NIErZSCHE found in classical Athenian tragedy an art form that transcended the pessimism and nihilism of a fundamentally meaningless world.Nietzsche discusses the history of the tragic form and introduces an intellectual dichotomy between the Dionysian and the Apollonian.Nietzsche claims life always involves a struggle between these two elements，each battling for control over the existence of humanity.

　　Twilight of the Idols was written in just over a week.As Nietzsche's fame and popularity was spreading both inside and outside Germany，he felt that he needed a text that was a short introduction to his work;Twilight of the Idols is his attempt at this，

　　《悲剧的诞生》是尼采的第一部较为系统的哲学和美学著作，他从希腊民问传说中的酒神崇拜和日神崇拜的爿俗中找到了开启希腊占典悲剧、艺术及民族精神的钥匙，以哲学的激情和恢宏的气势阐释了艺术的起源、本质及功用，文风犀利，说理透辟，足学界和一般读者喜爱的一部尼采的著述。《偶像的黄昏》是尼采仅用一周的时间完成的，作者采用反题、颠倒、佯谬等手法打破僵死的思维模式，发见真理，在新生与没落、价值颠倒与价值确立等方面给读者以启迪，与《查拉图斯特拉如是说》、《快乐的科学》等著作无可争议地成为了当代西方哲学的嚆矢。

 

　　FRIEDRICH NIETZSCHE（1844-1900）was a 19th-century German philosopher，poet，composer and classical philologist.He wrote critical texts on religion，morality，contemporary culture，philosophy and science，displaying a fondness for metaphor，irony and aphorism.

　　Nietzsche's influence remains substantial within and beyond philosophy，notably in existentialism，nihilism and postmodernism.His key ideas include the death of God，perspectives，the Ubermensch，the eternal recurrence，and the will to power.

INTRODUCTION 

THE BIRTH OF TRAGEDY 

THE BIRTH OF TRAGEDY 

TWILIGHT OF THE IDOLS 

PREFACE 

MAXIMS AND ARROWS 

THE PROBLEM OF SOCRATES 

"REASON" IN PHILOSOPHY 

HOW THE "TRUE WORLD" FINALLY 

BECAME A FABLE 

MORALITY AS ANTI-NATURE 

THE FOUR GREAT ERRORS 

THE "IMPROVERS" OF MANKIND 

WHAT THE GERMANS LACK 

SKIRMISHES OF AN UNTIMELY MAN 

WHAT I OWE TO THE ANCIENTS 

THE HAMMER SPEAKS

　　Everything which comes to the surface in the Apollonian part of Greek tragedy，in the dialogue，looks simple，translucent，beautiful.In this sense the dialogue is an image of the Greek man，whose nature reveals itself in dancing，because in dancing the greatest power is only latent，but it betrays its presence in the lithe and rich movement.Thus，the language of the heroes in Sophocles surprises us by its Apollonian clarity and brightness，so that we immediately imagine that we are glimpsing the innermost basis of their being，with some astorushment that the path to this foundation is so short.

　　However，once we look away from the character of the hero as it surfaces and becomes perceptible-a character who is basically nothing more than a light picture cast onto a dark wall，that is，an illusion through and through-we penetrate instead into the myth which projects itself in this bright reflection.At that point we suddenly experience a phenomenon which is the reverse of a well-known optical one.When we make a determined attempt to look directly at the sun and turn away blinded，we have dark-coloured specks in front of our eyes，like a remedy，as it were.Those illuminated illusory pictures of the Sophoclean hero，briefly put，the Apollonian mask，are the reverse of that，necessary creations of a glimpse into the inner terror of nature，bright spots，so to speak，to heal us from the horrifying night of the crippled gaze.Only in this sense can we think of correctly grasping the serious and significant idea of"Greek serenity";whereas，nowadays we certainly come across the undoubtedly nusconceived idea that this serenity is a condition of secure contentment on all the pathways and bridges of the present.

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