瓦尔登湖:Winter Animals3

　　Meanwhile also came the chickadees in flocks， which， picking up the crumbs the squirrels had dropped， flew to the nearest twig and，placing them under their claws， hammered away at them with their little bills， as if it were an insect in the bark， till they were sufficiently reduced for their slender throats.  A little flock of these titmice came daily to pick a dinner out of my woodpile， or the crumbs at my door， with faint flitting lisping notes， like the tinkling of icicles in the grass， or else with sprightly day day day， or more rarely， in spring-like days， a wiry summery phe-be from the woodside.  They were so familiar that at length one alighted on an armful of wood which I was carrying in， and pecked at the sticks without fear.  I once had a sparrow alight upon my shoulder for a moment while I was hoeing in a village garden， and I felt that I was more distinguished by that circumstance than I should have been by any epaulet I could have worn.  The squirrels also grew at last to be quite familiar， and occasionally stepped upon my shoe， when that was the nearest way.

　　When the ground was not yet quite covered， and again near the end of winter， when the snow was melted on my south hillside and about my wood-pile， the partridges came out of the woods morning and evening to feed there.  Whichever side you walk in the woods the partridge bursts away on whirring wings， jarring the snow from the dry leaves and twigs on high， which comes sifting down in the sunbeams like golden dust， for this brave bird is not to be scared by winter.  It is frequently covered up by drifts， and， it is said，"sometimes plunges from on wing into the soft snow， where it remains concealed for a day or two."  I used to start them in the open land also， where they had come out of the woods at sunset to "bud" the wild apple trees.  They will come regularly every evening to particular trees， where the cunning sportsman lies in wait for them，and the distant orchards next the woods suffer thus not a little.  I am glad that the partridge gets fed， at any rate.  It is Nature's own bird which lives on buds and diet drink.

　　In dark winter mornings， or in short winter afternoons， I sometimes heard a pack of hounds threading all the woods with hounding cry and yelp， unable to resist the instinct of the chase，and the note of the hunting-horn at intervals， proving that man was in the rear.  The woods ring again， and yet no fox bursts forth on to the open level of the pond， nor following pack pursuing their Actaeon.  And perhaps at evening I see the hunters returning with a single brush trailing from their sleigh for a trophy， seeking their inn.  They tell me that if the fox would remain in the bosom of the frozen earth he would be safe， or if be would run in a straight line away no foxhound could overtake him； but， having left his pursuers far behind， he stops to rest and listen till they come up， and when he runs he circles round to his old haunts， where the hunters await him.  Sometimes， however， he will run upon a wall many rods， and then leap off far to one side， and he appears to know that water will not retain his scent.  A hunter told me that he once saw a fox pursued by hounds burst out on to Walden when the ice was covered with shallow puddles， run part way across， and then return to the same shore.  Ere long the hounds arrived， but here they lost the scent.  Sometimes a pack hunting by themselves would pass my door，and circle round my house， and yelp and hound without regarding me，as if afflicted by a species of madness， so that nothing could divert them from the pursuit.  Thus they circle until they fall upon the recent trail of a fox， for a wise hound will forsake everything else for this.  One day a man came to my hut from Lexington to inquire after his hound that made a large track， and had been hunting for a week by himself.  But I fear that he was not the wiser for all I told him， for every time I attempted to answer his questions he interrupted me by asking， "What do you do here？"  He had lost a dog， but found a man.

　　One old hunter who has a dry tongue， who used to come to bathe in Walden once every year when the water was warmest， and at such times looked in upon me， told me that many years ago he took his gun one afternoon and went out for a cruise in Walden Wood； and as he walked the Wayland road he heard the cry of hounds approaching， and ere long a fox leaped the wall into the road， and as quick as thought leaped the other wall out of the road， and his swift bullet had not touched him.  Some way behind came an old hound and her three pups in full pursuit， hunting on their own account， and disappeared again in the woods.  Late in the afternoon， as he was resting in the thick woods south of Walden， he heard the voice of the hounds far over toward Fair Haven still pursuing the fox； and on they came， their hounding cry which made all the woods ring sounding nearer and nearer， now from Well Meadow， now from the Baker Farm. For a long time he stood still and listened to their music， so sweet to a hunter's ear， when suddenly the fox appeared， threading the solemn aisles with an easy coursing pace， whose sound was concealed by a sympathetic rustle of the leaves， swift and still， keeping the round， leaving his pursuers far behind； and， leaping upon a rock amid the woods， he sat erect and listening， with his back to the hunter.  For a moment compassion restrained the latter's arm； but that was a short-lived mood， and as quick as thought can follow thought his piece was levelled， and whang！ ―― the fox， rolling over the rock， lay dead on the ground.  The hunter still kept his place and listened to the hounds.  Still on they came， and now the near woods resounded through all their aisles with their demoniac cry. At length the old hound burst into view with muzzle to the ground，and snapping the air as if possessed， and ran directly to the rock；but， spying the dead fox， she suddenly ceased her hounding as if struck dumb with amazement， and walked round and round him in silence； and one by one her pups arrived， and， like their mother，were sobered into silence by the mystery.  Then the hunter came forward and stood in their midst， and the mystery was solved.  They waited in silence while he skinned the fox， then followed the brush a while， and at length turned off into the woods again.  That evening a Weston squire came to the Concord hunter's cottage to inquire for his hounds， and told how for a week they had been hunting on their own account from Weston woods.  The Concord hunter told him what he knew and offered him the skin； but the other declined it and departed.  He did not find his hounds that night，but the next day learned that they had crossed the river and put up at a farmhouse for the night， whence， having been well fed， they took their departure early in the morning.

　　在黑暗的冬天早晨，或短促的冬天的下午，有时候我听到一大群猎狗的吠声，整个森林全是它们的嚎叫，它们抑制不住要追猎的本能，同时我听到间歇的猎角，知道它们后面还有人。森林又响彻了它们的叫声，可是没有狐狸奔到湖边开阔的平地上来，也没有一群追逐者在追他们的阿克梯翁。也许在黄昏时分，我看到猎者，只有一根毛茸茸的狐狸尾巴拖在雪车后面作为战利品而回来，找他们的旅馆过夜。他们指点我说，如果狐狸躲在冰冻的地下，它一定可以安然无恙，或者，如果它逃跑时是一直线的，没有一只猎犬追得上它；可是，一旦把追逐者远远抛在后面，它便停下来休息，并且倾听着，直到它们又追了上来，等它再奔跑的时候，它兜了一个圈子，回到原来的老窝，猎者却正在那里等着它。有时，它在墙顶上奔驰了几杆之遥，然后跳到墙的另一面，它似乎知道水不沾染它的臊气。一个猎者曾告诉我，一次他看见一只狐狸给猎犬追赶得逃到了瓦尔登湖上，那时冰上浮了一泓泓浅水，它跑了一段又回到原来的岸上。不久，猎犬来到了，可是到了这里，它们的嗅觉嗅不到狐臭了。有时，一大群猎犬自己追逐自己，来到我屋前，经过了门，绕着屋子兜圈子，一点不理睬我，只顾嗥叫，好像害着某一种疯狂症，什么也不能制止它们的追逐，它们就这样绕着圈子追逐着直到它们发觉了一股新近的狐臭，聪明的猎犬总是不顾一切的，只管追逐狐狸。有一天，有人从列克星敦到了我的木屋，打听他的猎犬，它自己追逐了很长一段路，已经有一个星期了。可是，把我所知道的告诉了他以后，恐怕他未必会得到好处，因为每一次我刚想回答他的问题，他都打断了我的话，另外问我：“你在这里干什么呢？”他丢掉了一只狗，却找到了一个人。

　　有一个老猎户，说起话来枯燥无味，常到瓦尔登湖来洗澡，每年一回，总在湖水最温暖的时候到来，他还来看我，告诉过我，好几年前的某一个下午，他带了一枝猎枪，巡行在瓦尔登林中；正当他走在威兰路上时，他听到一只猎犬追上来的声音，不久，一只狐狸跳过了墙，到了路上，又快得像思想一样，跳过了另一堵墙，离开了路，他迅即发射的子弹却没有打中它。在若干距离的后面，来了一条老猎犬和它的三只小猎犬，全速地追赶着，自动地追赶着，一忽儿已消失在森林中了。这天下午，很晚了，他在瓦尔登南面的密林中休息，他听到远远在美港那个方向，猎犬的声音还在追逐狐狸；它们逼近来了，它们的吠声使整个森林震动，更近了，更近了，现在在威尔草地，现在在倍克田庄。他静静地站着，长久地，听着它们的音乐之声，在猎者的耳朵中这是如此之甜蜜的，那时突然间狐狸出现了，轻快地穿过了林间的走廊，它的声音被树叶的同情的飒飒声掩盖了，它又快，又安详，把握住地势，把追踪者抛在老远的后面；于是，跳上林中的一块岩石，笔直地坐着，听着，它的背朝着猎者。片刻之间，恻隐之心限制了猎者的手臂；然而这是一种短命的感情，快得像思想一样，他的火器瞄准了，砰――狐狸从岩石上滚了下来，躺在地上死了。猎者还站在老地方，听着猎犬的吠声。它们还在追赶，现在附近森林中的所有的小径上全部都是它们的恶魔似的嚎叫。最后，那老猎犬跳入眼帘，鼻子嗅着地，像中了魔似的吠叫得空气都震动了，一直朝岩石奔去；可是，看到那死去了的狐狸，它突然停止了吠叫，仿佛给惊愕征服，哑口无言，它绕着，绕着它，静静地走动；它的小狗一个又一个地来到了，像它们的母亲一样，也清醒了过来，在这神秘的气氛中静静地不做声了。于是猎者走到它们中间，神秘的谜解开了。他剥下了狐狸皮，它们静静地等着，后来，它们跟在狐狸尾巴后面走了一阵，最后拐入林中自去了，这晚上，一个魏士登的绅士找到这康科德的猎者的小屋，探听他的猎犬，还告诉他说，它们自己这样追逐着，离开了魏士登的森林已经一个星期。康科德的猎者就把自己知道的详情告诉他，并把狐狸皮送给他，后者辞受，自行离去。这晚上他找不到他的猎犬，可是第二天他知道了，它们已过了河，在一个农家过了一夜，在那里饱餐了一顿，一清早就动身回家了。

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