翻译 柏拉图与苏格拉底

Dialogues Between Socrates and Plato about Love and Marriage

柏拉图与苏格拉底关于爱情与婚姻的对话

Plato once asked his teacher Socrates, “What is love?” Socrates told him to go into the cornfield and pick the biggest corn that he could find, but he could only pick once. Also he was only allowed to walk forward, not backward. In the end, Plato came back with both hands empty. Socrates asked him why, and he said, “Ev ery time I saw a big corn, at first I wanted to pick it, but because I didn’t know if there were better ones ahead, I gave up on that one. By the time I walked to the end of the corn field, I found the corns at the end to be not as good as the ones I saw in the front. Originally the corn field’s biggest corn was one of the earliest ones that I have missed,

so I didn’t bother anymore.

一天，柏拉图向老师请教什么是爱情？苏格拉底就叫柏拉图去麦田里捡一棵最大最好的麦穗回来，只能捡一棵，而且要不回头地走。结果柏拉图两手空空就回来了，苏格拉底问他为什么。柏拉图解释说：自己在麦田看到很多又大又好麦穗，而他以为后面还会遇到更大更好的麦穗，所以直到走出麦田也没捡一棵麦穗。

Socrates said, "This is love.”

苏格拉底于是告诉柏拉图这就是爱情。

Another day, Plato asked Socrates what is marriage. Socrates told him to go into the forest and cut down the biggest and prettiest tree, but the conditions were the same as the last time: he could only cut once, and he could only move forward, not backward. This time Plato brought back an ordinary one. Socrates asked him why, and he said, “Because of my previous experience. I walked through half of the forest, and was still empty handed. When I saw this tree, I didn’t care if it was the prettiest or

not, so I cut it down in fear that I would miss it.”

柏拉图有一天又问老师苏格拉底什么是婚姻？苏格拉底叫他到彬树林走一次，要不回头地走，在途中要取一棵最好、最适合用来当圣诞树用的树材，但只可以取一次。柏拉图有了上回的教训，充满信心地出去。半天之后，他一身疲惫地拖了一棵看起来直挺、翠绿，却有点稀疏的杉树，苏格拉底问他：“这就是最好的树材吗？”柏拉图回答老师：“因为只可以取一棵，好不容易看见一棵看似不错的又发现时间、体力已经快不够用了，也不管是不是最好的，所以就拿回来了。”

Socrates said, “This is marriage.”

这时，苏格拉底告诉他：“那就是婚姻”。

The other day, Plato asked Socrates what is affairs. Socrates told him to go into

the forest and pick the nicest flowers that he could find on his way back. Plato went out with confidence.Two hours later, he broought back a bright but a little withered flowers. Socrates asked him why, and he said, “I had been looking for two hours and found that it was the most beautiful flower in full bloom, but when I took it back, it

gradually withered down on the way.”

柏拉图又有一天又问老师苏格拉底什么是外遇？苏格拉底还是叫他到树林走一次，可以来回走。在途中要取一支最好看的花，柏拉图又充满信心地出去。两个小时之后，他精神抖擞地带回了一支颜色艳丽但稍稍蔫掉的花。苏格拉底问他：“这就是最好的花吗？”柏拉图回答老师：“我找了两小时，发觉这是最盛开最美丽的花，但我采下带回来的路上，它就逐渐枯萎下来。”

Socrates said, “This is affairs.”

这时，苏格拉底告诉他：“那就是外遇。”

Plato once asked Socrates what is life. Socrates told him to go into the forest again and pick the nicest flower on his way back. Because of his previous experience, Plato went out fullof confidence.Three days and nights went, he didn’t come back. Socrates but wnet in to the forest to look for him. Out of his expectation, Socrates found that Plato had lived there.Socrates asked, “Have you got the nicest floewrs?”Plato pointed to the flowers on his side,“ those are the most beautiful flowers in the forest”.Why don’t you take them away? Plato asked, “ If I pick it up, the flower will wither down at once. Even if I don’t pick the flower, it will wither sooner or later. Therefore, I live beside the flowers in its bloom season and leave when it wither down. Then I begin my finding for the next beautiful flower.

又有一天,又问老师苏格拉底什么是生活？苏格拉底还是叫他到树林走一次，可以来回走，在途中要取一支最好看的花。柏拉图有了以前的教训，又充满信心地出去。过了三天三夜，他也没有回来。苏格拉底只好走进树林里去找他，最后发现柏拉图已在树林里安营扎寨。苏格拉底问他：“你找着最好看的花吗？”柏拉图指着边上的一朵花说：“这就是最好看的花。”苏格拉底问：“为什么不把它带出去呢？”柏拉图回答老师：“我如果把它摘下来，它马上就枯萎。即使我不摘它，它也迟早会枯。所以我就在它还盛开的时候，住在它边上。等它凋谢的时候，再找下一朵。这已经是我找着的第二朵最好看的花。”

S ocrates said, “This is life.”

这时，苏格拉底告诉他：“你已经懂得生活的真谛了。”