第21章 英文版 (11) 文 / 歐內斯特·海明威

    Ihateacramp,hethought.Itisatreacheryofone』sownbody.Itishumiliatingbeforeotherstohaveadiarrhoeafromptomainepoisoningortovomitfromit.Butacramp,hethoughtofitasacalambre,humiliatesoneselfespeciallywhenoneisalone.

    Iftheboywereherehecouldrubitformeandloosenitdownfromtheforearm,hethought.Butitwillloosenup.

    Then,withhisrighthandhefeltthedifferenceinthepullofthelinebeforehesawtheslantchangeinthewater.Then,asheleanedagainstthelineandslappedhislefthandhardandfastagainsthisthighhesawthelineslantingslowlyupward.

    「He』scomingup,」hesaid.「Comeonhand.Pleasecomeon.」

    Thelineroseslowlyandsteadilyandthenthesurfaceoftheoceanbulgedaheadoftheboatandthefishcameout.Hecameoutunendinglyandwaterpouredfromhissides.Hewasbrightinthesunandhisheadandbackweredarkpurpleandinthesunthestripesonhissidesshowedwideandalightlavender.Hisswordwasaslongasabaseballbatandtaperedlikearapierandherosehisfulllengthfromthewaterandthenre-enteredit,smoothly,likeadiverandtheoldmansawthegreatscythe-bladeofhistailgounderandthelinecommencedtoraceout.

    「Heistwofeetlongerthantheskiff,」theoldmansaid.Thelinewasgoingoutfastbutsteadilyandthefishwasnotpanicked.Theoldmanwastryingwithbothhandstokeepthelinejustinsideofbreakingstrength.Heknewthatifhecouldnotslowthefishwithasteadypressurethefishcouldtakeoutallthelineandbreakit.

    HeisagreatfishandImustconvincehim,hethought.Imustneverlethimlearnhisstrengthnorwhathecoulddoifhemadehisrun.IfIwerehimIwouldputineverythingnowandgountilsomethingbroke.But,thankGod,theyarenotasintelligentaswewhokillthem;Althoughtheyaremorenobleandmoreable.

    Theoldmanhadseenmanygreatfish.Hehadseenmanythatweighedmorethanathousandpoundsandhehadcaughttwoofthatsizeinhislife,butneveralone.Nowalone,andoutofsightofland,hewasfasttothebiggestfishthathehadeverseenandbiggerthanhehadeverheardof,andhislefthandwasstillastightasthegrippedclawsofaneagle.

    Itwilluncrampthough,hethought.Surelyitwilluncramptohelpmyrighthand.Therearethreethingsthatarebrothers:thefishandmytwohands.Itmustuncramp.Itisunworthyofittobecramped.Thefishhadslowedagainandwasgoingathisusualpace.

    Iwonderwhyhejumped,theoldmanthought.Hejumpedalmostasthoughtoshowmehowbighewas.Iknownow,anyway,hethought.IwishIcouldshowhimwhatsortofmanIam.Butthenhewouldseethecrampedhand.LethimthinkIammoremanthanIamandIwillbeso.IwishIwasthefish,hethought,witheverythinghehasagainstonlymywillandmyintelligence.

    Hesettledcomfortablyagainstthewoodandtookhissufferingasitcameandthefishswamsteadilyandtheboatmovedslowlythroughthedarkwater.Therewasasmallsearisingwiththewindcomingupfromtheeastandatnoontheoldman』slefthandwasuncramped.

    「Badnewsforyou,fish,」hesaidandshiftedthelineoverthesacksthatcoveredhisshoulders.

    Hewascomfortablebutsuffering,althoughhedidnotadmitthesufferingatall.

    「Iamnotreligious,」hesaid.「ButIwillsaytenOurFathersandtenHailMarysthatIshouldcatchthisfish,andIpromisetomakeapilgrimagetotheVirginofCobreifIcatchhim.Thatisapromise.」

    Hecommencedtosayhisprayersmechanically.Sometimeshewouldbesotiredthathecouldnotremembertheprayerandthenhewouldsaythemfastsothattheywouldcomeautomatically.HailMarysareeasiertosaythanOurFathers,hethought.

    「HailMaryfullofGracetheLordiswiththee.Blessedartthouamongwomenandblessedisthefruitofthywomb,Jesus.HolyMary,MotherofGod,prayforussinnersnowandatthehourofourdeath.Amen.」Thenheadded,「BlessedVirgin,prayforthedeathofthisfish.Wonderfulthoughheis.」

    Withhisprayerssaid,andfeelingmuchbetter,butsufferingexactlyasmuch,andperhapsalittlemore,heleanedagainstthewoodofthebowandbegan,mechanically,toworkthefingersofhislefthand.

    Thesunwashotnowalthoughthebreezewasrisinggently.

    「Ihadbetterre-baitthatlittlelineoutoverthestern,」hesaid.「IfthefishdecidestostayanothernightIwillneedtoeatagainandthewaterislowinthebottle.Idon』tthinkIcangetanythingbutadolphinhere.ButifIeathimfreshenoughhewon』tbebad.Iwishaflyingfishwouldcomeonboardtonight.ButIhavenolighttoattractthem.AflyingfishisexcellenttoeatrawandIwouldnothavetocuthimup.Imustsaveallmystrengthnow.Christ,Ididnotknowhewassobig.」

    「I』llkillhimthough,」hesaid.「Inallhisgreatnessandhisglory.」

    Althoughitisunjust,hethought.ButIwillshowhimwhatamancandoandwhatamanendures.

    「ItoldtheboyIwasastrangeoldman,」hesaid.「NowiswhenImustproveit.」

    Thethousandtimesthathehadproveditmeantnothing.Nowhewasprovingitagain.Eachtimewasanewtimeandheneverthoughtaboutthepastwhenhewasdoingit.

    Iwishhe』dsleepandIcouldsleepanddreamaboutthelions,hethought.Whyarethelionsthemainthingthatisleft?Don』tthink,oldman,hesaidtohimself,Restgentlynowagainstthewoodandthinkofnothing.Heisworking.Workaslittleasyoucan.

    Itwasgettingintotheafternoonandtheboatstillmovedslowlyandsteadily.Buttherewasanaddeddragnowfromtheeasterlybreezeandtheoldmanrodegentlywiththesmallseaandthehurtofthecordacrosshisbackcametohimeasilyandsmoothly.

    Onceintheafternoonthelinestartedtoriseagain.Butthefishonlycontinuedtoswimataslightlyhigherlevel.Thesunwasontheoldman』sleftarmandshoulderandonhisback.Soheknewthefishhadturnedeastofnorth.