瓦尔登湖三人行（161）《瓦尔登湖》第13章（8）腾讯会议版

Walden [ˈwɔldən] (Issue 161) 13. House-Warming (8) [10] I did not plaster till it was freezing weather. I brought over some whiter and cleaner sand for this purpose from the opposite shore of the pond in a boat, a sort of conveyance which would have tempted me to go much farther if necessary. My house had in the meanwhile been shingled down to the ground on every side. In lathing[laːθ] I was pleased to be able to send home each nail with a single blow of the hammer, and it was my ambition to transfer the plaster from the board to the wall neatly and rapidly. I remembered the story of a conceited fellow, who, in fine clothes, was wont to lounge[laʊndʒ] about the village once, giving advice to workmen. Venturing one day to substitute deeds for words, he turned up his cuffs[kʌf], seized a plasterer's board, and having loaded his trowel without mishap[ˈmɪshæp], with a complacent look toward the lathing overhead, made a bold gesture thitherward; and straightway, to his complete discomfiture[dɪsˈkʌmfɪtʃə], received the whole contents in his ruffled bosom[ˈbʊzəm]. I admired anew the economy and convenience of plastering, which so effectually shuts out the cold and takes a handsome finish, and I learned the various casualties to which the plasterer is liable. I was surprised to see how thirsty the bricks were which drank up all the moisture in my plaster before I had smoothed it, and how many pailfuls of water it takes to christen a new hearth[haːθ]. I had the previous winter made a small quantity of lime[laɪm] by burning the shells of the Unio fluviatilis, which our river affords, for the sake of the experiment; so that I knew where my materials came from. I might have got good limestone within a mile or two and burned it myself, if I had cared to do so. 直到上冻我的房子都没有抹灰泥。我从湖对岸用船运来更白更清洁的沙子来达成这目的，这种运输如果需要的话会诱惑我去得更远。同时我的房子每面都已用木板盖到了地面。钉那些板条我为自己能一锤子把一个钉子敲到家洋洋得意，而且我的雄心是把灰泥从一块板子干净快速地传到墙上。我记起了一个自负的家伙的故事，穿着精美的衣服，一度老爱在村子闲逛，给那些工作的人们出点子。有一天决定用行动代替言语，挽起袖子，抓起一块抹泥板，安然无恙地装了满满一泥刀，一副不屑一顾的样子打量着头顶的板条缝儿，向那里大胆地一顶；正正地，完全出乎他预料，在他那皱起来衣服的胸前完全接受了那刀灰泥。我再次得羡慕那经济又舒适的抹灰泥活儿，那样有效地挡住寒冷来一个漂亮的结果，而且我也得知形形色色的损失，那些泥瓦工都是要负责任的。我惊讶地看到那些砖是多么的渴，在我还没把它们抹光前就吸走了所有灰泥的湿气，需要多少桶水来为我新的炉火受洗。前一个冬天我通过我们河流提供的珠蚌壳儿，烧了一小堆石灰来做这实shí验；于是我知道我的材料该从何来。如果我执意要干，我会从一两英里开外得到上好的石灰岩自己烧。