Allegory of the Cave
柏拉圖的《山洞寓言》
2400 years ago, one of the history’s most famous thinkers said life is like being chained up in a cave, forced to watch shadows flitting across a stone wall.
2400年前，有史以來(lái)最著名的一位思想家說(shuō)：人的一生恰似被鎖鏈拴住，囚禁在山洞之中，被迫觀看投射在石墻上斑駁的光影。
Pretty cheery, right?
聽(tīng)起來(lái)很厲害吧？
That’s actually what Plato suggested in his Allegory of the Cave, found in the book VII of The Republic, in which the Greek philosopher envisioned the ideal society by examining concepts like justice, truth and beauty.
實(shí)際上，這個(gè)想法是柏拉圖在其《山洞寓言》中提及的，收錄在《理想國(guó)》第七卷。在這本書(shū)中，這位希臘哲學(xué)家設(shè)想了一個(gè)理想的社會(huì)，借此概述諸如公正、真理和美的概念。
In this allegory, a group of prisoners have been confined in a cavern since birth, with no knowledge of the outside world.
在這個(gè)寓言中，有一群囚徒從出生起就被關(guān)押在一個(gè)山洞里，對(duì)洞外世界一無(wú)所知。
They are chained, facing a wall, unable to turn their heads, while a fire behind them gives off a faint light.
他們被鎖鏈拴住，只能面朝墻壁，無(wú)法轉(zhuǎn)過(guò)頭來(lái)。在他們的身后，有一堆火散發(fā)著微弱的光。
Occasionally, people pass by the fire, carrying figures of animals and other objects that cast shadows on the wall.
時(shí)不時(shí)有人經(jīng)過(guò)這堆火，他們抬著動(dòng)物或其他雕像走過(guò)時(shí)，影子都會(huì)投在墻上。
The prisoners name and classify these illusions, believing they’re perceiving actually entities.
囚徒們給這些幻影命名、分類(lèi)，十分確信自己洞察到了真相。
Suddenly, one prisoner is free and brought outside for the first time.
突然，有個(gè)囚徒獲得了自由，并且被平生第一次帶出山洞。
The sunlight hurt his eyes and he finds the new environment disorienting.
陽(yáng)光照得他眼睛生疼，他感到這個(gè)嶄新的環(huán)境讓人頭暈?zāi)X脹。
When told that the things around hims are real, while the shadows were mere reflections, he cannot believe it.
人們告訴他這一切都是真實(shí)的，唯獨(dú)地上的影子是光線(xiàn)投射的結(jié)果，他無(wú)法相信。
The shadows appeared much clearer to him.
在他看來(lái)，分明影子才更清晰??！
But gradually, his eyes adjust until he can look at reflections in the water, at objects directly, and finally at the Sun, whose light is the ultimate source of everything he has seen.
但是，當(dāng)他的眼睛逐漸適應(yīng)了一切，他可以看到水中的倒影，可以直接觀看各種物體，最后，他看到了太陽(yáng)——他所能看到的萬(wàn)事萬(wàn)物的終極原因。
The prisoner returns to the cave to share his discovery, but he is no longer used to the darkness, and has a hard time seeing the shadows on the wall.
他回到山洞里，跟其他囚徒分享了自己的發(fā)現(xiàn)。但是，他已經(jīng)不能適應(yīng)黑暗，也再不能看清墻上的影子。
The other prisoners think the journey has made him stupid and blind, and violently resist any attempts to free them.
其他一眾囚徒覺(jué)得這次外出讓他變得既蠢又瞎，激烈地反對(duì)妄圖釋放他們的做法。
Plato introduces this passage as an analogy of what it’s like to be a philosopher trying to educate the public.
柏拉圖通過(guò)這段話(huà)說(shuō)明了一個(gè)哲學(xué)家試圖教育大眾的難度。
Most people are not just comfortable in their ignorance, but hostile to anyone who points in out.
對(duì)大多數(shù)人來(lái)說(shuō)，他們不僅僅是在無(wú)知中沉迷，更是對(duì)指出此事的人不共戴天。
In fact, the real life Socrates was sentences to death by the Athenian government for disrupting the social order, and his student Plato spends much of “The Republic” disparaging Athenian democracy, while promoting rule by philosopher kings.
其實(shí)在真實(shí)的歷史中，蘇格拉底就是以“破壞社會(huì)秩序”的罪名被雅典政府判為死刑，而他的學(xué)生柏拉圖在其著作《理想國(guó)》中也大篇幅表達(dá)了對(duì)雅典式民主的蔑視，他堅(jiān)信應(yīng)當(dāng)由哲學(xué)家治國(guó)。
With the cave parable, Plato may be arguing that the masses are too stubborn and ignorant to govern themselves.
在這篇山洞寓言中，柏拉圖也許試圖說(shuō)明普羅大眾的頑固無(wú)知，他們根本無(wú)法自我管理。
But the allegory has captured imaginations for 2,400 years because it can be read in far more ways.
但這篇寓言之所以在2400年中一直激發(fā)著人們的想象，正是因?yàn)樗兄О俜N解讀角度。
As we go about our lives, can we be confident in what we think we know?
在人生之路漫步前行時(shí)，我們究竟能否確定我們的知識(shí)是真實(shí)的？
Perhaps one day, a glimmer of light may punch a hole in your most basic assumptions.
也許有一天，會(huì)有那么一縷光線(xiàn)射出，猛然刺破你最基本的認(rèn)知邏輯。
Will you break free to struggle towards the light, even if it cost you your friends and family, or stick with comfortable and familiar illusions?
你會(huì)不會(huì)打破一切桎梏一路沖向陽(yáng)光，即便，它會(huì)讓你付出眾叛親離的代價(jià)？又或者，你會(huì)緊守著舒適宜人的幻覺(jué)度過(guò)一生？
Truth or habit? Light or shadow?
要真相，還是習(xí)慣？要光亮，還是黑暗？
Hard choices, but if it’s any consolation, you’re not alone.
艱難的抉擇。不知道說(shuō)出來(lái)會(huì)不會(huì)讓你有所安慰：你，并不孤單。
There are lots of us down here.
像我們這樣的人多著呢。
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