第16章 英文版 (6) 文 / 歐內斯特·海明威

    Theiridescentbubbleswerebeautiful.Buttheywerethefalsestthingintheseaandtheoldmanlovedtoseethebigseaturtleseatingthem.Theturtlessawthem,approachedthemfromthefront,thenshuttheireyessotheywerecompletelycarapacedandatethemfilamentsandall.Theoldmanlovedtoseetheturtleseatthemandhelovedtowalkonthemonthebeachafterastormandhearthempopwhenhesteppedonthemwiththehornysolesofhisfeet.

    Helovedgreenturtlesandhawk-billswiththeireleganceandspeedandtheirgreatvalueandhehadafriendlycontemptforthehuge,stupidloggerheads,yellowintheirarmour-plating,strangeintheirlove-making,andhappilyeatingthePortuguesemen-of-warwiththeireyesshut.

    Hehadnomysticismaboutturtlesalthoughhehadgoneinturtleboatsformanyyears.Hewassorryforthemall,eventhegreattrunkbacksthatwereaslongastheskiffandweighedaton.Mostpeopleareheartlessaboutturtlesbecauseaturtle』sheartwillbeatforhoursafterhehasbeencutupandbutchered.Buttheoldmanthought,Ihavesuchahearttooandmyfeetandhandsareliketheirs.Heatethewhiteeggstogivehimselfstrength.HeatethemallthroughMaytobestronginSeptemberandOctoberforthetrulybigfish.

    Healsodrankacupofsharkliveroileachdayfromthebigdrumintheshackwheremanyofthefishermenkepttheirgear.Itwasthereforallfishermenwhowantedit.Mostfishermenhatedthetaste.Butitwasnoworsethangettingupatthehoursthattheyroseanditwasverygoodagainstallcoldsandgrippesanditwasgoodfortheeyes.

    Nowtheoldmanlookedupandsawthatthebirdwascirclingagain.

    「He』sfoundfish,」hesaidaloud.Noflyingfishbrokethesurfaceandtherewasnoscatteringofbaitfish.Butastheoldmanwatched,asmalltunaroseintheair,turnedanddroppedheadfirstintothewater.Thetunashonesilverinthesunandafterhehaddroppedbackintothewateranotherandanotherroseandtheywerejumpinginalldirections,churningthewaterandleapinginlongjumpsafterthebait.Theywerecirclingitanddrivingit.

    Iftheydon』ttraveltoofastIwillgetintothem,theoldmanthought,andhewatchedtheschoolworkingthewaterwhiteandthebirdnowdroppinganddippingintothebaitfishthatwereforcedtothesurfaceintheirpanic.

    「Thebirdisagreathelp,」theoldmansaid.Justthenthesternlinecametautunderhisfoot,wherehehadkeptaloopoftheline,andhedroppedhisoarsandfelttileweightofthesmalltuna』sshiveringpullasheheldthelinefirmandcommencedtohaulitin.Theshiveringincreasedashepulledinandhecouldseethebluebackofthefishinthewaterandthegoldofhissidesbeforeheswunghimoverthesideandintotheboat.Helayinthesterninthesun,compactandbulletshaped,hisbig,unintelligenteyesstaringashethumpedhislifeoutagainsttheplankingoftheboatwiththequickshiveringstrokesofhisneat,fast-movingtail.Theoldmanhithimontheheadforkindnessandkickedhim,hisbodystillshuddering,undertheshadeofthestern.

    「Albacore,」hesaidaloud.「He』llmakeabeautifulbait.He』llweightenpounds.」

    Hedidnotrememberwhenhehadfirststartedtotalkaloudwhenhewasbyhimself.Hehadsungwhenhewasbyhimselfintheolddaysandhehadsungatnightsometimeswhenhewasalonesteeringonhiswatchinthesmacksorintheturtleboats.Hehadprobablystartedtotalkaloud,whenalone,whentheboyhadleft.Buthedidnotremember.Whenheandtheboyfishedtogethertheyusuallyspokeonlywhenitwasnecessary.Theytalkedatnightorwhentheywerestorm-boundbybadweather.Itwasconsideredavirtuenottotalkunnecessarilyatseaandtheoldmanhadalwaysconsidereditsoandrespectedit.Butnowhesaidhisthoughtsaloudmanytimessincetherewasnoonethattheycouldannoy.

    「IftheothersheardmetalkingoutloudtheywouldthinkthatIamcrazy,」hesaidaloud.「ButsinceIamnotcrazy,Idonotcare.Andtherichhaveradiostotalktothemintheirboatsandtobringthemthebaseball.」

    Nowisnotimetothinkofbaseball,hethought.Nowisthetimetothinkofonlyonething.ThatwhichIwasbornfor.Theremightbeabigonearoundthatschool,hethought.Ipickeduponlyastragglerfromthealbacorethatwerefeeding.Buttheyareworkingfaroutandfast.Everythingthatshowsonthesurfacetodaytravelsveryfastandtothenorth-east.Canthatbethetimeofday?OrisitsomesignofweatherthatIdonotknow?

    Hecouldnotseethegreenoftheshorenowbutonlythetopsofthebluehillsthatshowedwhiteasthoughtheyweresnow-cappedandthecloudsthatlookedlikehighsnowmountainsabovethem.Theseawasverydarkandthelightmadeprismsinthewater.Themyriadflecksoftheplanktonwereannullednowbythehighsunanditwasonlythegreatdeepprismsinthebluewaterthattheoldmansawnowwithhislinesgoingstraightdownintothewaterthatwasamiledeep.

    Thetuna,thefishermencalledallthefishofthatspeciestunaandonlydistinguishedamongthembytheirpropernameswhentheycametosellthemortotradethemforbaits,weredownagain.Thesunwashotnowandtheoldmanfeltitonthebackofhisneckandfeltthesweattrickledownhisbackasherowed.

    Icouldjustdrift,hethought,andsleepandputabightoflinearoundmytoetowakeme.Buttodayiseighty-fivedaysandIshouldfishthedaywell.

    Justthen,watchinghislines,hesawoneoftheprojectinggreensticksdipsharply.