政治理論：亨利·大衛·梭羅：英語精讀講義

Most of the time, 片語搭配

大多數時候，

successful modern life involves lots of technology,

成功的現代生活離不開大量科技的支持，

constantly being connected with other people,

需要時刻與他人保持聯繫，

working very hard for as much money as possible, 文法

為了盡可能多賺錢而拼命工作，

and doing what we're told. 片語搭配

並且循規蹈矩。

So, it may come as a surprise 片語搭配

因此，你可能會感到驚訝，

that some of the best advice about modern life

關於現代生活的一些最佳建議，

comes from an unemployed writer

竟然出自一位失業作家之手，

who lived alone in the woods

他曾獨自生活在樹林裡，

and refused to pay his taxes.

並且拒絕納稅。

Henry David Thoreau

亨利·大衛·梭羅

reminds us about the importance of simplicity,

提醒我們要重視簡單、

authenticity, and downright disobedience. 用詞

真實以及徹頭徹尾的不順從。

He was born in 1817 in Concord,

他於1817年出生在康科德，

an unassuming town west of Boston.

這是一個位於波士頓以西的低調小鎮。

His father was a pencil maker,

他的父親是鉛筆製造商，

and his mother took in boarders. 片語動詞

母親則招攬房客。

He attended Harvard College in 1833,

他於1833年就讀於哈佛學院，

yet he rejected the ordinary career paths 片語搭配

卻拒絕了尋常的職涯道路，

like law, medicine, or the church.

比如法律、醫學或神職。

Then Thoreau struck up a remarkable friendship 片語搭配

後來，梭羅建立了一段非凡的友誼，

with the American transcendentalist philosopher

對方是美國超驗主義哲學家

Ralph Waldo Emerson.

拉爾夫·沃爾多·愛默生。

Transcendentalism is a philosophy

超驗主義是一種哲學，

that emphasizes the importance of the spiritual 片語搭配

它強調精神層面的重要性

over the material

勝過物質層面，

when it comes to leading a fulfilling life. 片語搭配

尤其在追求充實的生活時。

Emerson and his transcendentalism had a huge influence on Thoreau. 片語搭配

愛默生及其超驗主義對梭羅產生了巨大的影響。

Moreover, Emerson helped Thoreau find a place

此外，愛默生還幫梭羅找了個地方，

where he could focus on his writing.

讓他能專注於寫作。

The older man owned a plot of land in the woods 片語搭配

這位長者在樹林裡擁有一塊土地，

surrounding the nearby Walden Pond,

就在附近的瓦爾登湖周圍，

and in 1845 he allowed Thoreau

1845年，他允許梭羅

to build a small cabin there,

在那裡建了一座小木屋，

3 by 4 and 1/2 meters.

尺寸為3乘4.5公尺。

In his 2 years in the cabin,

在小木屋度過的兩年裡，

Thoreau penned the first draft 用詞

梭羅寫下了初稿，

of his most notable work,

那也是他最著名的作品，

Walden or Life in the Woods,

《湖濱散記》（又名《瓦爾登湖》），

which was eventually published in 1854.

該書最終於1854年出版。

It would become an inspirational text about self-discovery. 文法

它將成為一本關於自我發現的鼓舞人心的著作。

Thoreau argued that his escape to Walden Pond

梭羅認為，他逃到瓦爾登湖

was not simply a relaxing retreat to the forest.

並不僅僅是為了去森林裡放鬆身心。

He settled there to live deep

他定居在那裡是為了深刻地生活，

and suck out the marrow of life, 慣用語

「吸乾生活的骨髓」，

as he put it. 片語搭配

正如他所說的那樣。

"I went to the woods

「我步入叢林，

because I wished to live deliberately, 用詞

因為我希望從容地生活，

to front only the essential facts of life, 用詞

僅僅面對生命中基本的事實，

and see if I could not learn what it had to teach, 慣用語

看看我是否能學到它所要教給我的東西，

and not when I came to die,

而不是在臨死時，

discover that I had not lived."

才發現自己沒有真正活過。」

After some time in the cabin,

在小木屋裡待了一段時間後，

Thoreau discovered a different,

梭羅發現了一種不同的、

more conscious lifestyle.

更覺知的生活方式。

To begin with, 表達脈絡

首先，

he concluded that we actually need very few things.

他得出的結論是，我們實際需要的東西很少。

He suggested that we think about our belongings

他建議我們在考慮個人財物時，

in terms of how little we can get by with, 講解

多想想最少需要多少就能過活，

rather than how much we can get. 文法

而不是我們能得到多少。

He managed to sustain himself on only 1 day of work a week. 講解

他設法做到每週只工作一天就能維持生計。

He pointed out that walking the distance 片語搭配

他指出，步行走完

of a 30-mile train journey took a day,

30英里火車路程需要一天時間，

but working to earn the money

但為了掙錢

to pay for the same journey

支付同樣路程的車費，

would take more than a day.

則需要工作一天以上。

Like his friend Emerson,

和他的朋友愛默生一樣，

Thoreau deeply valued what he called self-reliance. 文化背景

梭羅非常看重他所謂的自立。

He distrusted society

他不信任社會，

and the progress it claimed to have made. 文法

也不信任社會自稱取得的進步。

"The civilized man has built a coach," 表達脈絡

「文明人造出了馬車，」

he said,

他說，

"but has lost the use of his feet."

「卻失去了使用雙腿的能力。」

He felt that economic independence

他認為，經濟上

from other people and from the government was crucial,

獨立於他人和政府是至關重要的，

and while he understood that we need companionship

雖然他明白我們有時需要陪伴

from time to time, 片語搭配

偶爾，

he felt that too often we use others' company

但他覺得，我們往往太過頻繁地利用別人的陪伴，

to fill gaps in our inner life 慣用語

去填補內心的空白，

that we're afraid to confront.

那些我們害怕面對的空白。

The task of learning to live alone

對於梭羅來說，學習獨處的任務

was for Thoreau not so much 文法

與其說是

about carrying out daily chores 片語動詞

關於處理日常瑣事，

as it was about becoming a good companion for oneself,

不如說是成為自己的好伴侶，

relying first and foremost on oneself 片語搭配

首要且最重要的是依靠自己獲得

friendship, intimacy,

友誼、親密感，

and moral guidance.

以及道德指引。

"Insist on yourself, 表達脈絡

「堅持做你自己，

never imitate,"

絕不要模仿，」

he wrote.

他寫道。

Most of all, 表達脈絡

最重要的是，

one should change oneself

一個人應該先改變自己，

before seeking to change the world.

再試圖改變世界。

Thoreau also viewed technology as an often unnecessary distraction. 文法

梭羅還把科技看作是一種經常帶來不必要干擾的東西。

He saw the practical benefits of new inventions,

他看到了新發明的實際好處，

but he also warned that these innovations

但他也警告說，這些創新

couldn't address the real challenges 片語搭配

無法解決真正的挑戰，

of personal happiness.

那些關於個人幸福的挑戰。

"Our inventions are wont to be pretty toys 用詞

「我們的發明往往只是漂亮的玩具，

which distract our attention from serious things.

會把我們的注意力從嚴肅的事情上引開。

We are in great haste to construct a magnetic telegraph 片語搭配

我們匆匆忙忙地要建造一條磁性電報線，

from Maine to Texas,

從緬因州通往德州，

but Maine and Texas, it may be, 語氣意圖

但緬因州和德州，也許，

have nothing important to communicate."

並沒有什麼重要的事情需要交流。」

Thoreau believed we should instead look to nature, 片語動詞

梭羅認為，我們反而應該關注自然，

which is full of spiritual significance.

自然充滿了精神層面的意義。

He thought of animals, forests, and waterfalls

他認為動物、森林和瀑布

as inherently valuable both for their beauty

無論是由於其美麗，

and their role in the ecosystem. 片語搭配

還是它們在生態系統中的作用，都具有內在價值。

We can best understand ourselves as a part of nature.

我們最好把自己理解為自然的一部分。

We should see ourselves as nature looking into nature, 慣用語

我們應該把自身視為自然在審視自然，

rather than an external force

而不是一股外部力量，

or the master of nature.

或是自然的主宰。

Most of all, nature provides the meaning

最重要的是，自然提供了

that money and technology

金錢、科技

and other people's opinions cannot,

以及他人的意見所無法提供的意義，

by teaching us to be humble and more aware, 文法

它教導我們要謙遜和更有覺察力，

by fostering introspection and self-discovery.

培養我們的內省與自我發現能力。

This mental state and not money or technology

這種精神狀態，而非金錢或科技，

provides real progress.

帶來了真正的進步。

Thoreau optimistically declared,

梭羅樂觀地宣稱，

"Only that day dawns to which we are awake. 慣用語

「只有我們醒著的那一天，才真正破曉。

There is more day to dawn.

來日方長。

The sun is but a morning star."

太陽不過是一顆晨星。」

Perhaps the best testament of the value

或許最能證明其價值的是，

of Thoreau's individual contemplation

梭羅個人的深思

and personal authenticity

以及真實的本性，

is that his ideas lead him

在於他的思想引導他

to powerful political conclusions.

得出了強而有力的政治結論。

Thoreau argued that people are morally obliged 用詞

梭羅認為，人們在道德上有義務

to challenge a government that upholds 用詞

去挑戰一個維持著

hypocritical or flagrantly unfair laws.

虛偽或公然不公的法律的政府。

So, Thoreau turned to what he called civil disobedience, 文化背景

因此，梭羅轉向了他所謂的公民不服從，

peacefully resisting immoral laws in protest.

以和平的方式抵抗不道德的法律以示抗議。

In July 1846,

1846年7月，

he withheld payment of his poll tax duty 講解

他拒絕繳納人頭稅，

to avoid paying for the Mexican-American War

以避免為美墨戰爭

and slavery.

和奴隸制買單。

"I ask for not at once no government,

「我要求的不是立刻廢除政府，

but at once a better government,"

而是立刻建立一個更好的政府，」

he wrote after spending the night in jail.

他在監獄裡度過一晚後寫道。

It was not until it was picked up 講解

直到後來

by subsequent reformers

被隨後的改革者重新關注，

that his essay Civil Disobedience became

他的這篇名為《公民不服從》的散文才成為

one of the most influential pieces 文法

史上最具影響力的

of American political philosophy in history,

美國政治哲學著作之一，

influencing Gandhi, Martin Luther King,

影響了甘地、馬丁·路德·金恩，

and the anti-Nazi resistance.

以及反納粹抵抗運動。

Despite his time as a hermit, 表達脈絡

儘管他曾有過隱居時光，

Thoreau teaches us how to approach

梭羅教導我們該如何應對

our frighteningly vast, highly interconnected,

我們這個大得可怕、高度互聯

and morally troubling modern society.

且在道德上令人不安的現代社會。

He challenges us to be authentic,

他挑戰我們要保持真實，

not just by avoiding material life and its distractions, 文法

不僅僅是透過避開物質生活及其干擾，

but by engaging with the world

而是要參與世界，

and withdrawing our support for the government 片語搭配

並撤回我們對政府的支持

when we believe it's acting unjustly.

當我們認為它的行為不公時。

His works endure and remind us

他的作品經久不衰，提醒著我們，

of just how important it 文法

這是多麼的重要，

is to remove the distractions of money,

那就是擺脫金錢的干擾、

technology, and other people's views

科技和他人看法的干擾，

in order to live according to our best and truest nature. 片語搭配

以便遵循自己最好、最真實的本性來生活。