The Old Man and The Sea 老人与海-Part 18

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Part 18

Just before it was dark, as they passed a great island of Sargasso weed that heaved and swung in the light sea as though the ocean were making love with something under a yellow blanket, his small line was taken by a dolphin. He saw it first when it jumped in the air, true gold in the last of the sun and bending and flapping wildly in the air. It jumped again and again in the acrobatics of its fear and he worked his way back to the stern and crouching and holding the big line with his right hand and arm, he pulled the dolphin in with his left hand, stepping on the gained line each time with his bare left foot.就在天快黑之前,他们经过了堆积成一整座小岛般的马尾藻,覆盖在海面上随着轻波飘浮摇 晃,好像海洋正盖着条黄色毯子与不明客缠绵做爱。就在此刻他的小鱼钩被一条海豚咬住了。 老人看到它的第一眼是在它跳跃到空中那个剎那,夕阳余晖下天空是一片金黄,它在空中疯 狂地扭动挣扎。恐惧得像特技表演似地一跳再跳。老人设法向船尾移动,然后弯起腰,用右

手和手臂的力量握住那条粗绳,再用左手把海豚拖过来,同时用赤裸的左脚,踏住每一次拖 过来的线绳。

When the fish was at the stern, plunging and cutting from side to side in desperation, the old man leaned over the stern and lifted the burnished gold fish with its purple spots over the stern. Its jaws were working convulsively in quick bites against the hook and it pounded the bottom of the skiff with its long flat body, its tail and its head until he clubbed it across the shining golden head until it shivered and was still.鱼被拖到船尾的时候,绝望地挣扎,翻来覆去地跳动。老人靠向船尾,把这条金光闪闪又带 有紫色斑点的鱼提上船尾。鱼在钩上一阵乱咬,下巴像痉挛似地急速颤动,它用那扁长的身 体、尾巴和头用力拍打着船板,老人拿棍子敲打它那金黄色的头,直到它在颤抖中渐渐地平 静下来。

The old man unhooked the fish, re-baited the line with another sardine and tossed it over. Then he worked his way slowly back to the bow. He washed his left hand and wiped it on his trousers. Then he shifted the heavy line from his right hand to his left and washed his right hand in the sea while he watched the sun go into the ocean and the slant of the big cord. "He hasn't changed at all," he said. But watching the movement of the water against his hand he noted that it was perceptible slower.老人将鱼从钩上取下,重新装上沙丁鱼当鱼饵,并将鱼线又抛回海里。然后他慢慢地移回船 头,将左手洗了洗,在裤子上擦一擦,然后把这条沉重的线绳从右手移到左手,把右手也放 在海里洗洗,他的眼睛望着沈入海中的太阳,以及那根斜斜地插入水中的粗绳。「那条鱼仍 然没有改变,」他说。但是从水由他手中流过的动态,便可以察觉出鱼的速度已经明显地减 慢了。

"I'll lash the two oars together across the stern and that will slow him in the night," he said. "He's good for the night and so am I." It would be better to gut the dolphin a little later to save the blood in the meat, he thought. I can do that a little later and lash the oars to make a drag at the same time. I had better keep the fish quiet now and not disturb him too much at sunset. The setting of the sun is a difficult time for all fish.「我得把两枝桨捆起来横在船尾,这样晚上时就可以让它的速度慢下来,」他说。「它擅于 夜战,而我也一样。」他想,还是晚一点再将海豚破肚好了,这样就可以保存它肉里的血。 我可以晚一点再弄,到时把桨也一起绑好,来拖慢鱼的速度。在这日落下之际,我最好不要 惊动这条鱼,让它保持平静,因为日落时分对于所有的鱼都是最难渡过的时刻。

He let his hand dry in the air then grasped the line with it and eased himself as much as he could and allowed himself to be pulled forward against the wood so that the boat took the strain as much, or more, than he did. I'm learning how to do it, he thought. This part of it anyway. Then too, remember he hasn't eaten since he took the bait and he is huge and needs much food. I have eaten the whole bonito. Tomorrow I will eat the dolphin. He called it dorado. Perhaps I should eat some of it when I clean it. It will be harder to eat than the bonito. But, then, nothing is easy.

他把手在空中晾干后,又握住线绳,并尽量地放松,让自己往前靠在木头上让鱼拉着前进,如此船也可以产生一些或更多的阻力。我已经渐渐学会怎么样来对付它了,他想。至少这一 部份我学会了。还有,别忘了它从上了钩以来都还没有吃过东西呢,这么庞大的块头是需要 很多食物的,而我已经吞下一整条鲣鱼了。明天我就把那条海豚吃了,他用西班牙语称它为 「金色的鱼」。或许把它弄干净之后就应该吃一点。海豚比鲣鱼难吃些,但是话说回来,天 底下有什么事情容易呢。

"How do you feel, fish?" he asked aloud. "I feel good and my left hand is better and I have food for a night and a day. Pull the boat, fish." He did not truly feel good because the pain from the cord across his back had almost passed pain and gone into a dullness that he mistrusted. But I have had worse things than that, he thought. My hand is only cut a little and the cramp is gone from the other. My legs are all right. Also now I have gained on him in the question of sustenance. It was dark now as it becomes dark quickly after the sun sets in September.「鱼啊!你感觉如何?」他大声地问。「我感觉好得很,我的左手好多了,而我的食物还够 吃一天一夜哩。鱼啊!使命地拉动这条船吧。」然而他并不是真的感觉很舒服,因为绳索横 过他的背部造成的疼痛几乎已经疼过了头,变成令他耽忧的麻木状态。但他心想,我还遇过 比那更糟的情况呢。现在我的手只不过是有一点点割伤,另一只手的抽筋又已经好了,而且 我的双腿都没事。另外就补给品而言,我也比它要占上风。天色已经变暗了,九月天里太阳 下山后天很快就黑了。

He lay against the worn wood of the bow and rested all that he could. The first stars were out. He did not know the name of Rigel but he saw it and knew soon they would all be out and he would have all his distant friends. "The fish is my friend too," he said aloud. "I have never seen or heard of such a fish. But I must kill him. I am glad we do not have to try to kill the stars." Imagine if each day a man must try to kill the moon, he thought. The moon runs away. But imagine if a man each day should have to try to kill the sun? We were born lucky, he thought.他靠在船头破旧的木板上,想好好休息一下。第一群星星已经出来了。他并不晓得瑞吉星这 名称,但是他一看到第一颗,就知道其它星星也很快就会出来了,然后他就有这些遥远的朋 友作伴了。「这条鱼也是我的朋友,」他大声地说。「我从来没见过也没听说过像这样的一 条鱼。但是我必须杀了它。我真高兴人类至少还不必想尽办法捕杀星星 。」想想看,如果人 每天都必需去捕杀月亮,那会是什么情形呢,他想。月亮大概会逃之夭夭的,再想一想,万 一人类得日以继夜地捕杀太阳,又会是怎么样?他想,我们真是幸运。

Then he was sorry for the great fish that had nothing to eat and his determination to kill him never relaxed in his sorrow for him. How many people will he feed, he thought. But are they worthy to eat him? No, of course not. There is no one worthy of eating him from the manner of his behavior and his great dignity. I do not understand these things, he thought. But it is good that we do not have to try to kill the sun or the moon or the stars. It is enough to live on the sea and kill our true brothers.接下来,他开始同情那条大鱼,没有东西吃,纵然他为它感到悲哀,但杀它的决心却依然丝 毫不减。他想,这条鱼的肉不知可供多少人吃。可是,这些人配吃它吗?不,当然不配。由

它的行为举止,和它高贵的自尊看来,没有任何人配得上来吃这条鱼。他又想,我不了解人 们为何捕杀。但是我们不需要尝试着去捕杀太阳或月亮或星星,倒是件好事。以海为生,还 得捕杀自己的好兄弟们,已经是够受的了。

Now, he thought, I must think about the drag. It has its perils and its merits. I may lose so much line that I will lose him, if he makes his effort and the drag made by the oars is in place and the boat loses all her lightness. Her lightness prolongs both our suffering but it is my safety since he has great speed that he has never yet employed. No matter what passes I must gut the dolphin so he does not spoil and eat some of him to be strong. Now I will rest an hour more and feel that he is solid and steady before I move back to the stern to do the work and make the decision.他想,此刻,我必需想想我的拖延战术了。这有缺点,也有优点。假使鱼继续使力的话,再 加上船尾横绑着两枝桨所产生的阻力,这条船将会变得沉重无比,那么我可能就要放出很多 线,最后线若没了,我岂不也失去这条鱼了。但是,船如果一直都很轻的话,即使它的速度 目前为止还没有对我造成任何危险,但若鱼继续愈游愈快,那只会延长双方的痛苦而已。不 过不管怎样,我都得把这条海豚剖腹以免腐坏了,我要吃一点好保持我的体力。现在,就让 自己至少休息一个小时,等感觉到那条鱼完全稳定了之后,再回到船尾继续工作,并决定接 下来该怎么做。

In the meantime I can see how he acts and if he shows any changes. The oars are a good trick; but it has reached the time to play for safety. He is much fish still and I saw that the hook was in the corner of his mouth and he has kept his mouth tight shut. The punishment of the hook is nothing. The punishment of hunger, and that he is against something that he does not comprehend, is everything. Best now, old man, and let him work until your next duty comes.同时,我也可以顺便看看它的反应,看它是否有什么变化。这两个桨横在那边倒是好点子,但是在这个时候,该以安全为重。它依然是条了不起的鱼,可以想见鱼钩仍挂在它紧闭的嘴 角上。鱼钩对它的痛苦算不了什么,而饥饿的痛苦,还有对现在与它对抗的这个人一点都不 了解,才是最够它受的。休息吧!老头子,先让它尽量去挣扎吧,等一下再看你的了。