第21部分(第1/6 頁)

設法擺脫一切世俗的束縛；尋求真正的自由。然而；只有理解並服從法則；才能獲得真正的自由。自由——這自然界恆久不變的至高法則，在冥冥之中；為整個客觀世界指明瞭道德方向。

Freedom

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　understands　it。　The　whole　Universe　is　absolute　Law。　To　the　degraded　or　undeveloped—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　all　worldly　riches　is　Freedom—freedom　from　the　painful　constipation　and　poor　narrowness　of　ecclesiasticism—freedom　in　manners；　habiliments；　furniture；　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；　habits；　appetites；　under　which　nearly　every　man　of　us；　（often　the　greatest　brawler　for　freedom）；　is　enslaved。　Can　we　attain　such　enfranchisement—the　true　Democracy；　and　the　height　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；　into　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　；　that　law　as　absolute　as　any—more　absolute　than　any—the　Law　of　Liberty。　The　shallow；　as　intimated；　consider　liberty　a　release　from　all　law；　from　every　constraint。　The　wise　see　in　it；　on　the　contrary；　the　potent　law　of　Laws；　namely；　the　fusion　and　bination　of　the　conscious　will；　or　partial　individual　law；　with　those　universal；　eternal；　unconscious　ones；　which　run　t