《瓦尔登湖·第一章·经济篇·Economy》第45节
Such is the universal law, which no man can ever outwit, and with regard to the railroad even we may say it is as broad as it is long. To make a railroad round the world available to all mankind is equivalent to grading the whole surface of the planet. Men have an indistinct notion that if they keep up this activity of joint stocks and spades long enough all will at length ride somewhere, in next to no time, and for nothing; but though a crowd rushes to the depot, and the conductor shouts “All aboard!” when the smoke is blown away and the vapor condensed, it will be perceived that a few are riding, but the rest are run over,—and it will be called, and will be, “A melancholy accident.” No doubt they can ride at last who shall have earned their fare, that is, if they survive so long, but they will probably have lost their elasticity and desire to travel by that time. This spending of the best part of one’s life earning money in order to enjoy a questionable liberty during the least valuable part of it, reminds me of the Englishman who went to India to make a fortune first, in order that he might return to England and live the life of a poet. He should have gone up garret at once. “What!” exclaim a million Irishmen starting up from all the shanties in the land, “is not this railroad which we have built a good thing?” Yes, I answer, comparatively good, that is, you might have done worse; but I wish, as you are brothers of mine, that you could have spent your time better than digging in this dirt.
注释摘要
梭罗在这一段里提出了他所谓"普遍法则"，用的比喻就是他刚刚讨论过的铁路。前文他比较了自己步行去菲奇堡和友人先挣车费再坐火车的区别，结论是步行者更快、更自由。现在他把这个具体例子上升为一个规律：没有人能智胜这个法则，铁路也不例外，"它有多宽，就有多长"——这是一句双关，既指铁轨本身的几何属性，也暗示这个法则的适用范围和铁路本身一样无可逃避。 接下来他描绘了一…