瓦尔登湖:The Pond in Winter

　　After a still winter night I awoke with the impression that some question had been put to me， which I had been endeavoring in vain to answer in my sleep， as what ―― how ―― when ―― where？  But there was dawning Nature， in whom all creatures live， looking in at my broad windows with serene and satisfied face， and no question on her lips. I awoke to an answered question， to Nature and daylight.  The snow lying deep on the earth dotted with young pines， and the very slope of the hill on which my house is placed， seemed to say， Forward！

　　Nature puts no question and answers none which we mortals ask.  She has long ago taken her resolution.  "O Prince， our eyes contemplate with admiration and transmit to the soul the wonderful and varied spectacle of this universe.  The night veils without doubt a part of this glorious creation； but day comes to reveal to us this great work， which extends from earth even into the plains of the ether."

　　Then to my morning work.  First I take an axe and pail and go in search of water， if that be not a dream.  After a cold and snowy night it needed a divining-rod to find it.  Every winter the liquid and trembling surface of the pond， which was so sensitive to every breath， and reflected every light and shadow， becomes solid to the depth of a foot or a foot and a half， so that it will support the heaviest teams， and perchance the snow covers it to an equal depth，and it is not to be distinguished from any level field.  Like the marmots in the surrounding hills， it closes its eyelids and becomes dormant for three months or more.  Standing on the snow-covered plain， as if in a pasture amid the hills， I cut my way first through a foot of snow， and then a foot of ice， and open a window under my feet， where， kneeling to drink， I look down into the quiet parlor of the fishes， pervaded by a softened light as through a window of ground glass， with its bright sanded floor the same as in summer；there a perennial waveless serenity reigns as in the amber twilight sky， corresponding to the cool and even temperament of the inhabitants.  Heaven is under our feet is well as over our heads.

　　Early in the morning， while all things are crisp with frost， men come with fishing-reels and slender lunch， and let down their fine lines through the snowy field to take pickerel and perch； wild men，who instinctively follow other fashions and trust other authorities than their townsmen， and by their goings and comings stitch towns together in parts where else they would be ripped.  They sit and eat their luncheon in stout fear-naughts on the dry oak leaves on the shore， as wise in natural lore as the citizen is in artificial. They never consulted with books， and know and can tell much less than they have done.  The things which they practice are said not yet to be known.  Here is one fishing for pickerel with grown perch for bait.  You look into his pail with wonder as into a summer pond，as if he kept summer locked up at home， or knew where she had retreated.  How， pray， did he get these in midwinter？  Oh， he got worms out of rotten logs since the ground froze， and so he caught them.  His life itself passes deeper in nature than the studies of the naturalist penetrate； himself a subject for the naturalist.  The latter raises the moss and bark gently with his knife in search of insects； the former lays open logs to their core with his axe， and moss and bark fly far and wide.  He gets his living by barking trees.  Such a man has some right to fish， and I love to see nature carried out in him.  The perch swallows the grub-worm， the pickerel swallows the perch， and the fisher-man swallows the pickerel； and so all the chinks in the scale of being are filled.

　　睡过了一个安静的冬天的夜晚，而醒来时，印象中伤佛有什么问题在问我，而在睡眠之中，我曾企图回答，却又回答不了――什么――如何――何时――何处？可这是黎明中的大自然，其中生活着一切的生物，她从我的大窗户里望进来，脸色澄清，心满意足，她的嘴唇上并没有问题。醒来便是大自然和天光，这便是问题的答案。雪深深地积在大地，年幼的松树点点在上面，而我的木屋所在的小山坡似乎在说：“开步走！”大自然并不发问，发问的是我们人类，而它也不作回答。它早就有了决断了。

　　“啊，王子，我们的眼睛察审而羡慕不置，这宇宙的奇妙而多变的景象便传到了我们的灵魂中。无疑的，黑夜把这光荣的创造遮去了一部分；可是，白昼再来把这伟大作品启示给我们，这伟大作品从地上伸展，直到太空中。”

　　于是我干我的黎明时的工作。第一，我拿了一把斧头和桶子找水去，如果我不是在做梦。过了寒冷的、飘雪的一夜之后，要一根魔杖才有办法找到水呢。水汪汪的微抖的湖水，对任何呼吸都异常地敏感，能反映每一道光和影，可是到了冬天，就冻结了一英尺，一英尺半，最笨重的牲畜它也承受得住，也许冰上还积了一英尺深的雪，使你分别不出它是湖还是平地。像周围群山中的土拨鼠，它阖上眼睛，要睡三个月或三个月不止。

　　站在积雪的平原上，好像在群山中的牧场上，我先是穿过一英尺深的雪，然后又穿过一英尺厚的冰，在我的脚下开一个窗，就跪在那里喝水，又望入那安静的鱼的客厅，那儿充满了一种柔和的光，仿佛是透过了一层磨砂玻璃照进去的似的，那细沙的底还跟夏天的时候一样，在那里一个并无波涛而有悠久澄清之感的，像琥珀色一样的黄昏正统治着，和那里的居民的冷静与均衡气质却完全协调。天空在我脚下，正如它之又在我们头上。

　　每天，很早的时候，一切都被严寒冻得松脆，人们带了钓竿和简单的午饭，穿过雪地来钓鲜鱼和梭鱼；这些野性未驯的人们，并不像他们城里的人，他们本能地采用另外的生活方式，相信另外的势力，他们这样来来去去，就把许多城市部分地缝合在一起了，否则的话，城市之间还是分裂的。他们穿着结实的粗呢大衣坐在湖岸上，在干燥的橡树叶上吃他们的饭餐，他们在自然界的经验方面，同城里人在虚伪做作方面一样聪明。他们从来不研究书本，所知道和所能说的，比他们所做的少了许多。他们所做的事据说还没有人知道。这里有一位，是用大鲈鱼来钓梭鱼的。你看看他的桶子，像看到了一个夏天的湖沼一样，何等惊人啊，好像他把夏天锁在他的家里了，或者是他知道夏天躲在什么地方。你说，在仲冬，他怎么能捉到这么多？啊，大地冻了冰，他从朽木之中找出了虫子来，所以他能捕到这些鱼。他的生活本身，就在大自然深处度过的，超过了自然科学家的钻研深度；他自己就应该是自然科学家的一个研究专题。科学家轻轻地把苔藓和树皮，用刀子挑起，来寻找虫子；而他却用斧子劈到树木中心，苔藓和树皮飞得老远。

　　他是靠了剥树皮为生的。这样一个人就有了捕鱼权了，我爱见大自然在他那里现身。鲈鱼吃了螬蛴，梭鱼吃了鲈鱼，而渔夫吃了梭鱼；生物等级的所有空位就是这样填满的。

　　当我在有雾的天气里，绕着湖阔步时，有时我很有兴味地看到了一些渔人所采取的原始的生活方式。也许他在冰上掘了许多距离湖岸相等的小窟窿，各自距离四五杆，把白杨枝横在上面，用绳子缚住了桠枝，免得它被拉下水去，再在冰上面一英尺多的地方把松松的钓丝挂在白杨枝上，还缚了一张干燥的橡叶，这样钓丝给拉下去的时候，就表明鱼已上钩了。这些白杨枝显露在雾中，距离相等，你绕湖边走了一半时，便可以看到。

更多 英文美文、英语美文、英文短文、英语短文，请继续关注 英语作文大全