Nature大自然

To go into solitude， a man needs to retire as much from his chamber as from society. I am not solitary whilst I read and write， though nobody is with me. But if a man would be alone， let him look at the stars. The rays that come from those heavenly worlds， will sep-arate between him and what he touches. One might think the atmosphere was made transparent with this design， to give man， in the heavenly bodies， the perpetual presence of the sublime. Seen in the streets of cities， how great they are！ If the stars should appear one night in a thousand years， how would men believe and adore; and preserve for many generations the remembrance of the city of God which had been shown！ But every night come out these envoys1 of beauty， and light the universe with their admonishing smile.

独自修行，须远离家门，远离社会。我读书、写作，形单影只，但内心并不孤独。假如一个人渴望独处，不妨仰首眺望星空——那天堂之光会把他跟周围的俗物截然分开。但见天空一片透明，令人遐想不已：天体万道光芒，昭示着上帝无时不在。站在城里的大街上放眼望去——群星璀璨！如果那些星星千年一现，让我们一睹其风采，定会激发我们的信仰、赢得我们的崇拜——人类千秋万代都将把“上帝之城”铭刻在记忆里。更何况那些“美”的使者夜夜出现，嫣然一笑，令宇宙生辉。

The stars awaken a certain reverence， because though always present， they are inaccessible2; but all natural objects make a kindred3 impression， when the mind is open to their influence. Nature never wears a mean appearance. Neither does the wisest man extort4 her secret， and lose his curiosity by finding out all her perfection. Nature never became a toy to a wise spirit. The flowers， the animals， the mountains， reflected the wisdom of his best hour， as much as they had delighted the simplicity of his childhood.

群星令人望而心生敬意——它们抬头可见，却遥不可及。只要我们敞开心扉观赏自然景物，会有同感。从未见大自然露出过猥琐的面容。智者也绝不会着意探寻大自然的奥秘，因为一旦穷尽其风采，很可能会淡化兴趣。在智者的心中，大自然绝非平俗之物。在单纯的童年时代，鲜花、动物及群山曾给他们带来了欢乐，而在他们年富力强时，则是他们智慧的源泉。

When we speak of nature in this manner， we have a distinct5 but most poetical sense in the mind. We mean the integrity6 of impression made by manifold natural objects. It is this which distinguishes the stick of timber of the wood-cutter， from the tree of the poet. The charming landscape which I saw this morning， is indubitably7 made up of some twenty or thirty farms. Miller owns this field， Locke that， and Manning the woodland beyond. But none of them owns the landscape. There is a property in the horizon which no man has but he whose eye can integrate8 all the parts， that is， the poet. This is the best part of these men’s farms， yet to this their warranty-deeds9 give no title10.

如此谈论大自然，我们内心有一种独特的感觉，荡漾着盎然的诗意。这就是我们对丰富多彩的自然景物产生的总体印象。正是这种印象将伐木工伐倒的圆木和诗人歌颂的绿树区别开来。今天早晨看到一道迷人的风景线——无疑那是二三十个农场连成一片构成的风景线。一片地是米勒家的，另一片是洛克家的，而远处的树林归曼宁家所有。但“风景”不归任何人所有。天地交接之处的那些景物没有主人，只有诗人的目光可以将所有的一切融为一体。那些人家的农场最精彩之处就是这些了，然而这并不能写入他们的地契。

To speak truly， few adult persons can see nature. Most persons do not see the sun. At least they have a very superficial seeing. The sun illuminates only the eye of the man， but shines into the eye and the heart of the child. The lover of nature is he whose inward and outward senses are still truly adjusted to each other; who has retained the spirit of infancy even into the era of manhood. His intercourse with heaven and earth， becomes part of his daily food. In the presence of nature， a wild delight runs through the man， in spite of real sorrows. Nature says， —he is my creature， and maugre11 all his impertinent12 griefs， he shall be glad with me. Not the sun or the summer alone， but every hour and season yields its tribute13 of delight; for every hour and change corresponds to and authorizes a different state of the mind， from breathless noon to grimmest midnight. Nature is a setting that fits equally well a comic or a mourning piece.

实话说，很少有成年人能欣赏大自然。大多数人对太阳视而不见。或者他们只是走马观花地一看。太阳只能照亮成年人的眼睛，而对孩子而言，不仅照亮了他们的眼睛，也照亮了他们的心。热爱大自然者，感官和内心协调一致，即便步入成年期，依然童心不泯。他们跟天地的沟通，如家常便饭。尽管内心悲怆，但在大自然面前，他们会欣喜若狂。大自然会宣称：他们是我的子民；无论多么悲伤，和我在一起，他们就感到欢欣。非但太阳和明媚的夏天能给人带来欢乐，时光交替、季节更迭，从气闷的中午到黑暗的夜间，大自然无时无刻不在影响着我们，使我们的心境千变万化。大自然既可为喜剧的背景，亦可烘托悲剧的色彩。

In good health， the air is a cordial14 of incredible virtue. Crossing a bare common15， in snow puddles16， at twilight， under a clouded sky， without having in my thoughts any occurrence of special good fortune， I have enjoyed a perfect exhilaration. I am glad to the brink of fear. In the woods too， a man casts off his years， as the snake his slough17， and at what period soever of life， is always a child. In the woods， is perpetual youth. Within these plantations of God， a de-corum18 and sanctity19 reign， a perennial20 festival is dressed， and the guest sees not how he should tire of them in a thousand years. In the woods， we return to reason and faith. There I feel that nothing can befall me in life，—no disgrace， no calamity， （leaving me my eyes，） which nature cannot repair. Standing on the bare ground，—my head bathed by the blithe21 air， and uplifted into infinite space， —all mean egotism vanishes.

处于健康状态，会觉得空气无异于甘露美酿，散发出令人难以置信的芬芳。踏着雪水泥浆，头顶满天的乌云，在苍茫的暮色里穿越空旷的野地，心里怎么也想不到会有好运降临。此时，心里涌起一阵喜悦——这种欢乐，我真害怕会失去。在树林里，人会将自己的年龄抛在脑后，犹如蛇抛掉蜕下的蛇皮，不管处于什么样的年龄段，都将保持一颗童心。林中，青春永不褪色。这儿是上帝的田园，笼罩着庄严、圣洁的气氛，盛典搬演不息，一千年也不让人厌倦。林中，我们回归理性和信仰。在那里，我感觉生活中不会遭遇任何不幸——无论什么耻辱或灾难（哪怕失明），大自然都能补救。站在旷野中，沐浴着欢乐的气氛，仰望浩瀚天际，所有卑劣的狂妄自大都从心里消失得无影无踪。

I become a transparent eye-ball; I am nothing; I see all; the currents of the Universal Being circulate through me; I am part or particle of God. The name of the nearest friend sounds then foreign and accidental： to be brothers， to be acquaintances， —master or servant， is then a trifle and a disturbance. I am the lover of uncontained and immortal beauty. In the wilderness， I find something more dear and connate22 than in streets or villages. In the tranquil landscape， and especially in the distant line of the horizon， man beholds somewhat as beautiful as his own nature.