在你学会树木之前，你必须先学会树木的语言。这是在室内完成的，出自一本书，现在你会认为这是一棵树的变形。这些词本身就是一种学习的乐趣，你可能在一个充满诸如samara, capsule, drupe, legume和pome等术语的异国他乡，那里的树皮是纸状的，镀着的，疣状的或光滑的。但最好的是塑造树叶的文字?圆形的、心形的、裂隙的和肾形的?它们的脉络呢?掌状和平行?小费呢?锐尖，截形，耳状。有了充分的准备，你现在可以到森林和阴凉的街道去看看经验的混乱是如何回答目录和分类的。 Confusedly. The leaves of a single tree May differ among themselves more than they do From other species, so you have to find, All blandly says the book, "an average leaf." Example, the catalpa in the book Sprays out its leaves in whorls of three Around the stem; the one in front of you But rarely does, or somewhat, or almost; Maybe it's not catalpa? Dreadful doubt. It may be weeks before you see an elm Fanlike in form, a spruce that pyramids, A sweetgum spiring up in steeple shape. Still, pedetemtim as Lucretious says, Little by little, you do start to learn; And learn as well, maybe, what language does And how it does it, cutting across the world Not always at the joints, competing with Experience while cooperating with Experience, and keeping an obstinate Intransigence, uncanny, of its own. Think finally about the secret will Pretending obedience to Nature, but Invidiously distinguishing everywhere, Dividing up the world to conquer it. And think also how funny knowledge is: You may succeed in learning many trees And calling off their names as you go by, But their comprehensive silence stays the same.