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第3章 The Old Man on the Sea（第1页）

Sometimessomeonewouldspeakinaboat.Butmostoftheboatsweresilentexceptforthedipoftheoars.Theyspreadapartaftertheywereoutofthemouthoftheharborandeachoneheadedforthepartoftheoceanwherehehopedtofindfish.Theoldmanknewhewasgoingfaroutandheleftthesmellofthelandbehindandrowedoutintothecleanearlymorningsmelloftheocean.HesawthephosphorescenceoftheGulfweedinthewaterasherowedoverthepartoftheoceanthatthefishermencalledthegreatwellbecausetherewasasuddendeepofsevenhundredfathomswhereallsortsoffishcongregatedbecauseoftheswirlthecurrentmadeagainstthesteepwallsoftheflooroftheocean.Heretherewereconcentrationsofshrimpandbaitandsometimesschoolsofsquidinthedeepestholesandtheseroseclosetothesurfaceatnightwhereallthewanderingfishfedonthem.

Inthedarktheoldmancouldfeelthemorningcomingandasherowedheheardthetremblingsoundasflyingfishleftthewaterandthehissingthattheirstiffsetwingsmadeastheysoaredawayinthedarkness.Hewasveryfondofflyingfishastheywerehisprincipalfriendsontheocean.Hewassorryforthebirds，especiallythesmalldelicatedarkternsthatwerealwaysflyingandlookingandalmostneverfinding，andhethought，“Thebirdshaveaharderlifethanwedoexceptfortherobberbirdsandtheheavystrongones.Whydidtheymakebirdssodelicateandfineasthoseseaswallowswhentheoceancanbesocruel?Sheiskindandverybeautiful.Butshecanbesocruelanditcomessosuddenlyandsuchbirdsthatfly，dippingandhunting，withtheirsmallsadvoicesaremadetoodelicatelyforthesea.”

HealwaysthoughtoftheseaaslamarwhichiswhatpeoplecallherinSpanishwhentheyloveher.Sometimesthosewholovehersaybadthingsofherbuttheyarealwayssaidasthoughshewereawoman.Someoftheyoungerfishermen，thosewhousedbuoysasfloatsfortheirlinesandhadmotorboats，boughtwhenthesharklivershadbroughtmuchmoney，spokeofheraselmarwhichismasculine.Theyspokeofherasacontestantoraplaceorevenanenemy.Buttheoldmanalwaysthoughtofherasfeminineandassomethingthatgaveorwithheldgreatfavors，andifshedidwildorwickedthingsitwasbecauseshecouldnothelpthem.Themoonaffectsherasitdoesawoman，hethought.

Hewasrowingsteadilyanditwasnoeffortforhimsincehekeptwellwithinhisspeedandthesurfaceoftheoceanwasflatexceptfortheoccasionalswirlsofthecurrent.Hewaslettingthecurrentdoathirdoftheworkandasitstartedtobelighthesawhewasalreadyfurtheroutthanhehadhopedtobeatthishour.

Iworkedthedeepwellsforaweekanddidnothing，hethought.TodayIllworkoutwheretheschoolsofbonitaandalbacoreareandmaybetherewillbeabigonewiththem.

Beforeitwasreallylighthehadhisbaitsoutandwasdriftingwiththecurrent.Onebaitwasdownfortyfathoms.Thesecondwasatseventy-fiveandthethirdandfourthweredowninthebluewateratonehundredandonehundredandtwenty-fivefathoms.Eachbaithungheaddownwiththeshankofthehookinsidethebaitfish，tiedandsewedsolidandalltheprojectingpartofthehook，thecurveandthepoint，wascoveredwithfreshsardines.Eachsardinewashookedthroughbotheyessothattheymadeahalf-garlandontheprojectingsteel.Therewasnopartofthehookthatagreatfishcouldfeelwhichwasnotsweetsmellingandgoodtasting.

Theboyhadgivenhimtwofreshsmalltunas，oralbacores，whichhungonthetwodeepestlineslikeplummetsand，ontheothers，hehadabigbluerunnerandayellowjackthathadbeenusedbefore;buttheywereingoodconditionstillandhadtheexcellentsardinestogivethemscentandattractiveness.Eachline，asthickaroundasabigpencil，wasloopedontoagreen-sappedsticksothatanypullortouchonthebaitwouldmakethestickdipandeachlinehadtwoforty-fathomcoilswhichcouldbemadefasttotheothersparecoilssothat，ifitwerenecessary，afishcouldtakeoutoverthreehundredfathomsofline.

Nowthemanwatchedthedipofthethreesticksoverthesideoftheskiffandrowedgentlytokeepthelinesstraightupanddownandattheirproperdepths.Itwasquitelightandanymomentnowthesunwouldrise.

Thesunrosethinlyfromtheseaandtheoldmancouldseetheotherboats，lowonthewaterandwellintowardtheshore，spreadoutacrossthecurrent.Thenthesunwasbrighterandtheglarecameonthewaterandthen，asitroseclear，theflatseasentitbackathiseyessothatithurtsharplyandherowedwithoutlookingintoit.Helookeddownintothewaterandwatchedthelinesthatwentstraightdownintothedarkofthewater.Hekeptthemstraighterthananyonedid，sothatateachlevelinthedarknessofthestreamtherewouldbeabaitwaitingexactlywherehewishedittobeforanyfishthatswamthere.Othersletthemdriftwiththecurrentandsometimestheywereatsixtyfathomswhenthefishermenthoughttheywereatahundred.

But，hethought，Ikeepthemwithprecision.OnlyIhavenoluckanymore.Butwhoknows?Maybetoday.Everydayisanewday.Itisbettertobelucky.ButIwouldratherbeexact.Thenwhenluckcomesyouareready.

Thesunwastwohourshighernowanditdidnothurthiseyessomuchtolookintotheeast.Therewereonlythreeboatsinsightnowandtheyshowedverylowandfarinshore.

Allmylifetheearlysunhashurtmyeyes，hethought.Yettheyarestillgood.IntheeveningIcanlookstraightintoitwithoutgettingtheblackness.Ithasmoreforceintheeveningtoo.Butinthemorningitispainful.

Justthenhesawaman-of-warbirdwithhislongblackwingscirclingintheskyaheadofhim.Hemadeaquickdrop，slantingdownonhisbacksweptwings，andthencircledagain.

“Hesgotsomething，”

theoldmansaidaloud.“Hesnotjustlooking.”

Herowedslowlyandsteadilytowardwherethebirdwascircling.Hedidnothurryandhekepthislinesstraightupanddown.Buthecrowdedthecurrentalittlesothathewasstillfishingcorrectlythoughfasterthanhewouldhavefishedifhewasnottryingtousethebird.

Thebirdwenthigherintheairandcircledagain，hiswingsmotionless.Thenhedovesuddenlyandtheoldmansawflyingfishspurtoutofthewaterandsaildesperatelyoverthesurface.

“Dolphin，”

theoldmansaidaloud.“Bigdolphin.”

Heshippedhisoarsandbroughtasmalllinefromunderthebow.Ithadawireleaderandamedium-sizedhookandhebaiteditwithoneofthesardines.Heletitgooverthesideandthenmadeitfasttoaringboltinthestern.Thenhebaitedanotherlineandleftitcoiledintheshadeofthebow.Hewentbacktorowingandtowatchingthelongwingedblackbirdwhowasworking，now，lowoverthewater.

Ashewatchedthebirddippedagainslantinghiswingsforthediveandthenswingingthemwildlyandineffectuallyashefollowedtheflyingfish.Theoldmancouldseetheslightbulgeinthewaterthatthebigdolphinraisedastheyfollowedtheescapingfish.Thedolphinwerecuttingthroughthewaterbelowtheflightofthefishandwouldbeinthewater，drivingatspeed，whenthefishdropped.Itisabigschoolofdolphin，hethought.Theyarewidespreadandtheflyingfishhavelittlechance.Thebirdhasnochance.Theflyingfisharetoobigforhimandtheygotoofast.

Hewatchedtheflyingfishburstoutagainandagainandtheineffectualmovementsofthebird.Thatschoolhasgottenawayfromme，hethought.Theyaremovingouttoofastandtoofar.ButperhapsIwillpickupastrayandperhapsmybigfishisaroundthem.Mybigfishmustbesomewhere.