瓦尔登湖:Winter Animals4
The hunter who told me this could remember one Sam Nutting， who used to hunt bears on Fair Haven Ledges， and exchange their skins for rum in Concord village； who told him， even， that he had seen a moose there. Nutting had a famous foxhound named Burgoyne ―― he pronounced it Bugine ―― which my informant used to borrow. In the "Wast Book" of an old trader of this town， who was also a captain，town-clerk， and representative， I find the following entry. Jan. 18th， 1742-3， "John Melven Cr. by 1 Grey Fox 0――2――3"； they are not now found here； and in his ledger， Feb， 7th， 1743， Hezekiah Stratton has credit "by 1/2 a Catt skin 0――1――4+"； of course， a wild-cat， for Stratton was a sergeant in the old French war， and would not have got credit for hunting less noble game. Credit is given for deerskins also， and they were daily sold. One man still preserves the horns of the last deer that was killed in this vicinity， and another has told me the particulars of the hunt in which his uncle was engaged. The hunters were formerly a numerous and merry crew here. I remember well one gaunt Nimrod who would catch up a leaf by the roadside and play a strain on it wilder and more melodious， if my memory serves me， than any hunting-horn.
At midnight， when there was a moon， I sometimes met with hounds in my path prowling about the woods， which would skulk out of my way， as if afraid， and stand silent amid the bushes till I had passed.
Squirrels and wild mice disputed for my store of nuts. There were scores of pitch pines around my house， from one to four inches in diameter， which had been gnawed by mice the previous winter ―― a Norwegian winter for them， for the snow lay long and deep， and they were obliged to mix a large proportion of pine bark with their other diet. These trees were alive and apparently flourishing at midsummer， and many of them had grown a foot， though completely girdled； but after another winter such were without exception dead. It is remarkable that a single mouse should thus be allowed a whole pine tree for its dinner， gnawing round instead of up and down it；but perhaps it is necessary in order to thin these trees， which are wont to grow up densely.
The hares （Lepus Americanus） were very familiar. One had her form under my house all winter， separated from me only by the flooring， and she startled me each morning by her hasty departure when I began to stir ―― thump， thump， thump， striking her head against the floor timbers in her hurry. They used to come round my door at dusk to nibble the potato parings which I had thrown out，and were so nearly the color of the ground that they could hardly be distinguished when still. Sometimes in the twilight I alternately lost and recovered sight of one sitting motionless under my window. When I opened my door in the evening， off they would go with a squeak and a bounce. Near at hand they only excited my pity. One evening one sat by my door two paces from me， at first trembling with fear， yet unwilling to move； a poor wee thing， lean and bony，with ragged ears and sharp nose， scant tail and slender paws. It looked as if Nature no longer contained the breed of nobler bloods，but stood on her last toes. Its large eyes appeared young and unhealthy， almost dropsical. I took a step， and lo， away it scud with an elastic spring over the snow-crust， straightening its body and its limbs into graceful length， and soon put the forest between me and itself ―― the wild free venison， asserting its vigor and the dignity of Nature. Not without reason was its slenderness. Such then was its nature. （Lepus， levipes， light-foot， some think.）
What is a country without rabbits and partridges？ They are among the most simple and indigenous animal products； ancient and venerable families known to antiquity as to modern times； of the very hue and substance of Nature， nearest allied to leaves and to the ground ―― and to one another； it is either winged or it is legged. It is hardly as if you had seen a wild creature when a rabbit or a partridge bursts away， only a natural one， as much to be expected as rustling leaves. The partridge and the rabbit are still sure to thrive， like true natives of the soil， whatever revolutions occur. If the forest is cut off， the sprouts and bushes which spring up afford them concealment， and they become more numerous than ever. That must be a poor country indeed that does not support a hare. Our woods teem with them both， and around every swamp may be seen the partridge or rabbit walk， beset with twiggy fences and horse-hair snares， which some cow-boy tends.
把这话告诉我的猎者还能记得一个名叫山姆。纳丁的人，他常常在美港的岩层上猎熊，然后把熊皮拿口来，到康科德的村子里换朗姆酒喝；那个人曾经告诉他，他甚至于看见过一只糜鹿。纳丁有一只著名的猎狐犬，名叫布尔戈因，――他却把它念作布经，――告诉我这段话的人常常向他借用这条狗。这个乡镇中，有一个老年的生意人，他又是队长，市镇会计，兼代表，我在他的“日记账簿”中，看到了这样的记录。一七四二――三年，一月十八日，“约翰，梅尔文，贷方，一只灰色的狐狸，零元二角三分”；现在这里却没有这种事了，在他的总账中，一七四三年，二月七日，赫齐吉阿。斯特拉登贷款“半张猫皮，零元一角四分半”；这当然是山猫皮，因为从前法兰西之战的时候，斯特拉登做过军曹，当然不会拿比山猫还不如的东西来贷款的。当时也有以鹿皮来换取贷款的；每天都有鹿皮卖出。有一个人还保存着附近这一带最后杀死的一只鹿的鹿角，另外一个人还告诉过我，他的伯父参加过的一次狩猎的情形。从前这里的猎户人数既多，而且都很愉快。我还记得一个消瘦的宁呢，他随手在路边抓到一张叶子，就能在上面吹奏出一个旋律来，如果我没记错的话，似乎比任何猎号声都更野，更动听。
在有月亮的午夜，有时候我路上碰到了许多的猎犬，它们奔窜在树林中，从我面前的路上躲开，好像很怕我而静静地站在灌木丛中，直到我走过了再出来。
松鼠和野鼠为了我储藏的坚果而争吵开了。在我的屋子四周有二三十棵苍松，直径一英寸到四英寸，前一个冬天给老鼠啃过，――对它们来说，那是一个挪威式的冬天，雪长久地积着，积得太深了，它们不得不动用松树皮来补救它们的粮食短细。这些树还是活了下来，在夏天里显然还很茂郁，虽然它们的树皮全都给环切了一匝，却有许多树长高了一英尺；可是又过了一个冬天，它们无例外的全都死去了。奇怪得很，小小的老鼠竟然被允许吃下整个一株树，它们不是上上下下，而是环绕着它来吃的；可是，要使这森林稀疏起来，这也许还是必要的，它们常常长得太浓密了。
野兔子（学名Lepus Americanus）是很常见的，整个冬天，它的身体常活动在我的屋子下面，只有地板隔开了我们，每天早晨，当我开始动弹的时候，它便急促地逃开，惊醒我，――砰，砰，砰，它在匆忙之中，脑袋撞在地板上了。黄昏中，它们常常绕到我的门口来，吃我扔掉的土豆皮，它们和土地的颜色是这样的相似，当静着不动的时候，你几乎辨别不出来。有时在黄昏中，我一忽儿看不见了，一忽儿又看见了那一动不动呆坐在我窗下的野兔子。黄昏时要是我推开了门，它们吱吱地叫，一跃而去。靠近了看它们，只有叫我可怜。有一个晚上，有一只坐在我门口，离我只有两步；起先伯得发抖，可是还不肯跑开，可怜的小东西，瘦得骨头都突出来了，破耳朵，尖鼻子，光尾巴，细脚爪。看起来，仿佛大自然已经没有比它更高贵的品种，只存这样的小东西了。它的大眼睛显得很年轻，可是不健康，几乎像生了水肿病似的。我路上一步，瞧，它弹力很足地一跃而起，奔过了雪地，温文尔雅地伸直了它的身子和四肢，立刻把森林搬到我和它的中间来了，――这野性的自由的肌肉却又说明了大自然的精力和尊严。
它的消瘦并不是没有理由的。这便是它的天性。（它的学名Lepus，来自Levipes，足力矫健，有人这样想。）
要没有兔子和鹧鸪，一个田野还成什么田野呢？它们是最简单的土生士长的动物；古时候，跟现在一样，就有了这类古老而可敬的动物；与大自然同色彩，同性质，和树叶，和土地是最亲密的联盟，――彼此之间也是联盟；既不是靠翅膀的飞禽，又不是靠脚的走兽。看到兔子和鹧鸪跑掉的时候，你不觉得它们是禽兽，它们是大自然的一部分，仿佛讽讽的木叶一样。不管发生怎么样的革命，兔子和鹧鸪一定可以永存，像土生士长的人一样。如果森林被砍伐了，矮枝和嫩叶还可以藏起它们，它们还会更加繁殖呢。不能维持一只兔子的生活的田野一定是贫瘠无比的。我们的森林对于它们两者都很适宜，在每一个沼泽的周围可以看到兔子和鹧鸪在步行，而牧童们在它们周围布置了细枝的篱笆和马鬃的陷阱。
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