第32章 英文版 (22) 文 / 歐內斯特·海明威

    「Halffish,」hesaid.「Fishthatyouwere.IamsorrythatIwenttoofarout.Iruinedusboth.Butwehavekilledmanysharks,youandI,andruinedmanyothers.Howmanydidyoueverkill,oldfish?Youdonothavethatspearonyourheadfornothing.」

    Helikedtothinkofthefishandwhathecoulddotoasharkifhewereswimmingfree.Ishouldhavechoppedthebillofftofightthemwith,hethought.Buttherewasnohatchetandthentherewasnoknife.

    ButifIhad,andcouldhavelashedittoanoarbutt,whataweapon.Thenwemighthavefoughtthemtogether.Whatwillyoudonowiftheycomeinthenight?Whatcanyoudo?

    「Fightthem,」hesaid.「I』llfightthemuntilIdie.」

    Butinthedarknowandnoglowshowingandnolightsandonlythewindandthesteadypullofthesailhefeltthatperhapshewasalreadydead.Heputhistwohandstogetherandfeltthepalms.Theywerenotdeadandhecouldbringthepainoflifebysimplyopeningandclosingthem.Heleanedhisbackagainstthesternandknewhewasnotdead.Hisshoulderstoldhim.

    IhaveallthoseprayersIpromisedifIcaughtthefish,hethought.ButIamtootiredtosaythemnow.Ibettergetthesackandputitovermyshoulders.

    Helayinthesternandsteeredandwatchedfortheglowtocomeinthesky.Ihavehalfofhim,hethought.MaybeI』llhavethelucktobringtheforwardhalfin.Ishouldhavesomeluck.No,hesaid.Youviolatedyourluckwhenyouwenttoofaroutside.

    「Don』tbesilly,」hesaidaloud.「Andkeepawakeandsteer.Youmayhavemuchluckyet.」

    「I』dliketobuysomeifthere』sanyplacetheysellit,」hesaid.

    WhatcouldIbuyitwith?heaskedhimself.CouldIbuyitwithalostharpoonandabrokenknifeandtwobadhands?

    「Youmight,」hesaid.「Youtriedtobuyitwitheighty-fourdaysatsea.Theynearlysoldittoyoutoo.」

    Imustnotthinknonsense,hethought.Luckisathingthatcomesinmanyformsandwhocanrecognizeher?Iwouldtakesomethoughinanyformandpaywhattheyasked.IwishIcouldseetheglowfromthelights,hethought.Iwishtoomanythings.ButthatisthethingIwishfornow.Hetriedtosettlemorecomfortablytosteerandfromhispainheknewhewasnotdead.

    Hesawthereflectedglareofthelightsofthecityatwhatmusthavebeenaroundteno』clockatnight.Theywereonlyperceptibleatfirstasthelightisintheskybeforethemoonrises.Thentheyweresteadytoseeacrosstheoceanwhichwasroughnowwiththeincreasingbreeze.Hesteeredinsideoftheglowandhethoughtthatnow,soon,hemusthittheedgeofthestream.

    Nowitisover,hethought.Theywillprobablyhitmeagain.Butwhatcanamandoagainsttheminthedarkwithoutaweapon?

    Hewasstiffandsorenowandhiswoundsandallofthestrainedpartsofhisbodyhurtwiththecoldofthenight.IhopeIdonothavetofightagain,hethought.IhopesomuchIdonothavetofightagain.

    Butbymidnighthefoughtandthistimeheknewthefightwasuseless.Theycameinapackandhecouldonlyseethelinesinthewaterthattheirfinsmadeandtheirphosphorescenceastheythrewthemselvesonthefish.Heclubbedatheadsandheardthejawschopandtheshakingoftheskiffastheytookholdbelow.Heclubbeddesperatelyatwhathecouldonlyfeelandhearandhefeltsomethingseizetheclubanditwasgone.

    Hejerkedthetillerfreefromtherudderandbeatandchoppedwithit,holdingitinbothhandsanddrivingitdownagainandagain.Buttheywereuptothebownowanddrivinginoneaftertheotherandtogether,tearingoffthepiecesofmeatthatshowedglowingbelowtheseaastheyturnedtocomeoncemore.

    Onecame,finally,againsttheheaditselfandheknewthatitwasover.Heswungthetilleracrosstheshark』sheadwherethejawswerecaughtintheheavinessofthefish』sheadwhichwouldnottear.Heswungitonceandtwiceandagain.Heheardthetillerbreakandhelungedatthesharkwiththesplinteredbutt.Hefeltitgoinandknowingitwassharphedroveitinagain.Thesharkletgoandrolledaway.Thatwasthelastsharkofthepackthatcame.Therewasnothingmoreforthemtoeat.

    Theoldmancouldhardlybreathenowandhefeltastrangetasteinhismouth.Itwascopperyandsweetandhewasafraidofitforamoment.Buttherewasnotmuchofit.

    Hespatintotheoceanandsaid,「Eatthat,galanos.Andmakeadreamyou』vekilledaman.」

    Heknewhewasbeatennowfinallyandwithoutremedyandhewentbacktothesternandfoundthejaggedendofthetillerwouldfitintheslotoftherudderwellenoughforhimtosteer.Hesettledthesackaroundhisshouldersandputtheskiffonhercourse.Hesailedlightlynowandhehadnothoughtsnoranyfeelingsofanykind.Hewaspasteverythingnowandhesailedtheskifftomakehishomeportaswellandasintelligentlyashecould.Inthenightsharkshitthecarcassassomeonemightpickupcrumbsfromthetable.Theoldmanpaidnoattentiontothemanddidnotpayanyattentiontoanythingexceptsteering.Heonlynoticedhowlightlyandbowwelltheskiffsailednowtherewasnogreatweightbesideher.

    She』sgood,hethought.Sheissoundandnotharmedinanywayexceptforthetiller.Thatiseasilyreplaced.

    Hecouldfeelhewasinsidethecurrentnowandhecouldseethelightsofthebeachcoloniesalongtheshore.Heknewwherehewasnowanditwasnothingtogethome.

    Thewindisourfriend,anyway,hethought.Thenheadded,sometimes.Andthegreatseawithourfriendsandourenemies.Andbed,hethought.Bedismyfriend.Justbed,hethought.Bedwillbeagreatthing.Itiseasywhenyouarebeaten,hethought.Ineverknewhoweasyitwas.Andwhatbeatyou,hethought.

    「Nothing,」hesaidaloud.「Iwentouttoofar.」