垂钓

 作者｜青竹 (美国）

 英译｜中权 (美国)

译审｜Gerry Spoors (英国）

合诵｜安湛（中）、薇薇（英）

人生从降生来世，每一件事都是从第一次开始去尝试。两年前初夏的一天，我们开车四十五分钟去伦敦桥海瓦苏湖市一位老美朋友家做客，午餐后临时决定拖船去湖里垂钓。我第一次在快船上冲浪真是激动不已，非常刺激，除了兴奋，还收获了大大小小的十一条鱼，最大的一条足足十一磅多重，其它重量在二磅以下的小鱼全部放生。

带着丰收的喜悦我们在湖岸上看专门为垂钓者准备的机器上剖鱼，目睹美国朋友Watt（瓦特）的剖鱼方法，居然和原来在中国卖鱼场看见杀鱼的方式完全是两码事。他们直接把鱼的表皮用利刀片掉(不刮鱼鳞)，头，尾全部去掉，只要中间的精华。他们剖鱼的手艺娴熟麻利，不一会儿功夫，十一条鱼已全部剖好切片装袋，放入事先准备好的冷藏箱内。一幕让人心痛不已的感觉历历在目，一条条鲜活的生命，被切割成片，整个鱼头肋骨尾巴连在一起，还残留有没死的神经细胞，鱼身微动，鱼眼还一直睁着，大大的眼珠一眨一眨地。一大堆狼籍，鱼身被残酷的五马分尸之后，朋友Watt双手一捧，把鱼杂全部丢进了破碎机。

看到这，我再也没有以前那种爱吃鱼的心情，我并不是标榜自己善良，伪装善心，Watt执意要送我两袋鱼，我坚决拒绝不收。那天晚上我躺在床上久久不能入睡，四十多年前一部外国电影中的情节浮现于脑海，既模糊又清晰：一位四十多岁的风情富豪女子，有着漂亮丰满完美的身材，她坐在快艇上，听着音乐，品着香槟，由两个帅男仆左右陪伴，听她使唤。时隔四十多年，电影的名字我虽忘得一干二净，但电影里的女主角的形象和丰满性感的身材在快艇上露出大半个白净的长腿美女至今仍然清晰，她那丰满白净的乳沟，穿着黑红相配薄薄的长纱裙，伴着她不长不短一头乌黑的秀发随着快艇飘逸飞扬，那张秀气精致的脸蛋，说能迷死一万个男人也不过份。这种贵妇的生活方式，在几十年前我只有羡慕欣赏赞美的份，如今我也能享受。

我喜欢玩水，更喜欢刺激的玩法，于是开始有了想买快艇地冲动。想想人生苦短，年轻时透支自己，忙于赚钱，到退休年龄了，有条件了就应该让钱服务于人，钱是自己辛苦赚来的，该好好享受夕阳生活。说动就动，雷厉风行，两个星期后一条新船就拖回了家。

开始一星期我们出钓两到三次，当天气太热太冷时都不适合垂钓。我们钓的鱼无论大小多少，从来都是全部放生。与其说我们是在垂钓不如说在玩水更为合适。

自二零零一年至今, 我来美国已二十年，在美辛苦打拼奋斗多年，不算失败也谈不上成功，现在能够衣食住行无忧，追随自己的梦想，做自己想要做的事，非常知足。

（作者美国朋友：Watt)

Fishing

Author: Qingzhu (China)

English translation: Zhongquan (United States)

From our birth to the next life, everything is a trial from the beginning.  One day in the early summer of two years ago, we drove forty-five minutes to visit an old friend's, beautiful house in Lake Havasu, London Bridge.  I was really excited about being able to surf the Clippers for the first time. In addition to the excitement, wealso caught eleven fish, large and small.The largest one weighed more than 11 pounds, and the other fish weighing less than two pounds, were release back to the water.

With the joy of such a catch, we watched the fish being gutted on a machine, on the shore, specially designed for anglers. We witnessed the fish preparation method of our American friend Watt, which is totally different from the method used in Chinese fish markets.  Americans use a sharp blade to remove the skin of the fish (without scraping the scales), the head, ribs and tails are still connected to its nervous system so its body moves and twitches and its big eyes are still open and  even blink.  Skilfully, the processors remove all the head and tail, as long as the essence is in the middle.  In a very short while all eleven fish were cut and sliced, packed into bags, and placed in a refrigerator prepared in advance.  I vividly remember the skill shown in preparation as the fresh livers were cut into pieces.

Seeing this, I no longer felt the same desire to eat fish as I had before. I am not saying we shouldn’t kill or eat fish, but I had to refuse Watt’s offer of two bags of fish.   That night I lay awake for hours.The plot from a foreign movie from 40 years ago came into my mind.  There were vague sections and some totally clear ones: A rich and charming woman in her forties, with a voluptuous, beautiful and perfect body, was sitting on a yacht listening to music, sipping champagne, and being attended to by two handsome male servants. After more than forty yearsI have forgotten the name of the movie completely, but the image of the sexy, long-legged beauty has remained with me – still perfectly clear in my mind. The cleavage she showed from her blouse and the legs exposed from her red and black,semi-transparent, thin, long lace skirt still excites me, her long black hair as it flows in the air.  And her striking, charming face which could beguile 10,000 men. This kind of lifestyle of a rich, noblewoman, of only a few decades ago, I could only admire and long for. Now I can enjoy it.

I like to play in the water, and prefer excitement, so I began to have the urge to buy a speedboat.  Thinking how short life is, when I was young, work hard and make money so that when I reach retirement age, we will have enough for a luxurious life – enjoy the sunset of ourlife!  Having made my mind up I bought a boat, and I was its master two weeks later.

We started fishing two or three times a week, but not when the weather was too hot or cold.  But, no matter how big or small the fish we catch, they are always released.  It is more appropriate to say that we are playing in the water rather than fishing.

I have been living in the USA since 2001, and working hard. I have been successful to some degree, and I can live without worry, follow my dreams and do what I want. I’m very content.

作者简介：

青竹， 现居美国。

在【英国文学社】【海外凤凰诗译诗社】发表六十多篇（首）作品，有诗歌，散文随笔，小小说，纪实文学等，均获好评。以及在【江山传媒】【百荷花开的声音】【情诗太平洋】香港国际【名师名家名人坛】【北美蓝紫传媒】均有作品发表。

长篇小说【翻开泛黄的记忆】待出版中。

诗译者简介：

王中权，男，【海外诗译社】副主审。研究生毕业于复旦大学医学院，从事临床和医学研究，已退休。酷爱文学，诗歌和音乐。现居美国。

Wang Zhongquan, male, graduated from Fudan University School of Medicine with a postgraduate degree, engaged in clinical and medical research, and has retired.  Love literature, poetry and music.  Now living in the US.  

译审老师简介：

Gerry Spoors comes from the North-East of England and has written poetry throughout his life. Professionally ，he is a Chartered Chemist and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry.His new book ‘Arthur of the Red Robe’ has been published 。

Gerry Spoors来自英格兰东北部，一生都在写诗。专业人士，博士学位，他是特许化学家和皇家化学学会会员。他的新书《红袍的亚瑟》已出版。

金牌中文主播简介：

安湛华，天津滨海新区，原从事政法工作，公务员退休。【海外诗译社】中文主播。喜欢用声音传递优美的文字，曾在2018年滨海新区环渤海杯朗读大赛中获得组合类一等奖。

An Zhanhua, living in  Binhai New District, Tianjin city, engaged in procuratorial, judicial and public security work, retired as a civil servant.  He likes reciting, and wins the first prize of the combination in the Reciting Competition of 2018 Binhai New District around Bohai Sea Cup.

金牌英文主播简介：

黄薇薇，【海外诗译社】三语主播。任职香港某私营机构国际业务部主管。

Mary Wong, engaged in international business with a private enterprise in Hong Kong.

本期总编：静好（英国）

注：图片来自网络。