The Historical Background-4
In 338 B.C. he defeated the Athenians at Chæronea, and saw at last a Greece united, though with chains.
And then, as he stood upon this victory, and planned how he and his son should master and unify the world, he fell under an assassin's hand.
Alexander, when Aristotle came, was a wild youth of thirteen;
passionate, epileptic, almost alcoholic;
it was his pastime to tame horses untamable by men.
The efforts of the philosopher to cool the fires of this budding volcano were not of much avail;
Alexander had better success with Bucephalus than Aristotle with Alexander.
"For a while," says Plutarch, "Alexander loved and cherished Aristotle no less than as if he had been his own father;
saying that though he had received life from the one, the other had taught him the art of living." ("Life," says a fine Greek adage, "is the gift of nature; but beautiful living is the gift of wisdom.")
"For my part," said Alexander in a letter to Aristotle, "I had rather excel in the knowledge of what is good than in the extent of my power and dominion."
But this was probably no more than a royal-youthful compliment;
beneath the enthusiastic tyro of philosophy was the fiery son of a barbarian princess and an untamed king;
the restraints of reason were too delicate to hold these ancestral passions in leash;
and Alexander left philosophy after two years to mount the throne and ride the world.
History leaves us free to believe (though we should suspect these pleasant thoughts) that Alexander's unifying passion derived some of its force and grandeur from his teacher, the most synthetic thinker in the history of thought;
and that the conquest of order in the political realm by the pupil, and in the philosophic realm by the master, were but diverse sides of one noble and epic project—two magnificent Macedonians unifying two chaotic worlds.
其师志于学，其徒志于天下，入世之学徒之幸
Setting out to conquer Asia, Alexander left behind him, in the cities of Greece, governments favorable to him but populations resolutely hostile.
The long tradition of a free and once imperial Athens made subjection—even to a brilliant world-conquering despot—intolerable;
despot，专制者
and the bitter eloquence of Demosthenes kept the Assembly always on the edge of revolt against the "Macedonian party" that held the reins of city power.
Now when Aristotle, after another period of travel, returned to Athens in the year 334 B.C., he very naturally associated with this Macedonian group, and took no pains to conceal his approval of Alexander's unifying rule.
As we study the remarkable succession of works, in speculation and research, which Aristotle proceeded to unfold in the last twelve years of his life;
and as we watch him in his multifold tasks of organizing his school, and of coördinating such a wealth of knowledge as probably never before had passed through the mind of one man;
let us occasionally remember that this was no quiet and secure pursuit of truth;
that at any minute the political sky might change, and precipitate a storm in this peaceful philosophic life.
Only with this situation in mind shall we understand Aristotle's political philosophy, and his tragic end.
▍语言点
assassin: n. 刺客
passionate: adj. 富有激情的
epileptic: adj. 多动的；躁动的
budding: adj. 萌芽的；发育期的
avail: n. 益处；效用；利益
Plutarch: 普鲁塔克，公元 46 - 120，是一位用希腊文写作的罗马传记文学家、散文家、以及柏拉图学派的知识分子。
the art of living: 生活的艺术
adage: n. 名言
no more than: 仅仅是
fiery: adj. 暴躁的；激烈的
untamed: adj. 未驯服的；未屈服的
hold something in leash: 用绳索绑起某物
ride the world: 征服世界
grandeur: n. 格局；壮丽
synthetic: adj. 综合的
realm: n. 领域
resolutely: adv. 坚决地；毅然地
subjection: n. 服从；隶属
despot: n. 专制君主，暴君；独裁者
Demosthenes: 狄摩西尼，公元前 384 — 322，古希腊最伟大的政治家、演说家、雄辩家和希腊联军统帅，为了克服口吃的毛病，口含石子在海边练习演说。
revolt: vi. 反抗；反叛
unfold: vt. 展开
multifold: adj. 多面的；多种的
precipitate: vt. 促成；降水
生词好句
assassin's assassin: n. 刺客
passionate adj. 富有激情的
epileptic adj. 多动的；躁动的
budding adj. 萌芽的；发育期的
avail n. 益处；效用；利益
Plutarch 普鲁塔克，公元 46 - 120，是一位用希腊文写作的罗马传记文学家、散文家、以及柏拉图学派的知识分子。
the art of living 生活的艺术
adage n. 名言
no more than 仅仅是
fiery adj. 暴躁的；激烈的
untamed adj. 未驯服的；未屈服的
hold these ancestral passions in leash hold sth. in leash: 用绳索绑起某物
ride the world 征服世界
grandeur n. 格局；壮丽
synthetic adj. 综合的
realm n. 领域
resolutely adv. 坚决地；毅然地
subjection n. 服从；隶属
despot n. 专制君主，暴君；独裁者
Demosthenes 狄摩西尼，公元前 384 — 322，古希腊最伟大的政治家、演说家、雄辩家和希腊联军统帅，为了克服口吃的毛病，口含石子在海边练习演说。
revolt vi. 反抗；反叛
unfold vt. 展开
multifold adj. 多面的；多种的
precipitate vt. 促成；降水