第18章 英文版 8（第1页）

第18章英文版（8）

Thenhelookedbehindhimandsawthatnolandwasvisible。Thatmakeshought。IalwayseinontheglowfromHavawomorehoursbeforethesusandmaybehewilleupbeforethat。Ifhedoesn’tmaybehewilleupwiththemoodothatmaybehewilleupwiththesunrise。IhavenodIfeelstrong。Itishethathasthehookinhismouth。Butwhatafishtopulllikethat。Hemusthavehismouthshuttightonthewire。IwishIcouldseehim。IwishIcouldseehimooknowwhatIhaveagainstme。

Thefishnevergedhisorhisdireallthatnightasfarasthemancouldtellfromwatgthestars。Itwascoldafterthesudownandtheoldmadriedhisbadhisarmsandhisoldlegs。Duringthedayhehadtakehatcoveredthebaitboxaiodry。Afterthesudowarouhatithungdownoverhisbadhecautiouslyworkeditdowheliwasacrosshisshouldersnow。Thesaedthelineandhehadfoundawayofleaningfaihathewasalmostfortable。Thepositionactuallywasolessihethoughtofitasalmostfortable。

Iothingforhimandheothihought。Notaslohisup。

&oodupahesideoftheskiffahestarsandcheckedhiscourse。Thelineshohoreststreakiraightoutfromhisshoulders。TheyweremovingmoreslowlynowandtheglowofHavanawasn，sothathekmustbegthemtotheeastward。IfIlosetheglareofHavabegoiheeastward，hethought。Forifthefish’scourseheldtrueImustseeitformanymorehours。Iwohebaseballcameoutinthegraoday，hethought。Itwouldbewoodothiswitharadio。The，thinkofitalways。Thinkofwhaty。Youmustdonothingstupid。

Thenhesaidaloud，“IwishIhadtheboy。Tohelpmeahis。”

Nooneshouldbealoheiroldage，hethought。Butitisuremembertoeatthetunabeforehespoilsi。Remember，tleyouwantto，thatyoumusteathiminthem。Remember，hesaidtohimself。

Duriwoporpoisesdtheboatandhecouldhearthemrollingandblowiellthediffereheblowihemalemadeandthesighingblowofthefemale。

“Theyaregood，”hesaid。“Theyplayandmakejokesaher。Theyareourbrothersliketheflyingfish。”

Theopitythegreatfishthathehadhooked。Heiswonderfulandstrangeandoldheis，hethought。NeverhaveIhadsugfishedsely。Perhapsheistoowisetojump。Hemebyjumpingorbyawildrush。Butperhapshehasbeeimesbeforeahatthisishowheshouldmakehisfight。Heowthatitisonlyonemanagainsthim，northatitisanoldman。Butwhatagreatfishheisandwhatwillhebriifthefleshisgood。Hetookthebaitlikeamaleandhepullslikeamaleandhisfighthasnopaniit。IwonderifhehasanyplansorifheisjustasdesperateasIam?

Herememberedthetimehehadhookedoneofapairofmarlin。Themalefishalwaysletthefemalefishfeedfirstandthehookedfish，thefemale，madeawild，pani，despairingfightthatsooedher，ahemalehadstayedwithher，gthelineandgwithheronthesurface。Hehadstayedsoclosethattheoldmanwasafraidhewouldcutthelihhistailasasdalmostofthatsizeaheoldmanhadgaffedherandclubbedher，holdingtherapierbillwithitssandpaperedgeanddubbingheracrossthetopofherheaduntilhercolourturoaostlikethebairrors，aheboy’said，hoistedheraboard，themalefishhadstayedbythesideoftheboat。Theheoldmahelinesaheharpoon，themalefishjumpedhighintotheairbesidetheboattoseewherethefemalewasadowndeep，hislavenderwings，thatwerehispes，spreadwideandallhiswidelaveripesshowing。Hewasbeautiful，theoldmanremembered，aayed。

Thatwasthesaddestthihthem，theoldmanthought。Theboywassadtooandwebeggedherpardonandbutcheredherpromptly。

“Iwishtheboywashere，”hesaidaloudaledhimselfagainsttheroundedplanksofthebowarengthofthegreatfishthroughthelineheheldacrosshisshsteadilytowardwhateverhehad。

&hroughmytreachery，ithadbeeohimtomakeachoianthought。

Hischoicehadbeentostayinthedeepdarkwaterfaroutbeyondallsrapsandtreacheries。Mychoicewastogotheretofindhimbeyondallpeople。Beyoheearejoiherandhavebeensin。Aohelpeitheroneofus。

PerhapsIshouldnothavebeenafisherma。ButthatwasthethingthatIwasbornfor。Imustsurelyremembertoeatthetuslight。