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.
老乔和他的儿子托尼正在前往怀特河的路上，他们要去抓鱼。早在太阳升起之前，他们就动身了。老乔开车，托尼在后座上睡觉。乔喜欢在清晨看着空荡荡的城市街道，
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.
凉爽的风吹起阴暗道路上的纸片。这些天，他经常觉得自己和街道一样空旷。随着年岁增长，孤独成为了永远陪伴他的密友。在城外，乔缓慢地沿着河道行驶。
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.
黑暗的天空开始变得越来越亮。他低头看着自己的手，深吸了一口气。不久前，他曾用这双手努力工作，但现在它们并没什么可做的了，只是开车和拿鱼竿。
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.
他看到远处的路中间有东西，于是停下车。托尼在后座上坐起来。“怎么了？”他用昏昏欲睡的声音问。
"What're we stopping for?" Old Joe pushed his head forward to see what blocked the road. He turned on the brightest car lights.
“我们停车干嘛？”老乔抬头往前看，想看清是什么东西挡住了路。他打开最亮的车灯。
"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.
“是那些吃鱼的乌龟。”他说：“个头还挺大。”托尼睁开眼睛，看着那奇怪的东西。这是他见过最大的乌龟。两人从车上下来，低头站在那看着乌龟。
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.
它看起来像一块绿色的大石头。突然，它移动了一点，在土上留下清晰的痕迹。然后，它停了下来。“它可能要去河里。”托尼说。 “这些乌龟吃鱼，尤其是鳟鱼。”他们看着它。
"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.
“我可以用车轮压碎它。”托尼说：“但是它太大了。”他环顾四周，走到路边。回来时拿着一根长棍。他用棍子推乌龟的脸，乌龟快速移动了一下，咬了一下棍子，把它弄成了小碎块。
"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！”托尼轻声说：“像机器一样强劲。”“它肯定很强壮，”老乔说，又往后挪了挪，“它一定有一百磅重，也许更沉。”
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."
乌龟把它丑陋的头伸向这两个人。“它觉得将会有一场打斗。”托尼说：“真希望我带着枪。”
"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."
“你不会杀了它的，对吧？”老乔问。“为什么不呢？”托尼说：“乌龟吃我们的鱼，不是吗？它们吃的鳟鱼越多，我们能逮到的鱼就越少。”
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."
他俩都点上烟，站在那儿抽着烟，看着乌龟。它把头拉回到背上的硬壳下。“车上有个挺沉的工具，我可以用那个工具砸它。”托尼说：“但是工具太短了，我不想让手接近它，它可能会试图把我的手咬下来。”
Old Joe said nothing. "You watch him," Tony said, "I'll go find something heavy and strong in the back of the car."
老乔什么也没说。“你看着它，”托尼说，“我去车后座上找个结实的沉家伙。”
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."
乔慢慢地靠近乌龟，他抽着烟，看着它。“可怜的东西，”他说，“被抓到是很悲惨的，现在你会被杀死的。”
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. "
乌龟把一只脚从硬壳里伸出来，老乔看着它那长着锋利爪子的脚。“在水里就不一样了，不是吗，乌龟？”他说，“在水里，你可以用那些短爪子杀死敌人。”
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.
他想到了水里的乌龟。它的移动速度可能和从枪里射出的子弹一样快，没有人能在水里与之抗争。然而在这儿，在泥泞的路上，它却像婴儿一样无助。
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.
老乔把烟扔掉。为什么这只乌龟让他感到这么兴奋？他是个老人，举止却像个孩子。他们要去怀特河捕鱼，而他却在为一只乌龟担忧。
His son Tony came back from the car holding a heavy tool. "I think this is long enough," he said, "What do you think?"
他的儿子托尼从车里回来，拿着一个很重的工具。“我想这个够长了，”他说，“你觉得呢？”
"Do you care what I think?" Old Joe said. Tony answered, "You are worrying about something. What's wrong, Dad?"
“你在乎我怎么想吗？”老乔说。托尼回答道：“你在担心什么。怎么了，爸爸？”
"This is not right." Old Joe said slowly and carefully. The young man was surprised.
“这样做不对。”老乔慢条斯理地说。年轻人感到很惊讶。
"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，你什么意思？”“这只乌龟没有机会了，”老乔说，“我不想杀死它。”
"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."
“你说话像个老太婆，”托尼说，“一个疲倦的老太婆。”老乔没看儿子，而是说：“我能理解乌龟的感受，感觉没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."
“你认为它没有机会了吗？”托尼问。“它怎么可能有机会？”老人平静地回答说：“你有这么重的工具。”
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."
托尼摇了摇父亲的胳膊。”这让你感到担忧吗？”他问。老乔深深地望着托尼的眼睛。“没错，”他说，“这让我很担忧。”
"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.
“那干蠢事吗？”托尼回答说：“你想让我怎么做，趴下和它搏斗吗？”“不，”父亲说，“不用趴下，而是在水里，和这只乌龟在水里搏斗，它的家在水里。
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.
那将是一件勇敢的事情，儿子。”托尼放下工具，他看了乌龟很长时间。最后，他说：“我想你疯了，爸爸。”老乔笑了。
"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."
“这是一个想法，儿子，只是一个想法。这个老家伙在路上很虚弱，但在水里，它能杀死任何东西，甚至是一个人。在水里和它搏斗，托尼，在水里用你的工具。”
"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.
“岁月改变了你。”托尼说。老乔摇了摇头。“你觉得这不公平，是吗？和这个家伙在水里打？”他指着乌龟说。
"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?"
你觉得这很愚蠢，因为在水里它会打你，甚至杀死你，因为在水里你没有它那么强壮。”托尼看着他的父亲，“你想证明什么，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."
“托尼，”父亲说，“你可以在这里杀死这只乌龟，你不会失去任何东西，不会失去一根手指、一只手，也不会丢了你的性命。你可以用那个工具把它压碎，而它没法打你。”
"So?" asked Tony. Old Joe put an arm around the son's broad shoulders.
“所以呢？”托尼问。老乔用手臂挽住儿子宽阔的肩膀。
"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，“我希望你能诚实地与它搏斗，你也应该失去一些东西。”托尼看着父亲，然后回到乌龟身边。
"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."
“任何傻瓜都能在这儿杀死一只乌龟。”老乔说。“这很容易。”“很容易，爸爸，”托尼说，“这只是一只乌龟，你小题大做了。”
Joe dropped his hands to his sides. "All right." he said, "Do what you like, I'll say nothing more."
乔把手垂到身旁。“好吧。”他说：“随你便吧，我就不说了。”
Tony threw the tool into the car, it made a loud crashing sound. "All right," he shouted angrily, "all right you win."
托尼把那个工具扔进车里，发出了很大的撞击声。“好吧，”他生气地说，“好吧，你赢了。”
"No," his father said, "I do not win. You, you win." "But, Dad," Tony argued, "They do kill fish."
不，“父亲说”，我没赢。是你，你赢了。”托尼说：“但是，爸爸，它们确实吃鱼。”
"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，”老乔同意，“它们吃鱼，大自然允许它们这样做。乌龟靠吃鱼为生，咱们也杀鱼，咱们人也杀鱼。我们是为生存而杀鱼吗？不是的，我们这么做是为了玩乐。这只老乌龟只是做它该做的事，我不杀它，我不把自己当上帝那样去行事。”
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.
托尼坐到驾驶座上，笑了。“爸爸，你的想法很奇怪。”老乔走到乌龟后面，用鞋子轻轻地推着它。乌龟向前爬，穿过马路，进入高高的草地。
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.
它往河边爬去。乔一直看着，直到他再也看不见那只乌龟。然后他回到车里，做在儿子旁边。两个人坐在那对视。
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.
太阳冉冉升起，天空一片明亮。托尼启动引擎，老乔拿出烟。他们坐着，抽着烟，注视着彼此。然后，他们开始微笑。汽车沿着土路，缓慢地向着朝阳行驶。
They did not stop until they reached the quiet waters of White River.
他们一路前行，一直开到怀特河那平静的水域处。
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