瓦尔登湖翻译六十八

The farmer is endeavoring to solve the problem of a livelihood by a formula more complicated than the problem itself.To get his shoestrings he speculates in herds of cattle.With consummate skill he has set his trap with a hair spring to catch comfort and independence, and then, as he turned away, got his own leg into it.This is the reason he is poor; and for a similar reason we are all poor in respect to a thousand savage comforts, though surrounded by luxuries.As Chapman sings,

“The false society of men—

—for earthly greatness

All heavenly comforts rarefies to air.”

农民按固有的方式竭力解决生存问题，这方式却比问题本身更令人费解。他把那点微薄的收入寄希望于群牛身上，运用纯熟的技能，用一根细若发丝的套索为自己设下陷阱，去捕捉舒适和独立自主的生活，不料，只略略的一转身，自己的一条腿却陷入其中。这便是他贫穷的原故；且基于相似的原因，尽管我们周围充斥着奢华，与原始人的上千种舒适相比，我们都穷得很。正如乔治·查普曼的诗文所言，

“这虚假的人类社会——

为了追寻尘世的伟大，

天堂里的惬怀如空气般缥缈。”