Well (I replied), and did your wife appear, Ischomachus, to lend a willing ear to what you tried thus earnestly to teach her?
Isch. Most certainly she did, with promise to pay all attention. Her delight was evident, like some one’s who at length has found a pathway out of difficulties; in proof of which she begged me to lose no time in making the orderly arrangement I had spoken of.
And how did you introduce the order she demanded, Ischomachus? (I asked).
Isch. Well, first of all I thought I ought to show her the capacities of our house. Since you must know, it is not decked with ornaments1 and fretted2 ceilings,194 Socrates; but the rooms were built expressly with a view to forming the most apt receptacles for whatever was intended to be put in them, so that the very look of them proclaimed what suited each particular chamber3 best. Thus our own bedroom,195 secure in its position like a stronghold, claimed possession of our choicest carpets, coverlets, and other furniture. Thus, too, the warm dry rooms would seem to ask for our stock of bread-stuffs; the chill cellar for our wine; the bright and well-lit chambers4 for whatever works or furniture required light, and so forth5.
Next I proceeded to point out to her the several dwelling-rooms, all beautifully fitted up for cool in summer and for warmth in winter.196 I showed her how the house enjoyed a southern aspect, whence it was plain, in winter it would catch the sunlight and in summer lie in shade.197 Then I showed her the women’s apartments, separated from the men’s apartments by a bolted door,198 whereby nothing from within could be conveyed without clandestinely6, nor children born and bred by our domestics without our knowledge and consent199 — no unimportant matter, since, if the act of rearing children tends to make good servants still more loyally disposed,200 cohabiting but sharpens ingenuity7 for mischief8 in the bad.
When we had gone over all the rooms (he continued), we at once set about distribution our furniture201 in classes; and we began (he said) by collecting everything we use in offering sacrifice.202 After this we proceeded to set apart the ornaments and holiday attire9 of the wife, and the husband’s clothing both for festivals and war; then the bedding used in the women’s apartments, and the bedding used in the men’s apartments; then the women’s shoes and sandals, and the shoes and sandals of the men.203 There was one division devoted10 to arms and armour11; another to instruments used for carding wood; another to implements12 for making bread; another to utensils13 for cooking condiments14; another to utensils for the bath; another connected with the kneading trough; another with the service of the table. All these we assigned to separate places, distinguishing one portion for daily and recurrent use and the rest for high days and holidays. Next we selected and set aside the supplies required for the month’s expenditure15; and, under a separate head,204 we stored away what we computed16 would be needed for the year.205 For in this way there is less chance of failing to note how the supplies are likely to last to the end.
And so having arranged the different articles of furniture in classes, we proceeded to convey them to their appropriate places. That done, we directed our attention to the various articles needed by our domestics for daily use, such as implements or utensils for making bread, cooking relishes17, spinning wool, and anything else of the same sort. These we consigned18 to the care of those who would have to use them, first pointing out where they must stow them, and enjoining19 on them to return them safe and sound when done with.
As to the other things which we should only use on feast-days, or for the entertainment of guests, or on other like occasions at long intervals20, we delivered them one and all to our housekeeper21. Having pointed22 out to her their proper places, and having numbered and registered206 the several sets of articles, we explained that it was her business to give out each thing as required; to recollect23 to whom she gave them; and when she got them back, to restore them severally to the places from which she took them. In appointing our housekeeper, we had taken every pains to discover some one on whose self-restraint we might depend, not only in the matters of food and wine and sleep, but also in her intercourse24 with men. She must besides, to please us, be gifted with no ordinary memory. She must have sufficient forethought not to incur25 displeasure through neglect of our interests. It must be her object to gratify us in this or that, and in return to win esteem26 and honour at our hands. We set ourselves to teach and train her to feel a kindly27 disposition28 towards us, by allowing her to share our joys in the day of gladness, or, if aught unkind befell us, by inviting29 her to sympathise in our sorrow. We sought to rouse in her a zeal30 for our interests, an eagerness to promote the increase of our estate, by making her intelligent of its affairs, and by giving her a share in our successes. We instilled31 in her a sense of justice and uprightness, by holding the just in higher honour than the unjust, and by pointing out that the lives of the righteous are richer and less servile than those of the unrighteous; and this was the position in which she found herself installed in our household.207
And now, on the strength of all that we had done, Socrates (he added), I addressed my wife, explaining that all these things would fail of use unless she took in charge herself to see that the order of each several part was kept. Thereupon I taught her that in every well-constituted city the citizens are not content merely to pass good laws, but they further choose them guardians33 of the laws,208 whose function as inspectors34 is to praise the man whose acts are law-abiding, or to mulct some other who offends against the law. Accordingly, I bade her believe that she, the mistress, was herself to play the part of guardian32 of the laws to her whole household, examining whenever it seemed good to her, and passing in review the several chattels35, just as the officer in command of a garrison209 musters36 and reviews his men. She must apply her scrutiny37 and see that everything was well, even as the Senate210 tests the condition of the Knights38 and of their horses.211 Like a queen, she must bestow39, according to the power vested in her, praise and honour on the well-deserving, but blame and chastisement40 on him who stood in need thereof.
Nor did my lessons end here (added he); I taught her that she must not be annoyed should I seem to be enjoining upon her more trouble than upon any of our domestics with regard to our possessions; pointing out to her that these domestics have only so far a share in their master’s chattels that they must fetch and carry, tend and guard them; nor have they the right to use a single one of them except the master grant it. But to the master himself all things pertain41 to use as he thinks best. And so I pointed the conclusion: he to whom the greater gain attaches in the preservation42 of the property or loss in its destruction, is surely he to whom by right belongs the larger measure of attention.212
When, then (I asked), Ischomachus, how fared it? was your wife disposed at all to lend a willing ear to what you told her?213
Bless you,214 Socrates (he answered), what did she do but forthwith answer me, I formed a wrong opinion if I fancied that, in teaching her the need of minding our property, I was imposing43 a painful task upon her. A painful task it might have been215 (she added), had I bade her neglect her personal concerns! But to be obliged to fulfil the duty of attending to her own domestic happiness,216 that was easy. After all it would seem to be but natural (added he); just as any honest217 woman finds it easier to care for her own offspring than to neglect them, so, too, he could well believe, an honest woman might find it pleasanter to care for than to neglect possessions, the very charm of which is that they are one’s very own.
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ornaments
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| n.装饰( ornament的名词复数 )；点缀；装饰品；首饰v.装饰，点缀，美化( ornament的第三人称单数 ) | |
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fretted
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| 焦躁的，附有弦马的，腐蚀的 | |
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chamber
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| n.房间，寝室；会议厅；议院；会所 | |
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chambers
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| n.房间( chamber的名词复数 )；（议会的）议院；卧室；会议厅 | |
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forth
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| adv.向前；向外，往外 | |
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clandestinely
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| adv.秘密地，暗中地 | |
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ingenuity
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| n.别出心裁；善于发明创造 | |
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mischief
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| n.损害，伤害，危害；恶作剧，捣蛋，胡闹 | |
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attire
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| v.穿衣，装扮[同]array；n.衣着；盛装 | |
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devoted
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| adj.忠诚的，忠实的，热心的，献身于...的 | |
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armour
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| （=armor）n.盔甲；装甲部队 | |
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implements
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| n.工具( implement的名词复数 )；家具；手段；[法律]履行（契约等）v.实现( implement的第三人称单数 )；执行；贯彻；使生效 | |
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utensils
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| 器具，用具，器皿( utensil的名词复数 )； 器物 | |
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condiments
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| n.调味品 | |
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expenditure
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| n.(时间、劳力、金钱等)支出；使用，消耗 | |
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computed
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| adj.[医]计算的，使用计算机的v.计算，估算( compute的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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relishes
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| n.滋味( relish的名词复数 )；乐趣；（大量的）享受；快乐v.欣赏( relish的第三人称单数 )；从…获得乐趣；渴望 | |
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consigned
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| v.把…置于（令人不快的境地）( consign的过去式和过去分词 )；把…托付给；把…托人代售；丟弃 | |
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enjoining
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| v.命令( enjoin的现在分词 ) | |
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intervals
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| n.[军事]间隔( interval的名词复数 )；间隔时间；[数学]区间；（戏剧、电影或音乐会的）幕间休息 | |
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housekeeper
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| n.管理家务的主妇，女管家 | |
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pointed
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| adj.尖的，直截了当的 | |
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recollect
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| v.回忆，想起，记起，忆起，记得 | |
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intercourse
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| n.性交；交流，交往，交际 | |
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incur
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| vt.招致，蒙受，遭遇 | |
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esteem
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| n.尊敬，尊重；vt.尊重，敬重；把…看作 | |
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kindly
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| adj.和蔼的，温和的，爽快的；adv.温和地，亲切地 | |
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disposition
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| n.性情，性格；意向，倾向；排列，部署 | |
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inviting
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| adj.诱人的，引人注目的 | |
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zeal
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| n.热心，热情，热忱 | |
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instilled
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| v.逐渐使某人获得（某种可取的品质），逐步灌输( instill的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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guardian
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| n.监护人；守卫者，保护者 | |
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guardians
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| 监护人( guardian的名词复数 )； 保护者，维护者 | |
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inspectors
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| n.检查员( inspector的名词复数 )；（英国公共汽车或火车上的）查票员；（警察）巡官；检阅官 | |
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chattels
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| n.动产，奴隶( chattel的名词复数 ) | |
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musters
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| v.集合，召集，集结（尤指部队）( muster的第三人称单数 )；（自他人处）搜集某事物；聚集；激发 | |
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scrutiny
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| n.详细检查，仔细观察 | |
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knights
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| 骑士； （中古时代的）武士( knight的名词复数 )； 骑士； 爵士； （国际象棋中）马 | |
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bestow
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| v.把…赠与，把…授予；花费 | |
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chastisement
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| n.惩罚 | |
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pertain
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| v.(to)附属，从属；关于；有关；适合，相称 | |
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preservation
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| n.保护，维护，保存，保留，保持 | |
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imposing
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| adj.使人难忘的，壮丽的，堂皇的，雄伟的 | |
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