Texte grec :
[35,1] Οὐκ ἐπιδειξόμενος ὑμῖν, ὦ ἄνδρες, παρῆλθον οὐδὲ ἀργυρίου
παρ´ ὑμῶν δεόμενος οὐδ´ ἔπαινον προσδεχόμενος. ἐπίσταμαι γὰρ
οὔτε αὐτὸς ἱκανῶς παρεσκευασμένος, ὥστε ὑμῖν ἀρέσαι λέγων, οὔτε
ὑμᾶς οὕτως ἔχοντας, ὥστε προσδεῖσθαι τῶν ἐμῶν λόγων. πλεῖστον
δὲ τὸ μεταξὺ τῆς ὑμετέρας βουλήσεως καὶ τῆς ἐμῆς δυνάμεως.
ἐγὼ μὲν γὰρ ἁπλῶς πέφυκα καὶ φαύλως διαλέγεσθαι καὶ οὐδενὸς
ἄμεινον τῶν τυχόντων· ὑμεῖς δὲ θαυμαστῶς καὶ περιττῶς ἐπιθυμεῖτε
ἀκούειν καὶ μόνων ἀνέχεσθε τῶν πάνυ δεινῶν.
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Traduction française :
[35,1] GENTLEMEN, I have come before you not to display
my talents as a speaker nor because I want money from
you, or expect your praise. For I know not only that I
myself am not sufficiently well equipped to satisfy
you by my eloquence, but also that your circumstances
are not such as to need my message. Furthermore,
the disparity between what you demand of a
speaker and my own powers is very great. For it is
my nature to talk quite simply and unaffectedly and
in a manner in no wise better than that of any
ordinary person; whereas you are devoted to oratory
to a degree that is remarkable, I may even say
excessive, and you tolerate as speakers only those
who are very clever.
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