BOOK VII 第七卷 514 Socrates:Now compare our condition with this:Picture men living in a 苏：现在把我们所说的事做一个比拟：我们想像在一个祠穴里住着514 cave which has a wide mouth open towards the light.They are kept in 一些人，宽阔的洞口大开，能透进亮光。他们被固定在一个位置 the same places,looking forward only away from the mouth and unable 上，只能背着洞口看眼前的洞壁，头也不能掉转，因为他们的 to turn their heads,for their legs and necks have been fixed in chains 腿和脖子从一出生就被链子锁定了。在他们背后洞外较高的地 from birth.A fire is burning higher up at their backs,and between 方有一处火焰在燃烧，在火焰和囚徒之间有一条路，路边有一 it and the prisoners there is a road with a low wall built at its side, 道矮墙，好像演木偶戏的人表演木偶戏时用的屏幕。 like the screen over which puppet players put up their puppets. 理 Glaucon:All that I see. 格：这些全在我眼前了。 Socrates:See,again,then,men walking under cover of this low wall 苏：再往下看，有些人从这道矮墙的后面走过，携带着各种各样的 515 carrying past all sorts of things,copies of men and animals,in stone 东西，用石头、木头或其他材料制作的人或动物的偶形。这些515 相 or wood and other materials;some of them may be talking and others 人有的可能在说话，也有些人没有说话。 not. 国 Glaucon:This is a strange sort of comparison and these are strange 格：这是一种奇特的比拟和一些奇怪的囚徒。 prisoners. Socrates:They are like ourselves.They see nothing but their own 苏：他们是像我们自已一样的人。他们只看见被火光映照在洞穴壁 shadows,or one another's,which the fire throws on the wall of the 上的自己的影子和彼此的影子，此外他们什么也看不到。人们 cave.And so too with the things carried past.If they were able to 走过这里时携带的那些东西，囚徒们也只能看见它们的影子。 talk to one another,wouldn't they think that in naming the shadows 如果囚徒们能互相谈话，他们在谈论看到的影子时，不会把影 they were naming the things that went by?And if their prison sent 子当成经过这里的实物吗？再说，要是有个经过这里的人发出 back an echo whenever one of those who went by said a word,what 声音，囚禁他们的洞穴传来回音，他们只能认为那是他们看见 could they do but take it for the voice of the shadow? 的影子发出的声音，此外还能有什么想法吗？ Glaucon:By Zeus,they would. 格：凭宙斯的圣名，他们是只会这样认为的。 Socrates:The only real things for them would be the shadows of the 苏：对他们来说，惟一真实的东西就是那些偶形的影子。 puppets. Glaucon:Certainly. 格：那是当然的。 Socrates:Now see how it will be if something frees them from their 苏：我们且来看看，如果有什么东西帮他们解脱了锁链又将如何： chains:When one is freed and forced to get on his feet and turn his 当一个人获得了自由而不得不站起来，掉头向着光亮走去一 head and walk and look towards the light-and all this hurts,and 这一切都让他感到痛苦，又因为光线太亮，他看不见以前他看 because the light is too bright,he isn't able to see the things whose 到过的那些影子的实物。如果有人说，在此刻之前，他所看到 shadows he saw before-what will he answer,if someone says that 的一切都是假的，是人家变戏法骗骗他们的，而现在他才看得 all he has seen till now,was false and a trick,but that now he sees 更真实，他会怎么回答？又如果有人指给他看经这里走过去的