The Freedom of the Fly 苍蝇的自由

The Freedom of the Fly
John Ruskin
We can nowhere find a better type of a perfectly free creature than in the common house fly. Not free only, but brave. There is no courtesy in him; he does not care whether it is king or clown whom he tastes; and in every step of his swift, mechemical march, and in every pause of his resolute observation, there is one and the same expression of perfect egotism, perfect independence and self confidence, and conviction of the world's having been made for flies.
Strike at him with your hand; and to him, the aspect of the matter is, what to you it would be, if an acre of red clay, ten feet thick, tore itself up from the ground and came crashing down with an aim. He steps out of the way of your hand. And alights on the back of it. Y ou cannot terrify him, nor govern him, nor persuade him, nor convince him.
He has his own positive opinion on all matters; not an unwise one, usually, for his own ends; and will ask no advice of yours. He has no work to do ----- no tyrannical insects to obey. The earthworm has his digging; the bee her gathering and building; the spider her cunning network; the ant her treasury and accounts. All these are comparative slaves, or people of business. But your fly, free in the air, free in the chamber---a black incarnation of caprice---wandering, investigating, flitting, flirting, feasting at his will, with rich variety of choice in feast, from the heaped sweets in the grocer's window to those of the butcher's back yard----what freedom is like this?
苍蝇的自由
世间万物中最为自由者莫过于苍蝇。

不止自由，这家伙还勇气逼人。

不献殷勤的它根本不在乎所叮对象是何人士，无论是高贵的国王还是低俗的小丑，对苍蝇来说都是一样的。

它总以敏捷机械的节奏行进，摆出副我行我素的派头严密监视着身边一举一动。

在每一步前进中，和监视时每次停留片刻，苍蝇那种惟我独尊，特立独行，信心百倍的心态都无一例外的得以体现，它们坚信，这个世界就是为了苍蝇而存在的。

当你伸手去打苍蝇，它此时的感受，如果换到你身上，就好比，一块一英亩大十英寸深的红土地，突然与地面剥离，腾起身，瞄准你轰然冲撞而来。

而苍蝇只是振翅一飞，不费吹灰之力从你手掌下溜走，一转眼又轻巧的降落于你的手背上。

你吓唬不了它，也甭想去控制它，或说服它，至于战胜它就更没可能了。

苍蝇总以其独有的一种积极观点去看待一切，通常这种观点并非草率形成，毕竟它有自己的目标要实现。

当然，它也懒得向你讨要半点建议忠告。

苍蝇不必俯首帖耳于任何昆虫暴君，自然免受碌碌做工之苦。

你看那蚯蚓日日钻洞不止；蜜蜂辛勤采蜜筑窝；蜘蛛终日为吐丝织网所累，蚂蚁则为了增加储备填满库存忙得不亦乐乎。

比较而言，它们都算得上是动物奴隶了，或者说，都是搞事业的。

但是苍蝇呢，在天空中自由飞舞，满屋子嗡嗡乱蹿–这黑色的小东西就是这么一种自在生活的化身–任性游走于四方，沿路走访调查，打一枪换一炮，全凭自己意愿尽情大吃大喝，从杂货店窗口堆起的诱人甜品，到屠夫家后院的美味鲜肉，它所享用的美食可谓应有尽有–像它这样的自由要去哪里找啊？
苍蝇的自由
我们无论在何处也难见到比普通家蝇更为自由的生物了。

苍蝇既自由自在，又胆大妄为。

它全然不讲什么礼貌客套，不管是国王还是村夫，它想品就品，愿舔就舔。

它每迈出敏捷而机械的一步，或机警地驻足观察，总是流露出一副惟我独尊、独立不群, 而又信心十足的神情，俨然认为这个世界是为苍蝇造就的。

若以掌击之，其情形犹如一英亩大小、十英尺厚之红泥块蓦地拔地而起，劈头盖脑向它砸来。

它却骤然避开你的手掌，又飘然落在你的手背上。

对它，你是吓不倒，管不了，劝不听，说不服。

它对任何事情都有明确的见解。

就其目的而言，不可谓不是明智之见。

它不会求教于你。

它也无事要为，因为它不臣服于任何虫豸暴君。

蚯蚓要挖地打洞；蜜蜂要采蜜筑房；蜘蛛要巧织迷网；蚂蚁要搜财聚宝。

相较之下，皆为奴隶，或为碌碌之辈。

而苍蝇，自由自在、逍遥东西、穿房入室、犹如黑色的精灵，轻飞漫舞、骚首弄姿、任意游荡、四处探访，高兴时便饱餐畅饮：从杂货店窗口处的堆堆糖果蜜饯到肉铺后院的堆堆骨肉，美味佳肴应有尽有，尽情选用，试问世间还有什么自由堪与之相比？。