英语本科毕业论文-《瓦尔登湖》评论及节译.doc

本科毕业论文 瓦尔登湖评论及节译学生姓名： 学生学号： 2000320207014 院（系）： 外国语学院 年级专业： 2003级英语本5班 指导教师： 二七年五月A Comment on and Abridged Translation of Walden, or Life in the WoodsLi XuanmeiUnder the Supervision ofZhang Chun School of Foreign Languages and CulturesPanzhihua UniversityMay 2005攀枝花学院本科毕业论文 Abstract攀枝花学院本科毕业论文 ContentsContentsComments.1Abridged Chinese Translation.3Acknowledgements.7Bibliography8Appendix (Source Paper) .9 攀枝花学院本科毕业论文 瓦尔登湖评论瓦尔登湖评论美国的19世纪是个辉煌的时代，一大批作家都深受超验主义的影响，生活在这一时代的梭罗也不例外。作为这个时代的代表人物，梭罗对超验主义更是身体力行，瓦尔登湖就是他这一思想的体现，这是一部蕴含了深刻哲理的散文。细读瓦尔登湖，你会体会：他是在探求怎样实实在在的生活，怎样体验与经历有意义的生活，为自己，也为他的市民同胞，还有当时与后来的读者们。虽然梭罗似乎只来往于瓦尔登湖和康科德镇这一片小小的空间，历经了这看似短暂的两年又两个月，但是整本书却拓展到了漫漫而宏大的时空。在这片时空里，各个时代的读者都能找到一个属于他自己的角落，或是听到一些贯穿历代，关于哲学和人生反思的回音。瓦尔登湖由18篇文章组成，记录了作者梭罗所观察到的自然，以及他建造木屋、耕种土地、招待朋友等生活情况。书中讴歌了人类与自然的和谐生活，倡导个人主义，自力更生、物资节俭。他试图将身体的物质需求缩小到最低限度，以便早读书、思考、观察自然与自我中获得最大的精神财富和自由。他在书中呼吁人们多过简朴的生活，以便节约时间和精力来“过深层次的生活，吮吸出生活的精髓”。他努力发掘美国自然环境在人类教育、心灵塑造等方面的潜能，强调所有人都应该有充分的自由来选择独一无二的生活方式，将自己的生活做成诗、当作艺术。他向人们展示出闲暇、沉思、与大自然和谐共处等的种种益处，为美国自由作家的写作开了先河。梭罗在瓦尔登湖畔的真实生活使该书具有极大的真实感，文章清晰、直截了当，但又不失文雅的风格。除了提倡简朴的生活方式以外，本书的另一个主题就是精神的复苏，这也正是梭罗所深信的超验主义的核心所在。瓦尔登湖以春天开始，历经了夏天、秋天和冬天，又以春天结束，这正是一个生命的轮回，终点又是起点，生命开始复苏。尤其是在“结束语”中，梭罗给读者讲述了一个在英格兰流传甚广的故事来重申他的观点：一个蛰伏了六十年的虫卵竟然孵化出了一只美丽的小虫。这真叫人不得不惊叹于生命的伟大。梭罗要强调的正是他对人类的希望：同万物一样，人类的精神终究也会复苏，从而获得更大的成就。在书的结尾处，梭罗更是将这种乐观的人生态度表露无遗：“对我们而言，遮住我们眼睛的光线就是黑暗。只有我们醒来的那一天，黎明才会到来。而黎明还多的是。”他乐观向上人生观在今天看来仍旧有着积极的意义。梭罗在瓦尔登湖畔的真实生活同时又使该书具有极大的真实感，文章清晰、直截了当，但又不失文雅的风格。本篇论文节译文字就摘自瓦尔登湖第二篇文章“我生活的地方；我为何生活”。梭罗为了实践他的超验主义哲学，它曾在马萨诸塞州康科德附近的瓦尔登湖畔，自建木屋，采集野菜、野果、自种豆类而维持生活长达两年之久。选篇分为两个部分：第一部分描述了梭罗对于家园的总体态度和一般寻求，主要刻画了寻找家园的心理过程和精神满足；第二部分则具体描写梭罗在瓦尔登湖畔的家园，以及这一家园与大自然的融合。梭罗的创作表现为对声音、意象、深沉含义、词的细微差别等的高度敏感。他的写作风格处看起来平铺直述，直截了当，但实际上，各种巧妙的比喻、词源上的双关语、典故的运用、对传统谚语的灵活运用等使通常的意义发生了变化或者扭曲，使读者不得不对作品进行重新思考、创新评价。此书中多暗语和典故，例如在以下选篇中，他将山峰比喻为天国造币厂所铸造的纯蓝色(true-blue,又有不退色的蓝色或忠诚的含义)的硬币，将通过、自然与人间联系起来。他将自己比喻为将大地和天空扛在肩上的阿特拉斯，但他所扛起的却是精神的大地和天空。他说诸神之家奥林波斯只不过是无处不在的大地的外表，既赋予世上万物以灵气，又将诸神融入了自然对于人间。他用一个双关语“Committed”告诉人们要过自由无拘无束“uncommitted”的生活。在他看来，穿堂而过的风声恰恰是大地音乐的天国乐章，是被打断的创世纪的诗篇那就让我们一同来欣赏亨利大卫梭罗在瓦尔登湖第二章“Where I Lived, and What I Lived For”中所留下的美丽文字吧。注释： 超验主义的核心观点是主张人能超越感觉和理性而直接认识真理，认为人类世界的一切都是宇宙的一个缩影-世界将其自身缩小成为一滴露水（爱默生语）。超验主义者强调万物本质上的统一，万物皆受超灵制约，而人类灵魂与超灵一致。这种对人之神圣的肯定使超验主义者蔑视外部的权威与传统，依赖自己的直接经验。相信你自己这句爱默生的名言，成为超验主义者的座右铭。这种超验主义观点强调人的主观能动性，有助于打破加尔文教的人性恶、命定论等教条的束缚，为热情奔放，抒发个性的浪漫主义文学奠定了思想基础。 12攀枝花学院本科毕业论文 瓦尔登湖节译瓦尔登湖节译 “我是眺望一切的君主， 我的权利不容置疑。”我时常看见一位诗人，在欣赏了农场最珍贵的部分后便悄然离去，而那执拗的农夫却以为他只不过是带走了几枚野苹果。哎，多年来，农场的主人都不知道，诗人早已把他的农场写进诗里，并用一道最令人羡慕但肉眼看不见的篱笆围了起来，挤出了奶汁，脱去了奶油，留给农夫的只不过是拿去了奶油的奶水而已。霍洛威尔农场的真正魅力在于它那十足的幽静。农场隐逸在深处，离村子有两英里远，而距最近的邻居也有半英里远，还有一大片农田将它与公路隔开。农场紧挨着一条河，据农场主说，每到春节，是河上升起的浓雾使农场免遭霜冻，但这对于我来说，毫无关系。农场的房屋和马厩颜色灰暗，年久失修，篱笆零落不堪，像是我和先前的主人之间已隔绝了多年的时光。周围的苹果树，树身中空，爬满苔藓，还有被兔子啃过的痕迹，可想而知，我将与何人为邻了，但最重要的是早年我沿河而上考察这一带时给我留下的回忆，当时房子掩隐在浓密的红枫树林中，透过树林不时可以听见狗的叫声。我急于想买下它。主人想在我搬来之前，把一些石头搬走，把那些中空的苹果树砍掉，把草场上新冒出的白桦树拔掉，可我却等不及他做任何的改进了。为了享受上述好处，我已准备好自己来做这些事情了，像阿特拉斯一样，把世界扛在自己的肩上我不曾听说他为此得到什么报酬。我愿做这一切事，付清账款，尽快地拥有这座农场，并无任何别的动机和借口。因为我知道，如果不去动农场的一草一木，它定会盛出我所期盼的那种果实。结果也正如我所料。我所说的关于大规模的农事种植我一直在培养着一座园林，我只是准备好了种子。许多人认为种植年代越久远的种子越好。我毫不怀疑时间是可以鉴别好坏的。我想，只要我最后播种了，收获时是不会让我失望的。可是我要告诉我的朋友们，只说这一次：你们要尽可能生活的自由，生活得并不执著才行，执迷于一座田园，和关在县里的监狱里是毫无区别的。目前要写的是我下一个类似的试验，我打算把它描写的更详尽。为了写起来方便，我打算把这两年的经历放在一起写。我曾说过，我不准备写一首忧郁的颂歌，可我会像清晨的雄鸡一样，在枝头放声歌唱，只为了唤醒我的邻人。我第一次在林中住下那天，也就是第一次在那里度过白天与黑夜那天，正好是1845年7月4日美国独立日。我的房子还没有盖好，过冬还不行，只能避风雨，没有抹墙面，墙壁用的是饱经风霜的粗木板，缝隙很宽，所以到晚上有点冷。砍下来的笔直的白色间柱以及新近才刨平的门板和窗户框，使屋子看上去整洁而透气，尤其是在早晨，木料饱着露水，总使我设想，这种清晨的格调是否能持续一整天呢？这又使我想起了一年前我曾经去过的一座山间小屋，这也是一座空气清新还未抹灰的小屋，非常适合那云游四方的神仙，如果是女神仙的话，也许还会拖着长长的裙子呢。吹过我屋顶的风正如那山间呼啸的风，断断续续地演奏着半似人间半似天国的乐章。晨风永远在吹，创世纪的诗篇至今还未中断，但却无人能欣赏。众神之家奥林匹斯山如同大地无处不在的外表。八月的瓦尔登湖是最珍贵的邻居。一场适中的风雨之后，湖上的空气和水都完全静了；天空笼罩着乌云，下午三四点时已如同夜晚般安静，林中画眉的鸣叫在湖面回响。这时的湖面比任何时候都更为平静，湖上飘着一层薄薄的水汽，在乌云的映衬下更加暗淡了，这时的湖面成了光与影的世界，宛如仙境。从附近刚被砍伐过的山上向南俯瞰，透过山口，看得见湖两岸相对的山宛如一条小溪流入那阴郁的山谷，这是多么令人心旷神怡的景象啊！只是那溪河仅存于人的想象之中。我就是这样利用两山之间或山顶的空隙来眺望更远或更高的山脉。踮起脚，就可以望见西北方更远，更蓝的山峰，就像天国制造的纯蓝色的硬币一般；另外，我也可以瞥见远处乡村的一角。但如果换一个方向看的话，即便站在同一个位置，树林也会完全挡住我的视野，什么也看不见。如果你居住的附近有水的话就再好不过了，就像大地也是浮在水面上的。即便是一口小井，也是如此，当你窥视井底时，你会发现地球并非一块大陆，而是隔绝的孤岛。这正如水井能冷藏黄油的价值般重要。当我的目光从山顶越过湖面，眺望远处的萨德伯里草原。大水时节，草原像是升高了，或许像是蒸腾的山谷中显示出海市蜃楼的效果，一如沉没在盆底的一枚硬币，湖之外的大地像是包裹着一层薄薄的外壳，并被这一汪小小的湖水浮载着。我这才惊醒，原来我居住的地方只是一片陆地。从我的门口望出去，视野虽不开阔，但我却并无感到拥挤或受限。我的想象如同那辽阔的草原。湖对面矮树丛生的高原，一直想西面的大草原和鞑靼人式的干草原延伸，为游牧的家庭提供了一个广阔的大地。当达摩达拉的畜群需要更大更新的牧场时，他说：“惟有自由自在地欣赏广阔无边的地平线的人才是世间最幸福的人。”时间和地点都变了，我住在更接近于宇宙的地方，住在更具有吸引力的时代。我住的地方如此遥远，远的如同天文学家夜晚观测的星星一般。我们常常幻想，在星星的某个偏僻而神圣的角落，在仙后座那五颗星星的后面，有一个远离尘世、奇美无比的地方，我发现我的小屋就坐落在宇宙中这样一个远离尘世、亘古不变、干净无邪的地方。这就是我在天地之间所居所的地方：“有个牧羊人曾活在人世，他的思想山高万丈，他那些山上的羊群，终日给他营养美食。”如果牧羊人的羊群游牧到了比他思想更高的牧场，那我们又该怎样来评价那牧羊人呢？每个清晨都是一次欢乐的邀请，使我的生活像大自然一样简单，也可以说是纯真。与希腊人一样，我一直虔诚地膜拜黎明女神奥罗拉。我早早起床，下湖沐浴，这是个宗教仪式，也是我曾做过的最好的事情之一。据说，在成汤王的浴盆上刻有这些字：“苟日新，日日新，又日新。”我懂其寓意，黎明将人们带回到英雄的时代。黎明时分，我打开门窗，坐在屋里，一只蚊子嗡嗡的在我的屋里做了一次谁也看不见和想象不到的旅行，那嗡嗡声触动了我的心，犹如一只号角传送着英雄的美名。这就是荷马史诗中的一首安魂曲，宛如飘浮在空中的伊里亚特和奥德赛中的美丽诗篇，抒发着愤怒和流浪的情绪。这乐曲表现出宇宙般宏伟的气势，不断奔涌出世界的无限精力和生命，直到它被强行制止。黎明啊，是一天之中最值得留恋的时节，也是万物苏醒的时刻，那时，人们最无睡意，经过至少一小时以后，我们身体中沉睡了一晚上的某些部位才开始苏醒；假如我们不是由我们的守护神唤醒，而是被仆人生硬的叫醒；假如我们不是因新生的力量和内心的抱负，伴着天国芳香的音乐醒来，而是被工厂的报时器吵醒，那我们的生命也就不会达到一种比睡梦更高的境界。这样的一天将是无收获的一天，如果它也值得被称为一天的话，黑暗也可以结果实，以证明它并不逊色于光明。如果一个人不相信每天都意味着一个更早更神圣的黎明时分，而是去赎渎它，那他一定是一个对生活绝望的人，正在走向一条堕落的黑暗之路。当你的感官生活经过一夜的休整，你的精神，或者说你的各种感官，又重新充满活力，命运的守护神又会重新试着去为你创造一份崇高的生活。我想说，所以值得留念的事情，都是在清晨的时光和氛围中发生的。印度婆罗门教的古代经书伏陀经说：“一切智慧皆醒于清晨。”诗歌、艺术以及人类最美好最值得纪念的行为皆始于清晨。所有的诗人和英雄，像曼侬一样，皆是曙光女神的女儿，都会在太阳升起的时候奏响他们美丽的乐章。对于那些思维活跃精力旺盛且紧紧追随太阳脚步的人来说，白天就是他永远的清晨。重要的不是时钟的报时，也不是人们的人生态度和所从事的职业。我在清晨醒来的时候，心中也同时看见了黎明的曙光。修身养性就是为了摆脱睡眠而作的努力。如果人们不是整天如昏睡般虚度光阴，为什么一天下来没有丝毫成绩可言呢？他们绝不是拙劣的成绩记录者。如果他们不是昏睡度日，就肯定会做出点成绩来的。成千上万的人醒来的目的就是要去从事体力劳动，但一百万人中却只有一个人醒来的目的是为了去从事有效的脑力劳动，而一亿人中只有一个人醒来的目的是为了追求一种诗意般或圣人般的生活。我们必须学会创新清醒过来，并时刻保持清醒，不是机械的办法，而是依靠对黎明的无限期待；睡得再沉，黎明也不会将我们抛弃。人们无疑具备了可以有意识地去提升生命的质量的能力，我还从未听说过比这更加鼓舞人心的事情。能够画一幅风格独特画，或者雕刻一座雕像，并以此来美化一些事物，这确实是一件了不起的事情。但更使我感到荣耀的事，是通过雕刻或绘画来创造一种氛围的方法，以便我们能够通过它来观察事物。从道德上来讲，我们能够做到这一点。能够影响时代特质的艺术才是最高境界的艺术。每个人都有责任让他的生活过的有价值，即使在生活的最细微处，即使在他思索着生命中最崇高最关键的东西时，也应该如此。如果我们拒绝了或者耗尽了生活中这些点滴的信息，神谕也会清楚明白的告诉我们应该怎样做到这一点。我到林中去生活，是因我想生活得谨慎小心，只愿去面对生活中最基本的事实，看看我是否能学会生活所教授的一切，免得临死时，才发现自己白活了一场。我想更投入的生活，汲取生命的精华。如斯巴达人一样坚强的生活，清除生活中一切无用的东西，整出一块平地，再细心的休整，把生活逼入绝境，将生活条件压到最低，如果证明生活是卑微的，那么就把生活的一切卑微之处搞清楚，然后公之于众；如果证明生活是高尚的，那么就去亲自体验一番吧，以便在下次游历时，将它真实地记录下来。在我看来，大多数人都陷入了一个怪圈，他们不知道自己的生活是魔鬼的作弄还是上帝的安排，他们草率地认定，人类生活的目的就是“赞美上帝，并享受他所赐的福。”攀枝花学院本科毕业论文 AcknowledgementsAcknowledgementsI would like to take this opportunity to thank my tutorZhang Chun, who offers me academic and constructive advices on composing this paper. Under dear Mr. Zhangs patient instruction, together with the help of my other teachers, I finally accomplished this translation and the comment. Through the writing of the graduation paper, my original superficial interest in literature turned into much more profound literary study and my Chinese-English translation skill has been effectively improved, owing to the considerate guiding and direction from Mr. Zhang. During the initial conceiving, viewpoint establishment and finalization of the writing, my friends, particularly, Miss Liao Yinye, offered me certain constructive proposals, which was considerably conducive to my study. I am sincerely grateful to all those mentioned above, and I will remember their precious advice that will definitely contribute to my future academic pursuit. 攀枝花学院本科毕业论文 Appendix 攀枝花学院本科毕业论文 Bibliography Bibliography1 George Perkins, et al. The American Tradition in Literature (M). New York: Random House, Inc. 1985.2 Henry David Thoreau. Walden, or life in the Woods (M). Shanghai: Shanghai Foreign Language Education Press. 2003.3 Thoreau, H.D. Walden, or Life in the Woods (M). (杨家盛译). 天津: 天津教育出版社.2004.4 常耀信: 美国文学简史 (M). 天津: 南开大学出版社1990.5 陈凯.绿色的视野谈梭罗的自然观J. 外国文学研究. 2004年第4期.6 何贤桂.像梭罗那样思考瓦尔登湖阅读札记J.社会科学论坛, 2006年6期.7 刘曼. 从多元系统论看瓦尔登湖的译介J.株洲工学院学报, 2006年1期.8 如风. 学会经营生活J. 金色年华, 2006年01A期. 9 苏贤贵. 梭罗的自然思想及其生态伦理意蕴J. 北京大学学报：哲学社会科学版, 2002年2期.10 田颖, 朱春飞. Henry David Thoreau .Walden, or Life in the Woods (M). 西安: 陕西人民出版社, 2004.11 王茂恒. 构建和谐社会的两个梦想瓦尔登湖与桃花源记J.阅读与鉴赏高中, 2005年7期.12 王清铭. 生活如椅子J. 西江月，2007年025期.13 徐迟. 现代化与现代派J. 当代文学，2004-3.14 杨译文. 林中生活与湖畔思想的结晶J. 教书育人：教师新概念, 2005年1期.15 张冲. 新编美国文学史（M）.上海: 上海外语教育出版社, 2000.16 张建国.梭罗瓦尔登湖的语言风格探析J.河南商业高等专科学校学报,2005年3期.攀枝花学院本科毕业论文 AppendixAppendixWHERE I LIVED, AND WHAT I LIVED FOR I am monarch of all I survey, My right there is none to dispute. I have frequently seen a poet withdraw, having enjoyed the most valuable part of a farm, while the crusty farmer supposed that he had got a few wild apples only. Why, the owner does not know it for many years when a poet has put his farm in rhyme, the most admirable kind of invisible fence, has fairly impounded it, milked it, skimmed it, and got all the cream, and left the farmer only the skimmed milk. The real attractions of the Hollowell farm, to me, were: its complete retirement, being, about two miles from the village, half a mile from the nearest neighbor, and separated from the highway by a broad field; its bounding on the river, which the owner said protected it by its fogs from frosts in the spring, though that was nothing to me; the gray color and ruinous state of the house and barn, and the dilapidated fences, which put such an interval between me and the last occupant; the hollow and lichen-covered apple trees, nawed by rabbits, showing what kind of neighbors I should have; but above all, the recollection I had of it from my earliest voyages up the river, when the house was concealed behind a dense grove of red maples, through which I heard the house-dog bark. I was in haste to buy it, before the proprietor finished getting out some rocks, cutting down the hollow apple trees, and grubbing up some young birches which had sprung up in the pasture, or, in short, had made any more of his improvements. To enjoy these advantages I was ready to carry it on; like Atlas, to take the world on my shoulders - I never heard what compensation he received for that - and do all those things which had no other motive or excuse but that I might pay for it and be unmolested in my possession of it; for I knew all the while that it would yield the most abundant crop of the kind I wanted, if I could only afford to let it alone. But it turned out as I have said. All that I could say, then, with respect to farming on a large scale - I have always cultivated a garden - was, that I had had my seeds ready. Many think that seeds improve with age. I have no doubt that time discriminates between the good and the bad; and when at last I shall plant, I shall be less likely to be disappointed. But I would say to my fellows, once for all, As long as possible live free and uncommitted. It makes but little difference whether you are committed to a farm or the county jail. The present was my next experiment of this kind, which I purpose to describe more at length, for convenience putting the experience of two years into one. As I have said, I do not propose to write an ode to dejection, but to brag as lustily as chanticleer in the morning, standing on his roost, if only to wake my neighbors up. When first I took up my abode in the woods, that is, began to spend my nights as well as days there, which, by accident, was on Independence Day, or the Fourth of July, 1845, my house was not finished for winter, but was merely a defence against the rain, without plastering or chimney, the walls being of rough, weather-stained boards, with wide chinks, which made it cool at night. The upright white hewn studs and freshly planed door and window casings gave it a clean and airy look, especially in the morning, when its timbers were saturated with dew, so that I fancied that by noon some sweet gum would exude from them. To my imagination it retained throughout the day more or less of this auroral character, reminding me of a certain house on a mountain which I had visited a year before. This was an airy and unplastered cabin, fit to entertain a travelling god, and where a goddess might trail her garments. The winds which passed over my dwelling were such as sweep over the ridges of mountains, bearing the broken strains, or celestial parts only, of terrestrial music. The morning wind forever blows, the poem of creation is uninterrupted; but few are the ears that hear it. Olympus is but the outside of the earth everywhere. This small lake was of most value as a neighbor in the intervals of a gentle rain-storm in August, when, both air and water being perfectly still, but the sky overcast, mid-afternoon had all the serenity of evening, and the wood thrush sang around, and was heard from shore to shore. A lake like this is never smoother than at such a time; and the clear portion of the air above it being, shallow and darkened by clouds, the water, full of light and reflections, becomes a lower heaven itself so much the more important. From a hill-top near by, where the wood had been recently cut off, there was a pleasing vista southward across the pond, through a wide indentation in the hills which form the shore there, where their opposite sides sloping toward each other suggested a stream flowing out in that direction through a wooded valley, but stream there was none. That way I looked between and over the near green hills to some distant and higher ones in the horizon, tinged with blue. Indeed, by standing on tiptoe I could catch a glimpse of some of the peaks of the still bluer and more distant mountain ranges in the northwest, those true-blue coins from heavens own mint, and also of some portion of the village. But in other directions, even from this point, I could not see over or beyond the woods which surrounded me. It is well to have some water in your neighborhood, to give buoyancy to and float the earth. One value even of the smallest well is, that when you look into it you see that earth is not continent but insular. This is as important as that it keeps butter cool. When I looked across the pond from this peak toward the Sudbury meadows, which in time of flood I distinguished elevated perhaps by a mirage in their seething valley, like a coin in a basin, all the earth beyond the pond appeared like a thin crust insulated and floated even by this small sheet of interverting water, and I was reminded that this on which I dwelt was but dry land. Though the view from my door was still more contracted, I did not feel crowded or confined in the least. There was pasture enough for my imagination. The low shrub oak plateau to which the opposite shore arose stretched away toward the prairies of the West and the steppes of Tartary, affording ample room for all the roving families of men. There are none happy in the world but beings who enjoy freely a vast horizon - said Damodara, when his herds required new and larger pastures. Both place and time were changed, and I dwelt nearer to those parts of the universe and to those eras in history which had most attracted me. Where I lived was as far off as many a region viewed nightly by astronomers. We are wont to imagine rare and delectable places in some remote and more celestial corner of the system, behind the constellation of Cassiopeias Chair, far from noise and disturbance. I discovered that my house actually had its site in such a withdrawn, but forever new and unprofaned, part of the universe. If it were worth the while to settle in those parts near to the Pleiades or the Hyades, to Aldebaran or Altair, then I was really there, or at an equal remoteness from the life which I had left behind, dwindled and twinkling with as fine a ray to my nearest neighbor, and to be seen only in moonless nights by him. Such was that part of creation where I had squatted; There was a shepherd that did live, And held his thoughts as high As were the mounts whereon his flocks Did hourly feed him by. What should we think of the shepherds life if his flocks always wandered to higher pastures than his thoughts? Every morning was a cheerful invitation to make my life of equal simplicity, and I may say innocence, with Nature herself. I have been as sincere a worshipper of Aurora as the Greeks. I got up early and bathed in the pond; that was a religious exercise, and one of the best things which I did. They say that characters were engraven on the bathing tub of King Tching-thang to this effect: Renew thyself completely each day; do it again, and again, and forever again. I can understand that. Morning brings back the heroic ages. I was as much affected by the faint burn of a mosquito making its invisible and unimaginable tour through my apartment at earliest dawn, when I was sitting with door and windows open, as I could be by any trumpet that ever sang of fame. It was Homers requiem; itself an Iliad and Odyssey in the air, singing its own wrath and wanderings. There was something cosmical about it; a standing advertisement, till forbidden, of the everlasting vigor and fertility of the world. The morning, which is the most memorable season of the day, is the awakening hour. Then there is least somnolence in us; and for an hour, at least, some part of us awakes which slumbers all the rest of the day and night. Little is to be expected of that day, if it can be called a day, to which we are not awakened by our Genius, but