《瓦尔登湖·第一章·经济篇·Economy》第60节
Undoubtedly, in this case, what is true for one is truer still for a thousand, as a large house is not proportionally more expensive than a small one, since one roof may cover, one cellar underlie, and one wall separate several apartments. But for my part, I preferred the solitary dwelling. Moreover, it will commonly be cheaper to build the whole yourself than to convince another of the advantage of the common wall; and when you have done this, the common partition, to be much cheaper, must be a thin one, and that other may prove a bad neighbor, and also not keep his side in repair. The only coöperation which is commonly possible is exceedingly partial and superficial; and what little true coöperation there is, is as if it were not, being a harmony inaudible to men. If a man has faith, he will coöperate with equal faith everywhere; if he has not faith, he will continue to live like the rest of the world, whatever company he is joined to. To coöperate, in the highest as well as the lowest sense, means to get our living together. I heard it proposed lately that two young men should travel together over the world, the one without money, earning his means as he went, before the mast and behind the plow, the other carrying a bill of exchange in his pocket. It was easy to see that they could not long be companions or coöperate, since one would not operate at all. They would part at the first interesting crisis in their adventures. Above all, as I have implied, the man who goes alone can start to-day; but he who travels with another must wait till that other is ready, and it may be a long time before they get off.
注释摘要
梭罗在这一段里拿住宅做比喻，先退了一步：他承认，对一个人成立的东西，搬到一千人身上似乎更成立，就像大房子不比小房子按比例贵出多少，因为一面屋顶、一个地窖、一面隔墙可以同时服务于好几户人家。这话听起来像是在为集合居住、合作建房说好话，但他立刻收回来——而我情愿独居。从“经济”的角度，住宅合作貌似可以压低成本，但他立即转入另一种账本：人际合作的成本往往高得看不…