The Parable Of The Cave Essays - Philosophy, Free Essays

The Parable Of The Cave Essays - Philosophy, Free Essays The Parable Of The Cave Kevin McKee 6-2-99 ENGL 251 C. Wooton Taking the High Road The unexamined life is not worth living, In The Apology, Socrates relates that the most important goal in life is the improvement of the soul. We should search others, our environment, and ourselves so that we may come to a better understanding of the world. The Parable of the Cave tells of the journey that Socrates was trying to relate, in that each person is faced with different realities as we travel to try and reach the intellectual world. This journey of enlightenment draws close parallels to another piece of literature by Robert Frost. In his poem The Road Not Taken, he describes how he felt as he came upon the fork in the road and chose to take the road less traveled and that has made all the difference. The use of life as a journey is nothing new to literature, but with Plato and Frost both show that this journey is not easy and there are many choices along the way that we must make that will determine the quality of the life we will lead. The main factor that drew me to the Parable of the Cave was the way it described our journey through life. It begins by telling us that the reality we initially see when we are chained down in the cave is nothing more than an illusion. This is true in my own life in that I was told by my parents what was right and what was wrong without questioning the reason behind it. They kept a chain of sorts around me so that I was not harmed by all of the realities of the world at once, but rather gradually introduced to them as I grew up. As we are released from bondage, our reality is immediately changed. When we first look toward the light we will suffer sharp pains; as we try to adjust to this new reality that is suddenly thrown upon us. The bondage that we experienced in the beginning is no longer there and the full weight of the world is pressed down on us without the help of others and now responsibility for our own actions becomes the controlling factor in our life. The light that first shocked us into reality now causes you to come to a crossroads in life. Looking directly at the light will cause some pain and suffering, but offers a clearer vision or turn away and take refuge in the objects of vision which he can see and return to the reality of which he was accustomed, but is only an illusion. Many people are scared to face reality and would rather turn back to the shelter that they are comfortable with. Independence and freedom are things these people could live without, so long as they had someone to lead them. Unfortunately, the majority of people fall into this category. They become sheep and require a shepherd to guide them through their lives. The others who can overcome the blinding light are able to ask of themselves what they are trying to accomplish in their lifetime. They may make mistakes along the way, but because they had the strength to try, are able to learn from those mistakes and become more intelligent as they age. Those that never leave the depths of the cave remain in an illusion. Ignorance is bliss, and these people never want to have to struggle with their lives, but would rather remain without the responsibility the new knowledge would bring them if they were to walk towards the light. The light allows us to see things more clearly and this is the goal that we are trying to reach in our lifetime, but are almost assured of failing. Why then should you constantly fight toward this goal over adversity and hardship only to fail in the end? The journey is the most important part of the trip, not the destination. The things learned along the way will make your life more fulfilling and enjoyable. The Parable of the Cave shows how this journey can be related to our own lives and the struggles we face throughout our lifetime. The journey

Sicilian Phrasebook

Sicilian Phrasebook GREETINGS Bon giornu. Bona sira.Good evening. Bona notti.Good night. Addiu.Good-bye. Comu si senti?How are you? Bonu, grazii, e Lei?Fine, thanks, and you? Unn cà ¨ mali.Not bad. Piaciri di canuscirvi.Pleased to meet you. GETTING ALONG Parra inglisi? Iu unn parru sicilianu.I do not speak Sicilian. Ma capisciu si parra chià ¹ lentamenti.But Ill understand if you speak more slowly. Mi capisci si parru inglisi?Do you understand me if I speak English? Cà ¨ nessunu cca ca parra inglisi?Does anyone speak English here? Comu si dici in sicilianu...?How do you say in Sicilian...? ASKING FOR DIRECTIONS Mi po diri comu si va a ...? Quantu si ci metta a [town name] di cca?How far is [town name] from here? Quantu si ci metti in machina?How long does it take by car? Mi po mustrari na carta unna mi trovu?Can you show me on the map where I am? Gira sinistra.Turn left. Gira destra.Turn right. Jiti rittu rittu.Go straight ahead. Faciti un giru cumpletu.Make a U-turn. Jiti à ´ primincruciamentu.Go to the first intersection. Unn à ¨ luntanu.Its not far. È vicinu.Its nearby. Si ci metti cincu minuti a pedi.Its a five-minute walk. TRAVEL AND TRANSPORTATION Pi favuri, unna à ¨ u benzinaiu u chià ¹ vicinu? Pi favuri, mi metta deci litri di benzina.Ten liters of gas, please. Mi volcontrollar a pressioni dà ® gummi?Would you check the tire pressure? Unna pozzu parcheggiari?Where can I park? Cà ¨ un parcheggiu ca vicinu?Is there a parking lot nearby? È un parcheggiu liberu?Is this a free parking lot? ON THE BUS Quali autobus devu prenniri pi jiri à ¢ Quattru Canti? Unna à ¨ a firmata?Where is the bus stop? È chistu lautobus pi San Fratellu?Is this the rigth bus for San Fratello? Un biglettu, pir favuri.One ticket, please. Devu scinniri a...I have to get off at... Mi po diri unna devu scinniri?Can you tell me where to get off? AT THE TRAIN STATION Quannu à ¨ u prossimu trenu pi Missina? Vogghiu un bigliettu di andata e ritornu.Id like a round-trip ticket. Un bigliettu sulu di andata.One-way ticket, please. Un bigliettu di prima classi, pi favuri.First class, please. A chi ura arriva u trenu di...?At what time does the train arrive from...? Chi à ¨ direttu o espressu?Is it a local or an express? Mi po dari un orariu?May I have a timetable? Da quali binariu parti u trenu?From what platform does it leave? U trenu parti dà ´ binariu...The train leaves from platform... U trenu pir Catania parti a...The train for Catania leaves at... È trenu cu prinotazzioni ubbligatoria.You need a reservation for this train. FOOD AND DRINK agneddu antipastu mistumixed antipasto baccalarudry salted cod bivannidrinks calamarisquid cicirichickpeas ducisweets fasolibeans panibread pipipepper pumudamuritomatoes sasizzasausage u primufirst course u secunnusecond course vinu biancuwhite wine vinu russured wine SHOPPING Comu Le pozzu sirviri? Vogghiu sulu dar un occhiata.I just want to have a look. Vogghiaccattarun capeddu.Id like to buy a hat. Unna à ¨ u camerinu?Where is the fitting room? Pozzu cangiari na vota accattatu?May I return this? Faciti anchi modifichi cca?Do you make alterations here? Pozzu pagari cà ¢ carta di creditu?Can I pay with my credit card? Non accettamu carti di creditu, sulu contanti.We do not accept credit cards, only cash. Mi poincartari u me acquistu in pacchettu regalu?Can you gift-wrap my purchase? Tuttu ntà ´ negozziu à ¨ in saldu.Every item in the store is on sale. È troppu granni / nicu / lungu / curtu.Its too large / small / long / short. SERVICES Mi po puliri sti cammisi, pir favuri? Quannu sarannu pronti i causi?When are the pants going to be ready? Mi bisogninu pi sabatu.I need them by Saturday. Devu pagari ora o quannu i vegnu a ritirari?Should I pay now or when I come to pick them up? Eccu a so ricevuta.Here is your receipt. Vulissi tagghiari i capiddi.I would like a haircut. Vulissi un tagghiu curtu.I would like my hair short. Vulissi sulu na spuntata.I would like my hair trimmed. Faciti anchi massaggi cca?Do you also do massages? MONEY Unna à ¨ a banca a chià ¹ vicina? Quannu apri / chiudi a banca?When does the bank open / close? Unna pozzu truvari un Bancomat?Where can I find an ATM? A quantu sta u dollaru oggi?How much is the dollar today? Chi tassa ci mittiti sà » cambiu esteru?What is your fee on currency exchange? Accitati carti di creditu?Do you accept credit cards? AT THE BEACH Unna pozzu affitari una sdraia? A chi ura devu ristituiri a sdraia?At what time shall I return the deck chair? Chi voli diri a bannera russa?What does the red flag mean? Quantu pozzu natari a largu?How far am I allowed to swim here? Unna pozzu accattari na buttighia dacqua nta spiaggia?Where can I buy a bottle of water on the beach? È chista na spiaggia pubblica?Is this a public beach? HEALTH Pozzu vidiri un dutturi, pi favuri? Chiamati lambulanza!Call an ambulance! Unn mi sentu bonu.I dont feel well. Mi sentu malatu.I feel sick. Mi fa mali a testa.I have a headache. Mi fa mali a panza.I have a stomachache. Haiu un allergia.I have an allergy. Cercu na farmacia.I am looking for a pharmacy. Mi po diri unna à ¨ a farmacia chià ¹ vicina?Where is the nearest pharmacy, please? Devu pigghiari sta pinnula cu acqua?Should I take this pill with water? EMERGENCIES Latru! Aiutu!Help! Lassami in paci!Leave me alone! Vattinni!Go away! Mi scipparu a cullana!They snatched my necklace! Haiu bisognu di un interpetri.I need an interpreter. Cà ¨ un dutturi cca?Is there a doctor here? Focu!Fire! Chiamati i pomperi!Call the firemen! MEASURES centimetru chilometrukilometer chilukilo litruliter metrumeter DAYS OF THE WEEK luneddà ¬ marteddà ¬Tuesday mercoleddà ¬Wednesday gioveddà ¬Thursday venerddà ¬Friday sabbatuSaturday duminicaSunday MONTHS OF THE YEAR jinnaru fivraruFebruary marzuMarch apriliApril maggiuMay giugnuJune lugliuJuly agustuAugust settembriSeptember ottubbriOctober novembriNovember dicembriDecember TIME Chi ura à ¨? È luna.It is one oclock. Sunu id dui.It is two oclock. Sunu i dui e menzu.It is two-thirty. Sunu i dui menu un quartu.It is a quarter to two. THE FOUR SEASONS primavera estatisummer autunnuautumn invernuwinter THE WEATHER Chi tempu fa? Fa friddu oggi.Today it is cold. Fa cauru.Its warm. Chiovi.Its raining. È na bedda jurnata.Its a gorgeous day. Nun chiovi, ma fa ventu.Its not raining, but it is windy. È nuvulusu.Its cloudy. Quanti gradi fa fora?How many degrees is it outside? Rumani ci sar una timpesta.Tomorrow there will be a thunderstorm.