Such is oftenest the young man's introduction to the forest， and the most original part of himself.  He goes thither at first as a hunter and fisher， until at last， if he has the seeds of a better life in him， he distinguishes his proper objects， as a poet or naturalist it may be， and leaves the gun and fish-pole behind.  The mass of men are still and always young in this respect.  In some countries a hunting parson is no uncommon sight.  Such a one might make a good shepherd's dog， but is far from being the Good Shepherd. I have been surprised to consider that the only obvious employment，except wood-chopping， ice-cutting， or the like business， which ever to my knowledge detained at Walden Pond for a whole half-day any of my fellow-citizens， whether fathers or children of the town， with just one exception， was fishing.  Commonly they did not think that they were lucky， or well paid for their time， unless they got a long string of fish， though they had the opportunity of seeing the pond all the while.  They might go there a thousand times before the sediment of fishing would sink to the bottom and leave their purpose pure； but no doubt such a clarifying process would be going on all the while.  The Governor and his Council faintly remember the pond，for they went a-fishing there when they were boys； but now they are too old and dignified to go a-fishing， and so they know it no more forever.  Yet even they expect to go to heaven at last.  If the legislature regards it， it is chiefly to regulate the number of hooks to be used there； but they know nothing about the hook of hooks with which to angle for the pond itself， impaling the legislature for a bait.  Thus， even in civilized communities， the embryo man passes through the hunter stage of development.

　　I have found repeatedly， of late years， that I cannot fish without falling a little in self-respect.  I have tried it again and again.  I have skill at it， and， like many of my fellows， a certain instinct for it， which revives from time to time， but always when I have done I feel that it would have been better if I had not fished. I think that I do not mistake.  It is a faint intimation， yet so are the first streaks of morning.  There is unquestionably this instinct in me which belongs to the lower orders of creation； yet with every year I am less a fisherman， though without more humanity or even wisdom； at present I am no fisherman at all.  But I see that if I were to live in a wilderness I should again be tempted to become a fisher and hunter in earnest.  Beside， there is something essentially unclean about this diet and all flesh， and I began to see where housework commences， and whence the endeavor， which costs so much， to wear a tidy and respectable appearance each day， to keep the house sweet and free from all ill odors and sights.  Having been my own butcher and scullion and cook， as well as the gentleman for whom the dishes were served up， I can speak from an unusually complete experience.  The practical objection to animal food in my case was its uncleanness； and besides， when I had caught and cleaned and cooked and eaten my fish， they seemed not to have fed me essentially.  It was insignificant and unnecessary， and cost more than it came to.  A little bread or a few potatoes would have done as well， with less trouble and filth.  Like many of my contemporaries， I had rarely for many years used animal food， or tea， or coffee， etc.； not so much because of any ill effects which I had traced to them， as because they were not agreeable to my imagination.  The repugnance to animal food is not the effect of experience， but is an instinct.  It appeared more beautiful to live low and fare hard in many respects； and though I never did so， I went far enough to please my imagination.  I believe that every man who has ever been earnest to preserve his higher or poetic faculties in the best condition has been particularly inclined to abstain from animal food， and from much food of any kind.  It is a significant fact， stated by entomologists ―― I find it in Kirby and Spence ――that "some insects in their perfect state， though furnished with organs of feeding， make no use of them"； and they lay it down as "a general rule， that almost all insects in this state eat much less than in that of larvae.  The voracious caterpillar when transformed into a butterfly …… and the gluttonous maggot when become a fly" content themselves with a drop or two of honey or some other sweet liquid.  The abdomen under the wings of the butterfly still represents the larva.  This is the tidbit which tempts his insectivorous fate.  The gross feeder is a man in the larva state；and there are whole nations in that condition， nations without fancy or imagination， whose vast abdomens betray them.

　　青年往往通過打獵接近森林，并發展他身體里面最有天性的一部分。他到那里去，先是作為一個獵人，一個釣魚的人，到后來，如果他身體里已播有更善良生命的種子，他就會發現他的正當目標也許是變成詩人，也許成為自然科學家，獵槍和釣竿就拋諸腦后了。在這一方面，人類大多數都還是并且永遠是年輕的。在有些國家，愛打獵的牧師并非不常見。這樣的牧師也許可以成為好的牧犬，但決不是一個善良的牧羊人。我還奇怪著呢，什么伐木、挖冰，這一類事是提也不用提了，現在顯然只剩下一件事，還能夠把我的市民同胞，弗論老少，都吸引到瓦爾登湖上來停留整整半天，只有這一件例外，那就是釣魚。一般說，他們還不認為他們很幸運，他們這半天過得還很值得，除非他們釣到了長長一串魚，其實他們明明得到了這樣的好機會，可以一直觀賞湖上風光。他們得去垂鉤一千次，然后這種陋見才沉到了湖底，他們的目標才得到了凈化；毫無疑問，這樣的凈化過程隨時都在繼續著。州長和議員們對于湖沼的記憶已經很模糊了，因為他們只在童年時代，曾經釣過魚；現在他們太老了，道貌岸然，怎么還能去釣魚？因此他們永遠不知漁樂了。然而，他們居然還希望最后到天堂中去呢。如果他們立法，主要是作出該湖準許多少釣鉤的規定；但是，他們不知道那釣鉤上釣起了最好的湖上風光，而立法也成為釣餌了。可見，甚至在文明社會中，處于胚胎狀態的人，要經過一個漁獵者的發展階段。

　　近年來我一再地發覺，我每釣一次魚，總覺得我的自尊心降落了一些。我嘗試又嘗試。我有垂釣的技巧，像我的同伴們一樣，又天生有垂釣的嗜好，一再促使我釣魚去，可是等到我這樣做了，我就覺得還是不釣魚更好些，我想我并沒有錯。這是一個隱隱約約的暗示，好像黎明的微光一樣。無疑問的，我這種天生嗜好是屬于造物中較低劣的一種，然而我的捕魚興趣每年都減少了一點兒，而人道觀點，甚至于智慧卻并沒有增加，目前我已經不再是鉤魚人了。可是我知道，如果我生活在曠野中，我還會再給引誘去作熱忱的漁夫和獵人的。況且，這種魚肉以及所有的肉食，基本上是不潔的，而且我開始明白，哪兒來的那么多家務，哪兒產生的那個愿望：要每天注意儀表，要穿得清潔而可敬，房屋要管理得可愛而沒有任何惡臭難看的景象，要做到這點，花費很大。好在我身兼屠夫，雜役，廚師，又兼那吃一道道菜肴的老爺，所以我能根據不尋常的全部經驗來說話。我反對吃獸肉的主要理由是因為它不干凈，再說，在捉了，洗了，煮了，吃了我的魚之后，我也并不覺得它給了我什么了不起的營養。既不足道，又無必要，耗資卻又太大。一個小面包，幾個土豆就很可以了，既少麻煩，又不骯臟。我像許多同時代人一樣，已經有好幾年難得吃獸肉或茶或咖啡等等了；倒不是因為我找出了它們的缺點，而是因為它們跟我的想法不適應。對獸肉有反感并不是由經驗引起的，而是一種本能。卑賤的刻苦生活在許多方頁都顯得更美，雖然我并不曾做到，至少也做到了使我的想象能滿意的地步。我相信每一個熱衷于把他更高級的、詩意的官能保存在最好狀態中的人，必然是特別地避免吃獸肉，還要避免多吃任何食物的。昆蟲學家認為這是值得注意的事實，――我從柯爾比和斯班司的書中讀到，――“有些昆蟲在最完美狀態中，雖有飲食的器官，并不使用它們，”他們把這歸納為“一個一般性的規則，在成蟲時期的昆蟲吃得比它們在蛹期少得多，貪吃的蛹一變而為蝴蝶，……貪婪的蛆蟲一變而為蒼蠅之后”，只要有一兩滴蜜或其他甘洌液體就很滿足了。蝴蝶翅下的腹部還是蛹的形狀。就是這一點東西引誘它殘殺昆蟲。大食者是還處于蛹狀態中的人；有些國家的全部國民都處于這種狀態，這些國民沒有幻想，沒有想象力，只有一個出賣了他們的大肚皮。

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