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第1章 The Old Mans Hard Life(第1页)

HewasanoldmanwhofishedaloneinaskiffintheGulfStreamandhehadgoneeighty-fourdaysnowwithouttakingafish.Inthefirstfortydaysaboyhadbeenwithhim.Butafterfortydayswithoutafishtheboysparentshadtoldhimthattheoldmanwasnowdefinitelyandfinallysalao,whichistheworstformofunlucky,andtheboyhadgoneattheirordersinanotherboatwhichcaughtthreegoodfishthefirstweek.Itmadetheboysadtoseetheoldmancomeineachdaywithhisskiffemptyandhealwayswentdowntohelphimcarryeitherthecoiledlinesorthegaffandharpoonandthesailthatwasfurledaroundthemast.Thesailwaspatchedwithfloursacksand,furled,itlookedliketheflagofpermanentdefeat.

Theoldmanwasthinandgauntwithdeepwrinklesinthebackofhisneck.Thebrownblotchesofthebenevolentskincancerthesunbringsfromitsreflectiononthetropicseawereonhischeeks.Theblotchesranwelldownthesidesofhisfaceandhishandshadthedeep-creasedscarsfromhandlingheavyfishonthecords.Butnoneofthesescarswerefresh.Theywereasoldaserosionsinafishlessdesert.

Everythingabouthimwasoldexcepthiseyesandtheywerethesamecolorastheseaandwerecheerfulandundefeated.

“Santiago,”

theboysaidtohimastheyclimbedthebankfromwheretheskiffwashauledup.“Icouldgowithyouagain.Wevemadesomemoney.”

Theoldmanhadtaughttheboytofishandtheboylovedhim.

“No,”

theoldmansaid.“Yourewithaluckyboat.Staywiththem.”

“Butrememberhowyouwenteighty-sevendayswithoutfishandthenwecaughtbigoneseverydayforthreeweeks.”

“Iremember,”

theoldmansaid,“Iknowyoudidnotleavemebecauseyoudoubted.”

“Itwaspapamademeleave.IamaboyandImustobeyhim.”

“Iknow,”

theoldmansaid.“Itisquitenormal.”

“Hehasntmuchfaith.”

“No,”

theoldmansaid.“Butwehave.Haventwe?”

“Yes,”

theboysaid.“CanIofferyouabeerontheTerraceandthenwelltakethestuffhome.”

“Whynot?”

theoldmansaid.“Betweenfishermen.”

TheysatontheTerraceandmanyofthefishermenmadefunoftheoldmanandhewasnotangry.Others,oftheolderfishermen,lookedathimandweresad.Buttheydidnotshowitandtheyspokepolitelyaboutthecurrentandthedepthstheyhaddriftedtheirlinesatandthesteadygoodweatherandofwhattheyhadseen.Thesuccessfulfishermenofthatdaywerealreadyinandhadbutcheredtheirmarlinoutandcarriedthemlaidfullacrosstwoplanks,withtwomenstaggeringattheendofeachplank,tothefishhousewheretheywaitedfortheicetrucktocarrythemtothemarketinHavana.Thosewhohadcaughtsharkshadtakenthemtothesharkfactoryontheothersideofthecovewheretheywerehoistedonablockandtackle,theirliversremoved,theirfinscutoffandtheirhidesskinnedoutandtheirfleshcutintostripsforsalting.

Whenthewindwasintheeastasmellcameacrosstheharborfromthesharkfactory;buttodaytherewasonlythefaintedgeoftheodorbecausethewindhadbackedintothenorthandthendroppedoffanditwaspleasantandsunnyontheTerrace.

“Santiago,”

theboysaid.

“Yes,”

theoldmansaid.Hewasholdinghisglassandthinkingofmanyyearsago.

“CanIgoouttogetsardinesforyoufortomorrow?”

“No.Goandplaybaseball.IcanstillrowandRogeliowillthrowthenet.”

“Iwouldliketogo.IfIcannotfishwithyou,Iwouldliketoserveinsomeway.”

“Youboughtmeabeer,”

theoldmansaid.“Youarealreadyaman.”

“HowoldwasIwhenyoufirsttookmeinaboat?”

“FiveandyounearlywerekilledwhenIbroughtthefishintoogreenandhenearlytoretheboattopieces.Canyouremember?”

“Icanrememberthetailslappingandbangingandthethwartbreakingandthenoiseoftheclubbing.Icanrememberyouthrowingmeintothebowwherethewetcoiledlineswereandfeelingthewholeboatshiverandthenoiseofyouclubbinghimlikechoppingatreedownandthesweetbloodsmellalloverme.”

“CanyoureallyrememberthatordidIjusttellittoyou?”

“Iremembereverythingfromwhenwefirstwenttogether.”

Theoldmanlookedathimwithhissunburned,confidentlovingeyes.

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