Our bachelor uncle who lived with us was a quiet, genial man, much given to hunting and fishing;
與我們?nèi)夜餐畹啮姺蚴迨宄聊蜒?,性情溫和,打獵或垂釣占據(jù)他生活中大多時(shí)光,
and it was one of the pleasures of our young life to accompany him on his expeditions to Great Hill,
于是,跟隨他到處郊游野足成了我們年少時(shí)樂此不疲的快樂生活。我們足跡遍及格瑞特山、
Brandy-brow Woods, the Pond, and, best of all, to the Country Brook.
布蘭迪山坡森林和大湖等地方。令我們最為心馳神往的還是那條康瑞河。
We were quite willing to work hard in the cornfield or the haying lot to finish the necessary day's labor in season for an afternoon stroll through the woods and along the brookside.
夏季來臨,我們通常在玉米地或干草堆邊揮汗如雨,筋疲力盡地做完當(dāng)天必須完成的農(nóng)活,午后,我們便鉆進(jìn)叢林,或者沿那條康瑞河盡興散步。
I remember my first fishing excursion as if it were but yesterday.
恍惚如昨天發(fā)生的一切,那是我首次出去釣魚。
I have been happy many times in my life,
在我一生中,有過許多快樂時(shí)光,
but never more intensely so than when I received that first fishing pole from my uncle's hand, and trudged off with him through the woods and meadows.
可這次釣魚,卻給我留下刻骨銘心的記憶。平生第一次,我從叔叔手里接過那根魚竿,隨他穿過那簇簇叢林,涉過翻飛草場(chǎng),一路跋涉步履艱難。
It was a still, sweet day of early summer; the long afternoon shadows of the trees lay cool across our path;
記得當(dāng)時(shí)正值初夏,四周安靜極了,路邊枝繁葉茂,遮蔽了午后漫長的陽光,
the leaves seemed greener, the flowers brighter, the birds merrier, than ever before.
滿地蓊郁夾雜五顏六色的野花,鳥聲鳴啾不斷,天地間似乎未曾有過這樣的美妙柔和。
My uncle, who knew by long experience where were the best haunts of pickerel, considerately placed me at the most favorable point.
由于長期垂釣生涯,經(jīng)驗(yàn)豐富的叔叔諳知狗魚出沒之地,他極為慎重地幫我選好上佳的垂釣地方。
I threw out my line as I had so often seen others,
素日觀看他人釣魚頗多,我也學(xué)著別人模樣,用力甩出長長的釣線,
and waited anxiously for a bite, moving the bait in rapid jerks on the surface of the water in imitation of the leap of a frog.
然后焦急地等待魚兒上來咬鉤;還不時(shí)模仿青蛙蹦跳姿勢(shì),沿水面上猛拽魚餌,
Nothing came of it. "Try again," said my uncle.
半晌,也沒見一條魚兒上鉤。“再試一次,”叔叔對(duì)我叫道。
Suddenly the bait sank out of sight. "Now for it," thought I; "here is a fish at last."
突然,魚鉤沉下水面,“有了,”我心頭一喜,“咬鉤了。”