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Aristotle was born around 384 BC in the ancient Greek kingdom of Macedonia where his father was the royal doctor.
亚里斯多德，西元前384年出生于古希腊马其顿王国，他的父亲是御医。
He grew up to be arguably the most influential philosopher ever, with modest nicknames like ‘the master’ and simply ‘the philosopher’.
亚里斯多德可说是有史以来最有影响力的哲学家，被昵称为"大师"，或直接称"哲学家"。
His first big job was tutoring Alexander the Great who, soon after, went out and conquered the known world
他的第一份重要工作是担任亚历山大大帝的老师；随后亚历山大大帝出征、征服了当时所知的世界。
Aristotle then headed off to Athens, worked with Plato for a bit, then branched out on his own.
亚里斯多德到了雅典后，向柏拉图学习了一段时间，而后独自建立了分支。
He founded a little school called the Lyceum.
他创立了一间小规模的学校 "Lyceum"；
French secondary schools - ‘the lycees’ - are named in honour of this venture.
现今法国称呼中学为"lycees"，就是向亚里斯多德的学院致敬。
He liked to walk about while teaching and discussing ideas.
教学的时候，他喜欢一边漫步、一边讨论想法，
His followers were nicknamed ‘peripatetics’ - ‘the wanderers.’
他的追随者因此被暱称为逍遥学派弟子--漫步者；
His many books are actually lecture notes Aristotle was fascinated by how many things actually work:
他的著作有很多其实都是讲课笔记。亚里斯多德最感兴趣的是：许多事物究竟是如何运作的?
how does a chick grow in an egg? How do squid reproduce?
小鸡如何在蛋裡长大? 乌贼是如何繁衍的?
Why does a plant grow well in one place and hardly at all in another?
为什麽有些植物只在生长在某个地方、而不是另一个地方?
And - most importantly - what makes a human life, and a whole society, go well?
以及，最重要的，什麽能让人生、以及整个社会好好运行?
For Aristotle, philosophy was about practical wisdom. Here are four big philosophical questions he answered.
对亚里斯多德而言，哲学是关于实践智慧。以下是他回答的4个重要哲学问题：
One : what makes people happy?
1. 什么能让人快乐?
In the ‘Nicomachean’ ethics (the book got it’s name because it was edited by his son,
在《尼科马哥伦理学》当中，(书名的由来是因为它由亚里斯多德的儿子，
Nicomachus) Aristotle set himself the task of identifying the factors that lead people to have a good life - or not.
尼科马哥斯所编辑)亚里斯多德的目标，是定义哪些元素能够引导人们拥有美善生活--或哪些不能。
He suggested that good and successful people all possess distinct ‘virtues’ -
他认为美善和成功的人都拥有杰出的"德性"，
and proposed that we should get better at identifying what these are,
并提出我们应该好好指认出这些德性，
so that we can nurture them in ourselves and honour them in others.
因而可以从内在培养它们、以及称讚他人的德性。
Aristotle zeroed in on 11 virtues
亚里斯多德指出了11个德性：
Courage Temperance
勇气。节制。
Liberality Magnificence
思想开放。卓越。
Magnanimity Pride
大气。自尊。
Patience Truthfulness
耐心。真诚。
Wittiness Friendliness
机智。友爱。
Modesty
谦虚。
Aristotle also observed that every virtue seems to be bang in the middle of two vices.
亚里斯多德也观察到，每个德性似乎都是两个负面特质之间的平衡，
It occupies what he termed ‘the golden mean’ (a perfectly balanced plank on triangle) between two extremes of character.
也就是他称为的"黄金中道"，介于两个极端的特质之间。
For example, in Book IV of his Ethics, under the charming title of ‘Conversational Virtues:
例如，他的伦理学第四章，标题引人注目"对话的德性：
wit, buffoonery and boorishness’, Aristotle looks at ways people are better or worse at conversation.
机智、滑稽、与粗俗"，探讨人们对话方式的好坏。亚里斯多德认为，
(knowing how to have a good conversation is one of the ingredients of the good life, Aristotle recognised).
了解如何进行良好的对话，是美善生活裡重要的一环。
Some people go wrong because they lack a subtle sense of humour: that’s the “boor”,
有些人错在于缺乏细緻的幽默感--那就成了粗俗，
someone “useless for any kind of social intercourse, because he contributes nothing and takes offence at everything.’
他们无助于社会互动，因为对人际交往没有任何贡献、而且容易被各种事情激怒；
But others carry humour to excess: ‘The buffoon cannot resist a joke, sparing neither himself,
但有些人过度使用幽默：滑稽者毫无自制地说笑，
nor anybody else provided that he can raise a laugh, and saying things that a man of taste would never dream of saying.’
不放过任何能引发笑声的机会，并且说一些有品味的人无论如何也不会说的话。
So the ‘virtuous’ person is in the golden mean in this area: witty, but tactful.
因此，有德性的人属于黄金中道：机智，但识相。
A particularly fascinating moment is when Aristotle draws up a table of ‘too little’
特别令人惊讶的，是亚里斯多德做了一个表格，
‘too much’ and ‘just right’ around the whole host of virtues.
列出所有德性"不足"、"适中"、"过度"的特质。
We can’t change our behaviour in any of these areas just at the drop of a hat.
我们虽然无法在一时半刻之间改变自己的行为，
But change is possible, eventually. ‘Moral goodness’ says Aristotle ‘ is the result of habit’.
但改变终究是可能的。亚里斯多德说："拥有道德美善，是习惯的结果。"
It takes times, practice, encouragement.
这需要时间、练习、以及勇气。
So, Aristotle thinks, people who lack virtue should be understood as unfortunate rather than wicked.
因此，亚里斯多德认为，缺乏德性的人应该被理解成"不幸的"而不是"邪恶的"。
What they need is not scolding or being thrown in prison but better teachers, more guidance.
他们所需要的，不是被痛骂或关进监牢，而是更好的老师、更多的引导。
Two: what is art for?
2.艺术的意义是什么？
The blockbuster art at that time was tragedy.
当时最重量级的艺术是悲剧。
Athenians watched gory plays at community festivals in huge open air theatres.
雅典人节日时总在大型的露天剧场观赏血淋淋的戏剧；
Aeschylus, Euripides and Sophocles were household names.
三大悲剧作家Aeschylus、Euripides、Sophocles 当时家喻户晓。
Aristotle wrote a ‘how to write great plays’ manual: the Poetics.
亚里斯多德写了一本"如何创作伟大的剧作"的《诗学》，里面充满重要的技巧，
It’s packed with great tips. For example, make sure to use:
例如，记得运用这些元素：
peripeteia - a change in fortune, when for the hero things go from great to awful [in
"Peripeteia" -- 命运的转向，当英雄从美好走向悲惨
Titanic, Leonardo de Caprio gets Kate Winslow (great) then they hit the iceberg (awful)
铁达尼号的李奥纳多狄卡皮欧和凯特温丝蕾相爱--美好，而后他们撞上冰山--悲惨。
and anagnoresis - a moment of dramatic revelation
另一个元素"Anagnoresis" --戏剧化的揭露
when suddenly the hero works out their life is a catastrophe
当英雄突然了解自己的人生是一场灾难。
But what is tragedy actually for?
不过，悲剧真正的意义是什么？
What is the point of a whole community coming together to watch horrible things happening to the lead characters?
为何整个社群的人要一起观看可怕的事情发生在主角身上?
Like Oedipus (in the play by Sophocles) who by accident, kills his father,
例如看伊底帕斯意外地杀死了自己的父亲、
gets married to his mother, finds out he’s done these things (on screen: anagnoresis!)
还娶了自己的母亲，最后发现真相时(戏剧化的揭露!)
and gouges out his own eyes in remorse and despair.
他只能挖出自己的眼睛、活在悔恨和绝望里。
Aristotle’s answer is Katharis - which is greek for … Catharsis.
亚里斯多德的回答是 "Katharsis"，希腊文的 "Catharsis"
Catharsis is a kind of cleaning - you get rid of bad stuff.
那是一种淨化--让你得以摆脱负面事物。
In this case cleaning up our emotions, specifically our confusions around the feelings of fear and pity.
而悲剧淨化的是情感，尤其是我们对于恐惧感和同情心的困惑。
We’ve got natural problems here: we are hard hearted: we don’t give pity where it is deserved.
我们有个很符合人性的问题：我们很铁石心肠--我们不会怜悯不值得怜悯的人。
And we’re prone to either exaggerated fears or not getting frightened enough
而且我们常常要不是过度恐惧、就是对应该惧怕的事物不够恐惧。
Tragedy reminds us that: terrible things can befall decent people including ourselves):
悲剧提醒我们，最糟糕的事也可能发生在好人身上--包括我们自己身上。
a small flaw can lead to a whole life unravelling
一个小失误可能毁了一生，
and so we should have more compassion (or pity) for those whose actions go disastrously wrong.
而我们因此能付出更多的同情和怜悯，对于那些行为导致了悲剧性错误的人。
We need to be collective re-taught these crucial truths on a regular basis.
我们需要集体定期被重新教导一些重要事实，
The task of art - as Aristotle saw it - is to make profound truths about life stick in our minds.
而亚里斯多德认为，艺术的任务就是让这些对我们的人生有意义的事实深植在我们脑中。
Three: What are friends for?
3.朋友的意义是什么？
In books eight and nine of the Nicomachean Ethics Aristotle identifies three different kinds of friendship.
在《尼科马哥伦理学》第八和第九章裡，亚里斯多德定义了三种不同情形的友谊。
There’s friendship that comes about when each person is seeking fun;
当每个人都在寻找乐趣时，友谊就产生了;
their ‘chief interest is in their own pleasure and the opportunity of the moment’ which the other person provides.
他们最感兴趣的是自己的愉悦、以及其他人可能提供愉悦的时刻。
Then there are friendships that are really strategic acquaintances:
还有一种友谊，其实是策略性的，
‘they take pleasure in each other’s company only in so far as they have hopes of advantage of it.’
他们如果觉得有彼此相伴很愉快，也只限于当他们觉得有可能获得好处。
Then there’s the true friend:
然后才是真正的朋友:
Not someone who’s just like you.
而不是那些像你一样的人。
But someone who isn’t you - but about whom you care as much as you are about yourself.
而是一个不像你的人——是一个像关心你自己一样去关心的人。
The sorrows of a true friend are your sorrows to, their joys are yours.
真正的朋友是悲喜与共的。
It makes you more vulnerable - should anything befall this person.
这让你更容易受伤害--万一朋友身上发生了什么事；
But it is hugely strengthening: you are relieved from the too small orbit of your own thoughts and worries,
但同时友谊也令人强大，能把你从自我狭隘的想法和担忧中释放出来；
you expand into the life of another, together you become larger, cleverer, more resilient, more fair minded.
让你扩展到他人的生命，一起变得更强大、聪明、坚韧，想法更公正；
You share virtues and cancel out each other’s defects.
你们能分享德性、消除彼此的缺点。
Friendship teaches us what we ought to be. It is - quite literally - the best part of life.
友谊教人成为我们应该成为的样子；这是生命中最美好的部分。
Four: how can ideas cut through in a busy world?
4.思想如何在忙乱的世界中脱颖而出?
Like a lot of people, Aristotle was struck by the fact that the best argument doesn’t always win the debate or the battle.
"最好的论点并非总是能赢得争辩"，这个事实让亚里斯多德以及许多人感到挫折，
He wanted to know why this happens and what we can do about it.
他想知道背后的原因、以及我们可以如何改善它。
He had lots of opportunity for observations:
对此亚里斯多德有大量的观察机会：
in Athens lots of decisions were made in public meetings (often in the Agora - the town square);
雅典城的许多决定都是在公共会议中决定的，通常是在城镇广场Agora。
orators would vie with one another to sway popular opinion.
辩士们会彼此争辩、以动摇民意。
Aristotle plotted the ways audiences and individuals are influenced by many factors
亚里斯多德观察到听众和参与者很容易受到一些
that don’t strictly engage with logic or the facts of the case.
与逻辑或事实无关的因素影响。
It’s maddening. And many serious people (especially Plato) can’t stand it.
这太疯狂了!许多严谨的人(尤其柏拉图) 完全无法忍受，
They avoid the marketplace and populist debate.
他们直接避开了市集和公众辩论。
Aristotle was more ambitious. He invented the art of what we still today call Rhetoric:
但亚里斯多德有更大的野心。他发明了"修辞学"：
the art of getting people to agree with you.
这是一门"让人们同意你"的艺术。
He wanted thoughtful, serious and well-intentioned people to learn how to be persuasive -
他希望那些有想法、严谨、动机良善的人都能学习如何拥有更强的说服力，
to reach those who don’t agree already.
以说服那些尚未同意自己的人。
He makes some timeless points: You have to recognise, acknowledge and sooth people’s fears.
他提出了几个至今适用的要点：你必须指认、承认、并舒缓人们的恐惧；
You have to see the emotional side of the issue - is someone’s pride on the line, are they feeling embarrassed - and edge round it accordingly.
你必须看见议题较为感性的那一面 -- 是否牵涉到某些人的自尊、他们是否觉得难堪 -- 并依此避免正面衝突。
You have to make it funny - because attention spans are short.
你必须要有趣 -- 因为人们的注意力很短暂；
And you might have to use illustrations and examples to make your point come alive.
以及你可能需要引用例子、让论点更生动。
We’re keen students of Aristotle.
(我们热切地学习亚里斯多德)
Today ‘Philosophy’ doesn’t sound like the most practical activity.
如今，"哲学" 听起来已经不是最实用的活动。
Maybe that’s because we’ve not paid enough attention, recently, to Aristotle
也许，这是因为我们近来不够关注亚里斯多德。
