The Republic — Page 13

English → Chinese INTRODUCTION AND ANALYSIS. Level 9/10

Now in ancient writings, and indeed in literature generally, there remains often a large element which was not comprehended in the original design.

在古代著作中，乃至在一般文学作品中，往往存在着大量未被纳入原初构思的成分。

For the plan grows under the author's hand; new thoughts occur to him in the act of writing; he has not worked out the argument to the end before he begins.

因为构思在作者的笔下不断生长；新的想法在写作过程中随时涌现；他在动笔之前并未将论证推演至终点。

The reader who seeks to find some one idea under which the whole may be conceived, must necessarily seize on the vaguest and most general.

试图从整体中寻找某一统摄性理念的读者，势必只能抓住最模糊、最笼统的那一个。

Thus Stallbaum, who is dissatisfied with the ordinary explanations of the argument of the Republic, imagines himself to have found the true argument 'in the representation of human life in a State perfected by justice, and governed according to the idea of good.'

因此，斯塔尔鲍姆对《理想国》论旨的通常解释感到不满，自以为在"以正义臻于完善、依善之理念施治的国家中对人类生活的呈现"里发现了真正的论旨。

There may be some use in such general descriptions, but they can hardly be said to express the design of the writer.

此类笼统的描述或许有一定用处，但几乎不能说是表达了作者的创作意图。

The truth is, that we may as well speak of many designs as of one; nor need anything be excluded from the plan of a great work to which the mind is naturally led by the association of ideas, and which does not interfere with the general purpose.

事实上，我们与其说一部作品只有一个构思，不如说它有许多构思；凡是思维经由联想自然引发、且不妨碍总体意旨的内容，都无需从一部伟大作品的规划中排除。

What kind or degree of unity is to be sought after in a building, in the plastic arts, in poetry, in prose, is a problem which has to be determined relatively to the subject-matter.

在建筑、造型艺术、诗歌或散文中，应当追求何种性质或程度的统一性，这是一个须就具体题材而定的问题。

Vocabulary

在: zài — At, in, on; indicating location or time.
古代: gǔdài — Ancient times; referring to historical eras.
著作: zhùzuò — Written works; scholarly books or compositions.
中: zhōng — In, within, among; middle or center.
乃至: nǎizhì — Even; ranging up to; extending as far as.
一般: yībān — General, ordinary; in general; typical.
文学: wénxué — Literature; the study or body of written works.
作品: zuòpǐn — Work; a creative or artistic production.
往往: wǎngwǎng — Often, frequently; more often than not.
存在: cúnzài — To exist; existence; to be present.
着: zhe — Aspect particle indicating ongoing state or action.
大量: dàliàng — A large amount; great quantity of something.
未被: wèi bèi — Not having been; passive construction indicating exclusion.
纳入: nàrù — To incorporate into; to include within a framework.
原初: yuánchū — Original, primordial; the very first conception.
构思: gòusī — To conceive; initial creative idea or conception.
的: de — Structural particle indicating possession or modification.
成分: chéngfèn — Component, element; constituent part of something.
因为: yīnwèi — Because; since; giving a reason or cause.
作者: zuòzhě — Author, writer; person who creates a work.
笔下: bǐxià — Under one's pen; what an author writes.
不断: bùduàn — Continuously, unceasingly; without stopping.
生长: shēngzhǎng — To grow; to develop and expand over time.
新的: xīn de — New; fresh; referring to something recently emerged.
想法: xiǎngfǎ — Idea, thought; one's way of thinking.
写作: xiězuò — Writing; the act of composing written works.
过程: guòchéng — Process, course; stages through which something develops.
随时: suíshí — At any time; whenever; at any moment.
涌现: yǒngxiàn — To emerge in large numbers; to well up suddenly.
他: tā — He, him; third-person masculine singular pronoun.
动笔: dòng bǐ — To start writing; to put pen to paper.
之前: zhīqián — Before; prior to a certain time or event.
并未: bìng wèi — Has not at all; emphatic negation of completion.
将: jiāng — Will; to take; marks future action or object.
论证: lùnzhèng — Argumentation; to demonstrate or prove through reasoning.
推演: tuīyǎn — To deduce; to develop reasoning step by step.
至: zhì — To, until; reaching a point or destination.
终点: zhōngdiǎn — End point; final destination or conclusion.
试图: shìtú — To attempt; to try to do something.
从: cóng — From; following; starting from a point.
整体: zhěngtǐ — Whole, entirety; considered as a complete unit.
寻找: xúnzhǎo — To search for; to look for something.
某一: mǒu yī — A certain; some particular one unspecified.
理念: lǐniàn — Concept, idea; guiding principle or philosophical notion.
读者: dúzhě — Reader; person who reads a text or book.
势必: shìbì — Inevitably; bound to happen under the circumstances.
只能: zhǐ néng — Can only; restricted to one option or outcome.
抓住: zhuāzhù — To grasp, seize; to catch and hold firmly.
最: zuì — Most; superlative degree marker in Chinese.
模糊: móhu — Vague, blurry; lacking clarity or precision.
笼统: lǒngtǒng — Vague, general; lacking specificity or detail.
那: nà — That; demonstrative pronoun referring to something distant.
一个: yī gè — One; a single item or individual.
因此: yīncǐ — Therefore, thus; indicating a logical consequence.
对: duì — Toward; regarding; correct; facing something.
理想国: Lǐxiǎng Guó — The Republic; Plato's philosophical dialogue on justice.
论旨: lùnzhǐ — Thesis, main argument; central point of a work.
通常: tōngcháng — Usually, normally; in most cases or circumstances.
解释: jiěshì — To explain, interpret; provide meaning or clarification.
感到: gǎndào — To feel; to sense or experience an emotion.
不满: bùmǎn — Dissatisfied, displeased; not content with something.
自以为: zì yǐwéi — To consider oneself; to think one has achieved something.
以: yǐ — With, by means of; using something as a method.
正义: zhèngyì — Justice, righteousness; moral rightness and fairness.
完善: wánshàn — Perfect, complete; to improve to an ideal state.
依: yī — According to; relying on; in accordance with.
善: shàn — Goodness, virtue; the philosophical concept of good.
之: zhī — Classical possessive or object particle; of; it.
国家: guójiā — Country, nation, state; a political territory.
人类: rénlèi — Humanity, humankind; all human beings collectively.
生活: shēnghuó — Life, living; daily existence and activities.
呈现: chéngxiàn — To present, display; to show or manifest visibly.
里: lǐ — Inside, within; indicator of location or context.
发现: fāxiàn — To discover, find; to realize or notice something.
了: le — Completion particle; indicates a completed action.
真正: zhēnzhèng — True, genuine, real; authentically so.
此类: cǐ lèi — This kind; such type or category of thing.
描述: miáoshù — Description; to describe or depict in detail.
或许: huòxǔ — Perhaps, maybe; expressing possibility or uncertainty.
有: yǒu — To have; there is/are; to possess.
一定: yīdìng — Certain, definite; a certain degree of something.
用处: yòngchu — Usefulness, utility; practical value or purpose.
但: dàn — But, however; indicating contrast or exception.
几乎: jīhū — Almost, nearly; very close to but not quite.
不能: bù néng — Cannot; not able to do something.
说: shuō — To say, speak; to express in words.
是: shì — Is, are, am; the copula verb in Chinese.
表达: biǎodá — To express; convey thoughts or feelings in words.
创作: chuàngzuò — Creative work; to create literary or artistic works.
意图: yìtú — Intention, purpose; what one aims or intends to do.
事实上: shìshí shàng — In fact, actually; in reality as opposed to appearance.
我们: wǒmen — We, us; first-person plural pronoun.
与其: yǔqí — Rather than; used to prefer one option over another.
一部: yī bù — One volume; a single book or major work.
只有: zhǐyǒu — Only; there is only one condition or element.
不如: bùrú — Not as good as; better to do something else instead.
它: tā — It; third-person singular pronoun for objects.
许多: xǔduō — Many, numerous; a large number of things.
凡是: fánshì — Whatever, all; referring to everything that qualifies.
思维: sīwéi — Thinking, thought; cognitive process of the mind.
经由: jīngyóu — Via, through; by way of a process or route.
联想: liánxiǎng — Association; to connect ideas through mental links.
自然: zìrán — Natural, naturally; occurring without force or contrivance.
引发: yǐnfā — To trigger, provoke; to cause something to arise.
且: qiě — And, moreover; also; classical conjunctive particle.
不: bù — No, not; basic negation word in Chinese.
妨碍: fáng'ài — To hinder, obstruct; to get in the way of.
总体: zǒngtǐ — Overall, general; taken as a whole entity.
意旨: yìzhǐ — Intent, purport; the overall meaning or purpose.
内容: nèiróng — Content, substance; what is contained in something.
都: dōu — All, both, every; inclusive adverb in Chinese.
无需: wú xū — No need to; not necessary to do something.
伟大: wěidà — Great, magnificent; of extraordinary importance or scale.
规划: guīhuà — Plan, blueprint; systematic scheme for achieving goals.
排除: páichú — To exclude, eliminate; to rule something out.
建筑: jiànzhù — Architecture, building; the art of constructing structures.
造型: zàoxíng — Modeling, form-making; creating shapes in visual art.
艺术: yìshù — Art; creative expression in various aesthetic forms.
诗歌: shīgē — Poetry; verse as a literary art form.
或: huò — Or; alternatively; indicating one of several options.
散文: sǎnwén — Prose; non-metrical literary writing or essays.
应当: yīngdāng — Should, ought to; indicating moral or logical obligation.
追求: zhuīqiú — To pursue; to seek or strive for something.
何种: hé zhǒng — What kind; which type or sort of thing.
性质: xìngzhì — Nature, quality; the inherent character of something.
程度: chéngdù — Degree, extent; the level or measure of something.
统一性: tǒngyīxìng — Unity; the quality of being unified or coherent.
这: zhè — This; demonstrative pronoun for nearby things.
须: xū — Must, need to; classical expression of necessity.
就: jiù — Then, exactly; used to connect conditions and results.
具体: jùtǐ — Specific, concrete; detailed and particular rather than vague.
题材: tícái — Subject matter, theme; the topic of a creative work.
而定: ér dìng — To be determined by; depending on the circumstances.
问题: wèntí — Question, problem, issue; a matter requiring attention.

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