瓦尔登湖翻译（九）

I sometimes wonder that we can be so frivolous，I may almost say, as to attend to the gross but somewhat foreign form of servitude called Negro Slavery, there are so many keen and subtle masters that enslave both North and South.It is hard to have a Southern overseer; it is worse to have a Northern one; but worst of all when you are the slave-driver of yourself.Talk of a divinity in man! Look at the teamster on the highway, wending to market by day or night; does any divinity stir within him? His highest duty to fodder and water his horses! What is his destiny to him compared with the shipping interests? Does not he drive for Squire Make-a-stir? How godlike, how immortal, is he? See how he cowers and sneaks, how vaguely all the day he fears, not being immortal nor divine, but the slave and prisoner of his own opinion of himself, a fame won by his own deeds.Public opinion is a weak tyrant compared with our own private opinion.What a man thinks of himself, that it is which determines, or rather indicates, his fate. Self-emancipation even in the West Indian provinces of the fancy and imagination—what Wilberforce is there to bring that about? Think, also, of the ladies of the land weaving toilet cushions against the last day, not to betray too green an interest in their fates! As if you could kill time without injuring eternity.

我有时候会诧异我们竟会如此愚不可及，我几乎要说，居然实行罪恶滔天的，从外国引进的黑人奴隶制，有这么多头脑精明的奴隶主，奴役奴隶们达到南北通吃的地步。而且几乎看不到一个南方的奴役监守人；有个北方的监守人简直是糟透了；但是最糟糕的莫过于人去奴役自己。还谈什么人类的神圣与伟大！看看公路上的赶马人，日夜兼程赶往市场的路上；在他的内心，有什么神圣的思想在萌动呢？一个把喂马和饮马视为最高使命的人！与运输利益相比，他的命运算什么？还不是给一位繁忙的绅士赶车吗？他有何神圣，有何不朽可言呢？看看他有多畏首畏尾，有多战战兢兢，既不能不朽也不神圣，而是自己思想的奴隶和囚犯，他所干的行业就挣来这么个名声。公众思想与个人思想相比，公众思想就是个无能的暴君。一个人对自己的思考才能决定，或者准确地印证他的命运。即使在印度西部地区谈论心灵与想象的自我解放——那里何来一个带来光明的威伯福斯呢？想想看，这片土地上的女人们编织着梳妆用的坐垫等死，一点都不关心自己的命运！仿佛蹉跎岁月与永恒无伤呢。