crito-第2部分

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SCENE：　　The　Prison　of　Socrates。





SOCRATES：　　Why　have　you　come　at　this　hour；　Crito？　it　must　be　quite　early。



CRITO：　　Yes；　certainly。



SOCRATES：　　What　is　the　exact　time？



CRITO：　　The　dawn　is　breaking。



SOCRATES：　　I　wonder　that　the　keeper　of　the　prison　would　let　you　in。



CRITO：　　He　knows　me　because　I　often　come；　Socrates；　moreover。　　I　have　done

him　a　kindness。



SOCRATES：　　And　are　you　only　just　arrived？



CRITO：　　No；　I　came　some　time　ago。



SOCRATES：　　Then　why　did　you　sit　and　say　nothing；　instead　of　at　once

awakening　me？



CRITO：　　I　should　not　have　liked　myself；　Socrates；　to　be　in　such　great

trouble　and　unrest　as　you　areindeed　I　should　not：　　I　have　been　watching

with　amazement　your　peaceful　slumbers；　and　for　that　reason　I　did　not　awake

you；　because　I　wished　to　minimize　the　pain。　　I　have　always　thought　you　to

be　of　a　happy　disposition；　but　never　did　I　see　anything　like　the　easy；

tranquil　manner　in　which　you　bear　this　calamity。



SOCRATES：　　Why；　Crito；　when　a　man　has　reached　my　age　he　ought　not　to　be

repining　at　the　approach　of　death。



CRITO：　　And　yet　other　old　men　find　themselves　in　similar　misfortunes；　and

age　does　not　prevent　them　from　repining。



SOCRATES：　　That　is　true。　　But　you　have　not　told　me　why　you　come　at　this

early　hour。



CRITO：　　I　come　to　bring　you　a　message　which　is　sad　and　painful；　not；　as　I

believe；　to　yourself；　but　to　all　of　us　who　are　your　friends；　and　saddest　of

all　to　me。



SOCRATES：　　What？　　Has　the　ship　come　from　Delos；　on　the　arrival　of　which　I

am　to　die？



CRITO：　　No；　the　ship　has　not　actually　arrived；　but　she　will　probably　be

here　to…day；　as　persons　who　have　come　from　Sunium　tell　me　that　they　have

left　her　there；　and　therefore　to…morrow；　Socrates；　will　be　the　last　day　of

your　life。



SOCRATES：　　Very　well；　Crito；　if　such　is　the　will　of　God；　I　am　willing；　but

my　belief　is　that　there　will　be　a　delay　of　a　day。



CRITO：　　Why　do　you　think　so？



SOCRATES：　　I　will　tell　you。　　I　am　to　die　on　the　day　after　the　arrival　of

the　ship？



CRITO：　　Yes；　that　is　what　the　authorities　say。



SOCRATES：　　But　I　do　not　think　that　the　ship　will　be　here　until　to…morrow；

this　I　infer　from　a　vision　which　I　had　last　night；　or　rather　only　just　now；

when　you　fortunately　allowed　me　to　sleep。



CRITO：　　And　what　was　the　nature　of　the　vision？



SOCRATES：　　There　appeared　to　me　the　likeness　of　a　woman；　fair　and　comely；

clothed　in　bright　raiment；　who　called　to　me　and　said：　　O　Socrates；



'The　third　day　hence　to　fertile　Phthia　shalt　thou　go。'　　（Homer；　Il。）



CRITO：　　What　a　singular　dream；　Socrates！



SOCRATES：　　There　can　be　no　doubt　about　the　meaning；　Crito；　I　think。



CRITO：　　Yes；　the　meaning　is　only　too　clear。　　But；　oh！　my　beloved　Socrates；

let　me　entreat　you　once　more　to　take　my　advice　and　escape。　　For　if　you　die

I　shall　not　only　lose　a　friend　who　can　never　be　replaced；　but　there　is

another　evil：　　people　who　do　not　know　you　and　me　will　believe　that　I　might

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　you