瓦尔登湖:Higher Laws2

　　Such is oftenest the young man's introduction to the forest， and the most original part of himself.  He goes thither at first as a hunter and fisher， until at last， if he has the seeds of a better life in him， he distinguishes his proper objects， as a poet or naturalist it may be， and leaves the gun and fish-pole behind.  The mass of men are still and always young in this respect.  In some countries a hunting parson is no uncommon sight.  Such a one might make a good shepherd's dog， but is far from being the Good Shepherd. I have been surprised to consider that the only obvious employment，except wood-chopping， ice-cutting， or the like business， which ever to my knowledge detained at Walden Pond for a whole half-day any of my fellow-citizens， whether fathers or children of the town， with just one exception， was fishing.  Commonly they did not think that they were lucky， or well paid for their time， unless they got a long string of fish， though they had the opportunity of seeing the pond all the while.  They might go there a thousand times before the sediment of fishing would sink to the bottom and leave their purpose pure； but no doubt such a clarifying process would be going on all the while.  The Governor and his Council faintly remember the pond，for they went a-fishing there when they were boys； but now they are too old and dignified to go a-fishing， and so they know it no more forever.  Yet even they expect to go to heaven at last.  If the legislature regards it， it is chiefly to regulate the number of hooks to be used there； but they know nothing about the hook of hooks with which to angle for the pond itself， impaling the legislature for a bait.  Thus， even in civilized communities， the embryo man passes through the hunter stage of development.

　　I have found repeatedly， of late years， that I cannot fish without falling a little in self-respect.  I have tried it again and again.  I have skill at it， and， like many of my fellows， a certain instinct for it， which revives from time to time， but always when I have done I feel that it would have been better if I had not fished. I think that I do not mistake.  It is a faint intimation， yet so are the first streaks of morning.  There is unquestionably this instinct in me which belongs to the lower orders of creation； yet with every year I am less a fisherman， though without more humanity or even wisdom； at present I am no fisherman at all.  But I see that if I were to live in a wilderness I should again be tempted to become a fisher and hunter in earnest.  Beside， there is something essentially unclean about this diet and all flesh， and I began to see where housework commences， and whence the endeavor， which costs so much， to wear a tidy and respectable appearance each day， to keep the house sweet and free from all ill odors and sights.  Having been my own butcher and scullion and cook， as well as the gentleman for whom the dishes were served up， I can speak from an unusually complete experience.  The practical objection to animal food in my case was its uncleanness； and besides， when I had caught and cleaned and cooked and eaten my fish， they seemed not to have fed me essentially.  It was insignificant and unnecessary， and cost more than it came to.  A little bread or a few potatoes would have done as well， with less trouble and filth.  Like many of my contemporaries， I had rarely for many years used animal food， or tea， or coffee， etc.； not so much because of any ill effects which I had traced to them， as because they were not agreeable to my imagination.  The repugnance to animal food is not the effect of experience， but is an instinct.  It appeared more beautiful to live low and fare hard in many respects； and though I never did so， I went far enough to please my imagination.  I believe that every man who has ever been earnest to preserve his higher or poetic faculties in the best condition has been particularly inclined to abstain from animal food， and from much food of any kind.  It is a significant fact， stated by entomologists ―― I find it in Kirby and Spence ――that "some insects in their perfect state， though furnished with organs of feeding， make no use of them"； and they lay it down as "a general rule， that almost all insects in this state eat much less than in that of larvae.  The voracious caterpillar when transformed into a butterfly …… and the gluttonous maggot when become a fly" content themselves with a drop or two of honey or some other sweet liquid.  The abdomen under the wings of the butterfly still represents the larva.  This is the tidbit which tempts his insectivorous fate.  The gross feeder is a man in the larva state；and there are whole nations in that condition， nations without fancy or imagination， whose vast abdomens betray them.

　　青年往往通过打猎接近森林，并发展他身体里面最有天性的一部分。他到那里去，先是作为一个猎人，一个钓鱼的人，到后来，如果他身体里已播有更善良生命的种子，他就会发现他的正当目标也许是变成诗人，也许成为自然科学家，猎枪和钓竿就抛诸脑后了。在这一方面，人类大多数都还是并且永远是年轻的。在有些国家，爱打猎的牧师并非不常见。这样的牧师也许可以成为好的牧犬，但决不是一个善良的牧羊人。我还奇怪着呢，什么伐木、挖冰，这一类事是提也不用提了，现在显然只剩下一件事，还能够把我的市民同胞，弗论老少，都吸引到瓦尔登湖上来停留整整半天，只有这一件例外，那就是钓鱼。一般说，他们还不认为他们很幸运，他们这半天过得还很值得，除非他们钓到了长长一串鱼，其实他们明明得到了这样的好机会，可以一直观赏湖上风光。他们得去垂钩一千次，然后这种陋见才沉到了湖底，他们的目标才得到了净化；毫无疑问，这样的净化过程随时都在继续着。州长和议员们对于湖沼的记忆已经很模糊了，因为他们只在童年时代，曾经钓过鱼；现在他们太老了，道貌岸然，怎么还能去钓鱼？因此他们永远不知渔乐了。然而，他们居然还希望最后到天堂中去呢。如果他们立法，主要是作出该湖准许多少钓钩的规定；但是，他们不知道那钓钩上钓起了最好的湖上风光，而立法也成为钓饵了。可见，甚至在文明社会中，处于胚胎状态的人，要经过一个渔猎者的发展阶段。

　　近年来我一再地发觉，我每钓一次鱼，总觉得我的自尊心降落了一些。我尝试又尝试。我有垂钓的技巧，像我的同伴们一样，又天生有垂钓的嗜好，一再促使我钓鱼去，可是等到我这样做了，我就觉得还是不钓鱼更好些，我想我并没有错。这是一个隐隐约约的暗示，好像黎明的微光一样。无疑问的，我这种天生嗜好是属于造物中较低劣的一种，然而我的捕鱼兴趣每年都减少了一点儿，而人道观点，甚至于智慧却并没有增加，目前我已经不再是钩鱼人了。可是我知道，如果我生活在旷野中，我还会再给引诱去作热忱的渔夫和猎人的。况且，这种鱼肉以及所有的肉食，基本上是不洁的，而且我开始明白，哪儿来的那么多家务，哪儿产生的那个愿望：要每天注意仪表，要穿得清洁而可敬，房屋要管理得可爱而没有任何恶臭难看的景象，要做到这点，花费很大。好在我身兼屠夫，杂役，厨师，又兼那吃一道道菜肴的老爷，所以我能根据不寻常的全部经验来说话。我反对吃兽肉的主要理由是因为它不干净，再说，在捉了，洗了，煮了，吃了我的鱼之后，我也并不觉得它给了我什么了不起的营养。既不足道，又无必要，耗资却又太大。一个小面包，几个土豆就很可以了，既少麻烦，又不肮脏。我像许多同时代人一样，已经有好几年难得吃兽肉或茶或咖啡等等了；倒不是因为我找出了它们的缺点，而是因为它们跟我的想法不适应。对兽肉有反感并不是由经验引起的，而是一种本能。卑贱的刻苦生活在许多方页都显得更美，虽然我并不曾做到，至少也做到了使我的想象能满意的地步。我相信每一个热衷于把他更高级的、诗意的官能保存在最好状态中的人，必然是特别地避免吃兽肉，还要避免多吃任何食物的。昆虫学家认为这是值得注意的事实，――我从柯尔比和斯班司的书中读到，――“有些昆虫在最完美状态中，虽有饮食的器官，并不使用它们，”他们把这归纳为“一个一般性的规则，在成虫时期的昆虫吃得比它们在蛹期少得多，贪吃的蛹一变而为蝴蝶，……贪婪的蛆虫一变而为苍蝇之后”，只要有一两滴蜜或其他甘洌液体就很满足了。蝴蝶翅下的腹部还是蛹的形状。就是这一点东西引诱它残杀昆虫。大食者是还处于蛹状态中的人；有些国家的全部国民都处于这种状态，这些国民没有幻想，没有想象力，只有一个出卖了他们的大肚皮。

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