第31章 英文版 (21) 文 / 歐內斯特·海明威

    「Theymusthavetakenaquarterofhimandofthebestmeat,」hesaidaloud.「IwishitwereadreamandthatIhadneverhookedhim.I』msorryaboutit,fish.Itmakeseverythingwrong.」Hestoppedandhedidnotwanttolookatthefishnow.Drainedofbloodandawashhelookedthecolourofthesilverbackingofaminorandhisstripesstillshowed.

    「Ishouldn』thavegoneoutsofar,fish,」hesaid.「Neitherforyounorforme.I』msorry,fish.」

    Now,hesaidtohimself.Looktothelashingontheknifeandseeifithasbeencut.Thengetyourhandinorderbecausetherestillismoretocome.

    「IwishIhadastonefortheknife,」theoldmansaidafterhehadcheckedthelashingontheoarbutt.「Ishouldhavebroughtastone.」Youshouldhavebroughtmanythings,hethought.Butyoudidnotbringthem,oldman.Nowisnotimetothinkofwhatyoudonothave.Thinkofwhatyoucandowithwhatthereis.

    「Yougivememuchgoodcounsel,」hesaidaloud.「I』mtiredofit.」

    Heheldthetillerunderhisarmandsoakedbothhishandsinthewaterastheskiffdroveforward.

    「Godknowshowmuchthatlastonetook,」hesaid.

    「Butshe』smuchlighternow.」Hedidnotwanttothinkofthemutilatedunder-sideofthefish.Heknewthateachofthejerkingbumpsofthesharkhadbeenmeattornawayandthatthefishnowmadeatrailforallsharksaswideasahighwaythroughthesea.

    Hewasafishtokeepamanallwinter,hethoughtDon』tthinkofthat.Justrestandtrytogetyourhandsinshapetodefendwhatisleftofhim.Thebloodsmellfrommyhandsmeansnothingnowwithallthatscentinthewater.Besidestheydonotbleedmuch.Thereisnothingcutthatmeansanything.Thebleedingmaykeeptheleftfromcramping.

    WhatcanIthinkofnow?hethought.Nothing.Imustthinkofnothingandwaitforthenextones.Iwishithadreallybeenadream,hethought.Butwhoknows?Itmighthaveturnedoutwell.

    Thenextsharkthatcamewasasingleshovelnose.Hecamelikeapigtothetroughifapighadamouthsowidethatyoucouldputyourheadinit.Theoldmanlethimhitthefishandthendrovetheknifeontheoardonintohisbrain.Butthesharkjerkedbackwardsasherolledandtheknifebladesnapped.

    Theoldmansettledhimselftosteer.Hedidnotevenwatchthebigsharksinkingslowlyinthewater,showingfirstlife-size,thensmall,thentiny.Thatalwaysfascinatedtheoldman.Buthedidnotevenwatchitnow.

    「Ihavethegaffnow,」hesaid.「Butitwilldonogood.Ihavethetwooarsandthetillerandtheshortclub.」

    Nowtheyhavebeatenme,hethought.Iamtoooldtoclubsharkstodeath.ButIwilltryitaslongasIhavetheoarsandtheshortclubandthetiller.

    Heputhishandsinthewateragaintosoakthem.Itwasgettinglateintheafternoonandhesawnothingbuttheseaandthesky.Therewasmorewindintheskythantherehadbeen,andsoonhehopedthathewouldseeland.

    「You』retired,oldman,」hesaid.「You』retiredinside.」

    Thesharksdidnothithimagainuntiljustbeforesunset.

    Theoldmansawthebrownfinscomingalongthewidetrailthefishmustmakeinthewater.Theywerenotevenquarteringonthescent.Theywereheadedstraightfortheskiffswimmingsidebyside.

    Hejammedthetiller,madethesheetfastandreachedunderthestemfortheclub.Itwasanoarhandlefromabrokenoarsawedofftoabouttwoandahalffeetinlength.Hecouldonlyuseiteffectivelywithonehandbecauseofthegripofthehandleandhetookgoodholdofitwithhisrighthand,flexinghishandonit,ashewatchedthesharkscome.Theywerebothgalanos.

    Imustletthefirstonegetagoodholdandhithimonthepointofthenoseorstraightacrossthetopofthehead,hethought.

    Thetwosharksclosedtogetherandashesawtheonenearesthimopenhisjawsandsinkthemintothesilversideofthefish,heraisedtheclubhighandbroughtitdownheavyandslammingontothetopoftheshark』sbroadhead.Hefelttherubberysolidityastheclubcamedown.Buthefelttherigidityofbonetooandhestruckthesharkoncemorehardacrossthepointofthenoseashesliddownfromthefish.

    Theothersharkhadbeeninandoutandnowcameinagainwithhisjawswide.Theoldmancouldseepiecesofthemeatofthefishspillingwhitefromthecornerofhisjawsashebumpedthefishandclosedhisjaws.Heswungathimandhitonlytheheadandthesharklookedathimandwrenchedthemeatloose.Theoldmanswungtheclubdownonhimagainasheslippedawaytoswallowandhitonlytheheavysolidrubberiness.

    「Comeon,galano,」theoldmansaid.「Comeinagain.」

    Thesharkcameinarushandtheoldmanhithimasheshuthisjaws.Hehithimsolidlyandfromashighupashecouldraisetheclub.Thistimehefelttheboneatthebaseofthebrainandhehithimagaininthesameplacewhilethesharktorethemeatloosesluggishlyandsliddownfromthefish.

    Theoldmanwatchedforhimtocomeagainbutneithersharkshowed.Thenhesawoneonthesurfaceswimmingincircles.Hedidnotseethefinoftheother.

    Icouldnotexpecttokillthem,hethought.Icouldhaveinmytime.ButIhavehurtthembothbadlyandneitheronecanfeelverygood.IfIcouldhaveusedabatwithtwohandsIcouldhavekilledthefirstonesurely.Evennow,hethought.

    Hedidnotwanttolookatthefish.Heknewthathalfofhimhadbeendestroyed.Thesunhadgonedownwhilehehadbeeninthefightwiththesharks.

    「Itwillbedarksoon,」hesaid.「ThenIshouldseetheglowofHavana.IfIamtoofartotheeastwardIwillseethelightsofoneofthenewbeaches.」

    Icannotbetoofaroutnow,hethought.Ihopenoonehasbeentooworried.Thereisonlytheboytoworry,ofcourse.ButIamsurehewouldhaveconfidence.Manyoftheolderfishermenwillworry.Manyotherstoo,hethought.Iliveinagoodtown.

    Hecouldnottalktothefishanymorebecausethefishhadbeenruinedtoobadly.Thensomethingcameintohishead.