THE POND IN WINTER文档格式.docx

THE POND IN WINTER文档格式.docx

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butdaycomestorevealtousthisgreat

work,whichextendsfromearthevenintotheplainsoftheether."

Thentomymorningwork.FirstItakeanaxeandpailandgoin

searchofwater,ifthatbenotadream.Afteracoldandsnowy

nightitneededadivining-rodtofindit.Everywintertheliquid

andtremblingsurfaceofthepond,whichwassosensitivetoevery

breath,andreflectedeverylightandshadow,becomessolidtothe

depthofafootorafootandahalf,sothatitwillsupportthe

heaviestteams,andperchancethesnowcoversittoanequaldepth,

anditisnottobedistinguishedfromanylevelfield.Likethe

marmotsinthesurroundinghills,itclosesitseyelidsandbecomes

dormantforthreemonthsormore.Standingonthesnow-covered

plain,asifinapastureamidthehills,Icutmywayfirstthrough

afootofsnow,andthenafootofice,andopenawindowundermy

feet,where,kneelingtodrink,Ilookdownintothequietparlorof

thefishes,pervadedbyasoftenedlightasthroughawindowof

groundglass,withitsbrightsandedfloorthesameasinsummer;

thereaperennialwavelessserenityreignsasintheambertwilight

sky,correspondingtothecoolandeventemperamentofthe

inhabitants.Heavenisunderourfeetiswellasoverourheads.

Earlyinthemorning,whileallthingsarecrispwithfrost,men

comewithfishing-reelsandslenderlunch,andletdowntheirfine

linesthroughthesnowyfieldtotakepickerelandperch;

wildmen,

whoinstinctivelyfollowotherfashionsandtrustotherauthorities

thantheirtownsmen,andbytheirgoingsandcomingsstitchtowns

togetherinpartswhereelsetheywouldberipped.Theysitandeat

theirluncheoninstoutfear-naughtsonthedryoakleavesonthe

shore,aswiseinnaturalloreasthecitizenisinartificial.

Theyneverconsultedwithbooks,andknowandcantellmuchless

thantheyhavedone.Thethingswhichtheypracticearesaidnot

yettobeknown.Hereisonefishingforpickerelwithgrownperch

forbait.Youlookintohispailwithwonderasintoasummerpond,

asifhekeptsummerlockedupathome,orknewwhereshehad

retreated.How,pray,didhegettheseinmidwinter?

Oh,hegot

wormsoutofrottenlogssincethegroundfroze,andsohecaught

them.Hislifeitselfpassesdeeperinnaturethanthestudiesof

thenaturalistpenetrate;

himselfasubjectforthenaturalist.The

latterraisesthemossandbarkgentlywithhisknifeinsearchof

insects;

theformerlaysopenlogstotheircorewithhisaxe,and

mossandbarkflyfarandwide.Hegetshislivingbybarking

trees.Suchamanhassomerighttofish,andIlovetoseenature

carriedoutinhim.Theperchswallowsthegrub-worm,thepickerel

swallowstheperch,andthefisher-manswallowsthepickerel;

andso

allthechinksinthescaleofbeingarefilled.

WhenIstrolledaroundthepondinmistyweatherIwassometimes

amusedbytheprimitivemodewhichsomeruderfishermanhadadopted.

Hewouldperhapshaveplacedalderbranchesoverthenarrowholesin

theice,whichwerefourorfiverodsapartandanequaldistance

fromtheshore,andhavingfastenedtheendofthelinetoastick

topreventitsbeingpulledthrough,havepassedtheslacklineover

atwigofthealder,afootormoreabovetheice,andtiedadry

oakleaftoit,which,beingpulleddown,wouldshowwhenhehada

bite.Thesealdersloomedthroughthemistatregularintervalsas

youwalkedhalfwayroundthepond.

Ah,thepickerelofWalden!

whenIseethemlyingontheice,or

inthewellwhichthefishermancutsintheice,makingalittle

holetoadmitthewater,Iamalwayssurprisedbytheirrarebeauty,

asiftheywerefabulousfishes,theyaresoforeigntothestreets,

eventothewoods,foreignasArabiatoourConcordlife.They

possessaquitedazzlingandtranscendentbeautywhichseparates

thembyawideintervalfromthecadaverouscodandhaddockwhose

fameistrumpetedinourstreets.Theyarenotgreenlikethe

pines,norgraylikethestones,norbluelikethesky;

butthey

have,tomyeyes,ifpossible,yetrarercolors,likeflowersand

preciousstones,asiftheywerethepearls,theanimalizednuclei

orcrystalsoftheWaldenwater.They,ofcourse,areWaldenall

overandallthrough;

arethemselvessmallWaldensintheanimal

kingdom,Waldenses.Itissurprisingthattheyarecaughthere--

thatinthisdeepandcapaciousspring,farbeneaththerattling

teamsandchaisesandtinklingsleighsthattraveltheWaldenroad,

thisgreatgoldandemeraldfishswims.Ineverchancedtoseeits

kindinanymarket;

itwouldbethecynosureofalleyesthere.

Easily,withafewconvulsivequirks,theygiveuptheirwatery

ghosts,likeamortaltranslatedbeforehistimetothethinairof

heaven.

AsIwasdesiroustorecoverthelonglostbottomofWalden

Pond,Isurveyeditcarefully,beforetheicebrokeup,earlyin

'

46,withcompassandchainandsoundingline.Therehavebeenmany

storiestoldaboutthebottom,orrathernobottom,ofthispond,

whichcertainlyhadnofoundationforthemselves.Itisremarkable

howlongmenwillbelieveinthebottomlessnessofapondwithout

takingthetroubletosoundit.IhavevisitedtwosuchBottomless

Pondsinonewalkinthisneighborhood.Manyhavebelievedthat

Waldenreachedquitethroughtotheothersideoftheglobe.Some

whohavelainflatontheiceforalongtime,lookingdownthrough

theillusivemedium,perchancewithwateryeyesintothebargain,

anddriventohastyconclusionsbythefearofcatchingcoldin

theirbreasts,haveseenvastholes"

intowhichaloadofhaymight

bedriven,"

iftherewereanybodytodriveit,theundoubtedsource

oftheStyxandentrancetotheInfernalRegionsfromtheseparts.

Othershavegonedownfromthevillagewitha"

fifty-six"

anda

wagonloadofinchrope,butyethavefailedtofindanybottom;

for

whilethe"

wasrestingbytheway,theywerepayingout

theropeinthevainattempttofathomtheirtrulyimmeasurable

capacityformarvellousness.ButIcanassuremyreadersthat

Waldenhasareasonablytightbottomatanotunreasonable,though

atanunusual,depth.Ifathomediteasilywithacod-lineanda

stoneweighingaboutapoundandahalf,andcouldtellaccurately

whenthestoneleftthebottom,byhavingtopullsomuchharder

beforethewatergotunderneathtohelpme.Thegreatestdepthwas

exactlyonehundredandtwofeet;

towhichmaybeaddedthefive

feetwhichithasrisensince,makingonehundredandseven.This

isaremarkabledepthforsosmallanarea;

yetnotaninchofit

canbesparedbytheimagination.Whatifallpondswereshallow?

Woulditnotreactonthemindsofmen?

Iamthankfulthatthis

pondwasmadedeepandpureforasymbol.Whilemenbelieveinthe

infinitesomepondswillbethoughttobebottomless.

Afactory-owner,hearingwhatdepthIhadfound,thoughtthatit

couldnotbetrue,for,judgingfromhisacquaintancewithdams,

sandwouldnotlieatsosteepanangle.Butthedeepestpondsare

notsodeepinproportiontotheirareaasmostsuppose,and,if

drained,wouldnotleaveveryremarkablevalleys.Theyarenotlike

cupsbetweenthehills;

forthisone,whichissounusuallydeepfor

itsarea,appearsinaverticalsectionthroughitscentrenot

deeperthanashallowplate.Mostponds,emptied,wouldleavea

meadownomorehollowthanwefrequentlysee.WilliamGilpin,who

issoadmirableinallthatrelatestolandscapes,andusuallyso

correct,standingattheheadofLochFyne,inScotland,whichhe

describesas"

abayofsaltwater,sixtyorseventyfathomsdeep,

fourmilesinbreadth,"

andaboutfiftymileslong,surroundedby

mountains,observes,"

Ifwecouldhaveseenitimmediatelyafterthe

diluviancrash,orwhateverconvulsionofnatureoccasionedit,

beforethewatersgushedin,whatahorridchasmmustithave

appeared!

"

Sohighasheavedthetumidhills,solow

Downsunkahollowbottombroadanddeep,

Capaciousbedofwaters."

Butif,usingtheshortestdiameterofLochFyne,weapplythese

proportionstoWalden,which,aswehaveseen,appearsalreadyina

verticalsectiononlylikeashallowplate,itwillappearfour

timesasshallow.Somuchfortheincreasedhorrorsofthechasmof

LochFynewhenemptied.Nodoubtmanyasmilingvalleywithits

stretchingcornfieldsoccupiesexactlysucha"

horridchasm,"

from

whichthewatershavereceded,thoughitrequirestheinsightand

thefarsightofthegeologisttoconvincetheunsuspecting

inhabitantsofthisfact.Oftenaninquisitiveeyemaydetectthe

shoresofaprimitivelakeinthelowhorizonhills,andno

subsequentelevationoftheplainhavebeennecessarytoconceal

theirhistory.Butitiseasiest,astheywhoworkonthehighways

know,tofindthehollowsbythepuddlesafterashower.Theamount

ofitis,the