瓦尔登湖三人行（135）《瓦尔登湖》第11章 更高法则（3）腾讯会议版

2021年12月25日周三 晚8:00——9:00 瓦尔登湖三人行（135）直播实况录制 文本 Walden [ˈwɔldən] (Issue 135) 11. Higher Laws (3) [4] Such is oftenest the young man's introduction to the forest, and the most original part of himself. He goes thither at first as a hunter and fisher, until at last, if he has the seeds of a better life in him, he distinguishes his proper objects, as a poet or naturalist it may be, and leaves the gun and fish-pole behind. The mass of men are still and always young in this respect. In some countries a hunting parson is no uncommon sight. Such a one might make a good shepherd's dog, but is far from being the Good Shepherd[ˈʃepəd]. I have been surprised to consider that the only obvious employment, except wood-chopping, ice-cutting, or the like business, which ever to my knowledge detained at Walden Pond for a whole half-day any of my fellow-citizens, whether fathers or children of the town, with just one exception, was fishing. Commonly they did not think that they were lucky, or well paid for their time, unless they got a long string of fish, though they had the opportunity of seeing the pond all the while. They might go there a thousand times before the sediment of fishing would sink to the bottom and leave their purpose pure; but no doubt such a clarifying process would be going on all the while. The Governor and his Council faintly remember the pond, for they went a-fishing there when they were boys; but now they are too old and dignified[ˈdɪɡnɪˌfaɪd] to go a-fishing, and so they know it no more forever. Yet even they expect to go to heaven at last. If the legislature regards it, it is chiefly to regulate the number of hooks to be used there; but they know nothing about the hook[hʊk] of hooks with which to angle for the pond itself, impaling[ɪm'peɪl] the legislature[ˈledʒɪslətʃə] for a bait. Thus, even in civilized communities, the embryo[ˈembrɪˌəʊ]胚胎的man passes through the hunter stage of development. 这就是最常见的那年轻人对森林的介绍，是他最原始的那一部分。他起先到那里是作为一个猎人和渔人，直到最终，如果他内心有一种更好生活的种子，他就辨别出他正当的目标，也许像一个诗人或自然学家，把枪和鱼杆留在了身后。大多数人们在这一方面仍然是和总是少不更事的。在某些国家一个行猎的牧师也不是什么了不得的事情。这样的人可能成为一头好的牧羊人的狗，但离成为好的牧羊人还差远了。我惊讶地意识到那唯一明显的职业，除了伐木、割冰，或其他之类，那些就我所知如果我的同胞冒犯，不管是父辈还是这镇上的孩子，在瓦尔登湖边是要被扣留整半天的，唯有一个例外，就是钓鱼。通常他们不认为这是他们的运气，或为他们的时间得到了较好的酬劳，除非他们钓了长长的一串儿鱼，虽然他们有的是机会在此期间时时打量这湖。在他们的钓鱼沉积物沉底之前，他们也许已经去了那里一千次，还纯粹地离开着他们的目的；不用怀疑这种明确化的进程会贯穿始终。那总督和他的顾问班子模模糊糊还记着这湖，那是因为他们小时候也去钓过；可是现在他们太老了也以为钓鱼有失体面了，于是对它再也就永远不知道了。可是他们还指望着死后最终进天堂。假如立法考虑到它，也仅仅是控制在那里使用多少钩子；但是他们对于钓那湖本身的钩中钩一无所知，那可是刺穿那立法做饵的。于是，甚至在文明社区，那胚胎化男人也错过了猎人生长期。