The Republic — Page 4
We can only guess why the great design was abandoned; perhaps because Plato became sensible of some incongruity in a fictitious history, or because he had lost his interest in it, or because advancing years forbade the completion of it; and we may please ourselves with the fancy that had this imaginary narrative ever been finished, we should have found Plato himself sympathising with the struggle for Hellenic independence (cp. Laws, iii. 698 ff.), singing a hymn of triumph over Marathon and Salamis, perhaps making the reflection of Herodotus (v. 78) where he contemplates the growth of the Athenian empire—'How brave a thing is freedom of speech, which has made the Athenians so far exceed every other state of Hellas in greatness!' or, more probably, attributing the victory to the ancient good order of Athens and to the favor of Apollo and Athene (cp. Introd. to Critias).
なぜこの壮大な構想が放棄されたのかは、推測するほかない。おそらくは、プラトンが架空の歴史における何らかの矛盾に気づいたからであろうか、あるいはその題材への関心を失ったからであろうか、もしくは加齢によって完成が妨げられたからであろうか。そして、もしこの架空の物語が完成していたならば、プラトン自身がヘラスの独立をめぐる闘争に共感し(『法律』第三巻698節以降参照)、マラトンとサラミスの勝利を讃える賛歌を歌い、あるいはヘロドトス(第五巻78節)がアテナイ帝国の成長を省みて述べた「言論の自由とはなんと勇敢なものであろうか、それはアテナイ人をヘラスの他のいかなる国家をも遥かに凌ぐほどの偉大さへと導いたのだ!」という感慨を抱き、あるいはより蓋然性が高いこととして、その勝利をアテナイの古来の良き秩序とアポロンおよびアテネの恩寵に帰したであろうと、私たちは想像を楽しむことができる(『クリティアス』序論参照)。
Again, Plato may be regarded as the 'captain' ('arhchegoz') or leader of a goodly band of followers; for in the Republic is to be found the original of Cicero's De Republica, of St. Augustine's City of God, of the Utopia of Sir Thomas More, and of the numerous other imaginary States which are framed upon the same model.
また、プラトンは多くの優れた追随者たちを率いる「首領」(「アルケゴス」)あるいは指導者と見なすこともできる。というのも、『国家』の中にこそ、キケロの『国家論』、聖アウグスティヌスの『神の国』、トマス・モア卿の『ユートピア』、そして同じ模型に基づいて構築された数多くの他の架空の国家の原型が見出されるからである。
The extent to which Aristotle or the Aristotelian school were indebted to him in the Politics has been little recognised, and the recognition is the more necessary because it is not made by Aristotle himself.
アリストテレスあるいはアリストテレス学派が『政治学』においてプラトンにどれほど多くを負っているかは、ほとんど認識されてこなかった。そしてこの認識はアリストテレス自身によってなされていないがゆえに、なおさら必要なことである。
Vocabulary
- なぜ
- naze — Why; for what reason
- この
- kono — This (referring to something nearby)
- 壮大
- sōdai — Grand, magnificent, vast in scale
- な
- na — Adjectival copula linking na-adjectives to nouns
- 構想
- kōsō — Plan, concept, grand design or vision
- が
- ga — Subject marker particle in Japanese grammar
- 放棄
- hōki — Abandonment, giving up, relinquishment
- た
- ta — Past tense verb ending in Japanese
- の
- no — Nominalizer or possessive particle
- か
- ka — Question marker particle at sentence end
- は
- wa — Topic marker particle in Japanese
- 推測
- suisoku — Conjecture, guess, supposition about something unknown
- する
- suru — To do; general-purpose action verb
- ほか
- hoka — Other, besides, no other option available
- ない
- nai — Negative ending; does not exist or occur
- おそらく
- osoraku — Probably, perhaps, most likely
- 架空
- kakū — Fictional, imaginary, not based on reality
- 歴史
- rekishi — History, historical record or events
- における
- ni okeru — In, within, regarding a particular context
- 何らか
- nanraka — Some kind of, some sort of unspecified thing
- 矛盾
- mujun — Contradiction, inconsistency, logical conflict
- に
- ni — Particle indicating direction, location, or cause
- 気づい
- kizui — Noticed, became aware of (conjunctive form)
- から
- kara — Because, from; indicates reason or origin
- で
- de — Copula or particle indicating means or location
- あろう
- arō — Probably is; volitional/presumptive form of ある
- ある
- aru — To exist, to be (for inanimate things)
- その
- sono — That, the (referring to previously mentioned thing)
- 題材
- daizai — Subject matter, theme, material for a work
- へ
- e — Particle indicating direction or target
- 関心
- kanshin — Interest, concern, attention toward something
- を
- o — Object marker particle in Japanese
- 失っ
- ushinat- — Lost (conjunctive form of 失う)
- もしくは
- moshiku wa — Or, alternatively; formal conjunction
- 加齢
- karei — Aging, growing older with advancing years
- によって
- ni yotte — By means of, due to, depending on
- 完成
- kansei — Completion, finishing, bringing to perfection
- 妨げ
- samatage — Obstruction, hindrance, being prevented from doing
- そして
- soshite — And then, and also; additive conjunction
- もし
- moshi — If, supposing that; conditional opener
- 物語
- monogatari — Story, tale, narrative account
- し
- shi — Conjunctive verb form; listing reasons or actions
- て
- te — Conjunctive particle connecting verb phrases
- なら
- nara — If, given that; conditional particle
- ば
- ba — Conditional suffix meaning if or when
- 自身
- jishin — Oneself, himself, herself; reflexive pronoun
- 独立
- dokuritsu — Independence, autonomy, self-governance
- めぐる
- meguru — Concerning, revolving around a topic
- 闘争
- tōsō — Struggle, conflict, fierce fighting or contest
- 共感
- kyōkan — Empathy, sympathy, sharing someone's feelings
- 法律
- hōritsu — Law, legal statute, rules of society
- 第三巻
- dai san kan — Volume three, the third volume of a work
- 節
- setsu — Section, clause, passage of a text
- 以降
- ikō — From ... onward, after a certain point
- 参照
- sanshō — Reference, cross-reference, see also
- と
- to — And, with; connecting particle or quotation marker
- 勝利
- shōri — Victory, triumph, winning a contest
- 讃える
- tataeru — To praise, extol, celebrate greatness of something
- 賛歌
- sanka — Hymn, ode, song of praise
- 歌い
- utai — Singing (conjunctive form of 歌う)
- 第五巻
- dai go kan — Volume five, the fifth volume of a work
- 帝国
- teikoku — Empire, imperial dominion or realm
- 成長
- seichō — Growth, development, rising in size or power
- 省み
- kaerimī — Reflecting on, looking back at oneself or past
- 述べ
- nobe — Stating, describing, expressing in words
- 言論
- genron — Speech, expression of opinion, discourse
- 自由
- jiyū — Freedom, liberty, being unrestrained
- なんと
- nanto — How (exclamatory), what a thing!
- 勇敢
- yūkan — Brave, courageous, bold in action
- もの
- mono — Thing, person; nominalizing or emphatic ending
- それ
- sore — That, it; demonstrative pronoun
- 人
- hito — Person, human being, people
- 他
- hoka / ta — Other, another, the rest
- いかなる
- ikanaru — Any, whatsoever; formal emphatic modifier
- 国家
- kokka — Nation-state, country as a political entity
- も
- mo — Also, even, too; inclusive particle
- 遥か
- haruka — Far, by far, vastly distant or superior
- 凌ぐ
- shinogu — To surpass, exceed, endure or outdo
- ほど
- hodo — To the extent that, as much as
- 偉大
- idai — Great, magnificent, of outstanding importance
- 導い
- michibi- — Led, guided (conjunctive form of 導く)
- だ
- da — Copula; plain form of です (is/are)
- という
- to iu — Called, known as; quotation or naming expression
- 感慨
- kangai — Deep emotion, profound sentiment, moving feeling
- 抱き
- daki — Holding, embracing (conjunctive form of 抱く)
- より
- yori — More, rather; comparative particle or from
- 蓋然性
- gaizesei — Probability, likelihood, degree of plausibility
- 高い
- takai — High, tall, elevated, expensive
- こと
- koto — Thing, fact, matter (nominalizer)
- として
- toshite — As, in the capacity of, regarded as
- 古来
- korai — From ancient times, since olden days
- 良き
- yoki — Good (literary/archaic adjective form of 良い)
- 秩序
- chitsujo — Order, discipline, organized social arrangement
- および
- oyobi — And, as well as; formal conjunction
- 恩寵
- onchō — Grace, divine favor, benevolent blessing
- 帰し
- kishi — Attributing to, returning to (conjunctive form)
- 私
- watashi — I, me; first-person singular pronoun
- たち
- tachi — Plural suffix for people (we, they)
- 想像
- sōzō — Imagination, imagining, picturing in the mind
- 楽しむ
- tanoshimu — To enjoy, take pleasure in something
- できる
- dekiru — To be able to, can, is possible
- 序論
- joron — Introduction, preface, preliminary remarks
- また
- mata — Also, again, moreover; additive conjunction
- 多く
- ōku — Many, much, a large number or amount
- 優れ
- sugure — Excellent, superior (conjunctive form of 優れる)
- 追随者
- tsuizuisha — Follower, adherent, one who follows a leader
- 率いる
- hikiiru — To lead, command, head a group
- 首領
- shuryō — Leader, chief, head of a group
- 指導者
- shidōsha — Leader, guide, person in a leadership role
- 見なす
- minasu — To regard as, consider to be, deem
- 中
- naka — Inside, middle, among, within
- こそ
- koso — Emphatic particle; precisely, it is exactly this
- 聖
- sei — Saint, holy; honorific for religious figures
- 神
- kami / shin — God, deity, divine being
- 国
- kuni — Country, nation, land
- 卿
- kyō — Lord, Sir; honorific title for nobility
- ユートピア
- Yūtopia — Utopia, ideal imaginary perfect society
- 同じ
- onaji — Same, identical, alike
- 模型
- mokei — Model, template, prototype structure
- 基づい
- motodzui- — Based on, grounded in (conjunctive form)
- 構築
- kōchiku — Construction, building, structuring of a system
- 数多く
- kazuōku — Numerous, many in number, a great many
- 原型
- genkei — Prototype, archetype, original model or form
- 見出さ
- miidasa- — To find, discover, identify (passive base form)
- れる
- reru — Passive or potential verb auxiliary suffix
- 学派
- gakuha — School of thought, academic faction or tradition
- 政治学
- seijigaku — Political science, study of politics and governance
- において
- ni oite — In, at, regarding (formal prepositional expression)
- どれ
- dore — Which one; interrogative pronoun among options
- 負っ
- ot- — Owed, indebted (conjunctive form of 負う)
- いる
- iru — To exist, to be (for animate beings)
- ほとんど
- hotondo — Almost, mostly, nearly all of something
- 認識
- ninshiki — Recognition, awareness, understanding of something
- なかっ
- nakatt- — Was not (past negative conjunctive of ない)
- なさ
- nasa — Lack, absence of (nominalizing suffix for adjectives)
- ゆえ
- yue — Therefore, because, for that reason (literary)
- なおさら
- naosara —
- 必要
- hitsuyō — Necessity, need, something required or essential
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