第20章 英文版 (10) 文 / 歐內斯特·海明威

    Youdidnotstaylong,themanthought.Butitisrougherwhereyouaregoinguntilyoumaketheshore.HowdidIletthefishcutmewiththatonequickpullhemade?Imustbegettingverystupid.OrperhapsIwaslookingatthesmallbirdandthinkingofhim.NowIwillpayattentiontomyworkandthenImusteatthetunasothatIwillnothaveafailureofstrength.

    「IwishtheboywerehereandthatIhadsomesalt,」hesaidaloud.

    Shiftingtheweightofthelinetohisleftshoulderandkneelingcarefullyhewashedhishandintheoceanandhelditthere,submerged,formorethanaminutewatchingthebloodtrailawayandthesteadymovementofthewateragainsthishandastheboatmoved.

    「Hehasslowedmuch,」hesaid.

    Theoldmanwouldhavelikedtokeephishandinthesaltwaterlongerbuthewasafraidofanothersuddenlurchbythefishandhestoodupandbracedhimselfandheldhishandupagainstthesun.Itwasonlyalineburnthathadcuthisflesh.Butitwasintheworkingpartofhishand.Heknewhewouldneedhishandsbeforethiswasoverandhedidnotliketobecutbeforeitstarted.

    「Now,」hesaid,whenhishandhaddried,「Imusteatthesmalltuna.Icanreachhimwiththegaffandeathimhereincomfort.」

    Hekneltdownandfoundthetunaunderthestemwiththegaffanddrewittowardhimkeepingitclearofthecoiledlines.Holdingthelinewithhisleftshoulderagain,andbracingonhislefthandandarm,hetookthetunaoffthegaffhookandputthegaffbackinplace.Heputonekneeonthefishandcutstripsofdarkredmeatlongitudinallyfromthebackoftheheadtothetail.Theywerewedge-shapedstripsandhecutthemfromnexttothebackbonedowntotheedgeofthebelly.Whenhehadcutsixstripshespreadthemoutonthewoodofthebow,wipedhisknifeonhistrousers,andliftedthecarcassofthebonitobythetailanddroppeditoverboard.

    「Idon』tthinkIcaneatanentireone,」hesaidanddrewhisknifeacrossoneofthestrips.Hecouldfeelthesteadyhardpullofthelineandhislefthandwascramped.Itdrewuptightontheheavycordandhelookedatitindisgust.

    「Whatkindofahandisthat,」hesaid.「Crampthenifyouwant.Makeyourselfintoaclaw.Itwilldoyounogood.」

    Comeon,hethoughtandlookeddownintothedarkwaterattheslantoftheline.Eatitnowanditwillstrengthenthehand.Itisnotthehand』sfaultandyouhavebeenmanyhourswiththefish.Butyoucanstaywithhimforever.Eatthebonitonow.

    Hepickedupapieceandputitinhismouthandcheweditslowly.Itwasnotunpleasant.

    Chewitwell,hethought,andgetallthejuices.Itwouldnotbehadtoeatwithalittlelimeorwithlemonorwithsalt.

    「Howdoyoufeel,hand?」heaskedthecrampedhandthatwasalmostasstiffasrigormortis.「I』lleatsomemoreforyou.」

    Heatetheotherpartofthepiecethathehadcutintwo.Hecheweditcarefullyandthenspatouttheskin.

    「Howdoesitgo,hand?Orisittooearlytoknow?」

    Hetookanotherfullpieceandchewedit.

    「Itisastrongfull-bloodedfish,」hethought.「Iwasluckytogethiminsteadofdolphin.Dolphinistoosweet.Thisishardlysweetatallandallthestrengthisstillinit.」

    Thereisnosenseinbeinganythingbutpracticalthough,hethought.IwishIhadsomesalt.AndIdonotknowwhetherthesunwillrotordrywhatisleft,soIhadbettereatitallalthoughIamnothungry.Thefishiscalmandsteady.IwilleatitallandthenIwillbeready.

    「Bepatient,hand,」hesaid.「Idothisforyou.」

    IwishIcouldfeedthefish,hethought.Heismybrother.ButImustkillhimandkeepstrongtodoit.Slowlyandconscientiouslyheateallofthewedge-shapedstripsoffish.

    Hestraightenedup,wipinghishandonhistrousers.「Now,」hesaid.「Youcanletthecordgo,hand,andIwillhandlehimwiththerightarmaloneuntilyoustopthatnonsense.」Heputhisleftfootontheheavylinethatthelefthandhadheldandlaybackagainstthepullagainsthisback.

    「Godhelpmetohavethecrampgo,」hesaid.「BecauseIdonotknowwhatthefishisgoingtodo.」

    Butheseemscalm,hethought,andfollowinghisplan.Butwhatishisplan,hethought.Andwhatismine?MineImustimprovisetohisbecauseofhisgreatsize.IfhewilljumpIcankillhim.

    Buthestaysdownforever.ThenIwillstaydownwithhimforever.

    Herubbedthecrampedhandagainsthistrousersandtriedtogentlethefingers.Butitwouldnotopen.Maybeitwillopenwiththesun,hethought.Maybeitwillopenwhenthestrongrawtunaisdigested.IfIhavetohaveit,Iwillopenit,costwhateveritcosts.ButIdonotwanttoopenitnowbyforce.Letitopenbyitselfandcomebackofitsownaccord.AfterallIabuseditmuchinthenightwhenitwasnecessarytofreeanduntiethevariouslines.

    Helookedacrosstheseaandknewhowalonehewasnow.Buthecouldseetheprismsinthedeepdarkwaterandthelinestretchingaheadandthestrangeundulationofthecalm.Thecloudswerebuildingupnowforthetradewindandhelookedaheadandsawaflightofwildducksetchingthemselvesagainsttheskyoverthewater,thenblurring,thenetchingagainandheknewnomanwaseveraloneonthesea.

    Hethoughtofhowsomemenfearedbeingoutofsightoflandinasmallboarandknewtheywererightinthemonthsofsuddenbadweather.Butnowtheywereinhurricanemonthsand,whentherearenohurricanes,theweatherofhurricanemonthsisthebestofalltheyear.

    Ifthereisahurricaneyoualwaysseethesignsofitintheskyfordaysahead,ifyouareatsea.Theydonotseeitashorebecausetheydonotknowwhattolookfor,hethought.Thelandmustmakeadifferencetoo,intheshapeoftheclouds.Butwehavenohurricanecomingnow.

    HelookedattheskyandsawthewhitecumulusbuiltlikefriendlypilesoficecreamandhighabovewerethethinfeathersofthecirrusagainstthehighSeptembersky.

    「Lightbrisa,」hesaid.「Betterweatherformethanforyou,fish.」

    Hislefthandwasstillcramped,buthewasunknottingitslowly.