梭罗《瓦尔登湖》（中英文互译）

亨利·戴维·梭罗（HenryDavidThoreau），美国作家、哲学家，超验主义代表人物，也是一位废奴主义及自然主义者。梭罗最著名的散文集《瓦尔登湖》记载了他在瓦尔登湖的隐逸生活。

ByHenryDavidThoreau文/亨利•戴维•梭罗

Ihavefrequentlyseenapoetwithdraw,havingenjoyedthemostvaluablepartofafarm,whilethecrustyfarmersupposedthathehadgotafewwildapplesonly.Why,theownerdoesnotknowitformanyyearswhenapoethasputhisfarminrhyme,themostadmirablekindofinvisiblefence,hasfairlyimpoundedit,milkedit,skimmedit,andgotallthecream,andleftthefarmeronlytheskimmedmilk.我经常看到一个诗人，欣赏了农场里令人叫绝的风景就离去了，而脾气急躁的农场主还以为他拿走的只是几个野苹果罢了。殊不知诗人已写了诗吟咏他的农场，而农场主多少年来都还蒙在鼓里呢；这么一道令人艳羡的无形栅篱，已经把农场圈了起来，把它的牛奶挤了出来，取其精华——奶油，然后通通拿走，留给农场主的是撇去了奶油的奶水。

TherealattractionsoftheHollowellfarm,tome,were:itscompleteretirement,being,abouttwomilesfromthevillage,halfamilefromthenearestneighbor,andseparatedfromthehighwaybyabroadfield;itsboundingontheriver,whichtheownersaidprotecteditbyitsfogsfromfrostsinthespring,thoughthatwasnothingtome;thegraycolorandruinousstateofthehouseandbarn,andthedilapidatedfences,whichputsuchanintervalbetweenmeandthelastoccupant;thehollowandlichen-coveredappletrees,gnawedbyrabbits,showingwhatkindofneighborsIshouldhave;butaboveall,therecollectionIhadofitfrommyearliestvoyagesuptheriver,whenthehousewasconcealedbehindadensegroveofredmaples,throughwhichIheardthehouse-dogbark.Iwasinhastetobuyit,beforetheproprietorfinishedgettingoutsomerocks,cuttingdownthehollowappletrees,andgrubbingupsomeyoungbircheswhichhadsprungupinthepasture,or,inshort,hadmadeanymoreofhisimprovements.ToenjoytheseadvantagesIwasreadytocarryiton;likeAtlas,totaketheworldonmyshoulders—Ineverheardwhatcompensationhereceivedforthat—anddoallthosethingswhichhadnoothermotiveorexcusebutthatImightpayforitandbeunmolestedinmypossessionofit;forIknewallthewhilethatitwouldyieldthemostabundantcropofthekindIwanted,ifIcouldonlyaffordtoletitalone.ButitturnedoutasIhavesaid.依我看，霍尔维尔乡间住宅的真正魅力，在于它是全然遁世隐退之胜地，离村子有两英里远，最近的邻居也在半英里开外，好大的一块地把它和公路隔开；它以一条河划界，据农场主说，春天里河面上升起了大雾，霜冻也就不见了影子，不过，这可跟我完全无关。农舍和谷仓都是灰不溜秋，破败不堪；坍塌失修的栅篱，仿佛在我和早先的居民之间相隔了如此悠悠岁月；那些苹果树早已中空，长满苔藓，还被兔子啃咬过，由此可见与我比邻而居的将是何许人也，不过，最主要的倒是我回忆起早岁溯河而上时，望见那华屋依稀掩映在茂密的红枫树丛里，还听得到打从那儿传过来的家犬的吠声。我急吼吼地把它买了下来，等不及业主把那些石块搬走，把树身早已中空的苹果树砍掉，把牧场上长出来的小白桦树连根铲掉，总之，等不及业主进一步收拾停当了。为了享有上述那些优点，我就索性一不做、二不休吧；如同阿特拉斯一样，把整个世界扛到我肩膀上——我从没听说过他得到了什么回报——一切全由我自己操办，自然没有什么别的动机和借口，只等钱款付清，平安无事地拥有霍尔维尔乡间别墅。因为我一直知道，只要我让它自由发展，它就会带来我预期得到的最丰美的收成。但结果呢，如同我在前文所说的一样。

AllthatIcouldsay,then,withrespecttofarmingonalargescale—Ihavealwayscultivatedagarden—was,thatIhadhadmyseedsready.Manythinkthatseedsimprovewithage.Ihavenodoubtthattimediscriminatesbetweenthegoodandthebad;andwhenatlastIshallplant,Ishallbelesslikelytobedisappointed.ButIwouldsaytomyfellows,onceforall,Aslongaspossiblelivefreeanduncommitted.Itmakesbutlittledifferencewhetheryouarecommittedtoafarmorthecountyjail.因此，有关大规模耕作一事（至今我一直在侍弄着一个园子），我所能说说的仅仅是种子，我早已准备好了。很多人以为种子也会与时俱进。我并不怀疑时间是能分得出好与坏的，到了最后我真的要下种时，我想大概总不至于让我大失所望吧。但是，我要一劳永逸地告诉我的伙伴们：你们要尽可能长时间地生活得自由自在，无牵无挂。你们把自己捆在农场上，无异于将自己投进大牢里。

(Credit:

ScottBerkun)

OldCato,whose“DeReRustic”ismy“Cultivator,”says—andtheonlytranslationIhaveseenmakessheernonsenseofthepassage—“Whenyouthinkofgettingafarmturnitthusinyourmind,nottobuygreedily;norspareyourpainstolookatit,anddonotthinkitenoughtogorounditonce.Theofteneryougotherethemoreitwillpleaseyou,ifitisgood.”IthinkIshallnotbuygreedily,butgoroundandrounditaslongasIlive,andbeburiedinitfirst,thatitmaypleasemethemoreatlast.老卡托——他的《乡村篇》乃是我的“栽培者”——我见到他的唯一译本把以下这段话简直译得不知所云，其实，他是这样说的：“你想要购置一座农场，脑子里务必多想想，切莫急吼吼地就买下；也不要怕累、怕麻烦，不去多看看，更不要以为绕着它转了一圈儿就够了。如果说农场真的不错的话，那里你去得越是勤，你就会越是喜欢它。”我想，我是不会急吼吼地买下来的，反正我能活多久，就绕着它转多久，即使一瞑不视了，也要先掩埋在那儿，说不定最终它会使我获得更多乐趣哩。

Thepresentwasmynextexperimentofthiskind,whichIpurposetodescribemoreatlength,forconvenienceputtingtheexperienceoftwoyearsintoone.AsIhavesaid,Idonotproposetowriteanodetodejection,buttobragaslustilyaschanticleerinthemorning,standingonhisroost，ifonlytowakemyneighborsup.现在谈的是我又一个这类实验，我打算描述得更加详尽；为了方便起见，我把这两年的经验合二为一地来写。我已说过，我无意写一首闷闷不乐的颂歌，我要像破晓晨鸡在栖木上引吭啼唱那样，只要能唤醒我的左邻右舍就好。

WhenfirstItookupmyabodeinthewoods,thatis,begantospendmynightsaswellasdaysthere,which,byaccident,wasonIndependenceDay,ortheFourthofJuly,1845,myhousewasnotfinishedforwinter,butwasmerelyadefenceagainsttherain,withoutplasteringorchimney,thewallsbeingofrough,weather-stainedboards,withwidechinks,whichmadeitcoolatnight.Theuprightwhitehewnstudsandfreshlyplaneddoorandwindowcasingsgaveitacleanandairylook,especiallyinthemorning,whenitstimbersweresaturatedwithdew,sothatIfanciedthatbynoonsomesweetgumwouldexudefromthem.Tomyimaginationitretainedthroughoutthedaymoreorlessofthisauroralcharacter,remindingmeofacertainhouseonamountainwhichIhadvisitedayearbefore.Thiswasanairyandunplasteredcabin,fittoentertainatravellinggod,andwhereagoddessmighttrailhergarments.Thewindswhichpassedovermydwellingweresuchassweepovertheridgesofmountains,bearingthebrokenstrains,orcelestialpartsonl