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Text A Life in the Woods（第1页）

TextALifeintheWoods

—fromWalden（Chapter2）

HenryDavidThoreau

[1]WhenfirstItookupmyabodeihatis，begantospendmynightsaswellasdaysthere，which，byat，wasonIndependenceDay，ortheFourthofJuly，1845，myhousewasnotfinishedforwiwasmerelyadefetherain，withoutplasteringorey，thewallsbeingh，weather-stainedboards，withwideks，whichmadeitight。Theuprightwhitehewnstudsandfreshlyplaneddoorandwindowgsgaveitadairylook，espethem，whenitstimbersweresaturatedwithdew，sothatIfabygumwouldexudefromthem。Tomyimaginatiohroughoutthedaymoreorlessofthisauroralcharacter，remindingmeofahouseonamountainwhichIhadvisitedayearbefore。Thiswasanairyandunplastered，fittoeravellinggod，andwhereagoddessmighttrailhergarments。Thewindswhichpassedovermydwellingweresuchassweepesofmouhebrokenstraiialpartsorialmusic。Themwindforeverblows，thepoemofisued;butfewaretheearsthathearit。Olympusisbuttheoutsideoftheeartheverywhere。

[2]TheonlyhouseIhadbeentheownerofbefore，ifIexceptaboat，wasatent，whichIusedoallywhenmakingexsinthesummer，andthisisstillrolledupihebfromhandtohand，hasgohestreamoftime。Withthismoresubstaeraboutme，Ihadmadesresstowardsettlihisframe，soslightlyclad，wasasortofcrystallizationaroundme，ahebuilder。Itwassuggestivesomeioutlines。Ididogooutdoorstotaketheair，fortheatmospherewithinhadlostsfreshwasnotsomudoorsasbehindadoorwhereIsat，eveweather。TheHarivansasays，“Abirdsislikeameatwithoutseasoning。”Suyabode，forIfoundmyselfsuddeothebirds;notbyhavingimprisohavingcagedmyselfhem。Iwasnotoosomeofthosewhiohegardenandtheorchard，buttothosesmallerahrilliheforestwhiever，orrarely，serenadeavillager—thewoodthrush，theveery，thesager，thefieldsparrow，thewhip-poor-will，andmanyothers。

[3]Iwasseatedbytheshoreofasmallpond，aboutamileandahalfsouthofthevillageofdsomewhathigherthanit，iofaeweenthattownandLindabouttwomilessouthofthatouronlyfieldknowntofame，cordBattleGround;butIoodsthattheoppositeshore，halfamileoff，liketherest，coveredasmymostdistanthorizoweek，wheneverIlookedoutoimpressedmelikeatarnhighuponthesideofamountain，itsbottomfarabovethesurfaceofotherlakes，and，asthesunarose，Isawitthrowingoffitsnightlyist，ahere，bydegrees，itssoftripplesoritssmsurfacewasrevealed，whilethemists，likeghosts，werestealthilywithdrawiionintothewoods，asatthebreakingupofsomenoalticle。Theverydewseemedtohangupoerihanusual，asonthesidesofmountains。

[4]Thissmalllakewasofmostvalueasaneighboriervalsofageust，when，bothairandwaterbeiill，buttheskyovercast，mid-afternoonhadalltheserenityofevening，ahrushsangaround，andwasheardfromshoretoshore。Alakelikethisisherthanatsuchatime;aionoftheairaboveitbeing，shallowanddarkenedbyclouds，thewater，fulloflightaions，beesalowerheavenitselfsomuportant。Fromahill-topnearby，wherethewoodhadbeeoff，thereleasingvistasouthwardacrossthephawideiioninthehillswhitheshorethere，wheretheiroppositesidesslopingtowardeachestedastreamflowingoutinthatdirethroughawoodedvalley，butstreamtherewaswayIlookedbetweeheosomedistantandhigherohehorizohblue。IandingontiptoeIcouldcatchaglimpseofsomeofthepeaksofthestillblueramesihwest，thosetrueblueheaven’sownmint，andalsoofsomeportionofthevillage。Butiiohispoint，Iotseeoverorbeyondthewoodswhie。Itiswelltohavesomewaterinyhborhood，togivebuoyandfloattheearth。Ohesmallestwellis，thatwhenyoulookintoityouseethatearthisnottbutinsular。ThisisasimportantasthatitkeepsbutterIlookedacrossthepondfromthispeaktowardtheSudburymeadows，whitimeoffloodIdistiedperhapsbyamirageihingvalley，likeaabasihbeyondthepondappearedlikeathinsulatedandfloatedevenbythissmallsheetwater，andIwasremihisonasbutdryland。

[5]Thoughtheviewfrommydoorwasstillmoretracted，Ididnotfeelcrowdedoredihereastureenination。ThelolateautowhichtheoppositeshorearosestretchedarairiesoftheWestaartary，affampleroomforalltherovingfamiliesofmen。“Therearenonehappyintheworldbutbeingswhoehorizon”—saidDamodara，whenhisherdsrequiredneastures。

[6]Bothpladtimewereged，ahosepartsoftheuhoseerasinhistorywhichhadmostattractedme。WhereIlivedwasasfaroffasmanyaregiolybyastrotoimaginerareaableplaoteaialerofthesystem，behiellationofCassiopeia’sChair，farfromurbance。Idiscoveredthatmyhouseactuallyhaditssiteinsuchawithdrawn，butforevernerofaoftheuwereworththewhiletosettleishePleiadesortheHyades，toAldebaranorAltair，thehere，orataehelifewhichIhadleftbehind，dwiwinklingwithasfihbor，andtobeseenonlyisbyhim。SuchartofwhereIhadsquatted:

“Thereherdthatdidlive，

Ahoughtsashigh

&hemountswhereonhisflocks

Didhourlyfeedhimby。”

Whatshouldwethinkoftheshepherd’slifeifhisflocksalwayswaohigherpasturesthanhisthoughts?

[7]EverymwasacheerfulinvitationtomakemylifeofequalsimplidImaysayihNatureherself。IhavebeenassincereaworshipperofAuroraastheGreeks。Igotupearlyahepond;thatwasareligiousexerdohingswhichIdid。TheysaythatcharacterswereehebathingtubofKingTgtothiseffeewthyselfpletelyeachday;doitagain，andagain，andfain。”Iderstandthat。Msbacktheheroicages。Iwasasmuchaffectedbythefainthumofamosquitomakingitsinvisibleandunimagihroughmyapartmedaassittingwithdoorandwindowsopen，asIcouldbebyaeversawasHomer’srequiem;itselfanIliadaheair，singingitsownwrathaherewassomethingicalaboutit;asta，tillforbiddeingvigorayoftheworld。Them，whichisthemostmemorableseasonoftheday，istheawakeninghour。Thesomnolenus;andforanhour，atleast，somepartofusawakeswhichslumbersalltherestofthedayandnight。Littleistobeexpectedofthatday，ifitbecalledaday，towhichwearenotawakenedbyenius，butbythemeudgingsofsomeservitor，arenotawakenedbyourownnewlyacquiredfordaspirationsfromaheundulatioialmusisteadoffactorybells，andafragrangtheair—toahigherlifethanfrom;andthusthedarksfruit，aobegood，helight。Thatmabelievethateatainsanearlier，moresadauroralhourthaprofaned，hasdespairedoflife，andispursuingadesddarkeningartialofhissensuouslife，thesoulansrather，arereinvigoratedeadhisGeniustriesagainwhatmake。Allmemorableevents，Ishouldsay，transpireinmtimeandinamatmosphere。TheVedassay，“Allintelligehem。”Poetryandart，aandmostmemorableoftheaen，datefromsuhour。Allpoetsandheroes，likeMemheofAurora，aheirmusirise。Tohimwhoseelastidvightkeepspacewiththesun，thedayisaperpetualm。Itmattersnotwhattheclockssayortheattitudesandlaborsofmen。MiswhenIamawakeandthereisadawninme。Moralreformistheefforttothrowoffsleep。Whyisitthatmengivesopooranatoftheirdayiftheyhavenotbeeheyarenotsuchpoorcalculators。Iftheyhadnotbeehdrowsiheyerformedsomething。Themillionsareawakeenoughforphysicallabor;butonlyoneinamillionisawakeenoughforeffetellectualexertion，onlyoneinahundredmillionstoapoetielife。Tobeawakeistobealive。Ihaveamanwhowasquiteawake。HowcouldIhavelookedhimintheface?

[8]Wemustlearntoreaourselvesawake，notbymeicalaids，butbyaionofthedawn，whiotforsakeusinoursousleep。Iknowofnomfatheuioyofmaehislifebyasdeavor。Itissomethiopaintaparticularpicture，ortocarveastatue，andsotomakeafewobjectsbeautiful;butitisfarmlorioustodpaimosphereahroughhichmorallywedo。Toaffectthequalityoftheday，thatisthehighestofarts。Everymaomakehislife，eveniails，worthyoftheplationofhismostelevatedandcriticalhour。Ifwerefused，orratherusedup，suchpaltryinformatioheoracleswoulddistinushowthismightbedone。

[9]IwenttothewoodsbecauseIwishedtolivedeliberately，tofrontoialfactsoflife，andseeifIotlearnwhatithadtoteaot，wheodie，discoverthatIhadnotlived。Ididnotwishtolivewhatwasnotlife，livingissodear;nordidIwishtopractiseresignatiowasquitenecessary。Iwaolivedeepandsuckoutallthemarrowoflife，tolivesosturdilyandSpartaoputtoroutallthatwasabroadswathaodrivelifeintoadreduceittoitslowestterms，and，ifitprovedtobemeathewholeandgenui，andpublishitsmeaheworld;orifitweresublime，toknowitbyexperiendbeabletogiveatrueayexostmeome，areinastrayaboutit，whetheritisofthedevilod，ahastilycludedthatitisthedlodandenjoyhimforever。”

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