The boy and his father looked at the handsome fish， gills playing back and forth in the moonlight. The father lit a match and looked at his watch. It was 10：00 p.m. —two hours before the season opened. He looked at the fish， then at the boy.
“You’ll have to put it back， son.” he said.
“Dad！” cried the boy.
“There will be other fish.” said his father.
“Not as big as this one.” cried the boy.
He looked around the lake. No other fishermen or boats were anywhere around in the moonlight. He looked again at his father. Even though no one had seen them， nor could anyone ever know what time he caught the fish， the boy could tell by the clarity of his father’s voice that the decision was not negotiable. He slowly worked the hook out of the lip of the huge bass and lowered it into the black water.
The creature swished its powerful body and disappeared. The boy suspected that he would never again see such a great fish.
That was 34 years ago. Today， the boy is a successful architect in New York City. His father’s cabin is still there on the island in the middle of the lake. He takes his own son and daughters fishing from the same dock.
And he was right. He has never again caught such a magnificent fish as the one he landed that night long ago. But he does see that same fish again and again—every time he comes up against a question of ethics.
For， as his father taught him， ethics are simple matters of right and wrong. It is only the practice of ethics that is difficult. Do we do right when no one is looking？ Do we refuse to cut corners to get the design in on time？ Or refuse to trade stocks based on information that we know we aren’t supposed to have？
We would if we were taught to put the fish back when we were young. For we would have learned the truth. The decision to do right lives fresh and fragrant in our memory. It is a story we will proudly tell our friends and grandchildren. Not about how we had a chance to beat the system and took it， but about how we did the right thing and were forever strengthened.
他11岁那年，一有机会就到新汉普郡湖心岛上他家的小屋码头钓鱼。
在鲈鱼季节来临的前一天，他和父亲傍晚很早就开始准备了。他们用小虫做诱饵来钓太阳鱼和鲈鱼。他在银色的钓钩上放好诱饵，开始练习抛线。钓钩撞到水面上，在夕阳中荡起一片金光闪闪的水波。月亮升起来时，水波就变得银光闪闪。
当钓竿弯下去的时候，他知道线的那一端一定钓到了一条大鱼。他灵巧地在码头边沿和那条大鱼周旋。父亲用赞赏的眼神关注着他。
最后，他很小心地将那条筋疲力尽的鱼从水里拉了出来。这可是他所见过的最大的一条鱼，而且还是条鲈鱼。
男孩和他的父亲凝视着这条漂亮的鱼，它的鳃在月光下一张一翕。父亲点燃一根火柴，看了一下表。现在是10点——离鲈鱼季节的开放时间还有两个小时。他看了看鱼，又看了看儿子。
“你要把它再放回去，儿子。”他说。
“爸爸！”男孩喊。
“还会有其他鱼的。”父亲说。
“但肯定不会像这条一样大。”男孩喊道。
他看了看湖的周围。月光下，周围没有其他渔民或船只。他再一次看着父亲。尽管并没有人看着他们，也没有人知道他们是什么时候钓到鱼的，但从父亲那坚定的声音中，男孩知道这个决定是不容更改的。他慢慢地将钓钩从大鲈鱼的唇上拿下来，然后蹲下来把那条鱼再放回水里。
那条鱼摆了摆强健的躯体，消失在水里。男孩怀疑他再也不可能看到那么大的鱼了。
那件事已经过去34年了。而今，男孩已经成为纽约城里一位成功的建筑师。他父亲的小屋仍然伫立于湖心岛上。他也曾带着自己的儿子和女儿回到同一个码头去钓鱼。
他当时的猜想是对的。他再也没有见过那么大的鱼了，就像很久以前的那天晚上所钓到的那样。但是，在他每次面对道德难题时，那条大鱼总会浮现在他的眼前。
因为正如父亲告诉他的那样，道德就是简单的对和错的问题，困难的是付诸行动。在无人旁观时，我们的行为能否仍然正当？为了将图纸及时送到，我们是否会抄近路？或者在明知不应该的情况下，我们是否会将公司股份卖掉？
当我们年轻的时候，如果有人要让我们把鱼放回去，我们应该那样去做，因为我们将从中学到真理。选择去做正确事情的决定将在我们的记忆里变得深刻而清晰。我们可以把这个故事自豪地讲给我们的朋友和后辈听。这并不是关于如何攻击某种体制并战胜它，而是关于如何去做正确的事情，从而不断完善自己。
道德就是简单的对和错的问题，困难的是付诸行动。在无人旁观时，我们的行为能否仍然正当？当我们年轻的时候，如果有人要让我们把鱼放回去，我们应该那样去做，因为我们将从中学到真理。
1. When his peapole doubled over， he knew something_________ was on the other_________. His father watched_________ admiration as the boy skillfully worked the fish alongside the dock.
2. He looked_________ at his father. Even though no one had seen them， nor could anyone ever know what time he caught the_________， the boy could tell by the clarity of his father’s voice that the decision was not negotiable. He slowly worked the hook out of the lip of the huge bass and lowered it into the black_________.
3. That was 34 years_________. Today， the boy is a successful architect in New York City. His father’s cabin is still there on the island in the middle of the_________. He takes his own son and daughters_________ from the same dock.
1. 钓钩撞到水面上，在夕阳中荡起一片金光闪闪的水波。
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2. 道德就是简单的对和错的问题，困难的是付诸行动。
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3. 选择去做正确事情的决定将在我们的记忆里变得深刻而清晰。
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
1. The boy and his father looked at the handsome fish， gills playing back and forth in the moonlight.
back and forth：来回地
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2. Even though no one had seen them， nor could anyone ever know what time he caught the fish...
even though：尽管，虽然
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思想的守望者
The Watchman at the Gate
佛罗伦萨？斯高伏尔？西恩 / Florence Scovel Shinn
We must all have a watchman at the gate of our thoughts. The watchman at the gate is the superconscious mind.
We have the power to choose our thoughts.
Since we have lived in the race thought for thousands of years， it seems almost impossible to control them. They rush through our minds like stampeding cattle or sheep.
But a single sheep-dog can control the frightened sheep and guide them into the sheep pen. I saw a picture in the news-reels of a shepherd dog the sheep. He had rounded up all but three. These three resisted and resented. They baaed and lifted their front feet in protest， but the dog simply sat down in front and never took his eyes off them. He did not barks or threaten. He oust sat and looked his determination. In a little while the sheep tossed their heads and went in the pen.
We can learn to control our thoughts in the same way， by gentle determination， not force.
