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第8章 The Sharks Attack（第1页）

Hedidnotneedacompasstotellhimwheresouthwestwas.Heonlyneededthefeelofthetradewindandthedrawingofthesail.Ibetterputasmalllineoutwithaspoononitandtryandgetsomethingtoeatanddrinkforthemoisture.Buthecouldnotfindaspoonandhissardineswererotten.Sohehookedapatchofyellowgulfweedwiththegaffastheypassedandshookitsothatthesmallshrimpsthatwereinitfellontotheplankingoftheskiff.Thereweremorethanadozenofthemandtheyjumpedandkickedlikesandfleas.Theoldmanpinchedtheirheadsoffwithhisthumbandforefingerandatethemchewinguptheshellsandthetails.Theywereverytinybutheknewtheywerenourishingandtheytastedgood.

Theoldmanstillhadtwodrinksofwaterinthebottleandheusedhalfofoneafterhehadeatentheshrimps.Theskiffwassailingwellconsideringthehandicapsandhesteeredwiththetillerunderhisarm.Hecouldseethefishandhehadonlytolookathishandsandfeelhisbackagainstthesterntoknowthatthishadtrulyhappenedandwasnotadream.Atonetimewhenhewasfeelingsobadlytowardtheend，hehadthoughtperhapsitwasadream.Thenwhenhehadseenthefishcomeoutofthewaterandhangmotionlessintheskybeforehefell，hewassuretherewassomegreatstrangenessandhecouldnotbelieveit.Thenhecouldnotseewell，althoughnowhesawaswellasever.

Nowheknewtherewasthefishandhishandsandbackwerenodream.Thehandscurequickly，hethought.Ibledthemcleanandthesaltwaterwillhealthem.Thedarkwaterofthetruegulfisthegreatesthealerthatthereis.AllImustdoiskeeptheheadclear.Thehandshavedonetheirworkandwesailwell.Withhismouthshutandhistailstraightupanddownwesaillikebrothers.Thenhisheadstartedtobecomealittleunclearandhethought，ishebringingmeinoramIbringinghimin?IfIweretowinghimbehindtherewouldbenoquestion.Norifthefishwereintheskiff，withalldignitygone，therewouldbenoquestioneither.Buttheyweresailingtogetherlashedsidebysideandtheoldmanthought，lethimbringmeinifitpleaseshim.Iamonlybetterthanhimthroughtrickeryandhemeantmenoharm.

Theysailedwellandtheoldmansoakedhishandsinthesaltwaterandtriedtokeephisheadclear.Therewerehighcumuluscloudsandenoughcirrusabovethemsothattheoldmanknewthebreezewouldlastallnight.Theoldmanlookedatthefishconstantlytomakesureitwastrue.Itwasanhourbeforethefirstsharkhithim.

Thesharkwasnotanaccident.Hehadcomeupfromdeepdowninthewaterasthedarkcloudofbloodhadsettledanddispersedinthemiledeepsea.Hehadcomeupsofastandabsolutelywithoutcautionthathebrokethesurfaceofthebluewaterandwasinthesun.Thenhefellbackintotheseaandpickedupthescentandstartedswimmingonthecoursetheskiffandthefishhadtaken.

Sometimeshelostthescent.Buthewouldpickitupagain，orhavejustatraceofitandheswamfastandhardonthecourse.HewasaverybigMakosharkbuilttoswimasfastasthefastestfishintheseaandeverythingabouthimwasbeautifulexcepthisjaws.

Hisbackwasasblueasaswordfishsandhisbellywassilverandhishidewassmoothandhandsome.Hewasbuiltasaswordfishexceptforhishugejawswhichweretightshutnowasheswamfast，justunderthesurfacewithhishighdorsalfinknifingthroughthewaterwithoutwavering.Insidethecloseddoublelipofhisjawsallofhiseightrowsofteethwereslantedinwards.Theywerenottheordinarypyramid-shapedteethofmostsharks.Theywereshapedlikeamansfingerswhentheyarecrispedlikeclaws.Theywerenearlyaslongasthefingersoftheoldmanandtheyhadrazor-sharpcuttingedgesonbothsides.Thiswasafishbuilttofeedonallthefishesinthesea，thatweresofastandstrongandwellarmedthattheyhadnootherenemy.Nowhespeededupashesmelledthefresherscentandhisbluedorsalfincutthewater.

Whentheoldmansawhimcomingheknewthatthiswasasharkthathadnofearatallandwoulddoexactlywhathewished.Hepreparedtheharpoonandmadetheropefastwhilehewatchedthesharkcomeon.Theropewasshortasitlackedwhathehadcutawaytolashthefish.

Theoldmansheadwasclearandgoodnowandhewasfullofresolutionbuthehadlittlehope.Itwastoogoodtolast，hethought.Hetookonelookatthegreatfishashewatchedthesharkclosein.Itmightaswellhavebeenadream，hethought.IcannotkeephimfromhittingmebutmaybeIcangethim.Dentuso，hethought.Badlucktoyourmother.

Thesharkclosedfastasternandwhenhehitthefishtheoldmansawhismouthopenandhisstrangeeyesandtheclickingchopoftheteethashedroveforwardinthemeatjustabovethetail.Thesharksheadwasoutofwaterandhisbackwascomingoutandtheoldmancouldhearthenoiseofskinandfleshrippingonthebigfishwhenherammedtheharpoondownontothesharksheadataspotwherethelinebetweenhiseyesintersectedwiththelinethatranstraightbackfromhisnose.Therewerenosuchlines.Therewasonlytheheavysharpblueheadandthebigeyesandtheclicking，thrustingall-swallowingjaws.Butthatwasthelocationofthebrainandtheoldmanhitit.Hehititwithhisbloodmushedhandsdrivingagoodharpoonwithallhisstrength.Hehititwithouthopebutwithresolutionandcompletemalignancy.

Thesharkswungoverandtheoldmansawhiseyewasnotaliveandthenheswungoveronceagain，wrappinghimselfintwoloopsoftherope.Theoldmanknewthathewasdeadbutthesharkwouldnotacceptit.Then，onhisback，withhistaillashingandhisjawsclicking，thesharkplowedoverthewaterasaspeed-boatdoes.Thewaterwaswhitewherehistailbeatitandthree-quartersofhisbodywasclearabovethewaterwhentheropecametaut，shivered，andthensnapped.Thesharklayquietlyforalittlewhileonthesurfaceandtheoldmanwatchedhim.Thenhewentdownveryslowly.

“Hetookaboutfortypounds，”

theoldmansaidaloud.Hetookmyharpoontooandalltherope，hethought，andnowmyfishbleedsagainandtherewillbeothers.

Hedidnotliketolookatthefishanymoresincehehadbeenmutilated.Whenthefishhadbeenhititwasasthoughhehimselfwerehit.

ButIkilledthesharkthathitmyfish，hethought.AndhewasthebiggestdentusothatIhaveeverseen.AndGodknowsthatIhaveseenbigones.

Itwastoogoodtolast，hethought.IwishithadbeenadreamnowandthatIhadneverhookedthefishandwasaloneinbedonthenewspapers.

“Butmanisnotmadefordefeat，”

hesaid.“Amancanbedestroyedbutnotdefeated.”

IamsorrythatIkilledthefishthough，hethought.NowthebadtimeiscomingandIdonotevenhavetheharpoon.Thedentusoiscruelandableandstrongandintelligent.ButIwasmoreintelligentthanhewas.Perhapsnot，hethought.PerhapsIwasonlybetterarmed.

“Dontthink，oldman，”

hesaidaloud.“Sailonthiscourseandtakeitwhenitcomes.”

ButImustthink，hethought.BecauseitisallIhaveleft.Thatandbaseball.IwonderhowthegreatDiMaggiowouldhavelikedthewayIhithiminthebrain?Itwasnogreatthing，hethought.Anymancoulddoit.Butdoyouthinkmyhandswereasgreatahandicapasthebonespurs?Icannotknow.IneverhadanythingwrongwithmyheelexceptthetimethestingraystungitwhenIsteppedonhimwhenswimmingandparalyzedthelowerlegandmadetheunbearablepain.

“Thinkaboutsomethingcheerful，oldman，”

hesaid.“Everyminutenowyouareclosertohome.Yousaillighterforthelossoffortypounds.”

Heknewquitewellthepatternofwhatcouldhappenwhenhereachedtheinnerpartofthecurrent.Buttherewasnothingtobedonenow.

“Yesthereis，”

hesaidaloud.“Icanlashmyknifetothebuttofoneoftheoars.”

Sohedidthatwiththetillerunderhisarmandthesheetofthesailunderhisfoot.

“Now，”

hesaid.“Iamstillanoldman.ButIamnotunarmed.”

Thebreezewasfreshnowandhesailedonwell.Hewatchedonlytheforwardpartofthefishandsomeofhishopereturned.

Itissillynottohope，hethought.BesidesIbelieveitisasin.Donotthinkaboutsin，hethought.Thereareenoughproblemsnowwithoutsin.AlsoIhavenounderstandingofit.

IhavenounderstandingofitandIamnotsurethatIbelieveinit.Perhapsitwasasintokillthefish.IsupposeitwaseventhoughIdidittokeepmealiveandfeedmanypeople.Buttheneverythingisasin.Donotthinkaboutsin.Itismuchtoolateforthatandtherearepeoplewhoarepaidtodoit.Letthemthinkaboutit.Youwereborntobeafishermanasthefishwasborntobeafish.SanPedrowasafishermanaswasthefatherofthegreatDiMaggio.

Buthelikedtothinkaboutallthingsthathewasinvolvedinandsincetherewasnothingtoreadandhedidnothavearadio，hethoughtmuchandhekeptonthinkingaboutsin.Youdidnotkillthefishonlytokeepaliveandtosellforfood，hethought.Youkilledhimforprideandbecauseyouareafisherman.Youlovedhimwhenhewasaliveandyoulovedhimafter.Ifyoulovehim，itisnotasintokillhim.Orisitmore?

“Youthinktoomuch，oldman，”

hesaidaloud.

Butyouenjoyedkillingthedentuso，hethought.Helivesonthelivefishasyoudo.Heisnotascavengernorjustamovingappetiteassomesharksare.Heisbeautifulandnobleandknowsnofearofanything.

“Ikilledhiminself-defense，”

theoldmansaidaloud.“AndIkilledhimwell.”