There was once an 11-year-old boy who went fishing every time he went to an island in the middle of a New Hampshire lake.
On the day before the bass(鲈鱼) opened, he and his farther were fishing early in the evening, catching other fish with worms. Then he tied a small silver lure(鱼饵) put it into the lake. Suddenly the boy felt that something very big was pulling on the lure. His father watched with admiration as the boy skillfully brought the fish beside the bank. Finally he lifted the tired fish from the water. It was the largest one he had ever seen, but it was a bass.
The boy and his father looked at the big fish. The father struck a match and looked at his watch. It was 10 pm—two hours before the season opened. He looked at the fish, and 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. No other fishermen or boats could be seen in the moonlight. He looked at his father again.
Even though no one had seen them, nor could anyone ever know what time he had caught the fish, the boy could tell from his father’s voice that the decision couldn’t be changed. He threw the huge bass into the black water.
The big fish disappeared. The boy thought that he would never see such a big fish again.
That was 34 years ago. Today the boy is a successful architect in New York city. He often takes his own son and daughters to fish at the same place.
And he was right. He has never caught such a large fish as the one he got that night long ago again. But he does see the same fish---again and again—ever time he has an ethical(道德的) decision to make. His father had taught him that ethics are simply a matter of right or wrong, but it is only the practice of ethics that is difficult.
Why did the father strike a match?
A.To check the time. |
B.To light his cigarette. |
C.To have a closer look at the fish. |
D.To find whether there was somebody nearby. |
What happened when they found it was two hours before the season opened?
A.The boy threw the bass back into the water willingly. |
B.The father asked the boy to put the fish back into the lake. |
C.The boy and his father discussed what to do with the fish. |
D.They worried other fishermen might discover what they had done. |
Why did the architect go fishing with his children at the same place?
A.It was a good place for fishing. |
B.It brought the past to his mind. |
C.They could catch a big fish there. |
D.He wanted to give them a moral lesson. |