第36章十月之湖(1)
OctoberLake
赫伯特·厄内斯特·贝茨HerbertEres
&oberleaveshavefallenonthelake。ht,calmdaystheylieinthousandsontheer,mostlyyellowf?lotillasofpoplar,f?loatinguouslydreattreesthatthemselvesshakeinthewindlessairwiththesoundoffallionrainydaysorafterraioswimorbedrivenaway,andobreakthesurfaceexceptthelastoftheolive-yellowlilypadsthatinhighsummercoveredeveryinchofwaterlikeplatesofemeraldpor。Thelilieshavegoheyellowsmall-headedkindthatinbudarelikeswimmihegreatreedsaregoing,wovenbywindandfrostintountidybasketislandsunderwhioorhenskidforcoveratthesounders。
Allsummer,inthisworldofwater-lilies,theoorhenlivedabewilderedlife。Therelacewherethey,andalldaytheycouldbeseenwalkingdaintily,headsslightlyasideandslightlydown,crossthelily-hiddenwater,asbemusedbytheworldofleavesastheyhadbeeheworldofibrokewosmallislands。Thisbirds,asthef?ittakesthem,dashmadlyupanddownit,takingoffandtoulikesmallfussyblacksea-plahemthearrivalofthewildduck,atmuchhigherspeed,isalmostmajestic。Theyplahehedrakesshininglikeroyalgreensatin,withtheairofsquadronsinginafterlongf?lightsfromhome。
Itwasnotuntillatesummerf?ishingossible。Theaerdroughtthatthef?ishcouldbeseedarkshoals,sunningthemselves,shy,impossibletolyintheevenings,astheairdthewaterdarkehesurfacewasbrokenwiththesilverdaherisingshoals,wouldyetabiteortergattheworm,aroaobiggerthanasardihetime,hthsespecially,greatpikewouldlieoutinthemiddleofthelakeinshoalsoftey,likeblacktorpedoes,transf?ixed,nevermoviinsuddehatrockedthewater-surfacewithrings。