书墨楼

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第7章 The Old Mans Victory（第1页）

“Therewillbebadweatherinthreeorfourdays，”

hesaid.“Butnottonightandnottomorrow.Rignowtogetsomesleep，oldman，whilethefishiscalmandsteady.”

Heheldthelinetightinhisrighthandandthenpushedhisthighagainsthisrighthandasheleanedallhisweightagainstthewoodofthebow.Thenhepassedthelinealittleloweronhisshouldersandbracedhislefthandonit.

Myrighthandcanholditaslongasitisbraced，hethought.Ifitrelaxesinsleepmylefthandwillwakemeasthelinegoesout.Itishardontherighthand.Butheisusedtopunishment.EvenifIsleeptwentyminutesorahalfanhouritisgood.Helayforwardcrampinghimselfagainstthelinewithallofhisbody，puttingallhisweightontohisrighthand，andhewasasleep.

Hedidnotdreamofthelionsbutinsteadofavastschoolofporpoisesthatstretchedforeightortenmilesanditwasinthetimeoftheirmatingandtheywouldleaphighintotheairandreturnintothesameholetheyhadmadeinthewaterwhentheyleaped.

Thenhedreamedthathewasinthevillageonhisbedandtherewasanortherandhewasverycoldandhisrightarmwasasleepbecausehisheadhadrestedonitinsteadofapillow.

Afterthathebegantodreamofthelongyellowbeachandhesawthefirstofthelionscomedownontoitintheearlydarkandthentheotherlionscameandherestedhischinonthewoodofthebowswheretheshiplayanchoredwiththeeveningoff-shorebreezeandhewaitedtoseeiftherewouldbemorelionsandhewashappy.

Themoonhadbeenupforalongtimebuthesleptonandthefishpulledonsteadilyandtheboatmovedintothetunnelofclouds.

Hewokewiththejerkofhisrightfistcomingupagainsthisfaceandthelineburningoutthroughhisrighthand.Hehadnofeelingofhislefthandbuthebrakedallhecouldwithhisrightandthelinerushedout.Finallyhislefthandfoundthelineandheleanedbackagainstthelineandnowitburnedhisbackandhislefthand，andhislefthandwastakingallthestrainandcuttingbadly.Helookedbackatthecoilsoflineandtheywerefeedingsmoothly.Justthenthefishjumpedmakingagreatburstingoftheoceanandthenaheavyfall.Thenhejumpedagainandagainandtheboatwasgoingfastalthoughlinewasstillracingoutandtheoldmanwasraisingthestraintobreakingpointandraisingittobreakingpointagainandagain.Hehadbeenpulleddowntightontothebowandhisfacewasinthecutsliceofdolphinandhecouldnotmove.

Thisiswhatwewaitedfor，hethought.Sonowletustakeit.

Makehimpayfortheline，hethought.Makehimpayforit.

Hecouldnotseethefishsjumpsbutonlyheardthebreakingoftheoceanandtheheavysplashashefell.Thespeedofthelinewascuttinghishandsbadlybuthehadalwaysknownthiswouldhappenandhetriedtokeepthecuttingacrossthecallousedpartsandnotletthelineslipintothepalmnorcutthefingers.

Iftheboywasherehewouldwetthecoilsofline，hethought.Yes.Iftheboywerehere.Iftheboywerehere.

Thelinewentoutandoutandoutbutitwasslowingnowandhewasmakingthefishearneachinchofit.Nowhegothisheadupfromthewoodandoutofthesliceoffishthathischeekhadcrushed.Thenhewasonhiskneesandthenheroseslowlytohisfeet.Hewascedinglinebutmoreslowlyallthetime.Heworkedbacktowherehecouldfeelwithhisfootthecoilsoflinethathecouldnotsee.Therewasplentyoflinestillandnowthefishhadtopullthefrictionofallthatnewlinethroughthewater.

Yes，hethought.AndnowhehasjumpedmorethanadozentimesandfilledthesacksalonghisbackwithairandhecannotgodowndeeptodiewhereIcannotbringhimup.HewillstartcirclingsoonandthenImustworkonhiIwonderwhatstartedhimsosuddenly?Couldithavebeenhungerthatmadehimdesperate，orwashefrightenedbysomethinginthenight?Maybehesuddenlyfeltfear.Buthewassuchacalm，strongfishandheseemedsofearlessandsoconfident.

Itisstrange.

“Youbetterbefearlessandconfidentyourself，oldman，”

hesaid.“Youreholdinghimagainbutyoucannotgetline.Butsoonhehastocircle.”

Theoldmanheldhimwithhislefthandandhisshouldersnowandstoopeddownandscoopedupwaterinhisrighthandtogetthecrusheddolphinfleshoffhisface.Hewasafraidthatitmightnauseatehimandhewouldvomitandlosehisstrength.Whenhisfacewascleanedhewashedhisrighthandinthewateroverthesideandthenletitstayinthesaltwaterwhilehewatchedthefirstlightcomebeforethesunrise.Hesheadedalmosteast，hethought.Thatmeansheistiredandgoingwiththecurrent.Soonhewillhavetocircle.Thenourtrueworkbegins.

Afterhejudgedthathisrighthandhadbeeninthewaterlongenoughhetookitoutandlookedatit.

“Itisnotbad.”

hesaid.“Andpaindoesnotmattertoaman.”

Hetookholdofthelinecarefullysothatitdidnotfitintoanyofthefreshlinecutsandshiftedhisweightsothathecouldputhislefthandintotheseaontheothersideoftheskiff.

“Youdidnotdosobadlyforsomethingworthless，”

hesaidtohislefthand.“ButtherewasamomentwhenIcouldnotfindyou.”

WhywasInotbornwithtwogoodhands?Hethought.Perhapsitwasmyfaultinnottrainingthatoneproperly.ButGodknowshehashadenoughchancestolearn.Hedidnotdosobadlyinthenight，though，andhehasonlycrampedonce.Ifhecrampsagainletthelinecuthimoff.

Whenhethoughtthatheknewthathewasnotbeingclear-headedandhethoughtheshouldchewsomemoreofthedolphin.ButIcant，hetoldhimself.Itisbettertobelight-headedthantoloseyourstrengthfromnausea.AndIknowIcannotkeepitifIeatitsincemyfacewasinit.Iwillkeepitforanemergencyuntilitgoesbad.Butitistoolatetotryforstrengthnowthroughnourishment.Yourestupid，hetoldhimself.Eattheotherflyingfish.

Itwasthere，cleanedandready，andhepickeditupwithhislefthandandateitchewingthebonescarefullyandeatingallofitdowntothetail.

Ithasmorenourishmentthanalmostanyfish，hethought.AtleastthekindofstrengththatIneed.NowIhavedonewhatIcan，hethought.Lethimbegintocircleandletthefightcome.

Thesunwasrisingforthethirdtimesincehehadputtoseawhenthefishstartedtocircle.

Hecouldnotseebytheslantofthelinethatthefishwascircling.Itwastooearlyforthat.Hejustfeltafaintslackeningofthepressureofthelineandhecommencedtopullonitgentlywithhisrighthand.Ittightened，asalways，butjustwhenhereachedthepointwhereitwouldbreak，linebegantocomein.Heslippedhisshouldersandheadfromunderthelineandbegantopullinlinesteadilyandgently.Heusedbothofhishandsinaswingingmotionandtriedtodothepullingasmuchashecouldwithhisbodyandhislegs.Hisoldlegsandshoulderspivotedwiththeswingingofthepulling.

“Itisaverybigcircle，”

hesaid.“Butheiscircling.”

Thenthelinewouldnotcomeinanymoreandheheldituntilhesawthedropsjumpingfromitinthesun.Thenitstartedoutandtheoldmankneltdownandletitgogrudginglybackintothedarkwater.

“Heismakingthefarpartofhiscirclenow，”

hesaid.ImustholdallIcan，hethought.Thestrainwillshortenhiscircleeachtime.PerhapsinanhourIwillseehiNowImustconvincehimandthenImustkillhi

Butthefishkeptoncirclingslowlyandtheoldmanwaswetwithsweatandtireddeepintohisbonestwohourslater.Butthecirclesweremuchshorternowandfromthewaythelineslantedhecouldtellthefishhadrisensteadilywhileheswa

Foranhourtheoldmanhadbeenseeingblackspotsbeforehiseyesandthesweatsaltedhiseyesandsaltedthecutoverhiseyeandonhisforehead.Hewasnotafraidoftheblackspots.Theywerenormalatthetensionthathewaspullingontheline.Twice，though，hehadfeltfaintanddizzyandthathadworriedhi