跟讀練習: Why Socrates Hated Democracy - 通過影片學習英語口語

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43 句

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What is the most important thing to think about democracy?

對於民主，最重要的考量是什麼？

We're used to thinking very highly of democracy, and by extension, of ancient Athens, the civilization that gave rise to it.

我們向來對民主制度，以及進一步來說，對孕育出民主制度的古雅典文明，都抱持著極高的評價。

The Parthenon has become almost a byword for democratic values, which is why so many leaders of democracies like to be photographed there.

帕特農神廟幾乎已成為民主價值觀的代名詞，這也是許多民主國家領導人喜歡在那裡留影的原因。

It's therefore very striking to discover that one of ancient Greece's greatest achievements, philosophy, was highly suspicious of its other achievement, democracy.

因此，我們會發現一個非常值得注意的現象：古希臘最偉大的成就之一——哲學，對於另一項成就——民主，其實抱持著高度的質疑態度。

The founding father of Greek philosophy, Socrates, is portrayed in the dialogues of Plato as hugely pessimistic about the whole business of democracy.

希臘哲學的奠基者蘇格拉底，在柏拉圖的對話錄中被描寫成對整個民主制度抱持極度悲觀的態度。

In Book 6 of the Republic, Plato describes Socrates falling into conversation with a character called Adimantus

在《理想國》第六卷中，柏拉圖描述蘇格拉底與一位名叫阿德曼圖斯的人物展開對話。

and trying to get him to see the flaws of democracy by by comparing a society to a ship.

並試著透過將社會比喻成一艘船，讓他看見民主制度的缺陷。

If you were heading out on a journey by sea, asks Socrates, who would you ideally want deciding who was in charge of the vessel?

蘇格拉底問道，如果你要出海旅行，理想情況下你會希望由誰來決定誰來掌管船隻？

Just anyone or people educated in the rules and demands of seafaring?

是只要隨便一個人就可以，還是需要具備航海規則與相關要求知識的人？

The latter, of course, says Ademantus.

後者當然是阿德曼托斯說的。

So why then, responds Socrates, do we keep thinking that any old person should be fit to judge who should be the ruler of a country?

蘇格拉底接著反問，那為什麼我們一直認為，任何年長的人都有資格判斷誰應該成為國家的統治者？

Socrates' point is that voting in an election is a skill, not a random intuition.

蘇格拉底的論點是，選舉投票是一項專門技能，而非隨機的直覺判斷。

And like any skill, it needs to be taught systematically to people.

就像任何技能一樣，這項能力也需要有系統地教導給大家。

Letting the citizenry vote without an education is as irresponsible as

讓未受教育的民眾投票，和……一樣不負責任

putting them in charge of a trireme sailing to Samos in a storm.

讓他們負責指揮一艘在暴風雨中駛往薩摩斯的三列槳戰艦。

Socrates was to have first-hand catastrophic experience of the foolishness of voters.

蘇格拉底曾親身體驗過選民愚昧所帶來的災難性後果。

In 399 BC, the philosopher was put on trial on trumped-up charges of corrupting the youth of Athens.

西元前399年，這位哲學家遭以捏造的罪名審判，被指控腐蝕雅典青年。

A jury of 500 Athenians was invited to weigh up the case and decided, by a narrow margin, that the philosopher was guilty.

由500名雅典人組成的陪審團受邀審理此案，並以些微票數判定這位哲學家有罪。

was put to death by Hemlock in a process

which is for thinking people every bit as tragic as Jesus' condemnation has been for Christians.

Crucially, Socrates was not elitist in the normal sense.

He didn't believe that a narrow few should only ever vote.

He did, however, insist that only those who had thought about issues rationally and deeply should be let near a vote.

We have forgotten this distinction between an intellectual democracy and a democracy by birthright.

We have given the vote to all without connecting it to wisdom.

And Socrates knew exactly where that would lead, to a system the Greeks feared above all.

Demagoguery.

Ancient Athens had painful experience of demagogues.

For example, the loush figure of Alcibiades,

a rich, charismatic, smooth-talking, wealthy man who eroded basic freedoms and helped to push Athens to its disastrous military adventures in Sicily.

Socrates knew how easily people seeking election could exploit our desire for easy answers.

He asked us to imagine an election debate between two candidates, one who was like a doctor and the other who was like a sweet shop owner.

The sweet shop owner would say of his rival, Look, this person here has worked many evils on you.

He hurts you, gives you bitter potions and tells you not to eat and drink whatever you like.

He'll never serve you feasts of many and varied pleasant things like I will.

Socrates asks us to consider the audience's response.

Do you think the doctor would be able to reply effectively?

The true answer, I cause you trouble and go against your desires in order to help you, would cause an uproar among the voters, don't you think?

We have forgotten all about Socrates' salient warnings against democracy.

We have preferred to think of democracy as an unambiguous good rather than as something

that is only ever as effective as the education system that surrounds it.

As a result, we have elected many sweet shop owners and very few doctors.

Thank you.

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本課的詞彙與口語要點

這節 C1 級別的口語課以影片“Why Socrates Hated Democracy”為素材。影片中反覆出現的詞有：Socrates, democracy, Athens, vote, ancient。這段影片共有 43 個句子、645 個單詞可供跟讀。講話部分時長為 4:11。說話人語速自然，每分鐘約 154 個詞，接近日常對話。只有 78% 的單詞屬於英語最常用的 3,000 詞，詞彙難度較高。

影片中的重點詞彙

影片中最難的 15 個單詞，附發音和釋義：

單詞	發音	釋義
philosopher 名詞	/fəˈlɑsəfɚ/	哲學家 /哲學家
birthright 名詞	/ˈbɝθ.ɹaɪt/	傳家寶 /傳家寶
byword 名詞	/ˈbaɪ.wɚd/	格言, 民諺 /民諺
pessimistic 形容詞	/ˌpɛ.səˈmɪs.tɪk/	悲觀的 /悲觀的
potion 名詞	/ˈpoʊ.ʃən/	藥劑 /藥劑, 藥水 /藥水
uproar 名詞	/ˈʌpɹɔːɹ/	騷動 /騷動
condemnation 名詞	/ˌkɑndəmˈneɪʃən/	譴責 /譴責, 非難 /非難
intuition 名詞	/ˌɪn.tjuːˈɪʃ.ən/	直覺 /直覺, 直感
catastrophic 形容詞	/ˌkætəˈstɹɑfɪk/	災難的 /災難的, 災難性的 /災難性的
flaw 名詞	/flɔ/	疵
hugely 副詞	/ˈhjuːd͡ʒli/	大大
irresponsible 形容詞	/ˌɪɹ.əˈspɑn.sə.bəl/	不負責的 /不負責的, 不負責任的
disastrous 形容詞	/dɪˈzæs.tɹəs/	災難的
surround 動詞	/səˈɹaʊnd/	包圍 /包圍, 圍繞 /圍繞
exploit 名詞	/ˈɛksplɔɪt/	功勛 /功勳, 勛績 /勳績

影片中的語法

說話人最常用的結構，並附上影片中的原話：

結構	影片中的用法
現在完成時 have/has + 過去分詞 — 過去發生但與現在仍有關聯的事	has become · has been · have forgotten
被動語態 be + 過去分詞 — 強調發生了什麼，而不是誰做的	be photographed · is portrayed · be taught
定語從句 who / which + 從句 — 補充說明人或事物	values, which is · those who had · man who eroded

需要注意的發音

說話人用了 4 次縮略和弱讀形式，例如 didn't, don't, he'll。請按聽到的簡短形式來說。

“sh” 和 “zh” 音: crucially /ˈkɹuːʃəli/, foolishness /ˈfuːlɪʃnəs/, potion /ˈpoʊ.ʃən/, condemnation /ˌkɑndəmˈneɪʃən/, intuition /ˌɪn.tjuːˈɪʃ.ən/
長單詞——注意重音位置: philosopher /fəˈlɑsəfɚ/, charismatic /ˌkɛɹəzˈmætək/, demagoguery /ˌdɛməˈɡɑɡəɹi/, pessimistic /ˌpɛ.səˈmɪs.tɪk/, systematically /ˌsɪs.təˈmæt.ɪ.kli/

中文母語者容易讀錯的音：

詞尾子音 — 要讀清楚，後面不要加母音: birthright /ˈbɝθ.ɹaɪt/, byword /ˈbaɪ.wɚd/, charismatic /ˌkɛɹəzˈmætək/, foolishness /ˈfuːlɪʃnəs/, pessimistic /ˌpɛ.səˈmɪs.tɪk/
/r/ 和 /l/ 的區別: crucially /ˈkɹuːʃəli/, irresponsible /ˌɪɹ.əˈspɑn.sə.bəl/, ruler /ˈɹulɚ/
/æ/ — 嘴張大，不要讀成 /e/: charismatic /ˌkɛɹəzˈmætək/, systematically /ˌsɪs.təˈmæt.ɪ.kli/, catastrophic /ˌkætəˈstɹɑfɪk/, disastrous /dɪˈzæs.tɹəs/, tragic /ˈtɹæd͡ʒɪk/

如何用這段影片練習

先完整聽一遍影片，不要開口，記下不認識的單詞。
先用 0.75 倍速逐句跟讀，熟練之後再回到正常速度。
錄下自己的聲音並與原聲對比，特別注意 philosopher, birthright, byword 這類單詞。

什麼是跟讀法？

跟讀法 (Shadowing) 是一種有科學依據的語言學習技巧，最初開發用於專業口譯員的培訓，並由多語言者Alexander Arguelles博士普及。這個方法簡單而強大：您在聽英語母語原聲的同時立即大聲重複——就像是一個延遲1-2秒緊跟說話者的影子。與被動聽力或語法練習不同，跟讀法強迫您的大腦和口腔肌肉同時處理並模模擬實的講話模式。研究表明它能顯著提高發音準確性，語調，節奏，連讀，聽力理解和口語流利度——使其成為雅思口語備考和真實英語交流最有效的方法之一。

影子跟讀法: 閱讀完整分步指南 →

跟讀練習: Why Socrates Hated Democracy - 通過影片學習英語口語

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