(ii.) SUBJECT-MATTER. (ii.) 主題。

1. General View. 1. 概覽

The Cato Maior falls naturally into three parts:— Cato Maior 自然分為三個(gè)部分：

Preliminary, dedication to Atticus, §§ 1-3; 初步，獻(xiàn)給 Atticus，§§ 1-3；

Introductory Conversation, 4-9; 引入對(duì)話，4-9；

Cato's Defence of Old Age, 10-85. 加圖對(duì)老年的辯護(hù)，10-85。

After § 9 Cato continues to express his views on old age without interruption to the end, and the dialogue thus becomes really a monologue.

在第9節(jié)后，加圖繼續(xù)不間斷地表達(dá)他對(duì)老年的看法，直到最后，對(duì)話也因此事實(shí)上變成了獨(dú)白。

2. Analysis. 2. 分析

Preliminary ... 1-3. 初步... 1-3

Cicero, addressing Atticus, states his purpose in writing the book and the effect of the work on himself (1, 2), the reasons [xxiv]for putting the sentiments on old age into the mouth of Cato, and the circumstances of the supposed conversation (3).

西塞羅向阿提庫(kù)斯致意，說(shuō)明他寫這本書的目的和作品對(duì)他自己的影響 (1, 2)，將對(duì)老年情感放到卡托嘴里的原因 [xxiv]，以及這篇假定對(duì)話的背景（3）。