Comparing Twilight of the Idols translations

The wisest sages of all times have reached the same judgment about life: it’s worthless . . . Always and everywhere we have heard the same sound coming from their mouths—a sound full of doubt, full of melancholy, full of fatigue with life, full of hostility to life. Even Socrates said, as he died, “Living—that means being sick a long time. I owe a rooster to the savior Asclepius.”18 Even Socrates had had enough.— What does that demonstrate? What does that indicate?—In the past one would have said (—oh, one has said it, and loud enough, and especially our pessimists!): “There must be something true here, in any case! The consensus sapientium [agreement of the wise] demonstrates the truth.”— Will we still speak this way today? May we do so? “There must be something sick here, in any case”—that’s our answer: these wisest sages of all times, one should take a close look at them first! Had they all become unsteady on their legs, maybe? Late? Shaky? Décadents? Does wisdom maybe appear on Earth as a scavenger bird, excited by a little scent of rotting meat? . . .

by: Richard Polt

The wisest men in every age have reached the same conclusion about life: it's no good ... Always and everywhere, you hear the same sound from their mouths, - a sound full of doubt, full of melancholy, full of exhaustion with life, full of resistance to life. Even Socrates said as he died: 'living ­ that means being sick for a long time: l owe Asclepius the Saviour a rooster. ' Even Socrates had had enough. - What does this prove? What does it demonstrate? - There was a time when people would have said (-oh, people have said it, and loud enough too, with our pessimists first in line!): 'There has to be some truth here! The consensus sapientium is proof of truth.' - And nowadays, are we going to keep talking like this? Are we even allowed to? 'There has to be some sickness here' - is what we will reply: these wisest men of all ages, let us start looking at them more closely! Perhaps they had become a bit unsteady on their feet? Perhaps they were late? doddering? decadent? Perhaps wisdom appears on earth as a raven, inspired by a little scent of carrion? ...

By: Judith Norman

In this paragraph I prefer the Norman translation as it is a little more direct .

Socrates’ décadence is indicated not only by his admittedly depraved and anarchic instincts, but also by the overdevelopment of the logical and that rickety nastiness that characterizes him. And let’s not forget those auditory hallucinations which have been interpreted in religious terms as “Socrates’ daimonion [divine sign].” Everything about him is exaggerated, buffo [comical], a caricature; at the same time, everything is covert, reticent, subterranean.—I am trying to grasp the idiosyncrasy that is the source of that Socratic equation: reason = virtue = happiness—the most bizarre equation that there is, and one which in particular has all the instincts of the older Hellenes against it.

by: Richard Polt

We see signs of Socrates' decadence not only in the admitted chaos and anarchy of his instincts, but in the hypertrophy of logic as well as in his emblematic rachitic spite. And let us not forget those auditory hallucinations, interpreted religiously as 'Socrates' daemon' . Everything about him is exaggerated, buffo, a caricature - and, at the same time, hidden, subterranean, and full of ulterior motives. - I am trying to figure out which idiosyncrasy gave rise to that Socratic equation of reason = virtue = happiness: the most bizarre of all equations, which is opposed to all the instincts of the earlier Greeks.

By: Judith Norman

I think the phrase "rickety nastiness" is poor for two reasons. One, while both rachitic and rickety refer to the sickness continuing Nietzsche's metaphor of Socrates as sick, but rickety could both refer to the sickness of rickets or the state of being poorly made. Second, spite is just much more direct as a term then nastiness and does a better job showing the resentiment of Socrates connecting him to Nietzsche's idea of morality.