登陆注册
724800000032

第32章 英文版 (22)

“Half fish,” he said. “Fish that you were. I am sorry that I went too far out. I ruined us both. But we have killed many sharks, you and I, and ruined many others. How many did you ever kill, old fish? You do not have that spear on your head for nothing.”

He liked to think of the fish and what he could do to a shark if he were swimming free. I should have chopped the bill off to fight them with, he thought. But there was no hatchet and then there was no knife.

But if I had, and could have lashed it to an oar butt, what a weapon. Then we might have fought them together. What will you do now if they come in the night? What can you do?

“Fight them,” he said. “I’ll fight them until I die.”

But in the dark now and no glow showing and no lights and only the wind and the steady pull of the sail he felt that perhaps he was already dead. He put his two hands together and felt the palms. They were not dead and he could bring the pain of life by simply opening and closing them. He leaned his back against the stern and knew he was not dead. His shoulders told him.

I have all those prayers I promised if I caught the fish, he thought. But I am too tired to say them now. I better get the sack and put it over my shoulders.

He lay in the stern and steered and watched for the glow to come in the sky. I have half of him,he thought. Maybe I’ll have the luck to bring the forward half in. I should have some luck. No, he said. You violated your luck when you went too far outside.

“Don’t be silly,” he said aloud. “And keep awake and steer. You may have much luck yet.”

“I’d like to buy some if there’s any place they sell it,” he said.

What could I buy it with? he asked himself. Could I buy it with a lost harpoon and a broken knife and two bad hands?

“You might,” he said. “You tried to buy it with eighty-four days at sea. They nearly sold it to you too.”

I must not think nonsense, he thought. Luck is a thing that comes in many forms and who can recognize her? I would take some though in any form and pay what they asked. I wish I could see the glow from the lights, he thought. I wish too many things. But that is the thing I wish for now. He tried to settle more comfortably to steer and from his pain he knew he was not dead.

He saw the reflected glare of the lights of the city at what must have been around ten o’clock at night. They were only perceptible at first as the light is in the sky before the moon rises. Then they were steady to see across the ocean which was rough now with the increasing breeze. He steered inside of the glow and he thought that now, soon, he must hit the edge of the stream.

Now it is over, he thought. They will probably hit me again. But what can a man do against them in the dark without a weapon?

He was stiff and sore now and his wounds and all of the strained parts of his body hurt with the cold of the night. I hope I do not have to fight again, he thought. I hope so much I do not have to fight again.

But by midnight he fought and this time he knew the fight was useless. They came in a pack and he could only see the lines in the water that their fins made and their phosphorescence as they threw themselves on the fish. He clubbed at heads and heard the jaws chop and the shaking of the skiff as they took hold below. He clubbed desperately at what he could only feel and hear and he felt something seize the club and it was gone.

He jerked the tiller free from the rudder and beat and chopped with it, holding it in both hands and driving it down again and again. But they were up to the bow now and driving in one after the other and together, tearing off the pieces of meat that showed glowing below the sea as they turned to come once more.

One came, finally, against the head itself and he knew that it was over. He swung the tiller across the shark’s head where the jaws were caught in the heaviness of the fish’s head which would not tear. He swung it once and twice and again. He heard the tiller break and he lunged at the shark with the splintered butt. He felt it go in and knowing it was sharp he drove it in again. The shark let go and rolled away. That was the last shark of the pack that came. There was nothing more for them to eat.

The old man could hardly breathe now and he felt a strange taste in his mouth. It was coppery and sweet and he was afraid of it for a moment. But there was not much of it.

He spat into the ocean and said, “Eat that, galanos. And make a dream you’ve killed a man.”

He knew he was beaten now finally and without remedy and he went back to the stern and found the jagged end of the tiller would fit in the slot of the rudder well enough for him to steer. He settled the sack around his shoulders and put the skiff on her course. He sailed lightly now and he had no thoughts nor any feelings of any kind. He was past everything now and he sailed the skiff to make his home port as well and as intelligently as he could. In the night sharks hit the carcass as someone might pick up crumbs from the table. The old man paid no attention to them and did not pay any attention to anything except steering. He only noticed how lightly and bow well the skiff sailed now there was no great weight beside her.

She’s good, he thought. She is sound and not harmed in any way except for the tiller. That is easily replaced.

He could feel he was inside the current now and he could see the lights of the beach colonies along the shore. He knew where he was now and it was nothing to get home.

The wind is our friend, anyway, he thought. Then he added, sometimes. And the great sea with our friends and our enemies. And bed, he thought. Bed is my friend. Just bed, he thought. Bed will be a great thing. It is easy when you are beaten, he thought. I never knew how easy it was. And what beat you, he thought.

“Nothing,” he said aloud. “I went out too far.”

同类推荐
  • 30年文学典藏小说卷(一)

    30年文学典藏小说卷(一)

    为了纪念《百花洲》创刊三十周年,隆重推出《30年文学典藏》四卷本,众多名家倾力打造,三十年的沉淀,三十年的精粹,凸显出《百花洲》的流变轨迹,也折射出三十年社会生活和文化的变迁。这些让人熟知和亲近的文字在当下与历史间建立了一种恒久的联系,对于今天的文学阅读与写作而言,无疑是心灵不可复制的参照。
  • 血缘

    血缘

    血液,人生一时一刻也离不了的血液,铸就了友谊、引出了事端、结成了姻缘,发生了这个曲折、美好、揪人心扉的故事。缘分妙不可言,生活变幻万千。小说着重展现人物情感冲突,刻画共丰富、复杂的内心世界;描写人物的大喜大悲、大起大落;反映当代的社会、人情风貌;展现当前医疗和房地产业的欣慰与困惑,是一部可读性强的长篇小说。
  • 谋杀名单

    谋杀名单

    一对经营证券投资的兄弟俩之间因利益纠葛、金钱纷争而导致轰动一时的纽约凶杀案,揭示了西方社会经济秩序的混乱、人对财富的贪欲和亲情的冷漠。股票交易人艾文·班森是亲朋好友眼中一致公认的“老好人”,却突然在家中遭遇枪杀。他穿戴整齐地坐在客厅的沙发上,头部中弹,手中拿着书,看上去像在闭目养神一样。是自杀?抑或是有人蓄意伪造现场?
  • 解学士诗话

    解学士诗话

    《解学士诗话》分下上层,佚著者。本书主要叙及明名士解缙的轶事,解缙的事迹在民间流传甚广,后也各有关于他的小说传世。
  • 金沙滩的女人和男人

    金沙滩的女人和男人

    通过通过26个或长或短的故事和场景来递进小说的进程。“事情从七十年代的一次强奸案说起。婉儿是金沙滩一带最美的女人,她的美主要在于她那一笑就有两缕皱褶的小鼻子,随之而来是两个甜甜的小酒窝儿,她的皮肤非常白皙,比浪花还白,身板又是那么高挑,颤盈盈的,就像一杆被风吹拂的修竹。婉儿是三叔王积辉的女人,喜欢赶海。这一天,她挎着小篮儿,又要去赶海。那天的海风平浪静,天空如洗,蓝莹莹的,就像一床铺满浩渺宇宙的毯子。一些船儿睡在毯子上,摇摇晃晃的,像一个个醉汉一样。婉儿来到海边,手打眼罩过来张望,这时伍老大过来了。过去伍老大是婉儿公公的佣人,一次伍老大的父亲随婉儿公公出海时,被大浪掀翻了……”
热门推荐
  • 玉玲珑之全能王妃

    玉玲珑之全能王妃

    这一定是在拍古装戏,场面还蛮大的,应该是个大片。“哎,哎,等等,我不是演员,你找错认了,演少爷的那个不是我,你看,我连演出服都没有,还是不要浪费表情了,又没有摄像机!等正式开拍的时候你在演啊!要我陪练可是要收费的哦!”什么?嫁给他?嫁给一个比女人还漂亮的男人,那不是等于自杀吗?什么,你没病,装的?敢骗我!小样,你当我是垃圾筒,脑子里装的是废物啊?尊贵的王爷,请您收好!不知道这是什么?这是离婚协议书,我要休了你!签字画押,尽快,我赶时间!~~~~~~~~~~~~~~推荐好友的文:姐姐老婆好狂野箫明明
  • 中国古代高僧传

    中国古代高僧传

    在波澜壮阔的中国历史长河中,在富饶广袤的神州大地上,数千年来,曾经涌现出了一批批叱咤风云、扭转乾坤的英雄豪杰。他们如夜空中的群星,交相辉映,璀璨夺目。岁月的流逝,冲刷不掉他们的英名;朝代的兴废,也改变不了他们不朽的业绩。他们中间,有雄才大略、举贤任能的国君;有变法图强、励精图治的名相;有横刀立马、席卷千军的将帅;有运筹帷幄、料事如神的谋士;有忧国忧民、忠言直谏的贤臣……他们是我们民族的精英、祖国的脊梁。
  • 剑傲天下

    剑傲天下

    刀光剑影狭路相逢,炽热情怀复仇切。英雄美人惊天地,爱恨情仇泣鬼神。江湖,永远的争斗,永恒的话题,看一个小人物是如何一步步走入真正的江湖,踏上那条充满荆棘的道路的。
  • 超级脂肪兑换系统

    超级脂肪兑换系统

    新书《医路彩虹》已发,求收藏、推荐票、打赏! “贼老天,我愿意用我这一百多斤该死的肥肉换今年的风调雨顺!”随着陈致远这一声充满不甘的怒吼声,脂肪兑换系统从天而降!脂肪这种现代人避之不及的东西,在陈致远眼中那就是宝贝,万金难换的宝贝!21世纪什么最重要?人才!好吧,只要我脂肪足够,我能成为各个行业的顶尖人才!身为三流医学大专毕业的陈致远有一个医生梦,所以兑换了医术技能,内外儿妇中西医结合无所不能。身为一个前胖子的陈致远同时也是个吃货,所以兑换了食道技能,古今菜肴无所不会,各式菜肴不仅味道鲜美,而且可以治病。但这一切都需要脂肪,所以:各位胖纸们,来减肥吧,只要签下了契约,肥肉将要彻底离你远去。新书械医以发,直通车在作者推荐里,跪求收藏、推荐票!
  • 我们的故事

    我们的故事

    我们也唱着这支歌奔赴了北大荒…… 本书的作者是记者出身的作家,中华儿女志在四方……大概每一个知青战友都会唱这首歌、它是电影纪录片《军垦战歌》的插曲。本书的类型是他最擅长的纪实文学。书中主要描写了哈尔滨、上海、北京的六十多位知青,迎着晨风迎着阳光,跨山过水到边疆。伟大祖国天高地产,在“前青知时代”或“ 后知青时代中”最具代表性的又最具个性的故事。一群意气风发背着行李的上海知青坐在大卡车上。这首歌曾让我们热血沸腾、激情浩荡。,他们高唱着这支歌向塔里木荒原进军
  • 明治天皇:孝明帝驾崩卷(下册)

    明治天皇:孝明帝驾崩卷(下册)

    《明治天皇》再现了日本从幕末走向明治维新的历史变革,以优美的文笔,宏大的场景,详细描绘了日本近代决定国运的倒幕运动的整个过程。本书塑造了一个个鲜活的日本近代史人物形象,以及他们的坚定信念,对“安政大狱”、“樱田门之变”等重大历史事件的描述详实生动,是一部了解近代日本不可多得的佳作。
  • 深度忧郁

    深度忧郁

    作者雪屏以他个人的病房生活为蓝本,力图透过主观的感觉来关照现实生活的某些侧面。他在这部小说中,更刻意地描摹瞬间的感受和细腻的心理描写,为无法再现的青春岁月画上了一个句号。走出病房的雪屏,其作品对人性、人道和人心均有了更多的思考,强化了人物的塑造和内心的刻画,而尽量淡化戏剧冲突和情节的展开。他的身边,精明狡诈的,不离不弃的,背叛的,纠缠的,各种各样的人,他们来过,他们又离开,他们的故事逐渐逐渐飘散在风中……他用自己患有忧郁症的状态来消化这些人这些事,一切就从这个角度变得仿佛哈哈镜里的影像,扭曲、混乱、诡异而荒唐。
  • 愁城纪

    愁城纪

    愁城纪由十个城市的爱情故事组成,分别发生在十个不同的背景下十个动人的故事。香港的离愁,北京的无奈,深圳的铭心刻骨或者济南的苍凉。这是一本关于空间和情感的小说集,不同的城市下空,上演着差不多的爱与恨。有的爱很茫然,有的爱很无奈,但是爱总是支撑希望的根本,那些纠缠的情节,在扑朔迷离的文字下,显得异常地动人,这本小说集,将带着我们穿越城市的界限,共同感受爱情的真味。
  • 汉后嫣然

    汉后嫣然

    她,出生即有傲人的身世背景,长大却面临着凄凉的宫廷生活,即使死后尊被花神又如何!?这一切,若是能够重来,那么结局将会怎样……经历两世的她,当再一次投胎转世,回到前两辈子,处于同一境地,信奉活在当下,享受生活。若是能够改变,她会尽力,若是不能,她将应对!身为女子,无论在何种境地,就要记得,要尽力对自己好一点……
  • 尸心不改

    尸心不改

    控尸门的欢乐二缺弟子江篱炼了一具美得人神共愤引得天雷阵阵的男尸,以为好日子开始了,结果没想到门派惨遭灭门。--情节虚构,请勿模仿