介绍:
Walden [ˈwɔldən] (Issue 192)
15. Winter Animals (9)结束篇
[14] The hares (Lepus Americanus) were very familiar. One had her form under my house all winter, separated from me only by the flooring, and she startled me each morning by her hasty departure when I began to stir - thump[θʌmp], thump, thump, striking her head against the floor timbers in her hurry. They used to come round my door at dusk to nibble the potato parings[ˈpeərɪŋs] which I had thrown out, and were so nearly the color of the ground that they could hardly be distinguished when still. Sometimes in the twilight I alternately[ɔːlˈtɜːnɪtlɪ] lost and recovered sight of one sitting motionless under my window. When I opened my door in the evening, off they would go with a squeak[skwiːk] and a bounce. Near at hand they only excited my pity. One evening one sat by my door two paces[peɪs] from me, at first trembling with fear, yet unwilling to move; a poor wee thing, lean and bony, with ragged ears and sharp nose, scant[skænt] tail and slender paws. It looked as if Nature no longer contained the breed of nobler bloods, but stood on her last toes. Its large eyes appeared young and unhealthy, almost dropsical. I took a step, and lo, away it scud[skʌd] with an elastic spring over the snow-crust, straightening its body and its limbs[lɪm] into graceful length, and soon put the forest between me and itself - the wild free venison, asserting its vigor and the dignity of Nature. Not without reason was its slenderness. Such then was its nature. (Lepus, levipes, light-foot, some think.)
[15] What is a country without rabbits and partridges? They are among the most simple and indigenous[ɪnˈdɪdʒɪnəs] animal products; ancient and venerable families known to antiquity as to modern times; of the very hue and substance of Nature, nearest allied[ˈælaɪd] to leaves and to the ground - and to one another; it is either winged or it is legged. It is hardly as if you had seen a wild creature when a rabbit or a partridge bursts away, only a natural one, as much to be expected as rustling leaves. The partridge and the rabbit are still sure to thrive, like true natives of the soil, whatever revolutions occur. If the forest is cut off, the sprouts and bushes which spring up afford them concealment, and they become more numerous than ever. That must be a poor country indeed that does not support a hare. Our woods teem with them both, and around every swamp[swɒmp] may be seen the partridge or rabbit walk, beset with twiggy[ˈtwɪgɪ] fences and horse-hair snares, which some cow-boy tends.
那些野兔 (Lepus Americanus) 我非常熟悉。有一只已经在我的房下安家过了整个冬天了，就和我仅隔着一层地板，她那匆匆的离开每天早上都会惊扰我，弄得我也蠢蠢欲动——砰砰，砰砰，砰砰，头匆匆地磕着木地板。他们通常黄昏时分，围到我门前啃我扔出去的那些土豆皮。他们是如此的混同了土地的颜色，以至于呆着不动，很难把他们区分出来。有时在晨昏的光里，我交替失去和重新发现其中的一只坐在我的窗下一动不动。当我傍晚开门，他们会一叫一跃。近在咫尺仅仅掀起我的同情。一天晚上一只坐在我门口就离我两步，起先害怕得浑身颤抖，可还不想动；可怜的小家伙，又瘦又皮包骨，耷拉着耳朵，尖鼻子翘翘，缺营养的尾巴精细的爪。它看上去好像大自然再也不屑去保留更高贵的血统了，就站在最后的脚趾了。它的大眼睛看上去年轻又不健康，几乎是浮肿的。我近前一步，哎呀，嗬，它一个急蹿就上了雪地，抻直了身子，优美地舒展着四肢，很快就把森林和我甩在了身后——野性自由的小鹿，声明了它的活力和大自然的尊严。它的苗条不是没有理由的。那就是它的天性（Lepus, levipes, 轻脚，有人认为）。
那没有兔子和松鸡的乡土还叫什么乡土呢？他们都属于最简朴最本土的动物之列，古代和现代都耳熟能详的古老而庄严的家族，是大自然的实体和本色，是叶子和大地最亲密的同盟——彼此相依相偎[wēi]；它既是带翼的又是长脚的。几乎再也不能，当你曾经看到过一只野物一只兔子或松鸡飞奔，会再从窸窸窣窣的叶子里希望什么。松鸡和野兔仍肯定会兴旺，像那泥土的正当土著，不管发生了什么革命。如果森林被砍伐，那新发的萌芽和灌木会给他们提供庇护，他们还会和以前一样众多。那必将是一片多么可怜的乡土，如果都养不起一只兔子。我们的林子两样都有，而且在每一个泥沼[zhǎo]的周围都能看见松鸡和兔子散步，被细枝条的篱笆和放牛娃照看的马鬃圈套包围。
大家还在听
