeds of Euthyphro can prance。



HERMOGENES:  Only one more God!  I should like to know about Hermes; of

whom I am said not to be a true son。  Let us make him out; and then I shall

know whether there is any meaning in what Cratylus says。



SOCRATES:  I should imagine that the name Hermes has to do with speech; and

signifies that he is the interpreter (ermeneus); or messenger; or thief; or

liar; or bargainer; all that sort of thing has a great deal to do with

language; as I was telling you; the word eirein is expressive of the use of

speech; and there is an often…recurring Homeric word emesato; which means

'he contrived'out of these two words; eirein and mesasthai; the

legislator formed the name of the God who invented language and speech; and

we may imagine him dictating to us the use of this name:  'O my friends;'

says he to us; 'seeing that he is the contriver of tales or speeches; you

may rightly call him Eirhemes。'  And this has been improved by us; as we

think; into Hermes。  Iris also appears to have been called from the verb

'to tell' (eirein); because she was a messenger。



HERMOGENES:  Then I am very sure that Cratylus was quite right in saying

that I was no true son of Hermes (Ermogenes); for I am not a good hand at

speeches。



SOCRATES:  There is also reason; my friend; in Pan being the double…formed

son of Hermes。



HERMOGENES:  How do you make that out?



SOCRATES:  You are aware that speech signifies all things (pan); and is

always turning them round and round; and has two forms; true and false?



HERMOGENES:  Certainly。



SOCRATES:  Is not the truth that is in him the smooth or sacred form which

dwells above among the Gods; whereas falsehood dwells among men below; and

is rough like the goat of tragedy; for tales and falsehoods have generally

to do with the tragic or goatish life; and tragedy is the place of them?



HERMOGENES:  Very true。



SOCRATES:  Then surely Pan; who is the declarer of all things (pan) and the

perpetual mover (aei polon) of all things; is rightly called aipolos (goat…

herd); he being the two…formed son of Hermes; smooth in his upper part; and

rough and goatlike in his lower regions。  And; as the son of Hermes; he is

speech or the brother of speech; and that brother should be like brother is

no marvel。  But; as I was saying; my dear Hermogenes; let us get away from

the Gods。



HERMOGENES:  From these sort of Gods; by all means; Socrates。  But why

should we not discuss another kind of Godsthe sun; moon; stars; earth;

aether; air; fire; water; the seasons; and the year?



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

will not refuse。



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