Brother must have passed through the years in a hurry, remembering his father bringing him here as a boy. "A ways back," Brother said in his clipped North Saugus fashion, outlander, specific, no waste in his words. Old Oren Bentley, it had been told us, had walked five miles through the unknown woods off Route 16 as a boy and had come across the campsite, the remnants of an old lodge1, and a great curve in the Pine River so that a mile's walk in either direction gave you three miles of stream to fish, upstream or downstream. Paradise up north.
His Venerable Self nodded again, a man of signals, then said, "Knowed him way back some. Met him at the Iron Bridge. We passed a few times." Instantly we could see the story. A whole history of encounter was in his words; it marched right through us the way knowledge does, as well as legend. He pointed2 at the coffeepot. "The boys'll be off, but my days down there get cut up some. I'll sit a while and take some of thet." He said thet too pronounced, too dramatic, and it was a short time before I knew why.
The white wicker rocker went into a slow and deliberate motion, his head nodded again. He spoke3 to his sons. "You boys be back no more'n two-three hours so these fellers can do their things too, and keep the place tidied up."
The most orderly son said, "Sure, pa. Two-three hours." The two elderly sons left the campsite and walked down the path to the banks of the Pine River, their boots swishing at thigh4 line, the most elegant rods pointing the way through scattered5 limbs, experience on the move. Trout6 beware, we thought.
"We been carpenters f'ever," he said, the clip still in his words. "Those boys a mine been some good at it too." His head cocked, he seemed to listen for their departure, the leaves and branches quiet, the murmur7 of the stream a tinkling8 idyllic9 music rising up the banking10. Old Venerable Himself moved the wicker rocker forward and back, a small timing11 taking place. He was hearing things we had not heard yet, the whole symphony all around us. Eddie looked at me and nodded his own nod. It said, "I'm paying attention and I know you are. This is our one encounter with a man who has fished for years the river we love, that we come to twice a year, in May with the mayflies, in June with the black flies." The gift and the scourge12, we'd often remember, having been both scarred and sewn by it.
1 lodge
v.臨時住宿，寄宿，寄存，容納；n.傳達室，小旅館
參考例句：
Is there anywhere that I can lodge in the village tonight?村里有我今晚過夜的地方嗎？ I shall lodge at the inn for two nights.我要在這家小店住兩個晚上。
2 pointed
adj.尖的，直截了當?shù)?
參考例句：
He gave me a very sharp pointed pencil.他給我一支削得非常尖的鉛筆。 She wished to show Mrs.John Dashwood by this pointed invitation to her brother.她想通過對達茨伍德夫人提出直截了當?shù)难埾蛩母绺绫硎境鰜?。
3 spoke
n.（車輪的）輻條；輪輻；破壞某人的計劃；阻撓某人的行動 v.講，談（speak的過去式）；說；演說；從某種觀點來說
參考例句：
They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他們的輪輻螺帽是從我們公司獲得的。 The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.輻條是輪子上連接外圈與中心的條棒。
4 thigh
n.大腿；股骨
參考例句：
He is suffering from a strained thigh muscle.他的大腿肌肉拉傷了，疼得很。 The thigh bone is connected to the hip bone.股骨連著髖骨。
5 scattered
adj.分散的，稀疏的；散步的；疏疏落落的
參考例句：
Gathering up his scattered papers,he pushed them into his case.他把散亂的文件收拾起來，塞進文件夾里。
6 trout
n.鱒魚；鮭魚(屬)
參考例句：
Thousands of young salmon and trout have been killed by the pollution.成千上萬的鮭魚和鱒魚的魚苗因污染而死亡。 We hooked a trout and had it for breakfast.我們釣了一條鱒魚，早飯時吃了。
7 murmur
n.低語，低聲的怨言；v.低語，低聲而言
參考例句：
They paid the extra taxes without a murmur.他們毫無怨言地交了附加稅。 There was a low murmur of conversation in the hall.大廳里有竊竊私語聲。
8 tinkling
n.丁當作響聲
參考例句：
I could hear bells tinkling in the distance. 我能聽到遠處叮當鈴響。 To talk to him was like listening to the tinkling of a worn-out musical-box. 跟他說話，猶如聽一架老掉牙的八音盒子丁冬響。 來自英漢文學
9 idyllic
adj.質樸宜人的，田園風光的
參考例句：
These scenes had an idyllic air.這種情景多少有點田園氣氛。 Many people living in big cities yearn for an idyllic country life.現(xiàn)在的很多都市人向往那種田園化的生活。
10 banking
n.銀行業(yè)，銀行學，金融業(yè)
參考例句：
John is launching his son on a career in banking.約翰打算讓兒子在銀行界謀一個新職位。 He possesses an extensive knowledge of banking.他具有廣博的銀行業(yè)務知識。
11 timing
n.時間安排，時間選擇
參考例句：
The timing of the meeting is not convenient.會議的時間安排不合適。 The timing of our statement is very opportune.我們發(fā)表聲明選擇的時機很恰當。
12 scourge
n.災難，禍害；v.蹂躪
參考例句：
Smallpox was once the scourge of the world.天花曾是世界的大患。 The new boss was the scourge of the inefficient.新老板來了以后，不稱職的人就遭殃了
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