231d
Σωκράτης:
καὶ ἐγὼ μέλλω τοῦτο ἐρήσεσθαι. φέρε γάρ, ἐάν τις χρυσίου σταθμὸν ἥμισυν ἀναλώσας διπλάσιον λάβῃ ἀργυρίου, κέρδος ἢ ζημίαν εἴληφεν;
Ἑταῖρος:
ζημίαν δήπου, ὦ Σώκρατες: ἀντὶ δωδεκαστασίου γὰρ διστάσιον αὐτῷ καθίσταται τὸ χρυσίον.
Σωκράτης:
καὶ μὴν πλέον γ' εἴληφεν: ἢ οὐ πλέον ἐστὶ τὸ διπλάσιον τοῦ ἡμίσεος;
Ἑταῖρος:
οὔτι τῇ ἀξίᾳ γε ἀργύριον χρυσίου.
Σωκράτης:
δεῖ ἄρα, ὡς ἔοικε, τῷ κέρδει τοῦτο προσεῖναι, τὴν ἀξίαν. νῦν γοῦν τὸ μὲν ἀργύριον πλέον ὂν τοῦ χρυσίου οὐ φῂς ἄξιον εἶναι, τὸ δὲ χρυσίον ἔλαττον ὂν ἄξιον φῂς εἶναι.
231d
if one spends half a pound of gold and gets double that weight in silver, has one got gain or loss?
Friend:
Loss, I presume, Socrates for one's gold is reduced to twice, instead of twelve times, the value of silver.
Socrates:
But you see, one has got more; or is double not more than half?
Friend:
Not in worth, the one being silver and the other gold.
Socrates:
So gain, it seems, must have this addition of worth. At least, you now say that silver, though more than gold, is not worth as much, and that gold, though less, is of equal worth.