沃尔特·惠特曼/Walter Whitman
It is not only true that most people entirely misunderstand Freedom,but I sometimes think I have not yet met one person who rightly understa nds it.The whole Universe is absolute Law.To the degraded or undevelop ed-and even to too many others-the thought of freedom is a thought of escaping from law-which,of course,is impossible.More precious than a ll worldly riches is Freedom-freedom from the painful constipation and poor narrowness of ecclesiasticism-freedom in manners,habiliments,fur niture,from the silliness and tyranny of local fashions-entire freedom from party rings and mere conventions in Politics-and better than all,a general freedom of oneself from the tyrannic domination of vices,habi ts,appetites,under which nearly every man of us,(often the greatest b rawler for freedom) is enslaved.
Can we attain such enfranchisement-the true Democracy,and the heig ht of it?While we are from birth to death the subjects of irresistible law,enclosing every movement and minute,we yet escape,by a paradox,i nto true free will.Strange as it may seem,we only attain to freedom by a knowledge of,and implicit obedience to Law.Great-unspeakably great-is the Will!The free Soul of man!At its greatest,understanding and obeying the laws,it can then,and then only,maintain true liberty.For there is to the highest,that law as absolute as any-more absolute than any-the Law of Liberty.The shallow,as intimated,consider liberty a r elease from all law,from every constraint.The wise see in it,on the c ontrary,the potent law of Laws,namely,the fusion and combination of t he conscious will,or partial individual law,with those universal,eter nal,unconscious ones,which run through all Time,pervade history,prov e immortality,give moral purpose to the entire objective world,and the last dignity to human life.
大部分人不仅彻底曲解了“自由”的含义，更可怕的是，我有时觉得还没有见过一个能恰当了解“自由”的人。整个宇宙是一个亘古不变的法则。对于堕落和愚昧无知的人，甚至芸芸众生来说，自由就是避开法律，而这肯定是不能实现的。比世俗的所有财富更珍贵的是自由，自由意味着从教会神学的痛苦禁闭和悲观的狭隘中脱离出来；自由意味着在礼仪、服饰、家具上的随心所欲；自由意味着从地方流行的愚蠢和束缚中脱离出来；自由意味着彻彻底底从党派小圈子和政治运作的旧例中脱离出来；其中最为重要的是，当我们每个人差不多都（我们常常大声叫喊着要自由）受控于罪恶、恶习、欲望时，自由意味着自我从奴役的严酷压迫中彻底脱离出来。
我们可以获得这样的自由吗？自由是真正的民主，高度的民主。从出生到死亡，这无法阻挡的法则都在束缚着我们，束缚着我们的一举一动、分分秒秒。可是，说起来有些矛盾，我们却一直想方设法要摆脱拥有真正的自由意志。奇怪的是，唯有学习法则并默默地服从法则，我们才能获得自由。意志是伟大的！人类自由的灵魂是伟大的！伟大得无法形容。当意志力达到完美，理解并服从法则，那时候，仅仅是那时候，人们才能获得真正的自由。这是因为自由的法则无比高尚，同其他法则一样绝对，不，比其他法则还要绝对。肤浅的人认为自由意味着从一切法则的约束中脱离出来。而智者则截然相反，他们从中意识到了威力无穷的众法之法，它是有意识的意志力、局部的个人准则与通用的、持久的、没有意识的法则的融合。而这种法则经历了所有时代，写进了整个历史，被证明是恒久不变的。这种法则为整个客观世界指明了道德方向，为人类的生活保证了最后的尊严。
1.The____Universe is absolute Law.____the degraded or und eveloped--and even to too many others--the thought of freedom is a thoug ht of escaping from____—which,of course,is impossible.
2.Can we attain____enfranchisement--the true Democracy,and t he height of it?While we are from____to death the subjects of ir resistible law,enclosing every movement and minute,we yet escape,by a paradox,into____free will.
3.____its greatest,understanding and obeying the laws,it can____,and then only,maintain true liberty.
1.整个宇宙是一个亘古不变的法则。
2.奇怪的是，唯有学习法则并默默地服从法则，我们才能获得自由。
3.这种法则为整个客观世界指明了道德方向，为人类的生活保证了最后的尊严。
1.It is not only true that most people entirely misunderstand Freed om,but I sometimes think I have not yet met one person who rightly unde rstands it.
not only...but：不但……而且……
2....we only attain to freedom by a knowledge of,and implicit obed ience to law.
attain to：达到（理想的状态）；获得；使属于