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WhenIwrotethefollowingpages，orratherthebulkofthem，Ilivedalone，inthewoods，amilefromanyneighbor，inahousewhichIhadbuiltmyself，ontheshoreofWaldenPond，inConcord，Massachusetts，andearnedmylivingbythelaborofmyhandsonly.Ilivedtheretwoyearsandtwomonths.AtpresentIamasojournerincivilizedlifeagain.

Ishouldnotobtrudemyaffairssomuchonthenoticeofmyreadersifveryparticularinquirieshadnotbeenmadebymytownsmenconcerningmymodeoflife，whichsomewouldcallimpertinent，thoughtheydonotappeartomeatallimpertinent，but，consideringthecircumstances，verynaturalandpertinent.SomehaveaskedwhatIgottoeat;ifIdidnotfeellonesome;ifIwasnotafraid;andthelike.OthershavebeencurioustolearnwhatportionofmyincomeIdevotedtocharitablepurposes;andsome，whohavelargefamilies，howmanypoorchildrenImaintained.IwillthereforeaskthoseofmyreaderswhofeelnoparticularinterestinmetopardonmeifIundertaketoanswersomeofthesequestionsinthisbook.Inmostbooks，theI，orfirstperson，isomitted;inthisitwillberetained;that，inrespecttoegotism，isthemaindifference.Wecommonlydonotrememberthatitis，afterall，alwaysthefirstpersonthatisspeaking.IshouldnottalksomuchaboutmyselfiftherewereanybodyelsewhomIknewaswell.Unfortunately，Iamconfinedtothisthemebythenarrownessofmyexperience.Moreover，I，onmyside，requireofeverywriter，firstorlast，asimpleandsincereaccountofhisownlife，andnotmerelywhathehasheardofothermen'slives;somesuchaccountashewouldsendtohiskindredfromadistantland;forifhehaslivedsincerely，itmusthavebeeninadistantlandtome.Perhapsthesepagesaremoreparticularlyaddressedtopoorstudents.Asfortherestofmyreaders，theywillacceptsuchportionsasapplytotheItrustthatnonewillstretchtheseamsinputtingonthecoat，foritmaydogoodservicetohimwhomitfits.

Iwouldfainsaysomething，notsomuchconcerningtheChineseandSandwichIslandersasyouwhoreadthesepages，whoaresaidtoliveinNewEngland;somethingaboutyourcondition，especiallyyouroutwardconditionorcircumstancesinthisworld，inthistown，whatitis，whetheritisnecessarythatitbeasbadasitis，whetheritcannotbeimprovedaswellasnot.IhavetravelledagooddealinConcord;andeverywhere，inshops，andoffices，andfields，theinhabitantshaveappearedtometobedoingpenanceinathousandremarkableways.WhatIhaveheardofBraminssittingexposedtofourfiresandlookinginthefaceofthesun;orhangingsuspended，withtheirheadsdownward，overflames;orlookingattheheavensovertheirshoulders'untilitbecomesimpossibleforthemtoresumetheirnaturalposition，whilefromthetwistofthenecknothingbutliquidscanpassintothestomach';ordwelling，chainedforlife，atthefootofatree;ormeasuringwiththeirbodies，likecaterpillars，thebreadthofvastempires;orstandingononelegonthetopsofpillars—eventheseformsofconsciouspenancearehardlymoreincredibleandastonishingthanthesceneswhichIdailywitness.ThetwelvelaborsofHerculesweretriflingincomparisonwiththosewhichmyneighborshaveundertaken;fortheywereonlytwelve，andhadanend;butIcouldneverseethatthesemensleworcapturedanymonsterorfinishedanylabor.TheyhavenofriendIolastoburnwithahotirontherootofthehydra'shead，butassoonasoneheadiscrushed，twospringup.

Iseeyoungmen，mytownsmen，whosemisfortuneitistohaveinheritedfarms，houses，barns，cattle，andfarmingtools;forthesearemoreeasilyacquiredthangotridof.Betteriftheyhadbeenbornintheopenpastureandsuckledbyawolf，thattheymighthaveseenwithclearereyeswhatfieldtheywerecalledtolaborin.Whomadethemserfsofthesoil?Whyshouldtheyeattheirsixtyacres，whenmaniscondemnedtoeatonlyhispeckofdirt?Whyshouldtheybegindiggingtheirgravesassoonastheyareborn?Theyhavegottoliveaman'slife，pushingallthesethingsbeforethem，andgetonaswellastheycan.HowmanyapoorimmortalsoulhaveImetwellnighcrushedandsmotheredunderitsload，creepingdowntheroadoflife，pushingbeforeitabarnseventy-fivefeetbyforty，itsAugeanstablesnevercleansed，andonehundredacresofland，tillage，mowing，pasture，andwood-lot!Theportionless，whostrugglewithnosuchunnecessaryinheritedencumbrances，finditlaborenoughtosubdueandcultivateafewcubicfeetofflesh.

Butmenlaborunderamistake.Thebetterpartofthemanissoonploughedintothesoilforcompost.Byaseemingfate，commonlycallednecessity，theyareemployed，asitsaysinanoldbook，layinguptreasureswhichmothandrustwillcorruptandthievesbreakthroughandsteal.Itisafool'slife，astheywillfindwhentheygettotheendofit，ifnotbefore.ItissaidthatDeucalionandPyrrhacreatedmenbythrowingstonesovertheirheadsbehindthem-

Indegenusdurumsumus，experiensquelaborum，

Etdocumentadamusquâsimusoriginenati.

Or，asRaleighrhymesitinhissonorousway—

Fromthenceourkindhard-heartedis，enduringpainandcare，

Approvingthatourbodiesofastonynatureare.

Somuchforablindobediencetoablunderingoracle，throwingthestonesovertheirheadsbehindthem，andnotseeingwheretheyfell.

Mostmen，eveninthiscomparativelyfreecountry，throughmereignoranceandmistake，aresooccupiedwiththefactitiouscaresandsuperfluouslycoarselaborsoflifethatitsfinerfruitscannotbepluckedbytheTheirfingers，fromexcessivetoil，aretooclumsyandtrembletoomuchforthat.Actually，thelaboringmanhasnotleisureforatrueintegritydaybyday;hecannotaffordtosustainthemanliestrelationstomen;hislaborwouldbedepreciatedinthemarket.Hehasnotimetobeanythingbutamachine.Howcanherememberwellhisignorance—whichhisgrowthrequires—whohassooftentousehisknowledge?Weshouldfeedandclothehimgratuitouslysometimes，andrecruithimwithourcordials，beforewejudgeofhiThefinestqualitiesofournature，likethebloomonfruits，canbepreservedonlybythemostdelicatehandling.Yetwedonottreatourselvesnoroneanotherthustenderly.

Someofyou，weallknow，arepoor，findithardtolive，aresometimes，asitwere，gaspingforbreath.Ihavenodoubtthatsomeofyouwhoreadthisbookareunabletopayforallthedinnerswhichyouhaveactuallyeaten，orforthecoatsandshoeswhicharefastwearingorarealreadywornout，andhavecometothispagetospendborrowedorstolentime;robbingyourcreditorsofanhour.Itisveryevidentwhatmeanandsneakinglivesmanyofyoulive，formysighthasbeenwhettedbyexperience;alwaysonthelimits，tryingtogetintobusinessandtryingtogetoutofdebt，averyancientslough，calledbytheLatinsœsalienum，another'sbrass，forsomeoftheircoinsweremadeofbrass;stillliving，anddying，andburiedbythisother'sbrass;alwayspromisingtopay;promisingtopay，to-morrow，anddyingto-day，insolvent;seekingtocurryfavor，togetcustom，byhowmanymodes，onlynotstate-prisonoffences;lying，flattering，voting，contractingyourselvesintoanutshellofcivility，ordilatingintoanatmosphereofthinandvaporousgenerosity，thatyoumaypersuadeyourneighbortoletyoumakehisshoes，orhishat，orhiscoat，orhiscarriage，orimporthisgroceriesforhim;makingyourselvessick，thatyoumaylayupsomethingagainstasickday，somethingtobetuckedawayinanoldchest，orinastockingbehindtheplastering，or，moresafely，inthebrickbank;nomatterwhere，nomatterhowmuchorhowlittle.

Isometimeswonderthatwecanbesofrivolous，Imayalmostsay，astoattendtothegrossbutsomewhatforeignformofservitudecalledNegroSlavery，therearesomanykeenandsubtlemastersthatenslavebothnorthandsouth.Itishardtohaveasouthernoverseer;itisworsetohaveanorthernone;butworstofallwhenyouaretheslave-driverofyourself.Talkofadivinityinman!Lookattheteamsteronthehighway，wendingtomarketbydayornight;doesanydivinitystirwithinhim?Hishighestdutytofodderandwaterhishorses!Whatishisdestinytohimcomparedwiththeshippinginterests?DoesnothedriveforSquireMake-a-stir?Howgodlike，howimmortal，ishe?Seehowhecowersandsneaks，howvaguelyallthedayhefears，notbeingimmortalnordivine，buttheslaveandprisonerofhisownopinionofhimself，afamewonbyhisowndeeds.Publicopinionisaweaktyrantcomparedwithourownprivateopinion.Whatamanthinksofhimself，thatitiswhichdetermines，orratherindicates，hisfate.Self-emancipationevenintheWestIndianprovincesofthefancyandimagination—whatWilberforceistheretobringthatabout?Think，also，oftheladiesofthelandweavingtoiletcushionsagainstthelastday，nottobetraytoogreenaninterestintheirfates!Asifyoucouldkilltimewithoutinjuringeternity.

Themassofmenleadlivesofquietdesperation.Whatiscalledresignationisconfirmeddesperation.Fromthedesperatecityyougointothedesperatecountry，andhavetoconsoleyourselfwiththebraveryofminksandmuskrats.Astereotypedbutunconsciousdespairisconcealedevenunderwhatarecalledthegamesandamusementsofmankind.Thereisnoplayinthem，forthiscomesafterwork.Butitisacharacteristicofwisdomnottododesperatethings.

Whenweconsiderwhat，tousethewordsofthecatechism，isthechiefendofman，andwhatarethetruenecessariesandmeansoflife，itappearsasifmenhaddeliberatelychosenthecommonmodeoflivingbecausetheypreferredittoanyother.Yettheyhonestlythinkthereisnochoiceleft.Butalertandhealthynaturesrememberthatthesunroseclear.Itisnevertoolatetogiveupourprejudices.Nowayofthinkingordoing，howeverancient，canbetrustedwithoutproof.Whateverybodyechoesorinsilencepassesbyastrueto-daymayturnouttobefalsehoodto-morrow，meresmokeofopinion，whichsomehadtrustedforacloudthatwouldsprinklefertilizingrainontheirfields.Whatoldpeoplesayyoucannotdoyoutryandfindthatyoucan.Olddeedsforoldpeople，andnewdeedsfornew.Oldpeopledidnotknowenoughonce，perchance，tofetchfreshfueltokeepthefirea-going;newpeopleputalittledrywoodunderapot，andarewhirledroundtheglobewiththespeedofbirds，inawaytokilloldpeople，asthephraseis.Ageisnobetter，hardlysowell，qualifiedforaninstructorasyouth，forithasnotprofitedsomuchasithaslost.Onemayalmostdoubtifthewisestmanhaslearnedanythingofabsolutevaluebyliving.Practically，theoldhavenoveryimportantadvicetogivetheyoung，theirownexperiencehasbeensopartial，andtheirliveshavebeensuchmiserablefailures，forprivatereasons，astheymustbelieve;anditmaybethattheyhavesomefaithleftwhichbeliesthatexperience，andtheyareonlylessyoungthantheywere.Ihavelivedsomethirtyyearsonthisplanet，andIhaveyettohearthefirstsyllableofvaluableorevenearnestadvicefrommyseniors.Theyhavetoldmenothing，andprobablycannottellmeanything，tothepurpose.Hereislife，anexperimenttoagreatextentuntriedbyme;butitdoesnotavailmethattheyhavetriedit.IfIhaveanyexperiencewhichIthinkvaluable，IamsuretoreflectthatthismyMentorssaidnothingabout.

请勿开启浏览器阅读模式，否则将导致章节内容缺失及无法阅读下一章。

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