動(dòng)物因?yàn)楹唵味鴿M足，人因復(fù)雜而產(chǎn)生煩惱，這是人類的悲哀。但動(dòng)物們屈服于人，順從勤勞，任憑人類宰割，這是動(dòng)物的悲哀。 來聽聽作者的《自我之歌》，你會(huì)有什么感觸呢？
I think I could turn and live with animals. They are so placid and self-contained. I stand and look at them long and long. They do not sweat and whine about their condition. They do not lie awake in the dark and weep for their sins. They do not make me sick discussing their duty to God. Not one is dissatisfied. Not one is demented with the mania of owning things. Not one kneels to another, nor to his kind that live thousands of years ago. Not one is respectable or unhappy over the whole earth.
我想我可以轉(zhuǎn)而和動(dòng)物生活一陣子。 動(dòng)物是那樣溫和，那樣沉默寡言， 有時(shí)候，我站在那里注視著動(dòng)物，一看就是半天。 動(dòng)物們不為自己的處境煩惱和哀鳴, 不會(huì)躺在黑暗中徹夜不眠，為自己的罪孽流淚。 動(dòng)物們不會(huì)談?wù)撍麄儗?duì)上主的義務(wù)而令我作嘔, 也沒有哪種動(dòng)物為滿足自己的占有欲而發(fā)狂， 動(dòng)物不會(huì)向另一種動(dòng)物，或是幾千年前的同類屈膝膜拜。 也沒有哪種動(dòng)物是超乎一切的最可敬的或是最勤勞的。