第17章 英文版 (7) 文 / 歐內斯特·海明威

    「Yes,」hesaid.「Yes,」andshippedhisoarswithoutbumpingtheboat.Hereachedoutforthelineandhelditsoftlybetweenthethumbandforefingerofhisrighthand.Hefeltnostrainnorweightandheheldthelinelightly.Thenitcameagain.Thistimeitwasatentativepull,notsolidnorheavy,andheknewexactlywhatitwas.Onehundredfathomsdownamarlinwaseatingthesardinesthatcoveredthepointandtheshankofthehookwherethehand-forgedhookprojectedfromtheheadofthesmalltuna.

    Theoldmanheldthelinedelicately,andsoftly,withhislefthand,unleasheditfromthestick.Nowhecouldletitrunthroughhisfingerswithoutthefishfeelinganytension.

    Thisfarout,hemustbehugeinthismonth,hethought.Eatthem,fish.Eatthem.Pleaseeatthem.Howfreshtheyareandyoudowntheresixhundredfeetinthatcoldwaterinthedark.Makeanotherturninthedarkandcomebackandeatthem.

    Hefeltthelightdelicatepullingandthenaharderpullwhenasardine』sheadmusthavebeenmoredifficulttobreakfromthehook.Thentherewasnothing.

    「Comeon,」theoldmansaidaloud.「Makeanotherturn.Justsmellthem.Aren』ttheylovely?

    Eatthemgoodnowandthenthereisthetuna.Hardandcoldandlovely.Don』tbeshy,fish.Eatthem.」

    Hewaitedwiththelinebetweenhisthumbandhisfinger,watchingitandtheotherlinesatthesametimeforthefishmighthaveswumupordown.Thencamethesamedelicatepullingtouchagain.

    「He』lltakeit,」theoldmansaidaloud.「Godhelphimtotakeit.」

    Hedidnottakeitthough.Hewasgoneandtheoldmanfeltnothing.

    「Hecan』thavegone,」hesaid.「Christknowshecan』thavegone.He』smakingaturn.Maybehehasbeenhookedbeforeandherememberssomethingofit.

    Thenhefeltthegentletouchonthelineandhewashappy.

    「Itwasonlyhisturn,」hesaid.「He』lltakeit.」

    Hewashappyfeelingthegentlepullingandthenhefeltsomethinghardandunbelievablyheavy.Itwastheweightofthefishandheletthelineslipdown,down,down,unrollingoffthefirstofthetworeservecoils.Asitwentdown,slippinglightlythroughtheoldman』sfingers,hestillcouldfeelthegreatweight,thoughthepressureofhisthumbandfingerwerealmostimperceptible.

    「Whatafish,」hesaid.「Hehasitsidewaysinhismouthnowandheismovingoffwithit.」

    Thenhewillturnandswallowit,hethought.Hedidnotsaythatbecauseheknewthatifyousaidagoodthingitmightnothappen.Heknewwhatahugefishthiswasandhethoughtofhimmovingawayinthedarknesswiththetunaheldcrosswiseinhismouth.Atthatmomenthefelthimstopmovingbuttheweightwasstillthere.Thentheweightincreasedandhegavemoreline.Hetightenedthepressureofhisthumbandfingerforamomentandtheweightincreasedandwasgoingstraightdown.

    「He』stakenit,」hesaid.「NowI』lllethimeatitwell.」

    Heletthelineslipthroughhisfingerswhilehereacheddownwithhislefthandandmadefastthefreeendofthetworeservecoilstotheloopofthetworeservecoilsofthenextline.Nowhewasready.Hehadthreeforty-fathomcoilsoflineinreservenow,aswellasthecoilhewasusing.

    「Eatitalittlemore,」hesaid.「Eatitwell.」

    Eatitsothatthepointofthehookgoesintoyourheartandkillsyou,hethought.Comeupeasyandletmeputtheharpoonintoyou.Allright.Areyouready?Haveyoubeenlongenoughattable?

    「Now!」hesaidaloudandstruckhardwithbothhands,gainedayardoflineandthenstruckagainandagain,swingingwitheacharmalternatelyonthecordwithallthestrengthofhisarmsandthepivotedweightofhisbody.

    Nothinghappened.Thefishjustmovedawayslowlyandtheoldmancouldnotraisehimaninch.Hislinewasstrongandmadeforheavyfishandhehelditagainsthishackuntilitwassotautthatbeadsofwaterwerejumpingfromit.Thenitbegantomakeaslowhissingsoundinthewaterandhestillheldit,bracinghimselfagainstthethwartandleaningbackagainstthepull.Theboatbegantomoveslowlyofftowardthenorth-west.

    Thefishmovedsteadilyandtheytravelledslowlyonthecalmwater.Theotherbaitswerestillinthewaterbuttherewasnothingtobedone.

    「IwishIhadtheboy,」theoldmansaidaloud.「I』mbeingtowedbyafishandI』mthetowingbitt.Icouldmakethelinefast.Butthenhecouldbreakit.ImustholdhimallIcanandgivehimlinewhenhemusthaveit.ThankGodheistravellingandnotgoingdown.」

    WhatIwilldoifhedecidestogodown,Idon』tknow.WhatI』lldoifhesoundsanddiesIdon』tknow.ButI』lldosomething.ThereareplentyofthingsIcando.

    Heheldthelineagainsthisbackandwatcheditsslantinthewaterandtheskiffmovingsteadilytothenorth-west.

    Thiswillkillhim,theoldmanthought.Hecan』tdothisforever.Butfourhourslaterthefishwasstillswimmingsteadilyouttosea,towingtheskiff,andtheoldmanwasstillbracedsolidlywiththelineacrosshisback.

    「ItwasnoonwhenIhookedhim,」hesaid.「AndIhaveneverseenhim.」

    Hehadpushedhisstrawhatharddownonhisheadbeforehehookedthefishanditwascuttinghisforehead.Hewasthirstytooandhegotdownonhiskneesand,beingcarefulnottojerkontheline,movedasfarintothebowashecouldgetandreachedthewaterbottlewithonehand.Heopeneditanddrankalittle.Thenherestedagainstthebow.Herestedsittingontheun-steppedmastandsailandtriednottothinkbutonlytoendure.