Sometimes I had a companion in my fishing， who came through the village to my house from the other side of the town， and the catching of the dinner was as much a social exercise as the eating of it.

　　Hermit.  I wonder what the world is doing now.  I have not heard so much as a locust over the sweet-fern these three hours.  The pigeons are all asleep upon their roosts ―― no flutter from them. Was that a farmer's noon horn which sounded from beyond the woods just now？  The hands are coming in to boiled salt beef and cider and Indian bread.  Why will men worry themselves so？  He that does not eat need not work.  I wonder how much they have reaped.  Who would live there where a body can never think for the barking of Bose？

　　And oh， the housekeeping！ to keep bright the devil's door-knobs， and scour his tubs this bright day！  Better not keep a house.  Say， some hollow tree； and then for morning calls and dinner-parties！  Only a woodpecker tapping.  Oh， they swarm； the sun is too warm there； they are born too far into life for me.  I have water from the spring，and a loaf of brown bread on the shelf. ―― Hark！  I hear a rustling of the leaves.  Is it some ill-fed village hound yielding to the instinct of the chase？ or the lost pig which is said to be in these woods， whose tracks I saw after the rain？  It comes on apace； my sumachs and sweetbriers tremble. ―― Eh， Mr. Poet， is it you？  How do you like the world to-day？

　　Poet.  See those clouds； how they hang！  That's the greatest thing I have seen to-day.  There's nothing like it in old paintings，nothing like it in foreign lands ―― unless when we were off the coast of Spain.  That's a true Mediterranean sky.  I thought， as I have my living to get， and have not eaten to-day， that I might go a-fishing.  That's the true industry for poets.  It is the only trade I have learned.  Come， let's along.

　　Hermit.  I cannot resist.  My brown bread will soon be gone.  I will go with you gladly soon， but I am just concluding a serious meditation.  I think that I am near the end of it.  Leave me alone，then， for a while.  But that we may not be delayed， you shall be digging the bait meanwhile.  Angleworms are rarely to be met with in these parts， where the soil was never fattened with manure； the race is nearly extinct.  The sport of digging the bait is nearly equal to that of catching the fish， when one's appetite is not too keen； and this you may have all to yourself today.  I would advise you to set in the spade down yonder among the ground-nuts， where you see the johnswort waving.  I think that I may warrant you one worm to every three sods you turn up， if you look well in among the roots of the grass， as if you were weeding.  Or， if you choose to go farther， it will not be unwise， for I have found the increase of fair bait to be very nearly as the squares of the distances.

　　Hermit alone.  Let me see； where was I？  Methinks I was nearly in this frame of mind； the world lay about at this angle.  Shall I go to heaven or a-fishing？  If I should soon bring this meditation to an end， would another so sweet occasion be likely to offer？  I was as near being resolved into the essence of things as ever I was in my life.  I fear my thoughts will not come back to me.  If it would do any good， I would whistle for them.  When they make us an offer， is it wise to say， We will think of it？  My thoughts have left no track， and I cannot find the path again.  What was it that I was thinking of？  It was a very hazy day.  I will just try these three sentences of Confutsee； they may fetch that state about again. I know not whether it was the dumps or a budding ecstasy.  Mem. There never is but one opportunity of a kind.

　　Poet.  How now， Hermit， is it too soon？  I have got just thirteen whole ones， beside several which are imperfect or undersized； but they will do for the smaller fry； they do not cover up the hook so much.  Those village worms are quite too large； a shiner may make a meal off one without finding the skewer.

　　Hermit.  Well， then， let's be off.  Shall we to the Concord？

　　There's good sport there if the water be not too high.

　　Why do precisely these objects which we behold make a world？

　　Why has man just these species of animals for his neighbors； as if nothing but a mouse could have filled this crevice？  I suspect that Pilpay & Co. have put animals to their best use， for they are all beasts of burden， in a sense， made to carry some portion of our thoughts.

　　The mice which haunted my house were not the common ones， which are said to have been introduced into the country， but a wild native kind not found in the village.  I sent one to a distinguished naturalist， and it interested him much.  When I was building， one of these had its nest underneath the house， and before I had laid the second floor， and swept out the shavings， would come out regularly at lunch time and pick up the crumbs at my feet.  It probably had never seen a man before； and it soon became quite familiar， and would run over my shoes and up my clothes.  It could readily ascend the sides of the room by short impulses， like a squirrel， which it resembled in its motions.  At length， as I leaned with my elbow on the bench one day， it ran up my clothes， and along my sleeve， and round and round the paper which held my dinner， while I kept the latter close， and dodged and played at bopeep with it； and when at last I held still a piece of cheese between my thumb and finger， it came and nibbled it， sitting in my hand， and afterward cleaned its face and paws， like a fly， and walked away.

　　有時我有一個釣魚的伴侶，他從城那一頭，穿過了村子到我的屋里來。我們一同捕魚，好比請客吃飯，同樣是一種社交活動。

　　隱士，我不知道這世界現在怎么啦。三個小時來，我甚至沒聽到一聲羊齒植物上的蟬鳴。鴿子都睡在鴿房里，――它們的翅膀都不撲動。此刻，是否哪個農夫的正午的號角聲在林子外面吹響了？雇工們要回來吃那煮好的腌牛肉和玉米粉面包，喝蘋果酒了。

　　人們為什么要這樣自尋煩惱？人若不吃不喝，可就用不到工作了。我不知道他們收獲了多少。誰愿意住在那種地方，狗吠得使一個人不能夠思想？啊，還有家務！還得活見鬼，把銅把手擦亮，這樣好的天氣里還要擦亮他的浴盆！還是沒有家的好。還不如住在空心的樹洞里；也就不會再有早上的拜訪和夜間的宴會！只有啄木鳥的啄木聲。啊，那里人們蜂擁著；那里太陽太熱；對我來說，他們這些人世故太深了。我從泉水中汲水，架上有一塊棕色的面包。聽！我聽到樹葉的沙沙聲。是村中餓慌了的狗在追獵？還是一只據說迷了路的小豬跑到這森林里來了？下雨后，我還看見過它的腳印呢。腳步聲越來越近了；我的黃櫨樹和多花薔薇在戰抖了。――呃，詩人先生，是你嗎？你覺得今天這個世界怎么樣？

　　詩人?？催@些云，如何地懸掛在天上！這就是我今天所看見的最偉大的東西了。在古畫中看不到這樣的云，在外國也都沒有這樣的云，――除非我們是在西班牙海岸之夕）。

　　這是一個真正的地中海的天空。我想到，既然我總得活著，而今天卻沒有吃東西，那我就該去釣魚了。這是詩人的最好的工作。這也是我唯一懂得的營生。來吧，我們一起去。

　　隱士。我不能拒絕你。我的棕色的面包快要吃完了。我很愿意馬上跟你一起去，可是我正在結束一次嚴肅的沉思。我想很快就完了。那就請你讓我再孤獨一會兒。可是，為了免得大家都耽誤，你可以先掘出一些釣餌來。這一帶能作釣餌的蚯蚓很少，因為土里從沒有施過肥料；這一個物種幾乎絕種了。挖掘魚餌的游戲，跟釣魚實在是同等有味的，尤其肚皮不餓的話，這一個游戲今天你一個人去做吧。我要勸你帶上鏟子，到那邊的落花生叢中去挖掘；你看見那邊狗尾草在搖擺嗎？我想我可以保證，如果你在草根里仔細地找，就跟你是在除敗草一樣，那每翻起三塊草皮，你準可以捉到一條蚯蚓?；蛘?，如果你愿意走遠一些，那也不是不聰明的，因為我發現釣餌的多少，恰好跟距離的平方成正比。

　　隱士獨白。讓我看，我想到什么地方去了？我以為我是在這樣的思維的框框中，我對周圍世界的看法是從這樣的角度看的。我是應該上天堂去呢，還是應該去釣魚？如果我立刻可以把我的沉思結束，難道還會有這樣一個美妙的機會嗎？我剛才幾乎已經和萬物的本體化為一體，這一生中我還從沒有過這樣的經驗。我恐怕我的思想是不會再回來的了。如果吹口哨能召喚它們回來，那我就要吹口哨。當初思想向我們涌來的時候，說一句：我們要想一想，是聰明的嗎？現在我的思想一點痕跡也沒有留下來，我找不到我的思路了。我在想的是什么呢？這是一個非常朦朧的日子。我還是來想一想孔夫子的三句話，也許還能恢復剛才的思路。我不知道那是一團糟呢，還是一種處于抽芽發枝狀態的狂喜。備忘錄。機會是只有一次的。詩人。怎么啦，隱士；是不是太快了？我已經捉到了十三條整的，還有幾條不全的，或者是大小的；用它們捉小魚也可以；它們不會在釣鉤上顯得太大。這村子的蚯蚓真大極了，銀魚可以飽餐一頓而還沒碰到這個串肉的鉤呢。

　　隱士。好的，讓我們去吧。我們要不要到康科德去？如果水位不大高，就可以玩個痛快了。

　　為什么恰恰是我們看到的這些事物構成了這個世界？為什么人只有這樣一些禽獸做他的鄰居；好像天地之間，只有老鼠能夠填充這個窟窿？我想皮爾貝公司的利用動物，是利用得好極了，因為那里的動物都負有重載，可以說，是負載著我們的一些思想的。

　　常來我家的老鼠并不是平常的那種，平常的那種據說是從外地帶到這野地里來的，而常來我家的卻是在村子里看不到的土生的野鼠。我寄了一只給一個著名的博物學家，他對它發生了很大的興趣。還在我造房子那時，就有一只這種老鼠在我的屋子下面做窩了，而在我還沒有鋪好樓板，刨花也還沒有掃出去之前，每到午飯時分，它就到我的腳邊來吃商包屑了。也許它從來沒有看見過人；我們很快就親熱起來，它馳奔過我的皮鞋，而且從我的衣服上爬上來。它很容易就爬上屋側，三下兩竄就上去了，像松鼠，連動作都是相似的。到后來有一天我這樣坐著，用肘子支在凳上，它爬上我的衣服，沿著我的袖子，繞著我盛放食物的紙不斷地打轉，而我把紙拉向我，躲開它，然后突然把紙推到它面前，跟它玩躲貓兒，最后，我用拇指與食指拿起一片干酪來，它過來了，坐在我的手掌中，一口一口地吃了它之后，很像蒼蠅似的擦擦它的臉和前掌，然后揚長而去。

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