友情提示:如果本网页打开太慢或显示不完整,请尝试鼠标右键“刷新”本网页!阅读过程发现任何错误请告诉我们,谢谢!! 报告错误
飞读中文网 返回本书目录 我的书架 我的书签 TXT全本下载 进入书吧 加入书签

cratylus-第8章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页,按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页,按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部!
————未阅读完?加入书签已便下次继续阅读!




all things; and is the cause of all things; quasi diaion going throughthe

letter kappa being inserted for the sake of euphony。  This is a great

mystery which has been confided to me; but when I ask for an explanation I

am thought obtrusive; and another derivation is proposed to me。  Justice is

said to be o kaion; or the sun; and when I joyfully repeat this beautiful

notion; I am answered; 'What; is there no justice when the sun is down?' 

And when I entreat my questioner to tell me his own opinion; he replies;

that justice is fire in the abstract; or heat in the abstract; which is not

very intelligible。  Others laugh at such notions; and say with Anaxagoras;

that justice is the ordering mind。  'I think that some one must have told

you this。'  And not the rest?  Let me proceed then; in the hope of proving

to you my originality。  Andreia is quasi anpeia quasi e ano roe; the stream

which flows upwards; and is opposed to injustice; which clearly hinders the

principle of penetration; arren and aner have a similar derivation; gune is

the same as gone; thelu is derived apo tes theles; because the teat makes

things flourish (tethelenai); and the word thallein itself implies increase

of youth; which is swift and sudden ever (thein and allesthai)。  I am

getting over the ground fast:  but much has still to be explained。  There

is techne; for instance。  This; by an aphaeresis of tau and an epenthesis

of omicron in two places; may be identified with echonoe; and signifies

'that which has mind。'



'A very poor etymology。'  Yes; but you must remember that all language is

in process of change; letters are taken in and put out for the sake of

euphony; and time is also a great alterer of words。  For example; what

business has the letter rho in the word katoptron; or the letter sigma in

the word sphigx?  The additions are often such that it is impossible to

make out the original word; and yet; if you may put in and pull out; as you

like; any name is equally good for any object。  The fact is; that great

dictators of literature like yourself should observe the rules of

moderation。  'I will do my best。'  But do not be too much of a precisian;

or you will paralyze me。  If you will let me add mechane; apo tou mekous;

which means polu; and anein; I shall be at the summit of my powers; from

which elevation I will examine the two words kakia and arete。  The first is

easily explained in accordance with what has preceded; for all things being

in a flux; kakia is to kakos ion。  This derivation is illustrated by the

word deilia; which ought to have come after andreia; and may be regarded as

o lian desmos tes psuches; just as aporia signifies an impediment to motion

(from alpha not; and poreuesthai to go); and arete is euporia; which is the

opposite of thisthe everflowing (aei reousa or aeireite); or the

eligible; quasi airete。  You will think that I am inventing; but I say that

if kakia is right; then arete is also right。  But what is kakon?  That is a

very obscure word; to which I can only apply my old notion and declare that

kakon is a foreign word。  Next; let us proceed to kalon; aischron。  The

latter is doubtless contracted from aeischoroun; quasi aei ischon roun。 

The inventor of words being a patron of the flux; was a great enemy to

stagnation。  Kalon is to kaloun ta pragmatathis is mind (nous or

dianoia); which is also the principle of beauty; and which doing the works

of beauty; is therefore rightly called the beautiful。  The meaning of

sumpheron is explained by previous examples;like episteme; signifying

that the soul moves in harmony with the world (sumphora; sumpheronta)。 

Kerdos is to pasi kerannumenonthat which mingles with all things: 

lusiteloun is equivalent to to tes phoras luon to telos; and is not to be

taken in the vulgar sense of gainful; but rather in that of swift; being

the principle which makes motion immortal and unceasing; ophelimon is apo

tou ophelleinthat which gives increase:  this word; which is Homeric; is

of foreign origin。  Blaberon is to blamton or boulomenon aptein tou rou

that which injures or seeks to bind the stream。  The proper word would be

boulapteroun; but this is too much of a mouthfullike a prelude on the

flute in honour of Athene。  The word zemiodes is difficult; great changes;

as I was saying; have been made in words; and even a small change will

alter their meaning very much。  The word deon is one of these disguised

words。  You know that according to the old pronunciation; which is

especially affected by the women; who are great conservatives; iota and

delta were used where we should now use eta and zeta:  for example; what we

now call emera was formerly called imera; and this shows the meaning of the

word to have been 'the desired one coming after night;' and not; as is

often supposed; 'that which makes things gentle' (emera)。  So again; zugon

is duogon; quasi desis duein eis agogen(the binding of two together for

the purpose of drawing。  Deon; as ordinarily written; has an evil sense;

signifying the chain (desmos) or hindrance of motion; but in its ancient

form dion is expressive of good; quasi diion; that which penetrates or goes

through all。  Zemiodes is really demiodes; and means that which binds

motion (dounti to ion):  edone is e pros ten onrsin teinousa praxisthe

delta is an insertion:  lupe is derived apo tes dialuseos tou somatos: ania

is from alpha and ienai; to go:  algedon is a foreign word; and is so

called apo tou algeinou:  odune is apo tes enduseos tes lupes:  achthedon

is in its very sound a burden:  chapa expresses the flow of soul:  terpsis

is apo tou terpnou; and terpnon is properly erpnon; because the sensation

of pleasure is likened to a breath (pnoe) which creeps (erpei) through the

soul:  euphrosune is named from pheresthai; because the soul moves in

harmony with nature:  epithumia is e epi ton thumon iousa dunamis:  thumos

is apo tes thuseos tes psuches:  imerosoti eimenos pei e psuche:  pothos;

the desire which is in another place; allothi pou:  eros was anciently

esros; and so called because it flows into (esrei) the soul from without: 

doxa is e dioxis tou eidenai; or expresses the shooting from a bow (toxon)。 

The latter etymology is confirmed by the words boulesthai; boule; aboulia;

which all have to do with shooting (bole):  and similarly oiesis is nothing

but the movement (oisis) of the soul towards essence。  Ekousion is to

eikonthe yieldinganagke is e an agke iousa; the passage through ravines

which impede motion:  aletheia is theia ale; divine motion。  Pseudos is the

opposite of this; implying the principle of constraint and forced repose;

which is expressed under the figure of sleep; to eudon; the psi is an

addition。  Onoma; a name; affirms the real existence of that which is

sought afteron ou masma estin。  On and ousia are only ion with an iota

broken off; and ouk on is ouk ion。  'And what are ion; reon; doun?'  One

way of explaining them has been already suggestedthey may be of foreign

orig
返回目录 上一页 下一页 回到顶部 0 0
未阅读完?加入书签已便下次继续阅读!
温馨提示: 温看小说的同时发表评论,说出自己的看法和其它小伙伴们分享也不错哦!发表书评还可以获得积分和经验奖励,认真写原创书评 被采纳为精评可以获得大量金币、积分和经验奖励哦!