瓦尔登湖:Brute Neighbors2

　　A phoebe soon built in my shed， and a robin for protection in a pine which grew against the house. In June the partridge （Tetrao umbellus）， which is so shy a bird， led her brood past my windows，from the woods in the rear to the front of my house， clucking and calling to them like a hen， and in all her behavior proving herself the hen of the woods. The young suddenly disperse on your approach，at a signal from the mother， as if a whirlwind had swept them away，and they so exactly resemble the dried leaves and twigs that many a traveler has placed his foot in the midst of a brood， and heard the whir of the old bird as she flew off， and her anxious calls and mewing， or seen her trail her wings to attract his attention，without suspecting their neighborhood. The parent will sometimes roll and spin round before you in such a dishabille， that you cannot， for a few moments， detect what kind of creature it is. The young squat still and flat， often running their heads under a leaf，and mind only their mother's directions given from a distance， nor will your approach make them run again and betray themselves. You may even tread on them， or have your eyes on them for a minute，without discovering them. I have held them in my open hand at such a time， and still their only care， obedient to their mother and their instinct， was to squat there without fear or trembling. So perfect is this instinct， that once， when I had laid them on the leaves again， and one accidentally fell on its side， it was found with the rest in exactly the same position ten minutes afterward. They are not callow like the young of most birds， but more perfectly developed and precocious even than chickens. The remarkably adult yet innocent expression of their open and serene eyes is very memorable. All intelligence seems reflected in them. They suggest not merely the purity of infancy， but a wisdom clarified by experience. Such an eye was not born when the bird was， but is coeval with the sky it reflects. The woods do not yield another such a gem. The traveller does not often look into such a limpid well. The ignorant or reckless sportsman often shoots the parent at such a time， and leaves these innocents to fall a prey to some prowling beast or bird， or gradually mingle with the decaying leaves which they so much resemble. It is said that when hatched by a hen they will directly disperse on some alarm， and so are lost， for they never hear the mother's call which gathers them again. These were my hens and chickens.

　　It is remarkable how many creatures live wild and free though secret in the woods， and still sustain themselves in the neighborhood of towns， suspected by hunters only. How retired the otter manages to live here！ He grows to be four feet long， as big as a small boy， perhaps without any human being getting a glimpse of him. I formerly saw the raccoon in the woods behind where my house is built， and probably still heard their whinnering at night. Commonly I rested an hour or two in the shade at noon， after planting， and ate my lunch， and read a little by a spring which was the source of a swamp and of a brook， oozing from under Brister's Hill， half a mile from my field. The approach to this was through a succession of descending grassy hollows， full of young pitch pines，into a larger wood about the swamp. There， in a very secluded and shaded spot， under a spreading white pine， there was yet a clean，firm sward to sit on. I had dug out the spring and made a well of clear gray water， where I could dip up a pailful without roiling it，and thither I went for this purpose almost every day in midsummer，when the pond was warmest. Thither， too， the woodcock led her brood， to probe the mud for worms， flying but a foot above them down the bank， while they ran in a troop beneath； but at last， spying me，she would leave her young and circle round and round me， nearer and nearer till within four or five feet， pretending broken wings and legs， to attract my attention， and get off her young， who would already have taken up their march， with faint， wiry peep， single file through the swamp， as she directed. Or I heard the peep of the young when I could not see the parent bird. There too the turtle doves sat over the spring， or fluttered from bough to bough of the soft white pines over my head； or the red squirrel， coursing down the nearest bough， was particularly familiar and inquisitive. You only need sit still long enough in some attractive spot in the woods that all its inhabitants may exhibit themselves to you by turns.

　　很快就有一只美洲来我屋中做窠；一只知更鸟在我屋侧的一棵松树上巢居着，受我保护。六月里，鹧鸪（Tetraoumbellus）这样怕羞的飞鸟，带了它的幼雏经过我的窗子，从我屋后的林中飞到我的屋前，像一只老母鸡一样咯咯咯地唤她的孩子们，她的这些行为证明了她是森林中的老母鸡。你一走近它们，母亲就发出一个信号，它们就一哄而散，像一阵旋风吹散了它们一样；鹧鸪的颜色又真像枯枝和败叶，经常有些个旅行家，一脚踏在这些幼雏的中间了，只听得老鸟拍翅飞走，发出那焦虑的呼号，只见它的扑扑拍动的翅膀，为了吸引那些旅人，不去注意他们的前后左右。母鸟在你们面前打滚，打旋子，弄得羽毛蓬松，使你一时之间不知道它是怎么一种禽鸟了。幼雏们宁静而扁平的蹲着，常常把它们的头缩入一张叶子底下，什么也不听，只听着它们母亲从远处发来的信号，你就是走近它们，它们也不会再奔走，因此它们是不会被发觉的。甚至你的脚已经踏上了它们，眼睛还望了它们一会儿，可是还不能发觉你踩的是什么。有一次我偶然把它们放在我摊开的手掌中，因为它们从来只服从它们的母亲与自己的本能，一点也不觉得恐惧，也不打抖，它们只是照旧蹲着。这种本能是如此之完美，有一次我又把它们放回到村叶上，其中有一只由于不小心而跌倒在地了，可是我发现它，十分钟之后还是和别的雏鸟一起，还是原来的姿势。鹧鸪的幼雏不像其余的幼雏那样不长羽毛，比起小鸡来，它们羽毛更快地丰满起来，而且更加早熟。它们睁大了宁静的眼睛，很显著地成熟了，却又很天真的样子，使人一见难忘。这种眼睛似乎反映了全部智慧。不仅仅提示了婴孩期的纯洁，还提示了由经验洗炼过的智慧。鸟儿的这样的眼睛不是与生俱来的，而是和它所反映的天空同样久远。山林之中还没有产生过像它们的眼睛那样的宝石。一般的旅行家也都不大望到过这样清澈的一口井。无知而鲁莽的猎者在这种时候常常枪杀了它们的父母，使这一群无告的幼雏成了四处觅食的猛兽或恶鸟的牺牲品，或逐渐地混入了那些和它们如此相似的枯叶而同归于尽。据说，这些幼雏要是由老母鸡孵出来，那稍被惊扰，便到处乱走，很难幸兔，因为它们再听不到母鸟召唤它们的声音。这些便是我的母鸡和幼雏。

　　惊人的是，在森林之中，有多少动物是自由而奔放地，并且是秘密地生活着的，它们在乡镇的周遭觅食，只有猎者才猜到它们在那儿。水獭在这里过着何等僻隐的生活啊！

　　他长到四英尺长，像一个小孩子那样大了，也许还没有被人看到过。以前我还看到过浣熊，就在我的屋子后面的森林中，现在我在晚上似乎依然能听到它们的嘤嘤之声。通常我上午耕作，中午在树荫之下休息一两个小时，吃过午饭，还在一道泉水旁边读读书，那泉水是离我的田地半英里远的勃立斯特山上流下来的，附近一个沼泽地和一道小溪都从那儿发源。到这泉水边去，得穿过一连串草木蓊蔚的洼地，那里长满了苍松的幼树，最后到达沼泽附近的一座较大的森林。在那里的一个僻隐而荫翳的地方，一棵巨大的白松下面有片清洁而坚实的草地，可以坐坐。我挖出泉水，挖成了一口井，流出清洌的银灰色水流，可以提出一桶水，而井水不致混浊。仲夏时分，我几乎每天都在那边取水，湖水太热了。山鹬把幼雏也带到这里，在泥土中找蚯蚓，又在幼雏之上大约一英尺的地方飞，飞在泉水之侧，而幼雏们成群结队在下面奔跑，可是后来它看到我，便离了它的幼雏，绕着我盘旋，越来越近，只有四五英尺的距离了，装出翅膀或脚折断了的样子，吸引我的注意，使我放过他的孩子们，那时它们已经发出微弱、尖细的叫声，照了她的指示，排成单行经过了沼泽。或者，我看不见那只母鸟，但是却听到了它们的细声。斑鸠也在这里的泉水上坐着，或从我头顶上面的那棵柔和的白松的一根丫枝上飞到另一丫枝；而红色的松鼠，从最近的树枝上盘旋下来，也特别和我亲热，特别对我好奇。不须在山林中的一些风景点坐上多久，便可以看见它的全体成员轮流出来展览它们自己。

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