Wherefore, O judges, be good cheer about death, and know of a certainty, that no evil can happen to a good man, either in life or after death. He and his are not neglected by the gods nor has my own approaching end happened by mere chance. But I see clearly that the time had arrived when it was better for me to die and be released from trouble wherefore the oracle gave no sign. For which reason, also, I am not angry with my condemners, or with my accusers they have done me no harm, although they did not mean to do me any good and for this I may gently blame them.
Still I have a favor to ask of them. When my sons are grown up, I would ask you, O my friends, to punish them and I would have you trouble them, as I have troubled you, if they seem to care about riches, or anything, more than about virtue; or if they pretend to be something when they are really nothing, — then reprove them, as I have reproved you, for not caring about that for which they ought to care and thinking that they are something when they are really nothing. And if you do this, both I and my sons will have received justice at your hands.
The hour of departure has arrived, and we go our ways — I to die, and you to live. Which is better God only knows.
参考译文
如果换一种方式来思考，我们就会发现我们完全有理由相信死亡是件好事；而我们的理由就在于死亡只有两种可能性——一种是进入虚无或者彻底无知觉的状态，另一种是人们常说的灵魂从一个世界移居到另一个世界。假如你认为死亡是一种失去知觉的状态，就像一种安详得连梦都不会来打搅的沉睡，那么死亡就真是一种难以言说的收获了。如果要某人将这样一个安然无梦的夜晚，与生命中度过的其他日日夜夜相比，然后说出他一生中有多少日夜能比这样的夜晚更加愉快，我想，任何人——且不说是平民，就是国王也无法做出回答。所以我说，如果死亡果真如此，那么死亡就是一种收获——永恒也不过就是一夜。
而如果死亡像大家所说的，是所有的死者迁往另一个世界永居，那么，我的朋友们，还有法官们，难道还有比这更妙的事情吗？假如当这些朝圣者们到达地底的世界后，真的能够摆脱这尘世的判官，见到据说是在那里主持正义的法官米诺斯、拉达曼堤斯、爱考斯，以及特立普托勒摩斯和其他一些一生公正无私的上帝之子，那么这次死亡朝圣之行就物有所值了。如果有机会同奥菲士、缪萨尤斯、赫西奥德以及荷马谈话，那还有什么不能付出的代价呢？不仅如此，如果死亡真是这样，我甚至愿意死了又死。
我很想在那里和帕拉默底斯、忒拉蒙的儿子埃阿斯以及其他受不公平审判而死的古代英雄们见面，和他们交谈。我相信，把我自己的苦难跟他们所遭受苦难的相比，肯定能带给我极大的快乐和安慰。最要紧的是，我可以像在这个世界中一样，继续在新的世界里进行我关于真理和谬误的研究。我就可以知道谁是真正的智者，谁只是自作聪明，以及谁不是。法官们，如果可以检验远征特洛伊的伟大领袖，奥德修斯、西西弗斯和其他无数的人们，不仅是男人还是女人，那么还有什么不能付出的代价呢？与他们谈话，向他们请教，将会是一件多么快乐的事！如果传言属实，那儿的人们绝不会因为提出问题而被处死，他们比我们更加快乐，而且他们都将永生！
因此，法官们，为死亡欢呼吧！要相信，不管是生前还是死后，善良的人们都不会遭到恶报。他和他的人民都不会被上帝遗弃，我即将到来的死亡也绝不是偶然。但是我很清楚，我现在最好的出路就是死亡，它会把我从困境中解救出来；因此，神谕并未显现。也是因为这个原因，我不会怨恨我的宣判者和控诉者；尽管他们对我不怀好意，但也没有对我造成伤害。不过，对于他们的不怀好意，我也许会稍加指责。
我还有一件事要请你们帮忙。朋友们，当我的儿子们长大以后，请你们惩罚他们。如果他们把财富或者别的什么看得比品德还重要，请给他们制造点麻烦，就像我曾经给你们制造麻烦那样，因为他们不知道该注重什么；如果他们一无是处却又自命不凡，请谴责他们，就像我曾经谴责你们那样，因为他们不知道自己是什么。如果你们能够做到，我和我的儿子们都能从你们手中得到公正。
分离的时刻到了，我们各自上路吧——我走向死亡，你们继续活下去。至于生死孰优孰劣，只有上帝知道。
历史链接
苏格拉底目睹了雅典的衰落和覆灭，从雅典的衰败中看到精神方面的弊病，他追求以善的真知来指导实践，用人的自我意识代替神谕。这种内在的确定性并不是雅典人一向相信的神。因此苏格拉底被送上了法庭，指控他的罪名是毒害青年与信奉新的神。苏格拉底拒绝认罪，公民大会判处他死刑。苏格拉底安详地喝下毒酒，用生命捍卫真理。
Chunks in Use
Match each of the following words with its meaning.
(1) eternity a. the enactment of a pretense
(2) judgment b. having no limits or boundaries in time or space or extent
or magnitude
(3) pretend c. time without end
(4) infinite d. an opinion formed by judging something
Chunks in Practice
Mark the following statements true or false, and underline the section of
the article that supports your answer.
Write
TRUE if the statement agrees with the information
FALSE if the statement contradicts the information
________ (1) Death mentioned in this speech is concerned with two aspects, one
is a state of nothingness and utter sub-consciousness, the other is to
immigrate the soul from the real world to another.
________ (2) Socrates hoped his sons care about virtue more than riches.
Now a Try
Translate the following sentences into English with the expressions in
the article.
1. 如果死亡就像睡觉一样失去知觉，那么死亡可谓是一种收获。
___________________________________________________________________________________
2. 人们相信，不管是生前还是死后，善良的人们都不会遭到恶报。