顶点小说网

顶点小说网>我的栖身之所,我的人生目的(英汉双语) > where i lived and what i lived fr(第1页)

where i lived and what i lived fr(第1页)

Atacertainseasonofourlifeweareaccustomedtoconsidereveryspotasthepossiblesiteofahouse.IhavethussurveyedthecountryoneverysidewithinadozenmilesofwhereIlive.InimaginationIhaveboughtallthefarmsinsuccession,forallweretobebought,andIknewtheirprice.Iwalkedovereachfarmer'spremises,tastedhiswildapples,discoursedonhusbandrywithhim,tookhisfarmathisprice,atanyprice,mortgagingittohiminmymind;evenputahigherpriceonit—tookeverythingbutadeedofit—tookhiswordforhisdeed,forIdearlylovetotalk—cultivatedit,andhimtootosomeextent,Itrust,andwithdrewwhenIhadenjoyeditlongenough,leavinghimtocarryiton.Thisexperienceentitledmetoberegardedasasortofreal-estatebrokerbymyfriends.WhereverIsat,thereImightlive,andthelandscaperadiatedfrommeaccordingly.Whatisahousebutasedes,aseat?—betterifacountryseat.Idiscoveredmanyasiteforahousenotlikelytobesoonimproved,whichsomemighthavethoughttoofarfromthevillage,buttomyeyesthevillagewastoofarfromit.Well,thereImightlive,Isaid;andthereIdidlive,foranhour,asummerandawinterlife;sawhowIcouldlettheyearsrunoff,buffetthewinterthrough,andseethespringcomein.Thefutureinhabitantsofthisregion,wherevertheymayplacetheirhouses,maybesurethattheyhavebeenanticipated.Anafternoonsufficedtolayoutthelandintoorchard,wood-lot,andpasture,andtodecidewhatfineoaksorpinesshouldbelefttostandbeforethedoor,andwhenceeachblastedtreecouldbeseentothebestadvantage;andthenIletitlie,fallowperchance,foramanisrichinproportiontothenumberofthingswhichhecanaffordtoletalone.

MyimaginationcarriedmesofarthatIevenhadtherefusalofseveralfarms—therefusalwasallIwanted—butInevergotmyfingersburnedbyactualpossession.ThenearestthatIcametoactualpossessionwaswhenIboughttheHollowellplace,andhadbeguntosortmyseeds,andcollectedmaterialswithwhichtomakeawheelbarrowtocarryitonoroffwith;butbeforetheownergavemeadeedofit,hiswife—everymanhassuchawife—changedhermindandwishedtokeepit,andheofferedmetendollarstoreleasehiNow,tospeakthetruth,Ihadbuttencentsintheworld,anditsurpassedmyarithmetictotell,ifIwasthatmanwhohadtencents,orwhohadafarm,ortendollars,oralltogether.However,Ilethimkeepthetendollarsandthefarmtoo,forIhadcarrieditfarenough;orrather,tobegenerous,IsoldhimthefarmforjustwhatIgaveforit,and,ashewasnotarichman,madehimapresentoftendollars,andstillhadmytencents,andseeds,andmaterialsforawheelbarrowleft.IfoundthusthatIhadbeenarichmanwithoutanydamagetomypoverty.ButIretainedthelandscape,andIhavesinceannuallycarriedoffwhatityieldedwithoutawheelbarrow.Withrespecttolandscapes—

IammonarchofallIsurvey,

Myrightthereisnonetodispute.

Ihavefrequentlyseenapoetwithdraw,havingenjoyedthemostvaluablepartofafarm,whilethecrustyfarmersupposedthathehadgotafewwildapplesonly.Why,theownerdoesnotknowitformanyyearswhenapoethasputhisfarminrhyme,themostadmirablekindofinvisiblefence,hasfairlyimpoundedit,milkedit,skimmedit,andgotallthecream,andleftthefarmeronlytheskimmedmilk.

TherealattractionsoftheHollowellfarm,tome,were;itscompleteretirement,beingabouttwomilesfromthevillage,halfamilefromthenearestneighbor,andseparatedfromthehighwaybyabroadfield;itsboundingontheriver,whichtheownersaidprotecteditbyitsfogsfromfrostsinthespring,thoughthatwasnothingtome;thegraycolorandruinousstateofthehouseandbarn,andthedilapidatedfences,whichputsuchanintervalbetweenmeandthelastoccupant;thehollowandlichen-coveredappletrees,gnawedbyrabbits,showingwhatkindofneighborsIshouldhave;butaboveall,therecollectionIhadofitfrommyearliestvoyagesuptheriver,whenthehousewasconcealedbehindadensegroveofredmaples,throughwhichIheardthehouse-dogbark.Iwasinhastetobuyit,beforetheproprietorfinishedgettingoutsomerocks,cuttingdownthehollowappletrees,andgrubbingupsomeyoungbircheswhichhadsprungupinthepasture,or,inshort,hadmadeanymoreofhisimprovements.ToenjoytheseadvantagesIwasreadytocarryiton;likeAtlas,totaketheworldonmyshoulders—Ineverheardwhatcompensationhereceivedforthat—anddoallthosethingswhichhadnoothermotiveorexcusebutthatImightpayforitandbeunmolestedinmypossessionofit;forIknewallthewhilethatitwouldyieldthemostabundantcropofthekindIwantedifIcouldonlyaffordtoletitalone.ButitturnedoutasIhavesaid.

AllthatIcouldsay,then,withrespecttofarmingonalargescale(Ihavealwayscultivatedagarden)was,thatIhadhadmyseedsready.Manythinkthatseedsimprovewithage.Ihavenodoubtthattimediscriminatesbetweenthegoodandthebad;andwhenatlastIshallplant,Ishallbelesslikelytobedisappointed.ButIwouldsaytomyfellows,onceforall,Aslongaspossiblelivefreeanduncommitted.Itmakesbutlittledifferencewhetheryouarecommittedtoafarmorthecountyjail.

OldCato,whose'DeReRusticâ'ismy'Cultivator',says,andtheonlytranslationIhaveseenmakessheernonsenseofthepassage,'Whenyouthinkofgettingafarm,turnitthusinyourmind,nottobuygreedily;norspareyourpainstolookatit,anddonotthinkitenoughtogorounditonce.Theofteneryougotherethemoreitwillpleaseyou,ifitisgood.'IthinkIshallnotbuygreedily,butgoroundandrounditaslongasIlive,andbeburiedinitfirst,thatitmaypleasemethemoreatlast.

Thepresentwasmynextexperimentofthiskind,whichIpurposetodescribemoreatlength;forconvenience,puttingtheexperienceoftwoyearsintoone.AsIhavesaid,Idonotproposetowriteanodetodejection,buttobragaslustilyaschanticleerinthemorning,standingonhisroost,ifonlytowakemyneighborsup.

WhenfirstItookupmyabodeinthewoods,thatis,begantospendmynightsaswellasdaysthere,which,byaccident,wasonIndependenceday,orthefourthofJuly,1845,myhousewasnotfinishedforwinter,butwasmerelyadefenceagainsttherain,withoutplasteringorchimney,thewallsbeingofroughweather-stainedboards,withwidechinks,whichmadeitcoolatnight.Theuprightwhitehewnstudsandfreshlyplaneddoorandwindowcasingsgaveitacleanandairylook,especiallyinthemorning,whenitstimbersweresaturatedwithdew,sothatIfanciedthatbynoonsomesweetgumwouldexudefromtheTomyimaginationitretainedthroughoutthedaymoreorlessofthisauroralcharacter,remindingmeofacertainhouseonamountainwhichIhadvisitedtheyearbefore.Thiswasanairyandunplasteredcabin,fittoentertainatravellinggod,andwhereagoddessmighttrailhergarments.Thewindswhichpassedovermydwellingweresuchassweepovertheridgesofmountains,bearingthebrokenstrains,orcelestialpartsonly,ofterrestrialmusic.Themorningwindforeverblows,thepoemofcreationisuninterrupted;butfewaretheearsthathearit.Olympusisbuttheoutsideoftheeartheverywhere.

TheonlyhouseIhadbeentheownerofbefore,ifIexceptaboat,wasatent,whichIusedoccasionallywhenmakingexcursionsinthesummer,andthisisstillrolledupinmygarret;buttheboat,afterpassingfromhandtohand,hasgonedownthestreamoftime.Withthismoresubstantialshelteraboutme,Ihadmadesomeprogresstowardsettlingintheworld.Thisframe,soslightlyclad,wasasortofcrystallizationaroundme,andreactedonthebuilder.Itwassuggestivesomewhatasapictureinoutlines.Ididnotneedtogooutdoorstotaketheair,fortheatmospherewithinhadlostnoneofitsfreshness.ItwasnotsomuchwithindoorsasbehindadoorwhereIsat,evenintherainiestweather.TheHarivansasays,'Anabodewithoutbirdsislikeameatwithoutseasoning.'Suchwasnotmyabode,forIfoundmyselfsuddenlyneighbortothebirds;notbyhavingimprisonedone,buthavingcagedmyselfneartheIwasnotonlynearertosomeofthosewhichcommonlyfrequentthegardenandtheorchard,buttothosewilderandmorethrillingsongstersoftheforestwhichnever,orrarely,serenadeavillager—thewood-thrush,theveery,thescarlettanager,thefield-sparrow,thewhippoorwill,andmanyothers.

Iwasseatedbytheshoreofasmallpond,aboutamileandahalfsouthofthevillageofConcordandsomewhathigherthanit,inthemidstofanextensivewoodbetweenthattownandLincoln,andabouttwomilessouthofthatouronlyfieldknowntofame,ConcordBattleGround;butIwassolowinthewoodsthattheoppositeshore,halfamileoff,liketherest,coveredwithwood,wasmymostdistanthorizon.Forthefirstweek,wheneverIlookedoutontheponditimpressedmelikeatarnhighuponthesideofamountain,itsbottomfarabovethesurfaceofotherlakes,and,asthesunarose,Isawitthrowingoffitsnightlyclothingofmist,andhereandthere,bydegrees,itssoftripplesoritssmoothreflectingsurfacewasrevealed,whilethemists,likeghosts,werestealthilywithdrawingineverydirectionintothewoods,asatthebreakingupofsomenocturnalconventicle.Theverydewseemedtohanguponthetreeslaterintothedaythanusual,asonthesidesofmountains.

ThissmalllakewasofmostvalueasaneighborintheintervalsofagentlerainstorminAugust,when,bothairandwaterbeingperfectlystill,buttheskyovercast,mid-afternoonhadalltheserenityofevening,andthewood-thrushsangaround,andwasheardfromshoretoshore.Alakelikethisisneversmootherthanatsuchatime;andtheclearportionoftheairaboveitbeingshallowanddarkenedbyclouds,thewater,fulloflightandreflections,becomesalowerheavenitselfsomuchthemoreimportant.Fromahilltopnearby,wherethewoodhadbeenrecentlycutoff,therewasapleasingvistasouthwardacrossthepond,throughawideindentationinthehillswhichformtheshorethere,wheretheiroppositesidesslopingtowardeachothersuggestedastreamflowingoutinthatdirectionthroughawoodedvalley,butstreamtherewasnone.ThatwayIlookedbetweenandovertheneargreenhillstosomedistantandhigheronesinthehorizon,tingedwithblue.Indeed,bystandingontiptoeIcouldcatchaglimpseofsomeofthepeaksofthestillbluerandmoredistantmountainrangesinthenorth-west,thosetrue-bluecoinsfromheaven'sownmint,andalsoofsomeportionofthevillage.Butinotherdirections,evenfromthispoint,Icouldnotseeoverorbeyondthewoodswhichsurroundedme.Itiswelltohavesomewaterinyourneighborhood,togivebuoyancytoandfloattheearth.Onevalueevenofthesmallestwellis,thatwhenyoulookintoityouseethatearthisnotcontinentbutinsular.Thisisasimportantasthatitkeepsbuttercool.WhenIlookedacrossthepondfromthispeaktowardtheSudburymeadows,whichintimeoffloodIdistinguishedelevatedperhapsbyamirageintheirseethingvalley,likeacoininabasin,alltheearthbeyondthepondappearedlikeathincrustinsulatedandfloatedevenbythissmallsheetofinterveningwater,andIwasremindedthatthisonwhichIdweltwasbutdryland.

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