第21章 英文版 11（第1页）

第21章英文版（11）

Ihateacramp，hethought。Itisatreacheryofone’sownbody。Itishumiliatiohaveadiarrhoeafromptomainepoisoningortovomitfromit。Butacramp，hethoughtofitasacalambre，humiliatesoneselfespeciallywhenoneisalone。

Iftheboywereherehecouldrubitformeadownfromtheforearm，hethought。Butitwillloosenup。

&hhisrighthahedifferehepulloftheliheslahewater。Then，asheleathelineandslappedhislefthandhardandfastagainsthisthighhesawtheliingslo>

“He’singup，”hesaid。“eonhand。Pleaseeon。”

Thelineroseslowlyandsteadilyahesurfaceoftheobulgedaheadoftheboatandthefishcameout。Hecameoutunendinglyandouredfromhissides。Hewasbrightinthesunandhisheadandbackleahestripesonhissidesshowedwideandalightlavender。Hisswordwasaslongasabaseballbatandtaperedlikearapierandherosehisfulllengthfromthewateraeredit，smoothly，likeadiverandtheoldmascythe-bladeofhistailgouhelioraceout。

&wofeetloheskiff，”theoldmansaid。Thelinewasgoingoutfastbutsteadilyandthefishaheoldmanwastryingwithbothhaheliinsidestrehatifheotslowthefishressurethefishcouldtakeoutalltheli。

HeisagreatfishandImustcehim，hethought。Imusthimlearhnorwhatheadehisrun。IfIwerehimIwouldputihingnowandgouhihankGod，theyarenotasiaswewhokillthem;Althoughtheyaremorenobleandmoreable。

Theoldmanhadseefish。Hehadseenmanythatweighedmorethanathousandpoundsandhehadcaughttwoofthatsizeineveralone。ofsightoflatothebiggestfishthathehadeverseenahanhehadeverheardof，ahandwasstillastightasthegrippedclawsofaneagle。

Itthough，hethought。Surelyittohelpmyrighthahreethingsthatarebrothers:thefishandmytwohands。Itmustuncramp。Itisunworthyofittobecramped。Thefishhadslowedagainandwasgoingathisusualpace。

Iwonderwhyhejumped，theoldmanthought。Hejumpedalmostasthoughtoshoas。Iknoay，hethought。IwishIwhatsortofmanIam。ButthenhewouldseethecrampedhahinkIammoremanthanIamandIwillbeso。IwishIwasthefish，hethought，witheverythinghehasagainstonlymywillandmyintelligence。

&ledfainstthewoodandtookhissufferingasitdthefishswamsteadilyamovedslhthedarkwater。Therewasasmallsearisingwiththewindingupfromtheeastandatnoontheoldmahand

“Badnewsforyou，fish，”hesaidahelihesacksthatcoveredhisshoulders。

Hewasfortablebutsuffering，althoughhedidnotadmitthesufferingatall。

“Iamnious，”hesaid。“ButIwillsaytenOurFathersandtenHailMarysthatIshouldcatchthisfish，andIpromisetomakeapilgrimagetichhim。Thatisapromise。”

Heeosayhisprayersmeieshewouldbesotiredthathebertheprayerandthenhewouldsaythemfastsothattheywouldatically。HailMarysareeasiertosaythanOurFathers，hethought。

“HailMaryfullofGracetheLordiswiththee。Blessedartthouamongwomehefruitofthywomb，Jesus。HolyMary，Mod，prayforussinnersnowandatthehourofourdeath。Amen。”Thenheadded，“BlessedVirgin，prayforthedeathofthisfish。Whheis。”

Withhisprayerssaid，andfeelisufferilyasmudperhapsalittlemore，heleathewoodofthebowandbegan，meically，toworkthefingersofhislefthand。

Thesunwashotnowalthoughthebreezewasrisily。

“Ihadbetterre-baitthatlittleliern，”hesaid。“IfthefishdecidestostayaIwillagaierislowile。Idon’tthinkIythingbutadolphiifIeathimfreshebebad。Iwishaflyingfishwouldeht。ButIhavenolighttoattractthem。AflyingfishisexttoeatrawandIwouldhimup。Imustsaveallmystrengthnow。Christ，Ididnotknowhewassobig。”

“I’llkillhimthough，”hesaid。“Inallhisgreatnessandhisglory。”

Althoughitisu。ButIhatamandwhatamanendures。

“ItoldtheboyIwasastrangeoldman，”hesaid。“proveit。”

&housahehadproveditmeantnothing。Norovingitagaiimewasaimeaaboutthepastwhenhewasdoingit。

Iwishhe’dsleepandIcouldsleepathelio。Whyaretheliohingthatisleft?Don’tthink，oldmaohimself，Restgentlynowagainstthewoodandthinkofnothing。Heisw。Workaslittleasyou。

Itwasgettingiernooillmovedslowlyandsteadily。Buttherewasanaddeddragnowfromtheeasterlybreezeandtheentlywiththesmallseaaofthecordacrosshisbaeasilyandsmoothly。

&heafterartedtain。Butthefishonlyuedtoswimataslightlyhigherlevel。Thesunwasontheoldmaarmandshoulderandonhisback。Sohekhefishhadturofnorth。