To be with someone who was able to treasure the moment the way he did made me feel like I was exploring fly-fishing for the first time. I showed him how to keep his fly from dragging，how to fish the deeper pools. He was absorbed by the whys and the hows and the execution. And the fish， whether six inches or ten，were praised like precious stones. In the late afternoon，about the time the skin begins to feel sore from a fresh sunburn，my client stopped fishing. His shoulders dropped，and he paused to look at the water，the trees and，finally，at me.
“I have to tell you something，”he said.“This has been one of the best days of my life. The reason I，m telling you is，I wasn，t supposed to be here right now. I，ve been very sick，and the doctors didn，t think I was going to make it. I wasn，t sure I was going to make it，but I，ve been well since last fall，and everything is fine now. My wife gave me this equipment because I，ve always wanted to fly-fish，and this trip is kind of a celebration for our family. This really has been one of the best days of my life.”
I could not speak. I looked into his eyes and nodded. He smiled at me and cast again. We left the creek only after hearing the triangle ringing for dinner in the distance.
His wife，who was waiting on the front porch of their cabin，embraced him and asked how he had done.“Fantastic，absolutely fantastic.”His children，a seven-year-old girl and a teenage boy， followed him inside，interrupting each other to tell him what they had done that day. I could see that the dark cloud that had hung over them for so long had passed，and they were finally able to enjoy something as simple as being a family.
Down the dirt road my vehicle bounced over ruts and rocks as I followed the creek that had given us“fantastic，”“beautiful，”“amazing”trout. The next day there would be a new fisherman to meet. And I would not let stiff，expensive clothes or a backward-mounted reel deceive me into thinking he had nothing to teach me.
我在位于蒙大拿州的度假牧场会见我的新客户，这个牧场外表看起来虽有些简陋，一点都不起眼，但里面绝不 仅仅只是些畜圈和工棚。戴着白色高帽的大厨会准备美味丰盛的佳肴；前台边的架子上贴着按摩服务的登记表 ；桌子左边放着传真机和复印机。
我下车迎接客户和他的妻子。他的体格强壮结实，不过他看上去像展示户外运动装备的模特：上身穿着崭新硬 挺的钓鱼背心；胸前挂着各种五金器具，闪闪发光，崭新如初，就好像是工具房刚拿出来的；他脚上蹬着的防 水鞋的毛毡洁白如雪；肩上扛着一个纯手工制作的渔网；钓竿从没见水，更别提钓到鱼了；鱼线因未使用过而 光亮如新；鱼竿上的绕线轮竟还是反着装的。
明显就是个新手，我心想。我伸出手同他握手，他有力地回握住我的手。他的妻子是一位洋溢自信且魅力无比 的女性，她给我们拍了一张合影后，挥了挥那戴着好几只厚重的绿玉手镯的手向我们告别。
我将他的线轮转了过来，他笑着耸了耸肩。接着我们在屋后的草坪上练习抛投拉竿。
令我惊讶的是，他是那种为数不多很快和鱼竿亲近起来的人，他的身影映在草坪上，鱼线犹如施了魔法一般在 倒影上舞动。
“我能一整天都站在这儿抛投拉竿。”他微笑着说。
我们不需要走很远去找有水的地儿，因为早上来的路上，沿着六英里内那布满车辙的泥土路边，就有一条清澈 优美的小溪潺潺流过。温暖和煦的阳光使溪水的温度有所上升，暖暖的溪水唤醒了沉睡的虹鳟和山鳟。石蛾在 水面上飞来飞去，跳着古怪的舞蹈。
相比深及脚踝的溪水，我们穿着齐臀的长靴有些太夸张了。我们淌水来到小溪中间，面朝着溪水上游。我的客 户抛鱼线，而我则为他指出鱼饵抛掷的位置。
“哦！看那个，”第一条鱼上钩时他惊呼道。他真的是抱着一颗敬畏之心的。第二次又一条鳟鱼上钩的时候，他那充满喜悦的惊呼声响彻整条小溪。我们无比欢欣地将一条足有八英寸且浑身闪闪发光的虹鳟钓了上来。
“真是美呆了，不是吗？”他轻声说着，的确，接下来钓到的每一条鳟鱼都美丽至极，惹人注目。一条小鳟鱼 咬住了鱼饵，我抓住它，客户便可以清楚地看见在鱼身亮黄色的斑点上环绕着蓝色的环状。
“这真是我见过的最美的小家伙了。”他满怀诚意地说。
他十分珍惜这个过程中的每一刻，和他在一起，让我感觉自己好像首次探寻到飞蝇钓鱼的乐趣。我跟他示范如 何灵活抛出鱼饵，如何在更深的溪水中钓鱼。他被这些为什么、怎样做以及一些钓鱼技巧深深吸引住了。这些 鱼儿，无论大小，在他眼中都视作珍宝。下午晚些时候，皮肤因强烈日晒开始灼痛的时候，我的客户停了下来，他垂下肩膀，看了看水面，又看了看树，接着看向了我。
“我跟你说，”他讲道。“这是我生命中最美好的日子之一，因为现在的我本不该来这儿了，我生了重病，医生对我的病不抱乐观态度，我也不确定自己能否再次康复，不过去年秋天我的身体恢复了不少，现在一切正常。因为之前我一直希望能飞绳钓鱼，于是我的妻子便送了我这套装备，这次的出游算是我家人庆祝我身体康复。这真的算得上是我生命中最棒的日子。”
我一时说不出话来，我注视着他的眼睛，点了点头。他看着我笑了，接着又开始抛出鱼饵，直到听到远处传来 通知晚餐的铃声我们才离开小溪。
站在他们下榻的木屋前等待他的妻子走过来拥抱他并问他一天过得如何。“太美妙了，简直太美妙了。”他的两个孩子，七岁的女儿和十几岁的儿子陪着他进了屋，叽叽喳喳地抢着跟他讲他们一天所做的事。我能看到笼 罩在他们头上的乌云已经烟消云散了，他们终于可以尽情享受简单的天伦之乐了。
这条小溪里美丽和神奇的鳟鱼们给我们带来了无尽的欢乐，我的车沿着小溪在布满车辙和石块的泥土路上颠簸 着。明天我将接待新的钓鱼爱好者，我不会再让那些硬挺昂贵的服饰或是装反的线轴欺骗我的眼睛，也许从他 们身上我可以学到很多。
maintain
【释义】vt. 维持；继续；维修；主张；供养
【短语】maintain order 维持秩序；maintain world peace维护世界和平gourmet
【释义】n. 美食家 adj.菜肴精美的
【短语】gourmet festival 美食节，好食节；gourmet food 美食
wade
【释义】n. 跋涉；可涉水而过的地方 vi. 跋涉 vt. 涉水；费力行走
【短语】wade across a river 趟过一条河；wade through 费时费力地做
turquoise
【释义】n. 绿松石；蓝绿色 adj. 蓝绿色的
【短语】turquoise blue 青绿色的
bracelet
【释义】n. 手镯
【短语】gold bracelet 金手镯，金手链；Bracelet Bangle 手镯手链
silhouette
【释义】n. 轮廓，剪影 vt. 使……照出影子来；使……仅仅显出轮廓
【短语】in silhouette 成剪影；成轮廓状
cutthroat trout
【释义】割喉鳟；切喉鳟
caddis fly
【释义】[昆] 石蛾；毛翅蝇
magnitude
【释义】n.大小；量级；[地震] 震级；重要；光度
【短语】visual magnitude 目视星；stellar magnitude 星等级，恒星
Thought on Youth/对青春常在的感想
No young man believes he shall ever die. It was a saying of my brother，s，and a fine one. There is a feeling of Eternity in youth，which makes us amend for everything. To be young is to be as one of the Immortal Gods. One half of time indeed is flown-the other half remains in store for us with all its countless treasures； for there is no line drawn，and we see no limit to our hopes and wishes. We make the coming age our own.
The vast，the unbounded prospect lies before us.
