瓦尔登湖:Brute Neighbors
Sometimes I had a companion in my fishing， who came through the village to my house from the other side of the town， and the catching of the dinner was as much a social exercise as the eating of it.
Hermit. I wonder what the world is doing now. I have not heard so much as a locust over the sweet-fern these three hours. The pigeons are all asleep upon their roosts ―― no flutter from them. Was that a farmer's noon horn which sounded from beyond the woods just now？ The hands are coming in to boiled salt beef and cider and Indian bread. Why will men worry themselves so？ He that does not eat need not work. I wonder how much they have reaped. Who would live there where a body can never think for the barking of Bose？
And oh， the housekeeping！ to keep bright the devil's door-knobs， and scour his tubs this bright day！ Better not keep a house. Say， some hollow tree； and then for morning calls and dinner-parties！ Only a woodpecker tapping. Oh， they swarm； the sun is too warm there； they are born too far into life for me. I have water from the spring，and a loaf of brown bread on the shelf. ―― Hark！ I hear a rustling of the leaves. Is it some ill-fed village hound yielding to the instinct of the chase？ or the lost pig which is said to be in these woods， whose tracks I saw after the rain？ It comes on apace； my sumachs and sweetbriers tremble. ―― Eh， Mr. Poet， is it you？ How do you like the world to-day？
Poet. See those clouds； how they hang！ That's the greatest thing I have seen to-day. There's nothing like it in old paintings，nothing like it in foreign lands ―― unless when we were off the coast of Spain. That's a true Mediterranean sky. I thought， as I have my living to get， and have not eaten to-day， that I might go a-fishing. That's the true industry for poets. It is the only trade I have learned. Come， let's along.
Hermit. I cannot resist. My brown bread will soon be gone. I will go with you gladly soon， but I am just concluding a serious meditation. I think that I am near the end of it. Leave me alone，then， for a while. But that we may not be delayed， you shall be digging the bait meanwhile. Angleworms are rarely to be met with in these parts， where the soil was never fattened with manure； the race is nearly extinct. The sport of digging the bait is nearly equal to that of catching the fish， when one's appetite is not too keen； and this you may have all to yourself today. I would advise you to set in the spade down yonder among the ground-nuts， where you see the johnswort waving. I think that I may warrant you one worm to every three sods you turn up， if you look well in among the roots of the grass， as if you were weeding. Or， if you choose to go farther， it will not be unwise， for I have found the increase of fair bait to be very nearly as the squares of the distances.
Hermit alone. Let me see； where was I？ Methinks I was nearly in this frame of mind； the world lay about at this angle. Shall I go to heaven or a-fishing？ If I should soon bring this meditation to an end， would another so sweet occasion be likely to offer？ I was as near being resolved into the essence of things as ever I was in my life. I fear my thoughts will not come back to me. If it would do any good， I would whistle for them. When they make us an offer， is it wise to say， We will think of it？ My thoughts have left no track， and I cannot find the path again. What was it that I was thinking of？ It was a very hazy day. I will just try these three sentences of Confutsee； they may fetch that state about again. I know not whether it was the dumps or a budding ecstasy. Mem. There never is but one opportunity of a kind.
Poet. How now， Hermit， is it too soon？ I have got just thirteen whole ones， beside several which are imperfect or undersized； but they will do for the smaller fry； they do not cover up the hook so much. Those village worms are quite too large； a shiner may make a meal off one without finding the skewer.
Hermit. Well， then， let's be off. Shall we to the Concord？
There's good sport there if the water be not too high.
Why do precisely these objects which we behold make a world？
Why has man just these species of animals for his neighbors； as if nothing but a mouse could have filled this crevice？ I suspect that Pilpay & Co. have put animals to their best use， for they are all beasts of burden， in a sense， made to carry some portion of our thoughts.
The mice which haunted my house were not the common ones， which are said to have been introduced into the country， but a wild native kind not found in the village. I sent one to a distinguished naturalist， and it interested him much. When I was building， one of these had its nest underneath the house， and before I had laid the second floor， and swept out the shavings， would come out regularly at lunch time and pick up the crumbs at my feet. It probably had never seen a man before； and it soon became quite familiar， and would run over my shoes and up my clothes. It could readily ascend the sides of the room by short impulses， like a squirrel， which it resembled in its motions. At length， as I leaned with my elbow on the bench one day， it ran up my clothes， and along my sleeve， and round and round the paper which held my dinner， while I kept the latter close， and dodged and played at bopeep with it； and when at last I held still a piece of cheese between my thumb and finger， it came and nibbled it， sitting in my hand， and afterward cleaned its face and paws， like a fly， and walked away.
有时我有一个钓鱼的伴侣，他从城那一头，穿过了村子到我的屋里来。我们一同捕鱼，好比请客吃饭，同样是一种社交活动。
隐士，我不知道这世界现在怎么啦。三个小时来，我甚至没听到一声羊齿植物上的蝉鸣。鸽子都睡在鸽房里，――它们的翅膀都不扑动。此刻，是否哪个农夫的正午的号角声在林子外面吹响了？雇工们要回来吃那煮好的腌牛肉和玉米粉面包，喝苹果酒了。
人们为什么要这样自寻烦恼？人若不吃不喝，可就用不到工作了。我不知道他们收获了多少。谁愿意住在那种地方，狗吠得使一个人不能够思想？啊，还有家务！还得活见鬼，把铜把手擦亮，这样好的天气里还要擦亮他的浴盆！还是没有家的好。还不如住在空心的树洞里；也就不会再有早上的拜访和夜间的宴会！只有啄木鸟的啄木声。啊，那里人们蜂拥着；那里太阳太热；对我来说，他们这些人世故太深了。我从泉水中汲水，架上有一块棕色的面包。听！我听到树叶的沙沙声。是村中饿慌了的狗在追猎？还是一只据说迷了路的小猪跑到这森林里来了？下雨后，我还看见过它的脚印呢。脚步声越来越近了；我的黄栌树和多花蔷薇在战抖了。――呃，诗人先生，是你吗？你觉得今天这个世界怎么样？
诗人。看这些云，如何地悬挂在天上！这就是我今天所看见的最伟大的东西了。在古画中看不到这样的云，在外国也都没有这样的云，――除非我们是在西班牙海岸之夕）。
这是一个真正的地中海的天空。我想到，既然我总得活着，而今天却没有吃东西，那我就该去钓鱼了。这是诗人的最好的工作。这也是我唯一懂得的营生。来吧，我们一起去。
隐士。我不能拒绝你。我的棕色的面包快要吃完了。我很愿意马上跟你一起去，可是我正在结束一次严肃的沉思。我想很快就完了。那就请你让我再孤独一会儿。可是，为了免得大家都耽误，你可以先掘出一些钓饵来。这一带能作钓饵的蚯蚓很少，因为土里从没有施过肥料；这一个物种几乎绝种了。挖掘鱼饵的游戏，跟钓鱼实在是同等有味的，尤其肚皮不饿的话，这一个游戏今天你一个人去做吧。我要劝你带上铲子，到那边的落花生丛中去挖掘；你看见那边狗尾草在摇摆吗？我想我可以保证，如果你在草根里仔细地找，就跟你是在除败草一样，那每翻起三块草皮，你准可以捉到一条蚯蚓。或者，如果你愿意走远一些，那也不是不聪明的，因为我发现钓饵的多少，恰好跟距离的平方成正比。
隐士独白。让我看，我想到什么地方去了？我以为我是在这样的思维的框框中，我对周围世界的看法是从这样的角度看的。我是应该上天堂去呢，还是应该去钓鱼？如果我立刻可以把我的沉思结束，难道还会有这样一个美妙的机会吗？我刚才几乎已经和万物的本体化为一体，这一生中我还从没有过这样的经验。我恐怕我的思想是不会再回来的了。如果吹口哨能召唤它们回来，那我就要吹口哨。当初思想向我们涌来的时候，说一句：我们要想一想，是聪明的吗？现在我的思想一点痕迹也没有留下来，我找不到我的思路了。我在想的是什么呢？这是一个非常朦胧的日子。我还是来想一想孔夫子的三句话，也许还能恢复刚才的思路。我不知道那是一团糟呢，还是一种处于抽芽发枝状态的狂喜。备忘录。机会是只有一次的。诗人。怎么啦，隐士；是不是太快了？我已经捉到了十三条整的，还有几条不全的，或者是大小的；用它们捉小鱼也可以；它们不会在钓钩上显得太大。这村子的蚯蚓真大极了，银鱼可以饱餐一顿而还没碰到这个串肉的钩呢。
隐士。好的，让我们去吧。我们要不要到康科德去？如果水位不大高，就可以玩个痛快了。
为什么恰恰是我们看到的这些事物构成了这个世界？为什么人只有这样一些禽兽做他的邻居；好像天地之间，只有老鼠能够填充这个窟窿？我想皮尔贝公司的利用动物，是利用得好极了，因为那里的动物都负有重载，可以说，是负载着我们的一些思想的。
常来我家的老鼠并不是平常的那种，平常的那种据说是从外地带到这野地里来的，而常来我家的却是在村子里看不到的土生的野鼠。我寄了一只给一个著名的博物学家，他对它发生了很大的兴趣。还在我造房子那时，就有一只这种老鼠在我的屋子下面做窝了，而在我还没有铺好楼板，刨花也还没有扫出去之前，每到午饭时分，它就到我的脚边来吃商包屑了。也许它从来没有看见过人；我们很快就亲热起来，它驰奔过我的皮鞋，而且从我的衣服上爬上来。它很容易就爬上屋侧，三下两窜就上去了，像松鼠，连动作都是相似的。到后来有一天我这样坐着，用肘子支在凳上，它爬上我的衣服，沿着我的袖子，绕着我盛放食物的纸不断地打转，而我把纸拉向我，躲开它，然后突然把纸推到它面前，跟它玩躲猫儿，最后，我用拇指与食指拿起一片干酪来，它过来了，坐在我的手掌中，一口一口地吃了它之后，很像苍蝇似的擦擦它的脸和前掌，然后扬长而去。
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