What a walk is this to me! I have no need of book or companionthe days, the hours, the thoughts of my youth are at my side, and blend with the air that fans my cheek. Here I can saunter for hours, bending my eyes forward, supposing and turning to look back, thinking to strike off into some less trodden path, yet hesitating to quit the one I am in, afraid to snap the brittle threads of memory. I remark the shining trunks and slender branches of the birch trees, waving in the idle breeze; or a pheasant springs up on whirling wing; or I recall the spot where I once found a wood-pigeon at the foot of a tree, weltering in its gore, and think how many seasons have flown since “it left its little life in the air”. Dates, names, faces come backto what purpose? Or why think of them now? or rather why not think of them oftener? We walk through life, as though a narrow path, with a thin curtain drawn around it; behind are ranged rich portraits, airy harps are strung---- yet we will not stretch forth our hand and lift aside the veil, to catch glimpses of the one, or sweep the chords of the other. As in a theater when the old-fashioned green curtain drew up, groups of figures, fantastic dresses, laughing faces, rich banquets, stately columns, gleaming vistas appeared beyond; so we have only at any time to “ peep though the blanket of the past,” to possess ourselves at once of all that has regaled our senses, that is stored up in our memory, that has struck our fancy, that has pierced our hearts: yet to all this we are indifferent, insensible, and seem intent only on the present vexation, the future disappointment.
參考譯文：
散步
對我來說，這是多么愜意的散步啊!我無需書籍，也無需陪伴-----青春的時光，年輕的思緒都一一浮現(xiàn)眼前，消融在拂面的輕風(fēng)里。我可以漫步數(shù)小時，極目遠(yuǎn)眺，不斷思索，轉(zhuǎn)身回望。我想步入一條鮮有人走的小道，卻又遲遲不能離開所在的道路，唯恐扯斷記憶的絲線。眼前的白樺樹干閃閃發(fā)光，纖細(xì)的枝條在徐徐微風(fēng)中輕輕搖曳;或看到一只山雞撲閃著翅膀飛起;或突然想起曾在一棵樹下，看到一只斑鳩在血泊中翻滾，便不禁想從"那小小生命隨風(fēng)而去"到現(xiàn)在已經(jīng)流逝了多少個歲月?日期，名字，面容都一涌而至--但這些都有何用意? 或者為何現(xiàn)在想起它們?為何不更經(jīng)常地記起? 人這一生，就像走在薄幕圍住的狹路上;其后排列著幅幅畫像，豎琴悠揚，然而我們都不愿伸出手，挑開幕簾，瞥一眼后面，撫一下琴弦。就像在劇院里，當(dāng)古色古香的綠色大幕緩緩拉開，一群群的人物，光怪陸離的服飾，一張張笑臉，一場場豐盛的宴會，莊嚴(yán)肅穆的柱欄，閃閃發(fā)光的遠(yuǎn)景都會展現(xiàn)舞臺上;任何時候，只要我們"透過幕簾稍稍窺視過去"，一切感官上的愉悅，那些深埋在心底的記憶，激發(fā)想像的事物，還有剌痛心扉的所有，都會立刻占據(jù)我們的心房:然而我們對這些都麻木不覺，無動于衷，似乎一心只沉浸于現(xiàn)在的煩惱與將來的無望之中。
