He was 11 years old and went fishing every chance he got from the dock at his family's cabin on an island in the middle of a New Hampshire lake. On the day before the bass season opened, he and his father were fishing early in the evening, catching sunfish and perch with worms. Then he tied on a small silver lure and practiced casting. The lure struck the water and caused colored ripples in the sunset, then silver ripples as the moon rose over the lake. When his peapole doubled over, he knew something huge was on the other end. His father watched with admiration as the boy skillfully worked the fish alongside the dock. Finally, he very gingerly lifted the exhausted fish from the water. It was the largest one he had ever seen, but it was a bass. The boy and his father looked at the handsome fish, gills playing back and forth in the moonlight. The father lit a match and looked at his watch. It was 10 P.M.-- two hours before the season opened. He looked at the fish, then at the boy. "You'll have to put it back, son," he said. "Dad!" cried the boy. "There will be other fish," said his father. "Not as big as this one," cried the boy. He looked around the lake. No other fishermen or boats were anywhere around in the moonlight. He looked again at his father. Even though no one had seen them, nor could anyone ever know what time he caught the fish, the boy could tell by the clarity of his father's voice that the decision was not negotiable. He slowly worked the hook out of the lip of the huge bass and lowered it into the black water. The creature swished its powerful body and disappeared. The boy suspected that he would never again see such a great fish. That was 34 years ago. Today, the boy is a successful architect in New York City. His father's cabin is still there on the island in the middle of the lake. He takes his own son and daughters fishing from the same dock. And he was right. He has never again caught such a magnificent fish as the one he landed that night long ago. But he does see that same fish-again and again-every time he comes up against a question of ethics. For, as his father taught him, ethics are simple matters of right and wrong. It is only the practice of ethics that is difficult. Do we do right when no one is looking? Do we refuse to cut corners to get the design in on time? Or refuse to trade stocks based on information that we know we aren't supposed to have? We would if we were taught to put the fish back when we were young. For we would have learned the truth. The decision to do right lives fresh and fragrant in our memory. It is a story we will proudly tell our friends and grandchildren. Not about how we had a chance to beat the system and took it, but about how we did the right thing and were forever strengthened. 他11岁那时,只要一有机会,就会到他家在新汉普郡湖心岛上的小屋的码头上钓鱼。 鲈鱼季节开放的前一天晚上,他和父亲早早开始垂钓,用小虫作饵钓太阳鱼和鲈鱼。他系上鱼饵,练习如何抛线。鱼钩击在水面,在夕阳中漾起一片金色的涟漪,夜晚月亮升出湖面时,涟漪就成了银色。 当鱼杆向下弯的时候,他知道线的另一端一定钓到了一条大鱼。父亲看着他技巧纯熟地在码头边沿和鱼周旋,眼神充满赞赏。 最后他小心翼翼地将筋疲力尽的鱼提出水面。这是他所见过的最大的一条,还是一条鲈鱼。 男孩和他父亲看着这条漂亮的鱼,它的鱼鳃在月光下一张一翕。父亲点燃一根火柴,看了看表。十点了--离开禁还有两个小时。他看了看鱼,又看了看男孩。 "你得把它放回去,孩子,"他说道。 "爸爸!"男孩叫道。 "还有其他的鱼嘛,"父亲说道。 "但没这么大,"男孩叫道。 他环视了一遍湖。月光下附近没有其他的渔民或船只。他又看了看他父亲。从父亲不可动摇的语气中,他知道这个决定没有商量余地,即使没有人看到他们,更无从得知他们何时钓到了鱼。他慢慢地将鱼钩从大鲈鱼的唇上取下,然后蹲下将鱼放回水中。 鱼儿摆动着它强健的身躯,消失在水中。男孩想,他可能再也看不到这么大的鱼了。 那是34年前的事了。现在,男孩是纽约的一个成功的建筑师。他父亲的小屋依然在湖心岛上,他带着自己的儿女仍然在同一个码头上钓鱼。 他猜得没错。自那次以后,他再也没有见过那么大的鱼了。但每次他面临道德难题而举棋不定的时候,他的眼前总是浮现出那条鱼。 他父亲曾告诉他,道德即是简单的对和错的问题,但要付诸行动却很难。在没人瞧见的时候,我们是否仍始终如一,一丝不苟?为了将图纸及时送到,我们是不是也会抄近路?或者在明知道不可以的情况下,仍将公司股份卖掉? 在我们还小的时候,如果有人要我们把鱼放回去,我们会这样做,因为我们还在学习真理。正确的决定在我们的记忆里变得深刻而清晰。这个故事我们可以骄傲地讲给朋友和子孙们听,不是关于如何攻击和战胜某种体制,而是如何做正确的决定,从而变得无比坚强。
英语散文:一生的收获Life time Catch
英语社
人气:5.64K
相关文章:
- 英语散文:The country Maid and Her Milk Can 村姑和牛奶罐
- 英语散文:Why do leaves change color in the fall? 秋天叶子为什么会变颜色?
- 双语散文:一生的收获Life time Catch
- 英语散文:Catch of a Lifetime 一生的收获
- 双语散文:Catch of a Lifetime 一生的收获
- 双语散文:A Little Piece of Me(生命的过客)
- 英语散文:A Little Piece of Me生命的过客
- 双语散文:回家的感觉真好 It Felt So Good Being Back Home
- 双语散文:A Little Piece of Me生命的过客
- 双语散文:The country Maid and Her Milk Can 村姑和牛奶罐
热门推荐
- 1双语散文:Why do leaves change color in the fall?&
- 2情感美文:A Chance of a lifetime 生命的机遇
- 3蒋健棠英语实用句子(104):This radio can fit in the palm 
- 4英语散文阅读:Life is full of choices 选择积极地生活
- 5双语散文:Life is full of choices 选择积极地生活
- 6职场礼节美语:Small Talk in the Office 办公室的闲谈
- 7心灵鸡汤:A Chance of a lifetime 生命的机遇
- 8双语散文:The life I desired 我所追求的生活
- 9短篇英语散文:How come our fingers are different sizes and lengths?
- 10双语散文:How come our fingers are different sizes 
猜你喜欢
- 1双语散文:A Full Time School Called Life
- 2英语散文:Falling in love with occupier
- 3时尚双语:英国女性恋上化妆品British womens love affair with cosmetics
- 4时尚双语:悉尼APEC:领导人们今年穿什么?No skimpy bathing suits for APEC&
- 5初级美语 Lesson 24:Activities in the Future 将来的活动
- 6英语散文:A Full Time School Called Life
- 7蒋健棠英语实用句子:His successful performance paved the way
- 8双语散文:The Language of Music (音乐的语言)
- 9办公室英语口语第109期:criticizing a lack of effort 批评工作涣散
- 10英语散文:The life I desired 我所追求的生活
- 11双语散文:Falling in love with occupier
- 12英语口语大赢家Topic230:茶馆生活 Life in the Teah
- 13蒋健棠英语实用句子:This teacher has left his mark on e
- 14英语日常口语 Unit84:A visit from the police来自警察局的询问
- 15BBC初级口语:The Meaning of Sleep 睡眠的意义
今日热门
- 1电子工程师 ELECTRONICS ENGINEER
- 2中国导演贾樟柯获戛纳电影节最佳剧本奖Chinese Director Jia Zhangke Won Best Screenplay Prize At The Cannes Film Festival
- 3安徒生童话:卖火柴的小女孩 The Little Match Girl 1
- 4VOA流行美语 Unit 214:get a life和happy camper
- 5英语演讲噶:Change The Ingredients Of Your Life
- 6双语诗歌:The Peace of Wild Things 大自然的安宁
- 7寻找另一半 .
- 8Catch of a Lifetime 一生的收获英语文章阅读
- 9双语散文:那些美丽的花儿 The Nice Flowers
- 10横 山300字
更多推荐
- 1名师介绍雅思听力字数的要求
- 2acoustic backscattering at low grazing angle是什么意思、英文翻译及中文解释
- 3不管是否如此是什么意思、英文翻译及中文解释
- 4容许颤振是什么意思、英文翻译及中文解释
- 5下焦主出是什么意思、英文翻译及中文解释
- 6albiteepidote amphibolite facies是什么意思、英文翻译及中文解释
- 7双语笑话 第100期:区别差异性
- 8automatic equalizer是什么意思、英文翻译及中文解释大纲
- 9苯酰氧基是什么意思、英文翻译及中文解释
- 10事件/状态概念是什么意思、英文翻译及中文解释
- 11系统慢化反应堆关键部件是什么意思、英文翻译及中文解释
- 12aerodreadnaught是什么意思、英文翻译及中文解释范例
- 13beef in rich gravy是什么意思、英文翻译及中文解释
- 14defibering machine是什么意思、英文翻译及中文解释
- 15德语听力部分题型介绍