大学生《瓦尔登湖》英文读后感

大学生《瓦尔登湖》英文读后感

【导语】在这个浮躁的社会，心静者胜出。读书的力量常常并不是通过肉 体感官体现，而是细水长流地潜移默化给精神。有人说：“书中有人，人在书里，书人合一。”这“人”，是作者，也是阅读者。为您提供！更多精彩请不要错过，关注吧！

【篇一】瓦尔登湖英文读后感

Walden is a masterpiece written by Henry David Thoreau （1817-1862）， who was

born in Concord, Massachusetts. The age he lived had witnessed the flourish of

capitalism as well as the prosperity of industrialization and urbanization.

During the 19th century, the American economy developed at so fast rate that

most people were bound up in pursuing the material satisfaction , while ingored

the spiritual life to a great extent. But Thoreau was quite different from other

people, he disdained the modern civilization and attached more importance

to

the spirit than the material. He thought many people of his time lived in a

non-human-like modern society and many modern appliances, such as trains and

telegraphs, had done harm to people’s harmonious life peace and also broken the

relationship between human and nature.

In order to prove that without the modern instruments , people can also

live a happy life, in 1845, he moved into a cabin on the shore of Walden Pond

and live there alone for two years to get close to the nature .Walden, is the

famous book mainly talks about his life and thoughts during those days living in

the woods .

Thoreau was so happy with the life living near the lake of Walden that he

felt it a sweet grace to have the nature’ accompany and even the sounds of

rain

and the sights around his house were full of sincere friendship. In his eyes,

the nature was an intimate friend of him and all things in the nature were

lively and vivacious. And all kinds of animals in the wood, such as field

mouses, robins and wild rabbits were amicably treated and regarded as his

adorable companions. He even thought that plants were also had the right to live

equal with human beings. Just because of this, he even blamed himself for

hitting chestnut trees with stones. From many words or sentences, we can easily

feel Thoreau’s deep love and care towards nature.

Besides, Thoreau was a pioneering nature lover, who called on people to

stop destorying nature but protect it by setting himself an example to others.

The consciousness of the environmental protection is becoming more and

more

important in our modern society, while the whole world is trapped in some

serious ecological crisises resulting from hunting and killing animals, cutting

down trees and polluting the rivers for pursuit of human beings’ own interests.

We all have the common sense that the number of wildlife is decreasing, the

area of lake is shrinking, and the water is not clear any more. What’s worse,

environment problems such as globe warming, climate change and air and water

pollution are deteriorating during the commercial process . So it’s high time

that we should realize we never be the dominator of the whole world conquring

nature, but should spare no efforts to improve the environment right away. That

is, we should comply with the natural laws, make reasonable utilization of

natural resources and keep the harmonious development between the society and

the environment. Only in this way will we has an opportunity to embrace a bright

future and achieve a sustainable society .

In the book, Walden, Thoreau not only advocated the protection of nature,

but also encourage people to comprehend and return to nature. He told us using

his own experience that by living a simple life close to nature, we human beings

will find out the true value of life and significance of existence.

After reading the book, what impressed me most is the description of the

fascinating scenery around the Walden pound, especially these sentences: “A lake

is the landscape’s most beautiful and expressive feature. It is earth’s eye;

looking into which the beholder measures the depth of his own nature. The

fluviatile trees next the shore are the slender eyelashes which fringe it, and

the wooded hills and cliffs around are its overhanging brows”. To Thoreau, the

Walden lake is like a charming and melting girl , who has slender eyelashes and

likes to dress herself in different beautiful clothes with the changes of

different seasons.

Every morning after getting up, Thoreau would have a bath in the Walden

lake to start a new day. After that, he used to wander around the pond and

refresh himself with the fresh air. In summer days , he cultivated a piece of

land and growed beans, blackberries, johnsworts and the like. The depiction of

his leisure rurality spontaneously reminds me of Tao Yuanming, the famous

Chinese poet, who lived in the Jin Dynasty and made his life meaningful by

returning to the nature and perfecting himself. If Thoreau and Tao Yuanming

lived in the same period and place, they would probably become best friends.

From the book, we know that during the years when Thoreau lived near the

Walden, he did not completely isolate himself from the outside world. Sometimes

he went to the town and did odd jobs and would receive visitors and friends in

his cabin at times. As I mention before, the intention for his living in the

woods was that he wanted to teach people how to live a simple life, achieve

enjoyment from the nature, free oneself from the strained daily life and what is

more important is to reevaluate the value of social life.

Thoreau’s though of enjoying a simple life has a more realistic

significance and have become a valuable spiritual wealth in our modern society.

With the development of the material civilization, people’s desires are swelling

limitlessly and many people are busy with the pursuit of wealth and luxurious

life by any means, including at the expense of nature. However, even in the

society materially affluent and technologically advanced , people are not be

more happier than those people who lived centuries ago, but even feel less

satisfactory and complaint more about their present life as a result of having

unbounded desires of getting more and better. Therefore, many people who possess

a lat have become slaves of machine, working more but do not have the ability to

enjoy what they have.

In the book Walden, Thoreau had realize this problem several hundreds ago.

Thus, he set his mind to give a enlightenment to awake people and encourage them

to live a simple life. His thoughts have great similarity with the belief of

our Chinese humanism, that is, the meaning of life lies in the sane and healthy

enjoyment of a simple life. In fact, Thoreau and his teacher and friend Emerson

praised highly on Confucianism and both them benefited a lot from it. I am very

happy to see the interlinked place between Chinese culture and western

culture.

Reading this book is like having a tranquil steam flow through my heart,

washing the dust in my mind. It teaches me how to keep a pure spirit in the

complex society, set proper goals for my life as well as enjoy the endows of

nature. In short, I feel it quite worthwhile to read the book Walden. I

sincerely hope more and more people would like to read this book and receive

benefits from it .

【篇二】瓦尔登湖读后感英文版

Henry David Thoreau （1817-1862）， the author of Walden, was born in Concord,

Massachusetts. When he was a child, he always went to the woods and field with

his old brother. So he loves the nature very much. In the middle of 19th

century, American economies developed so rapidly that most people pursuit the

material life and ignore the spiritual life. But Thoreau wants to live a simple

life. Also for the Transcendentalist Movement was centered in Concord and

Emerson had a great influence on him. All these made Thoreau go to build a cabin

on the shore of Walden Pond and live alone to close to the nature in 1845.

Later, he wrote the famous book, Walden, which mainly talks about his life and

thoughts during he lived alone in the woods near Walden Pond.

When Walden was published in 18, it was not well accepted by people.

Instead it was regarded as “wicked and heathenish” .It was published only one

time until Thoreau died of disease. But many years later especially in twentieth

century, it was gradually known and appreciated by lots of readers all over the

world.

This is a book which tells in spring Thoreau starts building a cabin in the

woods， thinking about life, reading some books, and listening to the sound of

nature. In autumn, he cultivates beans, observes Walden Pond. In winter, the

Walden Pond freeze, lots of animals accompanies with him. As?spring’s coming,

the Walden?and other ponds melt. Every thing in nature is awake and reborn

including Thoreau. After two years,?Thoreau leaves.

Thoreau first writes that most people pursuit their necessary things of

life such as fashionable clothes, houses and equipment. They pursuit these

things while Thoreau go to the woods to building a cabin which only costs

$28.12, eating simple food and?needing little furniture. So?one of chapters in

his book, “Higher Law”, emphasizes more on the spiritual aspect instead of the

satisfaction of material. Further more; he urges people to read more classic

literature such as Homer’s Iliad and Odyssey and?other great writers’

masterpiece.

He also writes that though he?lives alone in the woods, he is close

to?nature and makes himself as a part of nature. He?lives alone, but sometimes

he also?talks with his visitors who are honest, sincere, thinkable and loving

their life.

Thoreau also mentions that the noise?in the town and the whistle of train

disturb the quite life of the town. However, in the woods?life is quite.

When?he?lives in the woods, he can listen to animals’ sounds such as bird’s

singing, owl’s hooting, cockerel’s crowing etc. He?lives with animals friendly.

He also describes the?Walden Pond. The water, blue and green, clear and pure,

freezes in winter and melts in spring.

When I was reading Walden?I felt that?I was listening to a wise man’s

talking. The words and phrases about the nature?especially the Walden Pond are

beautiful and?fascinating. The sentences are full of wisdom and philosophy.

Reading this?book reminds me of those people who work hard to earn money,

waste lots?of money to buy luxury and expensive things, waste time to entertain

themselves. In my?point?of view, they may easily lose themselves, and though

their bodies are full, their minds are hungry. The real life is to?make

every?complicate thing to?be simple and?enrich our heart?and soul. In a word,

just simplicity 、simplicity and simplicity!

One of?Thoreau’s thoughts about solitude attracts me deeply for I’m the

person who likes to be alone. There are some reasons for why I like to be alone:

Firstly I think that living with others is?easy going to have a conflict

whatever?you?are best friends. Secondly just as Thoreau?saying ‘a man thinking

or working always alone and let him be where he will’。 I?always spent most of

time to study, and I like to make myself busy all the time, so I have little

time to stay with others. In addition to, what I’m?thinking and interested in is

quite different from others. I like studying at library and reading books but

don’t like pursuit fashionable and new trend things for it makes me feel tired

and bored. So I always live alone and people who around me think I must be

lonely. Actually it’s not true. They don’t understand me at all. When I’m

studying, learning or reading, I don’t think other things, just immersing in the

ocean of knowledge .My heart is quite calm. And if learn new knowledge I got a

feeling of happiness, satisfaction and fulfillment. So I was so surprised that

what Thoreau said was exactly same to what I thought. I was so glad to find a

person who has the same idea with me.

When Thoreau lived alone in the woods, people did not understand him, even

Emerson thought what he did was wrong. And now, people who around me think my

life is not good. But I think Thoreau’s life was successful, meaningful and

happy, so do I. Because I think that the success and happiness of life all come

from exactly value. Everyone deeply desires of themselves life. When you know

what the value of yourself is, meanwhile you can enjoy your life according to

the value every time. You will find that everyday you have full of energy and

enthusiasm to do anything, hear the sure sound from your heart, and often feel

intense achievement, the most important is that your heart is peace and

calm.

Last but not least, I envy Thoreau so much for he lives in such a beautiful

and comfortable nature environment. He can breathe the fresh air, live with wild

animal friendly; appreciate the scenery of Walden Pond etc. While in modern

society, people pursuit their own interests to hunt and kill animals, cut down

trees and pollute the rivers and so on. As a result, the number of wildlife is

decreasing, the area of lake is shrinking, and the water is not pure any more.

The environment problems such as globe warming, climate change and air and water

pollution have been becoming increasingly serious. Reading this book makes me be

aware of protecting the environment to realize the harmony between human and

nature.

The concept of responsibility is a necessary fiction. Although socities

must hold their individuals accountable for their own actions, people’s behavior

is largely determined by forces not of their own making.”

In the title statement, the speaker holds the contention that the concept

of ‘individual responsibility’ is no existence but a fiction. Moreover, the

speaker says that the behaviors of human beings are fundamentally determined by

the environment which out of their control. Admittedly, one’s actions are deeply

influenced by laws, societies, schools and families and other exterior forces;

individual responsibility exists and functions as a significant role to rule

people’s behaviors as well.

On one hand, the highest social animal as human being is, any individual

has his specific role in a certain society. And this specific role gives one

social identity and individual responsibility through education in schools and

influence of ethical and moral standards. Though some times one would feel that

the certain responsibility is obligation from the society and organizations

rather than his ‘individual responsibility’ at first, in most cases, the

accountability would presumably become one’s own eventually followed by the

final identification of his specific social identity, and then direct one’s

behaviors without the force from the exterior world. For example, a soldier

would think it is his duty to obey the rules without any hesitation; a surgeon

would consider healing the patients as his accountability; and a historian would

feel it is his responsibility to discover what is behind the historical

descriptions. In fact, different careers and roles form diverse individual

responsibilities, which result in individuals’voluntary behaviors.

On the other hand, there are not only specific individual responsibilities

in diverse areas but also some fundamental values and accountabilities, which we

all human beings cherish. From the moment one can speak or even is born, the

society begins to instill the moral and ethical standards, which is so called

humanity in every one’s mind. The older one is, the deeper influence the

humanity would be. When one is just a little child, he would go directly to what

he like and claim it. Then when he is old enough, he would realize that it is

incorrect and ashamed. And because of the awareness of what is right and wrong,

one would probably never do any misdeed again. Actually, humanity is just the

common individual responsibility shared by all of us.

However, every one lives in a certain society thereby one’s behavior is

more or less influenced by forces not of their own making. And to operate

normally, every society has its laws, though many times have differences among

them. It is true that humanity plays an essential role in ruling individuals’

behaviors; yet laws are necessary. Under the control of laws, people who have

little individual responsibility would probably not dare to do any crime in fear

of law punishment. Besides laws, for example in school, rules are also an

important factor as well as individual responsibility. Nowadays, in most

universities, a student who does not pass some certain courses in his four years

college life would not get his diploma of bachelor’s degree. So even if a

student does not like his discipline, or dose not care about his GPA, the

pressure of graduating forces him not to playing computer or basketball all the

time.

In addition, individual responsibility and forces from outside world have

overlapped parts some times. For instance, studying diligently is some hard-

working students’ individual responsibility as well as the pressure from schools

and society.

Generally speaking, it is hasty and incorrect to conclude that the concept

of ‘individual responsibility’ is a necessary fiction. On the contrary,

individual responsibility plays an important role which cannot be replaced.

However, laws and the exterior force also have their significance as well. Thus

we can not put either of them aside and pay more attention to another

Although I may not understand Thoreau’s thoughts completely, I’m really

benefited from reading the book, Walden.