愛情與婚姻 - 柏拉圖 / Plato on love and marriage

愛情與婚姻 - 柏拉圖 / Plato on love and marriage

有一天，柏拉圖問他的老師甚麼是愛情。
One day, Plato asked his teacher, “What is love? 

他的老師就叫他先到麥田裡，摘一棵全麥田裡最大最金黃的麥穗。 

其間只能摘一次，並且只可以向前走，不能回頭。 
The teacher answered, “There’s a large wheat field in front. Walk there without turning back, and take just one Wheat which you think is extraordinary and bring it back.”

柏拉圖於是照著老師的說話做。結果，他兩手空空的走出麥田。
 Plato walked but he came back with empty hands.

老師問他為什麼摘不到。
The teacher asked Plato, “Why, you don’t bring any Wheat?”

他說︰「因為只能摘一次，又不能走回頭路，其間即使見到一棵又大又金黃的，因為不知道前面是否有更好，所以沒有摘； 
Plato said, “I can only bring one Wheat and I don’t know whether there is any other more extraordinary ahead in field.

走到前面時，又發覺總不及之前見到的好，原來麥田裡最大最金黃的麥穗，早就錯過了； 

於是，我便什麼也摘不到。」 

When I walked further, I realized that the Wheat I found are not as extraordinary as which I found earlier in my walk but I cannot turn back. So, in the end, I didn’t take any single Wheat.”

老師說︰「這就是愛情。」 
Then the teacher said , “That is Love.”

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之後又一天，柏拉圖問他的老師甚麼是婚姻 

Another day, Plato asked his teacher again, “What is marriage?

他的老師就叫他先到樹林裡，砍下一棵全樹林最大、最茂盛、最適合放在家作聖誕樹的樹。

其間同樣只能砍一次， 以及同樣只可以向前走，不能回頭。

The teacher answered, “There is a forest in front. Walk there and don't look back. Find one tree which you think is the most highest and lush in the forest cut it and bring it back. 

柏拉圖於是照著老師的說話做。

這次，他帶了一棵普普通通，不是很茂盛，亦不算太差的樹回來。
Plato walked there and he came back not long after bringing an ordinary tree which is not a very tall and lush.

老師問他，怎麼帶這棵普普通通的樹回來。

The teacher asked Plato, “Why did you bring back an ordinary tree?”

他說：「有了上次的經驗，當我走了大半路還兩手空空時，看到這棵樹也不太差，便砍下來，免得錯過了後最後又什麼也帶不出來。」 

Plato answered, “Because from my previous experience, after walking through the wheat field, I came back with nothing. So this time, when I saw this tree which I think is not so bad, I decided to cut it and bring it back. I don’t want to lose another chance to get it.”

老師說：「這就是婚姻。」 
The teacher said, “That is Marriage.”