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第1章 The Old Mans Hard Life(第1页)

HewasanoldmanwhofishedaloneinaskiffintheGulfStreamandhehadgoneeighty-fourdaysnowwithouttakingafish.InthefirstfortydaysaboyhadbeenwithhiButafterfortydayswithoutafishtheboysparentshadtoldhimthattheoldmanwasnowdefinitelyandfinallysalao,whichistheworstformofunlucky,andtheboyhadgoneattheirordersinanotherboatwhichcaughtthreegoodfishthefirstweek.Itmadetheboysadtoseetheoldmancomeineachdaywithhisskiffemptyandhealwayswentdowntohelphimcarryeitherthecoiledlinesorthegaffandharpoonandthesailthatwasfurledaroundthemast.Thesailwaspatchedwithfloursacksand,furled,itlookedliketheflagofpermanentdefeat.

Theoldmanwasthinandgauntwithdeepwrinklesinthebackofhisneck.Thebrownblotchesofthebenevolentskincancerthesunbringsfromitsreflectiononthetropicseawereonhischeeks.Theblotchesranwelldownthesidesofhisfaceandhishandshadthedeep-creasedscarsfromhandlingheavyfishonthecords.Butnoneofthesescarswerefresh.Theywereasoldaserosionsinafishlessdesert.

Everythingabouthimwasoldexcepthiseyesandtheywerethesamecolorastheseaandwerecheerfulandundefeated.

“Santiago,”theboysaidtohimastheyclimbedthebankfromwheretheskiffwashauledup.“Icouldgowithyouagain.Wevemadesomemoney.”

Theoldmanhadtaughttheboytofishandtheboylovedhi

“No,”theoldmansaid.“Yourewithaluckyboat.Staywiththe”

“Butrememberhowyouwenteighty-sevendayswithoutfishandthenwecaughtbigoneseverydayforthreeweeks.”“Iremember,”theoldmansaid,“Iknowyoudidnotleavemebecauseyoudoubted.”

“Itwaspapamademeleave.IamaboyandImustobeyhi”

“Iknow,”theoldmansaid.“Itisquitenormal.”

“Hehasntmuchfaith.”

“No,”theoldmansaid.“Butwehave.Haventwe?”“Yes,”theboysaid.“CanIofferyouabeerontheTerraceandthenwelltakethestuffhome.”

“Whynot?”theoldmansaid.“Betweenfishermen.”

TheysatontheTerraceandmanyofthefishermenmadefunoftheoldmanandhewasnotangry.Others,oftheolderfishermen,lookedathimandweresad.Buttheydidnotshowitandtheyspokepolitelyaboutthecurrentandthedepthstheyhaddriftedtheirlinesatandthesteadygoodweatherandofwhattheyhadseen.Thesuccessfulfishermenofthatdaywerealreadyinandhadbutcheredtheirmarlinoutandcarriedthemlaidfullacrosstwoplanks,withtwomenstaggeringattheendofeachplank,tothefishhousewheretheywaitedfortheicetrucktocarrythemtothemarketinHavana.Thosewhohadcaughtsharkshadtakenthemtothesharkfactoryontheothersideofthecovewheretheywerehoistedonablockandtackle,theirliversremoved,theirfinscutoffandtheirhidesskinnedoutandtheirfleshcutintostripsforsalting.

Whenthewindwasintheeastasmellcameacrosstheharborfromthesharkfactory;buttodaytherewasonlythefaintedgeoftheodorbecausethewindhadbackedintothenorthandthendroppedoffanditwaspleasantandsunnyontheTerrace.

“Santiago,”theboysaid.

“Yes,”theoldmansaid.Hewasholdinghisglassandthinkingofmanyyearsago.

“CanIgoouttogetsardinesforyoufortomorrow?”“No.Goandplaybaseball.IcanstillrowandRogeliowillthrowthenet.”

“Iwouldliketogo.IfIcannotfishwithyou,Iwouldliketoserveinsomeway.”

“Youboughtmeabeer,”theoldmansaid.“Youarealreadyaman.”

“HowoldwasIwhenyoufirsttookmeinaboat?”

“FiveandyounearlywerekilledwhenIbroughtthefishintoogreenandhenearlytoretheboattopieces.Canyouremember?”

“Icanrememberthetailslappingandbangingandthethwartbreakingandthenoiseoftheclubbing.Icanrememberyouthrowingmeintothebowwherethewetcoiledlineswereandfeelingthewholeboatshiverandthenoiseofyouclubbinghimlikechoppingatreedownandthesweetbloodsmellalloverme.”

“CanyoureallyrememberthatordidIjusttellittoyou?”

“Iremembereverythingfromwhenwefirstwenttogether.”

Theoldmanlookedathimwithhissunburned,confidentlovingeyes.

“IfyouweremyboyIdtakeyououtandgamble,”hesaid.“Butyouareyourfathersandyourmothersandyouareinaluckyboat.”

“MayIgetthesardines?IknowwhereIcangetfourbaitstoo.”

“Ihavemineleftfromtoday.Iputtheminsaltinthebox.”

“Letmegetfourfreshones.”

“One,”theoldmansaid.Hishopeandhisconfidencehadnevergone.Butnowtheywerefresheningaswhenthebreezerises.

“Two,”theboysaid.

“Two,”theoldmanagreed.“Youdidntstealthem?”

“Iwould,”theboysaid.“ButIboughtthese.”

“Thankyou,”theoldmansaid.Hewastoosimpletowonderwhenhehadattainedhumility.Butheknewhehadattaineditandheknewitwasnotdisgracefulanditcarriednolossoftruepride.

“Tomorrowisgoingtobeagooddaywiththiscurrent,”hesaid.

“Whereareyougoing?”theboyasked.

“Farouttocomeinwhenthewindshifts.Iwanttobeoutbeforeitislight.”

“Illtrytogethimtoworkfarout,”theboysaid.“Thenifyouhooksomethingtrulybigwecancometoyouraid.”

“Hedoesnotliketoworktoofarout.”

“No,”theboysaid.“ButIwillseesomethingthathecannotseesuchasabirdworkingandgethimtocomeoutafterdolphin.”

“Arehiseyesthatbad?”

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