文摘│《瓦尔登湖》第三章：读书（上）

With a little more deliberation in the choice of their pursuits, all men would perhaps become essentially students and observers, for certainly their nature and destiny are interesting to all alike. In accumulating property for ourselves or our posterity, in founding a family or a state, or acquiring fame even, we are mortal; but in dealing with truth we are immortal, and need fear no change nor accident.

人们在选择追求目标时，若更深思熟虑一些，大约都会选择成为学者和观察家，因为他们的性质和命运对于所有的人都具有吸引力。当我们为自己或子孙后代积累财富、建立一个家庭或一个国家、甚至沽名钓誉之时，我们都是凡人。然而，当我们面对真理，却能够超越凡俗，既不惧怕变革，也不惧怕事故。（刘绯译）

Says the poet Mir Camar Uddin Mast, “Being seated, to run through the region of the spiritual world; I have had this advantage in books. To be intoxicated by a single glass of wine; I have experienced this pleasure when I have drunk the liquor of the esoteric doctrines.”

诗人密尔.卡马.乌丁.马斯特说：“读书的好处在于，坐着便能驰骋精神世界；当我饮下深奥学说的醇酒，便体会到了一醉方休的快乐。”（刘绯译）

It is worth the expense of youthful days and costly hours, if you learn only some words of an ancient language, which are raised out of trivialness of the street, to be perpetual suggestions and provocations.

用宝贵的少年时光学习几句古文——那些街头巷尾语言的结晶，是颇为值得的，因为它能永远地给予你启迪和激励。（刘绯译）

Men sometimes speak as if the study of the classics would at length make way for more modern and practical studies; but the adventurous student will always study classics, in whatever language they may be written and however ancient they may be. For what are the classics but the noblest recorded thoughts of man?

有的时候，人们似乎认为，对古典著作的研究终将让位于更现代、更实用的研究；但那些有进取之心的学生仍会经常阅读古典著作，不论其年代距今多么遥远。这些书籍若不是记录了人类最崇高的思想，又何谓古典呢？（刘绯译）

To read well, that is, to read true books in a true spirit, is a noble exercise, and one that will task the reader more than any exercise which the customs of the day esteem.

好好读书，即以求实的精神读真实的书，是一种崇高的修炼，所费精力远多于世俗公认的任何修炼，而且几乎须持续终生。（刘绯译）