Old Joe and his son Tony were on their way to White River to catch some fish. They started on the trip long before the sun came up. Old Joe drove the car. Tony slept in the back seat. Joe enjoyed looking at the empty city streets in the early morning.
老喬和他的兒子託尼正在前往懷特河的路上，他們要去抓魚。早在太陽昇起之前，他們就動身了。老喬開車，託尼在後座上睡覺。喬喜歡在清晨看著空蕩蕩的城市街道，
The cool wind blew pieces of paper across the dark road. These days he often felt as empty as the streets. As he grew older, loneliness became a close friend who was always with him. Outside the city, Joe drove slowly down the river road.
涼爽的風吹起陰暗道路上的紙片。這些天，他經常覺得自己和街道一樣空曠。隨著年歲增長，孤獨成為了永遠陪伴他的密友。在城外，喬緩慢地沿著河道行駛。
The dark sky began to grow lighter. He looked down at his hands and took a deep breath. Not long ago he had worked hard with those hands, but now they did not do much, just drive the car and hold a fishing stick.
黑暗的天空開始變得越來越亮。他低頭看著自己的手，深吸了一口氣。不久前，他曾用這雙手努力工作，但現在它們並沒什麼可做的了，只是開車和拿魚竿。
Farther on he saw something in the middle of the road, he stopped the car. Tony sat up in the back seat. "What's wrong?" he asked in a sleepy voice.
他看到遠處的路中間有東西，於是停下車。託尼在後座上坐起來。“怎麼了？”他用昏昏欲睡的聲音問。
"What're we stopping for?" Old Joe pushed his head forward to see what blocked the road. He turned on the brightest car lights.
“我們停車幹嘛？”老喬抬頭往前看，想看清是什麼東西擋住了路。他打開最亮的車燈。
"It's one of those fish-killing turtles." He said, "It's a big one too."Tony opened his eyes wide and looked at the strange thing. It was the biggest turtle he had ever seen. Is it dead yet? The two men got out of the car and stood looking down at the turtle.
“是那些吃魚的烏龜。”他說：“個頭還挺大。”託尼睜開眼睛，看著那奇怪的東西。這是他見過最大的烏龜。兩人從車上下來，低頭站在那看著烏龜。
It looked like a large green rock. Suddenly it moved a little and left sharp marks in the dirt. Then it stopped. "Probably going to the river." Tony said. "These turtles kill fish especially trout. "They watched it.
它看起來像一塊綠色的大石頭。突然，它移動了一點，在土上留下清晰的痕跡。然後，它停了下來。“它可能要去河裡。”託尼說。 “這些烏龜吃魚，尤其是鱒魚。”他們看著它。
"I could crush him under the wheels of the car." Tony said, "But he's too big." He looked around and walked to the side of the road. He came back with a long stick. He pushed it in the turtle's face. With one quick movement that turtle bit the stick and broke it into little pieces.
“我可以用車輪壓碎它。”託尼說：“但是它太大了。”他環顧四周，走到路邊。回來時拿著一根長棍。他用棍子推烏龜的臉，烏龜快速移動了一下，咬了一下棍子，把它弄成了小碎塊。
"Look at that!" Tony said softly, "As strong as a machine." "He sure is." Old Joe said and moved back, "He must weight a hundred pounds, maybe more."
“快看！”託尼輕聲說：“像機器一樣強勁。”“它肯定很強壯，”老喬說，又往後挪了挪，“它一定有一百磅重，也許更沉。”
The turtle pushed his ugly head toward the men. "He thinks there is going to be a fight." Tony said, "I wish I had brought my gun."
烏龜把它醜陋的頭伸向這兩個人。“它覺得將會有一場打鬥。”託尼說：“真希望我帶著槍。”
"You are not going to kill him, are you?" Old Joe asked. "Why not?" Tony said, "Turtles kill our fish, don't they? The more trout they eat, the less we can catch."
“你不會殺了它的，對吧？”老喬問。“為什麼不呢？”託尼說：“烏龜吃我們的魚，不是嗎？它們吃的鱒魚越多，我們能逮到的魚就越少。”
They both lit cigarettes and stood there smoking and looking at the turtle. It had pulled his head inside under the hard cover on his back. "There is a heavy tool in the car. I can hit him with it." Tony said, "But it is too short. I do not want to put my hand near him, he might try to bite it off."
他倆都點上煙，站在那兒抽著煙，看著烏龜。它把頭拉回到背上的硬殼下。“車上有個挺沉的工具，我可以用那個工具砸它。”託尼說：“但是工具太短了，我不想讓手接近它，它可能會試圖把我的手咬下來。”
Old Joe said nothing. "You watch him," Tony said, "I'll go find something heavy and strong in the back of the car."
老喬什麼也沒說。“你看著它，”託尼說，“我去車後座上找個結實的沉傢伙。”
Slowly, Joe got closer to the turtle. He smoked and looked at it."Poor thing," he said, "It is sad to be caught, now you will be killed."
喬慢慢地靠近烏龜，他抽著煙，看著它。“可憐的東西，”他說，“被抓到是很悲慘的，現在你會被殺死的。”
The turtle pushed a foot out of his hard cover. Old Joe looked at his foot with his sharp cutting claws. "It would be different in the water, wouldn't it, turtle?" He said. "In the water, you could cut down your enemies with those short claws. "
烏龜把一隻腳從硬殼裡伸出來，老喬看著它那長著鋒利爪子的腳。“在水裡就不一樣了，不是嗎，烏龜？”他說，“在水裡，你可以用那些短爪子殺死敵人。”
He thought about the turtle in the water. It would probably move as fast as a bullet from a gun. Nothing would try to fight it in the water. Yet here it was in the middle of a dirt road as helpless as a baby.
他想到了水裡的烏龜。它的移動速度可能和從槍裡射出的子彈一樣快，沒有人能在水裡與之抗爭。然而在這兒，在泥濘的路上，它卻像嬰兒一樣無助。
Old Joe dropped his cigarette. Now why was he getting so excited about the turtle? He was an old man and he was acting like a child.They were going to White River to catch fish and he was worrying about a turtle.
老喬把煙扔掉。為什麼這隻烏龜讓他感到這麼興奮？他是個老人，舉止卻像個孩子。他們要去懷特河捕魚，而他卻在為一隻烏龜擔憂。
His son Tony came back from the car holding a heavy tool. "I think this is long enough," he said, "What do you think?"
他的兒子託尼從車裡回來，拿著一個很重的工具。“我想這個夠長了，”他說，“你覺得呢？”
"Do you care what I think?" Old Joe said. Tony answered, "You are worrying about something. What's wrong, Dad?"
“你在乎我怎麼想嗎？”老喬說。託尼回答道：“你在擔心什麼。怎麼了，爸爸？”
"This is not right." Old Joe said slowly and carefully. The young man was surprised.
“這樣做不對。”老喬慢條斯理地說。年輕人感到很驚訝。
"Well, what do you mean?" "The turtle does not have a chance." Old Joe said, "I do not feel good about killing it."
“好吧，你什麼意思？”“這隻烏龜沒有機會了，”老喬說，“我不想殺死它。”
"You talk like an old woman," Tony said, "a tired old woman." Old Joe did not look at his son but said, "I can understand how the turtle feels, must be terrible to have no hope."
“你說話像個老太婆，”託尼說，“一個疲倦的老太婆。”老喬沒看兒子，而是說：“我能理解烏龜的感受，感覺沒有希望一定是件很可怕的事。”
"You think he does not have a chance?" Tony asked. "How could he?" answered the old man quietly, "While you have such a heavy weapon."
“你認為它沒有機會了嗎？”託尼問。“它怎麼可能有機會？”老人平靜地回答說：“你有這麼重的工具。”
Tony shook his father's arm. "And that worries you?" he asked. Old Joe looked deep into Tony's eyes. "That is right." he said, "it worries me."
託尼搖了搖父親的胳膊。”這讓你感到擔憂嗎？”他問。老喬深深地望著託尼的眼睛。“沒錯，”他說，“這讓我很擔憂。”
"Whereof all the foolish things?" Tony answered, "What do you want me to do, get down on my hands and knees and fighting?" "No," said his father, "not on your hands and knees. In the water, fight this turtle in the water, where he is at home.
“那幹蠢事嗎？”託尼回答說：“你想讓我怎麼做，趴下和它搏鬥嗎？”“不，”父親說，“不用趴下，而是在水裡，和這隻烏龜在水裡搏鬥，它的家在水裡。
That will be a brave thing, my son." Tony put the weapon down. He looked at the turtle for a long time. At last, he said, "I think you are sick, Dad." Old Joe smiled.
那將是一件勇敢的事情，兒子。”託尼放下工具，他看了烏龜很長時間。最後，他說：“我想你瘋了，爸爸。”老喬笑了。
"It is a thought, my son, just a thought. This old one is weak here on the dirt road, but in the water, he could cut down anyone, anything, even a man. Fight him in the water, Tony, use your weapon in the water."
“這是一個想法，兒子，只是一個想法。這個老傢伙在路上很虛弱，但在水裡，它能殺死任何東西，甚至是一個人。在水裡和它搏鬥，託尼，在水裡用你的工具。”
"The years have changed you." Tony said. Old Joe shook his head. "This does not seem fair to you, en? To be in the water with this one?" he pointed to the turtle.
“歲月改變了你。”託尼說。老喬搖了搖頭。“你覺得這不公平，是嗎？和這個傢伙在水裡打？”他指著烏龜說。
"This seems foolish to you because in the water he could hit you, perhaps even kill you, because in the water you are not as strong as he is." Tony looked at his father. "What are you trying to prove, Dad?"
你覺得這很愚蠢，因為在水裡它會打你，甚至殺死你，因為在水裡你沒有它那麼強壯。”託尼看著他的父親，“你想證明什麼，爸爸？”
"Tony," his father said, "You could kill the turtle here and you will lose nothing, not a finger or a hand or your life, nothing. You can crush him with that weapon and he can not hit you."
“託尼，”父親說，“你可以在這裡殺死這隻烏龜，你不會失去任何東西，不會失去一根手指、一隻手，也不會丟了你的性命。你可以用那個工具把它壓碎，而它沒法打你。”
"So?" asked Tony. Old Joe put an arm around the son's broad shoulders.
“所以呢？”託尼問。老喬用手臂挽住兒子寬闊的肩膀。
"So." he answered, "I want you to fight honestly. You should have something to lose too." Tony looked at his father and then backed to the turtle.
“所以，”他答道，“我希望你能誠實地與它搏鬥，你也應該失去一些東西。”託尼看著父親，然後回到烏龜身邊。
"Any fool can kill a turtle here." Old Joe said. "It is easy." "That would be easy. Dad," Tony said, " It's only a turtle, you are making it a big thing."
“任何傻瓜都能在這兒殺死一隻烏龜。”老喬說。“這很容易。”“很容易，爸爸，”託尼說，“這只是一隻烏龜，你小題大做了。”
Joe dropped his hands to his sides. "All right." he said, "Do what you like, I'll say nothing more."
喬把手垂到身旁。“好吧。”他說：“隨你便吧，我就不說了。”
Tony threw the tool into the car, it made a loud crashing sound. "All right," he shouted angrily, "all right you win."
託尼把那個工具扔進車裡，發出了很大的撞擊聲。“好吧，”他生氣地說，“好吧，你贏了。”
"No," his father said, "I do not win. You, you win." "But, Dad," Tony argued, "They do kill fish."
不，“父親說”，我沒贏。是你，你贏了。”託尼說：“但是，爸爸，它們確實吃魚。”
"Yes," agreed Old Joe, "They kill fish, nature lets them do it. The turtle kills fish to eat and live. We kill fish too, we men. Do we kill them so we can live? No, we do it for fun. This old turtle takes what he needs. I do not kill him, I do not act like God."
“是的，”老喬同意，“它們吃魚，大自然允許它們這樣做。烏龜靠吃魚為生，咱們也殺魚，咱們人也殺魚。我們是為生存而殺魚嗎？不是的，我們這麼做是為了玩樂。這隻老烏龜只是做它該做的事，我不殺它，我不把自己當上帝那樣去行事。”
Tony got into the driver seat and laughed. "Dad, you have strange ideas." Old Joe walked around behind the turtle and gently pushed it with his shoe. The turtle went forward across the road and into the tall grass.
託尼坐到駕駛座上，笑了。“爸爸，你的想法很奇怪。”老喬走到烏龜後面，用鞋子輕輕地推著它。烏龜向前爬，穿過馬路，進入高高的草地。
He was going toward the river. Joe watched until he could not see that turtle any longer. Then he got into the car beside his son. The two men sat and looked at each other.
它往河邊爬去。喬一直看著，直到他再也看不見那隻烏龜。然後他回到車裡，做在兒子旁邊。兩個人坐在那對視。
The sun was coming up strong now, and the sky was bright. Tony started the engine. Old Joe brought out his cigarettes. They sat and smoked and looked at each other. Then they started to smile. The car moved slowly along the dirt road toward the morning sun.
太陽冉冉升起，天空一片明亮。託尼啟動引擎，老喬拿出煙。他們坐著，抽著煙，注視著彼此。然後，他們開始微笑。汽車沿著土路，緩慢地向著朝陽行駛。
They did not stop until they reached the quiet waters of White River.
他們一路前行，一直開到懷特河那平靜的水域處。
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