瓦尔登湖：经济篇

　　When I wrote the following pages， or rather the bulk of them， I lived alone， in the woods， a mile from any neighbor， in a house which I had built myself， on the shore of Walden Pond， in Concord， Massachusetts， and earned my living by the labor of my hands only. I lived there two years and two months. At present I am a sojourner in civilized life again.

　　I should not obtrude my affairs so much on the notice of my readers if very particular inquiries had not been made by my townsmen concerning my mode of life， which some would call impertinent， though they do not appear to me at all impertinent， but， considering the circumstances， very natural and pertinent. Some have asked what I got to eat； if I did not feel lonesome； if I was not afraid； and the like. Others have been curious to learn what portion of my income I devoted to charitable purposes； and some， who have large families， how many poor children I maintained. I will therefore ask those of my readers who feel no particular interest in me to pardon me if I undertake to answer some of these questions in this book. In most books， the I， or first person， is omitted； in this it will be retained； that， in respect to egotism， is the main difference. We commonly do not remember that it is， after all， always the first person that is speaking. I should not talk so much about myself if there were any body else whom I knew as well. Unfortunately， I am confined to this theme by the narrowness of my experience. Moreover， I， on my side， require of every writer， first or last， a simple and sincere account of his own life， and not merely what he has heard of other men's lives； some such account as he would send to his kindred from a distant land； for if he has lived sincerely， it must have been in a distant land to me. Perhaps these pages are more particularly addressed to poor students. As for the rest of my readers， they will accept such portions as apply to them. I trust that none will stretch the seams in putting on the coat， for it may do good service to him whom it fits.

　　I would fain say something， not so much concerning theChinese and Sandwich Islanders as you who read these pages， who are said to live in New England； something about your condition， especially your outward condition or circumstances in this world， in this town， what it is， whether it is necessary that it be as bad as it is， whether it cannot be improved as well as not. I have travelled a good deal in Concord； and every where， in shops， and offices， and fields， the inhabitants have appeared to me to be doing penance in a thousand remarkable ways. What I have heard of Bramins sitting exposed to four fires and looking in the face of the sun； or hanging suspended， with their heads downward， over flames； or looking at the heavens over their shoulders "until it becomes impossible for them to resume their natural position， while from the twist of the neck nothing but liquids can pass into the stomach；" or dwelling， chained for life， at the foot of a tree； or measuring with their bodies， like caterpillars， the breadth of vast empires； or standing on one leg on the tops of pillars， ―― even these forms of conscious penance are hardly more incredible and astonishing than the scenes which I daily witness. The twelve labors of Hercules were trifling in comparison with those which my neighbors have undertaken； for they were only twelve， and had an end； but I could never see that these men slew or captured any monster or finished any labor. They have no friend Iolas to burn with a hot iron the root of the hydra's head， but as soon as one head is crushed， two spring up.

　　当我写后面那些篇页，或者后面那一大堆文字的时候，我是在孤独地生活着，在森林中，在马萨诸塞州的康科德城，瓦尔登湖的湖岸上，在我亲手建筑的木屋里，距离任何邻居一英里，只靠着我双手劳动，养活我自己。在那里，我住了两年又两个月。目前，我又是文明生活中的过客了。

　　要不是市民们曾特别仔细地打听我的生活方式，我本不会这般唐突，拿私事来读请读者注意的。有些人说我这个生活方式怪僻，虽然我根本不觉得怪僻，考虑到我那些境遇，我只觉得非常自然，而且合情合理呢。有些人则问我有什么吃的；我是否感到寂寞，我害怕吗，等等。另下些人还好奇得很，想知道我的哪一部分收入捐给慈善事业了，还有一些人，家大口阔，想知道我赡养了多少个贫儿。所以这本书在答复这一类的问题时，请对我并无特殊兴趣的读者给以谅解。许多书，避而不用所谓第一人称的“我”字；本书是用的；这本书的特点便是“我”字用得特别多。其实，无论什么书都是第一人称在发言，我们却常把这点忘掉了。如果我的知人之深，比得上我的自知之明，我就不会畅谈自我，谈那么多了。不幸我阅历浅陋，我只得局限于这一个主题。但是，我对于每一个作家，都不仅仅要求他写他听来的别人的生活，还要求他迟早能简单而诚恳地写出自己的生活，写得好像是他从远方寄给亲人似的；因为我觉得一个人若生活得诚恳，他一定是生活在一个遥远的地方了。下面的这些文字，对于清寒的学生，或许特别地适宜。

　　至于其余的读者，我想他们是会取其适用的。因为，没有人会削足适履的；只有合乎尺寸的衣履，才能对一个人有用。

　　我乐意诉说的事物，未必是关于中国人和桑威奇岛人，而是关于你们，这些文字的读者，生活在新英格兰的居民，关于诸君的遭遇的，特别是关于生逢此世的本地居民的身外之物或环境的，诸君生活在这个人世之间，度过了什么样的生活哪；你们生活得如此糟糕是否必要呢；这种生活是否还能改善改善呢？我在康科德曾到过许多地区；无论在店铺，在公事房，在田野，到处我都看到，这里的居民仿佛都在赎罪一样，从事着成千种的惊人苦役。我曾经听说过婆罗门教的教徒，坐在四面火焰之中，眼盯着太阳，或在烈火的上面倒悬着身体；或侧转了头望青天，“直到他们无法恢复原状，更因为脖子是扭转的，所以除了液体，别的食品都不能流入胃囊中”，或者，终生用一条铁链，把自己锁在一株树下：或者，像毛毛虫一样，用他们的身体来丈量帝国的广袤土地；或者，他们独脚站立在柱子顶上――然而啊，便是这种有意识的赎罪苦行，也不见得比我天天看见的景象更不可信，更使人心惊肉跳。赫拉克勒斯从事的十二个苦役跟我的邻居所从事的苦役一比较，简直不算一回事，因为他一共也只有十二个，做完就完了，可是我从没有看到过我的邻人杀死或捕获过任何怪兽，也没有看到过他们做完过任何苦役。他们也没有依俄拉斯这样的赫拉克勒斯的忠仆，用一块火红的烙铁，来烙印那九头怪兽，它是被割去了一个头，还会长出两个头来的。

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