once the familiar turns strange,

一旦所熟知的事物变得陌生
it's never quite the same again.

它将再也无法回复到从前
Self knowledge is like lost innocence,

自我认知就像逝去的童真
however unsettling you find it;

不管你有多不安
it can never be un-thought or un-known.

你已经无法不去想或是充耳不闻了
What makes this enterprise difficult but also riveting

这一过程会充满挑战又引人入胜
is that moral and political philosophy is a story

因为道德与政治哲学就好比一个故事
and you don't know where the story will lead.

你不知道故事将会如何发展
But what you do know is that the story is about you.

你只知道这个故事与你息息相关
Those are the personal risks.

以上为我提到的个人风险
Now what of the political risks?

那么政治风险是什么呢
One way of introducing a course like this would be to promise you

介绍这门课程时可以这样许诺: