評論
打印
When I'd shot ducks over the river before, I had to wait for the current to bring the bodies to shore.
以前我在河上射鴨子時，不得不等待水流把鴨子帶到岸上。
This time was different. With the smell of the powder still in the air, the dog was off the bank in a great leap.
這一次情況不同，火藥味兒還沒有散，這只狗猛地從岸上跳了下來，
He hit the water swimming, his shoulders pumping as he churned the surface in a straight line to the dead duck.
在水里游來游去，拍打著四肢，徑直向鴨子游去。
He took it gently in his mouth, turned, and swam back.
它把鴨子輕輕地含在嘴里，轉身往回游。
Climbing the bank, he put the duck by my right foot, then moved off a couple of feet and sat.
它爬到岸上，把鴨子放在我的右腳旁，然后挪開幾英尺，坐了下來。
It was fully light now, and I could see that the dog had a collar and a tag.
現在光線完全好了，我看到那只狗身上有一個項圈和一個標簽。
I petted him—he let me, in a reserved way—and pulled his tag to the side to read it.
它讓我摸它——以一種含蓄的方式——把它的標簽扯到一邊讀起來。
"My name is Ike."
“我叫艾克。”
That's all it said. No address. No owner's name.
寫著就這些，沒有地址，沒有主人的名字。
"Well, Ike"—his tail wagged—"I'd like to thank you for bringing me the duck."
“好吧，艾克”——它搖了搖尾巴——“我想謝謝你幫我把那只鴨子帶過來。”
And that was how it started.
事情就是這樣開始的。
For the rest of the season, I hunted the river early every morning.
接下來的一年四季，我每天一大早就去河邊打獵。
I'd cross the bridge and start down the river, and Ike would be there.
過橋，下河，艾克就在那里。
By the middle of the second week, I felt as if we'd been hunting with each other forever.
第二個星期的中間幾天，我覺得我們好像會永遠在一起打獵。
When the hunting was done, he'd trot back with me until we arrived at the bridge.
打獵結束后，到橋頭的這段路它會和我一起小跑。
There he would sit, and nothing I did would make him come farther.
它會坐在那兒，無論我做任何事，它都不會走遠。
I tried waiting to see where he would go, but when it was obvious I wasn't going to leave,
我試著等著看它會去哪里，但顯然我不會離開，
he merely lay down and went to sleep.
它只是躺下睡著了。
Once I left him, he crossed the bridge and then hid in back of a building to watch.
有一次我離開了它，它穿過橋，躲在一座樓的后面看。
