苗疆小说网

第5章 The Old Man and the Big Fish（第3页）

HelookedattheskyandsawthewhitecumulusbuiltlikefriendlypilesoficecreamandhighabovewerethethinfeathersofthecirrusagainstthehighSeptembersky。

“Lightbrisa，”hesaid。“Betterweatherformethanforyou，fish。”

Hislefthandwasstillcramped，buthewasunknottingitslowly。

Ihateacramp，hethought。Itisatreacheryofonesownbody。Itishumiliatingbeforeotherstohaveadiarrhoeafromptomainepoisoningortovomitfromit。Butacramp，hethoughtofitasacalambre，humiliatesoneselfespeciallywhenoneisalone。

Iftheboywereherehecouldrubitformeandloosenitdownfromtheforearm，hethought。Butitwillloosenup。

Then，withhisrighthandhefeltthedifferenceinthepullofthelinebeforehesawtheslantchangeinthewater。Then，asheleanedagainstthelineandslappedhislefthandhardandfastagainsthisthighhesawthelineslantingslowlyupward。

“Hescomingup，”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。Therewasasmallsearisingwiththewindcomingupfromtheeastandatnoontheoldmanslefthandwasuncramped。

“Badnewsforyoufish，”hesaidandshiftedthelineoverthesacksthatcoveredhisshoulders。

Hewascomfortablebutsuffering，althoughhedidnotadmitthesufferingatall。

“Iamnotreligious，”hesaid。“ButIwillsaytenOurFathersandtenHailMarysthatIshouldcatchthisfish，andIpromisetomakeapilgrimagetotheVirgindeCobreifIcatchhim。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。IdontthinkIcangetanythingbutadolphinhere。ButifIeathimfreshenoughhewontbebad。Iwishaflyingfishwouldcomeonboardtonight。ButIhavenolighttoattractthem。AflyingfishisexcellenttoeatrawandIwouldnothavetocuthimup。Imustsaveallmystrengthnow。Christ，Ididnotknowhewassobig。”

“Illkillhimthough，”hesaid。“Inallhisgreatnessandhisglory。”

Althoughitisunjust，hethought。ButIwillshowhimwhatamancandoandwhatamanendures。

“ItoldtheboyIwasastrangeoldman，”hesaid。“NowiswhenImustproveit。”

Thethousandtimesthathehadproveditmeantnothing。Nowhewasprovingitagain。Eachtimewasanewtimeandheneverthoughtaboutthepastwhenhewasdoingit。

IwishhedsleepandIcouldsleepanddreamaboutthelions，hethought。Whyarethelionsthemainthingthatisleft?Dontthink，oldman，hesaidtohimself。Restgentlynowagainstthewoodandthinkofnothing。Heisworking。Workaslittleasyoucan。