The History of Philosophy|S02E03

The Historical Background-2

Plato recognized the greatness of this strange new pupil from the supposedly barbarian north, and spoke of him once as the Nous of the Academy, —as if to say, Intelligence personified. 

Nous，精神

Aristotle had spent money lavishly in the collection of books (that is, in those printless days, manuscripts); 

lavishly，大方的，奢华的

he was the first, after Euripides, to gather together a library; 

and the foundation of the principles of library classification was among his many contributions to scholarship. 

scholarship，学者精神

Therefore Plato spoke of Aristotle's home as "the house of the reader," and seems to have meant the sincerest compliment; 

but some ancient gossip will have it that the Master intended a sly but vigorous dig at a certain bookwormishness in Aristotle.

bookwormishness，书虫

A more authentic quarrel seems to have arisen towards the end of Plato's life. 

Our ambitious youth apparently developed an "Œdipus complex" against his spiritual father for the favors and affections of philosophy, and began to hint that wisdom would not die with Plato; 

Œdipus complex，俄狄浦斯情结

while the old sage spoke of his pupil as a foal that kicks his mother after draining her dry. 

foal，小马驹

The learned Zeller, in whose pages Aristotle almost achieves the Nirvana of respectability, would have us reject these stories; 

Nirvana，涅槃

but we may presume that where there is still so much smoke there was once a flame.

▍语言点

speak of sb. as...: 称某人为……

nous: n. 精神；心灵

lavishly: adv. 奢华地；浪费地

Euripides: 欧里庇得斯，公元前480 - 406，民主政治衰落时期的悲剧诗人，哲学家。

scholarship: n. 学者精神

compliment: n. 称赞；褒扬

gossip: n. 小道新闻；八卦

sly: adj. 狡猾的

vigorous: adj. 有力的；猛烈的

bookwormishness: n. 书虫，含贬义

Œdipus complex: 俄狄浦斯情结，孩子亲母反父的复合情结。大部分人多多少少都会在某一年龄段有恋母情结，而在儿童时期几乎所有人都有恋母情结。

foal: n. 小马驹

Nirvana: n. 涅槃

生词好句

spoke of him once as speak of sb. as...: 称某人为……

Nous nous: n. 精神；心灵

lavishly adv. 奢华地；浪费地

Euripides 欧里庇得斯，公元前480 - 406，民主政治衰落时期的悲剧诗人，哲学家。

scholarship scholarship: n. 学者精神

compliment n. 称赞；褒扬

gossip n. 小道新闻；八卦

sly adj. 狡猾的

vigorous adj. 有力的；猛烈的

bookwormishness n. 书虫（含贬义）

Œdipus complex 俄狄浦斯情结，孩子亲母反父的复合情结。大部分人多多少少都会在某一年龄段有恋母情结，而在儿童时期几乎所有人都有恋母情结。

foal n. 小马驹

Nirvana n. 涅槃