第30章 英文版 (20) 文 / 歐內斯特·海明威

    IhavenounderstandingofitandIamnotsurethatIbelieveinit.Perhapsitwasasintokillthefish.IsupposeitwaseventhoughIdidittokeepmealiveandfeedmanypeople.Buttheneverythingisasin.Donotthinkaboutsin.Itismuchtoolateforthatandtherearepeoplewhoarepaidtodoit.Letthemthinkaboutit.Youwereborntobeafishermanasthefishwasborntobeafish.SanPedrowasafishermanaswasthefatherofthegreatDiMaggio.

    Buthelikedtothinkaboutallthingsthathewasinvolvedinandsincetherewasnothingtoreadandhedidnothavearadio,hethoughtmuchandhekeptonthinkingaboutsin.Youdidnotkillthefishonlytokeepaliveandtosellforfood,hethought.Youkilledhimforprideandbecauseyouareafisherman.Youlovedhimwhenhewasaliveandyoulovedhimafter.Ifyoulovehim,itisnotasintokillhim.Orisitmore?

    「Youthinktoomuch,oldman,」hesaidaloud.

    Butyouenjoyedkillingthedentuso,hethought.Helivesonthelivefishasyoudo.Heisnotascavengernorjustamovingappetiteassomesharksare.Heisbeautifulandnobleandknowsnofearofanything.

    「Ikilledhiminself-defense,」theoldmansaidaloud.「AndIkilledhimwell.」

    Besides,hethought,everythingkillseverythingelseinsomeway.Fishingkillsmeexactlyasitkeepsmealive.Theboykeepsmealive,hethought.Imustnotdeceivemyselftoomuch.

    Heleanedoverthesideandpulledlooseapieceofthemeatofthefishwherethesharkhadcuthim.Hecheweditandnoteditsqualityanditsgoodtaste.Itwasfirmandjuicy,likemeat,butitwasnotred.TherewasnostringinessinitandheknewthatitwouldbringthehighestpriceInthemarket.Buttherewasnowaytokeepitsscentoutofthewaterandtheoldmanknewthataveryhadtimewascoming.

    Thebreezewassteady.Ithadbackedalittlefurtherintothenorth-eastandheknewthatmeantthatitwouldnotfalloff.Theoldmanlookedaheadofhimbuthecouldseenosailsnorcouldheseethehullnorthesmokeofanyship.TherewereonlytheflyingfishthatwentupfromhisbowsailingawaytoeithersideandtheyellowpatchesofGulfweed.Hecouldnotevenseeabird.

    Hehadsailedfortwohours,restinginthesternandsometimeschewingabitofthemeatfromthemarlin,tryingtorestandtobestrong,whenhesawthefirstofthetwosharks.

    「Ay,」hesaidaloud.Thereisnotranslationforthiswordandperhapsitisjustanoisesuchasamanmightmake,involuntarily,feelingthenailgothroughhishandsandintothewood.

    「Galanos,」hesaidaloud.Hehadseenthesecondfinnowcomingupbehindthefirstandhadidentifiedthemasshovel-nosedsharksbythebrown,triangularfinandthesweepingmovementsofthetail.Theyhadthescentandwereexcitedandinthestupidityoftheirgreathungertheywerelosingandfindingthescentintheirexcitement.Buttheywereclosingallthetime.

    Theoldmanmadethesheetfastandjammedthetiller.Thenhetookuptheoarwiththeknifelashedtoit.Helifteditaslightlyashecouldbecausehishandsrebelledatthepain.Thenheopenedandclosedthemonitlightlytoloosenthem.Heclosedthemfirmlysotheywouldtakethepainnowandwouldnotflinchandwatchedthesharkscome.Hecouldseetheirwide,flattened,shovel-pointedheadsnowandtheirwhitetippedwidepectoralfins.Theywerehatefulsharks,badsmelling,scavengersaswellaskillers,andwhentheywerehungrytheywouldbiteatanoarortherudderofaboat.Itwasthesesharksthatwouldcuttheturtles』legsandflippersoffwhentheturtleswereasleeponthesurface,andtheywouldhitamaninthewater,iftheywerehungry,evenifthemanhadnosmelloffishbloodnoroffishslimeonhim.

    「Ay,」theoldmansaid.「Galanos.Comeongalanos.」

    Theycame.ButtheydidnotcomeastheMakohadcome.Oneturnedandwentoutofsightundertheskiffandtheoldmancouldfeeltheskiffshakeashejerkedandpulledonthefish.Theotherwatchedtheoldmanwithhisslittedyelloweyesandthencameinfastwithhishalfcircleofjawswidetohitthefishwherehehadalreadybeenbitten.Thelineshowedclearlyonthetopofhisbrownheadandbackwherethebrainjoinedthespinalcordandtheoldmandrovetheknifeontheoarintothejuncture,withdrewit,anddroveitinagainintotheshark』syellowcat-likeeyes.Thesharkletgoofthefishandsliddown,swallowingwhathehadtakenashedied.

    Theskiffwasstillshakingwiththedestructiontheothersharkwasdoingtothefishandtheoldmanletgothesheetsothattheskiffwouldswingbroadsideandbringthesharkoutfromunder.Whenhesawthesharkheleanedoverthesideandpunchedathim.Hehitonlymeatandthehidewassethardandhebarelygottheknifein.Theblowhurtnotonlyhishandsbuthisshouldertoo.Butthesharkcameupfastwithhisheadoutandtheoldmanhithimsquarelyinthecenterofhisflat-toppedheadashisnosecameoutofwaterandlayagainstthefish.Theoldmanwithdrewthebladeandpunchedthesharkexactlyinthesamespotagain.Hestillhungtothefishwithhisjawshookedandtheoldmanstabbedhiminhislefteye.Thesharkstillhungthere.

    「No?」theoldmansaidandhedrovethebladebetweenthevertebraeandthebrain.Itwasaneasyshotnowandhefeltthecartilagesever.Theoldmanreversedtheoarandputthebladebetweentheshark』sjawstoopenthem.Hetwistedthebladeandasthesharkslidloosehesaid,「Goon,galano.Slidedownamiledeep.Goseeyourfriend,ormaybeit』syourmother.」

    Theoldmanwipedthebladeofhisknifeandlaiddowntheoar.Thenhefoundthesheetandthesailfilledandhebroughttheskiffontohercourse.