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 bass1 season opened, he and his father were fishing early in the evening, catching2 sunfish and perch3 with worms. Then he tied on a small silver lure4 and practiced casting. The lure struck the water and caused colored ripples5 in the sunset, then silver ripples as the moon rose over the lake.
When his fishing rod doubled over, he knew something huge was on the other end. His father watched with admiration7 as the boy skillfully worked the fish alongside the dock.
Finally, he very gingerly lifted the exhausted8 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 forth9 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.
catch of a lifetime 一生的收获
1、 cabin n. 简陋的小房子，小屋
2、 bass n. 河鲈
3、 open vt. （狩猎等）开放，不受限制
4、 sunfish n. （产于北美的）太阳鱼
5、 perch n. 鲈鱼
6、 lure n. 鱼饵
8、 peapole n. 此处指鱼杆
9、 gingerly ad. 小心翼翼地，很谨慎地
10、 gill n. （鱼）鳃
11、 negotiable a. 可谈判的，可磋商的
12、 swish vt. 嗖地挥动，沙沙地移动
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