《瓦尔登湖·第十二章·禽兽为邻·Brute Neighbors》第11节
For hours, in fall days, I watched the ducks cunningly tack and veer and hold the middle of the pond, far from the sportsman; tricks which they will have less need to practise in Louisiana bayous. When compelled to rise they would sometimes circle round and round and over the pond at a considerable height, from which they could easily see to other ponds and the river, like black motes in the sky; and, when I thought they had gone off thither long since, they would settle down by a slanting flight of a quarter of a mile on to a distant part which was left free; but what beside safety they got by sailing in the middle of Walden I do not know, unless they love its water for the same reason that I do.
注释摘要
这段文字是本章末尾的一个安静的收束。梭罗在前面写了蚂蚁的惨烈战争、潜水鸟的狡黠游戏，到了这里，节奏忽然松弛下来，他只是在秋日里长久地望着湖面上的一群野鸭。野鸭懂得贴着湖心走，与岸边的猎人保持最大的距离。“tack and veer”借用了航海术语，暗示它们的游弋像帆船迎风换舷一样机敏而有算计。梭罗说，等它们到了路易斯安那的湖沼里，就不再需要这套技巧了——那…