所以，雅典的公民们，完全不是像有些人所认为的那样，是在为自己做辩护演讲。
So I, men of Athens, am now far from making a defense speech on my own behalf, as someone might suppose.
我这么多更多是为了你们，这样你们才不会通过投票来定我有罪，从而伤害了神的恩赐。
I do it rather on your behalf, so that you do not do something wrong concerning the gift of the god to you by voting to condemn me.
因为如果你将我处死，你将很难发现另一个像我这位样的人，尽管我下面的说法很荒唐，但是我这类人是神派遣到城邦，就像牛虻附在马上，这匹马身形高大品种优良，但是因为体型太大而非常慵懒，需要牛虻的叮咬使他焕发精神。
For if you kill me, you will not easily discover another of my sort, who—even if it is rather ridiculous to say—has simply been set upon the city by the god, as though upon a great and well-born horse who is rather sluggish because of his great size and needs to be awakened by some gadfly.
事实上，正是这样，对我来说神似乎是将我作为这样的人送至城邦：
Just so, in fact, the god seems to me to have set me upon the city as someone of this sort:
我唤醒、说服、职责你们中的每一个人，我整天都不停的到处盯着你们。
I awaken and persuade and reproach each one of you, and I do not stop settling down everywhere upon you the whole day.
像我这样的人是不会轻易出现来为你们服务的，公民们。
Someone else of this sort will certainly not easily arise for you, men.
如果你们接受我的意见，你们就该放过我。
Well, if you obey me, you will spare me.
不过可能你们现在会对我感觉非常的恼火，就像一个人昏昏欲睡的时候被人吵醒，并且如果你们跟随着Anytus来打击我，你们可以轻易地将我杀死。
But perhaps you may be vexed, like the drowsy when they are awakened, and if you obey Anytus and slap me, you would easily kill me.
那么你们的余生就会在沉睡中渡过，除非神为你们考虑给你们送来另外一个人。
Then you would spend the rest of your lives asleep, unless the god sends you someone else in his concern for you.
在《申辩篇》中，苏格拉底不仅仅是在为自己辩护，在这个过程中，他还将自己的哲学理念一一道来。在这一节的内容中，苏格拉底将自己比作牛虻，比作上帝的恩赐，他说：“打一个可笑的比喻，我就像一只牛虻，整天到处叮住你们不放，唤醒你们、说服你们、指责你们......”，他没有批判什么，也没有反对什么，只是说出真理和真相。而现实与所说的不相容，杀害真理者必陷入谬误。这一节的内容充分体现了苏格拉底是如何界定知识分子的责任的，并且从字里行间中，我们还可以体会到苏格拉底对逻辑性的重视。
So I, men of Athens, am now far from making a defense speech on my own behalf, as someone might suppose. I do it rather on your behalf, so that you do not do something wrong concerning the gift of the god to you by voting to condemn me. For if you kill me, you will not easily discover another of my sort, who—even if it is rather ridiculous to say—has simply been set upon the city by the god, as though upon a great and well-born horse who is rather sluggish because of his great size and needs to be awakened by some gadfly. Just so, in fact, the god seems to me to have set me upon the city as someone of this sort: I awaken and persuade and reproach each one of you, and I do not stop settling down everywhere upon you the whole day. Someone else of this sort will certainly not easily arise for you, men. Well, if you obey me, you will spare me. But perhaps you may be vexed, like the drowsy when they are awakened, and if you obey Anytus and slap me, you would easily kill me. Then you would spend the rest of your lives asleep, unless the god sends you someone else in his concern for you.
▍生词好句
on one's behalf:
为了某人；代表某人
condemn:
vt. 给……定罪
ridiculous:
adj. 可笑的；荒谬的
sluggish:
adj. 行动迟缓的；懒惰的
awaken:
vt. 唤醒；使…意识到
gadfly:
n. 牛虻；讨厌的人
persuade:
vt. 说服；劝说
reproach:
vt. 责备
spare:
vt. 饶恕；放过
vex:
vt. 使烦恼；使困惑
drowsy:
adj. 昏昏欲睡的
slap:
vt. 拍击；侮辱