瓦尔登湖三人行（142）《瓦尔登湖》第12章 （1）

Walden [ˈwɔldən] (Issue 142) 12. Brute Neighbors (1) 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. [2] 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[ˈsaɪdə] 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[tʌbs] 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[tʃeɪs]? or the lost pig which is said to be in these woods, whose tracks I saw after the rain? It comes on apace[əˈpeɪs]; my sumachs and sweetbriers[s'wiːtbr'aɪər]香叶蔷薇（欧亚大陆蔷薇科灌、木多花薔薇）tremble. - Eh, Mr. Poet, is it you? How do you like the world to-day? [3] 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. 有时候我钓鱼有一个同伴，他从镇子的另一边穿过村子来我的屋子，而捕获尽可能多的午餐和吃掉它一样，就成了同样多的社交练习。 隐士：我奇怪这世界正在做什么。都三个小时了，我听说的还不如一只蝗虫在那甜羊齿草上一样多。这些鸽子都在它们的栖木上睡了——翅膀也不搧shān一搧。现在那林子后面传来的是一个农夫正午的号角吗？手都在忙活着煮腌牛肉做苹果酒和焙印第安面包了。人们为什么要这样忧心忡忡？他要是不吃就不需要干活儿。我奇怪他们都收获了多少。谁愿意在那里生活呢，在那里一个人从不为鲍思狗的叫声着想？还有，哎呀，那些忙不完的家务！去把那魔鬼的门把手擦得贼亮，在这阳光灿烂的一天去冲刷他澡盆！那还不如别要房子。比如，住在某个空心的树里；也就免了那些没完没了的早晨造访和午餐会！只听啄木鸟敲门。哦，他们拥挤成一堆；那里太阳太热了；对我来说他们生就离生活太远。我从潭里取水，吃呢，有一挺褐色面包在搁架。——听！我耳闻一阵树叶窸窸窣窣sū。是某个没喂饱的村子里的猎犬屈从于追逐的召唤[zhào huàn]吗？或那只，在这林子里据说是走失的猪，它的脚印雨后我还见到？它来得可真猛；我的漆树和野蔷薇都颤抖了——呃，诗人先生，是你吗？你对今天这世界还满意吗？ 诗人：看这些云彩；它们悬挂的样子多怪！这是我今天见到的最了不起的东西。和旧油画里的都不一样，和外国的也不一样——除非在我们离开西班牙海岸的时候。这是一个真正的地中海天空。我想既然我还得谋生，今天也还没有吃饭，或许我可以钓钓鱼，这是真正诗人的活计。也是我唯一学会的买卖。来吧，让我们开始吧。