Fishing1钓鱼

It was summer. The hot， still days were followed by evenings of a lovely sultry2 peacefulness scented with mown hay， dog-roses and clover. The river， day and night， looked as if it slept between its rows of still， luscious green reeds.

盛夏时节，炎热寂静的白昼过后，是闷热而又平静怡人的傍晚，到处散发着割下的牧草、犬蔷薇和三叶草的清香。日日夜夜，那条河流仿佛都在熟睡，安卧在静止于两岸的翠绿芦苇丛之间。

Two old friends since youth， Will and Matthew， would often on such evenings walk out together as far as the woods， across the cornfields， along to the edge of the marshes or by the river. They were widowers and all the time talked tenderly of the past， deploring the present and recalling wistfully memories of early days.

威尔和马修，两个自小结交的老友，经常在这样的傍晚一道外出散步。他们有时一直走到树林，有时穿过一块块麦田，还有时顺着沼泽地的边缘走或者沿河而行。这两个鳏夫，一路上说个不停，深情地聊着昔日往事，哀怨地议论当今世态，眷恋地回顾早年岁月。

When they walked by the river， sat on the towing-path3 gates or leaned over the bridge they talked of fishing. They talked， as well， of otter-chasing， of snipe， wild-duck， kingfishers and reed-pipers， of the strange cries of meadow-crakes and owls， of all those things in their lives which were now no more than memories.

每当两人沿河而行，每当他们坐在纤道门栏上或者倚着桥栏杆，就不禁说起钓鱼。他们还会说起捉水獭；说起沙锥鸟、野鸭子、翠鸟和吹芦笛的人；说起岸边草地里的秧鸡和猫头鹰叫声古怪；说起他们生活中所有如今仅存于回忆的东西。

On the bridge one evening， as they watched the flies dancing over the clear， dark surface of the stream and the water flapping sleepily against the reeds and willow-roots， Will pointed and said：

一天傍晚，他俩站在桥上，注视着蝇子飞舞在清澈幽暗的河面上。河水慵懒地拍击着芦苇和柳树根，威尔指着那边说：

‘Under that willow I’ve caught scores of eels.’

“在那棵柳树下，我钓过几十条鳗鲡。”

‘I’ve been with you，’ said Matthew， shaking his head， ‘often and often.’

“我总是跟你一起钓。”马修摇着头说，“钓过很多很多次。”

‘Used to lay the lines overnight，’ went on the other. ‘Every summer.’

“经常在前一天夜里布下钓线。”威尔继续说。“每年夏天都去。”

‘And then come in the morning before it was daylight.’

“然后在凌晨天亮前回来。”

‘Yes， come in the morning before it was daylight， and take the eels.’

“没错，凌晨天亮前，回来取鳗鲡。”

This brief， wistful reflection made them silent. It was between sunset and the summer darkness. Under the bridge the water looked already black and oily， but on Matthew’s watch-chain a medal he had won for fishing still gleamed brightly and the air was still intoxicating and full of warmth.

这阵短暂而感伤的回忆令两人安静下来。时值夏季日落和天黑之间。桥下的河水已经变得黢黑油亮，但扣在马修怀表链子上的那枚垂钓比赛奖章依然闪烁着耀眼的光芒，周遭的空气依然暖烘烘的，令人陶醉。

In the heavy stillness their voices were a dull murmur.

在沉寂的氛围里，他们的交谈变成一阵沉闷的轻声絮语。

‘What times we had！ How many times I’ve been on my belly under that tree！’

“咱俩有过怎样的时光哟！多少回我趴在那棵柳树下啊！”

They kept glancing up at the willow-tree. A flock of birds went over， heading for the green sky above the sunset. Everywhere was silent.

他俩频频仰脸扫视那棵柳树。一群鸟儿掠过树梢，飞向落日之上的绿色天宇。周遭一片寂静。

And then suddenly Matthew exchanged a glance with Will， dropped his gaze to the river again and said：

蓦地，马修与威尔交换了一个眼神，目光复又俯视河面。他说道：

‘Could we catch eels now？’

“咱们现在能钓到鳗鲡吗？”

Without a pause Will exclaimed： ‘Catch eels！ There’s nothing in it.4’

威尔不假思索地说：“钓鳗鲡！小菜一碟。”

‘I’ve been thinking—’

“我一直在寻思——”

‘You just give me an eel-line and I’ll peg it with my eyes shut—and there’d be fish too， mind you.’

“只要给我一根钓鳗鲡的线，我闭着眼睛也能把它拴好，到时就会有鱼儿上钩啦！说真的。”

Another and even more murmurous， wistful silence came over the river after these words. Then Matthew spoke：

这番交谈之后，另一阵更加朦胧、更加感伤的寂静笼罩河面。然后，马修开了口。

‘I’ve been wondering whether we shouldn’t lay a few lines under that willow-tree，’ he said.

“我一直寻思咱们是否应该在那棵柳树下布几根钓线。”他说。

‘Give me a line， I say， and I’ll peg it and there’ll be fish.’

“给我一根线，我说，我把它拴好就能钓到鱼啦。”

‘Shall we？’

“我们要钓吗？”

‘You give me a line.’

“你给我一根线。”

Will seemed to gaze into the cool sky with longing. Matthew said： ‘Let’s go， then. Up in my old loft there’s a few lines hanging.’

威尔似乎满怀期待地凝视着凉爽的夜空。马修说：“那我们快走吧。我的旧厩房里挂着几根钓线呐。”

But for a moment they did not go. In silence they remained watching the twilight creeping over the water， over the meadows， over the sky itself， turning the reeds to black tapers， making the river gleam like quicksilver. And to both the thought of setting eel-lines， coming down before dawn and taking out the fish was for a moment too entrancing5 to be true.

然而，片刻间两人并未挪步。他们依旧默默地看着暮色渐渐漫过水面、草地、天空，把芦苇变成一根根黑色的细长蜡烛，使眼前的这条河像水银似的闪着微光。一时间，布下钓线，再待黎明前来此钓上鳗鲡的想法，对两人而言似乎过于美妙，如同梦幻一般。

Presently， however， they did go. In the river， as they crossed the bridge， Matthew’s shadow was curved， with a white top， and though Will’s was straighter and stiff， like a drumstick， it too was white at the head.

然而，不久他们还是走开了。过桥之际，马修在河里投下蜷曲的身影，顶着一个白色脑袋；威尔的身影虽说直挺一些，形似一根鼓槌，但脑袋也是白的。

Going up into the village between thick rows of hawthorn and elder， a smell of honeysuckle reached them.

走进夹在一排排茂密山楂树和接骨木之间的村子时，他们嗅到了一股忍冬的气味。

‘It’s best to get there by four o’clock，’ Matthew kept saying.