平凡文学

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

“Icouldnotfailmyselfanddieonafishlikethis.”hesaid.“NowthatIhavehimcomingsobeautifully，Godhelpmeendure.IllsayahundredOurFathersandahundredHailMarys.ButIcannotsaythemnow.”

Considerthemsaid，hethought.Illsaythemlater.

Justthenhefeltasuddenbangingandjerkingonthelineheheldwithhistwohands.Itwassharpandhard-feelingandheavy.

Heishittingthewireleaderwithhisspear，hethought.Thatwasboundtocome.Hehadtodothat.ItmaymakehimjumpthoughandIwouldratherhestayedcirclingnow.Thejumpswerenecessaryforhimtotakeair.Butafterthateachonecanwidentheopeningofthehookwoundandhecanthrowthehook.

“Dontjump，fish，”hesaid.“Dontjump.”

Thefishhitthewireseveraltimesmoreandeachtimeheshookhisheadtheoldmangaveupalittleline.

Imustholdhispainwhereitis，hethought.Minedoesnotmatter.Icancontrolmine.Buthispaincoulddrivehimmad.

Afterawhilethefishstoppedbeatingatthewireandstartedcirclingslowlyagain.Theoldmanwasgaininglinesteadilynow.Buthefeltfaintagain.Heliftedsomeseawaterwithhislefthandandputitonhishead.Thenheputmoreonandrubbedthebackofhisneck.

“Ihavenocramps.”hesaid.“HellbeupsoonandIcanlast.Youhavetolast.Dontevenspeakofit.”

Hekneeledagainstthebowand，foramoment，slippedthelineoverhisbackagain.Illrestnowwhilehegoesoutonthecircleandthenstandupandworkonhimwhenhecomesin，hedecided.

Itwasagreattemptationtorestinthebowandletthefishmakeonecirclebyhimselfwithoutrecoveringanyline.Butwhenthestrainshowedthefishhadturnedtocometowardtheboat，theoldmanrosetohisfeetandstartedthepivotingandtheweavingpullingthatbroughtinallthelinehegained.

ImtirederthanIhaveeverbeen，hethought，andnowthetradewindisrising.Butthatwillbegoodtotakehiminwith.Ineedthatbadly.

“Illrestonthenextturnashegoesout，”hesaid.“Ifeelmuchbetter.ThenintwoorthreeturnsmoreIwillhavehi”

请勿开启浏览器阅读模式，否则将导致章节内容缺失及无法阅读下一章。

相邻推荐:苗疆道事：神秘苗疆巫蛊传奇  丑女无敌  你若懂我，该有多好  罪全书1  逆夏  我有故事，你有酒吗？  微信思维  爱之名  心理学与读心术  让未来的你，感谢现在的自己  心理学与口才技巧  明宫天下：穿越遭遇桃花劫  明朝那些事儿1  倾城绝恋1：名门之恋  明若晓溪  岁月是朵两生花  3步赢得人心  绝世红颜：美人泪·相思劫  盛世良缘  过去的，最好的