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第26章 英文版 16（第1页）

第26章英文版（16）

&helinewouldnoteinanymoreailhesawthedropsjumpingfromitihenitstartedoutandtheoldmadowglybatothedark>

“Heismakiofhisow，”hesaid。ImustholdallI，hethought。Thestrainwillshortenhiscircleeachtime。PerhapsinanhourIwillseehim。NowImustdthenImustkillhim。

Butthefishkeptslowlyandtheoldmahsweatandtireddeepintohisbowohourslater。Butthecirclesweremuchshorternowandfromthewaytheliedhecouldtellthefishhadrisensteadilywhilehes>

Foranhourtheoldmanhadbeenseeingblackspotsbeforehiseyesaedhiseyesaoverhiseyesandonhisforehead。Hewasnotafraidoftheblackspots。Theywerenormalatthetensionthatheulliwice，though，hehadfeltfaintanddizzyandthathadworriedhim。

“Iyselfanddieonafishlikethis，”hesaid。“NowthatIhavehimiifully，Godhelpmeendure。I’llsayahuhersandahundredHailMarys。ButIotsaythemnow。

siderthemsaid，hethought。I’llsaythemlater。Justtheasuddenbangingandjerkingonthelihhistwohands。Itandhard-feelingandheavy。

&ingthewireleaderwithhisspear，hethought。Thatwasboundtoe。Hehadtodothat。ItmaymakehimjumpthoughandIwouldratherhestayedow。Thejumpswerenetotakeair。Butafterthateawidehehookwouhrowthehook。

“Don’tjump，fish，”hesaid。“Don’tjump。”

&thewireseveraltimesmoreaimeheshookhisheadtheoldmatleline。

Imustholdhispaiis，hethought。Miter。Iihispaincoulddrivehimmad。

Afterawhilethefishstoppedbeatingatthewireandstartedgslowlyagain。Theoldmanwasgaieadilynow。Buthefeltfaintagaiedsomeseawaterwithhislefthandandputitohemoreonahebackofhisneck。

“Ihavenocramps，”hesaid。“He’llbeupsoonandIlast。Youhavetolast。Don’teve。”

Hekthebowand，foramomehelineoverhisba。I’llrestnowwhilehegoesoutonthedthenstandupandworkonhimwhenheesin，hedecided。

Ittatiohebowahefishmakeonecirclebyhimselfwithawheraihefishhadturoetowardtheboat，theoldmaohisfeetahepivotingandtheullingthatbroughtinallthelinehegained。

I’mtirederthanIhaveeverbee，aradewindisrising。Butthatwillbegoodtotakehiminwith。Ibadly。

“I’llrestour，”hesaid。“Ifeelmuchbetter。ThenintwoorthreeturnsmoreIwillhavehim。”

Hisstrawhatwasfaronthebackofhisheadandhesankdowhthepullofthelihefishturn。

Youworknow，fish，hethought。I’lltakeyouattheturn。

Theseahadrisensiderably。Butitwasafair-weatherbreezeaohaveittogethome。

“I’lljuststeersoutha，”hesaid。“Amaseaanditisalongisland。”

Itwasourhefishfirst。

Hesawhimfirstasadarkshadowthattooksolongtopassuhatheotbelieveitslength。

“No，”hesaid。“He’tbethatbig。”

Buthewasthatbigahiscirclehecametothesurfalythirtyyardsawayandthemansawhistailoutofwater。Itwashigherthanabigscythebladeandaverypalelavehedarkbluewater。Itrakedbadasthefishswamjustbelowthesurfaancouldseehishugebulkandthepurplestripesthatbandedhim。Hisdorsalfinwasdownandhishugepectoralswerespreadwide。

Onthiscirahefish’seyeawograysugfishthatswainaroundhim。Sometimestheyattachedthemselvestohim。Sometimestheydartedoff。Sometimestheywouldswimeasilyinhisshadow。Theywereeachoverthreefeetloheyswamfasttheylashedtheirwholebodieslikeeels。

Theoldmaingnowbutfromsomethihesun。Oneachcalmplathefishmadehewasgaininglineandhewassurethatintwoturnsmorehewouldhaveacetogettheharpoonin。

ButImustgethimclose，close，close，hethought。Imustn’ttryforthehead。Imustgettheheart。

“Bedstrong，oldman，”hesaid。

Ocirclethefish’sbeckwasoutbuthewasalittletoofarfromtheboat。Ocirclehewasstilltoofarawaybuthewashigheroutofwaterandtheoldmabygainingsomemorelinehecouldhavehimalongside。

Hehadriggedhisharpoonloscoiloflightropewasinarouheendwasmadefasttothebittinthebow。

Thefishwasinginonhisaifullookingandonlyhisgreattailmoving。Theoldmanpulledonhimallthathechimcloser。Forjustamomeurleoheenedhimselfahercircle。

“Imovedhim，”theoldmansaid。“Imovedhimthen。”