chapter 28.mp34:46
來自松柏苦寒
The sharks did not hit him again until just before sunset.
直到快日落的時候，鯊魚才再來襲擊它。
The old man saw the brown fins coming along the wide trail the fish must make in the water. They were not even quartering on the scent. They were headed straight for the skiff swimming side by side.
老人看見兩片褐色的鰭正順著那魚必然在水裡留下的很寬的臭跡游來。它們竟然不用到處來回搜索這臭跡。它們筆直地並肩朝小船游來。
He jammed the tiller, made the sheet fast and reached under the stern for the club. It was an oar handle from a broken oar sawed off to about two and a half feet in length. He could only use it effectively with one hand because of the grip of the handle a nd he took good hold of it with his right hand, flexing his hand on it, as he watched the sharks come. They were both galanos.
他剎住了舵把，繫緊帆腳索，伸手到船梢下去拿棍子。它原是個槳把，是從一支斷槳上鋸下的，大約兩英尺半長。因為它上面有個把手，他只能用一隻手有效地使用，於是他就用右手好好兒攥住了它，彎著手按在上面，一面望著鯊魚在過來。兩條都是加拉諾鯊。
I must let the first one get a good hold and hit him on the point of the nose or straight across the top of the head, he thought.
我必須讓第一條鯊魚好好咬住了才打它的鼻尖，或者直朝它頭頂正中打去，他想。
The two sharks closed together and as he saw the one nearest him open his jaws and sink them into the silver side of the fish, he raised the club high and brought it down heavy and slamming onto the top of the shark‘s broad head. He felt the rubbery solid ity as the club came down. But he felt the rigidity of bone too and he struck the shark once more hard across the point of the nose as he slid down from the fish.
兩條鯊魚一起緊逼過來，他一看到離他較近的那條張開嘴直咬進那魚的銀色脅腹，就高高舉起棍子，重重地打下去，砰的一聲打在鯊魚寬闊的頭頂上。棍子落下去，他覺得好象打在堅韌的橡膠上。但他也感覺到堅硬的骨頭，他就趁鯊魚從那魚身上朝下溜的當兒，再重重地朝它鼻尖上打了一下。
The other shark had been in and out and now came in again with his jaws wide. The old man could see pieces of the meat of the fish spilling white from the corner of his jaws as he bumped the fish and closed his jaws. He swung at him and hit only the head and the shark looked at him and wrenched the meat loose. The old man swung the club down again as he slipped away to swallow and hit only the heavy solid rubberiness.
另一條鯊魚剛才竄來後就走了，這時又張大了嘴撲上來。它直撞在魚身上，閉上兩顎，老人看見一塊塊白色的魚肉從它嘴角漏出來。他掄起棍子朝它打去，只打中了頭部，鯊魚朝他看看，把咬在嘴裡的肉一口撕下了。老人趁它溜開去把肉嚥下時，又掄起棍子朝它打下去，只打中了那厚實而堅韌的橡膠般的地方。
"Come on, galano," the old man said. "Come in again."
“來吧，加拉諾鯊，”老人說。“再過來吧。”
The shark came in a rush and the old man hit him as he shut his jaws. He hit him solidly and from as high up as he could raise the club. This time he felt the bone at the base of the brain and he hit him again in the same place while the shark tore the me at loose sluggishly and slid down from the fish.
鯊魚衝上前來，老人趁它合上兩顎時給了它一下。他結結實實地打中了它，是把棍子舉得儘量高才打下去的。這一回他感到打中了腦子後部的骨頭，於是朝同一部位又是一下，鯊魚呆滯地撕下嘴裡咬著的魚肉，從魚身邊溜下去了。
The old man watched for him to come again but neither shark showed. Then he saw one on the surface swimming in circles. He did not see the fin of the other.
老人守望著，等它再來，可是兩條鯊魚都沒有露面。接著他看見其中的一條在海面上繞著圈兒遊著。他沒有看見另外一條的鰭。
I could not expect to kill them, he thought. I could have in my time. But I have hurt them both badly and neither one can feel very good. If I could have used a bat with two hands I could have killed the first one surely. Even now, he thought.
我沒法指望打死它們了，他想。我年輕力壯時能行。不過我已經把它們倆都打得受了重傷，它們中哪一條都不會覺得好過。要是我能用雙手掄起一根棒球棒，我準能把第一條打死。即使現在也能行，他想。
He did not want to look at the fish. He knew that half of him had been destroyed. The sun had gone down while he had been in the fight with the sharks.
他不願朝那條魚看。他知道它的半個身子已經被咬爛了。他剛才跟鯊魚搏鬥的時候，太陽已經落下去了。
"It will be dark soon," he said. "Then I should see the glow of Havana. If I am too far to the eastward I will see the lights of one of the new beaches."
“馬上就要斷黑了，”他說。“那時候我將看見哈瓦那的燈火。如果我往東走得太遠了，我會看見一個新開闢的海灘上的燈光。”
I cannot be too far out now, he thought. I hope no one has been too worried. There is only the boy to worry, of course. But I am sure he would have confidence. Many of the older fishermen will worry. Many others too, he thought. I live in a good town.
我現在離陸地不會太遠，他想。我希望沒人為此擔心。當然啦，只有那孩子會擔心。可是我相信他一定有信心。好多老漁夫也會擔心的。還有不少別的人，他想。我住在一個好鎮子裡啊。
He could not talk to the fish anymore because the fish had been ruined too badly. Then something came into his head.
他不能再跟這魚說話了，因為它給糟蹋得太厲害了。接著他頭腦裡想起了一件事。
"Half fish," he said. "Fish that you were. I am sorry that I went too far out. I ruined us both. But we have killed many sharks, you and I, and ruined many others. How many did you ever kill, old fish? You do not have that spear on your head for nothing."
“半條魚，”他說。“你原來是條完整的。我很抱歉，我出海太遠了。我把你我都毀了。不過我們殺死了不少鯊魚，你跟我一起，還打傷了好多條。你殺死過多少啊，好魚？你頭上長著那隻長嘴，可不是白長的啊。”
He liked to think of the fish and what he could do to a shark if he were swimming free. I should have chopped the bill off to fight them with, he thought. But there was no hatchet and then there was no knife.
他喜歡想到這條魚，想到如果它在自由地遊著，會怎樣去對付一條鯊魚。我應該砍下它這長嘴，拿來跟那些鯊魚鬥，他想。但是沒有斧頭，後來又弄丟了那把刀子。
But if I had, and could have lashed it to an oar butt, what a weapon. Then we might have fought them together. What will you do now if they come in the night? What can you do?
但是，如果我把它砍下了，就能把它綁在槳把上，該是多好的武器啊。這樣，我們就能一起跟它們鬥啦。要是它們夜裡來，你該怎麼辦？你又有什麼辦法？
"Fight them," he said. "I‘ll fight them until I die."
“跟它們鬥，”他說。“我要跟它們鬥到死。”
But in the dark now and no glow showing and no lights and only the wind and the steady pull of the sail he felt that perhaps he was already dead. He put his two hands together and felt the palms. They were not dead and he could bring the pain of life by s imply opening and closing them. He leaned his back against the stern and knew he was not dead. His shoulders told him.
但是，在眼下的黑暗裡，看不見天際的反光，也看不見燈火，只有風和那穩定地拉曳著的帆，他感到說不定自己已經死了。他合上雙手，摸摸掌心。這雙手沒有死，他只消把它們開合一下，就能感到生之痛楚。他把背脊靠在船梢上，知道自己沒有死。這是他的肩膀告訴他的。
I have all those prayers I promised if I caught the fish he thought. But I am too tired to say them now. I better get the sack and put it over my shoulders.
我許過願，如果逮住了這條魚，要念多少遍祈禱文，他不過我現在太累了，沒法念。我還是把麻袋拿來披在肩上。
