Ugo is fifteen. It is summer. He works on his uncle's fishing boat. The boat is called the Blue Gull. It is old and small. The crew has four people. Ugo is the youngest.
乌戈十五岁。现在是夏天。他在叔叔的渔船上干活。船叫“蓝海鸥号”，又旧又小。船员一共四个人，乌戈最年轻。
His job is easy. He cleans the deck. He coils the ropes. He makes the tea. He does not touch the nets. Only the older men do that.
他的活儿很简单：打扫甲板，盘好缆绳，泡茶。渔网他不能碰，那只有年长的船员才能碰。
This week the sea gives nothing. For three days the nets come up almost empty. The men are tired and quiet. The captain looks at the sky each hour. She says little.
这个星期海里什么都没有。一连三天，渔网拉上来几乎都是空的。船员们又累又沉默。船长每小时都看一眼天空，话很少。
On the fourth morning the boat leaves the harbor early. The water is flat and grey. Ugo sits on a box near the front. He drinks tea and watches the waves.
第四天早晨，船很早就离开了港口。海面平静，一片灰蒙蒙。乌戈坐在船头附近的一个箱子上，一边喝茶，一边看着海浪。
After two hours the captain stops the engine. The men drop the nets. They wait. The net comes up. It holds a few small fish and some seaweed.
两个小时后，船长关掉了引擎。船员们把渔网放下去，然后等待。网拉上来了，里面只有几条小鱼和一些海草。
"Again nothing," says one man. He throws the seaweed back.
“又是什么都没有。”一个船员说。他把海草扔回海里。
Ugo looks away. He does not want to see their faces. Far out on the water something moves. A bird dives. Then another. Then ten birds dive at once.
乌戈把目光移开。他不想看他们的脸。远处的海面上有什么东西在动。一只鸟俯冲下去，接着又是一只。然后，十只鸟同时俯冲下去。
"Look," he says.
“看！”他说。
Nobody hears him. The men are busy with the net.
没有人听见他的话。船员们正忙着收网。
"Look!" he says again, louder.
“看！”他又说了一遍，声音更大了。
The captain turns her head. "What is it?"
船长转过头来。“怎么了？”
"Birds," says Ugo. He points. "Many birds. They go down, and they come up with fish."
“是鸟，”乌戈说。他伸手指过去。“好多鸟。它们扎下去，再飞上来的时候就叼着鱼。”
The captain shades her eyes. A dark line moves on the water beside the birds. Grey backs rise and fall. Dolphins.
船长用手遮住眼睛，往那边望去。鸟群旁边的水面上，有一道深色的线在移动。灰色的脊背此起彼伏。是海豚。
"Dolphins eat fish," says Ugo. "So the fish must be there."
“海豚吃鱼，”乌戈说。“所以那里一定有鱼。”
The older men look at each other. One of them shrugs. "A boy's idea."
年长的船员们面面相觑。其中一个耸了耸肩。“小孩子的主意。”
"A good idea," says the captain. She starts the engine. "Everyone, hold on."
“是个好主意，”船长说。她发动了引擎。“大家抓稳了。”
The Blue Gull turns and moves toward the birds. The wind is cold on Ugo's face. The boat jumps on small waves. Water sprays over the front. Ugo laughs.
“蓝海鸥号”调转船头，朝鸟群驶去。风吹在乌戈脸上，凉凉的。小船在细浪上一颠一颠。水花溅到了船头。乌戈笑了起来。
They stop near the dolphins. The sea is alive. Silver flashes shine under the surface. The captain looks at the men. "Nets. Now."
他们在海豚附近停下。海面仿佛活了过来，水下有银光闪动。船长看着船员们。“下网。现在！”
The men work fast. The nets go down. Ugo hands them rope and holds the boxes. Ugo stands at the side. A dolphin jumps right next to the boat. It looks at him with a bright black eye. Then it dives.
船员们动作飞快，渔网一张张沉了下去。乌戈给他们递绳子，帮忙扶着箱子。接着，他站到了船边。一头海豚就在船旁跃出水面，用明亮的黑眼睛看了他一眼，随后又潜了下去。
The nets come up. They are heavy and full. The fish are silver and fat. They jump on the deck like coins.
网拉上来了。又重又满。鱼儿银光闪闪，肥肥的，像硬币一样在甲板上蹦跳。
"Pull!" shouts the captain.
“拉！”船长喊道。
Ugo does not wait for permission. He runs to the rope. He grabs it with both hands. The man next to him moves over.
乌戈没有等人允许。他跑到缆绳边，用双手抓住绳子。他旁边的那个船员往旁边让了让。
They pull together. The net lifts higher. Fish pour into the boxes. In an hour the deck is full.
他们一起用力拉。渔网越升越高。鱼哗啦啦倒进箱子里。一个小时后，甲板上就堆满了。
On the way home the men are loud and happy. They sing. One of them gives Ugo a big piece of bread.
回家的路上，船员们大声说笑，高高兴兴，还唱起了歌。有人给了乌戈一大块面包。
"Tomorrow," the captain says, "you do not make the tea. Tomorrow you stand at the net."
“明天，”船长说，“你不用泡茶了。明天你站到渔网边上来。”
Ugo picks up the rope again. He ties a knot, and it is a good one.
乌戈又拿起了缆绳。他打了一个结，是个漂亮的结。
