hasn't worked that way.

并不是那样的
You have to allow for the possibility

你们必须承认政治哲学
that political philosophy may make you a worse citizen

可能使你们成为更糟的公民
rather than a better one

而不是更优秀的
or at least a worse citizen before it makes you a better one,

至少在让你成为更优秀公民前先让你更糟
and that's because philosophy is a distancing, even debilitating, activity.

因为哲学使人疏离现实甚至可能弱化行动力
And you see this, going back to Socrates, there's a dialogue,

追溯到苏格拉底时代就有这样一段对话
the Gorgias, in which one of Socrates' friends,

在《高尔吉亚篇》中苏格拉底的一位朋友
Callicles, tries to talk him out of philosophizing.

卡里克利斯试图说服苏格拉底放弃哲学思考
Callicles tells Socrates

他告诉苏格拉底:
"Philosophy is a pretty toy

如果一个人在年轻时代
if one indulges in it with moderation at the right time of life.

有节制地享受哲学的乐趣那自然大有裨益