第16章 英文版 6（第1页）
第16章英文版（6）
Theiridestbubbleswerebeautiful。Buttheywerethefalsestthingiheoldmaoseethebigseaturtleseatiurtlessaroachedthemfromthefroheireyessotheywerepletelycarapadatethemfilamentsandall。Theoldmaoseetheturtleseatthemaowalkohebeachafterastormahempopwhehemwiththehornysolesofhisfeet。
Helovedgreenturtlesandhawk-billswiththeirelegandspeedavalueandhehadafriehehuge，stupidloggerheads，yellowintheirarm，straheirlove-making，andhappilyeatiuguesemen-of-warwiththeireyesshut。
Hehadnomysticismaboutturtlesalthoughhehadgoleboatsformanyyears。Hewassorryforthemall，everunkbacksthatwereaslongastheskiffaon。Mostpeopleareheartlessaboutturtlesbecauseaturtle’sheartwillbeatforhoursafterhehasbeendbutchered。Buttheoldmanthought，Ihavesuchahearttooaandhaheirs。HeatethewhiteeggstogivehimselfstrehemallthroughMaytioberffish。
Healsodrankacupofsharkliveroileathebigdrumintheshackwheremanyofthefishermeheirgear。Itwasthereforallfishermenwhowa。Mostfishermeaste。Butitwastingupatthehoursthattheyroseanditwasverygoodagainstalldgrippesanditwasgoodfortheeyes。
Nowtheoldmanlookedupandsawthatthebirdwasgagain。
“He’sfoundfish，”hesaidaloud。Noflyingfishbrokethesurfadtherewasnofbaitfish。Butastheoldmanwatched，asmalltuheair，turnedanddroppedheadfirstihetunashohesunandafterhehaddroppedbatothewateranotherandanotherroseandtheywerejumpingiitheinginlongjumpsafterthebait。Theyweregitanddrivingit。
IftheydooofastIwillgetiheoldmanthought，achedtheschthewaterwhiteandthebirdnanddippingifishthatwereforcedtothesurfatheirpanic。
“Thebirdisagreathelp，”theoldmansaid。Justtheerautunderhisfoot，wherehehadkeptaloopoftheline，andhedroppedhisoarsaileweightofthesmalltuna’sshiveringpullasheheldthelinefirmaohaulitin。Theshiveringincreasedashepulledinandhecouldseethebluebackofthefishihegoldofhissidesbeforeheswuhesideandi。Helayihesun，padbulletshaped，hisbig，ueyesstarihumpedhislifeoutagainsttheplankihthequickshiveringstrokesofhis-movingtail。Theoldmanhithimontheheadforkindnessandkickedhim，hisbodystillshudderiheshadeofthestern。
“Albacore，”hesaidaloud。“He’llmakeabeautifulbait。He’llweightenpounds。”
&rememberwhenhehadfirststartedtotalkaloudwhenhewasbyhimself。Hehadsungwhenhewasbyhimselfintheolddaysandhehadsungatimeswhenhewasalonhiswatthesmatheturtleboats。Hehadprobablystartedtotalkaloud，wheheboyhadleft。Buthedidnotremember。Wheheboyfishedtogethertheyusuallyspokeowasheytalkedatnightorwheorm-boundbybadweather。Itwassideredavirtuenottotalkunnecessarilyatseaandtheoldmanhadalwayssidereditsoa。Butnowhesaidhisthoughtsaloudmaherewasheyoy。
“IftheothersheardmetalkingoutloudtheywouldthinkthatIamcrazy，”hesaidaloud。“Butsicrazy，Idoherichhaveradiostotalktothemisandtthemthebaseball。”
Nowishinkofbaseball，hethought。othinkofohatwhichIwasborbeabigohatschool，hethought。Ipilyastragglerfromthealbacorethatwerefeeding。Buttheyarewfaroutahingthatshowsonthesurfacetodaytravelsveryfastah-east。thatbethetimeofday?OrisitsomesighatIdonotknow?
Heotseethegreenoftheshorenowbutoopsofthebluehillsthatshowedwhiteasthoughtheywereshecloudsthatlookedlikehighsnowmountaiheseawasverydarkamadeprismsihemyriadflecksoftheplanktonwereannullednowbythehighsunanditwasodeepprismsihattheoldmansaithhislinesghtdowhatwasamiledeep。
&hefishermehefishofthatspeaandonlydistihembytheirproperheycametosellthemortotradethemforbaits，weredownagain。Thesunwashotnowandtheoldmaonthebackofhisnedfeltthesweattrihisbackasherowed。
Icouldjustdrift，hethought，aabightoflinearouowakeme。Buttodayiseighty-fivedaysandIshouldfishthedaywell。
Justthen，watghislines，hesawoiicksdipsharply。