在《申辩篇》中，苏格拉底不仅仅是在为自己辩护，在这个过程中，他还将自己的哲学理念一一道来。在这一节的内容中，苏格拉底将自己比作牛虻，比作上帝的恩赐，他说：“打一个可笑的比喻，我就像一只牛虻，整天到处叮住你们不放，唤醒你们、说服你们、指责你们......”，他没有批判什么，也没有反对什么，只是说出真理和真相。而现实与所说的不相容，杀害真理者必陷入谬误。这一节的内容充分体现了苏格拉底是如何界定知识分子的责任的，并且从字里行间中，我们还可以体会到苏格拉底对逻辑性的重视。
So I, men of Athens, am now far from making a defense speech on my own behalf, as someone might suppose. I do it rather on your behalf, so that you do not do something wrong concerning the gift of the god to you by voting to condemn me. For if you kill me, you will not easily discover another of my sort, who—even if it is rather ridiculous to say—has simply been set upon the city by the god, as though upon a great and well-born horse who is rather sluggish because of his great size and needs to be awakened by some gadfly. Just so, in fact, the god seems to me to have set me upon the city as someone of this sort: I awaken and persuade and reproach each one of you, and I do not stop settling down everywhere upon you the whole day. Someone else of this sort will certainly not easily arise for you, men. Well, if you obey me, you will spare me. But perhaps you may be vexed, like the drowsy when they are awakened, and if you obey Anytus and slap me, you would easily kill me. Then you would spend the rest of your lives asleep, unless the god sends you someone else in his concern for you.
▍生词好句
on one's behalf: 为了某人；代表某人
condemn: vt. 给……定罪
ridiculous: adj. 可笑的；荒谬的
sluggish: adj. 行动迟缓的；懒惰的
awaken: vt. 唤醒；使…意识到
gadfly: n. 牛虻；讨厌的人
persuade: vt. 说服；劝说
reproach: vt. 责备
spare: vt. 饶恕；放过
vex: vt. 使烦恼；使困惑
drowsy: adj. 昏昏欲睡的
slap: vt. 拍击；侮辱
