Finding that my fellow-citizens were not likely to offer me any room in the court house， or any curacy or living anywhere else， but I must shift for myself， I turned my face more exclusively than ever to the woods， where I was better known.  I determined to go into business at once， and not wait to acquire the usual capital， using such slender means as I had already got.  My purpose in going to Walden Pond was not to live cheaply nor to live dearly there， but to transact some private business with the fewest obstacles； to be hindered from accomplishing which for want of a little common sense，a little enterprise and business talent， appeared not so sad as foolish.

　　I have always endeavored to acquire strict business habits； they are indispensable to every man.  If your trade is with the Celestial Empire， then some small counting house on the coast， in some Salem harbor， will be fixture enough.  You will export such articles as the country affords， purely native products， much ice and pine timber and a little granite， always in native bottoms.  These will be good ventures.  To oversee all the details yourself in person； to be at once pilot and captain， and owner and underwriter； to buy and sell and keep the accounts； to read every letter received， and write or read every letter sent； to superintend the discharge of imports night and day； to be upon many parts of the coast almost at the same time ―― often the richest freight will be discharged upon a Jersey shore； ―― to be your own telegraph， unweariedly sweeping the horizon， speaking all passing vessels bound coastwise； to keep up a steady despatch of commodities， for the supply of such a distant and exorbitant market； to keep yourself informed of the state of the markets， prospects of war and peace everywhere， and anticipate the tendencies of trade and civilization ―― taking advantage of the results of all exploring expeditions， using new passages and all improvements in navigation； ―― charts to be studied， the position of reefs and new lights and buoys to be ascertained， and ever， and ever， the logarithmic tables to be corrected， for by the error of some calculator the vessel often splits upon a rock that should have reached a friendly pier ―― there is the untold fate of La Prouse；―― universal science to be kept pace with， studying the lives of all great discoverers and navigators， great adventurers and merchants，from Hanno and the Phoenicians down to our day； in fine， account of stock to be taken from time to time， to know how you stand.  It is a labor to task the faculties of a man ―― such problems of profit and loss， of interest， of tare and tret， and gauging of all kinds in it，as demand a universal knowledge.

　　I have thought that Walden Pond would be a good place for business， not solely on account of the railroad and the ice trade；it offers advantages which it may not be good policy to divulge； it is a good port and a good foundation.  No Neva marshes to be filled；though you must everywhere build on piles of your own driving.  It is said that a flood-tide， with a westerly wind， and ice in the Neva， would sweep St. Petersburg from the face of the earth. As this business was to be entered into without the usual capital， it may not be easy to conjecture where those means， that will still be indispensable to every such undertaking， were to be obtained.  As for Clothing， to come at once to the practical part of the question， perhaps we are led oftener by the love of novelty and a regard for the opinions of men， in procuring it， than by a true utility.  Let him who has work to do recollect that the object of clothing is， first， to retain the vital heat， and secondly， in this state of society， to cover nakedness， and he may judge how much of any necessary or important work may be accomplished without adding to his wardrobe.  Kings and queens who wear a suit but once， though made by some tailor or dressmaker to their majesties， cannot know the comfort of wearing a suit that fits.  They are no better than wooden horses to hang the clean clothes on.  Every day our garments become more assimilated to ourselves， receiving the impress of the wearer's character， until we hesitate to lay them aside without such delay and medical appliances and some such solemnity even as our bodies.  No man ever stood the lower in my estimation for having a patch in his clothes； yet I am sure that there is greater anxiety，commonly， to have fashionable， or at least clean and unpatched clothes， than to have a sound conscience.  But even if the rent is not mended， perhaps the worst vice betrayed is improvidence.  I sometimes try my acquaintances by such tests as this ―― Who could wear a patch， or two extra seams only， over the knee？  Most behave as if they believed that their prospects for life would be ruined if they should do it.  It would be easier for them to hobble to town with a broken leg than with a broken pantaloon.  Often if an accident happens to a gentleman's legs， they can be mended； but if a similar accident happens to the legs of his pantaloons， there is no help for it； for he considers， not what is truly respectable， but what is respected.  We know but few men， a great many coats and breeches.  Dress a scarecrow in your last shift， you standing shiftless by， who would not soonest salute the scarecrow？  Passing a cornfield the other day， close by a hat and coat on a stake， I recognized the owner of the farm.  He was only a little more weather-beaten than when I saw him last.  I have heard of a dog that barked at every stranger who approached his master's premises with clothes on， but was easily quieted by a naked thief.  It is an interesting question how far men would retain their relative rank if they were divested of their clothes.  Could you， in such a case，tell surely of any company of civilized men which belonged to the most respected class？  When Madam Pfeiffer， in her adventurous travels round the world， from east to west， had got so near home as Asiatic Russia， she says that she felt the necessity of wearing other than a travelling dress， when she went to meet the authorities， for she "was now in a civilized country， where ……

　　people are judged of by their clothes."  Even in our democratic New England towns the accidental possession of wealth， and its manifestation in dress and equipage alone， obtain for the possessor almost universal respect.  But they yield such respect， numerous as they are， are so far heathen， and need to have a missionary sent to them.  Beside， clothes introduced sewing， a kind of work which you may call endless； a woman's dress， at least， is never done.

　　發現市民同胞們大約是不會在法院中，教堂中，或任何別的地方給我一個職位的了，我只得自己改道，于是我比以往更專心地把臉轉向了森林，那里的一切都很熟識我。我決定立刻就開業，不必等候通常的所謂經費了，就動用我手上已經有的一點兒微薄的資財吧。我到瓦爾登湖上去的目的，并不是去節儉地生活，也不是去揮霍，而是去經營一些私事，為的是在那兒可以盡量少些麻煩；免得我因為缺乏小小的常識，事業又小，又不懂得生意經，做出其傻甚于凄慘的事情來。

　　我常常希望獲得嚴格的商業習慣；這是每一個人都不能缺少的。如果你的生意是和天朝帝國往來的，你得在海岸上有個會計室，設在某個撒勒姆的港口，確定了這個就夠了。你可以把本國出品，純粹的土產輸出，許多的冰、松木和一點兒花崗石，都是本土本鄉的地道產品。這一定是好生意。親自照顧一切大小事務；兼任領航員與船長，業主與保險商；買進賣出又記賬；收到的信件每封都讀過，發出的信件每封都親自撰寫或審閱；日夜監督進口貨的卸落；幾乎在海岸上的許多地方，你都同時出現了似的；――那裝貨最多的船總是在澤西岸上卸落的；――自己還兼電報員，不知疲倦地發通訊到遠方去，和所有馳向海岸的船只聯絡；穩當地售出貨物，供給遠方的一個無饜足的市場，既要熟悉行情，你還要明了各處的戰爭與和平的情況，預測貿易和文明的趨向；――利用所有探險的成果，走最新的航道，利用一切航海技術上的進步；――再要研究海圖，確定珊瑚礁和新的燈塔、浮標的位置，而航海圖表是永遠地改而又改，因為著計算上有了一點錯誤，船只會沖撞在一塊巖石上而至于粉碎的，不然它早該到達了一個友好的碼頭了――，此外，還有拉。貝魯斯的未知的命運；――還得步步跟上字宙科學，要研究一切偉大的發現者、航海家、探險家和商人，從迦探險家飯能和腓尼基人直到現在所有這些人的一生，最后，時刻要記錄棧房中的貨物，你才知道自己處于什么位置上。這真是一個辛苦的勞役，考驗著一個人的全部官能，――這些贏利或損失的問題，利息的問題，扣除皮重的計算問題，一切都要確實數字，非得有全宇宙的知識不可啊。

　　我想到瓦爾登湖會是個做生意的好地方，不但因為那鐵路線和貯冰的行業；這里是有許多的便利，或許把它泄露出來并不是一個好方針；這是一個良好港口，有一個好基礎。你不必填沒那些好像涅瓦河區的沼澤；雖然到處你都得去打樁奠基。據說，涅瓦河要是漲了水，刮了西風，流來的冰塊可以把圣彼得堡一下子從大地的表面上沖掉的。

　　鑒于我這行業是沒有通常的經費先行交易的，所以我從什么地方得到凡是這樣的行業都不能缺少的東西呢，也許不容易揣測吧。讓我們立刻說到實際問題上來，先說衣服，我們采購衣服，常常是由愛好新奇的心理所引導的，并且關心別人對它的部意見，而不大考慮這些衣服的真實用處。讓那些有工作做的人記著穿衣服的目標，第一是保持養身的體溫，第二是為了在目前的社會中要把赤身露體來遮蓋；現在，他可以判斷一下，有多少必需的重要工作可以完成，而不必在衣櫥中增添什么衣服。國王和王后的每一件衣服都只穿一次，雖然有御裁縫專司其事，他們卻不知道穿上合身衣服的愉快。他們不過是掛干凈衣服的木架。而我們的衣服，卻一天天地跟我們同化了，印上了穿衣人的性格，直到我們舍不得把它們丟掉，要丟掉它們，正如拋棄我們的軀體那樣，總不免感到戀戀不舍，要看病吃藥作些補救，而且帶著十分沉重的心情。其實沒有人穿了有補釘的衣服而在我的眼里降低了身份；但我很明白，一般人心里，為了衣服憂思真多，衣服要穿得入時，至少也要清潔，而且不能有補釘，至于他們有無健全的良心，從不在乎。其實，即使衣服破了不補，所暴露的最大缺點也不過是不考慮小洞之會變成大洞。有時我用這樣的方法來測定我的朋友們，――誰肯把膝蓋以上有補釘的，或者只是多了兩條縫的衣服，穿在身上？大多數人都好像認為，如果他們這樣做了，從此就毀了終身。寧可跛了一條腿進城，他們也不肯穿著破褲子去。一位紳士有腿傷，是很平常的事，這是有辦法補救的；如果褲腳管破了，卻無法補救；因為人們關心的并不是真正應該敬重的東西，只是關心那些受人尊敬的東西。我們認識的人很少，我們認識的衣服和褲子卻怪多。你給稻草人穿上你最后一件衣服，你自己不穿衣服站在旁邊，哪一個經過的人不馬上就向稻草人致敬呢？那天，我經過一片玉米田，就在那頭戴帽子、身穿上衣的木樁旁邊，我認出了那個農田主人。他比我上一回看見他，只不過鳳吹雨打更顯得憔悴了一些。我聽說過，一條狗向所有穿了衣服走到它主人的地方來的人吠叫，卻很容易被一個裸體的竊賊制服，一聲不響。這是一個有趣的問題啊，沒有衣服的話，人們將能多大地保持他們的身份？沒有了衣服的話，你能不能在任何一群文明人中間，肯定地指出誰個最尊貴？

　　斐斐夫人在她周游世界，從東到西的旅行中，當她非常地接近了亞洲的俄羅斯，要去謁見當地長官的時候，她說，她覺得不能再穿旅行服裝了，因為她“現在是在一個文明國家里面，那里的人民是根據衣服來評價人的”。即使在我們這號稱民主的新英格蘭城中，只要有錢穿得講究住得闊綽，具有了那種偶然的因素，他就受盡了眾人的敬仰?？墒?，這些敬仰著的眾人，人數真多，都是異教徒，所以應該派遣一個傳教士前去。話說回來，衣服是要縫紉的，縫紉可是一種所謂無窮無盡的工作；至少，一個女人的衣服是從沒有完工的一天的。

更多 英文美文、英語美文、英文短文、英語短文，請繼續關注 英語作文大全