ThoreauReader瓦尔登湖中英文原版.docx

ThoreauReader瓦尔登湖中英文原版.docx

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ThoreauReader瓦尔登湖中英文原版

2.WhereILived,

andWhatILivedfor

ThoreauReader-WaldenContents-NextChapter

Atacertainseasonofourlifeweareaccustomedtoconsidereveryspotasthepossiblesiteofahouse.IhavethussurveyedthecountryoneverysidewithinadozenmilesofwhereIlive.InimaginationIhaveboughtallthefarmsinsuccession,forallweretobebought,andIknewtheirprice.Iwalkedovereachfarmer'spremises,tastedhiswildapples,discoursedonhusbandrywithhim,tookhisfarmathisprice,atanyprice,mortgagingittohiminmymind;evenputahigherpriceonit--tookeverythingbutadeedofit--tookhiswordforhisdeed,forIdearlylovetotalk--cultivatedit,andhimtootosomeextent,Itrust,andwithdrewwhenIhadenjoyeditlongenough,leavinghimtocarryiton.Thisexperienceentitledmetoberegardedasasortofreal-estatebrokerbymyfriends.WhereverIsat,thereImightlive,andthelandscaperadiatedfrommeaccordingly.Whatisahousebutasedes,aseat--betterifacountryseat.Idiscoveredmanyasiteforahousenotlikelytobesoonimproved,whichsomemighthavethoughttoofarfromthevillage,buttomyeyesthevillagewastoofarfromit.Well,thereImightlive,Isaid;andthereIdidlive,foranhour,asummerandawinterlife;sawhowIcouldlettheyearsrunoff,buffetthewinterthrough,andseethespringcomein.Thefutureinhabitantsofthisregion,wherevertheymayplacetheirhouses,maybesurethattheyhavebeenanticipated.Anafternoonsufficedtolayoutthelandintoorchard,wood-lot,andpasture,andtodecidewhatfineoaksorpinesshouldbelefttostandbeforethedoor,andwhenceeachblastedtreecouldbeseentothebestadvantage;andthenIletitlie,fallow,perchance,foramanisrichinproportiontothenumber

ofthingswhichhecanaffordtoletalone.

MyimaginationcarriedmesofarthatIevenhadtherefusalofseveral

farms--therefusalwasallIwanted--butInevergotmyfingersburnedbyactual

possession.ThenearestthatIcametoactualpossessionwaswhenIboughttheHollowellplace,andhadbeguntosortmyseeds,andcollectedmaterialswithwhichtomakeawheelbarrowtocarryitonoroffwith;butbeforetheownergavemeadeedofit,hiswife--everymanhassuchawife--changedhermindandwishedtokeepit,andheofferedmetendollarstoreleasehim.Now,tospeakthetruth,Ihadbuttencentsintheworld,anditsurpassedmyarithmetictotell,ifI

wasthatmanwhohadtencents,orwhohadafarm,ortendollars,oralltogether.However,Ilethimkeepthetendollarsandthefarmtoo,forIhadcarrieditfarenough;orrather,tobegenerous,IsoldhimthefarmforjustwhatIgaveforit,and,ashewasnotarichman,madehimapresentoftendollars,andstillhadmytencents,andseeds,andmaterialsforawheelbarrowleft.IfoundthusthatIhadbeenarichmanwithoutanydamagetomypoverty.ButIretainedthelandscape,andIhavesinceannuallycarriedoffwhatityieldedwithoutawheelbarrow.Withrespecttolandscapes,

"IammonarchofallIsurvey,

Myrightthereisnonetodispute."

（1）

Ihavefrequentlyseenapoetwithdraw,havingenjoyedthemostvaluablepartofafarm,whilethecrustyfarmersupposedthathehadgotafewwildapplesonly.Why,theownerdoesnotknowitformanyyearswhenapoethasputhisfarminrhyme,themostadmirablekindofinvisiblefence,hasfairlyimpoundedit,

milkedit,skimmedit,andgotallthecream,andleftthefarmeronlytheskimmedmilk.

TherealattractionsoftheHollowellfarm,tome,were:

itscompleteretirement,being,abouttwomilesfromthevillage,halfamilefromthenearestneighbor,andseparatedfromthehighwaybyabroadfield;itsboundingontheriver,whichtheownersaidprotecteditbyitsfogsfromfrostsinthespring,thoughthatwasnothingtome;thegraycolorandruinousstateofthehouseandbarn,andthedilapidatedfences,whichputsuchanintervalbetweenmeandthelastoccupant;thehollowandlichen-coveredappletrees,nawedbyrabbits,showingwhatkindofneighborsIshouldhave;butaboveall,therecollectionIhadofitfrommyearliestvoyagesuptheriver,whenthehousewasconcealedbehindadensegroveofredmaples,throughwhichIheardthehouse-dogbark.

Iwasinhastetobuyit,beforetheproprietorfinishedgettingoutsomerocks,cuttingdownthehollowappletrees,andgrubbingupsomeyoungbircheswhichhadsprungupinthepasture,or,inshort,hadmadeanymoreofhisimprovements.ToenjoytheseadvantagesIwasreadytocarryiton;likeAtlas,

（2）totaketheworldonmyshoulders--Ineverheardwhatcompensationhereceivedforthat--anddoallthosethingswhichhadnoothermotiveorexcusebutthatImightpayforitandbeunmolestedinmypossessionofit;forIknewallthewhilethatitwouldyieldthemostabundantcropofthekindIwanted,ifIcouldonlyaffordtoletitalone.ButitturnedoutasIhavesaid.

AllthatIcouldsay,then,withrespecttofarmingonalargescale--Ihavealwayscultivatedagarden--was,thatIhadhadmyseedsready.Manythinkthatseedsimprovewithage.Ihavenodoubtthattimediscriminatesbetweenthegood

andthebad;andwhenatlastIshallplant,Ishallbelesslikelytobe

disappointed.ButIwouldsaytomyfellows,onceforall,Aslongaspossiblelivefreeanduncommitted.Itmakesbutlittledifferencewhetheryouarecommittedtoafarmorthecountyjail.

OldCato,（3）whose"DeReRustica"ismy"Cultivator,"says--andtheonlytranslationIhaveseenmakessheernonsenseofthepassage--"Whenyouthinkofgettingafarmturnitthusinyourmind,nottobuygreedily;norspareyourpainstolookatit,anddonotthinkitenoughtogorounditonce.Theofteneryougotherethemoreitwillpleaseyou,ifitisgood."IthinkIshallnotbuygreedily,butgoroundandrounditaslongasIlive,andbeburiedinitfirst,thatitmaypleasemethemoreatlast.

Thepresentwasmynextexperimentofthiskind,whichIpurposetodescribemoreatlength,forconvenienceputtingtheexperienceoftwoyearsintoone.AsIhavesaid,Idonotproposetowriteanodetodejection,buttobragaslustilyaschanticleerinthemorning,standingonhisroost,ifonlytowakemyneighborsup.

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,orcelestialpartsonly,ofterrestrialmusic.Themorningwindforeverblows,thepoemofcreationisuninterrupted;butfewaretheearsthathearit.Olympus

（4）isbuttheoutsideoftheeartheverywhere.

TheonlyhouseIhadbeentheownerofbefore,ifIexceptaboat,wasatent,whichIusedoccasionallywhenmakingexcursionsinthesummer,andthisisstillrolledupinmygarret;buttheboat,afterpassingfromhandtohand,hasgonedownthestreamoftime.Withthismoresubstantialshelteraboutme,Ihadmadesomeprogresstowardsettlingintheworld.Thisframe,soslightlyclad,wasasortofcrystallizationaroundme,andreactedonthebuilder.Itwassuggestive

somewhatasapictureinoutlines.Ididnotneedtogooutdoorstotaketheair,fortheatmospherewithinhadlostnoneofitsfreshness.ItwasnotsomuchwithindoorsasbehindadoorwhereIsat,evenintherainiestweather.TheHarivansa

（5）says,"Anabodewithoutbirdsislikeameatwithoutseasoning."Suchwasnotmyabode,forIfoundmyselfsuddenlyneighbortothebirds;notbyhavingimprisonedone,buthavingcagedmyselfnearthem.Iwasnotonlynearertosomeofthosewhichcommonlyfrequentthegardenandtheorchard,buttothosesmallerandmorethrillingsongstersoftheforestwhichnever,orrarely,serenadeavillager--thewoodthrush,theveery,thescarlettanager,thefieldsparrow,thewhip-poor-will,andmanyothers.

Iwasseatedbytheshoreofasmallpond,aboutamileandahalfsouthofthevillageofConcordandsomewhathigherthanit,inthemidstofanextensivewoodbetweenthattownandLincoln,andabouttwomilessouthofthatouronlyfieldknowntofame,ConcordBattleGround;butIwassolowinthewoodsthattheoppositeshore,halfamileoff,liketherest,coveredwithwood,wasmymostdistanthorizon.Forthefirstweek,wheneverIlookedoutontheponditimpressedmelikeatarnhighuponthesideofamountain,itsbottomfarabovethesurfaceofotherlakes,and,asthesunarose,Isawitthrowingoffitsnightlyclothingofmist,andhereandthere,bydegrees,itssoftripplesoritssmoothreflectingsurfacewasrevealed,whilethemists,likeghosts,werestealthilywithdrawingineverydirectionintothewoods,asatthebreakingupofsomenocturnalconventicle.Theverydewseemedtohanguponthetreeslaterintothedaythanusual,asonthesidesofmountains.

Thissmalllakewasofmostvaluea