The Republic — Page 1

English → Japanese INTRODUCTION AND ANALYSIS. Level 9/10

The Republic of Plato is the longest of his works with the exception of the Laws, and is certainly the greatest of them.

プラトンの『国家』は、『法律』を除けば彼の著作の中で最も長く、そして確かにその中で最も偉大なものである。

There are nearer approaches to modern metaphysics in the Philebus and in the Sophist; the Politicus or Statesman is more ideal; the form and institutions of the State are more clearly drawn out in the Laws; as works of art, the Symposium and the Protagoras are of higher excellence.

『ピレボス』や『ソフィスト』には近代の形而上学により近い接近がみられ、『ポリティコス』すなわち『政治家』はより理想的であり、国家の形態と制度は『法律』においてより明確に描き出されており、芸術作品としては『饗宴』と『プロタゴラス』の方が優れている。

But no other Dialogue of Plato has the same largeness of view and the same perfection of style; no other shows an equal knowledge of the world, or contains more of those thoughts which are new as well as old, and not of one age only but of all.

しかし、プラトンの他のいかなる対話篇も、同じ広大な視野と同じ完璧な文体を持つものはなく、世界についての同等の知識を示すものも、古くもあり新しくもあり、一つの時代だけでなくあらゆる時代に属するような思想をより多く含むものもない。

Nowhere in Plato is there a deeper irony or a greater wealth of humour or imagery, or more dramatic power.

プラトンの著作のどこにも、これほど深い皮肉や、これほど豊かなユーモアや描写、あるいはこれほど劇的な力はみられない。

Nor in any other of his writings is the attempt made to interweave life and speculation, or to connect politics with philosophy.

また、彼の他のいかなる著作においても、生と思索を織り交ぜ、あるいは政治を哲学と結びつけようとする試みはなされていない。

The Republic is the centre around which the other Dialogues may be grouped; here philosophy reaches the highest point (cp, especially in Books V, VI, VII) to which ancient thinkers ever attained.

『国家』は他の対話篇がその周りに集まることのできる中心であり、ここにおいて哲学は（特に第五巻、第六巻、第七巻において）古代の思想家たちがかつて到達した最高点に達している。

Plato among the Greeks, like Bacon among the moderns, was the first who conceived a method of knowledge, although neither of them always distinguished the bare outline or form from the substance of truth; and both of them had to be content with an abstraction of science which was not yet realized.

ギリシア人の中でのプラトンは、近代人の中でのベーコンと同様に、知識の方法を構想した最初の人物であったが、彼らのどちらも常に真理の単なる輪郭や形式を真理の実質から区別していたわけではなく、また両者ともいまだ実現されていない科学の抽象化に甘んじなければならなかった。

Vocabulary

の: no — Possessive or linking particle.
国家: kokka — State, nation, or country.
は: wa — Topic-marking particle.
法律: hōritsu — Law, legal rules and regulations.
を: wo — Object-marking particle.
除け: noke — Excluding, setting aside something.
ば: ba — Conditional particle meaning 'if' or 'except'.
彼: kare — He, him; third-person male pronoun.
著作: chosaku — Written work, literary or academic publication.
中: naka — Inside, among, within a group.
で: de — Particle indicating location, means, or context.
最も: mottomo — Most, to the greatest degree.
長く: nagaku — Long, lengthy; adverbial form of long.
そして: soshite — And then, additionally, furthermore.
確かに: tashika ni — Certainly, surely, without doubt.
その: sono — That, the (demonstrative adjective).
偉大: idai — Great, magnificent, of outstanding importance.
な: na — Adjectival linking particle for na-adjectives.
もの: mono — Thing, object, or work.
ある: aru — To exist, to be (inanimate).
や: ya — And (listing particle), among others.
に: ni — Particle indicating direction, location, or target.
近代: kindai — Modern era, modern times.
形而上学: keijijōgaku — Metaphysics, philosophical study of ultimate reality.
より: yori — Than, more than; comparative particle.
近い: chikai — Close, near, similar.
接近: sekkin — Approach, coming close to something.
が: ga — Subject-marking particle.
みられ: mirare — Can be seen, is observed (passive).
すなわち: sunawachi — That is, namely, in other words.
政治家: seijika — Politician, statesman.
理想的: risōteki — Ideal, perfect, most desirable.
あり: ari — Exists, is; conjunctive form of aru.
形態: keitai — Form, shape, structure.
と: to — And, with; connecting or quoting particle.
制度: seido — System, institution, established arrangement.
おいて: oite — In, at, regarding (formal location expression).
明確: meikaku — Clear, distinct, unambiguous.
描き出さ: egakidasa — To depict, portray, draw out vividly.
れ: re — Passive auxiliary verb suffix.
て: te — Conjunctive particle connecting actions.
おり: ori — Is (humble/formal continuous form of iru).
芸術: geijutsu — Art, fine arts, artistic creation.
作品: sakuhin — Work of art, literary or artistic piece.
して: shite — As, doing; conjunctive form of suru.
饗宴: kyōen — Symposium, banquet; Plato's dialogue on love.
方: hō — Direction, side, way; comparative option.
優れ: sugure — Superior, excellent, outstanding.
いる: iru — To exist, to be (animate beings).
しかし: shikashi — However, but, nevertheless.
他: hoka — Other, another, the rest.
いかなる: ikanaru — Any, whatever kind of (formal/literary).
対話篇: taiwahen — Dialogue (literary form); Platonic dialogues.
も: mo — Also, too, even; inclusive particle.
同じ: onaji — Same, identical, equal.
広大: kōdai — Vast, extensive, broad in scope.
視野: shiya — Field of vision, perspective, outlook.
完璧: kanpeki — Perfect, flawless, without fault.
文体: buntai — Writing style, literary style.
持つ: motsu — To have, hold, possess.
なく: naku — Without, not having; negative conjunctive.
世界: sekai — World, universe, realm.
について: ni tsuite — About, concerning, regarding.
同等: dōtō — Equal, equivalent, on the same level.
知識: chishiki — Knowledge, information, understanding.
示す: shimesu — To show, indicate, demonstrate.
古く: furuku — Old, ancient; adverbial form of old.
新しく: atarashiku — New, newly; adverbial form of new.
一つ: hitotsu — One thing, one item.
時代: jidai — Era, age, period of time.
だけ: dake — Only, just, limited to.
あらゆる: arayuru — Every, all kinds of, any possible.
属する: zokusuru — To belong to, be part of.
よう: yō — Seems like, appears to; conjecture form.
思想: shisō — Thought, ideology, philosophical idea.
多く: ōku — Many, much, a large number.
含む: fukumu — To include, contain, encompass.
ない: nai — Not, non-existent; negative form.
どこ: doko — Where, which place.
これほど: korehodo — This much, to this extent.
深い: fukai — Deep, profound, intense.
皮肉: hiniku — Irony, sarcasm, cynical remark.
豊か: yutaka — Rich, abundant, plentiful.
ユーモア: yūmoa — Humor, wit, comic quality.
描写: byōsha — Description, depiction, portrayal.
あるいは: aruiwa — Or, alternatively, perhaps.
劇的: gekiteki — Dramatic, theatrical, striking in effect.
力: chikara — Power, strength, force.
また: mata — Also, again, moreover.
生: nama / sei — Life, raw, living; vitality.
思索: shisaku — Deep thought, philosophical reflection, contemplation.
織り交ぜ: orimaze — To interweave, mix together, blend in.
政治: seiji — Politics, political affairs, governance.
哲学: tetsugaku — Philosophy, philosophical study and thought.
結びつけよ: musubitsukeyō — To tie together, connect, link (volitional).
う: u — Volitional auxiliary; let's, shall, will.
する: suru — To do, perform, carry out.
試み: kokoromi — Attempt, trial, endeavor.
なさ: nasa — Lack, absence of (noun form of nai).
い: i — Verb ending or auxiliary (iru shortened).
周り: mawari — Surroundings, around, vicinity.
集まる: atsumaru — To gather, assemble, come together.
こと: koto — Thing, fact, matter (nominalizer).
できる: dekiru — To be able to, can do.
中心: chūshin — Center, core, focal point.
ここ: koko — Here, this place.
特に: toku ni — Especially, particularly, in particular.
第五巻: dai go kan — Volume five, the fifth volume/book.
第六巻: dai roku kan — Volume six, the sixth volume/book.
第七巻: dai nana kan — Volume seven, the seventh volume/book.
古代: kodai — Ancient times, antiquity.
思想家: shisōka — Thinker, intellectual, philosopher.
たち: tachi — Plural suffix for people.
かつて: katsute — Once, formerly, at one time.
到達: tōtatsu — Reaching, attaining, arriving at a goal.
した: shita — Did, past tense of suru.
最高点: saikōten — Highest point, peak, summit.
達し: tasshi — Reached, attained (conjunctive form).
人: hito / jin — Person, people, human being.
同様: dōyō — Similarly, likewise, in the same way.
方法: hōhō — Method, way, approach, procedure.
構想: kōsō — Concept, plan, grand design, conception.
最初: saisho — First, beginning, the very start.
人物: jinbutsu — Person, figure, character, personage.
あった: atta — Was, existed; past tense of aru.
彼ら: karera — They, them (male or mixed group).
どちら: dochira — Which one, either, both of two.
常に: tsune ni — Always, constantly, at all times.
真理: shinri — Truth, ultimate truth, fundamental fact.
単なる: tan naru — Mere, simple, nothing more than.
輪郭: rinkaku — Outline, contour, rough shape.
形式: keishiki — Form, format, formality, structure.
実質: jisshitsu — Substance, essence, actual content.
から: kara — From, because; starting point particle.
区別: kubetsu — Distinction, differentiation, telling apart.
いた: ita — Was (animate); past tense of iru.
わけ: wake — Reason, meaning, circumstance, no wonder.
両者: ryōsha — Both parties, the two of them.
とも: tomo — Both, together, as well as.
いまだ: imada — Still, yet, not yet (formal/literary).
実現: jitsugen — Realization, actualization, coming to fruition.
さ: sa — Nominalizing suffix; casual sentence-final particle.
科学: kagaku — Science, scientific study and knowledge.
抽象化: chūshōka — Abstraction, making something abstract or general.
甘んじ: amanju — To be content with, accept reluctantly.
なけれ: nakere — Must not; conditional negative form.
なら: nara — If, in that case; conditional particle.
なかった: nakatta — Did not exist; past negative of nai.

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