《瓦尔登湖·第一章·经济篇·Economy》第61节
But all this is very selfish, I have heard some of my townsmen say. I confess that I have hitherto indulged very little in philanthropic enterprises. I have made some sacrifices to a sense of duty, and among others have sacrificed this pleasure also. There are those who have used all their arts to persuade me to undertake the support of some poor family in the town; and if I had nothing to do,—for the devil finds employment for the idle,—I might try my hand at some such pastime as that. However, when I have thought to indulge myself in this respect, and lay their Heaven under an obligation by maintaining certain poor persons in all respects as comfortably as I maintain myself, and have even ventured so far as to make them the offer, they have one and all unhesitatingly preferred to remain poor. While my townsmen and women are devoted in so many ways to the good of their fellows, I trust that one at least may be spared to other and less humane pursuits. You must have a genius for charity as well as for any thing else. As for Doing-good, that is one of the professions which are full. Moreover, I have tried it fairly, and, strange as it may seem, am satisfied that it does not agree with my constitution. Probably I should not consciously and deliberately forsake my particular calling to do the good which society demands of me, to save the universe from annihilation; and I believe that a like but infinitely greater steadfastness elsewhere is all that now preserves it. But I would not stand between any man and his genius; and to him who does this work, which I decline, with his whole heart and soul and life, I would say, Persevere, even if the world call it doing evil, as it is most likely they will.
注释摘要
梭罗在这里处理的是他整个实验最容易被误解也最需要辩护的一层：个人化的生活选择在旁人眼中是不是一种道德上的亏欠。他的邻居们追问他的生活方式，核心责难之一就是这种独居自足是否过于自私，是否逃避了对穷人、对社区的慈善义务。梭罗没有躲避这个问题，他直接把矛头转向了那个时代慈善话语的道德强制。 他先把慈善称为一种 pleasure，紧接着又说自己曾为尽义务而牺牲了这…