苏格拉底被认为是西方哲学和伦理学的奠基人，与其学生柏拉图以及柏拉图的学生亚里斯多德并称“希腊三贤”。

    作为人类历史上最伟大的哲学家之一，苏格拉底却异常谦虚，他曾说：“我唯一知道的事情就是我的无知。”苏格拉底一生的生活朴实无华，专心致力于学问研究。在欧洲文化史上，他一直被看作是为追求真理而死的圣人。他的思想对人类历史影响如此深远，我们学习英语的人也非常有必要了解这一位伟大的智者。在记忆英语单词的时候，温习一些这位历史巨人的名言一定会受益不浅。

1.A system of morality which is based on relative emotional values is a mere illusion, a thoroughly vulgar conception which has nothing sound in it and nothing true.
Morality:道德
Illusion:虚幻
Thoroughly:完全地
Vulgar:庸俗的；低级的

2 All men's souls are immortal, but the souls of the righteous are immortal and divine.
Righteous:正直的
Divine:神圣的

3. Envy is the ulcer of the soul.
Envy:嫉妒；形容词 envious
Ulcer:溃疡：弊病

4.As to marriage or celibacy, let a man take which course he will, he will be sure to repent.
Celibacy: 独身；形容词为celibate， 同时celibate 也可以做名词，意思是保持独身的人。
Repent:后悔
（这句话就别当名言了，幽默一下吧！）

5 Beauty is the bait which with delight allures man to enlarge his kind.
Bait:诱饵
Allure:诱惑
Enlarge:扩大

6 Beware the barrenness of a busy life.
Barrenness: 荒芜；贫乏；形容词Barren

7 By all means, marry. If you get a good wife, you'll become happy; if you get a bad one, you'll become a philosopher.
Philosopher:哲学家
（这句话就别当名言了，再幽默一下吧！瞧瞧，大哲学家可不是我们想像的那样学究气十足，其实他们最富幽默感）

8 False words are not only evil in themselves, but they infect the soul with evil.
Infect:传染；污染

9 I decided that it was not wisdom that enabled poets to write their poetry, but a kind of instinct or inspiration, such as you find in seers and prophets who deliver all their sublime messages without knowing in the least what they mean.
Instinct:本能
Inspiration:灵感
Prophet:先知
Sublime:崇高的

10 I know nothing except the fact of my ignorance.
Ignorance: 无知；形容词ignorant

11 If all misfortunes were laid in one common heap whence everyone must take an equal portion, most people would be contented to take their own and depart.
Misfortune:不幸
Whence：由此（书面语）
Portion:一份；部分
Contented:满意的

12 Our prayers should be for blessings in general, for God knows best what is good for us.
Prayer:祷告
Blessing:祝福

13 The poets are only the interpreters of the Gods.
Interpreter: 解释者；口译者

14 Worthless people live only to eat and drink; people of worth eat and drink only to live.
Worthless:没有价值的；无意义的

15. Remember that there is nothing stable in human affairs; therefore avoid undue elation in prosperity, or undue depression in adversity.
Undue:过度的
Elation:得意洋洋
Prosperity:富足；繁荣
Depression:消沉；抑郁
Adversity: 逆境；不幸

16. Think not those faithful who praise all thy words and actions; but those who kindly reprove thy faults.
Faithful:忠实的
Reprove:责备；不赞成
Fault:缺点；错误
Thy: （古英语）你的，相当于“your”