The Republic — Page 10

English → Japanese INTRODUCTION AND ANALYSIS. Level 9/10

There is no absurdity in supposing that he may have laid his labours aside for a time, or turned from one work to another; and such interruptions would be more likely to occur in the case of a long than of a short writing.

彼が一時的に作業を脇に置いたり、ある作品から別の作品へと移ったりしたと仮定することに不合理はない。そしてそのような中断は、短い著作よりも長い著作の場合に生じやすいであろう。

In all attempts to determine the chronological order of the Platonic writings on internal evidence, this uncertainty about any single Dialogue being composed at one time is a disturbing element, which must be admitted to affect longer works, such as the Republic and the Laws, more than shorter ones.

内的証拠によってプラトンの著作の年代順を確定しようとするあらゆる試みにおいて、個々の対話篇が一度に書かれたかどうかについてのこの不確実性は厄介な要素であり、それは『国家』や『法律』のような長い著作に対して、短い著作よりも大きな影響を与えると認めなければならない。

But, on the other hand, the seeming discrepancies of the Republic may only arise out of the discordant elements which the philosopher has attempted to unite in a single whole, perhaps without being himself able to recognise the inconsistency which is obvious to us.

しかし他方、『国家』の見かけ上の矛盾は、哲学者が一つの全体へと統合しようとした不調和な要素から生じているに過ぎないのかもしれない。おそらく彼自身は、我々には明らかな矛盾を認識することができなかったのであろう。

For there is a judgment of after ages which few great writers have ever been able to anticipate for themselves.

なぜなら、後世の批評というものがあり、それを自ら予見することができた偉大な作家はほとんどいないからである。

They do not perceive the want of connexion in their own writings, or the gaps in their systems which are visible enough to those who come after them.

彼らは自らの著作における連絡の欠如や、後に続く者たちには十分に見えるはずの体系の欠陥を、自分では気づかないのである。

In the beginnings of literature and philosophy, amid the first efforts of thought and language, more inconsistencies occur than now, when the paths of speculation are well worn and the meaning of words precisely defined.

文学と哲学の黎明期において、思想と言語の最初の試みの中では、思索の道が十分に踏み固められ言葉の意味が正確に定義されている現代よりも、多くの矛盾が生じるものである。

For consistency, too, is the growth of time; and some of the greatest creations of the human mind have been wanting in unity.

なぜなら、一貫性もまた時間とともに育まれるものだからである。そして人間の精神が生み出した最も偉大な作品のいくつかも、統一性を欠いていたのである。

Vocabulary

彼: kare — He; that person (male third-person pronoun).
が: ga — Subject marker particle in Japanese grammar.
一時的: ichijiteki — Temporary; lasting only a short time.
に: ni — Particle indicating location, time, or direction.
作業: sagyō — Work; task; operation carried out systematically.
を: wo — Object marker particle in Japanese grammar.
脇: waki — Side; aside; the area beside something.
置い: oi — Put; placed (conjunctive form of 置く).
たり: tari — Particle listing representative actions or states.
ある: aru — To exist; to be (for inanimate things).
作品: sakuhin — Work; piece of art, literature, or music.
から: kara — From; because; particle indicating origin or cause.
別: betsu — Different; separate; another distinct thing.
の: no — Possessive or nominalizing particle in Japanese.
へ: e — Directional particle meaning toward or to.
と: to — And; with; quotation particle in Japanese.
移っ: utsut(te) — Moved; shifted to another place or topic.
し: shi — Conjunctive form; and; moreover (listing reasons).
た: ta — Past tense auxiliary verb in Japanese.
仮定: katei — Assumption; hypothesis; supposition about something.
する: suru — To do; to perform an action.
こと: koto — Thing; fact; nominalizer for verb phrases.
不合理: fugōri — Unreasonable; irrational; lacking logical basis.
は: wa — Topic marker particle in Japanese grammar.
ない: nai — Negation; not; does not exist.
そして: soshite — And then; and also; connecting conjunctive word.
その: sono — That; the (demonstrative adjective for nearby reference).
よう: yō — Like; such as; manner or appearance of something.
な: na — Adjectival particle linking na-adjectives to nouns.
中断: chūdan — Interruption; suspension; breaking off midway.
短い: mijikai — Short; brief in length or duration.
著作: chosaku — Written work; literary composition; authored publication.
より: yori — Than; from; comparative particle in Japanese.
も: mo — Also; too; even (inclusive particle).
長い: nagai — Long; extended in length or duration.
場合: baai — Case; situation; circumstance under consideration.
生じ: shōji — Arise; occur; come about (conjunctive form).
やすい: yasui — Easy to; likely to (suffix indicating tendency).
で: de — At; by means of; particle of location or method.
あろ: aro — Probably is; volitional form of ある.
う: u — Volitional auxiliary expressing conjecture or intention.
内的: naiteki — Internal; intrinsic; relating to inner nature.
証拠: shōko — Evidence; proof; supporting material for argument.
よって: yotte — By means of; therefore; as a result.
年代: nendai — Era; period; chronological order of dates.
順: jun — Order; sequence; arrangement in a series.
確定: kakutei — Determination; establishment of something definite.
しよ: shiyo — Let's do; volitional form of する.
あらゆる: arayuru — Every; all possible; of every kind.
試み: kokoromi — Attempt; trial; effort to accomplish something.
おいて: oite — In; at; regarding (formal locative expression).
個々: koko — Individual; each separate one; one by one.
対話: taiwa — Dialogue; conversation between two or more parties.
篇: hen — Volume; piece; counter for literary works.
一度: ichido — Once; one time; a single occasion.
書か: kaka — Written (negative or conditional stem of 書く).
れ: re — Passive auxiliary verb suffix in Japanese.
か: ka — Question particle; or; whether in Japanese.
どう: dō — How; in what way or manner.
ついて: tsuite — About; concerning; regarding a subject.
この: kono — This (demonstrative adjective for nearby things).
不確実: fukakujitsu — Uncertainty; lack of certainty or reliability.
性: sei / -sei — Nature; quality; suffix indicating characteristic property.
厄介: yakkai — Troublesome; bothersome; complicated and difficult.
要素: yōso — Element; factor; component part of something.
あり: ari — There is; exists (conjunctive form of ある).
それ: sore — That; it (pronoun referring to something nearby).
国家: kokka — State; nation; country as a political entity.
や: ya — And; or (particle listing examples non-exhaustively).
法律: hōritsu — Law; legal statute; system of legal rules.
対し: taishi — Toward; against; in relation to something.
て: te — Conjunctive particle connecting sequential actions.
大きな: ōkina — Large; big; significant in size or impact.
影響: eikyō — Influence; effect; impact on something or someone.
与える: ataeru — To give; to grant; to exert influence.
認め: mitome — Acknowledge; admit; recognize as true.
なけれ: nakere — Must; conditional negative (part of ねばならない).
ば: ba — If; conditional particle in Japanese grammar.
なら: nara — If; then; conditional copula in Japanese.
しかし: shikashi — However; but; on the other hand.
他方: tahō — On the other hand; the other side.
見かけ: mikake — Appearance; outward look; seeming surface impression.
上: ue / jō — Above; on top; in terms of surface.
矛盾: mujun — Contradiction; inconsistency; logical conflict between ideas.
哲学: tetsugaku — Philosophy; systematic study of fundamental questions.
者: sha / mono — Person; one who performs a specified role.
一つ: hitotsu — One; a single unit or item.
全体: zentai — Whole; entirety; the complete body of something.
統合: tōgō — Integration; unification; combining parts into whole.
不調和: fuchōwa — Disharmony; discord; lack of coherent agreement.
いる: iru — To be; to exist (for animate beings).
過ぎ: sugi — Too much; excessive; past a point (suffix).
しれ: shire — May be; might be (part of かもしれない).
おそらく: osoraku — Probably; perhaps; most likely in estimation.
自身: jishin — Oneself; himself; herself; one's own self.
我々: wareware — We; us (formal first-person plural pronoun).
明らか: akiraka — Clear; obvious; evident to the observer.
認識: ninshiki — Recognition; awareness; cognitive understanding of something.
でき: deki — Can; be able to (conjunctive form of できる).
なかっ: nakatt(a) — Was not; did not (past negative auxiliary).
なぜ: naze — Why; for what reason or cause.
後世: kōsei — Posterity; later generations; future ages.
批評: hihyō — Criticism; critique; evaluative commentary on work.
いう: iu — To say; to call; to be called.
もの: mono — Thing; object; that which exists or occurs.
自ら: mizukara — Oneself; personally; by one's own effort.
予見: yoken — Foresee; predict; anticipate future events.
偉大: idai — Great; magnificent; of outstanding importance or ability.
作家: sakka — Author; writer; creative literary artist.
ほとんど: hotondo — Almost; mostly; nearly all of something.
い: i — Conjunctive form of いる; being; existing.
彼ら: karera — They; them (third-person plural pronoun).
おける: okeru — In; at; within (formal locative expression).
連絡: renraku — Connection; contact; communication between parties.
欠如: ketsujo — Lack; deficiency; absence of something needed.
後: nochi / go — After; later; subsequent time or order.
続く: tsuzuku — Continue; go on; follow in succession.
たち: tachi — Plural suffix for people or animate beings.
十分: jūbun — Sufficient; enough; adequately satisfying requirements.
見える: mieru — To be visible; to appear; to seem.
はず: hazu — Should be; expected to be the case.
体系: taikei — System; organized framework; structured body of knowledge.
欠陥: kekkan — Defect; flaw; shortcoming in design or structure.
自分: jibun — Oneself; one's own self; reflexive pronoun.
気づか: kidzuka — Notice; be aware of (negative stem of 気づく).
文学: bungaku — Literature; literary arts and written works.
黎明: reimei — Dawn; beginning; early stage of an era.
期: ki — Period; phase; stage in a sequence.
思想: shisō — Thought; ideology; intellectual ideas and beliefs.
言語: gengo — Language; system of communication using words.
最初: saisho — First; beginning; the earliest point in time.
中: naka / chū — Inside; middle; among; within a group.
思索: shisaku — Contemplation; deep thinking; philosophical reflection.
道: michi — Road; path; way; course of action.
踏み: fumi — Step; tread; stamp (conjunctive form of 踏む).
固め: katame — Solidify; firm up; establish firmly (conjunctive form).
られ: rare — Passive or potential auxiliary suffix in Japanese.
言葉: kotoba — Word; language; expression used in speech.
意味: imi — Meaning; significance; sense of a word.
正確: seikaku — Accurate; precise; exact in detail or fact.
定義: teigi — Definition; formal explanation of a term's meaning.
さ: sa — Suffix nominalizing adjectives; degree or extent.
現代: gendai — Modern times; contemporary era; present day.
多く: ōku — Many; much; a large quantity or number.
生じる: shōjiru — To arise; to occur; to come into being.
一貫: ikkan — Consistency; coherence; maintaining a unified stance.
また: mata — Also; again; moreover; in addition.
時間: jikan — Time; hours; a period or duration.
とも: tomo — Both; together; even; regardless of condition.
育ま: hagukuma — Nurture; foster; cultivate (negative/conditional stem).
れる: reru — Passive auxiliary; to be done to someone.
だ: da — Is; copula asserting a state or identity.
人間: ningen — Human being; person; humankind as a species.
精神: seishin — Spirit; mind; mental or spiritual faculty.
生み出し: umidashi — Produce; create; give birth to something new.
最も: mottomo — Most; extremely (superlative adverb in Japanese).
いくつ: ikutsu — How many; several; some number of things.
統一: tōitsu — Unity; unification; bringing into a unified whole.
欠い: kai — Lacking; missing (conjunctive form of 欠く).

← Previous Next →

Unlock audio playback, vocabulary games, and reading progress tracking.

Create free account →