英语小达人 440 Catch of a Lifetime(2)

 He looked around the lake.  他环视了一遍湖。

No other fishermen or boats were anywhere around in the moonlight.  月光下附近没有其他的渔民或船只。

He looked again at his father.  他又看了看他父亲。

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.  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。

He slowly worked the hook out of the lip of the huge bass¹ and lowered it into the black water. 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。

The creature swished its powerful body and disappeared.  鱼儿摆动着它强健的身躯，消失在水中。

The boy suspected that he would never again see such a great fish. 男孩想，他可能再也看不到这么大的鱼了。

That was 34 years ago.  那是34年前的事了。

Today, the boy is a successful architect in New York City.  现在，男孩是纽约的一个成功的建筑师。

His father's cabin is still there on the island in the middle of the lake.  他父亲的小屋依然在湖心岛上，

He takes his own son and daughters fishing from the same dock. 他带着自己的儿女仍然在同一个码头上钓鱼。

And he was right.  他猜得没错。

He has never again caught such a magnificent fish as the one he landed that night long ago.  自那次以后，他再也没有见过那么大的鱼了。

But he does see that same fish-again and again-every time he comes up against a question of ethics². 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。

For, as his father taught him, ethics are simple matters of right and wrong.  他父亲曾告诉他，道德即是简单的对和错的问题，

It is only the practice of ethics that is difficult.  但要付诸行动却很难。

Do we do right when no one is looking?  在没人瞧见的时候，我们是否仍始终如一，一丝不苟？

Do we refuse to cut corners to get the design in on time?  为了将图纸及时送到，我们是不是也会抄近路？

Or refuse to trade stocks based on information that we know we aren't supposed to have? 或者在明知道不可以的情况下，仍将公司股份卖掉？

We would if we were taught to put the fish back when we were young.  在我们还小的时候，如果有人要我们把鱼放回去，

For we would have learned the truth.  我们会这样做，因为我们还在学习真理。

The decision to do right lives fresh and fragrant³ in our memory.  正确的决定在我们的记忆里变得深刻而清晰。

It is a story we will proudly tell our friends and grandchildren.  这个故事我们可以骄傲地讲给朋友和子孙们听，

Not about how we had a chance to beat the system and took it,  不是关于如何攻击和战胜某种体制，

but about how we did the right thing and were forever strengthened.  而是如何做正确的决定，从而变得无比坚强。

1 bass   

n.男低音(歌手)；低音乐器；低音大提琴

参考例句：

• He answered my question in a surprisingly deep bass.他用一种低得出奇的声音回答我的问题。
• The bass was to give a concert in the park.那位男低音歌唱家将在公园中举行音乐会。

2 ethics   

n.伦理学；伦理观，道德标准

参考例句：

• The ethics of his profession don't permit him to do that.他的职业道德不允许他那样做。
• Personal ethics and professional ethics sometimes conflict.个人道德和职业道德有时会相互抵触。

3 fragrant   

adj.芬香的，馥郁的，愉快的

参考例句：

• The Fragrant Hills are exceptionally beautiful in late autumn.深秋的香山格外美丽。
• The air was fragrant with lavender.空气中弥漫薰衣草香。