On the Translation

James Redfield discusses his "American" translation of Plato's Apology. (Real Audio)

James Redfield reads from the opening lines of Plato's Apology. (Real Audio)

Transliteration:

Hoti men humeis, ô andres Athênaioi, peponthate hupo tôn emôn katêgorôn, ouk oida: egô d' oun kai autos hu'autôn oligou emautou epelathomên, houtô pithanôs elegon. kaitoi alêthes ge hôs epos eipein ouden eirêkasin. malista de autôn hen ethaumasa tôn pollôn hôn epseusanto, touto en hôi elegon hôs chrên humas eulabeisthai mê hup' emou exapatêthête hôs deinou ontos legein. to gar mê aischunthênai hoti autika hup' emou exelenchthêsontai ergôi, epeidan mêd' hopôstioun phainômai deinos legein, touto moi edoxen autôn anaischuntotaton einai, ei mê ara deinon kalousin houtoi legein ton talêthê legonta: ei men gar touto legousin, homologoiên an egôge ou kata toutous einai rhêtôr.

Translation:

I don't know how you felt about the prosecution, gentlemen; as for me I almost forgot myself, their speech was so convincing. And yet as far as truth goes, they said pretty nearly nothing. But of all the lies they told there was one that really amazed me, where they said you had to be careful not to let me fool you, because I am such a powerful speaker. For them to have no shame that the facts would immediately prove them wrong when I turn out not to be powerful at all—this I thought was really the limit of shamelessness on their part—unless they mean by "powerful speaker" someone who tells the truth; if that's what they are saying, I would admit to being—though not in their style—an orator.