《瓦尔登湖·第十五章·冬天的禽兽·Winter Animals》第6节
When the ground was not yet quite covered, and again near the end of winter, when the snow was melted on my south hill-side and about my wood-pile, the partridges came out of the woods morning and evening to feed there. Whichever side you walk in the woods the partridge bursts away on whirring wings, jarring the snow from the dry leaves and twigs on high, which comes sifting down in the sun-beams like golden dust; for this brave bird is not to be scared by winter. It is frequently covered up by drifts, and, it is said, “sometimes plunges from on wing into the soft snow, where it remains concealed for a day or two.” I used to start them in the open land also, where they had come out of the woods at sunset to “bud” the wild apple-trees. They will come regularly every evening to particular trees, where the cunning sportsman lies in wait for them, and the distant orchards next the woods suffer thus not a little. I am glad that the partridge gets fed, at any rate. It is Nature’s own bird which lives on buds and diet-drink.
注释摘要
梭罗写鹧鸪的这段文字，在冰封与雪覆的漫长叙述之后，忽然松了下来。雪尚未完全盖住地面，或者快要开春、南坡和柴堆旁的雪先化了——就在这两个过渡时刻，鹧鸪从林子里出来觅食。他写的首先是一个声音与光的场面：人从林间走过，鹧鸪骤然惊飞，翅膀猛烈振动，把高处的干叶子细枝上的雪震落，那雪在阳光束里纷纷筛下，像金色的尘土。这是个很短的瞬间，但梭罗把动作、声响和视觉转换压在…