雷蒙德·卡佛《魚漂》

《魚漂》

忒綠 譯

在華盛頓州萬蒂奇附近
哥倫比亞河上，冬天的幾個月裏，
我們一起釣白鮭；我爸爸、
瑞典人林德格倫先生、還有我。
他們用腹式卷線器，鉛筆長的釣墜，
紅色、黃色或棕色的釣蠅，用蛆蟲做餌。
他們喜歡到遠處，到離開
淺灘邊緣的開闊水域垂釣。
我用羽毛魚漂和竹竿在岸邊釣魚。

我爸爸把蛆蟲放在下唇下麵，
給它保溫，讓它活著。林德格倫先生不喝酒。
有一段時間，我比喜歡爸爸更喜歡他。
他讓我開他的車，拿我的名字裏的“老二”開玩笑，還說
有一天我會長成一個真正的男人，記得
這一切，會和我自己的兒子一起釣魚。
但我爸爸是對的。我的意思是，
他保持沉默，盯著河水，
轉動它的舌頭，像一個沉思，在魚餌後麵。

Bobber
by Raymond Carver

On the Columbia River near Vantage,
Washington, we fished for whitefish
in the winter months; my dad, Swede-
Mr. Lindgren-and me. They used belly-reels,
pencil-length sinkers, red, yellow, or brown
flies baited with maggots.
They wanted distance and went clear out there
to the edge of the riffle.
I fished near shore with a quill bobber and a cane pole.

My dad kept his maggots alive and warm
under his lower lip. Mr. Lindgren didn't drink.
I liked him better than my dad for a time.
He lets me steer his car, teased me
about my name "Junior," and said
one day I'd grow into a fine man, remember
all this, and fish with my own son.
But my dad was right. I mean
he kept silent and looked into the river,
worked his tongue, like a thought, behind the bait.