01-economy-第1章

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　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Economy



　　　　When　I　wrote　the　following　pages；　or　rather　the　bulk　of　them；　I

lived　alone；　in　the　woods；　a　mile　from　any　neighbor；　in　a　house

which　I　had　built　myself；　on　the　shore　of　Walden　Pond；　in　Concord；

Massachusetts；　and　earned　my　living　by　the　labor　of　my　hands　only。

I　lived　there　two　years　and　two　months。　　At　present　I　am　a　sojourner

in　civilized　life　again。

　　　　I　should　not　obtrude　my　affairs　so　much　on　the　notice　of　my

readers　if　very　particular　inquiries　had　not　been　made　by　my

townsmen　concerning　my　mode　of　life；　which　some　would　call

impertinent；　though　they　do　not　appear　to　me　at　all　impertinent；

but；　considering　the　circumstances；　very　natural　and　pertinent。

Some　have　asked　what　I　got　to　eat；　if　I　did　not　feel　lonesome；　if　I

was　not　afraid；　and　the　like。　　Others　have　been　curious　to　learn

what　portion　of　my　income　I　devoted　to　charitable　purposes；　and

some；　who　have　large　families；　how　many　poor　children　I　maintained。

I　will　therefore　ask　those　of　my　readers　who　feel　no　particular

interest　in　me　to　pardon　me　if　I　undertake　to　answer　some　of　these

questions　in　this　book。　　In　most　books；　the　I；　or　first　person；　is

omitted；　in　this　it　will　be　retained；　that；　in　respect　to　egotism；

is　the　main　difference。　　We　commonly　do　not　remember　that　it　is；

after　all；　always　the　first　person　that　is　speaking。　　I　should　not

talk　so　much　about　myself　if　there　were　anybody　else　whom　I　knew　as

well。　　Unfortunately；　I　am　confined　to　this　theme　by　the　narrowness

of　my　experience。　　Moreover；　I；　on　my　side；　require　of　every　writer；

first　or　last；　a　simple　and　sincere　account　of　his　own　life；　and　not

merely　what　he　has　heard　of　other　men's　lives；　some　such　account　as

he　would　send　to　his　kindred　from　a　distant　land；　for　if　he　has

lived　sincerely；　it　must　have　been　in　a　distant　land　to　me。　　Perhaps

these　pages　are　more　particularly　addressed　to　poor　students。　　As

for　the　rest　of　my　readers；　they　will　accept　such　portions　as　apply

to　them。　　I　trust　that　none　will　stretch　the　seams　in　putting　on　the

coat；　for　it　may　do　good　service　to　him　whom　it　fits。

　　　　I　would　fain　say　something；　not　so　much　concerning　the　Chinese

and　Sandwich　Islanders　as　you　who　read　these　pages；　who　are　said　to

live　in　New　England；　something　about　your　condition；　especially　your

outward　condition　or　circumstances　in　this　world；　in　this　town；　what

it　is；　whether　it　is　necessary　that　it　be　as　bad　as　it　is；　whether

it　cannot　be　improved　as　well　as　not。　　I　have　travelled　a　good　deal

in　Concord；　and　everywhere；　in　shops；　and　offices；　and　fields；　the

inhabitants　have　appeared　to　me　to　be　doing　penance　in　a　thousand

remarkable　ways。　　What　I　have　heard　of　Bramins　sitting　exposed　to

four　fires　and　looking　in　the　face　of　the　sun；　or　hanging　suspended；

with　their　heads　downward；　over　flames；　or　looking　at　the　heavens

over　their　shoulders　〃until　it　becomes　impossible　for　them　to　resume

their　natural　position；　while　from　the　twist　of　the　neck　nothing　but

liquids　can　pass　into　the　stomach〃；　or　dwelling；　chained　for　life；

at　the　foot　of　a　tree；　or　measuring　with　their　bodies；　like

caterpillars；　the　breadth　of　vast　empires；　or　standing　on　one　leg　on

the　tops　of　pillars　　even　these　forms　of　conscious　penance　are

hardly　more　incredible　and　astonishing　than　the　scenes　which　I　daily

witness。　　The　twelve　labors　of　Hercules　were　trifling　in　comparison

with　those　which　my　neighbors　have　undertaken；　for　they　were　only

twelve；　and　had　an　end；　but　I　could　never　see　that　these　men　slew　or

captured　any　monster　or　finished　any　labor。　　They　have　no　friend

Iolaus　to　burn　with　a　hot　iron　the　root　of　the　hydra's　head；　but　as

soon　as　one　head　is　crushed；　two　spring　up。

　　　　I　see　young　men；　my　townsmen；　whose　misfortune　it　is　to　have

inherited　farms；　houses；　barns；　cattle；　and　farming　tools；　for　these

are　more　easily　acquired　than　got　rid　of。　　Better　if　they　had　been

born　in　the　open　pasture　and　suckled　by　a　wolf；　that　they　might　have

seen　with　clearer　eyes　what　field　they　were　called　to　labor　in。　　Who

made　them　serfs　of　the　soil？　　Why　should　they　eat　their　sixty　acres；

when　man　is　condemned　to　eat　only　his　peck　of　dirt？　　Why　should　they

begin　digging　their　graves　as　soon　as　they　are　born？　　They　have　got

to　live　a　man's　life；　pushing　all　these　things　before　them；　and　get

on　as　well　as　they　can。　　How　many　a　poor　immortal　soul　have　I　met

well…nigh　crushed　and　smothered　under　its　load；　creeping　down　the

road　of　life；　pushing　before　it　a　barn　seventy…five　feet　by　forty；

its　Augean　stables　never　cleansed；　and　one　hundred　acres　of　land；

tillage；　mowing；　pasture；　and　woodlot！　　The　portionless；　who

struggle　with　no　such　unnecessary　inherited　encumbrances；　find　it

labor　enough　to　subdue　and　cultivate　a　few　cubic　feet　of　flesh。

　　　　But　men　labor　under　a　mistake。　　The　better　part　of　the　man　is

soon　plowed　into　the　soil　for　compost。　　By　a　seeming　fate；　commonly

called　necessity；　they　are　employed；　as　it　says　in　an　old　book；

laying　up　treasures　which　moth　and　rust　will　corrupt　and　thieves

break　through　and　steal。　　It　is　a　fool's　life；　as　they　will　find

when　they　get　to　the　end　of　it；　if　not　before。　　It　is　said　that

Deucalion　and　Pyrrha　created　men　by　throwing　stones　over　their　heads

behind　them：



　　　　　　　　　　　Inde　genus　durum　sumus；　experiensque　laborum；

　　　　　　　　　　　Et　documenta　damus　qua　simus　origine　nati。



Or；　as　Raleigh　rhymes　it　in　his　sonorous　way；



　　〃From　thence　our　kind　hard…hearted　is；　enduring　pain　and　care；

　　　Approving　that　our　bodies　of　a　stony　nature　are。〃



So　much　for　a　blind　obedience　to　a　blundering　oracle；　throwing　the

stones　over　their　heads　behind　them；　and　not　seeing　where　they　fell。

　　　　Most　men；　even　in　this　comparatively　free　country；　through　mere

ignorance　and　mistake；　are　so　occupied　with　the　factitious　cares　and

superfluously　coarse　labors　of　life　that　its　finer　fruits　cannot　be

plucked　by　them。　　Their　fingers；　from　excessive　toil；　are　too　clumsy

and　tremble　too　much　for　that。　　Actually；　the　laboring　man　has　not

leisure　for　a　true　integrity　day　by　day；　he　cannot　afford　to　sustain

the　manliest　relations　to　men；　his　labor　would　be　depreciated　in　the

market。　　He　has　no　time　to　be　anything　but　a　machine。　　How　can　he

remember　well　his　ignorance　　which　his　growth　requires　　who　has

so　often　to　use　his　knowledge？　　We　should　feed　and　clothe　him

gratuitously　sometimes；　and　recruit　him　with　our　cordials；　before　we

judge　of　him。　　The　finest　qualities　of　our　nature；　like　the　bloom　on

fruits；　can　be　preserved　only　by　the　most　delicate　handling。　　Yet　we

do　not　treat　ourselves　nor　one　another　thus　tenderly。

　　　　Some　of　you；　we　all　know；　are　poor；　find　it　hard　to　live；　are

sometimes；　as　it　were；　gasping　for　breath。　　I　have　no　doubt　that

some　of　you　who　read　this　book　are　unable　to　pay　for　all　the　dinners

which　you　have　actually　eaten；　or　for　the　coats　and　shoes　which　are

fast　wearing　or　are　already　worn　out；　and　have　come　to　this　page　to

spend　borrowed　or　stolen　time；　robbing　your　creditors　of　an　hour。

It　is　very　evident　what　mean　and　sneaking　lives　many　of　you　live；

for　my　sight　has　been　whetted　by　experience；　always　on　the　limits；

trying　to　get　into　business　and　trying　to　get　out　of　debt；　a　very

ancient　slough；　called　by　the　Latins　aes　alienum；　another's　brass；

for　some　of　their　coins　were　made　of　brass；　still　living；　and　dying；

and　buried　by　this　other's　brass；　always　promising　to　pay；　promising

to　pay；　tomorrow；　and　dying　today；　insolvent；　seeking　to　curry

favor；　to　get　custom；　by　how　many　modes；　only　not　state…prison

offenses；　lying；　flattering；　voting；　contracting　yourselves　into　a

nutshell　of　civility　or　dilating　into　an　atmosphere　of　thin　and

vaporous　generosity；　that　you　may　persuade　your　neighbor　to　let　you

make　his　shoes；　or　his　hat；　or　his　coat；　or　his　carriage；　or　import

his　groceries　for　him；　making　yourselves　sick；　that　you　may　lay　up

something　against　a　sick　day；　something　to　be　tucked　awa