第19章 英文版 (9) 文 / 歐內斯特·海明威

    Sometimebeforedaylightsomethingtookoneofthebaitsthatwerebehindhim.Heheardthestickbreakandthelinebegintorushoutoverthegunwaleoftheskiff.Inthedarknessheloosenedhissheathknifeandtakingallthestrainofthefishonhisleftshoulderheleanedbackandcutthelineagainstthewoodofthegunwale.Thenhecuttheotherlineclosesttohimandinthedarkmadethelooseendsofthereservecoilsfast.Heworkedskillfullywiththeonehandandputhisfootonthecoilstoholdthemashedrewhisknotstight.Nowhehadsixreservecoilsofline.Thereweretwofromeachbaithehadseveredandthetwofromthebaitthefishhadtakenandtheywereallconnected.

    Afteritislight,hethought,Iwillworkbacktotheforty-fathombaitandcutitawaytooandlinkupthereservecoils.IwillhavelosttwohundredfathomsofgoodCatalancardelandthehooksandleaders.Thatcanbereplaced.ButwhoreplacesthisfishifIhooksomefishanditcutshimoff?

    Idon』tknowwhatthatfishwasthattookthebaitjustnow.Itcouldhavebeenamarlinorabroadbillorashark.Ineverfelthim.Ihadtogetridofhimtoofast.

    Aloudhesaid,「IwishIhadtheboy.」

    Butyouhaven』tgottheboy,hethought.Youhaveonlyyourselfandyouhadbetterworkbacktothelastlinenow,inthedarkornotinthedark,andcutitawayandhookupthetworeservecoils.

    Sohedidit.Itwasdifficultinthedarkandoncethefishmadeasurgethatpulledhimdownonhisfaceandmadeacutbelowhiseye.Thebloodrandownhischeekalittleway.Butitcoagulatedanddriedbeforeitreachedhischinandheworkedhiswaybacktothebowandrestedagainstthewood.Headjustedthesackandcarefullyworkedthelinesothatitcameacrossanewpartofhisshouldersand,holdingitanchoredwithhisshoulders,hecarefullyfeltthepullofthefishandthenfeltwithhishandtheprogressoftheskiffthroughthewater.

    Iwonderwhathemadethatlurchfor,hethought.Thewiremusthaveslippedonthegreathillofhisback.Certainlyhisbackcannotfeelasbadlyasminedoes.Buthecannotpullthisskiffforever,nomatterhowgreatheis.NoweverythingisclearedawaythatmightmaketroubleandIhaveabigreserveofline;Allthatamancanask.

    「Fish,」hesaidsoftly,aloud,「I』llstaywithyouuntilIamdead.」

    He』llstaywithmetoo,Isuppose,theoldmanthoughtandhewaitedforittobelight.Itwascoldnowinthetimebeforedaylightandhepushedagainstthewoodtobewarm.Icandoitaslongashecan,hethought.Andinthefirstlightthelineextendedoutanddownintothewater.Theboatmovedsteadilyandwhenthefirstedgeofthesunroseitwasontheoldman』srightshoulder.

    「He』sheadednorth,」theoldmansaid.Thecurrentwillhavesetusfartotheeastward,hethought.Iwishhewouldturnwiththecurrent.Thatwouldshowthathewastiring.

    Whenthesunhadrisenfurthertheoldmanrealizedthatthefishwasnottiring.Therewasonlyonefavorablesign.Theslantofthelineshowedhewasswimmingatalesserdepth.Thatdidnotnecessarilymeanthathewouldjump.Buthemight.

    「Godlethimjump,」theoldmansaid.「Ihaveenoughlinetohandlehim.」

    MaybeifIcanincreasethetensionjustalittleitwillhurthimandhewilljump,hethought.Nowthatitisdaylightlethimjumpsothathe』llfillthesacksalonghisbackbonewithairandthenhecannotgodeeptodie.

    Hetriedtoincreasethetension,butthelinehadbeentautuptotheveryedgeofthebreakingpointsincehehadhookedthefishandhefelttheharshnessasheleanedbacktopullandknewhecouldputnomorestrainonit.Imustnotjerkitever,hethought.Eachjerkwidensthecutthehookmakesandthenwhenhedoesjumphemightthrowit.AnywayIfeelbetterwiththesunandforonceIdonothavetolookintoit.

    Therewasyellowweedonthelinebuttheoldmanknewthatonlymadeanaddeddragandhewaspleased.ItwastheyellowGulfweedthathadmadesomuchphosphorescenceinthenight.

    「Fish,」hesaid,「Iloveyouandrespectyouverymuch.ButIwillkillyoudeadbeforethisdayends.」

    Letushopeso,hethought.

    Asmallbirdcametowardtheskifffromthenorth.Hewasawarblerandflyingverylowoverthewater.Theoldmancouldseethathewasverytired.

    Thebirdmadethesternoftheboatandrestedthere.Thenheflewaroundtheoldman』sheadandrestedonthelinewherehewasmorecomfortable.

    「Howoldareyou?」theoldmanaskedthebird.「Isthisyourfirsttrip?」

    Thebirdlookedathimwhenhespoke.Hewastootiredeventoexaminethelineandheteeteredonitashisdelicatefeetgrippeditfast.

    「It』ssteady,」theoldmantoldhim.「It』stoosteady.Youshouldn』tbethattiredafterawindlessnight.Whatarebirdscomingto?」

    Thehawks,hethought,thatcomeouttoseatomeetthem.Buthesaidnothingofthistothebirdwhocouldnotunderstandhimanywayandwhowouldlearnaboutthehawkssoonenough.

    「Takeagoodrest,smallbird,」hesaid.「Thengoinandtakeyourchancelikeanymanorbirdorfish.」

    Itencouragedhimtotalkbecausehisbackhadstiffenedinthenightandithurttrulynow.

    「Stayatmyhouseifyoulike,bird,」hesaid.「IamsorryIcannothoistthesailandtakeyouinwiththesmallbreezethatisrising.ButIamwithafriend.」

    Justthenthefishgaveasuddenlurchthatpulledtheoldmandownontothebowandwouldhavepulledhimoverboardifhehadnotbracedhimselfandgivensomeline.

    Thebirdhadflownupwhenthelinejerkedandtheoldmanhadnotevenseenhimgo.Hefeltthelinecarefullywithhisrighthandandnoticedhishandwasbleeding.

    「Somethinghurthimthen,」hesaidaloudandpulledbackonthelinetoseeifhecouldturnthefish.Butwhenhewastouchingthebreakingpointheheldsteadyandsettledbackagainstthestrainoftheline.

    「You』refeelingitnow,fish,」hesaid.「Andso,Godknows,amI.」

    Helookedaroundforthebirdnowbecausehewouldhavelikedhimforcompany.Thebirdwasgone.